Amir's POV:
"Master Ki Bou treated him with his magic," I answered.
"Then, where is he?" Mill asked.
"He left." I shortly answered.
"Where?" Mill emphasized.
"He has his mission, but he didn't tell us where he is headed," I answered back while changing my clothes.
"At saka magaling na si Cleb, maya-maya ay gigising na rin 'yan!" Li added.
"Mill, it's okay! No need to worry, we're all safe." I emitted.
"I'm not worried! I just...wanted to see Master Ki Bou," He said, unfortunately.
"Ah, babalik din 'yon! Don't worry, Kuya Mill," Li said, then, smiled at Mill.
"Kuya? Dare you to call me Kuya? How old are you?" Mill asked.
"Ako?" Li said pointing at himself.
Mill nodded.
"Yeah, Ikaw,"
"I'm 18 years old, and my sister Lusaka is 10 years older than me," Li answered.
"Hmm, okay! Your Parents?" Mill said.
Li almost choked on his food.
"Oh, sorry! Here, water," Mill said, giving Li a cup of water.
Li drank the water that Mill gave to him. I was leaning on one of the pillars of the bunk bed with my arms crossed over my chest, While Li was gulping, I gently booted Mill's feet to get his attention, and his gaze turned to me in confusion. I arched my brows downward and nodded sideways in an indication for him to stop. It feels like Li was caught off guard by that question, yet, he didn't get me. I did change the topic right away. I hemmed.
"Uhm, Where's Lusaka and Niala?" I emitted.
"Oo nga! Mag-isa ka lang dumating dito. Nasaan pala sila?" I asked, totally forgetting Mill's questions earlier.
"Ah, they're at the other bunkhouse, unpacking. " Mill answered.
We just nodded.
"Uhm, Mill..." I uttered, and he turned around at me.
"What?" he said,
"Can you stay here for a while and watch for Cleb?" I requested.
"Yeah, sure! Why?" He said.
"I and Li were going to talk to the swordsman," I said.
He turned his gaze to Li who nodded.
"Okay, I'll watch him over. You two can talk to the swordsman." Mill said, accepting the favor.
Li rose and fixed his ponytail, while I opened the door waiting for him. Mill swapped with Li to watch over Cleb. We exit the room and walk towards it.
...
"Now, where can we find that swordsman?" I asked while we were walking, I looked at him and pointed to a small way surrounded by tall bushes and vines at the edge of this camp.
"Wow! Lagusan! Saan papunta 'yan?" He uttered in delight.
I arch my lip.
"I think it's a hidden extension of this camp." I emitted.
"Ohhhh! Extension." he shortly replied.
"Yeah, extension."
We reached the open through and directly entered and walked towards it. As soon as entered it, we bumped into the swordsman who was about to leave, bringing a basket of fruits.
"Oh!" he shortly uttered, might be surprised.
"Hi!" Li greeted, waving his hand.
"We want to talk with you, now," I uttered in a deep tone with solemnness.
His gaze turned to me, sighed.
"Follow me," he titled its head to follow him.
We followed him after, carrying a basket full of fruits. He keeps on strolling without bothering us or even talking with us, Ki Bou was right, he's cold and reserved.
"Saan na ba patungo 'to?" Li asked, whispering.
"I don't know either," I answered back.
"You said you trust him, right?" I followed.
"Oo, pero parang palayo na palayo na tayo sa camp," he said, grabbing my arm.
Li seemed scared now, his hand was cold while grabbing my arm. I sighed.
"Are you scared? Your hand seems cold." I said.
"No, Hindi ako takot noh!" He uttered, then let go of his hand on my arms.
Then, he halted. I and Li stopped who was behind him, he turned around at us.
"Here we are," He coldly uttered.
The place is dim and calm surrounded by tall and dense trees. His deep upturned eyes gaze at us. I walked forward.
"Now, Who are you?"
Uttering those words, keeping my composure and calm, didn't budge with his abyss and piercing gaze.
"That's what you ask for?" He coldly replied.
"Yes! Who are you?" I uttered clearly emphasizing every word.
"Now, if I answer that...will you stop interfering?"
Eyebrows start to arch downwards.
"Interfere for what?"
"For doing my things, without you bothering me!
"Bothering what? Stop making up stories swordsman!" I uttered.
Swordsman smirked.
Then Li intervened.
"Guys, nag-aaway ba kayo? Do you have cold wars? Nagpapalamigan ba kayo? Stop this."
Li looked at me, calming me down.
"Prinsipe Amir, pumunta tayo dito para makipag-usap sa kanya hindi para makipag-away..."
Then he turned his gaze to the swordsman. Smiled.
"At ikaw naman, kalma lang. Alam naming cold and reserved ka pero kailangan mo din makipagsalamuha sa iba or makipag-usap man lang sa amin. Hindi ka naman namin pinipilit pero we just want to know you more, 'yon lang naman."
"Then, what do you want?" He emitted.
"Everything," Li answered.
"What's the deal?" He uttered.
Now, there's a deal.
"Once we know everything from you, we will leave here and never bother you anymore," I uttered in conviction. Emphasizing the deal.
"Deal," he uttered in delight.
I stepped forward near him and grabbed the sketch out of my pocket. Then, showed it to him.
"This guy..., you know him right? He's Marcus Maximo," I said, showing the sketch right on his face.
I put down the sketch right after and saw the shock on his face.
"Why so shocked?" I said.
"Kilala mo? Master Ki Bou told us that the guy on that sketch was Marcus Maximo — " Li said.
"That old man..." Swordsman uttered.
"Yes, he's the one who gives us a mission; ako, si Cleb, at si Prinsipe Amir. All of our missions are interconnected," Li emitted.
I looked at him, seeming confused about what was happening.
"I don't understand," he said, starting to walk away from us.
I and Li were shocked and tried to stop him.
"Wait! You didn't even answer us!"
"That sketch! Did Ki Bou give you that?" he uttered pointing to the sketch in my hand.
"Yes, he gives me this! The people in these sketches were my mission. My mission was to find these men; three of them, who were drawn in these sketches. I was able to find Li who has a mission also; which is to create medicine and give it to Cleb. Meanwhile, Cleb's mission is to wait for the medicine and climb up the mountain to have a supposed-to-be duel with the guy in the red sword — and that is you! But then, a demon named Omu Magre came to attack us..."
"... You were able to save us, and bring us here! Yes! You saved us, yet, — we still didn't know you."
I uttered. Then, start walking forward to him.
"Now, —"
Showed him the sketch up close.
"Do you know him?"
He looked at me, breathing heavily. In a deep sigh and then, grabbed the sketch in my hand.
"This?..."
A ripping sound. We were shocked as he tore apart the sketch. He was mad.
"Hey! Ba't mo pinunit?" Li said.
"You!" I glared at him. I was annoyed by his action, and I clenched my fist and was about to punch him but Li grabbed my arm, and tried to stop me. I glanced at him and arched his lip, then walked forward toward me.
"Are you okay? Does that sketch of that man make you mad?... "
"... Or may napaalala ang mukha na iyan?" He uttered, gently. Slowly walk forward the swordsman trying to calm him down.
"... It's okay, if galit ka, magalit ka, feel what's inside you. Then, after that, relax! inhale and exhale, then talk to us,"
Li, simulating breathing. The swordsman who's on the verge of an outburst, slowly soothing down. The swordsman took a deep breath and sighed. Li turned around at me and then winked.
"That sketch..." he mumbled.
"You're looking for Marcus Maximo, right?" he added.
I and Li nodded.

"Yes, the man in that sketch is Marcus Maximo and we are looking for him, Master Ki Bou told us that you know him," I uttered.
He gazes at us.
"Master Ki Bou is lying to both of you," he said, which makes us confused.
"Huh? What do you mean he is lying?" I asked, confused.
"That man..."
Then, he softly sighed.
"He was dead 10 years ago," he said.
I was shocked. I was. He has been dead for a decade, yet, Master Ki Bou wanted me to search for this dead man, for what? Or maybe, this swordsman was the one who was lying. What if this is all a trap? What if this fire magic user is an enemy?
I glared at him.
"You're the one who's lying!" I said.
"I'm not! That old man is!" Swordsman yelled.
"We're not playing a guessing game in here on who's telling the truth — " I emitted.
"I'm telling the truth!" he insisted yelling at us. Voice cracks uttering those words out of his mouth.
"You're not! We didn't even know your name! Dare that we will trust you!?" I yelled. I lost my composure. Feels like I violated one of the Palace Rules. The tension was getting high.
"You will!" Swordsman uttered.
"Why?!" I said.
"Because the one that you're looking for was right in front of you!" Swordsman answered. That makes the place hushed.
I was silenced. The whistling sound of air was heard all over.
"Now you're silent," he added.
"Yes, you're going thrilled..."
"As I reveal it one by one..."
...
"So, Ikaw 'yong hinahanap namin?" Li uttered.
He nodded. Here I am, dazed, couldn't contain what I heard.
"Speak," I shortly said. While staring at him.
"So, you trust me?" He said, smirking.
"No. Just speak," I coldly uttered.
He sighed.
"Okay, that man on the sketch that I ripped apart was dead 10 years ago, Master Ki Bou played you! That sketch. I ripped it apart not because I'm mad about it, but it's because I don't want to remember him at all, I don't want to reminisce the memories we have together, I've already forgotten him. Not until you showed it to me and made me recall his existence, again. That man..."
He softly sighs.
"... was my older brother."
I can't believe that it was his older brother. They even don't look the same. They don't have similarities in features.
"His name is Marube Maximo, ..." he added.
"... and the one that you're looking for whose name is Marcus Maximo ... "
He looks at us.
" ...was me. Yes, I am Marcus Maximo."
"... One of the 13 Offspring of Sorcerers Power,"
I don't know if I will believe him or not. But it seems convincing. If it's true that Master Ki Bou played me, then he's right! I have a problem with my trust, but only for this guy.
"I see," I shortly uttered.
"...and how did you and Master Ki Bou meet?" I asked.
"In this place, he gave me a mission," He answered.
"What mission?" I asked.
He sighed.
"Simple, to wait for someone here at the mountain,"
"Now, do you trust me?" he said.
I gazed at Li,
"Li, you?" I asked.
Li turned around at me and then gazed back at Marcus. He softly sighed.
"Yes, You gain my trust, Marcus. You convinced me and I believe in you," Li uttered, trusting Marcus.
Marcus arches his lip. Then turned his gaze to me.
"I can't. For now," I spoke.
He walks forward to us.
"Trust is a hard thing to win and at the same time, it's an easy thing to lose."
Then kneeled on one knee and started picking the fruits and putting them in the basket that fell earlier, after the argument.
"I can't earn his trust for now, whatever the things I do to make him trust me, I can't..." he uttered while gathering up the fruits on the ground. Li helped him to pick it up.
I just looked at them and did nothing but stand there, and then Marcus gazed at me.
"...I can't earn that, 'coz it's only been given."
...
Walking back away from them and going back to the camp. The voices in my head.
Do you trust me?
I guess? You offered me power and I offered you myself. There's trust involved in that.
Correction. You don't have my power yet because you told so that you are not ready.
... and I didn't say that I don't want it, I'm not just yet ready!
Then, tell me when you are.
I will. Just not now! Let's give them an element of surprise.
- END.