Tales of the Supremes 33 ALTAR 1

"Senior Salamuyak, this young man thank you for the help." Kalipsi clasped his fist and intended to bid farewell. Though he can handle those air-headed students, it was better to avoid conflict.

"Be careful Kalipsi. They wouldn't stop until they lay their hand on you." Salamuyak warned.

"Noted!" Kalipsi walked out.

"Senior Salamuyak, he does not look like interested in joining a group," said by a young man behind her.

They thought that after their leader Salamuyak prevented the fight, the young man will come begging to let him join their group.

In their school, without a strong one to back you off, he/she will surely be bullied by the other.

"I just hope he can stay longer here," another young man sounded.

The victory of Kalipsi's defeating his opponent in just one move, spread like wildfire. Some students of east side and west side looked at him with awe.

...

"Did you change your mind?" Uno asked gleefully.

Tala shook her head.

"Didn't yo-" Uno haven't finished his words because he heard someone calling Tala.

A young man in his twenty closed his distance to them. His long red hair rested on his shoulder and his deep red eyes locked at Talas eyes.

The sight of the young man made Uno staggered to his feet, but Tala did not notice it.

"Tala there you are. Your Identity token and uniform were already delivered to your residence. Follow me and I'll lead you there."

"Thank you." Tala followed and Uno tagged along with his words stuck on his throat.

Tala's residence was just the same in structure to her residence on the west side, it was just a little smaller and instead of four seats, it has only two.

"Apa, we thought of accepting a mission, but we were short of two people. Can you and Lani put up the number?" Tala asked. She only knew the two aside from Uno, so she can only ask them.

Uno coughed as if blood will flow on his mouth at any moment. 'Didn't he know who this man in front of us is?'

"Are you okay?" Tala patted Uno's back.

"I'm okay," Uno stood up straight and shook Tala's hand.

Tala held her chin thinking a reason for Uno's behavior. She brushed it immediately when she unable to find one. Facing Apa, she said, "What do you think?"

"Uhm? That's..."

"If you don't want, then that's okay!"

"No. It's okay."

"That's settled then. Let's meet tomorrow morning in front of the Mission Hall."

"Then I'll take my leave."

"That's it? He agreed to it?" Uno disbelievingly asked.

"Guess so. By the way, we're now complete. Just tell your cousin to be there tomorrow morning too."

"Wait. We're lacking one more." Uno counted, 'Senior Apa, Senior Lani, him, Tala and his cousin, there were only five.'

"Count in my acquaintance."

Acquaintance?"

"Yes. Don't ask anymore. I'm going to rest now. You can go," Tala bade farewell.

"_" Uno. 'He's driving me away?'

Tala went inside leaving Uno in a dazed. She prepared a formation and planted it inside her residence to avoid leak out of her energy. Setting everything, Tala sat cross legs and start to meditate, but to her dismay the stones she has did not even last a minute.

"Forget it. I should just investigate what truly happens to the downfall of this place," Tala puffed and walked out to her residence.

Under the light of the moon, two unfamiliar figures sprinted at the top of the school's building.

Tala who was walking around saw this and followed them.

The two figures stopped at a certain teacher's residence. It was vast and has a tall wall with complex formations of different kinds.

Tala can only peek from atop of the wall if she did not want to be discovered, but the distance didn't hinder her to see and hear them clearly. From the open window, she saw an old man dress in a robe of a teacher with the two black-clad unfamiliar figures with a mask that only their eyes were visible.

"Salba, our master ordered to execute the plan in this upcoming selection." One of the black-clad men said.

"You better prepare everything until the time comes." The other sounded.

"Yes. Yes." The teacher nodded without hesitation. Then, the two vanished.

Tala curved up a mocking smile and followed the two discreetly.

The two inconspicuously blended in the darkness, but it wasn't enough to lost track through Tala's eyes who was following 50 meters away behind them. The duo passed by the school's buildings of the west side and strode to the back of the students' residence where the residences of the cream of the crop were located.

Tala activated her holy eagle sight to assured that no one will encounter the two, because if someone did so, he will be mercilessly be killed.

In her view ahead, at about a kilometer away, Kalipsi was meditating alone on his courtyard. Unknown to her, Kalipsi was transferred to the cream of the crop's residence for he defeated Hangin.

Tala dropped down her emotion and went ahead to the two unfamiliar figures, approaching Kalipsi.

Kalipsi felt a presence in his side. Stopping his meditation, he saw Tala lying on the ground.

"How did yo-" Kalipsi haven't finish his words when he felt conspicuous energy coming their way. He stood up and became wary. That energy though was faint, it wasn't unfamiliar to him. It's the same energy of cacodemon, a little weaker though.

"Let them be," a lazy voice traveled through the air and reached his ear.

"Why?" Kalipsi didn't seem to be surprised at all if Tala knew this ahead of him.

Tala met the eyes of Kalipsi and said, "Follow me."

The duo disappeared from the sight of those two unfamiliar figures.

"Looks like I was just imagining things," one of the unfamiliar figures chuckled. Just earlier, he sensed the sudden tension of the taller young man over his sight, but it suddenly vanished.

"Tsk. How could be a mere human in this lowly land be able to sense us?" the other one probe.

Without any hindrance, they passed through the residence of Kalipsi and continued their path.

Meanwhile, Tala led Kalipsi to the skirt of the kingdom. Tala ran just enough for Kalipsi to catch up.

"Where are we going?" Kalipsi couldn't contain his curiosity anymore.

"Just follow me."

Kalipsi already lost track of the time. He did not know how many hours they had been running.

"Were here!"

"Hmm?" Kalipsi looked at his surrounding, but all he saw were trees and bushes. "What's in here?"

Tala unhurriedly moved forward as Kalipsi followed with his mouth shut. He did not bother to ask more for Tala has been snubbing his questions anyway.

A cave viewed over their eyes. Though it looked like ordinary, in Tala's eyes, it wasn't nature-made cave.

Someone has made it!

Four black-clad men were guarding the mouth of the cave.

"Are you ready?" Tala curled her lips.

"I am always ready," understanding his words, Kalipsi made sounds of his knuckles and neck.

Without further ado, the duo unceremoniously approached the black-clad men and pummeled them.

The fight was 2 versus one, but the black-clad men weren't an opponent to the duo. Even Kalipsi alone will be able to defeat them.

The duo entered the cave.

Advancing for almost ten minutes, they finally reach the end of the cave. The place was decorated like a main hall and an altar stood in the middle.

The place was lit by a little fire of a lamp. Even though that's the case, it did not obscure the duo from examining the writings and symbols on the altar.

A little control of his energy, Kalipsi managed to improve his sight. Though he cracked his head to understand even just a single writing, he was unable to. He peered at Tala and found out that the young man was in a corner muttering something he did not understand.

He raised his foot and intended to step forward when suddenly, a thud reverberated to the quiet hall.

The sound was coming from Tala's location.

Kalipsi hurriedly moved forward, closing his distance to Tala.

A body of a man without a hint of wounds was leaning on the cold wall, lifeless. He was holding a bow and an arrow seemingly ready to strike. Kalipsi staggered to his feet and cover his mouth with his hands. If Tala hasn't killed it, the arrow has long been shot and pierces through their body.

"Kalipsi, you can go first, "

Securing Kalipsi's distance, Tala touched the altar with her hand that was coated by her heavenly energy. Her energy engulfed the altar, and in just a second, the altar crumbled into dust. Tala put her hands together and closed her eyes. Reigning the wind, she instantly swept off the dust.

Tala left a white flower she have prepared and head where kalipsi was.

Kalipsi did not inquire what he did inside.

"About them?" Kalipsi pointed the unconscious black-clad men feeling unease. He almost die just by trespassing an unknown cave, what more, when he pummeled one?

"Leave them be. Don't worry, they would not be able to harm us," Tala gave him a reassuring smile.

The duo left the place without looking back. After an hour, the four black-clad men woke up, but before they can regain their consciousness, their body exploded.

Chapter end