The Scepter of Marahuyo

Chapter 017

Both anxious and fearful, I look around the area. Now that they mentioned it, I can clearly see the destruction that only a giant boar can create. I take the necklace from under my shirt and enclose it in my palm. 

"I am protected," I whisper to assure myself.

"If you really wanna get some training in, stop touching that protection," Master Deborah says. "And hide it somewhere that will not touch your skin."

I stare at her. How could she say that when a Tandayag is nearby?

"Nico can protect you. He might not look like it, but he's one of the best warriors," she says and takes out a kris, a dagger type with a wavy blade. She presses something on the hilt, and I can see the same barrier that exists on Marahuyo to its edge. Probably to make it sturdier. 

"Are you familiar with this trinket?" she says. Her thumb touches the crystal on the hilt. "Invented by Orson. All warriors have this on their weapons. I think you should ask Orson for one too."

"I don't know how to use one."

"Ask Pablo. He's good at it."

“You mean Senyor Pablo?”

"There's no other Pablo who owns an inn," she says.

"The old man was a previous hunter," Nico whispers. "Ask him later."

Hunter? He means the paid guards of traveling merchants? How about Aaron, then?

We climb the fallen trees when suddenly Master Deborah tenses. We hear whimpers from an animal, a cry of pain. Nico peeks but stops like Master Deborah. He unsheathes his Kalis, a double-edged sword in the same family as kris, but heavier since it's more of a slashing weapon. 

I mimic Nico and take a look. I feel my breathing stop and my palm automatically return to the pendant. There is a reason we are doing this in the morning when there is a bit of sunlight. We wanted to avoid the much more dangerous creatures that haunt the night. 

"Touch your pendant," Nico whispers. "It will be hard to fully protect you from this."

The one in front of us is not a Tandayag but something much worse. A Paraduno. It is a ghoul type that is the shape of a human and eats flesh. It has no hair and has a huge mouth. 

Right now, it's busy as it bites through the flesh of a Tandayag that is whimpering in pain. Seems like the destruction is a result of a battle between the two, and it's the Paraduno that won. From what I know, it is a fast creature where instead of nails, it has sharp claws, which it's using now to cut through the thick flesh of the giant Tandayag. 

The Paraduno senses our presence and looks at us. Its mouth and arms are full of Tandayag blood. 

"Get ready," Master Deborah whispers. 

But I'm not able to get ready when the Paraduno jumps, not at Master Deborah or Nico, but towards me. It might have sensed my fear as it opened its huge mouth to maybe take a big bite off my head. 

So I take a step back, but my feet slip on the bark of the tree, and I fall backward. As if my time slows, I see Nico stretching his hands to catch me. I try to reach it but realize too late that I let go of my pendant.

The Paraduno appears beside Nico, but its target is still me. It stretches its claws towards me, and I panic. It's my survival instinct that kicks off, and I point at the Paraduno to transport it. However, with very little time to activate it, I only create a small box, and the Paraduno doesn't even fit in it.

I hit the ground with only the bushes to lighten my fall. From the height of my fall, I can feel the branches cut through my skin. And it's not a good state to be in as blood attracts blood-sucking monsters.

With difficulty, I get up, and Nico slides down from the overlapping stones and trees and helps me up.

"The Paraduno," I whisper.

Nico points at where Master Deborah stands, and I gasp. The Paraduno limbs are on the side with visible cut marks due to them not fitting the transparent box that I create to transport things from one place to another. 

It is a shocking effect. The Paraduno is still alive, but this time, it's the one that's whimpering. Its tongue lolls on the side of its huge unnatural head. And Master Deborah is currently cutting off the limbs that do not fit the box.

I approach, and she says, "Don't release your blessing."

I look at the monster. It does not even have the strength to look angry at me as its blood drenches the box. 

"I can't contain it for long," I say.

"What?" she groans. "Just when I thought you had a very useful skill."

"I didn't know it could do that."

"To whom did you use it first?"

Multiple things. People, I think, as I remember using it on Axel to transport him to somewhere safe. 

"Ethan," I say.

"A mage? Are you angry at him? This skill is dangerous if not properly controlled."

I don't have a problem with control. I practice this transportation skill in a safe training area. Not here in the forest outside the residential zone.

"You should practice this if you plan on using it. This is strong but has its demerits. Thankfully, you didn't cut Nico's limbs when he's reaching out to you."

"Sorry," I say. "I panicked."

"Release it then." She taps on the transparent box with her weapon and says, "Even my kris can't get through it."

I touch the box, and it disappears. But before the Paraduno can move, Master Deborah pierces its head.

"If we can't use it for research, better kill it." Master Deborah looks back at me and examines me from head to toe. "Looks like this training will conclude earlier than normal," she adds, noting the visible cut on my exposed skin.

"Here," Nico says, giving me his back. "I'll give you a ride since you're not in a state where you can walk, unless you'd like to aggravate your injuries."

"No, thank you," I reject, but when I take a step back, I feel dizzy.

"Just let Nico carry you. It's obvious you're not used to activating your blessing that fast. You even managed to fatally wound a Paraduno."

I yield and allow Nico to carry me. Thankfully, I look like a sixteen year old mage. If not, my pride won't be able to accept being held by a late twenties warrior, on piggyback at that. Damn, I really hope we get to our horse fast, so I don't need to suffer from this humiliation.

"Now, why do we have a Paraduno in the morning and this close to the wall?" Nico asks.

"That's what we need to ask Orson. These types of monsters shouldn't be around this place."

Master Deborah goes to the Tandayag and gives it a killing blow as well. When she comes back, Nico asks, "So Master Orson is actually right, about the erratic behavior of the monsters?"

"Maybe, since he's the one who's around this area the most."

"Hey," Nico says. "Once again, put your pendant under your shirt."

"Okay," I say.

This time, we return faster to the border wall, even if Nico is carrying me on his back. Master Deborah did the same thing as before. She touches the medallion to the wall, and we pass through the entrance. 

"Put me down," I say when we're in front of the horses.

Nico helps me and lifts me to the horse. "You sure don't want to ride with me?" he asks.

"No. Since we're inside the zone, I don't think I'll need it. I'm fine alone, you can go your way."

"Okay. You should take care of your wounds once you get to Senyor Pablo."

I smile. Only a few hours, and he seems to be warming up to me already. Is it because I look--I stop myself. Being weak is something that I don't want to be. And I should stop calling myself that.

"Hey!" I hear Master Deborah approach while riding a horse. "Before you go out of the zone, be sure to practice with that transportation box of yours."

I grimace. I've been using it for years, if we count my previous timeline.

"You need to make the activation faster and to make the box move," she says. "But more importantly, make it more durable but controllable."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"The Paraduno. You did not completely cut off its limbs. To use that box in combat, you'll need to make it sharp and durable so you'll be able to cut off a part completely even if you're cutting something very tough. Faster activation too, so you can control its size and direction even in the midst of battle."

"But it's supposed to be used as support, I never meant to--"

"But today, you're able to use it as an offense. If you master that, I don't think you'll have any problems becoming the next Scepter after Orson."

"I'm not planning to become a Scepter."

"Oh, is that so? I thought you were since Orson had been talking about it."

She might have noticed the look I am giving her, so she says, "Nevertheless, whatever you want, that skill will be useful." Then she hits the side of her horse and goes off.

Nico climbs his horse and says, "Pardon the Sword. She just wanted to tell you that your skill is double-edged. You need perfect control on it, else you'd be a danger to anyone close to you."

"Thank you," I say but can't help the smile that's forming. 

"What?" Nico asks.

"Thanks for the lift while we're in the forest. Can't believe you can be kind here as well."

"Now you're just teasing. Fine, I'll go so be careful on your way back to Pablo's inn."

I nod but do not wait for Nico to leave. I hit the bridle and let my horse run. I can feel the pain from my wound, and I might have broken a bone, but I feel good. Defeating a Paraduno might have contributed to that. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not as mediocre as I thought before. Maybe, I can really be strong enough to become a traveling mage.

From a distance, I can see Aaron watering the plants in front of the inn. Once I’m close enough, he heard me approach. I tie the horse on a post and run to him. 

"Hey," I say. "I got stronger."

“You did, huh.” He puts down the sprinkler and examines me. "You also got a lot more wounds."

"I fell from a tree, or a bark placed against each other."

He scowls. He opens my robe and lifts my shirt up, exposing my stomach. 

"Hey!" I complain and stop his hand from raising it further up. I look around, ensuring that there's no one in the area.

"Really, you mages," he says with knitted brows.

"I'm okay, just a couple wounds so--Aww!" I groan as he presses something on the side of my torso.

"Okay, huh? That does not sound okay," he scolds.

"Nico says I should let it be looked at, once I reach the inn."

"Nico?"

"The warrior with me and Master Deborah."

"Ah. You got a new friend."

"Not really a friend, but he acts as my protector outside while Master Deborah was busy looking for the monsters."

"Let's take a look at it then. Go to the common area. You should see the first aid box in the cabinet there. I'll just finish up here," Aaron says.

"Got it!" I say and enter the inn.

To be continued…