Chapter 015
1982 Words
“Is this the free meal now?” Master Orson asks as he enters the tavern and looks over to Aaron and me.
We are eating our breakfast while Senyor Pablo is talking about one of the customers who always gets drunk, and the wife never fails to fetch him.
Master Orson sits beside me and whispers, “I guess, you’ll be a common visitor?”
I blush, but I ignore the insinuations, “Were you on the outskirts?”
“I am outside the zone,” he says. Then to Senyor Pablo, he asks, “What’s the breakfast?”
“Prepared by yours truly,” Senyor Pablo says. “Sinangag and fried egg!”
“Ugh, you should have let Aaron cook. Your sinangag always lacks garlic.”
“My grandson is busy, can’t you see?”
“When did the two of you become close anyway?” Master Orson asks.
“We’re not that close,” I say.
“We talked all night, so we know more about each other now,” Aaron says and winks at me.
“So that’s what I missed when I did not come last night?”
Aaron stands up and fixes a coffee for me. He takes the empty plate in front of me and hands me the coffee.
“Thanks,” I say and notice the arching brows from Master Orson. Before he can comment on it, I ask. “I thought you always return here at night?”
“I am with the Sword and warriors. Master Deborah returned, so even I got busy.”
“She’s come back from a mission?”
“Yes, they found some high level monsters a few miles from here. They need me for overnight research about it.”
“What is it?”
“Can’t tell you.” He puts a spoonful of fried rice on his mouth and says, “Yeah, missing the garlicky flavor.”
“Tomorrow morning, can I come with you? Outside the zone? For hands-on experience?” I ask.
Master Orson stops chewing and stares incredulously at me. “What is this?” he asks and suspects Aaron.
“Because you mentioned before that I wouldn’t be able to get the certification to become a traveling mage if I don’t get the right skills for it.”
Also, if I don’t want to have that same scene with Olivia, I need to change my fate. I need the strength to be able to face her. And that starts with having the skills to become a traveling mage so I won’t be pushed into joining the Scepter selection. So I won’t be in the same place when I meet my death.
“But you can only create potions, are you sure?”
“I’m only sixteen years old. Who knows what else I’ll discover?”
Besides in my previous timeline, I learned transportation at a much later age. However, I could use it during the battle against the wakwak, which means it's skill I am lacking.
Master Orson looks at Senyor Pablo as if conversing without a word. They nod to each other, and Master Orson says to me, “Come with me.”
I follow him into the back of the reception, a stair down to the basement. Senyor Pablo is in front who’s looking for something. Once he finds it, he opens a box and hands me a necklace pendant. It is cube-shaped.
“Call for your anito, as if you’re asking to use your blessing.” Master Orson says.
I did, and when I touch it, light emanates from it. I look at Master Orson, curious at the pendant’s behavior.
“It’s recognizing you,” Master Orson says. He taps on it, but there is no light. “See? Since my anito is Mapulon, it never responds to me.”
“What is this?”
“One of the trinkets from your family’s trade. It’s Anitun Tabu-specific. It gives you extra protection from the monsters while you’re outside the zones.”
“You never gave me this before,” I say while remembering that I died without knowing its existence.
“Before? You never asked me to accompany you outside the zone before.”
I blink. That’s a wrong sentence. “I mean, when you said that my parents left things, I didn’t know that there are still those you kept. I thought they were sold for my education and living?”
“Some things I left with Pablo, since they are for you. I thought I’ll give it to you if you ever need it. But if not, I’ll just sell it and give the money to you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because the pendant is for protection outside the zone, but only if you are less than eighteen years old.”
I look at the little pulsating pendant. It has a bluish color, and somehow I can remember this, but only as a decorative bracelet, not a protection trinket.
“You remember it?” Master Orson asks.
“Kind of.” I answer, studying the pendant.
“Well, you will have all the time in the world to examine it.”
I smile, but I know I don’t. I’ll die at twenty-two during the Scepter selection at Olivia’s hand.
“Master Orson?” Aaron calls from the top of the stairs. “Master Deborah is here for you.”
“Hmm, I think I’ll not get rest today,” he shifts his attention to me and says, “I’ll wait for you at the border tomorrow morning.”
“You’re leaving again?”
“I think that’s why the Sword herself is here. If it’s a warrior they sent, I won’t leave this place until tomorrow morning.”
“Good luck,” Senyor Pablo calls.
“Oh please,” Master Orson says and playfully rolls his eyes, which is unbecoming of an old man and a Scepter at that.
Senyor Pablo follows Master Orson to meet Master Deborah. I follow after Aaron as he goes back to the kitchen.
I watch as Aaron wears the apron. Then, I sit on the kitchen table and peruse the book Senyor Pablo lent me. He says that it’s from the neighboring country, Caltra. I like the book. It talks about the basics of potion-making on Caltra, and as I read it, I compare it with Benia’s practice. I’ve seen a couple of techniques that I can use for efficiency. There are also new ones that I would like to try, potions for everyday purposes like cleaning agents and insect repellers.
“Only one night and I’ve already been replaced by a book,” Aaron says and approaches.
“You make it sound like something happened between us last night.” I say and turn the page over.
“Will you tell me if I ask what happened in the basement?”
“They gave me a protection trinket for tomorrow,” I answer, without taking my eyes off the page.
“Can I take a look?”
“Hmmm,” I mutter.
“Holly?”
Suddenly, I feel his presence as he places both his hands on either side of me, invading my personal privacy.
I close my book and put it down beside me. “You do realize that you’re crowding me?”
He leans closer as if teasing me. I lean back as a response. I can see the amusement in his eyes.
“Can I take a look?”
His eyes explore my face, and I can’t help but feel embarrassed at his proximity, so I push at his shoulder, but I stop midway when he sucks in air. It feels like I’m the one losing the air instead. Still, my eyes meet his, and as twenty-two years old, I know precisely what this eighteen-year-old boy wants.
I start to withdraw my hand, to lessen this air between us, but he stops it and looks down. “Don’t,” he says. “Stay,” he mutters.
He closes his eyes, and I watch his face. He seems to be struggling. After a while, he exhales and lets go of me. When he opens his eyes, he asks, “So can I take a look?”
I nod and take the pendant from my pocket. I open my hand for him to get a good view of it.
“It’s still beautiful,” he comments.
“It is, right? It’s Anitun Tabu’s protection, its--” I stop myself and look back at him. “Still? You’ve seen it before?”
“Yes.”
I frown.
He leans on the table beside me. “I lied. I actually met you before.”
“And?”
“When we’re traveling from Caltra into a new country, my grandpa and I, we came across you and your family. You are wearing that exact same pendant as a little kid.”
“You didn’t mention that last night.”
“Ah! I know.” He smiles. “Wait here.”
When he leaves the kitchen, I return the pendant in my pocket and resume my reading. A few minutes later, he comes back and, with a big smile, asks me for the little trinket.
After handing it to him, he shows me a necklace with an empty transparent box pendant. He places my trinket inside the box pendant and flashes it in front of me.
“See, it fits perfectly,” he says.
“You do know that those are both pendants? They go side by side, not one inside the other.”
“Don’t stress about it. Mine’s empty so you can use it as a home.”
Aaron unhooks it and weaves it around my neck. Once he’s done, he appreciates it, and so do I. I like it, especially the symbolism of having a home in him.
“You like it?” he asks.
I nod.
“It’s yours now.”
“For how much?”
“It’s a gift.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“So an advance gift?”
“You don’t like the idea?”
“Actually, I do.”
“I thought so.”
“The two of you, stop flirting already and come out.” Senyor Pablo interrupts.” Master Deborah wants to meet Holly.”
I hide the pendant under my shirt, but before I come down from the table, I give a quick kiss on Aaron’s cheeks and say, “Thank you.” Then hurriedly leave the kitchen.
Outside, I find Master Deborah on the rightmost table together with Master Orson.
“This is the kid?” Master Deborah asks and looks me over.
As she does, I also scrutinized her. She looks the same as she was in my previous timeline. Long, black, bushy, curly hair, thick brows, tight lips, and striking eyes with almost transparent irises. She looks like a cat ready to pounce at any time. Every time I see her, she’s always wearing a black tank top, displaying her toned shoulders and arms. If I remember correctly, she’d be around her early thirties right now.
“Holly, if you don’t want to, you can say no.” Master Orson says.
“About?” I ask.
“Looks like I’ll be busy until tomorrow, so Master Deborah offers to become your substitute mentor.” Master Orson answers.
“He needs to finish the research for the warriors. And since it’s my day-off tomorrow after long, consecutive missions, I’ll be your guardian.”
“Okay, that’s fine.” I say almost instantly.
“Hey, wait!” Master Orson complains. “You’re hurting my feelings!”
“She says yes, Orson. You lost. Now, go back to the barracks and I’ll take care of her tomorrow.”
To be continued…
- Writer
