The Scepter of Marahuyo

Chapter 050

“This is the beginning,” Sir Tomas says. “Edmund and I will just stay here. Holler when you need help,” he adds and continues to eat. Sir Edmund mimics, but he eats while watching us.

“Al, Aicelle, I don’t think your blessings will work on it,” I comment. Their blessings are both water-based, which means it will be ineffective against a monster that drains humans and animals of their energy.

“Instead, you should bring the animals to safety.”

The rumble becomes deafening, which means the animals are approaching. I turn my attention to Ethan. He’s the only one who can fight against a monster like this. But before I can tell him of my plan, the scurrying animals come into view.

I look at both Al and Aicelle. They nod at me and proceed to activate their blessing to help and protect the animals. And right behind them is the popo. It stands at a little over two meters. It has a slender build with sinewy muscles. Half of its body has no skin, which I am not sure why. It has the nose of a pig and snorts like one too while chasing after the animals.

“Wait, ain’t that a night creature?” Ethan asks. “What’s it doing during daytime?”

“Do you know how to fight without looking at its face?” I ask.

I should have brought my buntot-pagi. It will make this much more manageable. Good thing I have my protection trinket with me, but that could only protect me, not my friends.

Ethan looks sideways at me. “Ahm, why?”

Right now, its focus is on the animals, so we’re lucky. “Its eyes can cause pain. Sometimes, it can kill too.”

Ethan shivers. “Like a bugsok?” As if apprehensive, he unsheathes his gulok.

“Worse,” I answer. A bugsok won’t kill unless threatened. This one will kill on a whim.

“It’s too ugly. I might unconsciously look at it,” Ethan complains.

I take a handkerchief from my pocket, shake it off, and fold it into a long rectangle. “I will blindfold you. This will be safer.”

“Oh,” he says and wiggles his eyebrows at me. “Are we gonna go to b**m now?”

“Ugh, just kneel, okay? I can’t reach you,” I command to avoid his allusion.

“Didn’t know you’ll be a Dom. That would be spicy.”

Roughly, I tie the handkerchief around his head. “Ouch! That’s too tight! Are we starting already? Begin with the feathers, please.”

“If you don’t stop with your s****l jokes, I’ll tell Cara.”

Ethan laughs but stops anyway.

“I tie it in a way that you’ll still be able to see your and the monster’s feet. I’ll act as support. Don’t use your ocean waves, that will just be siphoned and will make the popo stronger.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The monster is about to change its focus to us when I activate my blessing and enclose its neck on a cube—the same thing I use for my transportation—causing its jaw to lock in place.

“Now!” I say.

Ethan advances and slashes its chest with his gulok. Nothing happens. Its skin is tough. He retreats and tries again, hitting the same area multiple times by only looking at its feet.

Now, it’s my time to help. I focus on the battle between Ethan and the monster. He has become faster than ever. I can just guess how much he spends on training to be that fast—to the point where the monster can do nothing but s***h in the air. And that’s what I am trying to catch. The popo raises its claws, and before it brings its hand down to Ethan, I remove the cube on its neck and transfer it to its arm, stopping its movement.

Next, I activate my wind and raise Ethan. “Once you see the shoulder, cut it. But be careful not to look at its face.”

Ethan nods, and when I raise him enough, he jumps and puts all his weight into a strike to the side of the cube that’s locking the popo’s arm. The popo wails as its left arm falls to the ground.

“Don’t dawdle!” I yell as Ethan becomes confused about the pained reaction of the monster. “Next!” I say and move my transportation cube into its right arm.

However, Ethan stays befuddled. He might have felt pity for it. Most of these types of creatures appeal to the human’s mercy when it’s about to get killed. I’ve seen it before during my excursions with Master Deborah and Nico. I had the same reaction, and I know Ethan’s about to be killed.

I run to Ethan and unsheathe my gunong. After I push Ethan out of harm’s way, I close my eyes to strengthen my transportation cube. However, it still gets destroyed. The monster’s claws go down on me. I stop it with my gunong. I search for its other weakness. But there’s nothing else aside from its neck and shoulders. I see the chi*nk on my gunong as the popo’s claws bear down on me.

I kneel at the monster’s strength, and I apologize to Master Deborah in my mind for the damage to my gunong.

Now that I’m forced down, the popo snorts. I close my eyes, touch the ground, and call for Anitun Tabu. I can feel her answering. Before long, a little tornado forms on the ground, then it becomes one meter in height, then half a meter as it circles around us. It’s getting smaller now, but more ferocious. Then I command it to touch the monster’s right shoulder, and when it does, I enclose it within my cube.

The popo’s shoulder bursts. Its right arm falls once again to the ground and its snorts are replaced by wails again. Then I command the miniature tornado to touch its neck, but before I enclose it on my cube, I whisper, “I’m sorry.”

The popo’s neck bursts. I close my eyes as the warm blood drenches me because of multiple opened veins. Finally, it makes a loud thud as its two meters body falls on the ground.

I exhale. I get no thrill in doing this, even if it’s a night creature that feeds on humans. I deactivate the tiny tornado and siphon the popo’s blood from my body.

“Amazing!” Ethan exclaims. “Why are you getting better and better? That’s unfair!”

I turn to Ethan. He had already pulled down his blindfold. “You’re just too soft.” I say and reach up to him to snatch my handkerchief, then use it to wipe myself. With my blessing’s help, I hope I did not miss any blood from my body, else night creatures will come rushing to us because of the smell.

I look for Al and Aicelle. The ocean walls they created are now pulled down, allowing the animals to escape from their protection.

“I hate how you know more about our abilities than we know about ourselves,” Al grumbles.

“How did you realize the popo can siphon even a mage’s blessing?” Aicelle asks.

Because I’ve learned and read it before as a twenty-year-old. But I answer, “Books. I read about them before.”

“But the details about night creatures are in the restricted area for students. Only designated mages can read it.”

“Olivia allowed me, because I’ve read most of the books,” I answer and hope that she won’t ask Olivia later.

Suddenly, we hear a loud crunch in Sir Thomas and Sir Edmund’s direction. I turn to the two designated mages and wonder if we pass this challenge. Or maybe, since it’s only me and Ethan who battled the popo, we still need to go deeper into the woods to give a chance to Al and Aicelle.

My breathing stops. Instead of only Sir Tomas and Sir Edmund, giant ogre-like monsters surround the table and chair that’s slowly vanishing due to the slow deactivation of Sir Edmund’s blessing. Sir Tomas is missing his head while Sir Edmund is missing a part of his upper torso. The other ogres are feeding on the two.

There are five, or maybe six, of those monsters. I freeze on the spot. I thought I was used to this kind of scene, but I guess I will never be ready.

“Holly, we need to move,” Aicelle whispers, trying to snap me out of my confusion. “While those are busy.”

I stay rooted on the spot. “I’ll carry her,” I hear Ethan say, “Start to run.”

I feel myself being lifted. Yet, my eyes cannot leave the scene of Sir Tomas and Sir Edmund being feasted on by the ogres. 

To be continued...