Chapter 033
1298 Words
I stretch my arm and check my newly bandaged hands. It’s getting better, but my muscles are still complaining of pain, primarily due to Senyor Pablo’s training. Next, I hold my gunong and exercise while holding it. For the past few days, I’m getting used to it, it’s starting to become an extension of my limbs.
The door suddenly opens, revealing Denise. She’s breathless, and her eyes are wide. Yet, there’s a smile on her face, which I seldom see.
“I finally got it!” she says. “I got the certification to reinforce a warrior's blade!”
In less than a week? That’s fast. I think.
“Don’t look at me like that. Only reason I got it fast is because I learned it before and Master Orson was training me when he’s still alive.”
She places a massive book on the floor at the foot of our bed and starts to draw some symbols. Then she suddenly pauses, “I’m sorry,” she says. “Sometimes, I can be so insensitive. Master Orson’s death is a big loss for all of us.”
I sit in front, cross-legged and make a small smile. This should not continue—my friends being so sensitive around me. I need them to trust that I am handling it well.
“Before I start with the reinforcement, are you okay now? It surprised me when you returned injured during the weekend.”
“I am fine. I can create healing potions so you don’t have to worry. It’s the pain from repeated practice that’s torturing me.”
“In that case, I won’t be able to help you. But!” she says and smiles. “You can ask for some sensual massage from that hottie at the festival.”
“Why do all of you seem to push me towards something I will regret?”
“Regret? Why? You don’t love him? Oh!” she exclaims. She even drops her writing chalk. “Is he just a boy toy? He exists to satisfy you?”
“For just a few days, did Master Orson already influence you that much?”
She shrugs and goes back to writing the symbols on the floor. “He’s an amazing man. It’s not surprising that he can easily influence ordinary mages like me.”
She finishes up the drawing and reviews it, making sure that she doesn’t make any mistakes.
Once done, she says, “But honestly, do you still have a crush on Master Axel?”
“I’m not….” I pause. Of course, I have! That’s the main reason I crave his acknowledgement.
“Your gunong?” she asks, extending her hand to me.
I hand her my two gunongs. The buntot-pagi already has reinforcement from when it’s created, so appending on that will just destroy it.
Denise writes some symbols on the blade, hilt, and its sheathe. Then, she places the two weapons on the floor.
“So?”
“So what?” I ask.
“About Master Axel?”
I sigh. “It’s not something I can easily forget, okay? But it’s a passive crush. I’m not gonna do something about it.”
Denise calls for her anito Lalahon and then starts with the reinforcement. Fire appears and then an orb surrounds it, one of the mage skills taught in Marahuyo Academy. However, Denise’s handiwork is more efficient because her anito is Lalahon.
I watch her concentration. Like most of my friends, she seems well-loved by Lalahon, who gave her a blessing through the anito. I watch her whisper words as if convening with her anito. Her fingers glide through my weapons, and then the gunong blazes in bright orange, to red, to a calm blue color. The symbols Denise had written on both the gunong and the floor start to dissipate, and when it’s completely gone, the two weapons fall from mid-air.
“How about the hottie?” she asks when she opens her eyes.
“Aaron,” I say.” What about him?”
“Does Aaron know about your connection with Master Axel?”
“No. And I don’t think he has to know.”
“I think he has to know if his rival is someone like one of the Quads.”
“There will be no rivalry since I’m not planning to enter Axel’s life.”
“What if Master Axel’s the one who enters your life?”
I laugh. Of course, Axel wouldn’t do that. He got away from my life in the first place.
“You’re laughing now, but what do you feel about this Aaron?” she asks and finally takes the weapons on the floor and hands it to me.
“It’s too early to tell.”
“So, like all the other mages, you are just playing?” she asks. I never thought she cared so much about matters of the heart.
“If you really want to know, I’m not playing. I like Aaron, but I’m not sure if there’s something more.”
“Poor guy,” she whispers.
I prepare my stuff again. I need to visit Master Suvayan. “It’s not any different from other mages, even my friends do it.”
“Like who? Cara and Ethan are exclusive to each other. Al is too busy trying to strengthen himself to ensure Ethan will not get so much more powerful than him. And Aicelle, she supports her friends. She doesn’t have the time to play with love.”
I turn to Denise. “My friends are not frolicking with love?” That’s weird because I’m sure that they’ve done it the instant they healed from the Operation. Even Denise has done it multiple times before with a man in the town.
“This is what Olivia has been talking about,” Denise sighs. “Yes, you give more time to them compared to when you spend most of your time in the library. But she finds it worrisome. In short, she wanted me to check on you since you haven’t gone to the library as much. We thought it was just because of this Aaron, but it turns out that he’s not the cause either.”
Denise stops and crosses her arm in front of her chest as if waiting for an answer. But I have nothing to say. How could I tell them that three people are training me? That’s why I always come back to the Academy with injuries? And one of these people is a Quad.
Wait.
Instead of leaving, I shut the door again. Why would I even consider asking Master Suvayan? In the previous timeline, he’s beside Olivia and didn’t lift a finger to help me or prevent Olivia from killing me. I don’t blame either of them because I believe they are just victims of circumstances. But if that is the case, why is it that Master Suvayan agreed to the end of the Quads? And why did Olivia kill me?
“Denise?” I call.
“Hmmm?”
“You replaced Master Orson as the warrior’s researcher, right?”
“I’m not the only one. Master Orson asks for a lot of mage to help him.”
“Do you know where you get the samples for your research?”
“Master Deborah and the warriors? Who else?”
She doesn’t know about my training with them. “Do you think you can allow me to meet those guys?” I can start asking the researchers.
“Well, yes. They’d think it would be fun to meet Master Orson’s foster child personally. But, are you sure? They are a rowdy batch.”
“I can handle rowdy,” I answer, which seals the deal.
To be continued…
- Writer
