The Scepter of Marahuyo

Chapter 020

The room I shared with Denise is a mess. Our make-up tools are strewn on our bed together with colorful accessories. The three of us, Cara, Aicelle, and I, are going all out with the ati-atihan costumes. And Olivia and Denise are helping us with it.

Olivia is wearing a plaid skirt and a cotton shirt. This time though, she’s adorning herself with a colorful necklace made of beads, just so she will still follow the theme of the festival, despite being non-mage.

Denise is wearing her usual ati-atihan costume, black full-body spandex, but with a colorful fan attached to both her chest and back, with the one on her chest slightly smaller than the fan on her back. She’s added a red wrap-around just so the teachers won’t call her out for not preparing enough for the parade.

As for the three of us, we paint our skin black, the same color as our anito, but our costumes will be different. Cara will use the brown theme. She’s wearing a brown turban with her hair safely tucked in it, a white cotton tube that is topped with a thick, brown sash. She tucks the sash into her brown baggy skirt, which has a front slit up to half her legs. There are also golden bracelets on her shoulders and anklets.

Aicelle will be dark gray. She’s wearing a full dark grey dress with golden motifs at the edges. It has slits on the side of her legs and the skirt reaches down to her ankle. Her headdress is an incredible set of branches, as if she has her own colorful coral on her head. There are also yellow, green, blue, and yellow necklace beads wrapped around it, giving it a more intricate design. Instead of bracelets, she has silver tattoos that run along both her arms and legs.

And I will use the blue color theme. Like Aicelle, I let my hair loose, which I hate. My hair is frizzy in contrast to Aicelle’s long, straight hair, making mine more unmanageable. I’ve asked for a headdress to keep it in place, but all Olivia gave me is a rainbow-colored feather that looks like a crownlet. My dress is blue but on the edges, it ranges in color—red, blue, yellow, green. My dress is loose as well, to give the impression of being blown away by the wind. Like Cara, I am wearing multiple gold bracelets. But other than that, my costume feels comfortable and free.

“Are you guys ready?” Ethan barges in. “Everyone’s lining up now!”

We take a last look at our costumes, retrieve our flashy accessories, and leave the room. The parade will start on the Academy grounds, then we’ll travel around the town and then back to the Academy again. It will be a good two to three hours of parade.

“Why are you wearing that again?” Cara criticizes Ethan. “Aren’t you cold?”

Ethan’s half-naked, showing the results of the training that focuses on drawing out his anito’s abilities as a hunter. He’s wearing loose shorts that show off his calves. He’s also wearing gold thick bracelets and anklets and is holding a spear as an added accessory. At sixteen years old, he already looks like a full-blown mage.

“It’s obvious he’s doing fan service again,” Denise taunts. “See those thick bracelets? It can enhance the appearance of his muscles.”

Ethan flexes his muscles and says, “You got it right! I’ll be using this to attract more admirers. Then, once Scepter selection starts for Benia, I’ll have a lot of support from Marahuyo.”

“Or haters,” Cara interjects.

“That too. But at least, I’ll be well known.” Ethan responds.

And that is true. On the previous timeline, after our sixteenth year of the ati-atihan festival, Ethan was always on dates with different women, both younger and older than him. They also invited him to a lot of drinking gatherings with men. That is why when we found out that the new Ruler is a man, a lot of Marahuyo citizens are disappointed. They already expected that it will be Ethan who will replace Master Orson as Benia’s Scepter.

This time, I will make a bit of a change. I situate myself behind Ethan and put my plan into action. For an hour, I will use my blessing to blow chilly wind on his back. It will be coupled with a potion that will make him weaker. I just hope that he won’t find it strange that he’s shivering while everyone is sweating because of the warming temperatures.

Once the parade starts, I note the myriad of activities. Lots of food and activity booths sprouted. Many people are looking over the mages that will soon rule together with the other Quads. Later in the night, they will choose their favorites.

In my previous timeline, it was always Master Orson who got the top spot. Despite nearing his retirement, he’s still very popular with the citizens. It’s the same popularity that Ethan aspires to have.

Like the previous timeline, Master Orson is absent because of the research he needed to finish for the Sword and warriors. Despite that, he still won the popularity contest with Ethan in second place.

I look back at Sir Philip and wink at him. Yesterday, I talked to him about today’s plan. He got into an issue because of letting mid-level monsters on the school grounds. The warriors call him out for it and he needs the student’s testimony, which will prevent him from being put into court. So I told him that me and my friends can help. All I’m asking in return is one simple harmless favor. Besides, if I don’t help him, Master Orson will also be in trouble since he was there watching the challenges.

Once we arrive at the center of the town, where it is the densest, I notice Sir Philip muttering, probably calling for his anito to open another portal. He mentions that the most harmless monster that he has in his collection is a Bugsok. It is a cruel monster, but only if it’s hurt, and I know exactly who will hurt it for the sake of the people’s love and attention.

A few meters in front of us, a scream echoes even amid the loud music that accompanies the parade. I look at the source and find the group of people separate to let the monster pass through.

As Sir Philip mentioned, it is a bugsok—a black, little monster that stands on its hands with its feet dangling in the air. It is naked with black hair being dragged on the pathway. It seems to be angry and is looking for someone, probably Sir Philip, since he’s the one who imprisoned it.

I glance at him, but he’s nowhere to be found. It’s a wise precaution. A bugsok is usually harmless but once it’s angry at someone, it will not take long before it can make that person ill—seriously ill with a painful swelling from the knees down, making the victim unable to walk for days.

“What the heck is a bugsok doing here?” Aicelle asks. “The barrier should still be up, right?”

“Whatever that is, perfect timing,” Ethan says, and I smile.

“Wait, that--”

Cara starts, but Ethan already moves and is now standing in front of the bugsok. The bugsok looks curiously at him. It’s about to ignore him when Ethan pierces its body with his spear. The little monster spews black blood and then it makes a shrill cry before vanishing.

Proud, Ethan raises his spear and the people cheer for him. This is my part now. I leave the line of mages and go to Ethan. Cara did the same.

I look him over and see the black blood on his chest. “s**t,” I say.

Cara looks at the same place and exclaims. She knows what a bugsok blood does, and it’s perfect for the scenario I have in mind.

“What?” he asks.

Before we can explain, he keels over and vomits.

“A bugsok blood can make a person seriously ill. Did you forget about it? It’s in one of our lessons!” Cara scolds.

Ethan’s knees swell, and he hits the ground face first. It’s a picture of weakness, but Ethan doesn’t need to worry. If my plan goes well, he’ll still be a sought-after mage in Marahuyo.

“This is why I always tell you to read! A bugsok is harmless unless you inflict pain on it!”

“I’m in pain now Cara. Reprimand me at a later time.”

I take Ethan’s pulse. It’s slow but he’ll definitely survive, so I did what I have been practicing the past few days with Sir Philip, to trigger my blessing with no one noticing. I call for my blessing and create a potion that will temporarily put Ethan into a coma. He will perceive everything, but he will look dead. He also won’t be able to move a muscle even if he wants to.

“Cara, take care of his weapon and see if he’s bleeding,” I say to distract her.

When Cara stands up, hiding my hand from the people, I prick Ethan and directly put in the potion I create. Ethan flinches, but I’m certain it’s insignificant compared to the pain he’s in now.

Once it’s safe in his system, I do a little acting, “Ethan?” I call. “Hey, don’t joke like that.”

I got Cara’s attention now. “What happened?” she asks, worried.

I put my finger on his nose and say, “He’s not breathing.” And hope to my anito that she’ll not check and just blindly trust me.

Cara frowns. “Holly, don’t make such a sick joke!” Her voice is rising.

I let go of Ethan and say, “I’m sorry, Cara.”

Cara glares at me, then at Ethan, who’s lying on the ground.

I take a step back. “We should let Master Orson know.” And I really hope she’ll do exactly as I thought.

And I’m not disappointed. Cara kneels in front of Ethan and cries like we have never seen her before. I wonder when Ethan died in my previous timeline, was she devastated like this? Will she take revenge against Olivia?

I look at Ethan’s face. Any moment now, and I hope he will realize how much Cara cares for him. I count, but Cara’s tears are not subsiding. The people cry with her too. Aicelle comes forward and tries to separate her from Ethan’s body, but Cara activates her anito and covers herself and Ethan in a bed of vines. But the state she’s in, she’s not able to control her blessing and the vines give us a window of what’s happening inside.

“I love you, f*****g idiot.” Cara says repeatedly, and I am grateful for the unforgettable picture they create. “I love you.”

My count goes down to zero and Ethan gets up, retching what he eats earlier, including the black blood and probably the potions I used against him. He seems disoriented, which I don’t blame him for. Being paralyzed and acutely aware of everything around can do that to any human, mage or not.

Cara stops crying and the townspeople mutter.

“Hi,” Ethan greets Cara weakly.

With that one word, Cara jumps to him and clings to him. She buries her face in his chest and resumes her crying. Then people rejoice, replacing the initial silence. I smile.  Everything went according to plan.

To be continued…