The Scepter of Marahuyo

Chapter 018

I enter the separate library and relish the familiar silence. It’s been a while since the last time I visited. The day before, after my wounds were cleaned and looked at, Senyor Pablo let me stay at one of the inn rooms to recuperate before returning to the Academy. 

So I rested and read the whole day, and it’s only early this morning that Aaron brought me back to the Academy, despite my complaints. He insisted that my wound might worsen if I ride a horse.

I walk straight to the reception and see Olivia being enamoured at a book she’s holding. It looks like a romance novel. Those are her favorites. 

“Hi,” I say.

Olivia raises her head, and I meet her brown eyes. I want so much to flee, but I stay my ground.

“You’re not gonna run away from me this time?”

“Sorry about that,” I answer. 

“So, what do you want to read today?”

“Something about transportation magic?” I say, although reading books is only second on my mind now.

“I don’t think we have that in the library,” she answers. “But I know Master Orson has some rare books.”

I smile awkwardly. Now that my second reason is answered, I need to say what I came here for. I promise myself that I won’t practice transportation magic if I’m not able to speak to her. 

I look back at Olivia. “Can I talk to you later today? When you’re free?”

“After running away from me last time, you’re gonna invite me out?”

“Not possible?”

“If it’s your treat then I will have to agree,” Olivia smiles.

This angel, I think, as I finally give her my first genuine smile since I returned as sixteen years old. I wonder who in their right mind will corrupt her to such a degree that she’ll kill me?

“Well, if there’s nothing else, you should go back to your classes. Don’t worry I won’t run away,” Olivia says.

“How I wish you’re a mage too, so we’ll get to the same classes together.”

Olivia smiles, and I leave. Of course, that’s not possible. Olivia has noble blood, and she will be the next Ruler. Besides, if a noble has magic in them and receives a blessing from an anito, they cannot become a Ruler. They will be forced to renounce their right to participate in the Ruler selection.

I leave the library and go to the device that ensures that Marahuyo’s walls are supplied with blessing. Since my classes are primarily lessons I already learned in my previous timeline, being asleep during the class will be okay. I just hope the current teacher will ignore me.

The siphoning device is at the centre of the Academy. It stands for a few meters, with its highest point touching the roof of the Academy. Two mages are giving their daily quota, so I queue up behind them. Once they’re done, I feel the tiny crystal in front of the device. It starts to pulsate the same as my protection pendant. The only difference is that my pendant does not drain my blessing, while this device makes me feel like I am losing my connection to my anito. 

As a mage, we are in constant contact with our anito. We feel our anitos everywhere and anywhere we go. However, it always feels like there is a transparent wall that separates us from them. That is why, if we haven’t practiced much, we touch the terrain and close our eyes to better feel them--touching the ground makes us more connected to them. 

That is why it’s not recommended to give blessings once a week for seven days worth of blessings. The lack of connection with our anito is staggering. I felt it once before when I had just arrived at Marahuyo academy, and I was angry at my anito for not giving me the power to protect my parents from the monsters. I want to lose connection with Anitun Tabu forever. So at night, I slipped into the hall and gave the device all the blessings that I could provide. 

I remember losing consciousness, and the next day, it felt like there was a hole inside me. As if something is piercing my heart and I can’t breathe. I cried the whole day, and it was only until the next day when I started to feel my connection with Anitun Tabu again that I finally relaxed.

When the device makes a clicking sound, I withdraw my hand. I kneel, close my eyes and touch the cemented ground. I can still feel my anito as if it’s also touching the tip of my hand. But somehow, it feels closer to me now. I feel the ground that I am on getting softer as if it’s turning into rubber. I feel myself being swallowed by the ground when suddenly my head hits the hard ground.

“What are you doing?”

Disconcerted, I touch the floor. It’s not soft. Instead, I am lying face-first on the cold floor. 

“I told you to give your blessing once a day! See what you’ve done.”

It’s Cara as she pulls me up from the floor. “How many did you give?”

“Around three days worth, I guess,” I answer, still disconcerted with the vision. 

What is it anyway? It almost feels like the day I died on Olivia’s hand. This time though, my descent is slower, much more challenging. Did I almost kill myself this time?

“Hey,” Cara snaps her finger in front of my face. “Are you really okay? You’ve been out of it since our birthday.”

“I’m fine,” I say.

Cara studies my face.

“Don’t tell me...” she gasps, although I’m not sure what she’s gasping about. “Are you and that inn guy done it already?! Without the operation?”

I hit her. “Of course not!” I vehemently decline.

“Where?” she asks. “Their inn?”

“I said nothing happened!” At least none yet. I say and hit my head for even thinking about it.

“Don’t worry, Cara. It will happen soon,” Denise interrupts.

I do not even notice her in my panic. She’s giving some of her blessings to the device. 

“Oh damn! I told you to get the operation!” Cara exclaims.

“Shhh!” I say as I look around. Some mages are looking at us. Cara seems to be in shock and incomprehensible. 

“I’ll go with you right now to take it!”

“Cara calm down, okay!”

“Don’t force her, Cara. Holly wants to be a traveling mage, not a Scepter. Even with a child, she can still be given certification,” Denise says.

“Even so! You can’t have a child if you’re just playing around!” she exclaims.

I stop and feel myself getting angry. Aaron and I are not even together, and why would she even think that we are just playing around? The idea of either of us just playing makes me annoyed that the panic disappears entirely.

“Now, you’re just making her angry,” Denise teases.

I look at Cara, who’s both distressed and concerned. She’s always been like this, taking care of people, getting into their life and meddling into them. I haven’t even told her that I am planning to go outside the zone every weekend. If she knew, I’m sure she’d beg me to take Aaron as a lover in exchange for not going outside the zone.

“Hey!” It is Ethan as he comes over to know what’s happening. “Why is Cara getting crazy again?”

And when he looks at me for an answer, I realize that I can use him to distract Cara about my plan. I’ll make sure that Ethan will see past Cara’s vicious self and actually fall in love with her. Besides, Cara’s been in love with him forever. He’s also the reason why she stayed in Marahuyo to teach. If only Ethan would see and understand that, I could become a love cupid for the two. 

To be continued…