The Scepter of Marahuyo

Chapter 003

“It’s time to wake up, Holly.”

I get up as a start and groan in pain when my head hits something hard. I caress my head and open my eyes.

“How come your head is so hard!” I hear Ethan complains. His chin is visibly redder. He also looks visibly younger, like when he was sixteen.

“What?”

“You look younger,” I say.

He clears his throat. “Now that we are all sixteen, are you finally understanding my charms?”

“What charm?” Cara interrupts. “All that’s going for you is your skill as a mage.”

“Are you okay?” Aicelle asks. "You look shaken as if you're killed."

I look around the room that I share with Denise. “Why are you all here?” Even Al is at the corner, regarding me with concern.

I try to gather my thoughts. I know that both Al and Aicelle are already Scepters for a different nation. Cara is a teacher on Marahuyo and Ethan, Ethan is… I remember his body riddled with blisters, his unseeing eyes, and my inability to save him because I chose to save Axel first, then myself. His safety never even entered my mind.

I clasp his hands. “I’m sorry," I whisper, then I reach for him and hug him. "I’m sorry. I couldn’t save you.”

But that's it, if time repeats, I am not sure if I will choose him over Axel. Axel is more special to me and there's debt to pay. He's the one who saved me the night my parents died. The one who asked Master Orson to take care of me. He even left money for my education as a mage.

“Yes, yes, you’re forgiven,” Ethan says and taps my back.

Still, even if this is the afterlife, I am glad to see my old friends and I wonder, did the other Marahuyo mages die after Olivia removed the balance?

“Hey!” Cara complains and extracts me from Ethan. “I know it's our sixteenth celebration but I thought we are going to find a partner outside? From the townspeople? Not each other? Besides, you haven’t signed up to remove yours yet.”

I shift my attention to Cara. “Partner? Signup? Am I alive?”

“Very much so.”

“Wait, the Quads? The balance? Is it in place?”

“Why won’t it be? Besides, even if it did get destroyed, a couple of sixteen-year-old mages won’t be much help.”

“Sixteen? We are twenty-two!”

Ethan pats me on the head. “There, there, you had a bad dream. In real life, I would die last out of you guys so don’t you worry about me. Worry about saving yourselves.”

I stand up and check my reflection in the mirror. I look visibly younger too, much like everyone else. My long, dark hair is in disarray. It’s only when I entered the Scepter challenges that I decided to cut it short. I look pale as if I've never been outside for a week. Even my lips have lost their color.

I'm wearing the uniform of the Marahuyo mages, dull-colored robes that flows down to my ankle. It has different variations, but the one I'm wearing has sleeves that cover half of my arm. Underneath the robe, I often wear a white shirt, when it's cold, which I am wearing.

I examine my body. I am definitely thinner and my chest is still growing. Overall, I look like a teenager rather than a mature woman who's ready to take on the Scepter challenges.

“What day is today?” I ask.

“As we said, it’s our sixteenth birthday and we all signed up for the Operation, to remove our ability to procreate. We’re here to make you sign up for it too.”

Yes, I remember now. On our sixteenth birthday, they gave us the choice to remove our ability to produce heirs. If we don’t, then we can never be Scepters. So at our sixteenth, they recommended that we search for romance, but stop once we’re officially designated. As Scepters, both Aicelle and Al were married to the Rulers and were thriving. Before they get designated, Marahuyo mages frolic as much as possible. With lovers lasting for only a few months or weeks, even Cara who’s more strict and was in love with Ethan also had lovers in the town. This is the reason why townspeople call us the Sluts in Power.

Back when I was sixteen, I remember that I didn’t sign up for it, that I thought it’s not important since I am not planning to be a Scepter anyway. Traveling mages can be given certification even if they can still bear children. That I… yes, even before death, I never got the operation because I always postpone it. They said it hurts and I abhor pain.

“Where is Master Orson?” I ask instead.

“As always, outside Marahuyo, cleaning up any monster that comes too close,” Ethan says.

“He might be at the inn close to the border gate,” Al answers differently.

“I need to talk to him.” I search for my coat and pocket a few coins.

“Where are you going?”

“To Master Orson.”

“But we planned to visit the tavern after we signed up. There will be a celebration and--”

“Next time.”

“I told you she won’t come. She’d rather be in the library with Olivia than play--”

“What did you say?” I ask, whirling towards Cara.

“It’s true. You’d rather stay there than frolic with us.”

“You mention--” Cara looks at me like I am crazy. “Olivia, is she?”

“Is she?” Cara prods me on. “Is she what?”

I blink. If I am really in the past and not in the afterlife, I need to talk to Master Orson.

“Nevermind. I need to go, I--” I look at them one last time and say, “It's nice seeing you guys again.”

I close the door and run along the hallway, go to the stables and look for a horse. In a swift move, I put the saddle on and let him run towards the end of the town, apologizing to the townspeople who complained out of surprise.

To be continued...