Chapter 18
Agreement
“My deductions are true, I presume…” Arthur looked straight at the staff that hovered overhead. His statement was answered with another silence from Hula. Duliri, on the other hand, pouted like a child who lost his playmate to another child.
“With enough distance from me, Duliri’s and your consciousness will both occupy the staff. The question now becomes, at what distance does this automatic transfer of consciousness stop to work.”
Understanding his train of thoughts, Hula flew one meter away from him.
He smiled, admiring Hula’s attentiveness while ignoring Duliri’s nonsensical protest. Several more meters and Duliri’s image began to fade from his head. “Can you flew few more times?” he asked through telepathy.
Hula didn’t answer. Instead, he flew away until his back leaned against the door. The gemstone atop the staff gradually changed to ash-gray. It was then that Arthur shot another smile at him while Duliri immediately vanished without a trace in his head.
Duliri clicked his non-existent tongue. “Enjoying being a leech, are we?”
Hula laughed mockingly. “And as usual, you seemed to enjoy being useless…”
“Wait!” Arthur raised his hand. “I can still hear your inner voices. Do the two of you can hear me too?”
“Certainly,” Duliri and Hula said in unison.
Arthur’s eyes flared against the dim light as a smile crept upon his lips. “Okay… so while this Automatic Transfer of Consciousness…” Arthur abruptly cleared his throat, cringing at his own words. “Okay… let’s just call this ability as ATC. While ATC has an eight-meter radius, how about telepathy?” he paused again, excitement building upon his chest. “Can you go outside of the door? Let’s see how long we can communicate.”
“Understood,” the two said in unison again. However, much to Arthur’s surprise, the staff only wobbled. It even spun in the air without moving.
“Duliri, forget your childishness…” Hula calmly said with traces of anger. “I let you control this body for the past three years. It’s time for me to take over.”
Tsk!
“Stop with the farce! You only let me because we’re nothing but stacked in the secret chamber. There’s nothing there for you to shine… And yet now, after all my hard work–”
“You call that hard work?”
Duliri gasped, and their exchange of spicy words intensified. Arthur could only facepalm as he heard their jabs. Covering his ears wouldn’t even do anything. He groaned, massaging his temples. This ability isn’t any good! God, my head hurts!
“HULA! DULIRI! YOU BETTER STOP OR YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET OUT AND FIND A PLACE WHERE I COULDN’T HEAR YOU!” Arthur exclaimed upon losing his patience, emphasizing each word. It had been more than two minutes since the two received their order and yet, they did nothing but remained fighting over who would control the staff’s body.
The staff’s movements abruptly stopped and the voices too. Arthur huffed, even though he didn’t use any breath to convey his anger. His eyes shot a deadly glare. His cheeks bloated like a pufferfish ready to explode.
A heavy silence continued to press on them. And the two would never have any courage to break it. They stayed still, carefully watching their lord.
Arthur took a massive breath. Calm down, Arthur, calm down, he told himself repeatedly. He was able to forgive his father who did more atrocious things to him, and he never lost it. The streets of Manila were plagued with terrible kids who always picked on him and still, he never lost it. He had rarely lost his cool because of anger. Yet somehow, hearing the two fought because of him made his stomach curl in annoyance.
A few more heavy sighs and Arthur’s anger began to subside. “Let’s make an agreement,” he said with an imposing tone. His chin slightly raised. “Since there are twenty-four hours in a day, both of you will have six hours during daylight and six hours during the night to control the staff. You will decide both of your turns.” His eyes had already softened, though it still levied enough imposition to shush Hula and Duliri. “Do not be mistaken, this is not a friendly request. This is an order. Understand?”
“Yes, my lord,” Hula and Duliri both replied.
“And drop the courtesy, it is grating on my ears.”
“Understood.”
“Now, leave my room. I am rather tired, so I want to sleep early tonight. Inform me of your negotiations tomorrow.”
***
In the eyes of an outsider, breakfast the next day was nothing eventful. Yet for Arthur, it was the beginning of fascinating exploits and mischiefs. That morning, the boy was thoughtlessly eating his share of vegetable soup while his mind wandered somewhere else.
“Isn’t telepathy very convenient?” Hula’s voice resonated through his head as he took a spoonful of food in his mouth.
“Yes, it’s more than I thought…” He chewed but tasted nothing. His forehead crumpled slightly. “Anyway, before you turn the page, can you read the last paragraph again?”
“Of course…” Hula replied.
Arthur couldn’t help but smile as Hula read the words to him a second time. Before breakfast, the sly fox proposed a brilliant idea. Hula would stay in his room and read the book to him. He was learning while doing something different. Of course, it was hard to focus on one thing but it was still extremely convenient. Arthur swallowed his food, then covered his mouth to hide a smile creeping on his lips.
“… Magic could be traced to any form of matter, including living and non-living things. As such, magic was an essential part of evolution. In fact, many believed that Mana is responsible for one’s memories and growth–”
“That part,” Arthur interrupted as another mouthful of broth made its way to his mouth. “Mana is responsible for memories or whatnot, do you have any idea what that means?”
“It’s a leading theory that says that mana plays a role in the way memories are stored in our souls. Others disagree, however, saying that it was stored in ‘our’ brains.”
Arthur stopped himself from rolling his eyes. “You don’t have a brain…”
“Exactly! The former makes more sense. Otherwise, how would you explain my ability to retain memories when I don’t have a brain?”
“Doesn’t it occur to you that it could be both?”
Hula remained silent for a moment, so Duliri took the opportunity to enter the discussion. “He certainly didn’t!”
“Shush Duliri!” Arthur and Hula said in unison.
“Why?” Duliri exclaimed dramatically. “I am just thinking that if mana is responsible for people’s memories and growth – just look at Arthur! His mental growth is astounding. Don’t you think mana has something to do with it? Doesn’t that mean, he was a boy loved by mana? You–”
Arthur coughed the food in his mouth and it spectacularly showered on to the table. His throat felt tight and itchy. His hand abruptly grabbed the cup in front of him and drank the content without a second thought.
“Honey,” Katarina said, catching his full attention while he wiped the tears beneath his eyes. He didn’t realize that she rushed to his side until he felt her gentle hands on his back. “Are you alright.”
Arthur cleared his throat a few more times and drank more water before he nodded. “I’m fine,” he said but the tremors of his voice betrayed him.
“Let granny take care of it…” Her right hand held his chin and gently lifted it. Katarina began to chant as her free hand massaged his neck. “Pil’lobré,” she ended in a low voice.
Arthur felt a warm sensation from her palm and the pain gradually disappeared from his throat. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “Is that healing magic?”
Katarina laughed and cupped his face. “Yes, sweetie. Amazing, isn’t it?”
Arthur profusely nodded. “Will you teach that to me too?”
“Two years, honey, in two years.” Katarina finally got back to her seat and their uneventful breakfast resumed.
