A modern-day relationship between the talisman

  "Chu, how long will we dilly-dally here? Winter is only a few days away."

  "Sakura left this morning to ask Elder Shi a question concerning the talismans. Depending on the findings, we should depart within the first week of winter."

  "Alright, because most of the ladies are leaving to their families. The timing is perfect for us. The sun is going down, you want me to ride out to meet her?"

  "She should return before dark. Besides Dyna is also accompanying her."

  Chu replied while peering at an Ancient Talisman spread on a table. The rays from the setting sun entered through the window, falling on the parchment.

  His hand slowly rolled the oval crystal across the strokes of the quill. The thin lines turned visible allowing him to trace them from the center circle to the symbols at the ends.

  Ever since Tye hosted his lecture at the farm, Chu felt a modern-day connection with the inscription method of the Ancient talisman. He secretly inquired about its production and continued to also browse related notes.

  Chu felt a little pain in his soul when he thought about copying the Tower talisman, but nothing on matters relating to the Ancient Talisman. He never minded, however, since his goal always focused on the more powerful one.

  Leaning on the backrest of the chair he issued a long sigh while doodling with a feathered quill on a scrap piece of parchment. To Ming, the lines and strange markings looked like scribbles and drawings of a child but to any modern man, they exploded with familiarity.

  A simple circuit.

  An electrical circuit diagram.

  The lifestone in the center served as the battery, and the thin lines of ink served as the wires which connected it to the symbols representing the bulb.

  A complete circuit.

  A break in the line meant a break in the circuit, thus causing the talisman to be rendered useless. He suspected the reason for drawing the lines in the different widths should relate to a common electrical term.

  Resistance...

  If a circuit powered by a torchlight battery was created by connecting thick overhead power cables it wouldn't light a bulb while one connected by thinner ones could.

  The concept of the electric circuit haunted his mind since the day Tye lectured him. Browsing the books and visiting the talisman workshop increased his understanding of the process.

  The two symbols above and below the center circle of the talisman piqued his interest. If Sakura returned with positive information then his simple circuit might blossom into something more.

  Chu realized that if he created a die of the ancient talisman, used quality ink without skimping on the ingredients, and pressed the ink on superior printing paper, he would generate a perfect talisman.

  He chuckled at the pun only he alone understood among the inhabitants of this world.

  "Generate... I like this word."

  "Generate? What's that?"

  "Short of generator..."

  Chu answered haphazardly to Ming. He continued skimming through some notes while chatting with Ming when Lucy and the girls joined him.

  "Mr. Thomas collected a letter from Clod."

  Miki said while tearing it open and handing it over to Amanda sitting on the bed.

  The young lady brushed her flowing golden locks from her cheeks as she scanned it before reading it out loud. Chu couldn't help but laugh at the end.

  "How long has it been three? four years? Clod really can hold a grudge right?"

  "Didn't I always tell you that? Every year, around this time his eyes bulge out and turn red. You heard him Chu, he mumbles in his sleep like a fanatic."

  Ming said while forming a poor imitation to drive his point home.

  "You're one to talk about grievances. You melted a gold coin into a ring and stuck a ruby in it to get back at John."

  Ming waved him off,

  "My resentments can be settled with money, I'll have you know. Good thing you brought that up, Miki, your chicken owes me a pouch of rubies. I demand compensation, otherwise, I'll be working odd jobs for Sakura until my hair falls out..."

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  Chu shook his head. Beyond the normal news of the farm, Clod reported that he finally captured a flock of Inyoni. The burly farmer had repaired the fences in the south and patiently set the trap. The resulting capture netted him more than a dozen Inyoni.

  "Those birds taste divine. Larry, one of the Chefs for the evening at the birthday party, created a stew with Inyoni meat. He also made a type of slow-roasted dish with it and potatoes... Chu you have to help me get Clod to hand over a bird to me."

  Ming wiped the drool off his mouth while shaking Chu on the chair.

  "Ok, I'll ask him but you do know I can only ask right?"

  Chu answered while remembering the sleepless nights he spent when Clod scared him during those, unfortunately, unforgettable times.

  "I think I smell Dyna coming..."

  Lucy said, looking out the window into the darkness. Her eyebrows raised a little as a slight frown appeared on her face.

  Around twenty minutes later, they heard the sound of scampering feet as two pairs of boots clattered on the staircase. Sakura entered the room followed by Dyna, both of them panting heavily.

  It wasn't uncommon for Dyna to have her hair all frazzled, but Sakura usually kept a neat appearance. Mrs Thomas had always used her as an example when chiding the girls.

  Lucy hauled the pair onto the bed while Miki poured some water from a jug into a wooden cup.

  Chu joined the circle around them while Amanda rubbed their backs as they sat recovering their breath on the bed. Dyna drank two mouthfuls of water before raising her head to find Chu,

  "Amarok found something strange. We followed him and Fenrir out to the hill at the edge of the grassland. It looked like a dog or wolf from a distance but when we ventured closer it spotted us somehow. It's vicious for its size since it even managed to wound Fenrir."

  "Where is it?"

  Chu asked while waiting for her to recover her breath.

  For Dyna to call a beast vicious and not be able to name it, was cause for an investigation. Out of them all, she probably could spot and name the most herbs and wild beasts inhabiting the forest outskirts and open grasslands.

  Her books and learning materials all consisted of plant and animal illustrations and their respective concoctions.

  "We left it on the hill. Besides being slightly larger than a normal wolf, it looks..."

  Chu frowned for a minute as he digested the words.

  "Sally, fetch Mr. Thomas. Tell him I want him to come riding with us to verify a wild beast killed by the wolves. Lucy, you and Ming will come with us. Just in case, Miki, have Mrs. Thomas join you here and have your weapons ready. We'll also leave a wolf behind. Dyna, lead the way."

  Chu rattled out his orders. With Lucy around, he felt confident in at least escaping a deadly foe. In the villa, Miki and a wolf could create a pin cushion out of any Sersen, backed by a room filled with crossbows.

  As for if this might be a prank by the two children, the thought never crossed his mind. Four years of hardships together solidified their familiarity with each other.

  If Dyna or Sakura burst in under an appearance like this, saying they saw Santa Clause, Chu would believe them. He might not win the Family of the Year award for best-trained children but he didn't raise any liars.

  Well, at least they knew when to fib.

  Chu inspected the large wolf before he visited the stables. Amarok had a vicious cut near the inner left front leg. A claw mark sliced open the thick grey fur and nearly exposed the bone. Dyna had already administered a little alcohol before dusting on a generous amount of yellow healing powder.

  Two empty bottles of quality healing potion had been tossed nearby. He squatted down to inspect the wound, oblivious to the danger of the panting mouth above him.

  Chu granted two comforting pats on the large snout while standing up.

  "There are two smaller rips along with this deeper one. Whatever it was, how the hell did it wound Amarok in this way? Sakura, fetch an antidote potion, the broad-range one, and let him drink it. Keep him in the room upstairs with you."

  Sakura nodded and sped off as Chu turned to Dyna while they waited on Ming and the horses. Mr. Thomas also joined them.

  "I can't explain it Chu, when it rushed us, Amarok bolted out to confront it while Fenrir and Lykos blindsided it. By some magic, it evaded their attacks. On clashing, it was like Amarok stood and waited for the claw to cut him. Lykos is the smallest yet even he can escape from a Jaga's claws."

  Dyna said.

  "Hmm, I can't recall any grassland predator fast and powerful enough to wound these guys. Let's go and take a look..."

  Mr. Thomas replied.

  The words of the redhead turned him curious. The three wolves could bowl over and skittle a pack of wolves without breaking a sweat. Their master had even begun to feed them high-tier spiritual pills which boosted their strength and speed considerably.

  They rode under the light from the wooden torches to the northern boundary of the estate. An open hill afforded a panoramic view of the grasslands during the day.

  On a clear sunny day, one could view the distant winding roads and the dotted farms and villages of the countryside. Tonight, however, Chu spotted blackened stains on the yellowing grass which heralded the coming winter. A visible shadowy carcass lay on the ground a few paces away.

  "What the hell? Did the wolves tear this thing up like this?"

  Ming said. He was the first to join Dyna beside it while holding a torch. The rough skin of the creature appeared bruised and filled with scattered bluish marks and half-healed wounds. Some of them even oozed liquid.

  Chu walked up with another torch and grasped the line of questioning.

  Sprawled on its side on the brown grass lay a creature he never encountered. It had one glazed red-eye open while the next socket remained empty. Below the fear-inspiring eye, an open mouth filled with sharp but rotted-looking fangs made way for a blackish tongue that lolled out.

  The wolves had focused their attacks on the throat of the beast ripping away the scarred, leathery skin and the carotid artery below. It was then Chu realized the creature lacked a nose.

  A recent illustration and memory surfaced.

  "Did the wolves cause this? These long slits look natural what are they?"

  Ming asked while raising the reddish skin with the tip of his sword. Chu glanced at the three slits as a word came to mind.

  Gills... they look like the gills on a shark.

  Looking at the sharp claws on the four paws, Chu recalled a name that remained on the tip of his tongue.

  His mind refused to complete the last link since the possibility of this creature existing this close to Limerock was virtually nil. Mr. Thomas completed his thoughts for him when he walked up.

  "By the North Pass... A Bitzer!"