319 Yin-Yang Tonfas (2/2)
Zero took the wooden staff from the blacksmith and noticed that it was similar to the staff that he sometimes saw Lovina and Merlin carry around.
\”Is this actually a tonfas? It looks like a wand...\” Zero mused.
The djinn inhaled and sneezed a very basic wind cutter spell in Zero's direction. At once, the weapon in Zero's hands transformed and Zero instinctively blocked the attack while throwing up a mana barrier at the same time. The wind cutter forced Zero to stumble back a little because he was caught off guard but the amazement on his face put ear-splitting grins on Raj and Tambolt's faces.
\”This is amazing,\” Zero whispered and the dwarf let out a belly-aching laugh.
\”It's amazing he says,\” the blacksmith smacked Raj and continued laughing. Zero didn't understand why the dwarf was laughing so hard. In fact, Tambolt wasn't the only one with sly smiles. The young doctor couldn't understand their reactions and looked at the tonfas as they went back to their walking staff state.
Steve coughed lightly and walked up to Zero. \”That weapon is a divine grade creation. It's rarer than artefacts of the old world, more precious than legendary weapons and definitely one of a kind. To describe it as amazing is a little...\”
Zero blushed when he heard the explanation, only inciting more laughter. While it was true that the young doctor wasn't very well-informed about the finer things in life and wasn't materialistic, the teen couldn't forgive himself for describing such a precious creation as simply amazing. These tonfas certainly deserved higher praise but Zero's current vocabulary bank was lacking for good praise.
Seeing the burdened expression on Zero's face, Lovina went over to console him and scold the dwarf who was heaving and choking on his laughter. The witch was a force to be reckoned with without the burden of her curse. Tambolt was made to apologise soon after.
Deciding that the atmosphere was too tense for a happy graduation party, Merlin officially ended the ceremony and called for Bib to ready the feast, a tradition of Half Moon Village to celebrate good things according to Lovina.
Steve was extremely surprised to know that Merlin broke out a few bottles of his good win for the feast. The men indulged in drinking and Merlin made sure to drink until he was completely drunk. Nobody stopped the wizard who was obviously trying to give himself an excuse to not see Zero off tomorrow when he left Arabesque to start on his final quest to address the gorgon's grief and undo Athena's curses. Steve already offered to take Zero back to Heaven so that the boy could meet up with Freya and to visit Valhalla.
Zero ate slowly and enjoyed the company while thinking of a name for his weapon. All good weapons had names. His grimoire was called Origin because of its purpose. Zero thought about his tonfas. Enma's ring was infused in it and they were crafted from the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. It reminded the young doctor about the messy relationship between qi, mana and chaos energy in some way.
Zero could feel the differences in each tonfa even if they came in a set from wielding them earlier. The tonfa crafted from the Tree of Life was very light and moved quickly. It wasn't very good at dealing damage but was great for deflecting attacks and defending against projectiles. On the other hand, the tonfa crafted from the Tree of Knowledge was heavy and landed hard blows. It was harder to control and acted very wild with a will of its own unlike the docile Tree of Life's tonfa. There was no doubt that the tonfa crafted using the Tree of Knowledge was meant for attacking.
The two contrasting uses of very similar tonfas made Zero think about the concept of yin and yang Hua Tuo taught him. When in use, they were separated but when they weren't in use, they became one. There really was no better way to describe them as inseparable twins that come in a set.
\”I will call you Yin-Yang, YY for short,\” Zero told his new weapon.
The staff glowed when Zero named it and the initials YY was carved on the bottom of the staff, surprising Zero. From the other side of the room, Tambolt took another swig of his beer and smiled. Raj also gave the blacksmith a knowing mood. Zero had finally given the weapon a name and the weapon had accepted it. With the weapon recognising Zero as its sole master, their job was done and the quest completed. Tambolt and Raj dedicated their brains, blood and soul into forging that unique weapon. Never again will there be a second weapon that can top this creation.
Merlin sulked. \”Yin-Yang tonfas... couldn't he be more creative? I still think Origin has a nicer ring to it...\” he hiccuped.
Lovina laughed nervously and pulled Merlin away, excusing them while she took Merlin back to his room. The wizard was dead drunk and it was starting to be a nuisance to everyone else. If nobody stopped him, the wizard might just start making a fool of himself in front of his student. Merlin on a normal day was eccentric and highly unpredictable. Merlin with the influence of alcohol is pure chaos that nobody needed on such a happy occasion.