Chapter 007

Their Undying Promises

In his short life, Rune had seen a fair number of soldiers. Though there weren't many due in part to Primrose’s minuscule size, he was able to recognize a member of the state by the blue or black uniform jackets they commonly donned. However, there was something about this man called James Griffin that made him unique from the rest. Behind his kind smile and casual demeanor, Rune identified a forest of hidden truths and deceptions. For some reason or another, he deemed him as one who shouldn’t be trusted.

“Listen, sir. Maybe it’d be best if you’d come back another time. After everything Rune’s been through, why, he should just be focusing on getting better,” said Ethan standing by the door.

“I’m afraid we don’t have the luxury. I’m fighting the clock as we speak. I need to know as much as possible about what happened that night. According to the reports, this child has undergone a premature magic rejection resulting in the deaths of his mother, uncle, and grandfather. Even so, something tells me there’s more to this case we’re not seeing. So, I decided I’d hear this grim tale straight out the mouth of the inferno’s sole survivor.”

Rune’s eyebrow furrowed. “Just leave me alone,” he demanded, turning his head away from them. “There isn’t anything else I know the soldiers haven’t already told you. I couldn’t control my magic properly and as a result, I got my family killed!”

Unphased by his overflowing frustration and anger, Griffin quietly and calmly approached the foot of the bed. “Is this what you believe to be true? Or are you merely subscribing to the theories of men and women you haven't met?” the captain asked, crossing his arms. “In my line of work, it’s common for me to witness sights and events that don’t make any sense. Based on experience, I’ve recognized the truth isn’t always what we perceive it to be.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m simply asking if your recollection of what happened during this tragedy aligns with what the military deduced.”

To his question, Rune didn’t immediately respond. Instead, a sudden wave of pain clouded his consciousness. Clasping his forehead, blurry images began to roost in his memory. What actually happened? Who started the fire? How did his family die? These rabid inquiries unaffectionately assaulted him along with the flickering memories drifting inside his head. He wanted them to stop. Wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep. However, it wasn’t until a single recollection struck him did the pain subside altogether. A smoggy image of fire and death. A murky portrait of a man shrouded in a curtain of smoke. A putrid fabrication of a crimson gaze peering into his soul with the intent to kill.

Removing his hand off his forehead, Rune squinted at everyone else. While the Flores family was reasonably concerned for him, the two soldiers displayed no sign of sympathy nor fear. Rather, it was an expression of pure, unsaturated curiosity that masked both their faces.

“Allow me to ask you this, Rune Ransford,” started Griffin after a brief period of silence. “Are you still open to accepting what the military has told you?”

“No...”

“And why not?”

“There was a man...”

Griffin exchanged glances with an equally interested Zenobio before asking, “A man?”

“Look, I know it sounds crazy but what I’m telling you is the truth! Someone else was with my mom and me! Someone I didn’t recognize! Maybe he’s responsible for...”

“So you’re saying there was an imposter?” asked Leora.

“If what I remember is true, then, yes.”

“That can’t be right. The military confirmed there was nobody else in the house.”

“To be fair, this wouldn’t be the first instance of the military withholding information from us.” Max directed a judgemental glare at the two soldiers. “Care to disagree?”

“Not at all!” Griffin smirked. “Back to the matter at hand, however. It would seem as if my suspicions have been proven correct.”

Ethan stepped forward. “So, there really was somebody else inside the house other than Rune and his family?”

“Hard to say, although it is a definite possibility. Our mages confirmed that the fire which destroyed the house was created by magic due to the high concentration of essence particles in the immediate vicinity. It could very well be the work of a rogue mage’s spell. Sadly though, I doubt the military will treat an account from an emotionally distorted child with much severity. They just might disregard his claim altogether. And, of course, I wouldn’t necessarily blame them if they did. This mystery man of yours might just be a hallucination caused by smoke inhalation. Or a false memory manifested from trauma. As for the excess essence particles, why, they potentially could just be a byproduct of your rejection and nothing more.”

“I know what I saw!” Rune shouted. “Someone, no, something was watching us!”

“Really? Then how exactly do you plan on proving it, hm? You might say one thing but the world says another. Like it or not, kid, you won’t be changing anyone’s minds without any hard evidence.”

“You don’t think I know this already?! I just need to....”

“What you need is to join the military.”

For a few brief moments, the room became plagued by a veil of disturbing silence. It was so still, so quiet. Rune was fairly certain he could even hear the birds scampering on the roof of the house. Join the military? Rune repeated in his mind. It was something he’d always set his heart on doing but upon considering his current dilemma, was this really the best option for him? It was bad enough that he was the son of an alleged traitor and murderer but now he’d also be scrutinized for the brutal killing of his own family.

If by some miracle he did get accepted into their ranks, how exactly would the military higher-ups and his fellow soldiers perceive him? Would he be a hero or a villain? A human or a monster? These questions surged in his head, so much so he utterly omitted everybody else’s existence. It wasn’t until he felt Leora’s hand rest atop his did he remove a vacant gaze from his lap and face the concerned expressions aiming at him.

“It’s alright, Rune,” Leora told him in a comforting tone. “Just take it easy.”

Oh, how he wished he could. When he looked at James again, the soldier asked, “Well, kid? What say you?”

“Now hang on a minute!” interrupted Max. “We’re talking about a child here! Are you seriously expecting him to make such a difficult choice even after everything that’s happened to him?!”

“I am not. He has every right to ignore me if he so chooses. But, it was because of the severity of this incident, as well as the boundless amount of guilt and despair I’m sure he’s feeling, that I even bothered to make this offer,” James answered. “The sad truth is, regardless of how many loose ends this “magical rejection case” has, the military is adamant about closing its curtains as quickly as possible. They’ve got far more important things they could be doing with their time. What does this mean for you? Well, you probably won’t gain any form of justice and satisfaction within the foreseeable future.”

Rune hung his head. “Thought so...”

“However, if this were to evolve into a murder case, the military would be more incentivized to resolve it as it could spell problems for them later down the line.”

“Now I understand. This is why you suggested for him to become a combat mage, isn’t it?” said Max.

“If he were to gain the status of a combat mage he’d legally be able to pursue this hypothetical murderer just so long as he completes the missions and jobs assigned to him from High Command. Additionally, he’d be granted access to official documentation and resources capable of assisting him in his efforts. As a member of the military, he could take matters into his own hands instead of having to sit around waiting for the truth to reveal itself.” James looked dead in the boy’s eyes. For the first time, Rune felt as if this soldier was being authentic with him. “Should you choose to enlist, nobody would stop you from throwing the scum who did this to your family where they belong. And the justice you long for, why, it’d be yours for the taking.”

“You really think so?”

“Look, it’s only a suggestion, it’s not like I’m expecting much from a snot-nosed brat like yourself anyways. Besides, I never once claimed I believed your story, did I? Especially considering you’re the one who’s telling it to me.”

“Excuse me?” Rune scowled.

“Right, you are a child so allow me to explain,” the sneering captain continued. “I was there when your father destroyed Military High Command and sent some of my closest buddies to the grave. And ever since learning of this little incident it's all I’ve been thinking about. Why should I take the words of the traitorous Everburn Mage’s son seriously? For all we know, everything you told us might just be a lie. A mere fabrication of the actual truth. How are we to be certain you didn’t intentionally start the fire yourself, hm?”

“What?!” roared Rune.

“Captain, perhaps you shouldn't...”

“Come now, Zen. Could you blame me for assuming as much? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, after all. You can’t tell me the possibility hadn’t crossed your mind?”

Enraged and red in the face, Max stepped in front of Rune’s bed. “You can’t be serious! You’re accusing a child?! What madness is this?!”

“He’s right, sir! You’re taking this way too far!” shouted Ethan.

“Am I now? Well, if you ask me, I haven’t taken this far enough. You see, unlike most these days, I act based on the facts I either uncover myself or am provided with from credible sources. And based on everything I’ve gathered thus far,” Cutting his arm through the air and pointing an accusatory finger at the fuming mageborn, James boldly declared, “this kid isn’t exactly exempt from suspicion. As far as I’m concerned, one of the most obvious suspects is sitting right in front of us. How about it, Ransford? Am I too rash in my line of thinking or am I correct in presuming you’ve taken a page out of your old man’s blood-stained book?”

Rune wanted to curse. Wanted to shout. Wanted to fly out of his bed and knock the daylights out of the pompous captain. Astonishingly, however, he wasn’t the first to react to the assault of harsh criticisms and premature conclusions. Like a missile, Leora darted from her chair, ran straight up to the unsuspecting soldier, and swung her right foot skyward. Rune hadn’t been the one to get hit. Even still, the stinging pain manifested at his crotch and proceeded to expand over the entirety of his lower waist and legs. He could only imagine how it actually felt.

James’ muscles betrayed him. His face turned blue. Bubbly foam escaped the cracks of his mouth. Finally, the man collapsed to his knees, bending over as he covered his inflamed privates with both his hands. Leora stood tall in front of him, her hands crossed and a grimace comparable to that of a famished dragon of Esteras’ distant past. Meanwhile, everyone else, commoner and soldier alike, gawked with wide eyes and gaping jaws. Each of them was so astonished none of them uttered a single word.

“I don’t care if you’re some high-ranking military official or whatever! What gives you the right to speak that way to my friend?!” Leora shouted defensively, her cheeks turning red. “Rune and his father are two separate people! Traitors don’t necessarily breed traitors! So if you don’t plan on helping him then just leave already!”

“LEORA!” a flabbergasted Max and Ethan exclaimed simultaneously. Rushing to form a barricade between the fuming girl and the downed soldier, Max swiftly apologized, “Please don’t hold this against us, sir! She’s still young and doesn’t understand how the world operates.”

“Yes, I ask for you to ignore my sister’s outburst!” added Ethan, bowing his head. “Still, what she said isn’t exactly wrong.” Despite the position he was in, that of a future soldier speaking to a higher-up, Ethan stiffened his back and peered down at Griffin with a subtracted scowl. “For the record, sir, I didn’t enlist with the intention of trampling over the feelings of others. I’ve never been one to condone violence if it can be avoided although I’m not some pushover who turns his back to injustice. If you are indeed a typical example of how every military officer acts, then perhaps I should cut my losses here and now.”

“I sincerely hope it won’t come to that. And we should be apologizing to you,” replied the lieutenant. The woman stepped in front of her wounded captain and offered the Flores family a humbled bow. “Disregarding his rank, Captain Griffin can behave very much like an infant when he so chooses. His foul mouth doesn’t help his case much either. This doesn’t, however, excuse him of his wrongdoings. If you wish to report us I completely understand.”

“Enough, Zenobio. I can handle this myself,” a shuddering James groaned. Shooting Leora a malleable smile, he said, “Quite the temper you’ve got, little lady.”

Leora puffed out her cheeks. “I’m much like my brother. I hate needless violence. But when someone hurts my friends or family I tend to hurt them back.”

“How admirable,” Griffin smiled as he began his fragile and quivering ascension. “Though, should Ransford heed my advice then he’ll have to prepare himself for much worse ridiculing than that. Some folks in the military aren’t so keen on forgetting the past as I am. If you hope to survive in our profession, you must administer a powerful resolve. One that won’t easily be broken.” The wounded soldier then turned around and started for the door, the mage called Zenobio following him from behind. “I thank you for taking the time out of your day to see me. I’ll be off now.”

“W...Wait, let me show you out, sir!” Max called after them.

Once the door closed and only the three of them remained in the quiet room, Ethan unceremoniously deflated. The eldest sibling retired to his hands and knees, whimpering to the wooden floorboards as if they could hear his cries of guilt. “I can’t believe I mouthed off to a captain! What was I thinking? I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt me.”

“If he tries to do something funny I’ll kick him in the balls again!”

“Please don’t, Sis. I’m not sure my heart can take it. If anything, you should go downstairs and apologize before they leave.”

“Like I’d ever apologize to that jerk after what he said!”

“He might be a jerk but what he said isn’t wrong. I’ll never uncover the truth if I just sit here and do nothing,” uttered Rune, staring at his lap. “Leora, you told me I needed to move forward with my life, didn’t you?”

“Y...Yes?”

“Well, perhaps this is how I should do it. I mean, I was planning on enlisting into the military anyways.”

“Interesting,” commented Ethan. “It won’t be easy though. Only the most talented magic casters can ever hope to become a combat mage. Do you think you have what it takes, Rune?”

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. The fact of the matter is, in order to avenge my family, in order to give them justice, I’ll have to master my magic, get accepted as a combat mage, and scour Esteras until I find the bastard responsible for this mess.” Staring at his clenched fist, a smirk spreading across his face, Rune declared, “I don’t care how long it takes, I won’t rest until their murderer is detained by me and me alone. I’ll show everyone just how strong my resolve can be.”

“I know you can do it!” Leora grinned, running to the side of the bed. “And we’ll be here cheering you on! Right, Brother?!”

“Is that even a question? If it’s Rune we’re talking about, I wouldn’t be surprised if he catches the criminal in his first year as an acting soldier.”

“Yeah! And then he’ll get promoted to a general and will be able to kick that jerk captain in the balls as much as he wants!”

“Will you stop talking about that?!” growled Ethan.

Rune admitted a chuckle. Ignorant though he may have been about what his future holds and how his life would change, he’d every intention of walking down this path. For if it led him to the justice and fulfillment he craved, then he’d be more than satisfied. On that day of sour grief and reignited hope, his journey to be a combat mage began.