Chapter 008

An Unexpected Opportunity

Since those pain-filled early days of his life, his goal never altered.

Everything he’d done, everything he was doing. All of it was to ultimately locate the monster responsible for stripping away what little bit of happiness he had in this cruel world. Nevertheless, this was not to say he didn’t have his doubts, at times. Occasions would arise where he’d question whether there even was a murderer. Question if the arson of the fire was himself like so many believed. And while they’d attack him during long, lonely nights or when his fellow combat mages truly tested his patience, he constantly refused to acknowledge them for long. He couldn’t be allowed to fall mistress to such distractions.

He knew the truth and, much to his gratitude, he wasn’t the only one. Sitting on the train station bench, hordes of travelers stampeding around them, Rune snuck a glance at his friend sitting next to him. With her hands placed in her lap and eyes staring solemnly ahead, she hadn’t said much since their encounter with Lukas. Although he’d the sneaking suspicion she’d something to tell him.

“You know, I really appreciate you coming today. It’s been a while since I’ve taken a break from my duties.”

“Don’t mention it!” she smiled. “And, if you want my advice, I suggest you take better care of yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re a complete workaholic and not exactly the best when it comes to personal hygiene.”

“You call this advice?! It sounds more like you’re insulting me straight to my face!” Rune growled defensively.

Leora chuckled into her hand. “I’m only teasing, you dummy! Ryas sure made you a sensitive one, didn’t she?”

“ ...So it would seem. Much to my dismay, might I add.”

“In all seriousness, Rune. I truly do admire what you’re doing. I mean, you’ve made a real mage of yourself. You should be proud!” Staring at the ceiling of the train station, Leora giddily admitted, “I’ve always envied that resolve of yours. Others in your position might have given up a long time ago, myself included. Yet here you are determined as ever to clear your name and bring justice to your family.”

Rune scratched the back of his head. “Stop selling yourself short, Leora. You’re a lot stronger than you realize.”

“I’m glad you think that. Because, well, after I’ve completed my training and sorted things out with my uncle’s shop, I’ve decided I’d enlist in the military as an official medical mage.”

“S...Seriously?!” Rune stammered. “Really, Leora. You don’t have to keep looking after me. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”

Leora frowned. “I’m not doing this for you, dummy! After honing my skills and visiting towns in the countryside, I realized how rare my healing magic is. And how desperately the people of Esteras need it. I shouldn’t let my gift go to waste. So, once I get into the military, I’ll help heal this country as well as the people living in it. I’ll do my part to build a better future for everyone.”

“You do realize you’re beginning to sound a lot like Ethan, don’t you?”

“I am? Jeez, how embarrassing!” she gasped, clasping her cherry cheeks. “But if he was still around, I’m positive he would’ve agreed with me.”

“Leora, even though you won’t be a combat mage like me, it’ll be dangerous.”

“I’m well aware. But I still want to try. I want to be the best healer I can.” There was no use. For someone as caring and compassionate as her, Rune knew that this was her calling. As much as he wanted to persuade her from engaging in such a dangerous profession, it wasn’t in his place. This was her decision, and he would honor it. “Rune,” she said, nervously twiddling her thumbs. “I’ve gotten better with my light magic. Can I give it another go?”

He followed her fragile gaze to his right arm and smirked. “This brings me back.”

“It was but only a suggestion! You don’t have to if you don’t want to!” To her flustered babbling, he pulled up the sleeve of his coat, thus revealing the scorched, ragged corpse that was his arm. Leora looked at it, her mouth forming into a sickly glower, and then back at him. “...Are you sure?” she asked, hesitation woven into her words.

“Show me what you can do, Master Healer," Rune smiled.

Leora nodded. Closing her eyes, the girl slowly breathed in through her nostrils and out of her mouth. Silently and patiently, Rune watched as his friend drew a shimmering golden magic circle with the tip of her glowing finger. Essence surged and a spell was cast. She then held both of her hands at Rune’s burned arm and softly chanted, “Caelum Donum.” Bright rays of light emitted from her palms and rained onto his scorched appendage. A wobbly smile wobbled across Rune’s face as he felt the otherworldly energy caress his skin and nurture his bones. It was like a comforting, low-temperature breeze that would ever so rarely grace a dry and scorching desert with its presence. Suddenly, his arm was filled with a newfound strength. Almost as if the heavens themselves had blessed it with celestial divinity. Sadly, however, his enormous, putrid scar never faded.

“Sorry...” she apologized. The girl dropped her hands onto the seat and hung her head so that she may conceal her disappointed frown. “I guess I’m still not good enough.”

Rune stared at his charred hand. An almost skeletal, dark husk that, in the past, nearly made him vomit out of disgust he now accepted as a part of his own body. Whether it was possible to revert it back to its original appearance or not was hardly a concern of his anymore. “Maybe it’ll take more than normal healing magic to ‘fix’ this," he responded, pulling down his sleeve.

“Don't worry," she whispered. "One day, I’ll heal it for you.” The ear-piercing screech of a grumbling locomotive penetrated the already rambunctious atmosphere. In front of him, Rune spotted the giant serpent of metal come to a steady and gradual stop before opening its doors, allowing the sea of faceless strangers to swarm out of its confines. Leora stood up from her seat carrying her bag and gave a smile. It looked to be that their day really had come to an end. “Rune,” she started. “It may not be today or tomorrow but, sometime in the future, I give you my solemn vow I’ll find a way to restore your arm.”

“Really now?” he replied, climbing to his feet. “They say the punishment of a magic rejection isn't easy to repair. That only a special mage with a special kind of magic is capable of pulling off such a feat. Are you saying you intend to try regardless?”

“Why not? It wouldn’t be the craziest thing I’ve done.”

“That’s an understatement...”

With her gentle smile ever-present on her face, she extended to him her hand and said, “Let’s both continue to work hard at what we’re trying to achieve, and who we want to become. So when next we meet, we can hold our heads high with pride.”

“Sure, thing,” Rune smirked, taking her hand. “For now, however, this is farewell, Ms. Flores.”

“I suppose it is, Mr. Ransford. Try not to get into too much trouble while I’m gone,” she grinned before running to the train. “And don’t forget about my present!”

Rune waved her goodbye. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

The mage stayed at the station as Leora boarded. Stayed as the locomotive’s red doors shut. And stayed until he couldn’t even see the elongated vehicle anymore as it sped over its tracks and disappeared into the orange horizon. He savored every moment of peace he could gather. For he knew, once Leora had left him, he’d have no choice but to return to the same agonizing monotony of his life as an acting combat mage. Proving him correct, before the mage even departed the now vacant terminal he heard the buzzing of the portable radio in his coat’s pocket.

Holding the small, black device to his ear, Rune answered, “What is it?”

“Master!” Daze’s voice belched out the speakers. “Major General Marx says he wants to see you. I told him you were on a date and it was your day off but he said it was urgent. You should report to base as soon as possible.”

Rune emitted an irritated and exhausted groan. “Affirmative...”

And just like that, his head started to throb.

The crescent moon had already appeared in the cloudless night sky upon Rune’s arrival at the military base.

While he wasn’t necessarily anticipating what the general had to say, he hoped the sooner he saw him the sooner he could retire to his bed and sleep off his tiredness. Waiting for him at the tops of the building’s entrance steps was a mildly concerned Daze, the mage fidgeting with a piece of paper in his hands.

“Any clue as to what this could be about? I’m not in trouble again, am I?”

“To be honest, I’m stumped. He was very vague and seemed to be in a hurry. The good news is, he didn’t look to be in a bad mood. Maybe this is just to inform you about a new mission or something?”

“One could only hope.”

“Quit kidding yourself!” shouted Lukas. He and his posse of snickering nimrods burst out the base’s doors and marched towards them. Swinging his arm around Daze, the young mage instantly growing uncomfortable, Lukas sneered, “For the general to summon you even on your undeserved vacation only means you’ve done something to royally piss him off. Oh, Everburn, what have you gotten yourself into now?”

“Come on, we don’t know that for sure. Let’s not jump to any conclusions just yet."

“Ha! You’re too soft, Daze. You really need to toughen up.”

Daze chuckled nervously, biting the tip of his forefinger. “Maybe I do...”

“Now, let’s get going,” Lukas said as he and the others marched ahead. “We received reports of a rogue mage appearing in the southern districts. We’ll need help from the famous Sparking Mage for this case.”

“R...Right! Coming! Later, Master,” Daze said frantically before chasing after his rambunctious teammates.

Rune shook his head from side to side. If there was one thing he and the brain-dead dolt known as Lukas could agree on was that Daze really needed a backbone. As long as he’d known the mage, all he ever did was smile, blindly follow orders, kiss up to his superiors, and, to his misfortune, drive him crazy. The quicker he learned not to be so naive the better off he’d be.

Shrugging his shoulders, Rune stepped into the building. I’ll let him handle his own problems. I’ve got too many of them to worry about as-is. Begrudgingly, he made his way across the empty and silent base until he appeared at the red doors of Major General Marx’s office. As he was about to knock, the words of a fool emerged in his head. What if he really was in trouble? What if he was being suspended? No, he couldn’t afford such a setback nor could he let himself succumb to fear. With the tip of his knuckle, he knocked on the door three times.

“Come in,” answered a voice. Only, it didn’t belong to General Marx. Raising an eyebrow, Rune slowly began opening the door. Waiting for him inside with his feet perched on Marx’s desk and taking a bite out of an apple, Major Griffin regarded him with a simple nod of his head. “How goes it, Ransford?”, he greeted, his mouth filled with the scarlet fruit.

Rune's jaw hung open. “Wh...What the?”

“Keeping in Marx’s good graces, I hope?” he continued, taking another bite out of the apple.

“You...you...why are you here?" Rune stuttered. "And what the hell are you doing at the Major General’s desk, you creep!”

Ah, but James had suspected this reaction. After all, wouldn’t anyone be astonished to find someone who wasn’t even stationed at their bracket so casually sitting at the desk of their superior? While it probably would’ve been more professional to simply inform him of this arrangement well in advance, he couldn’t deny the enjoyment he got from toying with the young mage like this.

Camouflaging his blatant amusement by coughing into his gloved fist, he began, “My, my. It seems like we just keep running into each other these days. Doesn’t it?”

“But how did you...”

“You won’t find me complaining though. I’ve taken quite an interest in you. Zen has as well, haven’t you?”

Standing beside Marx’s desk, the Grimdark Mage released a sigh. “Please don’t involve me in this, sir.”

“Explain yourself, Griffin. Why are you here?”

“I’m merely doing my job, Ransford. No different from you.”

“Like hell. You’re up to something so spill it already!”

“You’re always so hostile. I’m starting to get the impression you're not very fond of me,” James chuckled. He removed his feet off the table and sat forward in his chair, resting his chin atop his wrist. “But if you’re so eager to hear what I’ve to say then I suppose I should cut to the chase.”

“Please do,” grunted Rune as he sat in the seat facing him. “Otherwise, I might be tempted to leave to get a good night’s sleep.”

“Have you heard any news of our ongoing “Missing Mages” case? For the last four months or so a large number of military personnel have vanished. Now what they all have in common is their status as high-ranking combat mages.”

“As for the mages we have found, well, they’ve long since entered Ryas’ domain,” Sabine added, a semblance of sadness hidden in her voice. “What’s interesting about them, however, is that each corpse has had its magical energy extracted prior to the time of the victim’s death. Forensics and the medical mages confirmed as much.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of this.” Rune folded his arms. “Sounds serious. Kinda makes me wonder why Military High Command hasn’t given us orders to act yet.”

“My belief is that it has something to do with this so-called “transitional era” Esteras is going through. Currently, our leaders are more concerned with regaining the trust of the other countries rather than dealing with a couple of missing combat mages.” Sabine placed a handful of photos on the desk and slid them towards Rune. “Although,” she carried on. “Another reason they might be hesitant about resolving this issue is because of who the alleged culprits are.”

James observed as Rune’s gaze hardened. Each of the photos displayed men and women dressed in ripped cloaks and bandages. Their eyes were as golden as their skin whilst fierce yet subdued scowls radiated their collective anger off of the miniature portraits. “Now it makes sense. I can’t imagine the higher-ups are too keen on entering a direct conflict with our neighbors from Gyrak,” Rune sighed. “Even so, we shouldn’t let their acts of terrorism go unpunished. Who cares if it paints us as enemies of Gyrak? A crime is a crime.”

“I agree,” nodded James. “But the military has its reasons. And while I haven’t been notified as to what they could be, I’m positive our much-coveted sovereign has a plan in mind.”

“So essentially you’re out of the loop?” Rune inquired, veiling curved lips with a hand. “Guess you’re just too low ranked to learn of all the juicy little details, huh? Don’t feel bad, Griffin. You’ll get there eventually.”

James furrowed his brow. “Why you little! I think you’re forgetting that I’m your superior! Show some respect, dammit! Besides, they probably just haven’t sent me an official notice yet. Isn’t that right, Zen?”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it, sir...” she muttered.

“In any case,” James hurriedly proceeded. “Since the general is intent on turning a blind eye to this case I’ve decided it’d be best to resolve it myself.”

“That’s what I feared. You’re thinking about dealing with these terrorists behind the military’s back, aren’t you?”

“I am,” he confirmed rather bluntly. “Let me ask you something, Ransford. We’re supposed to be in an age of peace, are we not? If combat mages continue to disappear off the streets, how much longer do you think that peace will last? Eventually, the public will take notice of the military’s incompetence and once they do, we’ll have our hands full trying to ease their criticisms as well as vanquishing their fears. Not to mention, we’re still in the dark as to what these Gyrakian terrorists are concocting. I’d like to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”

Rune exhaled. “You’re...you’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Why shouldn’t I be? While High Command has failed to recognize the severity of this case I most certainly have not. I won’t just stand idly by and abandon my fellow comrades who’ve been abducted. Nor will I jeopardize the safety of the people I’ve sworn to protect.”

No, if they were to truly build a grander and brighter future they needed a solid foundation to stand upon. For the dreadful days of bloodshed and loss to be purged out of the minds of Esteras’ children, James realized such drastic risks were necessary. He might be expelled from the military. Might be seen as a traitor and even be thrown in prison. But for the sake of his country’s future and for the dream forever preserved in his heart, anyone or anything that threatened the peace needed to be promptly eradicated without question.

“You see, I’ve got a plan of my own. It’ll be risky but if we manage to pull it off, we can avoid a disaster before it even happens. For it to succeed, however, I’m going to need all the help I can get. This is where you come in. Your impressive skills with fire magic will surely be of great use.”

“You're saying you want to recruit me for this secret mission of yours?”

“I do,” James answered. “So, are you in?”

Rune rose from his chair and said, “Sorry Griffin, I’ll be declining your offer. I’m already on the general’s bad side. If I were to be caught helping you I might end up getting suspended. That’s a chance I’m not willing to take. You aren’t the only ones with secret missions, you know.” Sticking his hands into his pocket, he turned around and headed for the door. “I wish you both the best of luck. As for me, I think I’ll focus on fixing one problem at a time.”

“You don’t say?” James replied, cracking a smirk. “Perchance, have you yet to gather any leads pertaining to your family’s hypothetical murderer? Maybe you should just face the facts and accept that the person you think you saw that night doesn’t actually exist? Honestly, it’s about time for you to grow up.” Rune stopped on his spot and returned to him a glare as fiery as the magic he could manifest. A reaction James had already anticipated. It made his smirk stretch even more. “What? Did I say something to offend?”

“For your sake, you should refrain from mentioning my family ever again. Are we clear?” Rune asked, scorching hostility sparking off his every word.

“Relax," said James, raising his hands. "It wasn’t my intention to upset you.”

“Find that hard to believe,” he grunted, starting towards the exit again. “And for your information, I’d never agree to help a worm like you unless I’d something to gain for my troubles. As it stands, the only thing you could offer me is an annoying headache.”

“Really, now? Have you forgotten what I told you so long ago, Ransford? Magic is your weapon; information is mine. Think of me as a fool if you wish. The truth stands that I wouldn’t dare to start a fight I have no chance of winning. Once I’ve taken aim on my victory, only then will I pull the trigger,” he announced, pointing a finger gun at the mage halfway out the door. “So I should probably mention the leader of this group of terrorists we’re after is a man known as Trevor Thatch. And like yourself, he is also one born from flames.”

Rune froze like James knew he would. Though he didn’t go out of his way to brandish his devilish sneer. He simply waited in his chair and watched as it dawned on Rune the opportunity he was presented with. A deflated scowl flung downwards, and his fists trembled with rage. He looked there was something on his mind that he wished to say, however, his conflicted emotions prevented the words from leaving his sinking, curved lips. As such, James chose to speak for him.

“You realize what this means, don’t you?”

Rune hesitantly nodded his head. “I do...”

“Good, then I’ll see you at Military High Command in three days,” James told him, crunching the juicy apple between his fangs. “Best not to keep me waiting, Ransford.”

He hated it more than anything else.

Once again he found himself playing second fiddle to the slimy snake who constantly got under his skin with mere words alone. Early on a Monday morning, he stood at the train station right at the center of an ever-growing pool of restless travelers, impatiently tapping his boot as he waited for his train.

Though he wished it didn’t have to come to this, especially considering who he’d be forced to associate himself with, chances like these didn’t just appear magically. Sure he hadn’t been an official combat mage for long, but since his graduation, he hadn’t found so much as a clue as to his family’s murderer. If there was even the slightest possibility this fire mage was somehow connected, Rune had to take it. Even if it meant working with the mischievous harpy known as James.

And as if his day couldn’t get any worse, through the ruckus of the crowd and groaning locomotives, he managed to detect his voice perfectly clear. “Master Rune!” Daze shouted, blitzing his way. “Thank Ryas I caught up to you before you left!”

“Thank Ryas indeed,” Rune groaned as the mage hopped to his side. “Come to bid me farewell, I’m guessing?”

“Even better! Yesterday, I was approached by the Grimdark Mage herself and she told me she needed my help with some super, top-secret mission spearheaded by Major Griffin!” the excited mage bellowed at the top of his lungs. “So of course, I accepted her offer right away! Little did I know you’d already agreed to assist him as well!”

It took a moment for Rune to register what he was being told. All he could do as the lightning mage squawked like a hyperactive parrot was express his utter bewilderment with a blank gaze. “Wait, so you’ll be...”

“Yup! Looks like we’ll be doing this mission together, Master!” Daze beamed.

“...Awesome.”