Chapter 018

Thunder's End

“Hey!” a boy called.

Rune frowned. Who’s bothering me now, of all times? Having just completed a mission, he longed for nothing more than to hand in his report and head home for a good night’s rest. It was bad enough that he already had Lukas and his goons’ consistent prodding to deal with. He craved not for the interaction of others or the accompaniment of strangers. So Rune didn’t bother to camouflage his annoyance nor did he spare the boy a series of muttering curses jittering out of his unhappy lips.

“Go away,” he groaned.

“But I can’t! You’re Rune Ransford aren’t you?” Here it comes, a new face echoing the same, tired routine. “It’s such an honor to finally meet you! When I found out they were sending me here I thought my heart would bust out of my chest! A fire mage that graduated at the top of his class and is already starting to make waves in the military’s ranks! You’re my idol!”

At first, Rune suspected his eardrums to be malfunctioning. Was he receiving an honest to Ryas appraisal from someone that wasn’t Leora? No, this didn’t make any sense. Perhaps this kid was confused, or simply messing with him. Was he close with Lukas? Rune stood up from his desk and turned around to acquire a better look at this sparking ball of peculiarity. Judging from his freshly made outfit and widened grin painted with innocence, Rune automatically realized that he was a rookie ignorant of the dichotomy and reputation he himself had in relation to others at the branch. Still, surely he would have heard about him. About the infamous Ransford Cremation. About his reputation as the son of the Crimson Traitor. So why then, why did he look like a young brat meeting his superhero for the first time?

“Yes, that would be me,” Rune reluctantly responded. “...And you are?”

“Oh! Right, where are my manners?!” The boy quickly teleported his hand to the top of his scalp and announced, a bit too loudly, “My name is Private Daze Springs! As of today, I will be the newest addition to Ponsetta's Mage Bracket 9!”

Rune blinked twice. “...Really?” This Daze person didn’t appear to be as old as him. He looked much younger in fact. How dangerous or skillful of a mage was he that the military felt confident in placing him in a mage bracket at such a young age? Based on the rays of optimism practically beaming off the kid, Rune kept his expectations relatively low.

“Despite my graduation, there’s still a lot I don’t know! So, I hope I can depend on your guidance and support, Mr. Ransford,” he said, bowing toward him.

“No problem, I guess. And please, Rune is fine.”

“Whatever you wish!” he cheered, pumping his hands into the air. “From this day forward, I shall be your apprentice! And you, my master!”

Rune flinched at the absurdity of his comment. “Wait, what?! I never agreed to...”

“Here’s to our brilliant future, Master Rune.”

“Stop calling me “Master”! I’m only twenty years old!” the mage retaliated.

That was how his life crossed with Daze’s. Looking back on how it all started, and how their story eventually ended, why, Rune still had trouble confronting reality.

They gathered in a sea of gold grass when the sun was cut in half by the blade of the horizon.

Typically, a soldier that was killed in the line of duty, combat mage, or otherwise, would be buried in the Savannis National Cemetery. A grave of heroes. Under the request of the Springs Family, however, it was arranged that Daze’s burial would be done in his hometown of Nautia. Dressed completely in black attire, Rune stood in the third row of two groups of people. He kept his eyes forward, trying his best to disregard the cries and prayers of those surrounding him. But this task proved to be increasingly difficult when four soldiers carried a wooden coffin down a pathway separating the two groups, and leading to the massive hole dug deep into the earth.

Rune clenched his fist. He severed his emotions. None of this helped. He still felt as terrible as he did four days prior. The boy couldn’t even recall when last he had a proper, full night's worth of sleep. As such, bags slumped underneath his eyelids and his sleep-deprived body threatened to shut down if he didn’t maintain a steady concentration.

At the front of the crowd, standing on top of a pulpit situated behind the earth-dug hole, an elderly man with peeling, white hair began his words of acknowledgment, a long-winded speech about the combat mage that was known by many as Daze Springs. He spoke of his accomplishment, his merits, his skills, and what brought him joy. And once this marriage of stories and fond memories finally arrived at the incident of Daze’s death, Rune partially jumped in surprise as a woman at the front of his group released her hollow shriek.

He assumed she was Daze’s mother as the two shared a lot of similar features with each other. Everything from her round face, currently drenched in waterfalls of tears, to her golden-brown, messy hair. The man beside her wrapped his arms around her, pulling the crying woman closer. There she released her anguish into his chest as the man tried his best to calm her down. Daze’s father, Rune figured. He was a tall, refined gentleman with an angular face, a well-kempt mustache sitting on his top lip, and possessed a head of slicked-back, greasy dark hair. He fared a lot better at concealing his emotions as he managed to maintain a somewhat apathetic expression. Though, the more his wife bawled, the quicker this shallow facade decomposed. Pretty soon, there was little even he could do from holding back his silky feelings. Rune could identify the subtle streams of tears leaking out the corners of his eyes, as well as how his lips started to tremble.

He couldn’t necessarily blame them. He imagined they felt similarly to how he did when he discovered his family had perished. He never wanted to feel that way again, yet here was, forcing others to live through that morbid experience. And for what? Fruitless vengeance? Despite what others might say, Rune knew the truth. Rune was just as much responsible for Daze’s death as the monster that actually killed him. With this thought lingering in his mind, his anguish would only amplify along with the consistency of people that wavered in the face of the horrific tragedy.

Once a eulogy fell silent, the coffin was buried, and everyone paid their respects for the last time, the sad parade dispersed. They all departed towards the white exit gates of the vast field of death trying their best to retain some level of composure, though most failed. Rune, however, found himself standing right where he was, even after the last person vanished. By himself in a lonely graveyard drenched in the evening sun’s rays, Rune stared down at the granite tombstone. “Here Lies Daze Springs. 945-964”, was carved onto the monument.

Wiping underneath his nose, Rune uttered under his breath, “I’m sorry, Daze. I didn't mean for this to happen.” He got on one knee and offered a silent prayer. Rune wasn’t necessarily an overly religious type of person. Regarding the circumstances, he figured this much was warranted. “May Ryas guide you home, my friend,” he whispered. A volley of gentle breeze washed over the valley, relentlessly rustling Rune’s blonde hair. He rose to his feet, refusing to remove his mournful stare from the gravestone. Hopefully, Daze could hear his prayers in Ryas’ domain. But would he forgive him for what he’d done, Rune wondered.

“It’s a terrible thing, isn’t it? To die so young, having yet to actually start your life. We truly do live in a cruel world, don’t we?”

Rune quickly erased the tears pouring from his eyes with an arm, and then turned around to meet James, the major walking towards him with his hands in his pockets. He came to a stop beside Rune, shut his eyes, and clasped his hands together. “May you find peace in the afterlife, and may Ryas keep you out of the reaches of the Abyss for all eternity,” he said.

“I thought it was customary for the sovereign and general to give a speech at a soldier’s funeral. Or was Daze simply not worth anybody's time?”

“They send their regards, I assure you,” James responded, lifting his eyelids. “But we both know how...preoccupied they are, at the moment.”

“So, what’s the damage? Do I still have a job?”

“You’ve been suspended for two months. Same for Ashborn and the others.”

“And what of you?”

James smirked. “Us high ranking members, well, let's just say we didn’t get off scot-free. Leones has been demoted from brigadier general and lost more than half of his ongoing investigations. As you can imagine, he’s pretty pissed about the whole ordeal. Concerning myself, well...my fate has yet to be decided.”

“Oh. Really?”

“I’ve been a thorn in their side for quite a long time. Figured they’d use my most recent blunder as an excuse to give me the boot for good. In fact, I highly expect that to be the case. The only reason they haven’t done so already, I’d wager, is because of my extensive knowledge regarding Thatch and his motives,” James assessed out loud. “In other words, we don’t have much time left. We’ll have to act quickly if we’re going to pull this off.”

Rune’s eyes widened, the mage launching a bewildered gaze at the all too calm major. “What are you talking about?”

“Springs' death was a tragedy. I regret that I didn't have the opportunity to speak with him more. He seemed like a nice guy. However, I’d be lying if his funeral was the sole reason for me being here.” James acknowledged him with his pair of dark eyes. Behind his subdued demeanor and fragile words, Rune smelled the unmistakable scent of danger. “We still have a job to finish, don’t we? Thatch and his men are out there somewhere. We won’t be able to catch them if we just stand around twiddling our thumbs.”

“You cannot be serious...”

“Yes, but first we need to round up the others. Philips and Hazel are already in their positions. Any clue as to where Ashborn could be?”

“Enough, Griffin enough!” the fire mage erupted, swiping his arm through the air. “Don’t you get it?! We failed! Your secret mission was a total disaster! There’s nothing you can do to salvage it! At this point, we should just follow High Command’s orders! We’re in enough trouble as it is, can’t you see that?!” Rune marched past him, shoving into the major's shoulder as he did, and frustratedly stomped towards the cemetery grounds’ exit. “Whatever nonsense you're planning, do leave me out of it! I should’ve never gotten involved with you in the first place.”

“Need I remind you, the only reason my strategy didn’t work is because of your mishap. And your friend, Daze, he died fighting for our cause.”

“He was a fool!”

“And a mage with a good heart. He sacrificed his very life for his country, yet here you are running away when the going gets tough? Death is a part of the job. How you’ve come this far without realizing that yourself is a total mystery to me. Are you actually saying you’re content with allowing those terrorists to roam free? You’ve seen what they're capable of, and I’ve got a pretty solid feeling they don’t intend on staying hidden forever. This madness will never end unless we do something!”

“Thatch isn’t the guy I’m after, therefore he’s of no longer any interest to me. He’s your problem now.”

“So that’s it, huh? Only looking out for yourself? I didn’t think you could be so selfish, Ransford!”

Biting his fangs together, Rune turned around back to him and shouted, “Oh, and you’re so much better than me, are you?! You might have tricked the others with your sentimental bullshit but I’m not so naive! You’re just trying to become general, and hope that by taking down Thatch and his band of creeps it will help bolster your bleeding reputation. You’re no better than I am, so stop acting all high and mighty! It’s pissing me off!”

His retaliation, Rune could tell, had partially caught him off guard. His previously hostile expression degraded, casting upon him enough astonishment to spare. “Is that what you think?” James questioned, welcoming a microscopic smirk.

“Am I wrong?”

“No, not entirely,” he admitted, albeit begrudgingly. “But what does it matter? Sure, I've got something to gain. Hell, everyone does. What does this change? Absolutely nothing. At the end of the day, murderers and thieves are running amok across Esteras. And we are some of the only people who can help save our country. Is it really befitting a soldier to value their self-interests over the well-being of their country? I’ll become a general! I’ll save everyone! Because that’s the kind of man I am! Begs the question, what kind of man are you?”

“Y...You’re an idiot. A complete and utter idiot...” Rune muttered, clenching his trembling fists. “Why do you care so much? It’s not like any of them would do the same for you. You’ll only end up six feet under. And do you actually think anyone would lose an ounce of sleep because a soldier they’ve never met died for their sake? This isn’t a fantasy, it’s real life. So answer me this, you bastard. Why the hell do you care so much about people who don’t give a rat’s ass about you?!”

“Because I have a dream!” James shouted back. “A dream of freedom. Of peace. I long to unify all the countries and forge a grand empire that knows not of war or bloodshed. Can’t you see? I want to create a utopia...”

At first, Rune didn’t know how to respond. Soon after, however, a wave of hilarity struck. Through curve lips, he obnoxiously grinned, “You really have lost your mind! In what crazy world are you living in where you think unification is possible? Most of our neighbors want to wipe us off the map. It’s the reason Thatch is here in the first place. If your plans involve unification, then Esteras truly is doomed. The other countries won’t stand for this. They’d declare a war faster than we can fire a rifle.”

“The road to peace doesn’t have to be paved with blood,” James replied. “And when I’m general, I’ll prove that.”

“You’re kidding yourself. And your dream’s impossible.”

“Is it now? The way I see it, it’s no more impossible than trying to stop a gang of ruthless terrorists. Or tracking down a murderer that’s been missing for nine years.”

Rune frowned. “We’re done here.” The boy retracted his glare, starting on his dubious, solitary trek.

“Are we?” James inquired. “So are you willing to abandon your master as well?”

As if he’d collided with an invisible, cement wall, the boy stopped dead in his tracks. A silent sickle of wind razed the glades. Cottony clouds blocked out the sun. Standing in place, a statue made of fire, Rune cocked a glance over his shoulder and directly at James. “What are you talking about?” he whispered. “What does he have to do with this?”

“I intended to keep this a secret from you, didn’t want it to hinder your performance during our mission.”

“Griffin, answer me,” the mage muttered. “What’s going on?”

“Truth is, Colonel Andrew was a part of this mission, as well. He was leading another covert strike team in Peon City. We haven’t heard word of him or any of his teammates since then.”

“W...What?”

“Considering what we’ve learned thus far, we’ve reason to believe Thatch has gotten to him. And if that’s the case, I fear it won’t be long before we find the poor colonel’s corpse rotting in the middle of the street.”

Rune grabbed the sides of his head in a frantic panic. “This can't be real! Jacob's one of the strongest mages I know. He wouldn’t let himself get bested by those cronies!”

“Thatch is more clever than we give him credit for. I wouldn’t put it past him to have one or two tricks up his sleeve.”

“This can’t be happening...”

“You know, Andrew once told me you wouldn’t dare involve yourself in our affairs lest it pertained to the murderer you’re so desperate to find,” James mentioned. “Makes me wonder if he was right. Just how much is your old master worth to you?”