Chapter 009

The Capital of Esteras

The capital city Savannis was the largest out of all the cities and towns in the country.

It made places like Primrose and even Ponsetta appear as nothing more than small dots on the map. In total, Rune had only ever visited the capital a grand total of twice in his entire twenty years of living. Once was when he graduated from the military academy and the other was during the occasional and much-coveted Ranking Ceremony. Other than that, however, there was little separating him from your average tourist.

On his previous visits, he never actually got the chance to identify what the city had to offer although it wasn’t as if he’d had the option to. Combat mages like him were constantly fighting the clock, even if they were fresh out of training. So as he stepped out of the train station and took in his surroundings, he was ambushed by cascading astonishment and infant excitement.

Having spent his childhood raised in the countryside it always took him a while to adjust to the heavily contrasting environments. He liked to think he’d gotten used to living far from his sleepy little town. Though, as his eyes sparkled like diamonds, he realized he was merely kidding himself.

The loud and busy atmosphere polluted the air with a plethora of varying noises and odors. What replaced small two-storied houses and shops were tall, box-shaped buildings of every design. World-renowned shops, five-star restaurants, and popular hotels made Rune’s wallet ache just by staring at them. Snake-like streets populated by vehicles of various sizes and shapes extended from the train station and off into the distance, eventually diverging into numerous directions. And like herding animals, large groups of people stomped their feet on the sidewalk's cement or across the roaring streets so that they may quickly get to wherever it is they needed to be.

Unfortunately, despite how wonderful it was to see the city after such a long time, not even Savannis’ splendid valor could disintegrate the annoyance he garnered from the person accompanying him. “So cool!” Daze loudly exclaimed, aggressively rocking his fists up and down. “The capital’s even better than I thought it'd be! I should have brought my camera with me!”

Rune raised an eyebrow. “Wait, you’ve never been here before?”

“Contrary to popular belief, Master, not every nobleborn is from the capital.”

“Weren't you summoned here after you completed your training like I was? It's customary for all new combat mages.”

“Yeah, well, my graduation conditions were kinda unique,” Daze replied, nervously laughing to himself. “Since I graduated a year earlier than the rest of my class, I didn’t have a traditional ceremony, per se. Instead, they just shipped me to Mage Bracket 9 without so much as giving me a slice of congratulatory cake.”

“Really?”

“Afraid so.”

“Man, you prodigies sure do have it rough. Anyways, let's hurry and get to Military High Command. The others are probably waiting for us.”

Since Rune hadn’t visited the capital in a while and Daze was as useless as a blindfolded child in the middle of a maze, they were forced to blindly ask around where to find the headquarters. As luck would have it, a pair of military soldiers were helpful enough. They instructed the two mages to head north as High Command was located near the very heart of Savannis.

Amidst their tedious journey, Rune couldn’t stop himself from gawking. Compared to Ponsetta, a large portion of the capital’s population weren’t country-kissed commoners but nobles and royals. Their affluence practically permeated the fancy clothing and jewelry most of them proudly donned. As they neared the end of the sidewalk, Rune’s gaze momentarily glanced at a flock of women crowding out of a shop ahead of them. They carried their purchases in white bags and chatted about matters he couldn’t even comprehend. Normally, he’d just pass them by without a second thought. However, his fixation lingered on their colorful yet bizarre dresses.

I wonder how Leora would react if I got her something like this for her birthday? Rune rapidly shook his head, perishing the nonsensical inquiry. Nah, she’d think I’d lost my mind. Continuing to examine the strange clothing, he failed to notice that one of the women had caught wind of his glance. Curiously, she strutted over to him, her group of friends following her lead shortly afterward.

It was then Rune felt his heartbeat amplify. As a child, his mother often told him how rude it was to stare at someone else. Even to this day, Rune applied this rule, however, given the circumstances, he couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t like he was accustomed to a noble’s manner of living or, in this case, dress. If she really did take offense to his discourtesy, what would she do? No, a better question would be: what couldn’t she do? With how rich she was, the noble could probably buy his entire livelihood from him with the flick of her wrist. He'd be ruined. The mere thought of going bankrupt during these trying times sent an uncomforting chill down his spine.

“Pardon me,” the maiden started. She appeared to be in her early twenties and possessed a set of flowing, blonde hair that dazzled like the flickering sun. The fragrance of the fancy perfume she radiated jetted up his nostrils. Stepping closer to him, she asked, “Perchance, are you Rune Ransford?”

Rune gulped. “Y...Yeah?”

The other girls accompanying her all let out surprised gasps and hastily started to converse with one another.

“See? I told you it was him!” the blonde said.

“Really? Then what is he doing in the capital?” inquired another, a brunette with shortly cut hair.

Their excitement must have been contagious because, not before long, it started infecting the people nearby. A man and his wife approached next. Then a swarm of young kids materialized at their rear. An older gentleman with gray hair and a walking cane observed at the entrance of a shop to their left. Disregarding their blatant wealth, what did they all have in common? Each of their eyes was seemingly magnetized to the fire mage clouded with anxiety.

Rune faced many a peril prior to this, and yet even he felt his nervousness ensnare him like a starving, savage wolf. Against his will, memories of the many fights with his bullies in Primrose resurfaced. He remembered how the entire town gossiped and ridiculed him behind his back. Then, he recalled their horrified faces after learning of what happened to his family. They no longer saw him as a person but as a traitorous devil. A freak. A monster. A psychopath who burned his own family to death. Every second injected into his system another ailment of despair, the masks of disgust and caution they wore covered the faces of the crowd ogling him like a zoo animal. He felt as alone as he was back in the painful days of his youth. He felt like a beast trapped in a cage while a curious yet slightly cautious crowd observed him. They probably saw him as a murderer. The son of the infamous Crimson Traitor. To his bewilderment, however, what they brandished weren’t scowls or curses but cheers of excitement and clapping hands. What he now stood at the center of was a crowd of bright smiles.

“It really is him! The Everburn Mage!” shouted a young boy, pointing his finger.

“I heard you took out those Pygmy Vyper hooligans the other day. Keep up the good work, Everburn!” complimented a pensioner with an itchy-looking, gray beard.

“Wow, the Sparking Mage is with him as well! Might they be here for a mission?!” awed a woman.

“Hey, Everburn, can I have an autograph?!”

No! Rune shouted in his mind. Stop calling me that!

On trembling legs, he took a step back. This was wrong. They shouldn’t be praising him. Why were they at ease referring to him by that haunted title? Why weren’t they ridiculing and shunning him like normal? Did they not care for his alleged misdeeds nor the identity of his good for nothing father? While he should’ve been relieved, instead, rapidly bellowed within the boy was a hurricane of lucid consternation. His heart raced faster. His breathing accelerated. And when his expectations of reality were contradicted by the bombardment of kind words, Rune returned their overwhelming appreciation by breaching his forest of admirers and dashing down the street without so much as sparing them another glance. With his head facing downward, the mage ran and ran. He ran without any real notion as to where he’d eventually end up. He ran disregarding how ignited were his lungs. His only wish was to escape those smiling strangers and find somewhere he could be alone.

This in turn led him to a desolate yet surprisingly clean alleyway right before the end of the sidewalk. He slammed a fist onto the cement wall, trying desperately to recompose himself. He swallowed deep gulps of air, one breath after another. Calm down, Rune. You’re fine. He repeated this over and over. For some infuriating reason, his internal counseling session failed to provide him with any comfort. “Dammit,” he muttered, punching the alleyway wall. “What the hell’s wrong with me?!”

“That’s what I’d like to know.” Rune glanced at the mouth of the alley where he found Daze staring at him with a partially concerned expression. “Man, never pictured you as someone suffering from stage fright.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he denied. “I would’ve never made it this far if I folded from something as simple as...stage fright.”

“Okay, then what is bothering you?”

“I’m just...not used to so many people thinking so highly of me. It caught me off guard, alright? Didn’t help much they kept calling me by that blasted name.”

“Speaking of, why do you detest that title so much?”

“Why shouldn’t I? It belonged to an evil mage. Who would want to be associated with such a heinous criminal?”

Daze rubbed the back of his neck and let out a nervous giggle. “Well...”

Rune frowned. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way but, if I was in your position, if people were directly comparing me to the Everburn Mage, oh man, I’d be ecstatic! The way I see it, the name “Everburn” isn’t a curse or some bad omen. It’s a beacon of hope! A symbol for peace!” The more he spoke the louder he became. And the louder his voice the more he rapidly bopped his fists up and down. He looked like a child on Christmas day. “That title belonged to a mage who defeated those who threatened to dismantle the country we’ve built! He was my idol!”

“Do you still think that today? Even after everything he’s done?”

“Of course I do! Because when I think of the Everburn Mage, I think of a hero, not a villain. Regardless of the traitor he eventually became, it doesn’t nullify the good he did for this country, right?”

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at it...”

“To tell you the truth, it was him who encouraged me to enlist in the military, to begin with. When I was younger, I aspired only to be half the mage he was. Some fool I was, right?”

“What are you talking about? You’re a pretty good mage, in your own right. Lightning magic isn’t exactly easy to master, you know. With some more training, I can see you being remembered as one of the greats.”

“You don’t say? Well, you wouldn’t be the first to fill my head with such fantasies.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sure, most treat me like I’m some kind of prodigy but I’m really nothing special. Lukas and the others smile and act like my friends but I know what they’re actually thinking. They’re spiteful of me for being a noble and lucky enough to be born with such powerful magic. They more than likely believe I used my money and my family’s connections to buy my way to the top, huh?”

“Wouldn’t put it past them. Their kind is prone to making such idiotic assumptions.”

“Tell me about it. It’s the reason why I’m more fond of you than I am of them, Master.”

“Don’t call me...wait, what?”

“Yup, you see me for who I am and aren’t afraid to tell me how you actually feel about me. Compared to all the lies and sucking up I get from the others, your honesty is a nice change of pace. Not to mention, your fire magic is awesome! If you ask me, you don’t get enough credit!” Replacing his giddy grin was an eruption of red that rapidly infested his cheeks. “S...sorry if I made you feel awkward!” he frantically apologized, flailing his arms in the air. “You know me, I can't stop myself from talking sometimes!”

“Come on,” Rune laughed, walking past him and exiting the alley. “Let’s get to Military High Command. We’re already running late.”

“R...right, Master!”

Rune emitted a sigh. “Please don’t call me that in front of the others...”

Military High Command. The beating heart of the entire Esteran Military.

It was an enormous, four-storied hexagonal-shaped structure located in its own secluded sector near the center of the city. Its entire perimeter was surrounded by a thirty-foot-tall barrier of cement, the multiple sentry towers sprouting on top of it reaching high into the heavens. Stored within its bowels was a complex maze of corridors and passageways of which a vast collection of powerful and capable military officers carried out their duties with great efficiency and haste. They didn’t just come in the form of combat mages either. There were hundreds of personnel skilled in a plethora of fields, whether they be expert fighters, incredible strategists, or researchers renowned for their vast array of knowledge. In this fortress each of them gathered, thus making High Command one of, if not, the most secure and well-guarded building in all of Esteras

True to his memory, Rune felt an aura of intimidation ejaculate off the giant, navy-colored building as he walked through its gates. Soldiers marched across the courtyard. High-ranking officers discussed confidential matters with each other as they walked up and down the building’s entrance steps. It was enough to make rookies like Daze and himself petrify with anxiety. And while Daze didn’t turn to stone like a panicking gargoyle, his unease certainly captivated his face which was slowly beginning to turn purple.

Sighing into his palm, Rune decided to take the lead. Had he not, they might just find themselves staring blankly at the headquarters for the entire day. Upon entering, they were approached by a young woman with short, blonde hair. With an artificial smile, she guided them throughout the headquarters. Along the way, Rune pretended not to acknowledge the peculiar glances of the soldiers they passed. They were here on a secret mission, after all. He didn’t need nor want them poking their heads somewhere it didn’t belong.

"What's that?" Daze whispered.

Rune stared in the direction capturing the private's intrigue, only to find himself grimacing at the very sight of it. Stained onto an otherwise navy-colored wall was a giant, black scorch mark around the size of a car. The edge of the burned void spiral into twister-like shapes, minute cracks occasionally running across the decrepit cement surface. Scattered at the foot of the grotesque abomination were chunks of wall and pieces of debris that nobody bothered to dispose of. Rune stared at it all of fifteen seconds before turning his head in disgust.

"It's called, The Scar. Leftover collateral damage from when the Everburn Mage went on his rampage," Rune explained. "They leave it there as a reminder, that the Crimson Traitor needs to be found and answer for his crimes."

"Oh..." uttered Daze.

"Now, unless you've got more questions, let us be on our way."

"O...Of course!" the private stuttered, staggering after him.

Eventually, their guide showed them to the black doors of Major Griffin's office. “The major is waiting for you inside,” she kindly told them before taking off.

Daze shuddered. “I’m kind of nervous.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.”

“What if I do something to embarrass myself?!”

“Listen, this might be a challenge for you, but just this once, leave the talking to me.”

“I’ll try...” he pouted, crossing his arms.

Gathering his courage, Rune pushed open the doors without even bothering to knock, in doing so amplifying Daze's worries tenfold. Right away, he was assaulted by the interested stares of the numerous soldiers inside the room. Some of which he knew, some of which he didn’t. What most had in common though was that, like he and Daze, they too donned the black coat of the combat mages.

“Took you long enough, Ransford. I was starting to think you weren’t going to show,” sneered James sitting at his desk, whilst Sabine and Striker accompanied him per usual. Like statues, they stood on either side of their major without breathing a word.

Rune grunted in response, “Oh, believe me. I was seriously considering it.”

“In any case, I’m glad you could be here. The fine folks you see before you will be your teammates for the duration of the mission. Here’s to hoping you can get along.”

One was a young man, maybe about a few years older than himself, with dark hair and navy-colored eyes. His stern demeanor and uptight aura never faded, even when he regarded him and Daze with a simple nod. The other was a woman with short and spiky light-brown hair. Her half-open eyes and slouched posture translated to Rune that she was a bit of a slacker. Why she decided to take part in such an important mission was anyone’s guess. Nevertheless, they both wouldn’t be present if James didn’t think they’d be of use. It only made him wonder what kind of magic they specialized in.

However, his immediate attention wasn’t on either of them. It instead lingered on the mage standing directly in front of James' desk with her back facing him. A girl with flowing black hair as dark as the night sky and skin as pale as porcelain. A girl with a petite frame concealed by the uniform she wore. A girl Rune was familiar with and yet often made him feel as if they were total strangers. When she looked over her shoulder and aimed her crimson stare, the coldness of her glance penetrated his soul. Eyes as red as blood, or perhaps rubies, scanned him up and down all the while she maintained a look of indifference.

“I was informed you both have already met each other,” said James.

“We have, sir. From our academy days.” The girl strode to Rune and extended a hand. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Rune Ransford. I look forward to working with you.”

“S...Same here, Ebony...” he uttered, shaking her hand.