A rhythmic chopping sound awoke Alexander. He sat there with his eyes closed wondering what the racket was about. He could’ve opened his eyes to find out. He thought about it even, but, ultimately, he was way too tired. It was as if his eyelids were magnetically attached to each other- every time he tried to separate them, they would quickly rush back.
Two more scrapes resounded in whatever room he was in before the rhythmic chopping began again. Dazedly imagining what the sound could be, Alexander began to daydream about food. I wonder if it’s some sort of reindeer chef. I would kill for some food right now. What if… the only reason I haven’t eaten yet is because I’m sitting here pretending to be asleep? His stomach grumbled at the terror of missing a meal, and he opened his eyes against the protests of his eyelids.
There he saw someone he wasn’t expecting doing something he certainly couldn’t have predicted. “Thomas, what are you doing to that reindeer?” He groggily rose to his feet and stumbled over to his friend.
“Oh? You’re awake! I’m so glad, bro. Don’t you worry about anything. While you were asleep, I went to find us some food, and based on what I found, I figured a breakfast smoothie was the best option.”
Rubbing his eyes to see more clearly, Alexander realized this was no hallucination. Thomas was sat on a stool, milking one of the winged reindeers. He would periodically stop and turn around to chop some of Nidra’s fruit- this one in the shape of raspberries. Once he had sliced them as much as possible, he would scrape them unto a bigger glass filled with the milk he had gathered so far. “But umm, why all this? You couldn’t just cook something?”
Squeezing out a few more drops of milk unto a glass, Thomas smiled at the reindeer. “Thank you, Linda. That should be enough. I’ll leave my spear summoned one more hour for the kids to play.” Waving goodbye at their benefactor, Thomas whipped his hands on a towel and explained the situation. “I tried to cook something normal, but the stovetop only opens to your mana signature. It’s also our fridge at the moment, and all the reindeers are vegetarians. So unless you were craving a grass medley, reindeer milk smoothie is as good as it gets.” Using a bit of water control, Thomas blended the contents of the glass jar before emptying them into three glasses.
“Psh, I guess this will have to do.” Taking a swig, Alexander smacked his lips a couple of times. “Hey, that’s not half bad! Very rich milk, but I could get used to this.”
“Do not get used to it. Each reindeer gives off so little milk! This was the third reindeer I was forced to milk! The first one did it out of the kindness of her heart, but as I kept asking for more, they gave me the cold shoulder. I ended up paying the next two mothers with my weapons.”
Alexander questioned Thomas between laughs. “You just gave away your crystallized equipment?”
“No, of course not! They just thought the ice that forms from my artifacts was novel. Apparently, they don’t really get to play with the ice or the snow since the calves naturally emit heat.”
The situation dawned on Alexander, but he continued laughing as he delivered the third smoothie to Pengu’s sleeping figure. The small chick groaned as Alexander shook her awake, and she took a few irritated sips from the drink.
Looking back at Thomas, Alexander asked. “How’d you even get here? And where even is here now that we’re at it.”
“This is the village of the Reindeer clan, I presume. Although calling it a village might be an overstatement. They seem to be a very unattached people. I found out nobody actually owns a home. Instead, if you light the torch in the center of the room you mark it as claimed for as long as you are here, but once you leave, someone else takes your spot. Isn’t that crazy?”
Alexander tilted his head. “The home being this hole in the ground? I don’t think I would want to own it either.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Thomas replied. “It has got its charms.”
The reindeer’s chamber was a one room home with a concave roof. Many pin-sized holes decorated the ceiling of the chamber and allowed the sunlight to trickle in. The room itself consisted of a thin bed roll, a water basin, a section of grass on the side missing a few patches, and a large torch in the center of the room. The blazing fire worked as both a fireplace and a source of light for the underground chamber, and all that separated it from the forest was a thin curtain that manned the tunnel leading back to the surface.
“It is quaint I suppose, but back to the more important things, how are you here?”
“I passed my challenges, of course! I trained much longer than you and Pengu did in the first trial, but don’t forget I have been trained in battle for most of my life. The other two trials were a cakewalk for me.” Thomas rubbed his nose, allowing some of his ego to show.
Rolling his eyes, Alexander continued. “Alright, Mr. Bigshot, and how did you end up as our caretaker? When Pengu and I collapsed, we were with Udra, and we were most definitely not in a Reindeer Village.”
“Well, I stepped through the portal in the Polar Bear clan and ran into a large reindeer carrying you two. Got a little ahead of myself and fought her, but after that, I met the Reindeer Saint who brought us here.” Finished recounting the brief summary of how he got there, Thomas wore a more pensive look. “Alexander, something kind of weird happened.”
“Weird how?” Alexander quizzically remarked.
“Well, the Reindeer Saint mentioned we would be meeting Nidra again along with all three Saints because of some prophecy? I think the Turtle Clan received a vision about your future, and somehow, it’s crazy enough to rile up a dragon.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Alexander grew more serious. “Yeah, the Bear Saint has already told me about that. It is weird, though. During each of my trials everybody was secretive- as if they were testing me to find what made me tick.”
A warm voice entered their ears as a pink gas flooded the chamber. “Maybe it’s time to clue you in on the situation. I apologize for keeping you in the dark, but we thought it best to figure everything out before informing you. After all, my vision was quite grim.”
The familiar head of pink hair poked through the curtain and smiled before exiting. The pink gas wrapped around the group and pulled them out of the room, plopping them down in the forest. There, standing tall as always, Dartuga awaited them.
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Caught on her words, Alexander quickly asked. “Is it finally time for me to hear the contents of the prophecy?”
“Eager. Of course, you’re eager. I would also be if I knew there was some sort of prophecy about me everyone kept skirting around. Let us go to King Nidra then. We will tell you everything together.” Dartuga paused for a few seconds before a portal opened up before them.
Alexander shared a worried look with Thomas before walking through the portal. Pengu followed along unfazed, and Thomas was the last to go in, waiting for two streams of water to rush into him from the forest.
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Pacing on the marble platform, Alexander sighed repeatedly before speaking. “And you’re positive it’s me in the visions.”
Nidra’s tired voice addressed his question. “Yes, by all accounts and purposes, you seem to be the protagonist of Dartuga’s prophecy.”
“Maybe we are thinking about this too narrowly. Three flaming islands? I mean maybe my future is to become some sort of pyromaniac. What if I will be infamous around the planets for grand arson.”
Dartuga attempted to soothe Alexander. “My prophecies, they are always more abstract than literal, but I am sure of the general meaning the vision conveyed. It is you who will somehow play a critical role in the war- at the cost of your life.”
It had been almost an hour since the group reached Nidra’s cave, and that time had been filled amply with the current debate. Nidra and the three Saints had retold the prophecy along with its forlorn conclusion.
“Hmm, hmm, hmmmmm.” Alexander was stressed as he thought through the implications of the prophecy. “You do understand I’m only a Master tier Elementalist. I’ve only learned two colors for crying out loud! How does someone who can’t even properly control fire become a centerpiece in the war?”
Cosmo walked over beside Alexander and placed his bear paw on his shoulder. “There is power within you, little one. We have all witnessed the strength the white flame grants you, and that is a flame that will keep on growing. You might not be a powerhouse now, but the winds of fate will push you froward.”
“The white flame? I think you’re confused. Those are my healing flames. I use them to help others, but they don’t empower me.”
Nidra’s deep voice answered Alexander’s question. “As per the reports of the Saints, we believe the 9-colored flame blessed you with a special white flame. The extent of its power will be for you to find out but know there is certainly more than just healing there.”
Alexander remained silent. There were too many racing thoughts in his mind for him to choose a specific one, but Thomas jumped in to help his friend. “What is the plan for the present? You’ve told us the prophecy and mentioned how your fate will be intertwined with Alexander, but what do we do now? For all we know, this prophecy could not unfold for another couple of decades.”
Edro spoke for the first time in this meeting, acting as a silent observer up until this point. “We remain alert and strengthen your group. We have reason to believe our enemies will act against us once they realize we are entering the war, so the priority will be for your group to be strong enough to weather the storm.”
“How do you plan to strengthen him? Do you aim to keep Alexander on Mirage Island?”
It was Nidra who answered this time. “Of course not! My faction does not raise sheltered warriors. I had Edro go out with his retinue of reindeers to gather information on the outside world to find you a proper foe. Warriors are forged in battle, not by training in safety.”
“Who then will you have us fight? This sounds like you aim to use us as your puppets rather than treating us as partners.” Thomas angrily clamored.
“Absolutely not. All of you will be treated as valued members of our faction.” Dartuga keenly stated. “We have no intention of forcing him to act against his principles. When we join the war, we will not only act against our enemies. We seek to bring an end to the war brought on by Agni, Geb and Jupiter.”
Alexander spoke evenly. “Why? Why would you throw yourself at this war and pit yourself against such a terrifying force. Doesn’t the death scare you? Your people will suffer.”
“We have remained as bystanders in this war for far too long. At first it was because we were recuperating. Mirage Island lost more than half of its population in our drawn-out battle with the Hunters. My-my partner was lost.” Nidra spoke candidly, his sonorous voice filling the cave. “For years, we lived in isolation. Our only contacts with the outside world were excursions to aid the local beasts and the brief intelligence reports Edro provided us with, and even those grew less frequent as the days passed by. Nobody complained, though; we needed time to mourn and recover our losses. For many of our clansmen, a peaceful life was an idealistic fantasy they had hoped for but never imagined they would get to enjoy, so I gifted them with the time to enjoy it.”
Rising out of the water, Nidra met Alexander’s eyes. “Your prophecy was a wakeup call. The lay of the land has changed, and we have allowed the world to pass us by passively. Edro gave us the most up to date information he could find on such short notice, and we are all disgusted with ourselves for being so placid. This war has hurt everyone: beasts and humans alike. If fate is pulling us to take part into it, we are adamant in our decision to stand against Agni, Geb, and Jupiter.”
“So then they are the bad ones in this war.” Alexander quietly muttered.
“Good and Bad are not so easily defined in times of war. Everyone commits some level of evil in the battlefield, but yes, Agni, Geb, and Jupiter have certainly committed more unspeakable deeds in their quest for power.”
“Okay, say I was to accept. Say, I was to accept the role you are offering me in this war and decide to fight. What is the foe you have chosen for me right now?”
“That is simple. They are one your group has already clashed with, and we are sure, one which you will be happy to take down.”
Alexander’s eyes shook. “You don’t mean…?”
“Yes, we want you to drive away the Green Mamba pirates from Kedra Island.” Alexander and Thomas exchanged a quick glance as Nidra continued. “These pirates grew in power through the aid of the Jupiter clan, and their leader is even the little sister of the Empress of Propizio. They have committed every crime under the sun in the years they have been here: slavery, murder, fearmongering, you name it. You have already borne witness to their vicious methods. They care not for the safety of the general population, only their own immoral satisfaction.” Gesturing at Edro, Nidra signaled the reindeer to step forward.
Advancing together with Dartuga, Edro lowered his head so that Dartuga could place her palm between his antlers. A wave of power spread through the cave as the pink mist traveled up her arm and entered Edro. Slowly, images and eventually even videos played out. On them, Alexander saw the pirates stealing from the elderly, murdering the weak, and torturing anyone who dared stand in their way. Upon a mountain top, he saw a black-haired woman with violet eyes. She licked the blade of her knife before stabbing it deep into one of her minions, her only response at the desperate struggle was a cackle. More and more memories of the pirate’s despicable actions flooded the cave.
A bit dazed from the experience, Edro spoke slowly as he shook his head. “There is one more thing. I don’t have a memory of it because I wasn’t there, but I have been informed your friend Kai was ambushed by one of the Green Mamba Executives along with two nobles from the Jupiter clan.”
That last piece of news took Alexander by surprise. “What?! Is he okay?”
“Yes, he was able to escape with some injuries that have since healed, but only because one of our friends was nearby to help him out. Without our friend, he would have most certainly been killed that day, and it seems the only reason he was ambushed was because the pirates were searching for him and Thomas. Now, Kai is being trained to make sure he can better protect himself when another attempt is inevitably made on his life.”
Slithering out of the water, Nidra came close to Alexander. “You are already on a collision course with the Green mamba pirates. They want both your friends dead, and they are terrorizing the Tecon Desert. Won’t you help the people out, Alexander? We can help you dethrone them, but it must be your decision to fight. I cannot force you to become a warrior, I can only guide you.” The icy breath of Nidra blew on Alexander’s face. “Will you stand against the Green Mamba pirates, or allow them to continue on their rampage? The choice is yours.”