Alexander arose to the scent of good old, scrambled eggs. He waited until his blurry eyes could focus and drowsily looked at the clock on the wall: 11:05 PM. Did I sleep through afternoon practice? The 9 flames be damned, I’m getting tossed in the lava pool again, aren’t I? But where’s the smell of food coming from, and why am I so sandy? Suddenly, Alexander shot up. The memories of the day flooded in. Bursting out of the room, he expected to see the Boitata warrior, but was instead met with Dr. Hernandez cooking some eggs while wearing a set of Alexander’s training clothes and a white apron with the image of a penguin chef. “Huh?”
Noticing his arrival, Dr. Hernandez waved his hand. “I figured you’d be waking up pretty soon. Give me a second, and I’ll serve breakfast.”
“Am I dreaming? How are you here, old man, and most importantly, who said you could wear my favorite apron?”
The doctor shot Alexander a knowing glance and responded with a smile. “You always did know how to prioritize. Relax, I made sure not to spill anything on it, and well, long story short, your old master here beat the living daylights out of that snake guy and saved you.”
Alexander was stunned. He had heard stories about the prowess of the doctor, but he well knew the punishment of going against the decrees of the king. “Why would you do that? Let’s go back! I can apologize to the king’s knight. Maybe he’ll accept and turn a blind eye.”
“And why would we do that?”
“Old man, it’s one thing for me to be taken, but what’s gonna happen to you? I would rather go out to war than to know I caused your execution!”
The doctor smiled gently as he answered softly. “There will be no punishment. The Duke of the East took care of it. Although your words do warm the heart of your teacher. Now, sit down. The eggs are ready, and I want us to enjoy breakfast before it gets cold.”
Dr. Hernandez began setting the plates and filled two glasses with water, but Alexander remained standing as he continued. “I don’t think something this serious can just be swept under the rug by the words of the Duke. Let’s just head over to make sure.”
The doctor formed a hand of smoke and forcefully sat Alexander down at the dining table. “I would not lie to you about a matter like this. Plus, while the Duke can’t go outright against the words of the king, there is a lot of leeway given to him. Don’t you know Brandon’s father is the second strongest person in Agni?”
“He’s what!” Alexander had just started drinking his water before he spit it out towards the doctor. “I suppose I sort of saved myself then, didn’t I?” he joked.
A wave of fiery smoke evaporated the spittle, as the doctor looked stupefied towards his apprentice. “You’ve never talked about that?”
“No. In the beginning, I figured it would be rude to ask about his father. I’m sure there’s a lot of people who get close to nobles because of their status, and I didn’t want to make a patient feel alone. After we became friends, I was too shy to ask about that since it seemed like something I should have known already. Brandon never brought it up, so I ignored it.” Alexander began eating his eggs wondering why the doctor would ask a question with such an obvious answer.
“I would have never pegged you for an introvert, seeing how loud you are with Brandon and me.”
“That’s because I trust you two. You’re basically the closest I have to a family, but you have no idea the struggles I had in the capital. In some ways, this beach cot was a blessing. Have I told you they bring me any groceries I request. I don’t even have to talk to people; just slap a note on the counter and clan workers will take care of it. It’s the dream.” Alexander quickly finished the plate of eggs and moved to the kitchen for seconds. “Thank you for dinner, by the way. I was famished. With all that happened today, this is my first meal of the day. Was gonna make some kick ass brownies earlier to recover my mana, but, well, I got kidnapped.”
“Breakfast.” The doctor corrected.
Sitting back down, Alexander turned to his mentor. “You know, you’ve said that 3 times now. It’s the middle of the night. Why do you keep saying its breakfast?”
“It’s my first meal of the day, and you just said it was your first meal of the day. So by all accounts and purposes, what would this be if not breakfast?” Both quickly finished their food before he stood up.
As the doctor began to clear the table, Alexander chuckled. “I can’t argue with logic.”
Dr. Hernandez sat back down as his smile turned to a frown. “While I would like to continue this lovely breakfast talk, we need to talk about something more serious, Alexander.”
Noticing the doctor’s serious tone, Alexander sat forward and listened earnestly. “Although you could say we walked away victorious from the scuffle with the Boitata warrior as at least you aren’t tied up by a snake anymore, that does not change the fact the duke was only able to give you a night of freedom. The king’s decision remains, and the plan is still to ship you off to Propizio with the king’s knight first thing tomorrow morning.”
Alexander’s mood visibly dampened as he realized this was a goodbye meal. “I am still thankful the duke allowed me a night of freedom to say goodbye to you, master. At least my techniques with the white flame will improve there.” He let out a long sigh as he resigned himself to his fate.
“Are you planning on following their orders and becoming some sort of weapon of war?”
“Absolutely not.” Alexander stated. “I have been a pushover my whole life. I don’t consider myself a very forceful person, but I will never allow anyone, especially some nobles I’ve never even met, to tell me how to live my life. All I’ve learned about this war is its history is muddled. I refuse to go out there and hurt, even kill, people who may have done nothing wrong.”
“You’ll likely be killed for disobeying the king’s word. I am not sure how they plan to turn you into some sort of weapon because even though you can use healing flames now, you can still only generate the warmth of a heating pad, but let me tell you, you are certainly not irreplaceable. From what I know about the war, Agni and its allies have slowly but surely begun turning the tides.”
“I don’t care if I am killed. I dare say I hold the world record not only for lowest affinity but also for being the most stubborn person alive.” Alexander was resolute and committed to dying with his morals intact.
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Dr. Hernandez finally released his scowl and beamed with a brilliant smile. “That’s wonderful to hear, but it won’t be necessary.”
“What do you mean, old man?”
“We’re breaking you out of Fausto.” The doctor’s smile turned into a nefarious grin.
Alexander stared confusedly. “But how would we even manage that?”
The doctor cracked his fingers as he began to explain the plan. “After I brought you back here and healed my wounds, I snuck into the Duke of the East’s tower. My smoke abilities are exceptional when it comes to being inconspicuous; although for one as powerful as the Duke, I was but a child stumbling around. I had an inkling- no, I hoped- he would be willing to help us. While he rebuked me for coming and daring to consider going against the words of the king, he accidentally mentioned the guards overseeing the security of the gateway to Derapen would swap out at midnight. There is usually a 15 second interval where no one is there.” Dr. Hernandez paused for a brief second. “The favors the duke has done for us are invaluable, Alexander; he gave your life a second chance.”
Alexander jumped off his seat. “Whenever possible, I will do my best to repay him. This is something I will remember for a lifetime, but is that even enough time? Plus, what if the guards just follow through the portal? I thought gateways were portals that connected two locations together. They’ll know where we went, and security on the other side can just arrest us when they receive the news we deserted the clan.”
Dr. Hernandez also rose from his seat as he moved towards the kitchen. “Yes, if you land in the Agni embassy at Derapen you will surely be arrested, but you forget your master is at the King tier. I have just enough power to interrupt the transportation so that you land somewhere random. It’s a big risk, though; there is no guarantee you’ll land in a safe location. I’m sorry I can’t offer anything better, but this is the only means I have with any possibility of letting you live the life you want. The only good part of this plan is the clan is likely to write you off as dead once they discover you went through a faulty gateway. I won’t be able to go with you, but if the fates will it, we will meet again.”
As a gloomy spirit descended on the room, Alexander hugged the doctor. “Thank you, teacher. I won’t argue. I know that would only make this harder to do. Let’s do it. Let’s break into the gateway room, but don’t say if the fates will it, you will see my sorry face again.”
Snapping out of his mood, the doctor responded. “It’ll be my pleasure to teach my stupid disciple medicine again. Now let’s get to work; we have much to do in 30 minutes.”
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5 minutes before the guard’s shift change, Alexander and Dr. Hernandez waited in the sky, suspended in the air by the doctor’s smoke. After evening out the details of the plan, the pair spent the rest of the time packing a bag for Alexander. The doctor had hurriedly returned to Ignis after his meeting with the duke to procure as many supplies as possible: clothes, food, water, medical and survival supplies, and a high-quality backpack. Dr. Hernandez made sure to purchase as much as he could in the limited time.
A large, red backpack made of a waterproof and fire-resistant fabric now hung on Alexander’s back. Strapped to the outside was a black metal box about a foot long and wide. When Alexander had asked about it, the doctor replied it was meant to be a congratulatory present for becoming a full-fledged doctor. After seeing him begin learning how to control the white flames, he traveled to Asla, the technological island with the most Sabian immigrants in Fausto, to commission several handmade items. There was no time to explain the contents, but the doctor let him know there was a note within with instructions on how to use everything. The box would open only to his mana signature so later on he could use it to store anything precious.
Floating in the night sky above the shrine of the ancestor fire dragon, Alexander and the doctor watched as the guards began to leave temple in the southwest. “30 seconds to go.” Said Dr. Hernandez. “Hold your breath and shut your eyes on my signal. When you feel me tap your shoulder three times, step forward. Our window is narrow, so we don’t have time for a long goodbye. You’re the son I never I had, and if,” Dr. Hernandez quickly corrected himself. “when we meet next, know that I will help you however I can.”
Alexander opened his mouth to speak, but the doctor said it was time. Shutting his eyes, he felt himself propel downwards. He stopped for two seconds before he began to spin. When the movement stopped, he felt three taps on his shoulder and stepped forth- Good Luck the last words Alexander heard before the world turned inside out.
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“Father, please. I know you’ve never met Alexander and going against the words of the king is a crime, but surely there’s something you can do. You should’ve seen how the Boitata warrior incapacitated him.” Brandon was bowing before his father in the balcony of his office at the Eastern tower.
After Alexander was taken, Brandon returned to Ignis to search for the doctor. He knew his father’s hands were tied when it came to directly confronting a knight of the king so he hoped more than thought Dr. Hernandez would have an idea. Anyone who had ever been at the Royal Hospital could tell how much the doctor doted on Alexander; while it was a relationship based on tough love, the one time an aid played a prank on Alexander that slightly hurt him, the doctor personally flogged the culprit before firing him.
It was several hours before Brandon and his guards managed to find Dr. Hernandez downtown and his response had been well beyond any of Brandon’s expectations. Upon hearing of the way his apprentice had been treated, he flew away in a blast of smoke. It took another hour for Brandon to return to the island, but his father had locked him in his room until right this moment for causing such a mess.
“I understand I messed up. I shouldn’t have involved the doctor, but I didn’t know what else to do!”
The duke slowly turned to look at his youngest son and said, “It’s done. Your friend is safe now, but whether he can survive this opportunity is up to fate.”
Looking perplexed, Brandon asked, “What do you mean, father?”
“I decided to help your friend and created an opening through which he escaped. While what you did was stupid, I’ve covered you and that overzealous doctor’s tracks. There will be no repercussions for you nor the royal physician.”
“You’ve always staunchly opposed the war, but this is on a completely different level. It’s a huge risk. You were directly responsible for sending away someone who the king specifically asked for. Don’t get me wrong, I’m overjoyed to hear you helped my friend, but I’m confused. Why did you do this?”
The duke walked back into the office and sat down in his chair. “The world is changing, son. I’ve spent my whole life serving both the clan and this world, but when the council began planning the war, my eyes were opened to how greedy and power-hungry even the leaders of our clan were. I hoped eventually everyone would back down, that the different leaders would come to a truce, and life would return to the peaceful times before the war. But the current king does not care for my opinions. He is on a war path, and the other members of the council love it.” The duke paused for a second while he poured himself a glass of whiskey. Thinking about the crimes his clan had committed infuriated him, and he needed a second to collect himself. “The white flame is special, Brandon. When you reach my level of power and mastery over the 9 flames technique, certain secrets become apparent. By unlocking the white flame before any other, your friend did something unique- something never done before in history. I am choosing to believe the 9 flames did this for a reason. That by creating an impossible event, Agni may be guided back into its glorious past, but we can no longer passively await a savior.”
Brandon listened intently as he walked into the room and sat in the chair across from his father. His father didn’t often drink, but he had already downed two glasses of the hard liquor. The duke poured a glass for Brandon and slid it over the desk. “Son, out of our entire eastern tower division, you are the most likeminded to me. This is why I am confiding in you. It is time we start planning for the future. We must be the change we want to see, especially in these trying times. I received breaking news from the frontlines a few minutes ago. During the invasion of Tlaloc’s headquarters, one of their saints betrayed them. Agni’s army, led by the king, succeeded in capturing Mesto’s crown prince; while the joint forces of Agni, Jupiter, and Geb were eventually repelled, the Tlaloc clan has sustained major damage. The war’s taken an unpredicted turn, and we must be ready for the storm that is to come.”