Chapter 14: The Saurian

As we journeyed into the unknown galaxy, we found many planets capable of supporting life. There was only one problem, they were taken. And thus, humanity came to discover that not only were we not alone in the universe, but we were incredibly outmatched. The alien races that our convoy encountered were as advanced as they were numerous. Even more incredible was the fact that some of our ancient myths and legends had somehow been inspired by these nonhuman creatures. It seemed as though many of them had visited Earth before. As humanity found itself surrounded on all sides with no allies, an old saying from my father came to mind. “You can never have too many friends.”

Éclair dragged Ryan through the corridors of the Ministry’s interior. She noted somewhat amusedly how awestruck Ryan was by the glass columns with lava running through them as they descended from the ceiling to the floor. He gawked, engulfed by the intricate art displays on the walls depicting various Elementals and their exploits. Only these works of art had been done entirely in flames, and some of them were even made out of lightning. Éclair had contributed a few art projects herself, but they were displayed in the colder areas of the Ministry since her natural element was ice.

As they walked down the red carpets through the massive hall, already buzzing with busy Elementals going about their day, they finally came to the chamber of the Wielder Council. Finding the room they met in sometimes proved difficult since it’d been formulated psionically to teleport every so often, but it usually remained in the same general area of the headquarters building.

More than that, Éclair sensed the immense psionic energy emanating from the powerful Wielder Elders inside due to her sensory psionic abilities. Wielders were a level above Fourth and were considered Elemental Masters capable of reducing entire cities to ash. Just standing in their presence could cripple a person, especially if they got angry, but Éclair had no other choice now that the prophecy had come true.

Guards blocked Éclair’s path, holding up the spears in front of the door. Instead of waiting for them to tell her that she needed an appointment, she just froze their pants like she normally did when she needed to speak to Saria quickly. With a wave of her hand, a coat of ice appeared on the men’s private sectors, forcing them to their knees.

The guards held their crotches and shivered pathetically as Ryan said, “What the heck did you do to them?”

Éclair shrugged at him and said to the red-armored security guards on the floor, “Sorry, boys. No time to go through the proper channels.”

Éclair thought she heard one of them say something like, “Not again” and, “My manhood is so cold,” but they mostly just moaned. She knew they’d be fine after a few minutes, so she didn’t feel too bad. Plus, she always made a point to make it up to them later by sending them part of her pension. A small sacrifice given her quite substantial inheritance.

With Ryan in tow, Éclair entered. The council now talked about preparations for the coming training year. As usual, they weren’t discussing anything of particular significance. The Wielder Council comprised a group of thirteen individuals with the Minister of Fire as the head, a similar setup for all the Ministries. The Wielders sat in a circular chamber at a round table with fiery floating images of runes and different sections of Tarrus under the Ministry’s protection.

The proctor of Squad 99, Eramar Razor, who had once been a member of the Grim Team himself before Éclair and the others came to the Ministry, also attended the council as he sat next to Saria at the end of the table opposite to the door. Everyone stopped and stared inordinately at the intruders. Éclair put on her most serious face. Even though she’d already done this several times, it was still very intimidating to be in the presence of such powerful Elementals.

Saria rose from her seat, angry enough to spit fire, which she could. “Éclair, how did you ... Don’t tell me! You froze the pants off the guards again! Damn it, girl! We can only let that slide so many times!”

They don’t call her the Minister of Fire for nothing, thought Éclair.

Before Saria got angrier, Éclair proclaimed in a loud voice, but with just a tiny bit of fear, “My lady. I apologize for the interruption, but you told me that if my prophecy of three years ago ever came to light, that I should come to you immediately. I am here today to tell you that the prophecy has come true.” Éclair then gestured to Ryan, who wore a dumbfounded face as usual. “This is Ryan Uruks, the child of the lion and the Dragon, destined to become a member of Squad 99. He saw the lion in the flames, just as I did three years ago when I became a First.”

Saria looked like someone dropped a rock on her head.

Most of the Wielders seemed baffled. A few wore horrified expressions on their faces, like she’d just told them that the Dark Dragon Lords were returning.

One of the Wielders rose. The skinny one with the pencil nose. “What is this? Why does our council continue to suffer this girl’s shenanigans? Get rid of her! We have important matters to discuss!”

Another elder, a half Elf named Varnus, spoke next. “Silence, Krystofosis. You speak of things you do not understand. The Fire Minister herself told me of this prophecy. If she believes it is worth notice, then we should heed young Éclair, and her companion ... I’m sorry, lad. What was your name again?”

More Wielders got up to argue. Only Eramar remained silent. As the room dissolved into turmoil, a column of fire originating from Saria roared through the air and drove everyone to their seats. The air felt so hot that Ryan’s eyebrows and hair got singed a bit, though Éclair knew enough to duck when the Minister was in a rage. Ryan’s expression seemed to be a cross between childish wonder and pure terror.

Saria Kaves, arguably the most powerful woman on the planet, studied Ryan carefully before turning to Éclair and saying, “You’re absolutely certain that you heard that voice again ... the one from the Fire Spirits.”

Éclair wasn’t sure what she meant by Fire Spirits, but she knew she heard the same voice that had come out of the sacred flames. “Yes, my lady. I will stake my life on it.”

Saria sat back in her chair and sighed. She muttered, “This is just what I need. The nerve of him ... dumping this on my plate now of all times.” Saria then addressed Ryan. “Did you pass the Test of Flames, boy?”

Ryan looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole as he said in a meek voice, “If by ‘Test of Flames’, you mean that very traumatic near-death experience with the fireballs and the fiery lion ... then yeah, I guess I passed it ... I think. Though, for the record, I’m probably scarred for life now. Just thought you should know when you get my therapy bills.”

Though Ryan joked around, as usual, he still seemed to be having trouble finding his voice. However, the fact that he still had the courage to make light in front of the Minister wasn’t lost upon the council. Many of the Wielders seemed baffled by Ryan’s clear lack of decorum. Others acted bewildered by Ryan’s description of the lion in the flames, discussing it in hushed tones amongst themselves. But some seemed to comprehend what Ryan said and appeared worried.

Just what is going on that Saria isn’t telling me, thought Éclair to herself.

Saria, who had remained quiet throughout this exchange, rubbed her forehead as if troubled by problems she wished to forget. And then she rose from her chair as she said, “The flames have spoken. Ryan Uruks must join the ranks of Squad 99.”

Many of the Wielders objected immediately. “This is not our way,” said one. “Squad 99 comprises our elites of the future, the finest students to join our ranks in years. We can’t let an upstart Grunt join without even going through the rights of passage.”

Another got up, and said, “This goes against all our most sacred traditions! Also, why isn’t he wearing shoes?!”

One melancholy Wielder just groaned, and said, “Who cares about his shoes? This isn’t important enough to be brought to the council’s attention. Let the Fourths deal with it.”

A fat Wielder with a large red beard decided to say something totally random and off-topic. “I’m hungry! Can we get some fried pickles in here? And those drinks with the little umbrellas inside them?” Most peculiar of all, he said it with a completely straight face, as if he spoke about the most serious subject imaginable.

Then Eramar rose to his feet for the first time, and every mouth in the room closed. “I propose a compromise. Since the brat has caused such an inconvenience, I say he should still continue his lessons as a Grunt while working with Squad 99 all he can. If he really is exemplary, he should graduate from Grunt to First in no time.”

Ryan’s old rebellious streak came to light again as he protested. “Hold on a second! How am I supposed to keep up with my regular lessons as a Grunt while training alongside the best of the best?”

Eramar smiled in amusement. “As the old saying goes, ‘if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen’. Fire pun intended. Part of Elemency is learning how to adapt in tough situations. If you don’t like it, then you should run back to the little Lioness while you still can.”

That seemed to hit a nerve. Leave it to Ryan Uruks not to back down from one of the most powerful men in the Ministry of Fire. All reason and intimidation lost in a fit of rage, Ryan stomped to the table’s edge and pounded a fiery fist in front of Eramar. Éclair almost thought she felt an electrical current emanating from him.

“What’s your problem, you greasy old fart! I don’t care if you were my hero at some point ... if you say another word against Auntie Hannah again, then you and I can take this outside!” cried out Ryan, glowering with contempt at his former idol.

A stunned silence swept over the crowd at Ryan’s display of insolence and bravado. There were very few people in the universe who were dumb enough to challenge the Demon Slayer. Of all the members on the council, excluding the Fire Minister, he was more feared than anybody in the Ministry of Fire ... and with good reason.

Eramar grinned slightly at Ryan, as if grudgingly admiring his courage. “You’re Brianna’s son alright.”

Saria turned to Eramar with a bemused expression. “I think you may have been wrong about this one. He doesn’t seem that easily intimidated.”

“That’s only because the boy doesn’t know me that well.”

Saria nodded. “Not yet perhaps. I’ve made my decision. Ryan Uruks shall join Squad 99. And Eramar shall bring him up to speed in the basics of Elemency until he’s ready to graduate from Grunt to First.”

Eramar looked even more surprised than Ryan did. “My lady. I am no longer part of Squad 99. I’m a member of the council now. I haven’t had a student under my tutelage for years.”

Saria spoke with part sympathy, and part bemusement. “You’re always complaining about how boring it is for you here, how you weren’t suited for desk life. I’m doing this as much for your benefit as the child’s.”

A sorrowful expression fell over Eramar’s face. “My lady. After what happened before, I hardly think that I am qualified to train another-”

Saria paid him no heed. “It is decided. Éclair, accompany our bold young friend to his quarters and inform the rest of your squad of this development.”

A curious and almost dangerous glint flashed in Saria’s smile as she said, “I’m sure Grafael will be more than eager to meet our newest addition to the Grim.”

Éclair had been so frantic to get Ryan accepted as a member of the team that she’d forgotten all about Grafael’s ’initiation’ ceremony. Of all the members on the team, Grafael was the most, well, ’enthusiastic’ might be a word for it. The big guy meant well, and Éclair loved him like a brother, but sometimes he tended to get a little out of hand, especially when it came to new members in the squad. As far as Grafael was concerned, Squad 99 was the most distinguished position within the Ministry of Fire, and anybody who didn’t demonstrate the skills of a perfect warrior, in Grafael’s opinion, shouldn’t even be considered to join.

There had been others who’d been accepted into Squad 99 officially, but after getting a taste of Grafael, they bolted. Éclair didn’t really blame Grafael for his treatment of some of the others. Many of the candidates were stuck-up, privileged brats raised by some of the noble Elemental families; pampered since birth with the belief that the universe was their toy to play with.

Elementals like that simply saw Squad 99 as a means to prestige, with it being the only team to earn the name Grim within the Ministry of Fire. These Elementals graduated top of their Grunt class, passed all the exams, and generally thought themselves infallible. However, after a little intimidation by half a ton of pure Saurian muscle, they showed their true colors as the spoiled little wimps their parents had raised them to be.

Though Ryan shared little attributes in common with those former candidates, Grafael would still see it as his duty and honor to test any new additions to the team. And the fact that Ryan was still a Grunt wouldn’t help his case.

Poor boy, thought Éclair.

After Éclair dropped off a confused Ryan in his quarters, she decided to meet up with Grafael and the others. Truthfully, Éclair missed her big lizard more than she was willing to admit. Grafael had been away on assignment, and she hadn’t seen him in a few weeks. Éclair and Grafael had been through a lot together and the dumb brute declared Éclair to be his protectorate.

It meant that he literally made it his life’s mission to look after Éclair and to give his life to protect her if need be. No matter how much she complained about his constant vigilance, the giant lizard refused to relent. In Éclair’s heart, she actually felt glad to have a friend who cared about her enough to swear his undying allegiance to her, but that didn’t make his macho ways any less annoying. Éclair knew that Grafael would be devastated to find out that she had the audacity to go on a mission without him there to protect her. And yes, he would use the word ‘audacity’.

Might as well get it over with. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be so distracted by the fact that I went on a mission without him that he’ll forget all about testing Ryan. The boy just made it to the Ministry after dreaming about it for years, so I don’t want Grafael scaring him away; or worse, sending him home on a stretcher.

Éclair stopped at the door to her quarters. She knew he was inside waiting for her. She sensed the lizard-man’s presence just beyond the door. So, bracing herself for the melodrama, Éclair walked through the threshold.