There was a brief moment when SEB’S vision was clouded – too obscured to see anything clearly – but within seconds the white sheen of the dome’s marble wall disappeared and was replaced by a mellow, orange hue. A subtle heat hit his face, as if he was back in the midday sun of the Desert of Amia, and the stone floor beneath his feet miraculously turned soft. He was standing on an expensive rug.

  He apparated into a new world, magically transported into a dimension filled with flame and fire. More than a dozen men in red robes scurried around the interior of this large stone room, and dancing balls of flame hopped between ornate pillars just as frantically. There was a huge burst of activity at every moment as each of the robed workers transitioned between various work stations, scribbling notes onto tablets and adjusting dials on metal machines. It was experimentation on the largest scale. A few Mages were practising some basic Flame magic against fireproof mannequins in the far corner of the room; tendrils of flame ricocheted against the sturdy stone walls as a volley of precise balls of fire sprayed towards the training targets.

  Seb felt a surge of magical energy tingle across his back, like a warm summer breeze, as both Elder Kai and Karma followed through the archway, emerging from it as if they had been dissolved and reconstituted once more. The Mages who noticed their arrival briefly stopped to bow to their Elder before returning to their toils.

  “Quite something, isn’t it?” Elder Kai stepped in front of Seb, admiring the room. “The Flame Division are the hardest working of all the Pathways. Our training and findings have been invaluable to the Arbiters during my time here.”

  He tentatively approached one of the stone pillars, which was part of the network of bouncing flames, and muttered something under his breath as he rested a palm on the side of the column. All of the individual flames around the room came to a natural stop at the nearest pillar. Without the fiery juggling, the whole place felt much more mellow.

  “H-How is that possible?” Seb spluttered, at a loss for words. “We were just in the dome, and it’s like … And it’s just as if we’ve …”

  “Portals can be quite an experience, can’t they?” Elder Kai was still staring deeply at the pillar, studying all of the etched symbols on its side with pride. “You can thank the Mind Division for that breakthrough. The Arbiters’ current living situation would be impossible without it.”

  “It wasn’t always like this, y’know,” Karma noted, unloading the pink rifle from her back and resting it on the nearby wall. “The ol’ fortress used to be much bigger, much more grand. It would’ve blown your mind, Hotshot.”

  Out of nowhere, a scruffy, middle-aged man with a crooked nose and thin-wire glasses appeared before them, once again bowing to his Elder.

  “Greeting, Elder Kai,” the man said, his voice nasally yet soft as silk. “You summoned me?”

  “Yes. Thank you, Caleb. Please escort our guest to the spare living quarters, and be sure to answer any questions he may have.”

  The scruffy man bowed to Seb, who nodded back to be courteous. Seb looked back at Karma; she was leaning against a wall, clicking her fingers periodically to summon and dismiss a small ball of flame on her fingertip.

  “Go on ahead, Seb,” she called. “I need to chat with Elder Kai, to catch up on all the stuff I’ve missed over the past few years.”

  Karma and Elder Kai plunged into a deep conversation the moment they walked off together, leaving Seb to stand around awkwardly by the portal.

  Those two must have so much to talk about. What must it feel like, returning to a place you once called home after so many years away?

  Caleb cleared his throat. “Um … Would you like to see your room, Sir?”

  “Oh, yes!” Seb blurted out, snapping out of his trance. “If you’d be so kind.”

  Leaving the portal behind, he followed the man through the main hall, past the various contraptions and experiments littered around the place, making sure not to touch any by accident. They turned a corner into a long corridor with many doors on either side, and continued down this narrow channel. Along the way, Seb peered through some of the doorways out of curiosity. The interiors of the rooms varied from simple bedchambers to larders full of dried meats and kegs of water, but a particular room caught his attention the most.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  This room was much more spacious than the others – not quite as enormous as the initial hall, but far grander in size than any of the other side rooms. About thirty beds were set up in rows on either side of the room, with drapes of cheap cloth separating them, and each divided section had its own tiny ball of flame which hovered overhead. The room felt uncomfortably empty apart from a couple of occupied beds on the far side of the room, with a woman in white overalls darting between the two. It was hard to discern exactly beyond the drapes, but the men lying in the beds, their attire tinged green, seemed pained and restless.

  “Excuse me … Caleb, was it?” Seb called ahead to his guide, who snapped around in surprise.

  “Um, yes? Did you have a question?”

  “Yes, actually. Is this some sort of medical ward? Why is it tucked away in a back room of the Flame Division, instead of in the main camp with the soldiers?”

  Caleb seemed confused at the question at first, but nodded in understanding once he found the room Seb was speaking of.

  “Of course, you must be unaware. We Flame Mages are naturally gifted medics – after all, it is the One Flame that guides us – so all of the medical queries are entrusted with us. It seems a couple of Wind Mages have fallen victim to some maladies …” He sighed. “Pity. That must mean their mission went awry. Come – your room is at the end of the corridor.”

  “One Flame”? My goodness, I have so much to learn about these people and their unique customs.

  Nervously scratching the back of his head, Caleb marched on down the long corridor, with Seb not too far behind. After passing many more rooms, including a couple more hospital wards, they arrived at the end of the corridor, where a large metal statue stared down at them. This motionless figure was incredibly detailed; Seb could have easily mistaken her for a run-of-the-mill human woman at first glance, but upon closer inspection he noticed a few strange characteristics.

  Although the statue itself was made of a brownish metal, the statue’s curved hair spiked out from the head, like tendrils of an uncontrollable flame. He imagined that, if this statue had colour, the hair would be a glorious, glowing orange. In her hands she gripped two daggers: pathetic and rusted on this statue, but the engravings and measured form were truly a sight to behold. These blades had small, curved spikes protruding from their edges, as if they too were modelled after a frantic flame. A faint grin carved up her face – if it wasn’t for a few small dents and scratches, she would have been an unbelievable beauty.

  Whoever this was, she certainly gave off an otherworldly appearance. And made enough of an impression on someone to earn herself an honorary statue.

  “Here we are, Sir,” Caleb announced. “Your room should already be prepared. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to–”

  “One more question, Caleb. This statue … Quite marvelous, I must say, but who is it? Was she an important person in the Flame Division? A past Flame Elder? A prominent figure from history, perhaps?”

  “Was she important?” Caleb hissed, throwing his head up in disbelief. “That’s the most important figure in the history of The Path of The Flame! You’re looking at Flame Goddess Haiyan, the first Flame Mage to ever walk the Continent. Her teachings have guided our ancestors for seven generations, and you absolutely must honour her for the duration of your stay here.” He calmed his breathing and his tone, resetting the spectacles on his nose. “I would recommend getting some rest – you have a big day tomorrow.”

  He quickly bowed to Seb, before providing a much deeper bow to the metal statue. Snapping upright once more, Caleb turned and walked down the lengthy corridor until he rounded a corner and disappeared out of sight. Seb was now alone at the entrance of his new room, looking deeply into the statue’s eyes. He couldn’t explain it, but he was almost certain the statue was staring right back at him.

  Seb had never heard of this ‘Flame Goddess Haiyan’ before … and yet somehow she didn’t seem all that unfamiliar to him. He had never been particularly religious – his parents had occasionally mentioned a God, but he never considered praying to a higher being unless a harsh battle was ahead or his life was in danger (it couldn’t hurt to be prepared for the afterlife, after all). Why, then, did he feel as if he’d seen this figure before? Shrugging it off, and feeling a tingle on the back of his neck as he did, he went inside his new room.

  Everything was prepared to perfection already, just as Caleb had said. The lanterns on the walls gave the room a warm, homely feeling, and Seb could see the wardrobe was already filled with a variety of red robes and outfits. An intricately designed glass jug of water rested on the bedside table’s surface, and a couple of fresh ceramic mugs were laid out – it was only then that he realised how thirsty the long journey had made him. As for the bed itself, it was a large, sturdy thing in the centre of the room with fresh bedsheets tucked into the frame, and a large, red, velvety cloth made it seem almost regal. On top of the bedsheets was a red robe, hard to see at first with the similarly shaded cloth underneath, and a quick message scribbled on a small parchment:

  “You’ll need these for your training tomorrow. Keep them safe and clean – Karma.”