The Initials | Nanowrimo 2023

59| Submission To The Flame

Three days later Esme and Ali quietly observe Cloud from a distance whilst he sits in the centre of the courtyard, trying to meditate like he has seen the older Monks do to clear his own mind, to submit to the Flame, and to reach enlightenment or whatever it is the pair seem to be trying to cultivate in him.

The days at the Monastery feel longer than usual; spent with him sitting crossed legged on the hard ground whilst struggling with a relentless fever, moving so little that the flecks of snow dust over him like a light sprinkle of sugar.

The sun sets so late in the day and rises early every morning that he can barely catch the turn over from one day to the next.

Ali folds his arms, still struggling to figure out what to make of the Earth Realmer. His condition may not be improving all that much but he also isn't deteriorating like he expected he would have by now. "What do you think?" he asks, tilting his head towards Esme, pulling her out of her contemplative thoughts.

At first Esme remains silent, standing near the closet pillar with her hands clasped together, wearing a giant fox fur coat dyed in a rich shade of red that looks almost black where the materials fold. "I think...he's lonely."

Hot air rises from his nostrils like steam rising from a dragon's snout, simply straightening his posture as he limply places his hands behind his back. "We all are at this stage of the process."

"Yes, well, that was before me. Moving forward...I think things should change." she declares, keeping her eyes trained on Cloud.

Ali rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet, squinting his eyes but keeping his true feelings about the matter to himself. "What do you have in mind?"

"He needs someone to relate to, someone closer to him in age."

Ali shakes his head with an amused grin, combing his stray hairs behind his ear as he takes up the space on Esme's left. "You already have someone in mind?"

She purses her lips once they lock eyes, unable to bring herself to come up for some convoluted reason why she didn't consult him earlier. "I was being polite." she mutters, peaking at him in her peripheral vision.

She knows he has every reason to be mad at her, after all it was her decision to appoint him as Grandmaster.

Technically the Order of the Lotus is his, but this deal hinges on Cloud's recovery, which means it requires a hands on approach.

"When will he arrive?" Ali inquires, choosing in the moment to swallow his pride.

"Tomorrow by the latest."

"Very well," Ali sighs, bowing his head in a deliberately exaggerated fashion as he prepares to leave. "My Queen."

"Don't," she whispers, spinning around to face him head on after he steps back. "Don't be like that."

"You know what this all means to me Esme."

"Yes, of course I do."

"Then forgive me, my Queen, if I am not as thrilled to change every tradition that helped shape me into the person I am today!" he retorts, his eyes searching hers for any ounce of understanding. "You are the Queen of the Faction and I have already sworn my life to the crown...but that does not mean I have to agree with every decision you make."

This time she lets him leave, deciding that it would just be best for the meantime if they stayed out of each other's hair.

The following day Cloud continues his monotonous routine of solidarity, sitting in the courtyard with his legs crossed whilst suffering from a stuffy nose for the fifth day in a row. The cold air offers him some relief but he knows his time out here isn't contributing to improving his health in the slightest, in fact, it may be making him worse.

His frown lines deepen as he tries to focus on regaining what he lost but his mind so easily snatches onto anything and everything, and wonders if what Esme said about him was maybe right.

Perhaps his powers haven't returned because maybe, deep down, he doesn't want them to.

There's always the potential that if they return his life will go back to being the roller coaster it has these last few months. That would mean it's only a matter of time before he loses it again and goes on another killing spree!

Cloud eyes flutter open once the wind sounds muffled and he realises that the snow is no longer descending upon him, tilting his head back to find someone holding up an umbrella over his head.

He looks over his shoulder, forced to do a double take once he realises that he recognises the person responsible for coming to his aid. "Tony?"

"Surprised to see me?"

"I mean, yeah," he confesses, chuckling for the first time in what feels like weeks. He'd almost forgotten what it feels like to laugh, even if just from sheer shock of seeing a friendly face in a hostile environment such as this. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Can I sit?"

Tony dusts off the snow that landed on his shoulders, looking slightly older to Cloud now that he's grown out his beard a little.

"Sure." Cloud replies, watching his most recent friend slip in a perfect sitting position as if he's practised the same motion hundreds of times before.

"The Queen called, she said you were struggling and thought I could help."

"How do you know Esme?"

"She's my sponsor." Tony explains, speaking as if it was obvious from the very beginning. "How else do you think a nobody like me got into South Silver Oak Academy in the first place?"

"I don't know. I thought maybe blackmail."

Tony rolls his eyes, taking the joke on the chin. "I've been here less than two minutes and already I'm tired of you."

"I bet having the dorm all to yourself must have been fun, right?"

"Actually...not as much as you'd think, it sucks having like ten people a day challenging me to a fight so they can get their rankings up." he confesses. "Plus life has been pretty uneventful without the boy on fire showing us all up."

Cloud grimaces, resisting the urge to playfully knock Tony in the back of the head. "I swear, when will that stop?"

"It'll be your legacy from now till graduation."

'Well that's at least better than being known as a mass murderer.' he thinks to himself. 'Or as a Morningstar for that matter.'

Tony picks up on the sudden dip in Cloud's energy, deciding to share a few words of encouraging advice. "Look, we've all been where you are before. If anyone knows what you're going through it's your brothers and sisters here at the Monastery, each and every one of us."

"Somehow I doubt that." Cloud thinks, not having the heart to say it out loud.

Their conversation is interrupted by the high pitched ringing of the ancient bell somewhere higher up in the Monastery. It's sweet song continues on for exactly seven more chimes but even after that the birds carry the tune with them.

"I don't suppose they've let you see inside the Dojo yet." Tony hums, scratching the hairs under his chin before visibly throwing caution to the wind. "Ah, what the heck? It wouldn't be the first time I've shaken things up with these Monks and I doubt it'll be the last now that I'm not the only outsider."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Tony lets out a pained cry of laughter that ends almost as abruptly as it began. "No, so let's go before I can stop myself."

Cloud doesn't need to be told twice, picking himself up and leaving the one dry patch of ground that only vaguely resembles the shape of his butt.

In part, one of the reasons he even bothered agreeing to do this in the first place is because he has been eager to see what it is they actually do here.

He isn't naive enough to believe that all these Monks do is sit around and meditate all day, especially when most of them look like they've seen a battle or two in their hay day.

However, after following Tony onto the patrol path on one of the Monasteries fall walls, he realises that nothing could have prepared him for the sight before him...or the consequences of being pulled onto this path.