Fire Burning

Chapter 8

"What's put you in a mood," Ginzan drawled, poking Song in the side.

"Nothing," Song muttered.

Ginzan snorted. "Is it Quy again? He's seems fine. He came out that damn fight perfectly untouched, didn't he. I should have known he was worse than even his brother," he added darkly.

"The students at Immin are asking for you," Song said instead.

Ginzan's eyebrows went up as his mouth curved into a grin. "Visited the girls, did you?"

Unfortunately, Ginzan kept up the ribbing, and at the end of the day, he dragged Song out to Immin.

Ginzan took his flute, serenading, and Song felt his heart rise and fall when he spotted Mai hurrying away once again.

"Don't think I didn't see that," Ginzan said, nudging him. "You have an eye on that girl. Let me help you win her over."

Remembering how Mai had rebuffed Ginzan's advances as 'Quy', Song shook his head. "No. If you tried that...she might just challenge you to a duel. She's a fire mage." Song deflated at his words, recognising the truth of them. Mai would do exactly that...and maybe she was gay anyway. Otherwise, why would she had mention it?

Ginzan pursed his lips. "No good will come from that then. Let me find you another girl."

"No thanks, Ginzan. I'm going home."

*

"Perhaps your expertise could aid us," Healer Mage Hong said. She motioned Healer Mage Tien into the patient's room; Khai followed a step behind. They were in one of the private hospitals, where patients had private rooms with large windows that let in sunlight.

Khai peered at the patient. A middle-aged man, Healer Mage Hong was saying, but he looked far older as the disease aged him. Khai listened as Hong continued on what they had tried, what had failed, and what had helped.

"Very well," Tien said. "Mai?"

Khai nodded, and went over to the nearby fireplace. He sparked flame on the cold wood logs and built up the fire.

Tien gave him a nod, and drew the flame with her magic and directed it into the patient.

Khai watched closely. And tried not to wince when she did things he wouldn't do.

She had taught him to heal using the body's memory. That the body inherently knew best—at least most of the time. But Khai was of the opinion that it didn't know best quite more frequently—his own body was case-in-point.

And Healer Mage Hong had said that the patient had been sick for years; and the disease had aged him years more. Healing would require winding back a decade of ageing—yet in a decade's time, nearly all the particles in the body have been replaced. There was no memory of health to recall.

Sweat appeared on his aunt's forehead. The patient's breathing eased slightly, but the disease remained.

"Auntie? Healer Mage Hong?" Khai asked in a tiny voice.

Tien withdrew her hands. "Yes, Mai?"

"May I try?"

Tien glanced at Hong, and then turned to Khai. "You are licensed," she said.

Khai nodded. "Thank you." He called the fire over to him, and a bit of the heat from the sunlight as well, and reached out. Up close, through his magic, Khai could feel how the patient's very cells had been warped.