Quy walked quickly through the district, Shima by his side. Peasants made way for them down the streets, and how lucky for them, else Quy would have split the road with fire.

This is not as planned,  Quy scowled. Obtaining a copy of Mai’s/Khai’s healing license from Taesu’s Gate Control archives was straightforward. But in the process, Quy had overheard a handful of guards talking about the search for a potentially renegade Healer Khai down in the lower districts.

Quy halted when he caught sight of the large group ahead. Quickly, he and Shima took hidden positions, close enough, and in time, for Mai-dressed-as-Khai to hand over their mage license.

Fire hummed in his belly as his eyes narrowed. His plans to blackmail Mai had fallen through. Mai had been down there for weeks, healing without attracting official attention. And those peasants, if nothing else, were loyal. They wouldn’t betray their beloved Healer.

So who on earth had put the idea of checking for ‘Healer Khai’ in the mind of the local district council?

*

Thoughts in Tien’s head went around in circles.

Was Mai the so-called Healer Khai?

It didn’t matter. She still had words for her niece. The earth mage took Mai away, but Tien could still sense Mai’s fire magic. They had been, still were, teacher and student.

That was when Tien saw the cluster of official council and Healer Mage Thu facing off with Mai.

Healer Thu had mentioned that she was going to check Healer Khai’s license.

Tien tensed when the guards approached Mai. She strode forward. “Stop!”

Thu inclined her head. “Healer Mage Tien. This person has your niece’s Healer license.”

Mai met Tien’s gaze.

Tien folded her arms. “I see. I...did teach Healer Khai.” She came over and took the familiar licence off of Thu. “Yes, I authorised this. However...there was a mixup with bureaucracy—you know how it is.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

Thu pursed her lips. “Would you maintain your word in court?”

Tien didn’t change her expression. “Yes.”

The Council Member curled his lip. “Who are you?”

Tien nodded politely. “I am Healer Mage Tien, from Karashu. I taught and licensed Healer Mage Khai.”

Whatever happened, she was not going to let them put Mai into prison.

“And if you say the licence was improperly written out, why haven’t you updated it?” The Council Member said imperiously.

“It is pending,” Tien said coldly. “I hardly doubt your council moves any faster.”

“Tch. Very well. This young man will be charged for practicing under a false licence.”

“Council Member Wei,” a voice rang out clearly. “Mage Healer Tien is correct.”

A female earth mage strode towards them. She was holding a few sheets of paper. “Healer Khai’s updated licence has arrive. The only thing left is his blood-thumbprint under the witness of his teacher.”

Tien’s eyes narrowed. “And that would be me.”

The woman glanced at Mai, and Mai nodded.

“Yes,” Mai said. “Master Tien...”

Tien exhaled and went over to the woman. She glanced over the papers. They looked official. But it was a fake, it had to be, when Tien saw it under the name Khai. All of Mai’s legal papers were under her real name Mai.

But Tien knew a ruse when she saw one. Beckoning Mai over, she oversaw the blood thumbprint onto the papers. With a gentle puff of dry air, Tien dried the blood, and handed it to Healer Mage Thu.

“Back-dated as the incorrect licence,” Thu said with a raise of her eyebrows. “I concede, Healer Mage Tien. All seems to be in order.” She handed back the papers to Tien. “And yet you never spoke of teaching someone named Khai to me,” she said quietly.

“I did not think he would be here,” Tien replied, equally quiet. She affected a mild look of shame. “Compared to my niece, Healer Khai is not nearly as good. But he is good enough to practice.”

“And for these lower districts, they take what they can get,” Thu conceded. She straightened and turned to the Council Member. “Healer Khai has been practising within the law.”

The Council Member drew his robes around him, sneering. “In that case, have a pleasant day, Healer Khai.”

With a measure of relief, the Council Member and his party left. Tien waited for them to leave before facing her errant niece.

*

Quy hissed. To think that the woman who Mai had saved all those weeks ago would come back and do this to Quy. His copy of Mai’s licence burst into flames in his hands as panic spiralled with anger.

Lord Quyen was coming in a week. How was Quy going to learn lava creation now?

Lord Quyen was coming in a week with a Royal Retinue  and he expected Quy to perform.

And if Quy couldn’t...the best he could hope for was disownment.

And the worst...Quy blanched at the thought of dueling Lord Quyen.

The center of his palms heated up as his hands curled into fists. Quy would just have to blackmail Mai in the hands-on way.

*

Khai moved a little closer to Yang, watching the council people finally leave. He did his best not to look at his aunt. He was conflicted. Tien had helped. But that didn’t mean she accepted him.

“Yang, how did you—”

Tien strode up. “A good forgery,” she snorted, raising her brows at Yang. “Consorting with criminals now, Mai?”

Yang tilted her head. “And yet, you played along. An accomplice in crime. And Khai technically is licensed. As you know.” She moved forward, put herself between Khai and Tien as she started to exchange verbal blows with Tien.

“Hey,” Han whispered. “Are you alright?”

Khai nodded. “I—” He stopped when he suddenly sensed the sudden flaring of fire, in control and hungry.

Immediately, he broke free from the others, searching for the flame.

Quy emerged from in-between the buildings. He was dressed for a fight. “This is a challenge, Mai,” he said, voice low. “And if I win, you will follow my orders.”

“My name is Khai,” Khai said, starting forward again. “What is it that you want from me?”

Quy smirked. “Have you conceded the duel already?”

Khai scowled back. “And if I win?”

“Why don’t you do that first?”

“Let’s take this fight elsewhere. There are civilians.”

Quy’s hands slashed, and twin blades of flame appeared. “Surely you are a good enough mage to aim accurately?”

Khai narrowed his eyes and shifted into ready stance. “Fine. Let’s finish this quickly, shall we?”

“Khai!” Han yelled. Earth rose like a wall between Khai and Quy—

—Quy slashed down, and the earth cracked and split apart.

“Clear the area, Han!” Khai yelled, not taking his eyes of Quy. With speed, he directed his fire through his body, out of his feet and into the water pipes below. They were at the Water Fountains, after all, and a beat later, steaming water rushed to Khai’s command.

Quy took a step forward and slashed his fire-swords in parallel, flame extending and whipping towards Khai. With a raised hand, water rose to block. Quy’s fire bit in, boiling off water, fighting against Khai’s control of the flame in the water. For a brief moment, Khai let Quy have control, and the water fell as Quy failed to hold the water up with the fire.

With a sweep of his foot, Khai called out the heated water once again. With the raise of his hands, he lifted up lava.

Quy’s fire jumped white-blue hot. His hands pressed together, twin swords merging into one large sword of flame. With a slash and a thrust, flame raced towards Khai, maw opening as a dragon flickered across the beam of fire.

Khai threw up water and earth, but they couldn’t move as fast as weightless flame. Pain burst from his arm, as his sleeve went black and his skin seared and bubbled.

Hissing, Khai moved his hands apart, forming ropes of orange flame twisted with rippling boiling water that caught the fire-beast when it came at him again. He tugged the reins tight, and called it to him.

Quy yanked back; Khai drew heat from sunlight and forced his own magic into the flame dragon until his fire overwhelmed Quy’s. With a grunt, Khai threw the dragon right back at Quy.

Quy leapt, fire propelling his flight, right over the flame. Hands tugged, shaped, and he landed with a staff of flame, fire burning hungrily on both ends.

Khai ramped up the heat. The ground shimmered hot beneath them, air wavered. With a sharp yank, Khai buffeted Quy with hot air.

Quy raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

Khai blinked back, water merging with lava to make a crackling volatile mixture.

A beat later, Quy’s fire rose.

A beat later, Khai shifted forward, fire and water and earth hissing.

A beat later, Quy’s fire came down.

A beat later, Khai’s fire-in-fire surged up.

Explosion rocked the air.

*