“Vardinn, if I’m not mistaken, that’s the first king. The one I told you about. Call him the Boiler.”

 Slowly approaching the giant, Vardinn addresses him with Saga close behind.

“Hello Boiler, sir. I was hoping to speak with you about a few concerning matters.”

Sparks and tufts of flame fly out of the cracks along his massive neck as he looks down on Vardinn. 

“Ah, Finally. I have been awaiting your arrival, princess and even you as well prince.” his voice echoing out like a thousand beating drums. He bends down to one knee, shaking the ground as it lands.

“Before we begin, allow me to make you more comfortable.” and with a wave of his hand, blue flame and molten stone erupt from the ground and form two chairs before solidifying and cooling to comfortable temperature.

Taking their seats, Vardinn speaks first, “you said you were expecting us? How could you know we would come here?”

“Firstly, I knew of Sagas origins and therein her unique abilities. So when I saw that no fire fae could pass through but everything else could, you were the only choice.” he swings his mighty leg underneath himself and sits on the ground and then points to Vardinn, “ but you, that is a different story. Allow me to explain the full situation and that will be answered.”

“I was here in the old castle, training with the device that I stole from the Wanderer, like I do everyday. It had gained me a mighty new form but my training had stopped working. I sat in meditation to find the answers when a voice spoke to me. It told me about you and gave me a warning to pass on. They went on to say that I would be given a gift as payment.” 

“The air in front of me broke. A crack in the very space before me appeared and a hole emerged. From within the hole, a being of pure light and what felt like magic, reached their arm out and a small object left their hand. A small stone with immense mystic power.” 

Pointing to his chest, “it lodged right here and everything changed. The crack and the being with it, vanished. My fire turned blue and began pouring out of me like a volcano.” motioning to the floating torches, “these four burst into flame and started to pull the air around them inside until it was released in the form of a massive explosion resulting in” he starts waving his arms around “this.”

“I have been able to stop the fire from spreading but the fire in the town is not just fire anymore. They are people, like the fire fae. A new species learning to walk. Problem is, this world is too dense and cold. I have to take them back to where our kind comes from but there is no way.”

Stunned and overwhelmed, Vardinn finally finds his words. “That is incredible. Is there no way to go home?”

“Not without the machine I had a hand in breaking. Cruel irony that.”

“Actually, that is why we are here. I am attempting to repair the machine with Porter. I need to scan your piece and send it back to him.”

“So that’s what that machine business was. Of course you can scan it.” he raises his hand to his stomach and the molten stone swirls and parts, revealing a piece of machinery inside. With two fingers, he plucks it from within and places it on the ground. Tiny to the Boiler but in actuality, it is up to Vardinns waist.

As Vardinn takes the coin out and scans the device, The boilers asks him how the castle and all is doing.

“It is better each day. Porter is doing well and Zero One is back living there.”

“Zero One is not only alive but Back at the castle?! What could’ve possessed him to do that?” He says with stark surprise and a gasp.

“A lot of bad stuff happened to his people but we are working on it. All are shut down and most are damaged. Their leader then teleported the entire city away but we are working on it.” Vardinn says as he presses the coin into the necklace.

Glancing to Saga, “this is unlike you. You haven’t spoken a word.”

Shaking her head out of the fog, “yeah, sorry. I was just told that an entire new species was born and we are not from this world so I’m processing.”

“Did your father not tell you that? We are from another world. As is everyone on this planet.”

In unison, Saga and Vardinn say, “what do you mean everyone?”