Chapter 3: Dr. Savas

Traveling in a desert was no easy task. Cairo knew the risks better than anyone. He was traveling to one of the harshest deserts in Cairo, the great desert Basia"a rough climate even for animals specifically designed to withstand the desert climate. Adventurers liked going there to take a chance at snagging a newly evolved species that couldn't be found anywhere else. Not many of them made it back alive; there was less than a handful. It was said people couldn’t inhabit these lands, and with the way the scorching heat felt like it was burning straight through Cairo’s wounds, he got the feeling that it wasn’t just a rumor these lands were uninhabitable. 

The sand camel’s constant bumps not only caused Cairo to get motion sick, it was highly uncomfortable in another area. He constantly shifted in the saddle every time the camel would dip down and back up, grumbling under his breath. While Cane’s face said it all"he was more uncomfortable than he’d been in his whole life"much like Aerie who sat quietly behind Cairo, he didn’t say one word. Occasionally Cairo would catch him sneaking glances at him, but the moment they almost made eye contact, Cane would snap his head back and focus on the scenery around him (which wasn’t much of anything besides sand).

Cane sighed, slouching further down on his camel. His face scrunched up, but he didn’t make note of the problem Cairo could already guess. “You’d think we’d be able to see at least one tree or something around here, but no, not even plants live here anymore. This god forsaken desert can’t even hold life, so what makes you think a Kleptos card is way out here?” 

“I was talking to one of the camel herders before we left while I was waiting for the order to go through,” Cairo said, not taking his eyes off the road ahead of him. “He told me something interesting, actually. Said that the famous Dr. Savas started to resided out here for some kind of research with the ruins.” 

“Dr. Savas? You mean that really famous doctor that helped with the Kleptos research bang the Government had a couple years back? Everyone said he went off radar and most people expected he died sometime after. I heard some rumors saying the Government might have killed him off to keep quiet on whatever they were doing, but if he’s really here, that seems to be more in our favor unlike last time.”

Cairo nodded. “I think Dr. Savas being here is a good lead. From sources, I’d heard say that although he was formally dismissed from his Klepots work by the Government, he still hasn’t given up on anything"still as passionate as he was when he was young. He’s had some secret transactions with the Government in the past (it was hard to find out thanks to cover ups, but there’s definite proof), and I’m sure he’s still idly using them to his benefit to gather information. If he’s here, there’s definitely something Kleptos related going on in those ruins. It’s just the problem of getting in.” 

“It shouldn’t be that hard,” Aerie said. Cairo glance a hair over his shoulder as the words fell out of her mouth. He’d almost forgotten that she was there. “The ruins are sealed, yes, but they’re sealed by the Government it seems. They have torches lit there. I can just barely make out an image, but it seems like those ‘strange inscriptions’ are Fire Mage seals. You shouldn’t have any problem getting in using your authority to enter.” 

“Wow.” Cairo laughed, but his tone was anything but humorous. It was stale as crumbling bread. “To think the day my rank would come in handy would finally come.”
“Where does Dr. Savas live, anyway?” Cane asked. “All I see is desert, desert, and more desert.” 

“He lives about another three hours walk from here. I hope you brought plenty of water. It dries up fast in this heat.” 

.

The institute was a five and a half hour trek through the vast desert of Basia that covered over half of Cairo. It was five hours in when the trio stopped before a large Dragon Blood Tree whose trunk was split into two that both went in opposite directions. An old man was leaning against one of the split branches, his leg swinging to a beat inside his head while he laid peacefully down with his eyes closed. His hair was scruffy like it hadn’t been combed in weeks, though it had a small sparkle in the light as if it was white and not grey. A large scar curved down from his eye to the middle of his ear

“Excuse me!” Cairo called as he brought his camel to a stop. “Are you by any chance Dr. Savas?” 

“It depends who’s asking,” the man called down. “If you’re with the Government, then no, I’m not; if you’re not with the Government, then no, I’m still not; if my personal assistant sent you, then I’d like out of this tree.” 

“We can arrange right now that you get out of this tree if you’re really Dr. Savas, as you so claim to be. All you would have to do is give us the word and you’re free as a bird. Of course, our help comes with a small fine. We’d like to know about the research you’re doing with Kleptos out here"more specifically the research revolving around the ruins.” 

“The first mistake you made was saying I claimed to be Dr. Savas. I never once said I was Dr. Savas. The second mistake you made was revealing your intentions to me. I’ll tell you this, boy, take it as some advise if you must, but I’ve seen many people like you: you’re ambitious and strive to make those dreams come true. The only thing you use Kleptos for is those ambitions, be it money, fame, fortune, power; whatever it is, you use the power of the Kleptos to see those dreams come true. In truth, you’ve come to me with nothing"no plans, no weapons, no nothing. Revenge (for lost families, homes, loved ones) is the only thing you really want, masked behind the bright goals and glory, that’s all it ever amounts to.” His eyes opened, staring straight into Cairo’s own golden eyes. They were pale blue, once a bright and rich color turned dull with age. “I can see it that you’re the same as them.”

“I lost things just as everyone else has. I won’t deny that part of my incentive for my goals stems from a deep hatred for the things I’ve lost, but my will to do this is another thing, which is the only thing that separates me from those many men that have passed through your eyes without a second thought. Those men needed you to continue on, but with or without you, I’ll still move forward and complete my goals. Maybe in the process I’ll even restore Cairo to what it once was, get the people moving back on the path they were originally supposed to take... or maybe I won’t. I always liked the idea of being a hero, though I’ve felt for a long time now that role never suited me. So then, Dr. Savas, do we or do we not have a deal?”

The man’s mouth twitched for only a fraction of a second. “You by far may just be the worst negotiator I’ve ever seen. I’ve always said that big goals ruin a person: You dream big, you fall harder. I’ve experienced it myself. It’s not a pretty thing seeing everything before your eyes crumble and shatter, stabbing you constantly as you helplessly watch the world around you die and fall into sin. People shouldn’t have to go through something like that, especially not children like yourselves. However, I’d like out of this tree. My assistant isn’t so nice as to send someone out to search for me, and since no one lives out here, I’m afraid you three are the only help I’ll be getting for some time. Get me out of this tree and I’ll tell you about the Kleptos research I’ve been doing.” 

Aerie jumped down from the camel, stretching her arms back. She didn’t look fatigued from the long ride like the other two men. Even the blinding radiance of the sun couldn’t make her flinch back as she looked straight at her target. “Dr. Savas, I hope you aren’t scared of heights.” 

“If I was, I wouldn’t be up here in this huge tree, now would I? Flying, on the other hand, I’m not so good with. I’m not sure how you plan to get up here, though. I couldn’t get up without a ladder. That’s been taken by some pesky animal awhile ago, if you’re wondering. Damn little bugger stole it straight under my nose!” 

“There’s no need for one of those,” Cairo answered, with a wave of his hand. “When she gets you down, please try not to scream, it damages her ears. They’re pretty important, so I do need to use them for later. Just keep that in mind.” 

Aerie ran forward at full speed. When she was two feet in front of the tree, she lunge jumped forward. Her foot hit the bark first, her hand second. She jumped once again, flipping onto the branch Dr. Savas was leaning on. He gazed at her with wide eyes and an open mouth.

“There-there’s no way such a thing…! No human could do such a thing. How could you possibly do that it was"” 

“Hand. I have orders to retrieve you. Comply or force will be used.” Aerie held out her hand to the doctor. He hesitated for a moment before placing his hand on her own. She pulled him to her, scooping him up in her arms like a child. Even though he was bigger than her with more muscle and weight, she lifted him like a sack of feathers, no effort to keep him held up showing on her face. With Dr. Savas in hand, Aerie jumped straight down from the tree branch the doctor was stuck on. Easily enough, she landed with a thump to the ground flat on her feet. Her legs bent into a squat before she straightened out and set the doctor down. 

Dr. Savas stumbled onto his feet, taking a few paces away from Aerie. Paying no attention to his behavior, she made her way back to Cairo’s side.

“What is she?” Dr. Savas asked, his voice dark and scruffy. “That thing is no human.” 

Cairo let out an irritated sigh, the rest of his face and body stayed completely static. He watched the doctor with a hard look for a few seconds before helping Aerie back up onto the camel. “You’ve researched them long enough, doctor, I thought you’d be the first to know when you see a Kleptos in front of you.” 

“Nonsense! There is no Kleptos who can be out of their card. Kleptos should only come out of their card during battles, not for trivial matters such as this"not even being in a transformed state, to take the form of a human. That is not in the nature of the Kleptos, nor is there any other Kleptos that can do this. Whatever that is, it’s no Kleptos.” 

“Aerie.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Aerie. Her name is Aerie. She’s not a thing"she’s my partner, and I’d appreciate it if you called her as so, doctor. I’ve explained this many times already, but she’s a Kleptos as I’m a human. I found her on the side of the road with her card in hand. To be honest, when I first activated her, I didn’t believe it myself, but she’s here"a living, breathing Kleptos.”

“Who was your trainer?” 

“I’m sure you’ve heard of her. Most people have. In fact, I’m sure you’ve personally had the pleasure of knowing her.” 

“Who are you exactly, boy?” The doctor's voice shook for a fraction of a second as his eyes stayed resolute on the raven-haired boy standing in front of him. As the seconds ticked on, even that passion of resolution that Cairo had caught in the doctor’s eyes was beginning to match his voice.
“My name is Cairo. I’m a Fire Mage, one of the commanders of the High Mages. I work directly with and under the leader of our Government, Xiucoalt.”

Dr. Savas took in a deep breath. The composure Cairo had watched edge away slowly regaining itself on his face. He shifted his eyes to the side, looking at the distance past Cairo’s head, though this time his eyes burned with something that looked like it was anything but finished"a fresh wound that never healed. “I told you that I wanted nothing to do with anyone from the Government, especially not a Fire Mage like yourself. It makes me sick to hear that title spit around with pride like it means something. The Government goes around to collect people who have talent with fire magic and forces them to work with them as a guise to keep their power under check. High Mages make my stomach knot up, but Fire Mages are even worse. You lot are the five most powerful people in all of Cairo, and all of you are rotten down to your cores--you abuse your powers and privileges withouting a care in the world for common folk!” A vile laugh erupted out of his mouth. “I’ve heard of you, though: The boy from the Government who was named after our country. You’re supposed to be some child prodigy with an amazingly strong Kleptos of Fire."  

“First you make rude remarks about my partner, then you not only criticize me but blatantly discriminate against me as if you haven’t done enough already to get me to hate you. Every person who’s alive has their own circumstances and motivations, doctor.”

“What is someone like yourself doing out here?”

“That’s not really the question you want to ask me.” 

“What do you want with me?”  

“I understand your frustration," Cairo said calmly. "I’ve heard about your experiences with the Government. We’ll say they weren’t pleasant. Regardless of if I work with the Government or not, regardless of if I’m a Fire Mage or not, I’m here for myself, you have my word on that. If you’ve heard of me then you know I travel, wander around the country doing all sorts of odd things, finding myself right in the middle of trouble. I’ve told you what I came for and what I wanted: I want to know about your research with the Kleptos in the ruins. That’s all I’m asking. After you tell me, you’re free to go, be on your way. Report me to the officials if you want if that will please you, more than half the people I meet do it. I’ll even dial the number for you before I leave. How about that? ” 

The doctor shook his head. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “The Ruby Jade. It’s an item that helps Kleptos control and expand upon their powers. No doubt that if you obtained that, your Kleptos would be much greater than it already is.” 

Cane took a step forward. “If you don’t mind me asking a couple questions myself, sir.” When Dr. Savas nodded, Cane went on. “I have to ask, is the Ruby Jade all that’s around here? In the Ruins, do you think it’s possible there’s a Kleptos card hidden in there? And with the Ruby Jade, what good would it do us to get it?” 

“The Ruby Jade is a powerful weapon the Government hid"locked away"in those ruins a long time ago so no one could harness its power. If you obtained it, there’s it’s a universal fact that you would have tremendous power. Judging by the looks of the girl, I’d say she’s powerful already. Maybe a level A or even S. If she can figure out how to use it, she’ll be unstoppable. As for the ruins, I can’t really tell you what’s inside of them. The Government never once let me in them no matter how many requests I made. Now that it’s protected, I have absolutely no way of getting into them, and since I don’t work for the Government anymore, the task is one-hundred percent impossible for me. There’s a chance there might be a Kleptos, a chance there might not be. I can’t say for certain, but I know you will at least get the Ruby Jade out of it. It’s located in the deepest room in the ruins. Air runs short in there, so you’d best hurry once you enter. That’s all I know.” 

“Why are you telling us this? I can tell you don’t trust me,” Cairo asked. “If the look on your face isn’t enough to let anyone know you’d rather feed me to one of these desert monsters, than I’m sure the venom in your voice would be. You act like I’m forcing this on you.”

“I can tell you don’t like me either. I’d say it all evens out. Trusting you and judging you are two different things. I may not know your intentions or your true involvement with the Government, but I can use my own eyes, however old they might be. I can see that you care for your Kleptos. You refuse to let her be lowered to a mere thing, defend her, and treat her like an actual human. Someone who pays so much attention to their Kleptos can’t be all that bad. I’m giving you a chance. All I ask in return is that you bring the Ruby Jade back to my office to let me examine it before you leave. You have a phone number to dial, after all.” 

Cairo let out a laugh, extending his arms behind his back. “That’s true. Wouldn’t want to waste that opportunity, now would we? You’ve got yourself a deal, doctor.”