Gus’s nose was running like a faucet. His eyes were watery, his fingers and toes entirely numb. His skin had gone bright red after entering the warm castle, stinging from the cold air it was used to after many hours. Most in this situation would be feeling quite miserable.

  Gus couldn’t be happier, though. A wide smile covered his face as King Marin escorted him to the doctor’s office. All the physical pain his body endured had been worth it. Gus had finally become an elemental.

  The fact kept echoing in his mind. He had a hard time believing it was true, but he knew it was.

  On the way there, Marin and Gus passed a maid. She was eyeing Gus as he looked sickly.

  “Do you have a blanket?” Marin asked the maid.

  She looked startled at the sudden question. “No, not on me, no,” she nervously responded, talking to the King for the first time in such a casual manner.

  Marin peered into a bedroom close by. No one was in it, and it was in perfectly clean condition.

  “Bring me that one on the bed, then go get another one for it,” Marin commanded.

  Without a thought, she ran into the bedroom, and ripped off the dark green wool blanket, almost taking the white sheet underneath with it.

  “Thank you, dear,” Marin said back as he took it from her. He wrapped it around Gus’s shoulders.

  Without saying another word to the maid, they continued on.

  “I can’t believe it, Marin,” Gus commented as they walked down the red carpeted hallway. “I can’t believe I’m an elemental now.”

  “Believe it, Gus. You did great. I just hope I didn’t make you too sick,” Marin worried.

  Gus grasped the blanket tightly around him. “I’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

  “We’ll still have the doctor look at you. I’d say for you to enjoy a hot bath or shower, but I don’t think your body would fare well with the sudden temperature difference.”

  They walked the rest of the way to Eisen’s quarters in the basement. When they approached the service desk, a large patient came out of the side hallway at the same time.

  When the castle denizen saw his King, he quickly hailed him, not expecting to see him at this time or place.

  “K-king Marin!” He declared.

  Marin shook his hand. “Good to see you. I hope all is well,” he responded in a service-like manner.

  “Yes sir! I am – well, I had been doing well. But as you can see, I needed help from the doctor,” he stumbled out.

  “Has he treated you well?” Marin asked.

  “Yes sir!”

  “Excellent, I hope you feel better soon. I will see you around.”

  As the fat man walked out with a farewell, Gus couldn’t help but comment on the situation.

  “Man, you have to talk to and shake hands with everyone. Doesn’t that get tiring?” He asked.

  “I’m the King, Gus. It’s something you have to get used to.” After Marin said that, he rang the buzzer again for Eisen to hear.

  “...REALLY?!” The doctor’s strangled voice could be heard echoing down the hallway.

  “It’s just us, doctor. Not another patient,” Marin yelled back.

  “Oh thank goodness. Come on in.”

  Gus could see how obvious it was that Eisen did not like being the castle’s doctor. As they both entered Eisen’s quarters, Gus got a first time look at how the doctor had set up his living quarters.

  “Gus!” Eisen declared, showing genuine happiness at the lad. He stood from his rolling chair, and directed him to sit at the patient table.

  As Gus sat, Eisen pointed the lantern directly at his face to get a better look.

  “Aha! You look like you’ve been trapped in a glacier for the last year,” Eisen commented as he studied him.

  “Feels that way,” Gus weakly responded.

  Eisen walked over to his desk of many tools.

  “Who was that previous patient you saw? What issue did he have?” Marin asked out of curiosity.

  Eisen let out a groan at the question. “He’s been seeing me every other day for diarrhea. I finally found out he is quite fond of spicy food, and that’s causing his issue. I gave him a simple ultimatum. Cut out the hot peppers or continue to suffer. He didn’t like hearing that!”

  The doctor returned to where Gus was sitting at. He had brought over a slew of utensils he used to study and view his patients.

  “Are most of your patients simple to take care of?” Marin followed up with.

  “Unfortunately simple. I’d like a challenge some day. I don’t wish anything horrendous on anyone, but I’d love to see an issue that gives me something difficult to solve.”

  He looked down Gus’s throat. After examining him a bit more, he leaned back.

  “Yup, hypothermia. Can’t say I’m surprised,” Eisen stated as he slung his stethoscope behind his neck.

  He grasped his long stubbled chin in thought.

  “Ah, speaking of, did you succeed in becoming a snowcone?” He added.

  Gus looked to Marin. He didn’t know the term. “What is that? An ice elemental?”

  “He is indeed,” Marin said on his behalf to Eisen. “His connection to the power plane was successfully bridged.”

  “I knew you had it in you, bud. Good job,” Eisen stated as he got up.

  “Thanks, doctor,” Gus responded while sniffling. “It wasn’t looking good for a while, but on my third trip I made it.”

  Eisen made sure Gus had no other threatening issues, then explained that the hypothermia would be easily taken care of with clean dry clothes and a few hours in front of a hot fire. After he was given the thumbs up from the doctor, Marin allowed Gus to head back to his quarters to recover and get warm. He let Gus know that his official lessons would begin in a few days.

  “And Gus, remember, I got you out of work for the rest of the week. That will give you plenty of time to relax and experiment with generating elemental ice.

  I figured whether you succeeded or failed from the priming process, you deserved some time off. Enjoy,” Marin added before he left.

  Gus gave his appreciation. He thanked Marin for all the training and preparation he had given him, then left the basement office.

  Marin and Eisen were now alone in the basement.

  “Seems like it was just yesterday I was treating his toxic stab wound,” Eisen stated.

  Marin nodded. “You saved his life. He wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for you.”

  Eisen waved dismissively. He didn’t want to hear it. “I feel as if it was for some greater purpose he’s still here. The boy has a lot of potential. And in gaining an element – something quite difficult for the average person – he has taken a big step into something grand.

  Keep him steady, Sullivan. Many who crave strength like he does ends up down a bad path.”

  Marin knew it to be true. This was the main reason he agreed to guide and teach Gus. He had to make sure Gus would grow into the defender he wanted to be. Not one of aggression and evil ambition.

  “Speaking of which, doctor. I do need to discuss the development of the immortality potion with you. I never did get a clear understanding of your complete motives with it,” Marin asked.

  Eisen chuckled. “Are we having that conversation now?”

  Marin remained silent.

  Eisen walked back to his rolling chair, and sat down besides his desk. He thought for a moment.

  “...It should be obvious, but the main reason I’m pursing your cure is for my own gain. I do indeed plan to take the immortality potion upon completing it. That is number one.”

  Marin wasn’t surprised to hear it. He was thankful though, that Eisen wasn’t trying to insult him with a fabricated lie.

  “At the same time, I’ve made a promise to see to it that you’re cured. I plan to uphold that in every way, seeing as it was you who revealed the potion to me.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Now, I know what you’re really concerned about. What else would I do with the completed formula once I develop it. You’ll be happy to know that I have no desire to utilize it in any other way. Once I am immortal, I couldn’t care less what becomes of the research.

  If you have a mindset to destroy it afterwards, by all means, do so. But I will leave that all to you.”

  Marin stood motionless, expressionless as he pondered the doctor’s words. Eisen stared back at his crystal blue lenses, wondering how he would respond.

  “I would highly recommend NOT taking the potion, Edward. But if that is what’s required for you to cure me, then I will allow it. You’ve at least put my worries to rest with the second half of your statement. I am relieved to know that you hold no desire to profit off of the potion, and will responsibly concede it to me. I can live with these terms,” Marin responded.

  “I thought you would,” Eisen smiled.

  Marin believed Eisen was making a mistake in desiring to take the potion, but he was not about to lecture him on why. Eisen was smart, and he knew half of the risks already. The ones he would never understand though, were the feelings and regrets Marin endured to this day. It was these that Marin wouldn’t be able to get across to him.

  “...How goes that sleeping potion?” Marin asked the doctor, ready to switch subjects.

  “All the ingredients have arrived. I’m in the process of brewing it in that side room over there,” Eisen pointed. “I’ll summon you when we’re ready to try it out.”

  Marin nodded. He might soon have his memory back. “Thank you for working on that as well. I’m anxious to know if it will do the trick for me.”

  “We won’t know until we try. The most we can hope for is that it doesn’t kill you.”

  That was quite the ominous statement.

  After a bit more conversation with his doctor, Marin departed as well, leaving the mad scientist to his tinkering.

  As Marin traveled up the stairs leading out of the basement, he shook hands with another citizen as they made their way down to see the doctor. Eisen wasn’t going to like that.

  Gus finally got his hot shower. The steam felt really good to breathe in as the water rolled off of him. After drying off and changing, he still was feeling the effects of the hypothermia. He brewed himself a tea with the barrack’s community fire before heading back to his room to sip on it.

  On his bed, he had his blanket wrapped tightly around him as he pondered everything that had happened.

  Eventually, he held his hand out before him, curling his fingers in and out. He had made ice form around them earlier today. Marin hadn’t yet told him exactly how to make more ice, but he figured he could give it a shot.

  He tried focusing on being cold, but that was the last thing he wanted to feel in this moment. After a few attempts at trying to picture ice to develop, he gave up, and sipped more of his hot tea.

  Marin would surely have the answers on how to do it. He always did. There was probably something easy he was missing.

  His fellow morning guards came to check on him after their shift was over. They had found out from asking Max that he was out of work for the rest of the week. They asked him why, but Gus did not want to share with them that he was technically an elemental now.

  He instead just told them he was sick, especially since he still looked like it.

  “You want us to bring you dinner?” One of them asked.

  “Nah, I’ll be fine. I’ll see you all there,” Gus responded.

  After a while of relaxing and pondering, Gus started to feel quite sleepy. He figured a light nap wouldn’t hurt. With all the tea in his stomach, he set the cup on his nightstand, and laid down to rest his eyes for a few moments. As he turned over, he thought about becoming a strong elemental and being a powerful asset to the kingdom.

  There was a knock on the door that pulled him out of his deep blackout. At first, he thought he had suddenly woke up from a dream. The room was dark. He lit the lantern besides him, and checked the time.

  There was another knock. Someone was definitely at the door.

  “Hello?” Gus said, wondering if Corey was checking in on him.

  “It’s Marin,” he heard.

  Gus bolted out of his bed, nearly tripping on the blanket that was still wrapped around his foot. His head was spinning, he was in a daze from the extended nap he unwillingly had taken.

  When Gus opened the door, Marin stood in his dark blue robes and mask, holding a bottle of fancy wine or champagne.

  Marin noticed Gus had just come out of a sleep. His hair was wild and his eyes weren’t adjusted yet.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were sleeping,” Marin stated.

  “No! No, come on in! I slept too long! What time is it?” Gus asked as he lead the King into his messy quarters.

  Gus began rapidly trying to clean up, picking the blanket up off the floor, and placing items back onto his shelves that had cluttered the whole room.

  “It’s nine o’clock,” Marin stated as he sat in a chair, watching Gus bounce around the room.

  “Nine?! Damn, I slept! I missed dinner!”

  “You’ve been asleep all this time?” Marin asked.

  “Sorry.”

  “No, don’t be. Give me one second.” Marin stood up and left the room for a spell.

  In the meantime, Gus scrambled to get his room into a presentable state for the King. He swore he would never let it get this messy, but of course, it had become that way.

  He tidied up quite well by the time Marin returned.

  “What’s going on?” Gus asked him.

  “I ordered a guard to bring you food. Someone will open the kitchen back up to make you a plate,” he explained.

  “Wow, thank you,” Gus stated, out of breath, as he sat on the other end of his table.

  “I figured we could celebrate your accomplishments. I usually spend this time in my own quarters with Loid or someone else, but I thought hey, why not visit Gus for an hour and propose a toast.”

  “That’s great!” Gus responded, his voice finally waking up all the way. “What bottle is that?”

  “Vintage 655. Wine from the Boizenberry in Suraad. Some say it makes for the sweetest drink ever tasted,” Marin explained.

  “Oh jeez Marin, I don’t think I should be drinking two hundred year old wine,” Gus tried.

  “Nonsense. You’ve earned this. I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer it to you.”

  Without waiting for a follow up response from Gus, Marin had already uncorked the bottle, sealing the deal for him.

  “You have a cup?” Marin added.

  Gus bolted out of his chair again, daring not to waste a single second of the King’s time. He scrambled to his shelf, moving items around until he found a dusty cup he hadn’t used in ages.

  He looked inside it, seeing it coated in dust. Gus wasn’t even sure if he had it cleaned after using it last, whenever that was.

  Facing away from Marin, so his King couldn’t see, Gus took one of his shirts, and wiped the inside hastily. That would have to be good enough.

  He sat back down with the simple drinking cup.

  “Very good,” Marin declared as he poured the velvety purple liquid into the glass. “Try some of that.”

  Gus lifted the cup, and sipped it.

  It was probably the most sweet drink he ever had. He wasn’t a wine connoisseur enough to analyze the layers of flavors, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

  “It’s really good. Has good aftertaste,” Gus said, trying to sound sophisticated.

  “I’m glad you like it. I haven’t had this stuff since… Hmm… Well, it’s been a while,” Marin somberly stated.

  “Do you want some?” Gus asked.

  “No, no no. I can’t drink this anymore. I’m not… able.” He responded, staring at the label on the bottle.

  Every once in a while, Marin would give Gus an odd statement that would make him think there was something far more to his King than he realized. This was another one of those moments. Usually, Gus respectfully let the statements lie, but for once, he tried following up on it.

  “Why aren’t you able to?” Gus dared to ask.

  Marin thought for a moment as he tapped his finger on the table.

  Gus waited in anticipation. It seemed like Marin was actually weighing whether to let him in a deep secret or not.

  Before anything could be said though, there was a knock on his door.

  “Ah,” Marin said. “That must be your food.”

  Both of them stood up at the same time to get the door, but since Marin was closer, Gus stayed in place as the King grabbed the door.

  He thanked the guard as he took the plate of food from him.

  Marin closed the door, and presented the dish of hastily assembled cuisine to Gus on his table.

  “Enjoy!” The King declared.

  Gus sighed, then sat down and began eating. In between bites, he drank more of the wine. After feeling awkward eating in silence for a few minutes, Gus began talking.

  “So how do I actually use my element?” He started saying while gathering another spoonful. “Do I have to keep feeling cold to make it work?”

  “No. Not at all. That was only to bridge. Now you just practice transferring the ice to this realm from that one. That’s essentially all you’re doing. There’s many creative ways to do it, that’s how there is unique skills,” Marin explained.

  “How do I do it?” Gus said with a mouth full of food.

  “The power plane is all around us, Gus. Just ask for it.” Marin held his hand open, and ice began to form in it.

  Gus quit eating for a second as he marveled.

  He held his hand out. “...Dear power plane…” He joked.

  “No, no. Just think it,” Marin told him.

  Gus thought maybe Marin was also joking, but decided to indulge him. He stared at his hand for a second, and began to focus.

  A moment went by.

  Then suddenly, ice started coating his palm.

  “HOLY MOLY!” Gus cried out as he quickly shook his palm, knocking the ice away. He looked at his hand again, bewildered.

  His reaction reminded Marin of when he first noticed his undead decayed hand when he woke up again.

  “It’s that simple?!” Gus asked.

  “It’s deceptively simple. It’s one of those ‘easy to learn, impossible to master’ things.”

  “Like chess!” Gus yelled.

  “Like chess,” Marin confirmed. “The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it. The way you get different types of ice is how you ask for it. I’ll teach you over time some of my moves.”

  “This is great, Marin! I’m so excited.” Gus had completely forgotten about his food as he tried making ice form on his hand again.

  “Good, keep practicing Ice Form for a while, and later, I will start a lesson with you.”

  Marin stood up, getting ready to leave.

  Gus finally pulled his attention away from his hand as he noticed his King preparing to depart.

  “W-what about the rest of your wine?” Gus asked as he grabbed the bottle.

  “It’s yours, Gus. Enjoy it. I’ll see you later,” Marin said as he pulled his gloves up higher over his arms.

  “...Okay. Bye!”

  With that, Marin left. He closed Gus’s door behind him, and began walking down the hallway back to his own quarters.

  Gus was on his way to something great. Marin had the task to guide him. He just prayed that he would do the boy right.