The Burning Flowers

Chapter X

Joined by the Master of Fire, Nakoma Taurus, Princess Ilirianna Iiji made her way up the staircase in the back of the Academy stadium that would lead her to the luxury booth overlooking the field down below. Two guards dressed in armor followed behind them as their personal security detail, though it was mostly for show rather than any need to actually protect them. Ilirianna and Nakoma were more than capable of defending themselves should anybody attempt to attack them on their way to their destination, a danger that was unlikely to begin with. When she was younger, Ilirianna strongly detested her mother’s rule that she couldn’t leave the Citadel without guards and that dislike had only increased the stronger she got. After all, she was supposed to be one of the most powerful fighters in the empire, so while Queen Toranei insisted that having an escort would strengthen her image, Ilirianna felt that it made her look weak and in need of protection.

But of course, it’s not like Mother would ever begin to consider to any reasoning I may have, she thought bitterly, sparing a quick glance over her shoulder and toward the man and woman acting as their shadows.

Ilirianna sighed, continuing up the rest of the staircase before coming to a guarded door at the very top. The soldiers waiting there instantly recognized both her and the Master, stepping aside and bowing before pushing the door open to admit them. The luxury box was a giant room that spanned half the length of the stadium’s western side, its front walls made of sturdy liquet that provided them with a clear view of the battlefield. Multiple cushioned chairs were set out in front of the windows and already she could see a handful of noblemen and women in their seats, chatting amongst themselves and enjoying the food provided to them. In addition to the private catering, there were a multitude of tables scattered throughout the room, providing space for people to eat and play card games while they waited for the matches to start.

The young princess stopped and took a deep breath, enjoying the scents of roasting meat, causing her stomach to grumble in anticipation of lunch. She was about to glance at Nakoma and ask where they should sit, but before she could even open her mouth to do so, one of the noblemen sitting close to the door jumped up from his seat to greet them.

“My Princess!” he exclaimed with a grin, stepping forward to bow to her.

She cringed at how loudly he spoke, and immediately, the luxury box fell silent as those gathered within turned to stare in her direction. However, knowing it would be rude not to return the greeting, Ilirianna forced herself to ignore the many eyes now upon her and bowed as well.

“Good afternoon, Headmaster,” she replied. “I hope you’ve been well.”

Headmaster Tykon rose back up and chuckled in a cheerful manner. “As well as I can be with the beginning of the year upon us, but I would say I’m handling it. In fact, with you present this year, I must confess that I’m eagerly anticipating your…decision.”

“Yes, and I’m sure you’re not alone in that,” Ilirianna said. “I, too, am excited to see what these students have to offer. Rumor has it that you have a very strong set of freshmen attending the school this year so I expect good things.”

“Yes, as do I.” The headmaster then turned to regard Nakoma, his expression shifting to one of nostalgia as he gazed at the Master of Fire. “And it is truly a pleasure to see you again, Master Nakoma. It has been quite some time, has it not?”

Taking that as his cue to enter the conversation, Nakoma smiled pleasantly and nodded. “Gosh, it has, hasn’t it, Reddick? Feels like an eternity since the last time I was able to come visit the school. When was the last time we spoke?”

Tykon considered the question for a moment then snapped his fingers and answered. “I would say it was probably the graduation roughly two years ago, when you came to pick out an apprentice. And tell me, how is young Plaseia doing these days? She was marvelously talented so I can’t help but wonder how she fared under your tutelage?”

“Oh, she’s been brilliant,” Nakoma replied, a hint of pride in his voice as he spoke of his apprentice. “She’s met my expectations and then more than surpassed them.”

“I believe it. I knew there was something special about that girl when I first met her. Truly a talent. Now!” He clapped his hands together and motioned toward the chairs behind him. “Why don’t I take you to your seats? It’s quite a momentous occasion to have so many Masters in my presence.”

Ilirianna and Nakoma followed behind the headmaster as he led them further into the box and soon enough, Ilirianna spotted the other Masters he referenced. Gathered in the front row of three just before the window were Masters Viiro Noctis, Acostav Luz, and Edwar Grunly, the former two quietly speaking to one another while the Master of Nature simply gazed down at the arena with a smile on his face. The princess couldn’t help but grin as well, for she hadn’t seen Master Grunly in a long time due to his extended absence from Erika. She had heard that he returned the previous afternoon but she hadn’t gotten the chance to go find him. In her opinion, he was the epitome of what a Master should be like and so she had a very good relationship with him. As they approached, the three Masters noticed them and once they saw Ilirianna, they all jumped to their feet and bowed before her.

“My princess,” they greeted in unison, and like always, Ilirianna returned the bow before responding.

“Good afternoon, Masters,” she said. “Good to see you all, and welcome back to Erika, Master Grunly. We’ve missed you.”

The old man laughed then winked. “Oh, I would hope so. And as much as I enjoyed my time on the road, I can’t deny that I was starting to long for the comfort of home.”

As Viiro, Acostav, and Grunly returned to their seats, Ilirianna sat down just on the Master of Nature’s right, with Nakoma and Tykon sitting down on her opposite side. Despite the pressure looming over her for the coming battles, Ilirianna couldn’t deny that her excitement was gradually increasing now that she was actually at the stadium. Through the window, she could see the stands down below, crowded with spectators, and even further below them was the arena itself, a two-hundred yard stretch of grass that would be the stage for the matches between the freshmen students.

“Well, it certainly didn’t feel like you were gone with all of the many letters you sent, Master Edwar,” Tykon said with a scowl. “Truly, it felt like a new message reached my desk every damn week. You’re nothing if not persistent.”

Grunly shrugged, indicating that he didn’t see a problem with his constant messaging. “Well, I found something I wanted and I was determined to have it. And while I’m sure I may have been a tad annoying, Reddick, I do have to thank you for humoring this old man.”

“Well, I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?” he retorted, resting his head on his fist as he stared back at Grunly. “If a Master requests it, who am I to refuse? I just hope this girl isn’t as disappointing as I fear she’ll be.”

“And what was her name again?” Ilirianna quickly inquired, eager to hear more about Grunly’s recent endeavors.

Her father had already told her a little bit about what Grunly had been up to, but all she knew was that the Master of Nature had gone up north to meet with some commoner girl that had allegedly created the spell they were now using to combat the Nolaria epidemic. As the months went on, more information about her reached Erika through Grunly’s letters, and they learned that she was a self-taught orphan, something that intrigued the princess.

“Abigail,” Grunly answered. “No family name, just Abigail. And I can assure you all that you will not be disappointed in her. Trust me when I say that I have found a once-in-a-lifetime talent.”

“I believe that much, Ed,” Nakoma interrupted, his tone sounding more than a little dubious. “I don’t think a man of your stature would have been chasing her around as long as you did if you didn’t think it was worth it. But I must ask…” The Master of Fire narrowed his crimson eyes. “Don’t tell me she’s a prospective apprentice?”

Grunly met Nakoma’s sharper tone with a smug expression and merely shrugged. “And if she is? You have all been badgering me nonstop for the last decade to find my apprentice, so if Miss Abigail fulfills that role, shouldn’t you be throwing a damned party that the Master you seem to think has one foot in the grave has a potential successor?”

Ilirianna couldn’t help but struggle to suppress a smile as Grunly so bluntly challenged Nakoma, for as much as she loved and respected the Master of Fire, she knew he could be a bit conservative and stubborn. However, it wasn’t Nakoma that responded, rather it was Acostav Luz who seemed to decide it was time to intervene in the conversation.

“Don’t pretend not to understand, Edwar,” he snapped. “She’s a commoner.”

“And?” Grunly quickly shifted his stern and challenging gaze toward Acostav, as if having been ready for him to give his unsolicited opinion. “You are correct that she is a commoner, Acostav. I’m glad your ears continue to function.”

“Stop playing dumb.” This time, Viiro was the one who jumped in to back Acostav and Nakoma, his deep voice calm and almost soft, as if he just wanted to shut them up so he could go back to whatever he was doing before. “A commoner has no right to serve as a Master. She has no family name. She has no prestige. She has nothing to her name.”

“Then clearly your ears fail to work,” Grunly retorted. “She solved a problem that those of us in the Citadel struggled to do, and she’s taught herself everything she knows! Yes, Abigail has no family name, but I’ll be damned if I sit here and let you pretend like she isn’t someone to keep an eye on.”

“I don’t see why you have to be so stubborn about this,” Nakoma grumbled, as if he, too, was already growing sick of the topic. “The Academy pumps out dozens upon dozens of talented nature mages every year—ones from far more respectable backgrounds than a wandering orphan. So why can’t you just pick one of them to train so you can retire?”

“Because I want to raise an apprentice I can be proud of,” Grunly stated firmly. “And I sense great things from this young woman. If she graduates the Academy and successfully fulfills my expectations, then I will make her my apprentice on the spot, no questions asked. There is nothing in our law that states a Master has to be highborn, correct?”

“Correct,” Ilirianna said before any of the other Masters could respond. “So if Abigail proves herself to be worthy, then she should be an apprentice. I see no problem with it as long as it’s what Master Grunly wants.”

Ilirianna’s quick agreement with Grunly silenced Nakoma, and while he clearly had more to say, he must have decided not to argue with the princess while in the presence of the headmaster. Grunly, on the other hand, was smiling smugly, nodding a silent thanks to Ilirianna that she returned with a proud grin of her own. However, while Viiro appeared like he’d already checked out, Acostav was the only one who fixed Ilirianna with a stern stare.

“No problem with it?” He snorted. “Princess, with all due respect, commoners are commoners for a reason.”

“And that reason is, Master Luz?”

Despite having been told time and again not to argue with the Masters, Ilirianna couldn’t help but to silently dare him to proceed with his point. She could tell that her words were scaring him into thinking she might choose Abigail’s team over his daughter’s, and since his personal goals were now in her hands, she knew she had some power over him. Part of her wanted Acostav to back down, but she was still oddly pleased when he didn’t.

“This world is not equal,” the Master of Light stated, as if it was an undeniable fact. “There are those born on the bottom and there are those born on the top. And as it stands, those positions are rigid and unchanging. You live with the hand you’re dealt and you accept that. But if you start appointing the masses to positions as grand and influential as Masters, you are sending the message that anybody can rise to power. Now what do you think that will do?”

“It will give them all the more reason to work harder to better themselves,” she answered without hesitation. “Knowing that with enough effort, anybody can live a life of luxury will simply inspire them to put their all into everything they do.”

Acostav laughed bitterly, and the look he fixed her with felt like he was staring not at a princess but at a foolish and naive child. “Perhaps. And I’m sure they’ll put their everything into overthrowing us when they can’t get what they want through other means.”

“Well, that’s a pessimistic way of looking at it,” she replied with a cheerless smile.

“No, it’s realistic,” he snapped back. “And the sooner you realize that this world should remain unchanged, the better.”

Ilirianna opened her mouth to retort yet again, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her, and when she looked back, Nakoma was gazing at her with a warning stare, as if silently reminding her of the many lectures she received urging her not to anger Viiro and Acostav. She didn’t say anything either, and when the Master of Fire was satisfied that she wasn’t going to press the matter any further, Nakoma spoke to all five those gathered around him.

“Look, enough bickering,” he said. “This is supposed to be a happy occasion. The princess is choosing her royal team, Nigreos and Album are beginning their training, and we’ll all get to see this supposed prodigy that Ed’s been watching over. So let’s all enjoy ourselves and save the debating for tomorrow.”

“Yes, I agree!” Tykon quickly added, and one look at his face told Ilirianna that he was already regretting bringing Abigail up in the first place. “I’ll have the staff bring appetizers and I have the finest of wines saved for this occasion.”

“Perfect,” Viiro said with a satisfied smile. “Much appreciated, Headmaster.”

With that, Nakoma successfully averted any further conflict, so Ilirianna leaned back in her chair and turned her attention back through the window as she awaited the promised food and wine. She couldn't help but spare one last look at Grunly, who upon noticing her gaze gave her yet another wink.

“Thank you,” he silently mouthed.

“Of course,” she mouthed back.

Then, with only twenty more minutes until orientation began, Ilirianna Iiji prepared herself not only for the task of picking her royal team, but also to see exactly what had caught Edwar Grunly’s eye.

Who are you, Abigail? And what can you do?

***

Standing on the cement walkway at the bottom of the bleachers, Abigail leaned on the metal railing and watched the battle taking place out on the massive field. Three fights had already come and gone, and they were some of the most terrifying and awe-inspiring things she had ever witnessed. There were so many different combinations of affinities, and there were plenty of styles within those affinities that set each and every combatant apart from one another. Currently, she was witnessing a team with two fire mages, a rock mage, and a wind mage taking on a team with two water mages, a nature mage, and a rock mage of their own. She had spent hours upon hours reading up on the various other affinities just for her own interest, but seeing them up close in a real fight had her utterly hypnotized.

Fire was ridiculously destructive and powerful, its heat sometimes even reaching the spot she watched on the edge of the arena. Wind was graceful and fast, hard to follow as they bolted around, never remaining in one place. Water was similar in its grace as the mages used the moisture in the atmosphere to their advantage, enhancing the water from their bodies as they fought with a mixture of water’s three forms: steam, liquid, and ice. Rock was the epitome of defense, their solid shells of stone covering the majority of their bodies, creating juggernauts that could take the brunt of the other attacks head-on and come out unscathed. To Abi, it was almost scary knowing she would be facing these affinities, but at the same time, the presence of dark and light magic on her side gave her some hope.

Though, I do worry I’m not going to be able to pull my weight. I don’t want to rely on the others for everything. I know offensive nature magic pretty well, and Master Grunly seemed confident, but can I really match the others?

She wasn’t certain, and that was the scariest part. At the moment, she was standing alone, having excused herself from Nigreos, Album, and Ryokumo so she could gather her thoughts in peace. It was nothing against them, but after spending most of her life alone, it was solitude that she was used to, and thus her mind was clearest when she was by herself.

Though, it's hard to call this “by myself” with so many people here.

The stands behind her were filled with the loud and excited cheers of the spectators as they, too, got invested in the battle taking place. She was told orientation was open to the entire city, so the audience was made up of the parents of the students, the people of Erika, and even visitors from beyond the capital who simply wanted to witness an exciting fight. The presence of so many people was just an added stresser for her, and her body was slightly shaking in anticipation of the match. Until a mere few minutes before it began, she wouldn’t know when they were fighting or who, so all she could do was repeatedly go over every spell she knew and observe the current warriors as she tried to come up with counters to the other affinities.

Rock is strong, but they’re mostly based on defending themselves. Any attacks that aren’t simple punches and kicks can only be initiated if their hands touch the ground, so keep a rock mage from doing that and they shouldn’t be hard to handle. Wind is fast, but in order to be as flexible and quick as they are, they can’t be that bulky or strong. Outpace them and all you need is one good hit to take them down. Fire is destructive, but that means that it can’t be used at close range or else they risk harming themselves, so keep a close distance and they can be beaten. Water I’m still unsure of though since their affinity has such a wide range of uses…

She nervously bit her lip, running everything she was witnessing through her head, and because she was so focussed, she didn’t notice Ryokumo Caeli’s arrival until he spoke.

“Deep breaths, my friend.”

She jumped, turning to her right to find the wind mage leaning against the railing just beside her, his smile flippant as ever. Exhaling softly, she chuckled awkwardly and took the breaths he suggested.

“Yeah, thanks,” she muttered. “I can’t believe you’re so calm with all this pressure on us. Are you really so certain that we’re going to be okay? I mean, not only is our beginning rank riding on this, but now we’ve got the princess here, too.”

Ryokumo shrugged, giving her the feeling that he truly hadn’t been exaggerating or putting up a front when he spoke to them earlier in the assembly hall. He truly was confident that they had nothing to fear, which made her wonder just what he wanted. Did the rank not matter to him as much as it did to Nigreos and Album? Did he know something they didn’t? Did he have a trick up his sleeve? Or was he really just an overconfident moron whose hubris was about to get the better of him?

I really don’t know. He’s hard to read, but my sense says I can trust him, so I guess I will. I don’t have much of a choice though. I’m stuck with him whether he’s useful or not.

“Stressing over things out of our control is a waste of energy, I find,” Ryokumo said. “We have our cards and now we play them with every ounce of confidence we can muster. I mean, we have a Noctis and a Luz at our side! Not to mention, a woman hand-picked by the Master of Nature.”

She was momentarily startled by his comment before reminding herself that Album probably told Nigreos, who almost certainly passed that information on to Ryokumo. Abi sighed, turning her attention to the fight taking place before her, another massive pillar of flame bursting from one of the combatants, its heat causing her to flinch back a bit.

“Well, I understand trusting Nigreos and Album,” she told him. “But don’t count much on me. Master Grunly was only interested in me because of my healing ability—an ability that won’t be of much use here.”

Naturally, the orientation matches were not about beating the opponents to death. Instead, each person was given a small pouch of little round pellets no bigger than a pebble that, once they touched an opponent, would instantly knock them out. Therefore, all you needed to do was hit an opponent with a pebble, so excessive use of force was prohibited. This meant the others getting injured was unlikely, and thus her healing skills would be useless.

“Perhaps we won’t need you to heal,” Ryokumo agreed. “But I doubt you spent so long out in the wild without knowing how to fight, yes?”

Abi nodded. “I can fight, but I just don’t think I’ll be anything majorly useful.”

“Have faith,” the man urged with a laugh. “Truly, between you and Album, our team has a bit of an inferiority complex we need to move past. You, especially, should be prouder of yourself, for you and I are almost certainly some of the few commoners in this school. It’s a damn pain for people like us to get accepted, so I know from experience that you have to be quite good to acquire the right attention, and you have Master Edwar Grunly of all people speaking in favor of you!”

“I…suppose so…”

As she meekly accepted that Ryokumo had a point, Abi watched as the team of mostly fire mages had their final fighter hit by one of the pellets, causing him to crumple on the spot. The crowd instantly erupted in cheers, leaving the team that won first rank with only their water mage and their rock mage left standing. The woman acting as the orientation’s announcer immediately jumped to reading off the names of the winners, but Abi hardly listened to what she said as she found herself fearing that even if they did win, she might be unconscious when it happened.

“You know,” Ryokumo began softly as they watched the teams clearing off the field. “I don’t think I can articulate how good it is to know there’s another commoner here at the school with me, and in my team of all places. I was a tad worried, given how the nobility turns their nose up at people like us. You know what I mean?”

“I do, yeah.”

In fact, she completely understood the feeling he was describing. When she first met him the previous day and realized he had a similar background to her, it was relieving. Nigreos and Album had both treated her well thus far, and Faye had certainly become somebody she could see as a friend, but she knew they were a minority. Most of the school would have similar attitudes to Rennigan Glaus, and dealing with that on her own would have certainly been tough.

“Thank you, by the way,” she said, turning away from the field and gazing up at the young man. “For jumping to my defense yesterday with Rennigan.”

Ryokumo grinned and shook his head. “Don’t thank me. You and I should look after each other. There’s no doubt in my mind that the pompous prick would have scoffed at your background, so it was my duty to turn his attention elsewhere. I will have your back where you need me to, Abi. If anybody has a terrible opinion of you that they wish to share, tell me and I’ll share my opinion of them.”

Abi laughed, feeling some of her fears easing as she interacted with the strange yet charming individual. “Okay, I will, so long as you do the same. If anybody decides to pick on you, I’ll go support you. You’re right. Let’s have each others’ backs.”

She extended her hand to him, knowing that he meant what he said, and Ryokumo was quick to firmly shake it.

“Agreed. Let’s do that.”

Then, as the caretakers of the arena finished clearing all of the damage the previous fight caused, the announcer’s voice echoed throughout the stadium, silencing the cheers and chatter of the onlookers.

“Now, to announce our next match!” she began, and when she did, Abi’s heart felt like it dropped just as it had during her previous four announcements.

She and Ryokumo both leaned forward with anticipation, and she couldn’t help but curse the announcer’s clear enjoyment of dramatic pauses.

“The first team that will participate in the next duel is the team of Ryokumo Caeli, Album Luz, Nigreos Noctis, and Abigail!”

Abi’s stomach churned as their names rang through her ears, and she swallowed back the anxiety that suddenly struck her. Ryokumo, on the other hand, was grinning broadly, telling her that he was thrilled their time had come.

But who are we up against? What affinities will we be dealing with? I’ve studied as best I can to try and counter every possibility, but was it enough?

“As for who they will be fighting?! Their team will be up against…” the announcer went on, seemingly painfully slow to the anxious Abigail.

Here we go…

“Rennigan Glaus, Hirokol Pafran, Fayela Rio, and Jessi Yuahl!”