The Burning Flowers

Chapter XV

Due to the disappointing performances of their son and daughter, Viiro and Acostav never returned to the luxury box, leaving Ilirianna to enjoy the rest of the fights with Grunly, Nakoma, and Headmaster Tykon. Overall, while there were plenty of strong performances by the first rank teams, there were few that truly compared to the cleverness and power displayed by Abigail and Ryokumo, though a part of her wondered if it only seemed that way because she wasn’t paying as much attention to the other teams. She was mostly lost in thought, for as impressed as she was by the two commoner mages, she was more than disappointed by Album Luz, in particular. It was well known that she wasn’t the strongest mage the Luz had ever produced, but it wasn’t until that day that it truly became clear how problematic Album’s condition was.

I mean, she hardly lasted five minutes. It’s no wonder Acostav was so upset.

Even Headmaster Tykon, who was already mostly aware of Album’s circumstances, hadn’t expected such a pathetic performance from her, and once Acostav was gone, he even admitted that he would have kicked Album out of the Academy then and there had she been anybody else other than the daughter of a Master.

“She’s going to get herself killed if she can’t improve,” Tykon had said to them. “Especially now that her team is first rank. They participate in dangerous assignments sometimes, and if Master Acostav’s daughter dies at my school, I’m gonna have hell to pay with that man.”

Naturally, Acostav couldn’t do anything to the headmaster if something bad did befall Album, but the girl’s death would certainly cause strain between the Luz and the Citadel—a relationship that was already rather unstable due to the nature of the Luz’s eraser power. Mistrust was natural between the Luz and the Iiji, and the death of Album while attending the school could very well cause that relationship to crumble to dust.

Which is why I hesitate, she thought to herself. That team was, overall, the most impressive display I witnessed today. But if I take them as the royal team, I would be putting Album at the highest risk of death. Is that a good idea? Is it worth the risk?

She didn’t know, and it was that fear that prevented her from making her decision. All through the remainder of orientation, she was stuck in an internal debate, with neither side gaining any ground, and by the time she returned to the Citadel after sundown alongside Nakoma and Grunly, she still didn’t know what to make of what she saw. That was why, once the three of them arrived on the silver lift, she decided to seek the advice of the Masters.

“So what do I do now?” she asked softly, addressing them both. “I know Mother and Father are both urging me to choose Nigreos and Album, but after seeing Album’s performance today, is it possible that doing so could cause more damage than we first thought?”

She glanced first at Nakoma, whose lips twisted in thought as he took a moment to find an answer for her. But the Master of Fire seemed unable to come to an immediate conclusion, and it was instead Grunly who was the first to respond.

“It’s certainly delicate now,” he muttered. “And I fear I might be unable to give an unbiased opinion. Obviously, I would love it if Abi’s team were to wind up under your command, and so with that said, I support you still going through and choosing them. But at the end of the day, you would be putting Album Luz in danger, and her death under your supervision would not be something Acostav could overlook.”

“Yes, I agree,” Nakoma added. “It’s unfortunately become a bit harder of a choice. The entire idea of having you pick them was to garner favor with Viiro and Acostav, but if Album gets herself killed while on a mission with you, it would only bring about the opposite.”

So they’ve both come to the same conclusion…

“To be perfectly honest with you,” Nakoma went on, “You’ll probably have to defer to the queen. I’m not sure how much of Album’s condition she was aware of, so this might impact her opinion on the matter. If she still thinks joining up with her is worth it, then I say you give it a try and deal with the issue mission by mission.”

As much as she loathed the idea of talking to her mother about the royal team any more than she already had, she also knew that Nakoma wasn’t wrong. At the very least, if something did happen to Album, then part of the blame could be hoisted onto Toranei, and she might not have to face the consequences alone.

“I’ll speak to her then,” Ilirianna said after a few seconds, and finally, the lift arrived on the residential floors of the Masters.

“Well, I wish you luck, Princess,” Nakoma called back as he stepped off the lift, Grunly following slowly behind him.

“Yes, as do I,” the Master of Nature agreed. “Good night.”

“Good night to you, too, Masters.”

She gave them a quick bow that they both returned, and once they had departed, she took control of the wind magic keeping the lift stable and began to rise even further, her own destination being the second floor from the top, where the royal quarters were located. Once she reached the golden corridors, she stepped from the disk and proceeded down the hall, wondering where her parents might be at that time. For her own peace of mind, as much as she vehemently did not want to have that conversation, she also knew that if she waited too long to speak with them then she would only risk making it an even more unpleasant discussion. Therefore, it was smarter to just grit her teeth and bear it.

Once she arrived at the throne room, she pulled open the doors and poked her head inside, only to find the room empty. Determining that they might be in the dining hall, Ilirianna closed the doors again and continued on, and when she reached her destination, she was satisfied to find not only King Markreas and Queen Toranei, but also her little sister and brother, Anna-Piura and Reigious.

The dining hall was a large room with a massive rectangular table that could sit around forty people comfortably at its center, taking up most of the space. Above them was a liquet chandelier charmed with fire magic to illuminate the room, and all around the walls were more of the same emerald suits of armor that decorated the outer corridors. She found her family sitting at the end of the table on the side of the room furthest from the door, with Markreas at its head, and Toranei sitting across from Reigious and Piura. From the smells of the room, she deduced that they were eating a dinner of smoked lamb and mashed potatoes. All four looked up at her entrance and her father was the first to speak.

“Ah, Liri,” Markreas greeted with a smile. “Welcome back. Take a seat and we can have some dinner brought out for you.”

“Oh, no thanks, Father,” she quickly interjected with a smile. “I ate way too much at the Academy so I’m okay for now. Thank you, though.”

Ilirianna crossed the golden room and took a seat on the side of the table beside her younger siblings. There was a subtle tension in the air, indicating that they were all anxious to hear what she had to say, though she imagined her siblings were more afraid that she was about to argue with their parents again, whereas her father and mother were probably preparing to try and force her decision, as if they all expected she intended to be defiant. The one who broke this silence was, as expected by Ilirianna, Toranei.

“So, have you made your choice?” she demanded sharply, setting her fork down and eyeing her eldest daughter with a firm look.

“Well…that’s hard to say,” she admitted, and was immediately fixed with an angry stare from the woman that silently demanded her to elaborate.

Since she had no reason to lie, Ilirianna went on to explain everything that had taken place in the match between Nigreos and Album’s team and Rennigan Glaus’s team. She told them not only of Album’s pathetic display, but also of how Nigreos went down to Fayela’s sudden attack and of the surprising strategies employed by Abigail and Ryokumo. Althroughout, not a single one of them interrupted, but she could see on the faces of her father and siblings that they were unsettled by this turn of events. Finally, with the story concluded, Ilirianna leaned back and sighed.

“So I’m not sure what to do,” she finished. “Nakoma said I should defer to you guys so that’s what I’m here to do. Are they still worth it? Or would it be best to avoid placing Album in any danger that might result in her death?”

Surprisingly, given how opinionated her mother usually was, Toranei didn’t say anything as her brow furrowed in intense thought, leaving it open for Markreas to be the one to voice his thoughts.

“This certainly is unprecedented,” he muttered, almost more to himself than to his family. “Not only is Album far worse than Acostav led us to believe, but there’s also the fact that the Noctalus children got upstaged by two commoners, one who's not even an Ijirian native. That’s not a good image for Viiro and Acostav.”

“Yeah, I know,” Ilirianna replied with a wry grin. “They were so upset that they left the stadium right after the battle. We didn’t see them again so I’m not really sure what they’re up to now.”

“And this Abigail,” Toranei inquired curtly. “She’s the one Edwar’s been following around these past few months?”

The eldest princess nodded. “Yes, she is, and to be honest, I can see why Grunly’s interested. Not only did she create a spell on her own, but she’s the one who set Nigreos up to take out Rennigan. Not to mention, she held off a rather talented rock mage by herself for a long time. She’s certainly talented.”

“And that’s especially true given that she’s self-taught,” Reigious chimed in with an interested grin. “If she gets proper training at the Academy, it sounds like she could be a force to be reckoned with.”

“That’s what Ed told me when we spoke yesterday, too,” Markreas added. “Though I didn’t expect her to live up to those expectations. If that old man is serious about trying to take her on as his apprentice upon her graduation, then perhaps it would be smart to choose that team regardless of Album.” The king leaned back in his seat and sighed as he reached up a hand to rub his temple. “As it stands, Ed is old. It’s not unthinkable that he retires within the next decade or so, and if he does mentor Abigail, then whether we like it or not, she’s the next Master of Nature.”

“So then does the plan change?” Piura asked softly, regarding their parents with curiosity. “Having to protect Album would be unfortunate, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s still going to be the eraser if she survives. Adding in Nigreos and Abigail as potential successors of the Masters, to me, makes it seem worth it, right?”

“Perhaps,” Toranei answered with a grimace. “Liri, tell me more about this Caeli boy.”

Surprised by the sudden question, Ilirianna hesitated and did her best to remember both his performance and what Tykon had said about him. “Well, he’s certainly a tough wind mage, that’s for sure. He took on two opponents by himself that were recommended by the Ring of Kraton and won, which was the deciding factor in Fayela’s loss.”

“So he played a role in beating three of his four opponents?” Reigious said. “That’s certainly impressive, too.”

“Yes, like I said, the commoners performed far above what I expected.” Ilirianna leaned forward onto the table and frowned. “In addition to that, Headmaster Tykon said he was recommended by the Lord of Jeysa. Apparently, Caeli worked as a mage for hire by the domain and was strong enough to gain acceptance.”

“So not somebody who would be a hindrance in the least,” Markreas stated. “And perhaps even somebody who could be integrated into the Korrei-Tarr if he continues to perform to these standards.”

The king then looked to his wife, seeking her opinion on the matter, and Toranei merely scoffed. “Well, this certainly does require thought. For the moment, Liri, consider potential backups and I will handle this myself. I’ll speak to Acostav and learn the exact extent of Album’s issues. Understood?”

Annoyed by the fact that her mother was acting like it was her decision, Ilirianna nevertheless conceded.

“Understood, Mother.”

With the conversation reaching an end, the eldest princess couldn’t help but glance to side at Piura and Reigious, but both shrugged, as if to silently say that they didn’t know what to do either. So for the moment, the decision was put on hold, leaving the members of the royal team still uncertain.

***

“You know this burden has to be yours, because Markreas would never allow me to give it to Eko as the next Master of Light. But if you can’t pull yourself together, then you will die. So why can’t you just do what I tell you to do?!”

Album was still fighting back her tears as she quietly made her way down the corridor on the bottom level of the first years’ dorm tower, her father’s words constantly echoing through her head, tearing at her mind and leaving her desperately wanting to scream. She was so furious at herself for once again letting her father down. Her failure had been avoidable, after all. If she had just paid better attention to how many roots she had eaten then she most likely wouldn’t have gone down the way she did. The only way orientation could have been worse would have been if Ryokumo failed to get the edge on Jessi and Hirokol. If not for him, her failure would have doomed her team as well.

Ryokumo…truly was amazing. I wish I could have seen the rest of the fight. The fact that he took them on alone just speaks to his talent. He may be a commoner, but he’s still leagues better than me. I’m such a waste…

All she wanted was to make her family proud. She wanted Acostav to look at her the way he looked at Eko—to be confident that she could handle the burden of the erased realm when the time came. Eko and Nigreos both embodied the ideals of what a Noctis and a Luz should be like, while she was a pitiful excuse for a mage, let alone a mage of their ancient city.

I’ll do better, she internally told herself. I’ll try even harder! We’re first rank, so I’ll have more opportunities to improve! I swear on my family name that I will become the daughter he wants…

Yet, as if to mock her resolve, Album came to a stop just before the lifts and froze, realizing that with her mana depleted from the day’s battle, she wouldn’t be able to use magic to levitate it. Instead, she would have to wait for somebody else to pass by and would once again be forced to embarrass herself. After what she did that day, she couldn’t afford to let it get out that she couldn’t even do something as simple as casting Ortumo on a lift.

“You need help?”

She jumped at the sudden voice, having not realized anybody else was in the room, and when she turned around, she found Ryokumo Caeli grinning cheerfully as he leaned up against the wall, though his cheeks were slightly red and he was wobbling a bit, as if unable to fully balance himself.

Is he…drunk? she wondered.

“W-what are you doing down here?” she stuttered, quickly averting her eyes for fear of what disdain he might direct toward her. It was her fault, after all, that Ryokumo was forced to pull off a miracle against Jessi and Hirokol, so it would only be natural that he would be mad at her. “I figured you would already be up at your dorm.”

Ryokumo laughed softly and pushed off the wall to approach her, shrugging nonchalantly as he did. “Well, you still hadn’t shown up by the time we got back and I could tell Abi was a bit concerned, so I thought I’d wait for you, just to make sure you’re okay.”

“Oh, er…?” For a few seconds, she found herself uncertain of how to respond. His tone threw her off guard, for she didn’t sense even a tinge of anger in it. Instead, he sounded just as cheerful and laid-back as he had been since they first met the previous day. There wasn’t a trace of blame in his voice and when she forced herself to look back up at him, his eyes were warm and comforting. “You…don’t have to worry about me, Ryokumo. I’m fine. I just…went for a walk, is all.”

“You’re fine, huh?”

He sighed, then stepped forward and reached a hand out to gently wipe away a tear that had just fallen from her eye. She was startled by how bold he was to so casually touch her, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the alcohol in his system was weakening his inhibitions or if the Sukonese were just naturally more open to physical contact. But regardless of the reason, she didn’t flinch back, finding the soft touch of his skin to be soothing after all she had experienced that day.

“You hardly know me,” he said. “We met yesterday, after all, so I’m not going to expect you to feel comfortable confiding in me. That being said…” His smile then returned as his hand drifted down to rest on her shoulder. “If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, mine is free.”

Ryokumo then strode past her, nearly tripping over his feet, before stumbling onto the lift. She quietly followed him, unsure of what to say as she moved to stand beside the wind mage, who was quick to cast Ortumo. The lift began to rise and, knowing they wouldn’t have much time, she sputtered out the question that she needed to know the answer to.

“Are you not mad at me?”

The man frowned then glanced down at her. “Mad? About?”

“About?” she parroted back, once again wondering just how drunk off his ass that he was for him to not even know what she was referencing. “What do you think? I left you on your own! I’m supposed to be a powerful light mage and I went down in just a few minutes, forcing you to fight them without me!”

“And we won, did we not?” he countered with a laugh. “All’s well that ends well.”

His response was flippant and casual, as if he truly didn’t believe her blunder was anything to worry about, and she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he was so okay with it because he didn’t believe he needed her in the first place. Perhaps Ryokumo Caeli was just that good to begin with.

Finally, the lift arrived on the fourth floor and Ryokumo cheerfully motioned for her to step off. “I’m the next level up so this is where we part ways, my friend.”

Album stepped off before sparing one last look back at him. “T-thank you…”

“Don’t mention it. Goodnight, Album.”

With a wave, the lift continued on upwards and out of sight, leaving her standing at an empty shaft for a few more seconds. “Yeah…goodnight…”

She exhaled meekly and turned to start heading toward her dorm room, Ryokumo’s words continuing through her mind as they joined her father’s in taunting her.

He doesn’t need me. He handled them alone without an issue and he’s not upset with me because he wasn’t counting on me in the first place. But maybe that’s for the best. Without expectations, I’ll never be able to disappoint him.

When she arrived at the dorm, she prepared herself to face Abigail next, then pulled open the door and entered into the main room to find her teammate sitting on the couch, her foot tapping anxiously against the carpet. However, upon seeing Album standing in the doorway, the young woman instantly bolted to her feet.

“Album!” she exclaimed.

“Uh, hey, A—”

But she didn’t get to finish her greeting before Abi rushed forward and threw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug, once again putting Album into a state of surprise. The girl’s body was warm and offered a similar sense of comfort that Ryokumo’s earlier touch had supplied.

“I’ve been so worried about you,” Abi went on. “After what happened at the match, I just…”

She trailed off and for a while, neither of them spoke, leaving Album wondering if she should embrace the girl back or not. She was shocked that Abi, too, would be so concerned for her after her abomination of a performance, but after a few seconds, Album realized that the reason for her lack of anger probably mirrored Ryokumo’s.

“Earlier today, I embarrassed myself when I utterly failed to raise the disk in the dorms and had to rely on another student to help me, so I certainly don’t have the right to complain about any drawbacks you might have. I honestly don’t know what Master Grunly sees in me. I’m a mess. So we can be useless together, okay?”

Those were the words Abi had said to her the previous day and at the time, they had given Album some strength. But now, she couldn’t help but look back on them with shame, realizing just how strongly she had been tricked, whether intentionally or unintentionally. .

Useless together, huh? That was all a lie. You were amazing today, Abigail. You set it all up for us to win, and your strategy paid off. How could you ever call yourself useless? I’m the one…

“Do not disappoint me again.”

Her lips tightened in frustration as she wrapped her own arms around her, accepting her comfort and holding the girl close to her as her tears began to fall once more.

I’m the one who’s truly useless…

***

The sudden and frantic knocking on the door caused Oharn Gaya to jump in surprise, having hardly expected any visitors at such a late hour. The blacksmith’s shop he owned had closed two hours ago and, having already sent his apprentices home, he had been in the process of confirming that everything was in place so he could return to his family and spend the night with his wife and daughter. It had been a long day due to a particularly large order placed by Lord Malloway in preparation of the upcoming birthday ball for the lord’s eldest son, who would be coming of age at the end of the month. Due to the order coming straight from Lord Malloway, Oharn had been under intense stress for the entire day as he and his apprentices frantically hurried to finish the final enchantments of the weapons in time for Captain Rotana Vesh to pick them up. Because of this, he was in a rather bitter mood, and his first thought was to go outside and tell the visitor to fuck off.

What stopped him from taking such a harsh approach was just how frantic the knocking was.

What the hell is going on? he wondered, reaching his hand down to the knife at his hip as he crossed the front room of the shop and carefully approached the door. Then, making sure to remain cautious and ready for anything, he unlatched the door and pulled it open a crack to peek outside, only for it to be suddenly thrown open. Fire magic surged to his fingertips and had the visitor’s face not come into view, he almost certainly would have fried him right then and there.

“We need to talk, Oharn,” came the soft and almost panicked voice of his oldest and closest friend, Dreek Willow. He wore a heavy black cloak over his large frame with the cowl pulled down so low that it was only because of Oharn’s rather short stature that he was able to recognize Dreek’s square jaw and thick eyebrows.

“Fucking hell, Dreek,” Oharn growled, allowing his mana to flow back through the rest of his body as he straightened up. “What in the living hell is wrong with you?”

But Dreek didn’t seem to hear him as he rushed to close the door and latch it before scanning the empty front room of the blacksmith’s shop. “Are we alone? Have Kalsey and Tira gone home?”

His dark eyes were wide and almost frightened as he desperately stared at Oharn for an answer.

“Yes, they’ve gone home,” he snapped. “Why does it matter? What’s got you so worked up, huh?”

Even Oharn was starting to get a bit worried now. Dreek had always been a confident and brave person, and in all the many years they had known each other, Oharn had never seen him come even close to the frightened state he was currently in.

So what could have scared him so much that he’d be shitting his pants like this?

“Listen to me, Oharn,” Dreek whispered, rushing forward and grasping him by the shoulders, his face coming so close that he could smell his breath. “Go home right now, get Kayla and Yori and get the fuck out of the city. You need to leave as soon as possible.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Oharn hissed back. “We can’t just leave! I’ve got the shop to take care of! Just calm down and explain to me what the hell happened?!”

“There’s a plot,” Dreek uttered, his voice shaking as his tone became so quiet that even at that distance, Oharn could hardly hear him. “I don’t know the details, but just this afternoon, around dinner, I was patrolling the corridors up at the castle when I suddenly overheard a conversation…one I was clearly never supposed to hear…”

The blacksmith narrowed his eyes. “And what did they say? Who was talking?”

“I…I’m not sure,” he said with a shake of his head. “They sounded familiar but I just couldn’t place them. I was too focused on their words, Oharn. There’s going to be an attack! A massive one! Some sort of reckoning… Somebody is leading an army to overthrow Malloway and claim Hiriech for themselves! They’re already in the city, in hiding, and all they’re waiting for is the designated time…”

“H-hold on a moment,” Oharn quickly interjected, preventing Dreek from rambling off anything more. “An attack? What the hell do you mean?”

“I mean an attack!” he repeated, more fervently than before. “Somebody is plotting something. They sensed my presence before they revealed anything else, but I heard just enough…and I think they might have seen me.”

“Alright, pull yourself together!”

Oharn’s mind was racing as he tried to debate just how much of Dreek’s words were true. He knew as a fact that his old friend wasn’t lying just based on the terror in his voice, but at the same time, an attack on Hiriech was utterly absurd. They were in the heart of the Ijirian mainland and so it would be nearly impossible for an army from one of the independent countries to reach them without first being detected. In addition, even if some rebel cell within the empire was going after the Great City, they’d never be able to hold it for long before the full might of Erika and its mages were thrust down upon them. It would be suicide to try and conquer then defend Hiriech, which is why he knew there had to be some misunderstanding.

“Think this through, old friend,” Oharn urged. “Who would be attacking us? Are you saying that someone in the castle is plotting a coup because anybody that attempted that would never keep the lord’s position for long.”

Dreek clenched his teeth in frustration. “But I…don’t think that’s the goal! From the way they spoke…it almost sounded like it was going to be an act of terror rather than strategy. They want blood to be split…”

Oharn furrowed his brow. Dreek was a member of the guard at Lord Malloway’s castle and had recently been promoted to vice-captain under Rotana Vesh, having gained that title because of his calm and rational mind, so it simply didn’t make sense that he would be so worked up. In addition, it was odd that the man would come to Oharn rather than taking this information either to Vesh or even to Lord Malloway himself.

“Dreek…” Oharn began once more, desperate to find some sort of proper answer, but before he could ask the questions of his mind, he could only stare as he attempted to determine if his eyes were deceiving him. There was a very subtle red glow in his skin, as if something inside of him were shining. “Are you okay?”

“I…” Dreek stumbled backwards, his breathing suddenly becoming heavy as the red glow started to increase in brightness. His eyes went wide, sweat quickly forming on his brow, and his body was shaking. “I don’t…”

“Hey! Are you causing this?” Oharn demanded. “What spell are you using?!”

“I’m not… I don’t… I’m not doing…ANYTHING!”

Dreek screamed out in agony as he continued to glow brighter and brighter, and Oharn feared that he was somehow burning himself from the inside. Bringing healing magic to his fingers, the blacksmith rushed forward to try and do something to help his old friend, who only continued to scream the most blood-curdling screams he had ever heard, his fingers grasping at his hair.

But Oharn had only taken two steps when Dreek’s body suddenly, and without warning, exploded in a violent blaze, fire bursting from within him and searing straight through his front. The heat singed Oharn and the pressure launched him backwards before he crashed into the wall. The explosion also sprayed flames around the shop as the windows exploded outwards, sending glass scattering into the street. Oharn cried out in intense pain but he forced himself to look up just in time to see Dreek’s charred and unrecognizable body collapse to the ground.

His friend had just exploded right before his eyes, leaving Oharn Gaya to gape in horror.

What…in the bloody hell…was that?