The Burning Flowers

Chapter X

In Nigreos’s imagination, the moment that the princess declared him to be apart of the royal team should have been one of the most thrilling moments of his life. Ever since he was small, he had dreamed of rising up to take his place in the Citadel, and when he learned that Ilirianna was seeking a team from the Academy, he had truly believed that his greatest chance of forming a relationship with the Iijis had presented itself. Regardless of his and Album’s less-than-ideal performance at the orientation match, Nigreos still believed that their chances of getting selected were high. It was all he had been able to think about ever since his father informed him of Ilirianna’s intentions. He had spent his life working for a chance like this, and in Headmaster Tykon’s office, the moment finally arrived. Ilirianna had chosen them, and so he should have been elated and relieved.

So why do I feel like shit right now? he asked himself. Back there… The Princess hardly looked at me, and only spoke directly to Abi and Ryokumo. It was almost as if she were selecting them, and Album and I were simply there because we were their roommates.

As the four of them departed the office, they made their way back through the Administration Building in silence, and Nigreos could tell just at a glance that they were all deeply lost in thought as each of them attempted to process what had just happened. It was, after all, a life-changing announcement, and while Nigreos and Album had expected it, Ryokumo and Abi had been completely in the dark. Being a part of the royal team meant they would have a direct relationship with Princess Ilirianna, and it was tradition that the members of the royal team were given high-ranking positions in the Citadel after graduating.

King Markreas’s team consisted of the current queen, the Masters Koroha Rihtta and Nakoma Taurus, as well as the current Vice-Captain of the elite Korrei-Tarr. All four members were now some of the most respected and powerful individuals in the city, so Nigreos could only imagine what this chance could mean for his own team. Naturally, he would be Master of Darkness and Album would become the Luz Eraser, but there were a plethora of different paths for the other two. Abi may very well become Grunly’s successor, and Ryokumo was already so ridiculously talented that he could wind up anywhere he wanted. Unfortunately, since Koroha already had an apprentice, the Master of Wind was an unlikely possibility, but Nigreos could easily see Ryokumo joining the Korrei-Tarr or something along those lines.

Hell, Ryokumo, in just today alone, you may already have your cozy and enjoyable life ready and waiting…

Once they arrived back outside and were on their way in the direction of the dorms, the silence was finally broken, and the one who spoke was the one Nigreos had expected to.

“Well, if none of you feel the need to say anything then I will gladly be the one to break the ice,” Ryokumo chirped. “What in the living hell just happened?! Did I dream that? Have I gone crazy, or were we just recruited by the princess of Ijiria herself?! Album, pinch me!” Obliging, the girl reached out and gently pinched his arm, to which Ryokumo could only shake his head. “Nope, haven’t woken up yet!”

Despite the uneasy feeling in his stomach, Nigreos couldn’t help but chuckle at Ryokumo’s shenanigans as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his uniform. “Well, it seems that was real, after all. We’re going to be the royal team.”

“That just…” The wind mage laughed softly to himself, and Nigreos took some pleasure watching him remain at a loss for words. “So what does that even mean? We’re just gonna be galivanting around with the heir to the damned empire?!”

Even though Nakoma had said that they didn’t need to hide the fact that they had been selected, Nigreos still couldn’t help but glance around the pathway and ensure that there weren’t any students around to hear Ryokumo’s rather loud exclamations.

“Yeah, that’s the simple way of describing it,” Album muttered. “And it means that the princess sees value in having us close to her. In a way, she’s now the technical leader of this team, and we’ll be answering to her.”

Nigreos glanced sidelong at his roommate and frowned. “How much do you know about the royal team tradition?”

“All I know is what the princess said back there,” he answered. “In fact, until just now, I didn’t even know it was a thing! So the princess just picks a group of freshmen and adopts them?”

“Well, it’s not that simple,” Nigreos corrected, then proceeded to explain a bit of the history of the Iiji heirs and their royal teams.

Ryokumo listened intently, and as he spoke, Nigreos could see the understanding properly dawning in his eyes as the weight of what actually happened settled onto his shoulders. Occasionally, he would also glance at Abi, who hadn’t yet spoken since they left, but the young woman was mostly staring off into space.

“You’re kidding me,” Ryokumo uttered to himself. “Then we’ve already won at life, yeah? As long as we don’t disappoint the princess to the point that she abandons us, then we’re set! I mean, you and Album were already set, I suppose, but me and Abi having Princess Ilirianna in our corner is going to be invaluable!”

As Ryokumo continued to get more and more excited, Nigreos couldn’t help but to recall his words back in Morwhat’s Den, and when he did, a soft smile turned the corner of his lips as it properly processed just how much this meant to a man like Ryokumo Caeli, who had worked his ass off for years just to barely scrape by.

“That’s all. I just want to eat well, sleep well, and live happily.”

I’m glad this worked out for you, Ryokumo. And I don’t think you have to worry about disappointing Ilirianna. She won’t drop us, and if she does, it won’t be because of you. You’re one of the best mages I know, so I’m happy for you.

“Nigreos, Album.” Abi suddenly spoke in a soft voice, drawing the eyes of the two Noctalus towards her. “Be honest with me. You knew something like this was coming, right?”

Her question caused Nigreos to tense up a bit, but her gaze wasn’t accusatory as much as it was curious, and knowing it wouldn’t be right to lie, Nigreos answered her question honestly.

“Yeah, we did. Our fathers told us about it the day we got to Erika, so we knew how much was riding on orientation.” He sighed. “I honestly would have said something, but we were ordered to keep it quiet, and when the Masters of Darkness and Light tell you to do something, you do it. That being said, I am sorry I hid it.”

But Abi quickly shook her head and smiled. “Oh, don’t apologize! I was just curious. You both have seemed a little out of it the past week, and it definitely felt like you knew something we didn’t. I just wanted to check.”

“Ah, so that’s why you were so down, Album,” Ryokumo added. “I mean, I understood why you would have been upset and all, but this makes a lot of sense.”

Album looked away guilty as she absently fiddled and twirled her fingers around one another. “Er, yeah, it definitely added to the stress. And my father did say that we would have been picked sooner if I hadn’t screwed up so badly. Now, I’m just…well, I’m worried that I’ll just be a burden. I didn’t expect to have a mission right off the bat.”

“Yeah, that was a shock to me, too,” Nigreos grumbled. “Even we don’t have any more context to the supposed birthday celebration than you guys do. All our fathers told us was that we would have a mission coming up, but neither were able to say anything more. Hiriech, huh…?”

I wonder what we could be investigating in the riverlands of all places? I like to consider myself well versed on the current events of the major cities, but as far as I know, the only significant thing going on in Hiriech is the ball. Aeyir Malloway is coming of age, and since he’s the lord’s eldest son and heir to the castle, it’s naturally been all anybody’s talking about down there. So what could be happening? An assassination attempt, maybe? Is somebody trying to kill Aeyir? Or maybe even Lord Malloway?

Nigreos had been to Hiriech once when he was around six, so he didn’t remember much of it. He had gone with his mother on a diplomatic trip to discuss some trade agreement between Hiriech and Noctalus, and since Aeyir was just a little younger than him, he recalled that they had gotten along quite well. That being said, it wasn’t like the Malloways held much sway over Ijirian politics, and were even widely considered to be the weakest of the City Lords when it came to influence.

So what reason would anybody have for trying to kill them? It just doesn’t add up, but then what would we be investigating? And then there’s what Master Taurus said…

“By the way, I’m not well versed on how the Citadel works, but I’m a bit confused. Shouldn’t the High Council know we’re doing this? I thought Masters couldn’t do anything without the permission of both the Iijis and the Council?”

Seemingly reading his mind, Abi asked the very question that had been bothering Nigreos.

“Yeah, they should,” Album murmured, her brow furrowing in confusion. “So the fact that we seem to be doing this behind their backs makes me wonder just how threatening this assignment is. I mean, if King Markreas and the Masters are going to risk lying to the Council, then how bad could this be?”

She directed her question at Nigreos, and though it was something he had considered, he still didn’t have an answer.

“But, hold on,” Ryokumo interrupted. “If it’s so dangerous, why would they need to lie to the Council? Wouldn’t they also want to prevent anything bad from happening?”

Nigreos internally grimaced. “Normally, yes, but our current High Council is very uncooperative. You see, Rennigan’s father, Kloras, has been very adamant about standing in the way of every single action the Iijis and the Masters have tried to take. It doesn’t matter how illogical it is.”

“What, why?” Abi asked. “I mean, I’m all for regulating the Masters, but if it’s illogical then…?”

Ryokumo snorted. “Well, if he’s Rennigan’s father, then I suppose I wouldn’t expect logic from the bastard.”

“Yes, unfortunately, it’s all a political stunt,” Nigreos explained. “Kloras has been quite effective in instilling fear of the Masters’ power in other members of the Council, and my father believes he’s trying to take as much freedom as he can from them. Some think he’s scared of how strong they are, and others think he just seeks to steal power. If the High Council calls all the shots and Kloras succeeds Orland, then he could have more power than even King Markreas. To him, it’s just his way of legally usurping the throne, but there’s very little we can do to stop him.”

Abi shook her head in clear bafflement. “So you’re saying that regardless of the circumstances, Kloras Glaus will prevent the Masters from acting?”

“Yup,” Nigreos confirmed. “So if whatever is going on in Hiriech is so dangerous, the only way to handle it will be to lie. That’s probably why we’re going. It’s to make the Council believe that Master Taurus and Princess Ilirianna are merely attending Aeyir Malloway’s birthday.”

“Ah, and then we can investigate behind their backs,” Ryokumo said. “Interesting. Then I suppose I understand why they didn’t tell us much back there.”

“Exactly.”

With that, the conversation was forced to abruptly end since Abi and Album both had a class they needed to attend at that time. With each of them once again contemplating what they had gotten themselves into, Abigail and Album headed off in the direction of the classrooms while Nigreos and Ryokumo continued back to the dorms. The former didn’t have class until the afternoon while the latter still had over an hour until his, so they opted to just return to their room and relax for a while. As they walked, Ryokumo began talking his ear off about his theories for the mission, but Nigreos’s mind had already begun to wander back to the meeting in the office.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I can’t get it out of my head. Ilirianna didn’t seem interested in me and Album at all. It was like we weren’t even there. Were we that disappointing? Did we embarrass ourselves so much that she just doesn’t care about us?

He didn’t want to let his anxiety get the better of him, but after spending so much time agonizing over what Ilirianna might do, it was disheartening to be so thoroughly ignored. However, at the same time, it managed to light another fire under him.

If that is the case then I guess I just need to use this mission to impress her. Regardless of whether she’s more invested in Abi and Ryokumo, I’m still on the royal team, meaning I have plenty of chances to earn her respect myself! On this trip to Hiriech, I will impress Ilirianna! I have to…

Once again, he reminded himself of why he wanted to be on the team in the first place. As the future Master of Darkness, having a relationship with Ilirianna was important, but what was even more important to him was the resources she could offer. He was already determined to save Neah, but his little sister’s recent collapse only reminded him of how real the threat was. Those with Hell’s Shadows never reached adulthood, so he only had so much time left.

I can’t let this get me down! I’m going to save Neah!

He was so stuck in his own thoughts, that he didn’t process where they were, and it was only once Ryokumo called out the word, “Glaus!” that Nigreos returned to reality and found them standing on the fourth floor of the dorm tower, with Rennigan walking towards them, scowling at Ryokumo with clear irritation.

“Good morning, Glaus!” Ryokumo greeted excitedly. “How are you doing today? I heard through the grapevine that you had a marvelous duel with Pafran and Yuahl, yes?”

Rennigan snorted and turned a vicious sneer towards the both of them. “Piss off, Caeli.” It seemed as if the man intended to just press on and ignore them, but he suddenly stopped in his tracks and scoffed, as if recalling something. “So what’d you idiots do to get called to the Headmaster’s office? Did you get expelled already? It’s only the second week, you know?”

Oh boy, here we go.

“Ryokumo, don’t—”

But of course, Nigreos wasn’t fast enough to stop Ryokumo from boasting as he fixed Rennigan with a shit-eating grin.

“Oh, why were we called, you ask?” he parroted wryly. “Well, as it so happens, we were summoned to speak not to Headmaster Tykon, but to the lovely Princess Ilirianna, who just had to tell us how amazing of a job we did kicking your pale ass at orientation!”

Rennigan narrowed his eyes, clearly believing Ryokumo to be lying. “Ha! Is that the story you’re going with? Give me a break, Caeli. You could have at least tried to find a more believable lie!”

“But Rennigan, my friend, it is true!” Ryokumo retorted. “And as a matter of fact, we have been selected as the princess’s royal team! Truly, we couldn’t have been given a more noble and respectable job!”

The water mage rolled his eyes then glanced at Nigreos, as if seeking some confirmation that Ryokumo was lying, but Nigreos opted to just stay silent. Nakoma said they didn’t have to hide it, but that didn’t mean he wanted to go parading it around. When the official announcement was made, Rennigan could know the truth.

“Very well, Caeli,” he snapped as he irritably stalked past them, ensuring that he bumped Nigreos on his way. “Keep it to yourself then.”

He and Ryokumo watched the man leave, with the latter looking quite satisfied with himself.

“He’s going to be shitting himself when the official announcement is made,” Ryokumo mused. “God, I hope I’m around when it happens! I’m sure it’ll be a hell of a sight!”

Nigreos shrugged, and couldn’t help but feel bad for what such an announcement might do to the state of Rennigan’s already unstable team.

Apologies, Rio. This certainly isn’t going to help your situation. You have my condolences.

***

“So, what did you make of them in person?” Ilirianna inquired as she and Nakoma rode the Citadel lift up toward the top floors of the tower. “As far as first impressions go, I think I like them.”

Nakoma sighed and fixed her with an exasperated stare, which immediately told her what he was probably going to say. “Princess, don’t think I didn’t notice what you did back there. Hell, I’d be shocked if anybody present didn’t pick up on the slight. What were you thinking?”

Based on Nakoma’s demeanor ever since they departed the Academy, she had a feeling she was going to have to suffer a lecture for what she did, but even knowing that it was inevitable, she still couldn’t help but dig her heels in and play at being ignorant.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “I don’t see anything wrong with that conversation. We met them, we recruited them, and thus, everything went as planned, right?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Nakoma muttered as the lift arrived on the golden corridors of the royal level. “You hardly even looked at Nigreos and Album. It was clear to everybody that you had no interest in them, and if that gets back to Acostav and Viiro, how do you think that will look? The point of this team is to develop relationships with them, and you’ve already insulted the poor kids. So I’ll ask again, what were you thinking?”

Ilirianna stepped from the lift and turned around to face him, folding her arms defiantly across her chest. “What was I thinking, hmm? Well, I guess I was thinking that I had nothing to say to them. At the end of the day, I’m more interested in Abigail and Caeli, so I wanted to take that chance to speak with them. I’m sure I’ll get to know Nigreos and Album on the trip, so…?”

“Liri…” Nakoma put his face in his hands and sighed again, and this time, she couldn’t help but feel a little bad about embarrassing him like that. “This is not the foot you want to start on. Do not forget what your mother is constantly telling you. Nigreos and Album are valuable allies and—”

“Yes, yes! Master of Darkness and Eraser and all that.” She slumped her shoulders and glanced away. “I know, Nakoma, I know. I’ll keep it in mind.”

The Master of Fire regarded her for a long moment and she could tell that he was attempting to deduce how truthful she was being, and whatever conclusion he drew, he kept to himself as he shook his head.

“Good night, Princess.”

“Yeah, good night.”

She watched the lift descend back down for a moment before turning and making her way down the halls and in the direction of the royal quarters. As she walked, her thoughts shifted between the trip to Hiriech and her new team. It had been a long time since she had departed Erika on a mission, and this time, she was primarily in charge. Of course, Nakoma would call most of the shots, but as far as the Academy students went, they served Ilirianna specifically, and so it would be her job to keep them in line and ensure that they didn’t mess anything up. At the end of the day, as impressive as they were, they were still freshmen students, and this was going to be a very delicate situation.

Though, I’m sure Nigreos and Album are well aware of that. As much as I’m not particularly interested in them, they will be quite useful as far as their understanding of Ijirian etiquette is concerned. Caeli isn’t from this country and according to Grunly, Abigail doesn’t know much about how the Cities work. Yeah, I’ll certainly have my hands full.

Yet, even knowing that, she still found herself excited for her first assignment with her new team. The drama surrounding the actual selection had distracted her from the fact that, after spending so many years knowing she would have a team someday, that time had finally arrived. Her parents had talked a lot about their days as a team, as had Nakoma and Koroha, so it was oddly surreal that she now had her own.

Nigreos, Album, Abigail, Ryokumo… You four are now going to be a significant part of my life. My father married one of his team members and the other three became dear and irreplaceable friends. It’s possible that these four will become like family to me someday. So in that sense, Nakoma’s right. I shouldn’t be so petty with Nigreos and Album.

When Ilirianna arrived at her quarters and went inside, she glanced around only to find Reigious and Piura sitting on the couch, softly chatting with one another. Upon her entrance, they glanced up and smiled expectantly, so Ilirianna didn’t force them to wait any longer.

“Well, it’s done,” she stated, moving across the room to flop down between her siblings. “Royal team acquired.”

“And it couldn’t have taken longer!” Reigious teased with a grin. “So what do you make of them now that you’ve officially met, Sis? You got a good group on your hands?”

Ilirianna shrugged. “Dunno, Rei. I talked to them for ten minutes. This trip to Hiriech is going to be what decides that.”

“And how are you feeling about that trip?” Piura asked nervously. “I mean, Father didn’t tell us everything, but it seems like you’re going to be walking a very thin line here. If your real intentions are exposed, well…?”

The eldest princess leaned back on the couch and grimaced, Piura’s words weighing on her. “It’s going to be a balancing act, that’s for sure, but Uncle Nakoma and Master Rana are both going to be present, so if anything goes wrong, we’ll have them to help us. I’m nervous, yes, but I’m also excited.”

Piura frowned. “Excited?”

“Yup. How could I not be, after all? This is my first mission with my royal team. This will decide it.” Ilirianna inhaled deeply, her eyes going distant as images of what the future could be like ran through her mind.

“So naturally…I’m ecstatic.”

***

Rennigan Glaus burst from his dormitory and furiously strode down the corridor in the direction of the lift, more livid than he had ever been in his life. Behind him, Hirokol was attempting to speak to him, most likely urging him to keep calm, but the water mage tuned him out and ignored him, his full attention dedicated to his current task. Earlier that day, when Ryokumo started bragging about his team’s alleged conversation with Ilirianna Iiji, Rennigan had truly believed that the man was full of it, so when Headmaster Tykon made the school-wide announcement declaring that the eldest princess had selected her royal team from among that year’s freshmen, and that her selection had been the team of Nigreos Noctis, he felt as if he was going to pass out from horror. He just didn’t understand how it could be possible.

I didn’t even realize that the princess was in the process of selecting her team! What the hell is this?! Of all the people to get handed this honor, how could it possibly be Nigreos Noctis and Ryokumo Caeli?! How the hell am I supposed to surpass them now if they’re working under Princess Ilirianna?! This just isn’t fair! It isn’t fucking fair!

“Glaus, hold on for a damn second!” Hiro urged as he and Rennigan stepped onto one of the lifts. “Just calm down!”

“Shut the hell up, Pafran,” he spat, then cast Ortumo and lowered them down to the level immediately below.

He could feel Hirokol’s glare but he simply continued to ignore him as he silently stalked toward his destination, their soft footsteps against the carpet sounding louder to him than they probably were. After another few moments of walking, the two of them arrived at the door to Faye and Jessi’s dorm room, and Rennigan didn’t hesitate to slam his fist against it.

“Rio! Yuahl! Open up!” he snapped, earning yet another pissed expression from his roommate.

He only waited a few seconds before Jessi answered, but before she could get even a single word out, Rennigan shoved past her and walked into the room, tuning her protests out in same way he had done to Hirokol, and when he entered the main living area, he found Faye already on her feet, staring him down with an expression that appeared as a mix of irritation and reluctant acceptance, as if his sudden arrival was expected.

“Can we help you, Glaus?” she demanded softly, her eyes narrowed in distaste.

Rennigan smiled coldly, and once he’d glanced over his shoulder to ensure that Jessi and Hirokol were listening, he turned back to Faye and answered her.

“I imagine the three of you heard the Headmaster’s announcement, yes?”

Faye shrugged. “Sure, how could we not? What’s your point?”

“My point?” he sneered. “What the hell do you think my point is?! Are you incompetent?! Their team… Of all the teams in this damn school to get selected by the princess, it was them?! Does that not bother you?!”

“Hey, watch it!” Jessi shouted, stepping forward and placing herself between Rennigan and Fayela, her obnoxiously pink eyes making her glare appear far less intimidating than she probably thought it did. “Who do you think you are, barging into our dorm just to shout at us? You should mind your tone, Glaus, or you and I are gonna have more problems than we already do!”

Far from being in the mood to deal with Jessi, Rennigan merely regarded her with contempt before snorting. “Are we now? And pray tell, what are you going to do if I don’t listen to you? Get your ass kicked by me a second time? Do not forget who’s in charge here, Yuahl.”

At that, Hirokol then took a threatening step forward, and though he didn’t say anything, Rennigan could sense the mana flowing down to his hands, as if the young man actually intended to attack him, but before the situation could escalate further, Faye intervened.

“No, Glaus, that announcement didn’t bother me in the slightest,” she stated firmly. “I’m proud of Abi and her team for having their talents recognized so quickly, and by someone as respected and powerful as Princess Ilirianna. They more than deserve it.”

“THEY DO NOT!” Fury gripping him once again, Rennigan rounded on Faye, stepping around Jessi to approach the rock mage. “Once again, Nigreos Noctis got everything he could ever want delivered on a silver fucking platter! Do you not think it's odd that a team that only barely won with two members left standing got selected over teams who won without losing a single person?! Do not stand there and tell me that this isn’t political! Princess Ilirianna selected them because of their names and nothing else!”

Despite his shouting, Faye’s composure didn’t slip even a little as she folded her arms across her chest and smirked. “Or perhaps the princess didn’t choose based on numbers. Perhaps she saw how clever Abi and Caeli were and picked based on that? You ever consider that?”

Rennigan clenched his teeth with frustration. And once again, Rio can’t help but to take their side! What does she know? I’ve known Noctis for years, so I know how his life goes! Everything is handed to him and that isn‘t any different here! I’m certain that Master Noctis and Master Luz pulled some strings to make this happen!

“Well, as it turns out, your opinion is irrelevant,” he growled. “By the conditions of the duel, I am the leader, and therefore, you three will obey me. Starting tomorrow, we’re going to train our asses off and prove to everybody in this school what Ilirianna’s real reasoning was. We'll surpass Noctis if it’s the last thing we do.”

He could feel the resentment and hatred directed his way by his three teammates, but Rennigan Glaus couldn’t have cared less what they thought of him. They were a means to an end, and he intended to use them for all they were worth.

I will not stand for this! I refuse to! No matter what it takes, I will mold this team to perfection and I will surpass Nigreos Noctis!

Rennigan grinned confidently.

I’m leagues better than him, and I will prove that fact to every damn soul in this city! Someday, Erika will know which one of us was more deserving of Princess Ilirianna’s praise!