The Burning Flowers

Chapter VII

The morning following the near-disastrous break-in of Mallicent’s quarters, Abigail and Nigreos did as they were ordered and made their way down to the front gates of the castle so they could go into the city with the notes that were currently tucked in to the belt of Abi’s pants. The entire way through the castle corridors, Nigreos had been ridiculously anxious that the guards at the front gate would stop them and search them before allowing them to pass, but to his relief, they merely nodded and acknowledged their presence, making no move to stop them from departing Aquesen. The dark mage could only assume that their connections to Ilirianna had made it so that unnecessarily searching them would look bad on Lord Malloway’s part, and Nigreos was thankful that the princess had been successful in maneuvering around the disaster that had almost been caused by that risky, and in many ways poor, decision to take matters into their own hands.

When Abi had frantically told him and Album everything about what happened, Nigreos had been shocked not only by the fact that the two of them would so easily disobey direct orders from King Markreas himself, but also that Ilirianna had been the one to request the defy that order. Nigreos would never have even considered doing such a dangerous and illegal thing, and even though they managed to convince Lord Malloway that they were innocent, Nigreos knew that Mallicent wasn’t convinced, so they had certainly drawn the unwanted attention of Rotana Vesh and whoever else was working alongside him.

But there’s nothing we can do about that now, he begrudgingly reminded himself. What’s done is done, and now we have to live with the consequences. This assignment has been far from what we expected, and now it feels like our cards have been laid out on the table for all to see. Vesh and Mallicent know we’re onto them, and we know they’re up to something, but neither of us can make a direct move against the other, so it’ll all come down to which side can outwit the other.

Nigreos glanced sidelong at Abigail as they walked down the forest path that would take them to Hiriech. She was dressed in the old and tattered cloak that she had always worn before arriving at the Academy, but even with her cowl pulled up, he could still see the profile of her pretty features, which were lit up with a smile as she took in the beautiful nature around them. He already had a lot of respect for Abigail, but the previous night proved that the young woman was far more bold than he had expected of her, and though he disagreed with their actions, he couldn’t deny that he was rather impressed by her ability to go through with it and to pull it off.

She’s brilliant in so many ways. I’ve honestly never met a mage quite like her, and every time she throws me for a loop, I can’t help but always come back to the same damn conclusion. She might be what I’m looking for. She might be the one that Neah needs.

Part of him wanted to broach the subject of Neah’s condition now that they were alone, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. It was such a personal subject for him, and for all of his life, he struggled to discuss his littlest sister with others. On top of that, he vehemently hated asking other people for help, having always preferred to rely on himself and only himself. Yet he knew he needed to move past that unwavering pride of his, for he didn’t want to let the opportunity that was Abigail pass him by. She might not know a lot about dark magic, but if Nigreos supplied her with his own knowledge, her brilliance in the field of healing might enable her to reach a conclusion that he hadn’t.

So perhaps I just need to be blunt with her. From what I can tell, she’s the type of person to reach her hand out to anybody that needs help. If I confided in her, she wouldn’t turn me down. She’d do everything in her power to save Neah. That’s just who she is…

After a few more moments of walking, however, they arrived at the eastern gates of Hiriech, and upon entering the city, Nigreos didn’t feel comfortable bringing up the topic when they could be easily overheard, and since Abi would need to focus her sense on any guards they happened to come near, Nigreos didn’t want to distract her with something unrelated to the task at hand.

Due to the early morning, the river city was already bustling with workers going about their jobs or civilians heading out to purchase food and other supplies from the market. Shouts of fishermen reached his ears and Nigreos could see the roofs of some of the taller watermills off in the distance to his right. In the hopes of not getting in anybody’s way, Abi pulled closer to him, accidentally brushing her arm against his, and Nigreos felt his cheeks turn a bit red at their proximity before silently berating himself.

He wasn’t sure how comfortable he was with the strange way she made him feel, for even though he had felt attracted to plenty of different girls in the past, the way he was beginning to feel towards Abigail was vastly different. She was ridiculously charming and had a presence that lit up any room she was in. Combined with the way she conducted herself in their duel against Faye and Renngian and Nigreos simply couldn’t overlook the fact that she was already having an effect on him despite the short time they’d known each other. He wanted to get closer to her and he wanted to get to know her better, and though he tried to excuse his attraction for being due to how beneficial she could be for his sister, he knew deep inside that wasn’t the case.

With every moment he spent with her, Nigreos was starting to fall for her.

Could you imagine that? What would Father say if Abi and I ever became a couple? He’d almost certainly be appalled at her background and would be livid at even the possibility of his grandchildren having commoner blood. Though I’m sure Luna and Neah would love her, no doubt about that.

He smiled to himself, knowing how silly it was to think about what would happen if they got together when he hadn’t yet known her for even a month, but he just couldn’t help it. He was enamored by her, whether he liked it or not.

Continuing down the cobblestone road, the two of them kept to the right side so as to avoid any of the carriages that rumbled past them, and more than once did Nigreos find their beds to be stuffed full of barrels of fish. At one point, they had to veer to the left in order to step around a homeless man huddled against the wall, dressed in clothing so torn that most of body was visible beneath it. Grimacing in disgust, Nigreos made sure he blocked Abi from the man’s view, but he wasn’t quick enough, and before he knew it, Abi had stepped around him and moved to approach the man. Nigreos’s first instinct was to grab her arm and pull her back, but she didn’t seem appalled in the slightest, and instead smiled warmly at him, produced her leather coin purse that she kept tucked in the inner pocket of her blazer, and dropped a few silvers into a ratty old hat resting next to him.

The old man merely gaped at her for a moment, as if taken by surprise, before a beaming smile spread across his face. “Thank you, Miss. Thank you.”

“Of course, Sir,” she replied with a gentle bow. “Have a nice day.”

She then skipped back over to Nigreos and continued on as if what she did was the most natural thing in the world. The dark mage trailed after her with a confused frown, sparing a few glances back to make sure the man wasn’t following them.

“You know, you shouldn’t get so close to people like him,” Nigreos muttered. “A lot of them can be dangerous, so it’s probably just best to keep your distance.”

But Abi was shaking her head firmly. “They’re only dangerous when they’re antagonized, like anybody. Besides, I have my sense, Nigreos, so I know when somebody could use a hand. Too many good people are thrown aside and forgotten, and from what I know, Hiriech is one of the worst places for the poor. So if I see somebody who needs help, I’m going to help them. Don’t worry about me. You know I can handle myself.”

He didn’t have a response for that, and so he simply conceded the point and shrugged. “Fair enough, I suppose.”

Once again, they continued on in silence. On either side of the road, there were a variety of shops, restaurants, and inns. One he recognized was an old bar called the Leaping Salmon, which Nakoma had told them was just down the road from their destination.

“Have you sensed anybody tracking us?” Nigreos whispered softly, wanting only Abi to hear.

Thankfully, the girl shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Though, it is kinda hard to tell with so many people around me.” The nature mage grimaced, as if in a bit of pain. “It’s really hard to turn my sense on a specific person, so when I activate it in such a populous place, I’m kinda overwhelmed by responses from everybody. There are bad people here, as well as plenty of neutral and good people, and it’s a little hard to distinguish. However…” She casually glanced over her shoulder. “I think we’re okay. That being said, I’ve done my best to read every single guard I’ve noticed.”

Nigreos swallowed nervously. “And?”

“It’s the same as the castle, Nigreos. Almost every single one of them is setting my sense on edge.” Her expression was dire and he could see the panic starting to seep into body. “What is going on here? Has the entire city guard turned traitor?”

“I-I…don’t know…”

Suddenly, despite the rather warm morning, Nigreos felt as if his entire body had gone deathly cold. Something terrible was happening in Hiriech and Aquesen, and he didn’t have even a single idea of what to do about it, or even if there was anything he could do.

How could the entire guard have been manipulated like this? It’s so ridiculous that I want to simply conclude that Abi’s mistaken somehow, but I really don’t think she is. Rotana Vesh and Mallicent Malloway, as well as the city and castle guard, are plotting something that somehow links to this odd research project and the combustions. But what could it be?

He was no closer to any sort of conclusion by the time they arrived at the Riverside Hall, the inn that Nyx Rana was currently staying at. Having been given the room number by Nakoma, Abi and Nigreos walked through the first floor bar and made their way to the hallway in the back. Taking the stairs to the second floor, they silently moved to the indicated room and knocked.

Despite having been in the Citadel quite a number of times and his own father being a Master, Nigreos had never met Nyx, so he was a bit apprehensive about finally getting to speak with her. He knew from his father that she was a bit of an odd individual who rarely ever talked to anybody except Sinna Cartus, and who had supposedly fallen asleep in the middle of the Masters’ meetings a handful of times. Viiro described her as lazy and air-headed, but he had also said that when she did speak, she showed a certain intelligence that just didn’t fit with her typical lethargic demeanor. She was an enigma even to the Master of Darkness, who sat on the same council with her, so Nigreos was entirely uncertain of how to approach the discussion as the door finally swung open to reveal the Ijirian Master of Water.

Nyx Rana appeared exactly as Nigreos had pictured her, with pale skin and silver eyes that were barely open, as if she had just woken up from a long nap. Her silver hair was tied up in a bun, and she was wearing very cheaply made brown leather clothing, giving her the appearance of an average traveler as opposed to the Master she was. When she spoke, her voice was soft and airy, matching her youthful features and giving her a strange sense of innocence.

“Hello,” she greeted. “Can I help you?”

“Oh, uh, good morning,” Nigreos stuttered, having opted to take the lead since he was more familiar with Masters than Abi was. “I’m Nigreos Noctis and this is Abigail. Do you have a moment?”

He spoke vaguely on the chance that anybody could overhear them, and upon hearing their names, a flash of recognition crossed the women’s eyes. “Ah, yes, I do. Come in, please.”

Nyx led them into the rather small room before meandering over to the bed and taking a seat, her eyes shifting towards them with an expectant expression as she awaited their report. Realizing that the Master wasn’t going to say anything else, Nigreos cleared his throat and decided he would just get right to the point.

“Princess Ilirianna sent us to fill you in on what’s been going in the castle, Master Rana,” Nigreos explained. “I know Master Taurus visited you just the other day, but I’m not sure how much he told you. Did he mention Abi’s sense at all?”

Nyx nodded slowly, her head tilting to the side a bit as she turned to stare at Abi. “Yes, he mentioned it, though I wasn’t really sure what to make of it. You feel darkness in people, Abigail? Is that true?”

Seeming slightly uncomfortable in Nyx’s presence, as well as somewhat thrown off by her attitude, Abi nevertheless managed a response. “Er, well I guess that’s one way of putting it, yes.”

“Interesting.” Nyx blinked a few times and for a moment, Nigreos and Abi weren’t sure if they were supposed to say anything or if the Master of Water intended to continue. But just as Nigreos was preparing to speak, Nyx went on. “What do you feel when you look at me?”

“W-when I look at you?” Abi parroted, smiling nervously. “Uh, well, I haven’t used my sense on you yet so—”

“Please do.”

“Oh, um, okay…?”

Abi glanced at Nigreos as if silently asking what to do, but the young man could only shrug and motion for her to do as Nyx had requested. Grimacing, the nature mage turned back to gaze at Nyx and for another few seconds, there was an awkward silence hanging over the air, broken only when Abi finally gave her answer.

“I mean, I sense neutrality, to be honest,” Abi murmured.

“Neutrality? Explain.”

“W-well, I guess it just means that it depends on the situation.” The young woman began fidgeting with her fingers as she desperately tried to find a way to properly communicate what her sense had given her. “I mean, my sense only really registers dangers to me, so I guess you’re not dangerous right now, but you could be?”

“Oh.” Nyx’s expression didn’t shift whatsoever and she merely shrugged. “I would say that’s accurate, yes. Okay, I believe you. Your sense is probably real.”

“O-okay, thanks, I guess.”

Exchanging utterly confused expressions, Nigreos and Abi stood in silence yet again, wondering what that was supposed to mean and waiting for Nyx to say anything that might indicate whether they should keep up with their report or if she wanted to say anything else on the matter.

My god, Father wasn’t lying. Master Rana really is bizarre. I mean, what the hell just happened?

“So,” Nyx finally murmured. “Mallicent Malloway, Rotana Vesh, and the whole guard, huh? That’s not good.”

“No, I don't suppose it is,” Nigreos responded with a frown. “Um, and there’s other issues going on, too. Er, please show her the notes, Abi.”

Doing as he requested, Abi reached into her belt and produced the five pieces of parchment that they had looted from Mallicent’s room before extending them out for Nyx to take. Then, not wanting to allow the silence to return, Nigreos and Abi swifty began to detail everything that had taken place the previous night while the Master of Water read through the parchments. They told her all about how Abi and Ryokumo had managed to sneak into Mallicent’s room, making sure it was emphasized that Ilirianna told them to do so, but unlike how Nakoma practically exploded with rage upon finding out what they’d done, Nyx didn’t react at all, for better or for worse. Wrapping up the discussion with Ilirianna’s orders to transport the parchments to Nyx, Nigreos and Abi went quiet and waited for the Master to reply.

“Interesting,” Nyx said softly. “That was quite bold of you, Abigail, but good job not getting caught. This information is going to be quite helpful should we get it back to King Markreas and the Masters. I think, for the moment, I agree with the princess. We’ve done all we can. Now we simply wait out the ball and then take what we know back to Erika. I will keep this safe. The two of you are dismissed.”

Even though it was abrupt, Nigreos was more than thankful to finally get to leave, and so with Abi at his side, they bid the Master of Water goodbye and hurried from the room.

“That was certainly something,” Abi muttered. “Is she okay?”

Nigreos could only shrug. “No clue, honestly. But we’ve done what we came here to do, so let's hurry back to the castle.”

So, having done their job, the two of them headed back out into Hiriech and returned to Aquesen without issue.

***

Given the fact that he was already under suspicion by Mallicent, as well as Princess Ilirianna’s orders to stand back and observe for the rest of their trip, Ryokumo Caeli opted to return to his initial strategy of squeezing information out of Aeyir under the guise of giving him Academy advice. However, since there was only so much Ryokumo could give him after having only spent two weeks at the school himself, he opted to try and teach Aeyir some simple wind spells, such as the blades of wind, Perkari. The boy managed a few sloppy and blunt blades after a few tries, but that was rather impressive given that it was his first time casting such magic, so Ryokumo had actually enjoyed himself in the lesson. Unfortunately, Aeyir still didn’t seem to know anything that they hadn’t already deduced, and Ryokumo was forced to part ways with him, slightly disappointed.

Ah well, what can you do? Unless we can somehow break into that lab, I don’t think we’re going to find a bigger jackpot than Mallicent’s desk. I just wish I hadn’t dropped the damned eye. These stupid pockets are too loose.

Shoving his hands in said pockets, Ryokumo continued on his way down the corridor before coming to the narrow spiral staircase of the northern tower. His plan was to head back to his and Nigreos’s room to relax for the rest of the evening, for it was already quite late, and with most of the castle staff running around the lowest levels to finish preparations for the upcoming ball, he knew he’d just be in their way if he went down there.

Having reached an impassable wall in the investigation, as well as having made a personal relationship with Aeyir, Ryokumo found he was actually growing excited for the celebration. He had never been to such an elite party and Aeyir had told him that the guests would primarily be comprised of important individuals within the city, such as the heads of the guilds and rich merchants, as well as the barons and baronesses that ruled over the territory in the surrounding countryside and pledged fealty to Lord Malloway. With such a significant number of powerful people being present in one place, Ryokumo couldn't deny the allure of having the chance to make useful allies.

Though, I guess thoughts such as those are mere habit now. I don’t really need to go out of my way to connect with people of power anymore, for I’ve already solidified myself with the future queen of the empire, as well as one of the future ladies of Noctalus and a couple of potential Masters, so I suppose I’m far more set in life than most people ever are.

Ryokumo smiled to himself, and as if called to him by his thoughts, he heard footsteps approaching from further down the stairs. Soon enough, Abigail came into view, though to his surprise, she was still wearing her dark brown cloak from earlier, as if she had yet to drop it off in her quarters. Upon noticing him, the young woman smiled.

“Ah, Ryokumo! There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

Although she didn’t seem too bothered, he couldn’t help but become concerned. “Why? Has something happened? Or did Master Rana actually have something to report?”

Abi came to a stop just in front of him and furrowed her brow for just a brief moment before she smiled and shook her head. “No, Master Rana had nothing of value for us,” she informed him. “But something has happened. I think I might have been able to identify that doctor mentioned in Mallicent’s notes, but I’m not completely sure. Could you come with me for a moment?”

Ryokumo cocked an eyebrow, having already come to terms with the fact that they would almost certainly not be learning anything else themselves, so the fact that Abi may have been able to identify the doctor was a shocking yet quite welcome revelation, and the young wind mage couldn’t help but grin with excitement.

“Have you now? Perfect! Then has the princess been informed?”

“Not yet, no,” Abi replied with a shake of her head. “I wanted to be absolutely certain it was him before I brought it to her attention so I figured I’d come get you and see if you could help me out. I followed him down to the basement level, but the security down there is really heavy, so I wanted somebody talented with distortion magic to help me get in there. Do you mind? Or should we just go get Princess Ilirianna first?”

“You want to sneak into the basement?” Ryokumo frowned, realizing that something was off about that request, and he picked up on it almost immediately. “But Abi, you heard what Princess Ilirianna said. We’re not supposed to get involved any more than we already have. The bedroom incident was risky enough, and with the castle on higher alert, breaking into the basement is simply not an option. You said this yourself, so what changed?”

Abigail tilted her head in thought before smiling slyly, a rather strange expression for her. “I mean, she’s not wrong, but I just feel we can’t let this opportunity pass us up. If we can identify the doctor, Ryokumo, then we’ll actually have a concrete identity to bring back to Erika with us.”

“Well, I’ll admit that’s true,” Ryokumo began slowly, narrowing his eyes in confusion. “Tell me, Abi, how is it you managed to identify the doctor? He's been rather elusive thus far, after all.”

“I overheard a conversation between one of the guards and a strange man I didn’t recognize,” she whispered, glancing around as if to ensure they were still alone. “And the guard referred to the man as ‘Doctor’. Of course, there’s plenty of projects going on in the castle so I couldn’t be certain he’s the one Mallicent referenced, but I still feel it’s worth a try.”

“That so?”

What’s going on here? No, this isn’t right. She’s speaking rather vaguely, and while on the surface, she seems normal, her demeanor is just a little off. Could it be…? I mean, my father used to warn us about such things, but it’s supposed to be illegal in Ijiria. If Vesh’s people have one, the implications could be…?

Ryokumo paused, realizing that the cloak Abi was wearing didn’t have the handful of holes that he had noticed when she put it on earlier that day, which could have easily been explained by her finally getting around mending it.

I should test the waters. Perhaps I’m simply being paranoid given all that’s been going on, but it never hurts to be a little extra cautious.

“I’d think you’d go to Nigreos though, rather than me, what with his sense and all that,” Ryokumo said casually, wanting to confirm his suspicions before he did anything drastic. “After all, if Nigreos just takes a look at the doctor, you’ll know without a doubt that he’s the one we’re looking for? Seems more beneficial than coming to me, yes?”

Abi furrowed her brow once again and regarded him with an odd look before laughing and shrugging. “Well sure, I planned to go to Nigreos eventually, but if we don’t have our distortion user then we can’t get down there in the first place, so—”

“Condite.”

Muttering the word softly enough that “Abigail” could only barely hear him, Ryokumo cast the spell that conjured invisible robes of wind that wrapped themselves around the woman’s body and yanked her against the wall, binding her limbs to her sides and preventing her from moving. She exhaled sharply in surprise, her features contorting in fear, and even though he knew he was being lied to, he couldn’t deny that seeing such an expression on his friend’s face caused his stomach to tighten a bit.

“Ryokumo?!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing?! Let me go!”

But he simply grinned smugly and brought power to his fingers as he raised his hand to aim directly at her. In the cramped stairwell, his palm was only inches from her face. “You know, you’re not all that good at lying, Changeling. Truly, you didn’t study Abi well enough to imitate her mannerisms, and unfortunately for you, I’m not stupid. Not to mention, your cloak is a tad too nice compared to the rag she usually wears.”

“W-what are you talking about?” she stuttered. “Changeling? No, it’s me, Ryoku—”

“Shut up,” he snapped impatiently. “For one, Abigail would never have considered suggesting going behind the princess’s back, for even when we had Ilirianna’s permission, she was still quite opposed to taking such risks. Secondly, Nigreos has no such power. And thirdly, Abigail doesn't grin like a sly bastard. Nice try though.”

Finally, seeming to realize that her plot had failed, the changeling sighed and chuckled softly. “Well, isn’t that unfortunate. I said it was a lost cause since I hardly knew the girl, but they just insisted I try. Kinda hoped you wouldn’t know much about her given that you haven’t known each other long. What are you gonna do with me, though? Take me to the princess? Or perhaps Master Nyx Rana? Thanks for that little tidbit, by the way.”

Ryokumo internally cursed himself, irritated that he had so easily broached a subject that was supposed to be secretive, but since he never once considered the idea that a changeling would be in Ijiria, let alone Hiriech, he supposed he didn’t have any reason to suspect Abi of not being who he thought she was until the changeling started messing up.

Well, I doubt she’s going to show me her real face, but I can still deduce some information about her. It takes a lot of effort and talent to shapeshift into the opposite sex, so she’s probably female, and since biological magic is banned in both the Empire and in Trovia and Dunnovia, I can only imagine she’s from Norania or Sukon, and I’d bet my money on the former given their lax biological laws. Though, I suppose I can’t count out Krato…

“Listen up, my friend,” Ryokumo began with a smug smile. “Yes, you and I are going for a walk down to the princess and you are going to explain yourself to her. Your fate will be in her hands, as you deserve, but I do applaud your efforts to deceive me. Too bad for you though, for I am from Sukon, and your kind is a tad more common around those parts.”

She clicked her tongue with irritation. “Course you’re a foreigner. Wish they’d mentioned that. Oh well… This is gonna be a pain…”

“You’re right about that,” Ryokumo agreed, grabbing her by the shoulder and forcing her to begin moving down the steps. “Anyway, let’s—”

Ryokumo Caeli prided himself on his ability to sense when somebody was distorted, and all throughout his interaction with the changeling, he kept his instincts attuned to his surroundings on the off-chance she had some backup to come to her aid should her plan fail.

Yet even so, he never once sensed the newcomer until just before the massive blade was shoved straight through his chest.