The Burning Flowers

Chapter XI

It was the night before the scheduled departure for Hiriech and everything was in order for the trip to begin. King Markreas had already sent a messenger ahead to inform Lord Malloway that Princess Ilirianna changed her mind and would, in fact, be attending Aeyir’s coming of age celebration alongside her newly acquired royal team. In addition, if everything had gone as planned, Master Nyx Rana would already be hiding somewhere in the city and would hopefully have some information to present to them when they arrived in Hiriech. With all of the preparations completed, Nakoma Taurus intended to spend his last night in the Citadel ensuring that he hadn’t forgotten anything significant. There were a few assignments he had been focusing on before this trip came up, so he had to either turn the jobs over to other Masters or leave them in the hands of his apprentice, Plaseia. With any luck, they would be back before the end of the month, but on the off-chance that they were gone for longer than intended, he had faith that the young fire mage could more than handle his duties. So, after stopping by her quarters to wish her goodbye and good luck, Nakoma began heading back to his own room so he could rest for the night.

After all, it’ll be my last night in a comfortable bed for the week. I’m sure we’ll stop at inns along the way, but the Citadel has spoiled me to the point that I can never get a good night’s sleep in those rickety old beds.

Grimacing at the thought of what was sure to be a long few days of travel, Nakoma arrived at his quarters, used magic to unlock the door, then stepped inside, only to come to a sudden stop as he realized the room wasn’t empty like he expected it to be. However, he couldn’t prevent the soft smile from forming on the edge of his lips as he gently closed the door behind him.

Right. What was I thinking? Of course she’d be here…

Toranei Iiji was sitting on his couch, dressed in a rather revealing dark green silk robe as she gracefully sipped a glass of red wine. Her free hand was resting in her lap and her deep blue eyes silently followed him as he stepped further into the room and slid out of his coat so he could hang it on the rack just beside the door. The front room of his quarters were lit only by the few candles Toranei had set out on the coffee table, which caused the scents of lavender and rose to permeate throughout the air. He took a deep breath, allowing the pleasant aroma to fill his nostrils and lungs, then let it out as a feeling of relaxation washed over him. Nakoma chuckled, then moved toward the coffee table and picked up the bottle of wine and the empty glass awaiting him. The Master of Fire gratefully poured some of the liquid for himself before turning and taking his seat just beside the queen.

“As happy as I am to see you,” he whispered after taking a sip of the sweet drink. “I can’t help but think it’s rather risky.”

Toranei smirked seductively, a smile that never failed to cause a warm sensation to flow throughout his body. “Perhaps it is risky, yes, but like I’ve told you before, Markreas does not care where I go or what I do. Since you’ll be gone from Erika for a while, I decided I had to come by. With assignments such as these, you never know when we will see each other next.”

“I take offense to that implication,” he teased. “Are you saying it’s likely this trip will go awry? I assure you that we will be home by the end of the month, Tora.”

She shook her head. “That’s still so long though. Too long. On one hand, I wish Markreas could have sent one of the other Masters, but on the other, I’m happy to know that Liri will be in safe hands.”

Letting out a sigh, Toranei set down her half-empty glass then leaned to the side and rested her head on his shoulder. Though Nakoma always feared the potential repercussions of her secret nighttime visits to his quarters, he could never help himself when she did suddenly surprise him with her presence. Their relationship was a complicated one, as well as a dangerous one, and it could easily result in their deaths should they ever get caught, but despite such risks, whenever he had the opportunity to hold her close, he wanted to take it. He more than preferred an early death due to such behavior than a long life that he couldn’t spend with her. Therefore, he pushed aside his fears and wrapped his arms around the woman, pulling her close to him and gently running his hands through her emerald hair.

“Ilirianna,” the queen murmured. “You will watch over her, won’t you?”

“Of course. I’ll protect her with my life.”

He spoke in as soothing of a manner as he could, hearing the concern in her voice. The mission to Hiriech was far from Ilirianna’s first assignment, and though the girl was more than capable, Toranei’s maternal instincts never failed to kick in whenever her daughter had to depart Erika. In many ways, Nakoma felt overwhelming joy at the fact that he was the only person to ever see that side of her. To everybody else in the world, Toranei Iiji was cold, stern, powerful, and in some ways, merciless. It was an image she fought hard to create, but whenever they were alone, that mask was removed, and Nakoma bore witness to the vulnerable side of her—a side reserved only for him. She was harsh to her children, but he knew that harshness was created out of love and a desire for them to be the best mages they could possibly be.

And one day, I’m sure Ilirianna will understand that. Right now, it must feel like Tora doesn’t care about her, but everything she does is done so that she may thrive when the day comes that she ascends the throne.

The queen was cold, but Nakoma knew that there wasn’t anybody else in the world who cared for Ilirianna, Piura, and Reigious as much as Toranei did.

“Tell me, Nakoma,” the queen whispered, her head resting against his chest. “What do you make of all this? What exactly are you getting yourself into?”

The Master of Fire grimaced, wishing he could have had a better answer than the one he wound up giving. “I honestly don’t know. The combustions are strange, and I do fear the reason that Lord Malloway is trying to keep them under wraps. It’s possible that it's some disease or disorder spreading among the territory, but my gut tells me there’s more to it. Unfortunately, until I get there and check it out myself, there’s not much more I can say.”

She exhaled softly then sat up straighter and looked him directly in the eyes, and within them, he could see the strength and fierce determination that once drew him to her. “I do not like this. I agree with you. There’s more than meets the eye… I just wish I could accompany you myself.”

“As do I, but you know that would only draw suspicion from Malloway,” he replied, to which she merely snorted.

“Of course I do,” she muttered. “I’m not saying it would be smart. I’m merely expressing that I wish it were possible.” Toranei then got to her feet, her restlessness suddenly more apparent as she picked up her wine and downed the rest of it. “I understand why Markreas would send Ilirianna but I do not like it. We know so little about what’s taking place and I fear the possibility that either of you will never return. If magic is interfering with the internal mechanisms in some mysterious fashion then how do you fight it?”

Nakoma rose to his feet as well, hoping his words could be as reassuring as possible. “If an outside source is interfering with internal mana production, mages like myself and Liri will sense the foreign mana before it can do any damage. I know you know that, Tora. If somebody is behind this, they wouldn’t dare attempt a fire assassination against me or her.”

Toranei’s features tensed as she refilled her glass of wine. “I know that. Yes, I know that.” She then slumped her shoulders and put her free hand to her forehead. “I’m aware that I’m letting my anxiety get the better of me. It’s just hard not to.” Taking yet another sip of her wine, she placed the glass back on the table and folded her arms across her chest, her brow furrowing in thought. “I’ve been meaning to speak with you for a few days now, but what do you make of her team? Are they worthy of protecting her?”

The Master of Fire considered the question. “That depends. Naturally, Album Luz is a topic of debate, but at least given what I’ve seen so far, the other three should perform well. Of course, they aren’t as naturally talented as we were…” He added the last part as a joke, but it didn’t seem to raise her spirits so he shrugged and went on. “What’s done is done. We’ll handle this mission. And do not forget that I’m not the only Master that will be keeping an eye out.”

Toranei rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, it’s quite comforting to know that the girl who spends most of her days half asleep is keeping watch on Liri. How fantastic.”

“Nyx may have odd tendencies, but a Master is a Master,” Nakoma reminded her. “Do not forget that. I trust her to handle this, as does Markreas.”

“Perhaps…”

Nakoma watched the woman move around the couch and approach the window in the back of the room before stopping to gaze out at what would be a beautiful sight of Erika down below, and the brief glimpse of her expression told him that his words didn’t make a significant difference.

Though I can understand that. To anybody unfamiliar with Nyx, it can be hard to place faith in her given how lethargic and air-headed she appears to be. And hell, perhaps knowing what she can do would only make Tora more concerned. But either way, under most circumstances, Nyx can be relied upon.

Realizing that words weren’t going to do much more to sooth the queen, Nakoma followed her to the window and stopped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as he, too, turned his eyes to the view beyond the glass. The lights of Erika were indeed a magnificent sight as they twinkled in the night, and even though midnight had already arrived, the city was still bustling with activity. Up above, the crescent moon cast a slight pale hue over the partially cloudy sky, an added element of serenity to the scene.

“She will be safe,” he said once again. “Ilirianna can more than protect herself even if Nyx and I weren’t there. You should know, after all. You’re the one who trained her.”

“Yes, but have I trained her enough, Nakoma?” she uttered. “I’ve done everything I can to prepare her for her duties, but I can’t help but worry that it still won’t be enough. I still feel that she lacks the proper patience, and she has refused to practice without incantations. I just—”

“Tora,” he interrupted gently. “I’ve seen her in action. Ilirianna could probably go head-to-head with most mages in the country and win. She has done as directed and mastered the core affinities, and has even learned a large share of dark and light magic. She is more prepared for this world than most will ever be, and that is because you have watched over her and taught her. Have faith in her skills, and have faith in your own.”

Toranei didn’t immediately respond, but he knew that this time, his words had gotten through to her, at least to some extent. At the end of the day, there would never come a time when Ilirianna would leave the safety of the city that her mother wouldn’t worry for her, and even though her fears could allow her imagination to go a little wild now and then, Toranei’s powerful love and concern for her children was one of the things he respected about her.

Silently, Nakoma placed a hand on her chin and softly turned her head toward him as he leaned down and kissed her. He only intended for it to be a quick peck, but before he could pull back, Toranei raised her hands and placed them on his cheeks, keeping his head in place as she returned his kiss with a more passionate one of her own. When she pulled away, her cheeks were red and her earlier smile had returned as she regarded him with love.

“I told Anna and Reigious that I was just going on a walk,” she breathed, her hands already lowering to the sash keeping her robe closed. “So unfortunately, this will have to be quick.”

With the sash untied, Toranei allowed the green robe to slip from her shoulders and reveal her naked form to him. The Master of Fire smiled, knowing that it would be a long time before he returned to see her again. Under other circumstances, he may have opted to play it safe and have her return to the royal quarters, but on that night, he couldn’t help but allow his desires to overpower his logic as she took his hand and began to lead him toward the bedroom. However, a thought occurred to him, violently forcing its way into his mind, and he couldn’t help but whisper,

“Is the charm active?”

Toranei stopped and turned back to gaze at him, and for a brief moment, he saw a flicker of remorse cross over her features.

“Of course.”

Nakoma nodded, and with that confirmation, he happily followed after the queen as they slipped through the doorway of his bedroom.

***

When the night preceding their trip to Hiriech arrived, Abi found herself completely unable to get any sleep, and it was quickly apparent that Album was having the same issue, so instead of getting the rest she knew they probably should have, the two young women spent the night talking about both the mission and school, though they only rehashed discussions they had already had numerous times that week. Abi knew that the announcement about the royal team would draw attention to her and the others, but she had been far from ready for how many eyes had been upon her for the past few days. It was as if they had become famous overnight, and she supposed that they actually had, so each time she arrived in a class, everybody would go quiet and stare at her, which had made her ridiculously uncomfortable.

Some of the stares were full of jealousy, others with contempt, and there were even a few that seemed in awe of her, but regardless of what they felt, nobody approached her. It was like the first day on campus all over again with how much attention she drew, but back then, she only drew that attention because she was clearly not of an elite status like everybody else. Now she was drawing attention because she had a higher status than them, and she knew that her uniform would no longer be enough to allow her to stay inconspicuous. In fact, being a part of Ilirianna Iiji’s team practically guaranteed that being inconspicuous would now be impossible for the rest of her academic term, and possibly even her entire life.

Gosh, I knew I was getting myself into a real crazy situation by coming to this school, but I swear I just keep getting hit with surprises every few minutes! And now I’m leaving the Academy two weeks into the semester to go on an assignment that I still know nothing about!

She had been lucky to get the chance to pay Grunly another visit in the Citadel before her departure, but unfortunately, he refrained from telling her anything that Ilirianna and Nakoma hadn’t already revealed.

“But I believe in you, Abi. With any luck, this shouldn’t be too dangerous of a mission. You simply need to help the princess avoid arousing suspicion. Any fighting will be handled by the Masters, so at the end of the day, you’re merely attending a birthday ball! This should be a source of excitement!”

She knew the Master of Nature was just trying to comfort her, but the idea of attending the birthday celebration of a lord’s son was somehow more anxiety-inducing than the thought of going into battle. She had spent years defending herself out in the wild, so she knew she could handle herself in a fight, but a ball full of Ijirian elites was completely foreign to her. She didn’t know any of the proper etiquette and would almost certainly wind up embarrassing herself, and therefore would also embarrass her team, the Master of Fire, and the princess. If anything, that was the most terrifying part of the assignment, and though Album gave her plenty of pointers on how to behave in a noble setting, it didn’t ease her worries very much.

Ah, this is insane! I guess I don’t have any choice but to play it by ear and hope for the best! Yup! That’s what I’m gonna do!

And so, that was Abigail’s plan when the hour before dawn of the designated day of departure arrived. Having given the matter as much thought as she physically could, Abi collected her rather small suitcase of belongings and joined Album as they prepared to leave the dorm. They had been informed that the Lord of Hiriech would supply them with the proper clothing and necessities, so Grunly had told her to simply bring enough for the road, and since she used to live on the road, she just wound up bringing her old cloak and a few spare articles of clothing, as well as the dress Album had helped her pick out for the celebration. Then, when Album had double-checked to make sure she had her medication, the two women exited the room, only to stop at the sight of Faye and Jessi waiting for them outside.

“Morning,” Faye greeted casually, raising a hand and grinning. “And what are you guys doing up so early, huh?”

Abi smirked and rolled her eyes. Despite having been ordered by Master Taurus to keep the mission quiet until they left, Abi just hadn’t been able to resist at least telling Faye they would be leaving, and so part of her was unsurprised to find the two mages waiting.

“Couldn’t resist saying goodbye to your two best friends?” Abi asked with a soft laugh, to which Faye nodded.

“I honestly couldn’t,” she admitted. “I’m happy for you guys, and I expect to hear all of the juicy details when you get back next month, you hear?”

Abi shrugged. “As long as the two of you tell us all about what nonsense Rennigan gets up to while we’re gone. Deal?”

“Deal,” Faye confirmed.

“I still can’t believe you’re leaving us alone to deal with that jerk,” Jessi whined with her arms folded. “He’s been absolutely crazy since he found out about your team, you know? And now you’re abandoning us to put up with it? How rude!”

Having properly gotten to know her, Abi knew Jessi was just teasing, so she just smiled with a bit of pity and shook her head. “Yeah, good luck with that. And I’m sorry that he’s more riled up than he probably would have been. If you didn’t know, Ryokumo’s been tracking him to the library to torment him the past week, so I’m sure it’s our fault he’s more on edge.”

Jessi snorted. “Oh we know! At this point, I’m starting to think that Glaus is gonna come to hate Caeli more than he hates Noctis!”

“Yeah, Hiro told us yesterday that Caeli’s been paying visits to their dorm every evening after dinner,” Faye added with an exhausted sigh. “So now that I think about it, you guys leaving might actually help the situation with Rennigan. Without Caeli around, he’ll hopefully be a little less irritable.”

“I sure hope so,” Abi agreed, making a mental note to speak to Ryokumo before they returned to the Academy about not unnecessarily antagonizing Rennigan. “Good luck, guys. We’ll see you when we get back.”

She stepped forward to give the both of them a hug and, though she was clearly still a tad uncomfortable in their presence, Album did the same, all the while remaining quiet and allowing Abi to handle the talking.

“And don’t die, you guys got that?” Faye added. “I don’t want to hear that a team as crazy as you couldn’t survive their first mission. So give it your all and come back home.”

“Will do! We promise!”

With that final response, Abi bid Faye and Jessi goodbye and the four of them parted ways as she and Album headed in the direction of the lift. They had been ordered to meet up at the front gates of the Academy roughly an hour before sunrise so as to avoid being spotted by any of the students. The idea would be to slip out without anybody being the wiser, and since their conversation with Faye and Jessi had been a little louder than it probably should have been, Abi and Album kept silent on the ride down to the lobby to avoid risking waking anybody up. It was only once they were outside and on the path toward the gates that Abi finally spoke again.

“So tell me again, how many days away is Hiriech?” Abi inquired, to which Album gave a moment’s thought before answering.

“Six, give or take,” she said. “It’s about as far away as Noctalus, but since we’ll mostly be in the mountains, it’ll take a little longer than it would otherwise. We first head south, and once we reach the Siptic River, we follow that southwest until we reach Hiriech, which is only about a day’s ride from the Starlight Bay.”

Picturing the map in her head, Abi visualized all of the information Album gave her and then nodded. She had never visited any mountains before since the northeast was predominantly flatlands and plains, so she found herself getting a bit excited at the prospect of taking the highway through the Nintaros Mountain Range.

Well, at the very least, as intimidating as this whole thing is, it will be kinda fun to see other parts of the world. I’ve never been this far south, so it’ll at least be an experience I can remember for the rest of my life.

Managing to psych herself up and diminish a bit more of her anxiety, Abi and Album finally arrived at the front gates of the school where two green and gold carriages were awaiting them, illuminated by the fire magic of the streetlights on either side of the gate. Nigreos and Ryokumo were already waiting as they talked softly, and upon noticing their arrival, the two men silently raised their hands in greeting.

“Ah, there you guys are,” Ryokumo said. “I was starting to think Nigreos and I had left too early. Did either of you sleep well?”

Album sighed and shook her head. “We didn’t sleep. Not a wink.”

“Perfect, then we’re all in the same boat!” Ryokumo threw his arm around Nigreos and grinned. “And I mean, how can you sleep with such an important occasion just ahead of us?! This one right here kept telling me we should at least try, but I thought it would be more fun to spend the night chatting about all the sights we’re going to see in Hiriech!”

Nigreos grimaced and rubbed his eyes, clearly the most worn out and exhausted of the four of them. “Ryokumo, you do realize we’re going to be spending the next week sleeping at random inns on the side of the road, right?”

“And?” the wind mage inquired with an excitable smile. “I don’t see your point.”

“I just wanted one more night in a cozy bed…”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Nigreos, my friend!” Ryokumo replied. “The beds at inns are far preferable to cold, hard ground, after all! Maybe they won’t be as soft as the dorm room, but that’s a small price to pay for an honor such as this! Am I right, ladies?”

Album just blinked at him, seeming uncertain of what to say, but Abi just returned his smile and nodded.

“I mean, you aren’t wrong,” she agreed. “I’ve stayed in a few inns before and they can be really cozy!”

“Exactly!” Ryokumo exclaimed. “See, Abigail, you get me!”

The young man laughed, as just as Abi was about to ask where the princess was, she heard the sound of one of the carriage doors opening, and when she glanced over Ryokumo’s shoulder, she saw Master Nakoma Taurus step out onto the sidewalk with Princess Ilirianna right behind him. Nigreos and Album immediately bent their backs in a bow, while Ryokumo and Abi took a second to react before doing the same. Similarly to their conversation in the headmaster’s office, Nakoma was quick to step aside and slow Ilirianna to address them.

“Good morning to the four of you,” she greeted. “It’s good to see you again. I hope you all slept well?”

“Not a wink, but it’ll do!” Ryokumo answered with a broad grin, his enthusiasm resulting in confused looks from both the Master and the princess.

“I see.” Ilirianna then cleared her throat and surveyed them once more. “Well, so as to not risk getting spotted, we will be departing immediately. That being said, the carriages only have four seats each so we will split up into two groups of three. Noctis, Luz, you’ll be with Master Taurus. Caeli, Abi, you’re with me.”

With that blunt and sudden order, Ilirianna turned and stepped back into her carriage, leaving the four of them just gaping at her back.

Did she say…? Wait, what?! Ryokumo and I are riding with her?! She’s gotta be joking, right? She’s the princess, so why wouldn’t she want Nigreos and Album in her carriage?

A quick glance at Nakoma showed that even he seemed in disagreement with the princess’s decision, but he made no move to argue as he made his way into the carriage in front of Ilirianna’s. Abi then turned to try and gauge the reactions of her fellow teammates, only to find Nigreos and Album looking disappointed while Ryokumo seemed unsure of what to do or say. But when the two Noctalus stepped forward and obliged Ilirianna’s orders, Abi and Ryokumo stared at one another, then moved to do the same. They whispered quick goodbyes to Nigreos and Album and stepped up into the indicated carriage.

The interior was just as fancy as the outside, with green velvet seats, a high roof, and windows just ahead of the door. Ilirianna was sitting on their left, her eyes observing them closely as they both moved to take their seats across from her, with Ryokumo sliding towards the window and Abi pulling the door shut behind them. Once she had sat down, she felt her heart pounding violently in her chest, and it was then that it fully processed that she would be sharing this small space with the heir to the Ijirian throne for the next day and perhaps even longer.

What the hell have I gotten myself into? she asked herself once again, and just like the other times, she had no answer.

Nor did she get one before the carriage began to move down the road and the trip to the river city of Hiriech finally began.