The Burning Flowers

Chapter XVIII

The week following Mallicent’s attack at West Wilham High and his subsequent death at the hands of Ryokumo became almost a blur to Abigail. According to Scott, Mallicent’s usage of fire magic at the school had been explained away by authorities as a bomb attack, though the boy was pretty certain they didn’t actually believe that, for there weren’t any remains of a bomb to be found. He said it was likely they had given that explanation as a way to satisfy the public and would almost certainly be holding a more extensive investigation to learn the truth—a truth that was sure to elude them no matter how hard they looked. Scott told them it would probably just go down in history as a strange ghost story that would fade into a modern myth, and that would be the end of it. He then added that the accounts of a mysterious forest fire up north and a surge of fire in a neighborhood near the school would only add to that myth.

Naturally, the festival-goers had all been evacuated and sent home early, but Abi and Scott’s work that night was far from over. Laura and Carmen were furiously adamant that they finally explain what had gone on, and according to Laura, Mallicent had even told her some of the details regarding Ijiria. After some deliberation, they decided they didn’t have much of a choice, and assured the girls they would properly fill them in the following morning. That took a lot of convincing, but since they would need to get home and check in with their parents, Laura and Carmen eventually conceded and left, insisting that they would be on Scott’s doorstep the second the sun crossed the horizon.

From there, they rushed back to Scott’s house to rendezvous with Ryokumo and Ilirianna, and it was then that they learned of Mallicent’s death. Abi hadn’t known what to feel about that, for the boy was a murderer that had almost killed both Laura and Scott that very night. On top of that, the carnage in the ballroom would remain with her for the rest of her life, so she couldn’t claim that Mallicent didn’t deserve it. Unfortunately, logic couldn’t always overcome emotion, and Abi refused to overlook that, at the end of the day, he had been a young and impressionable sixteen-year-old boy who had most likely been brainwashed by Vesh and the Kosah-Rei. That didn’t excuse his actions, but it made it easier for her to mourn him. To hide the evidence of his death from the Wilham police, Ilirianna used her skill with fire to cremate his body and stored the ashes in a small container she fashioned out of wood with nature magic. She decided she would bring his ashes back to Ijiria and provide a proper burial when they returned.

The princess wasn’t thrilled at the concept of exposing magic to two more Omaruans, but she also understood their lack of options, so the next morning, as promised, Laura and Carmen showed up on the doorstep at dawn, upon which the four of them explained who they were, where they had come from, and what they were doing in Wilham. Carmen seemed a lot more skeptical of it all, but since Laura had been present when Abi confronted Mallicent, she had taken it a lot easier. It also helped when Ilirianna showed them a bit of magic. They also attempted to explain the multiverse, but it was clear that the girls were having trouble following them, and eventually, Scott promised to do his best to explain it another time.

“So then…what happened to Mallicent?” Laura asked as the conversation was nearing its end. “I see you’ve got the dagger, Ilirianna, so clearly you beat him, but…?”

The princess’s features tensed a bit, but she nevertheless told the truth. “He’s dead. To protect Wilham, we were left with no choice but to eliminate him, so we did. You do not have to fear him anymore.”

The revelation that they had killed somebody, and a boy around their age no less, shocked the girls, for death was a lot less common in Omaruo, and though it clearly unnerved them, they still seemed a bit relieved that they were no longer in danger. Once they were done, they had some lunch and then Scott escorted the girls home, probably just to have some time without the Ijirians present to talk with his friends.

With all of that settled, they were left with nothing else to do but wait for the realm dagger to recharge, though that wasn’t to say they didn’t have a new set of issues to deal with. Scott’s parents were returning that night, so by four o’clock, they frantically cleaned up any evidence that they had been there and fled across town to stay in Mallicent’s now vacant apartment. Unfortunately, it was just a single room with a bed and a couch—far too small to fit three people in it. Ryokumo instantly suggested Ilirianna take the bed since she was their leader and told Abi she could have the couch, but the princess vehemently disagreed and practically had to order Ryokumo that they would switch who slept where each night. Abi was sad they could no longer stay with Scott, but as it turned out, it didn’t really diminish their time together.

The “bombing” had forced the school to shut down for an indefinite time while authorities investigated and tried to determine how safe it was for students to return. Since he didn’t have school, Scott dropped by each day to hang out, and more often than not, he and Abi would go on unofficial dates so that she could see more of the town. He took her back to that frozen yogurt place that she had fallen in love with, and he even introduced her to some new spots Wilham had to offer. Down by the ocean was this beautiful pier with games and treats, as well as this huge structure called a “ferris wheel” that Scott revealed she could ride on. After a day spent there, he then took her to one of his favorite places to get food—a small and cozy establishment known as “Ralph’s Diner” which Abi took a very quick liking to.

Ever since he jumped in the way of that arrow for her, Abi’s attraction to Scott had only gotten stronger, as did his to her. Though she wouldn’t say they had become a couple by any means, they had begun sitting closer, holding each other’s hands, and were hugging before every parting. Unfortunately, each day that passed was another day closer to their departure, and Abi feared she would never be able to return. She had fallen in love with this quaint magicless town, and Scott was becoming as important to her as her teammates. It pained her to know they may never see each other again, but since there was nothing she could do about that, she just tried to enjoy each day for what it was, deciding she would treasure this time for the rest of her life.

To her powerful disappointment, their departure was one week earlier than planned, for on Sunday morning, one week after the Halloween festival, the three of them had been in the apartment with Scott when suddenly, the Ijirians felt a powerful surge of mana in the direction of the beach, followed by the arrival of a new mana signature, telling them that somebody had just entered Omaruo from another realm. Ryokumo clearly didn’t recognize them based on his confused expression, and while Abi felt as if it was moderately familiar, she couldn’t quite place it. Ilirianna, on the other hand, lit up with relief, indicating that whoever had arrived could be considered a friend.

“Um, you guys okay?” Scott grunted with a cocked eyebrow. “You all look like you just got electrocuted.” He seemed to say it mostly as a joke, but when Abi’s expression turned somber and she gazed at him with a sad smile, he seemed to realize what had happened. “Did…somebody just come from Ijiria?”

Abi’s shoulders slumped and she gave a weak nod. “Yeah, they did. I guess they figured out we were here, after all.”

“That’s curious though,” Ryokumo added quizzically. “How could Ijiria have known? I mean, I thought we left without much of a trace, so how could the Citadel have located us? Especially given that only a week has passed back home.”

Ilirianna considered the question for a moment before coming to a possible answer. “Well, my best guess is that they noticed some strange activity on the QuaerBasim and sent somebody to check it out.”

“The…what?” Scott murmured, thrown off by the unfamiliar term.

“QuaerBasim,” the princess repeated, always happy to satiate Scott’s curiosity. “It’s a really old system from the Age of Expansion that was developed to monitor the magical activity of the neighboring realms. It’s not terribly useful these days, but we still check it from time to time. Since Omaruo is magicless, any activity would be seen as abnormal, especially as much as we’ve used, so I’m sure it raised some red flags. It’s possible they don’t realize we’re the ones responsible and are just investigating, but…”

“What reason other than saving the Empire’s heir would be enough to get Kloras Glaus to approve it so quickly?” Ryokumo finished. “I mean, it’s only been but a week back there—far too rapid to be anything but.”

Ilirianna smirked. “Yeah, exactly.”

“So then…? Well, I g-guess you’re leaving then? Like, right now…” Scott stumbled over his words, the proper meaning of what was happening dawning on him even stronger.

Ilirianna glanced over at him and let out a soft sigh. “Yeah, I can feel her heading this way, and pretty fast at that. She’ll be at the apartment no later than five minutes, and I’m sure she’ll take us back immediately. I didn’t think it’d be this abrupt, so I’m sorry we couldn’t have had a more proper goodbye, but you’ll have to get running. If she sees you in our company…”

Ilirianna let the thought hang as Scott’s lips drew tight in frustration. “R-right. Okay then, well, we knew this was coming, so I’m prepared.” He then forced a smile that was clearly meant to be pleasant, but wound up instead being filled with sorrow. “Thank you guys for everything. I know I wasn’t always perfect, but I’m happy I could help you, and I’m so damn glad I was able to meet you. I will never forget any of you so long as I live. I promise.”

Unable to keep herself still, Abi rushed forward and threw her arms around Scott, pulling him into one last embrace. For a moment, the apartment went silent as Ilirianna moved to retrieve her bag with the realm dagger and Mallicent’s ashes while Ryokumo grabbed his own bag full of plushies he won at the festival. Part of Abi expected to hear Ilirianna reprimanding him, for she had insisted that he leave those behind, but either she had decided it was a losing battle or she didn’t want to disrupt mood. Regardless, they stayed quiet until Abi forced herself to pull back and look into Scott’s eyes.

When she did, despite knowing it was a promise she might not be able to keep, she said what she wanted to say anyway. “This isn’t the end,” she asserted. “Somehow, someway, I’m coming back. I’ll see you again, Scott Reiner. I promise you…”

He laughed, shaking his head with exasperation, clearly knowing as well as she did that she could not possibly uphold that promise. Yet, he replied as if he didn’t. “I’ll be waiting for you, Abigail. Just knock on my door and you’ll be welcomed with open arms, you hear?”

“Okay. Will do!”

Finally releasing her, Scott turned and regarded Ilirianna and Ryokumo, then placed his hand on his chest and gave them a bow. “Until next time, My Princess. I look forward to when you grace me with your royal presence again. I’ll kinda miss you, too, Caeli.”

Adding Ryokumo as an afterthought, the wind mage snorted and folded his arms. “Of course you’ll miss me! In fact, you’re gonna miss me the most and you damn well know it!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Scott brushed his comments aside and rose to stare at them, only to find Ilirianna grinning warmly.

“Thank you for everything, Scott,” she said. “We wouldn’t have been able to handle things here so efficiently without you. You have my word that the Ijirians will never know anything. You’ll be safe.”

“Much appreciated, Princess.” He then cleared his throat, seeing that Ilirianna’s head snapped in the direction they could feel the Ijirian coming from, and they weren’t far anymore. “I guess I’ll take that as my cue! All of you…” Approaching the door and pulling it open, Scott spared one last look at the three Ijirians before his attention settled on Abi one last time. “Take care of yourselves. I’ll see you when I see you.”

With that, Scott Reiner rushed from the room, leaving them all standing there in silence as they monitored the Ijirian, who had just arrived at the bottom of the building.

“You know, Abi,” Ilirianna whispered. “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep.”

But the nature mage simply shrugged. “I know that. But this is one I will keep. Somehow…”

She could feel Ilirianna’s uncertain gaze lingering on her, but the topic was dropped by the rising signature of the Ijirian as they made their way from the stairs to the fourth floor. The princess stepped forward while Abi and Ryokumo remained just behind her, and soon enough, the presence had arrived on the opposite side of the door, just before a soft knocking reached their ears. Ilirianna answered without hesitation, and when she pulled the door open, Abi finally realized why the signature had only been mildly familiar as she had only ever spoken to this woman a single time, and just for a minute.

The Master of Wind, Koroha Rhitta, stood just on the other side of the doorway, her dark brown eyes swiftly scanning the room as she took in first the princess before her, then Abi and Ryokumo further in the apartment. She looked exactly as Abi remembered, with pitch black hair tied back in a ponytail and dressed in a dark gray and brown tunic and trousers. Having properly assessed the situation, a very slight smile crossed her lips.

“Princess Ilirianna,” she greeted, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her before bowing to the young woman. “Words cannot express how relieved I am to see you alive, safe and sound. For the past few days, the Citadel has been in an uproar over the events at Hiriech, and your disappearance only made that all the worse. In addition…” Koroha then rose back to full height and addressed the two Academy students. “I am happy to see that the other members of the new royal team are also alive. Nigreos and Album will be quite pleased when they receive the news.”

Abi frowned considering that Koroha’s words implied that the Citadel had contact with the other members of their team, but despite desperately wanting to ask the Master of Wind all about what happened to Nigreos and Album after the attack, she knew it was not her place to interrupt. Therefore, she was very grateful when Ilirianna asked instead.

“And what is the status of my other team members?” she inquired calmly. “And for that matter, what has become of Masters Rana and Taurus?”

Koroha considered the questions, seemingly debating how much she was allowed to say in the presence of Abi and Ryokumo. Luckily, she must not have concluded there would be any harm in answering.

“They are all alive,” Koroha assured them. “Nigreos and Album returned to Erika just two days ago, and after making contact with their fathers, the Masters were called together so that we and King Markreas could receive their report. It was strange, after all, that they would arrive alone, and when they told us of what happened in Hiriech—of the Kosah-Rei, the destruction of House Malloway, and your disappearance—well, we were stunned. Nigreos also proposed a theory of his that you, along with the traitor, Mallicent Malloway, jumped realms, and upon checking the Basim and confirming abnormal activity here in Omaruo, Markreas did everything in his power to acquire the use of daggers to retrieve you.”

Once again, Abi found the Master’s words to be strange, and she couldn’t help wondering just how Nigreos had figured out they left Ijiria. There wouldn’t have been any evidence left behind, or at least as far as they were aware, so she made a mental note to pick his brain when they returned to the Academy. For the moment, she was just happy to know her two friends had survived that massacre.

“Well, I’m glad to know they made it home,” Ilirianna commented. “And the Masters?”

Koroha smiled reassuringly. “Master Rana returned not long after Nigreos and Album, bringing with us word that Master Taurus is handling things in Hiriech while waiting for the crown to find a solution.”

“Good.” The princess let out a breath that she didn’t even seem to realize she had been holding, nodding more to herself than to Koroha. “Well in that case, I can at least confirm that everything has been handled here. We managed to subdue Mallicent without any magicless casualties nor magic getting exposed, and though I would have preferred capture, we were left with very little room for maneuvering, so Caeli did what needed to be done and executed him. We have both his realm dagger and his ashes right here in my bag.”

Reaching into the bag to show Koroha the dagger, Ilirianna gave her own report, and despite the woman’s otherwise stoic attitude, Abi did notice a slight flicker or surprise that was soon followed by pride, before returning to her unreadable state.

“That is a relief to hear given that King Markreas was heavily considering calling either Madame Corosone or Lady Clara Luz to the Citadel to be ready for erasure,” Koroha said. “And as unfortunate as losing a source of information like young Mallicent is, I would prefer it over magical exposure in Omaruo. You three did well and I commend you.” They voiced their thanks as Ryokumo and Abi bowed for the Master, who was quick to continue. “We will be returning to Ijiria now. After strong-arming Kloras, we acquired permission for the use of two daggers—one to open the portal to enter Omaruo, and one to bring with me in order to leave and bypass the recharging time. So if you’re ready…?”

“We are, yes,” Ilirianna confirmed. “Omaruo has been an interesting experience, but I am very glad to be going home. That being said, if you have just a moment, Master Rhitta, I have a brief proposal that I’d like your opinion on.”

Koroha raised her eyebrows with curiosity while Abi and Ryokumo exchanged glances. From the confusion in her friend’s expression, Abi could tell that he, too, had no clue what the princess was talking about, and when the Master of Wind agreed to listen, Ilirianna explained herself.

“It’s becoming painfully clear to all of us that Council Member Glaus intends to stand in our way at every turn, so long as he considers it beneficial to his aspirations,” she stated with a slightly bitter tone. “It’s been frustrating for quite some time, but we’ve put up with it for the sake of harmony. That being said, the emergence of the Kosah-Rei changes things, and I can personally attest to their threat level. With that in mind, I think it very necessary that we be prepared to bypass the Council should we have to.”

Koroha narrowed her eyes, clearly not approving of what the princess was saying. “While I agree that Kloras could be more cooperative, I can’t say I like the idea of our future queen suggesting that we ignore such a sacred and important law.”

“Of course, but hear me out,” Ilirianna insisted. “Realm daggers are rare enough as it is, and obtaining the usage of them with Kloras getting in our way is nearly impossible. It took me getting stuck in here to push him to cooperate. In other circumstances, I wouldn’t think the daggers were all that useful, but we do not know whether Mallicent had the only one, or if the Kosah-Rei have managed to acquire others. Therefore, I would request that we report this to the Council instead: When Mallicent realized he had lost, he destroyed his realm dagger just before we could eliminate him in an effort to strand us here.”

“Then you want to conceal this fourth dagger from Kloras,” the Master of Wind stated calmly, though clearly not fully on board.

“I do, yes.”

“And what would you have us do with the dagger?” Koroha demanded. “Kloras himself might be weak with magic, but not all members are. Once the dagger is fully charged, it will let off a slight signature that is sure to be noticed eventually. The elders do have partial jurisdiction over the Vault of the Relics and we all know it’s a poorly kept secret that they often wander the halls, observing shifts in the airborne mana. It will be noticed eventually if kept in the Citadel, and when it is, we would have hell to pay.”

Ilirianna nodded, making it clear she had already thought that far. “I’m aware, which is why I intend to entrust it to the royal team. The Academy is filled with a variety of unique mana signatures, so a realm dagger would blend right in. Nobody would even bat an eye. Abi and Ryokumo have more than proven to me that they can be trusted with such a responsibility, so if I order them to protect this dagger with their lives, they will. Then, if we ever need to hop realms again for whatever reason, we have a means.”

Abi and Ryokumo glanced at one another again, sharing their stunned sentiments towards this suggestion. Ilirianna had clearly thought the matter through, for she had an answer to each of Koroha’s questions. Like always, she was confident, and though Abi was hesitant at the idea of being in charge of that dagger, she couldn’t deny the pride she felt at having earned Ilirianna’s trust like this.

Unfortunately, Koroha still wasn’t swayed.

“Well, it is not my choice to make,” she stated. “If King Markreas and Queen Toranei agree with you, then by all means, go ahead. You will not hear a word of complaint from me. Luckily for you, you parents are already gathered in the throne room, so you will be speaking with them shortly. Come.”

As Koroha reached into the inner pocket of her tunic to produce her realm dagger, Ilirianna glanced back and winked at them, silently communicating that she knew what she was doing. Ryokumo merely chuckled and Abi sighed, deciding that whatever the result of that debate was, she would obediently follow. Then, just before Koroha activated the dagger she now wielded, Ilirianna made sure to visibly toss her own into Ryokumo’s bag of Halloween plushies. The Master of Wind regarded that bag with uncertainty, especially when Ryokumo kneeled down to shove the dagger further beneath the stuffed toys, but seeming to decide it truly wasn’t her problem, Koroha rolled her eyes and pressed the ruby button on the dagger’s hilt.

Yellow mana flared around the bluish-green blade, and only once she confirmed they were all standing at the ready did she swing down to seemingly cut at nothing. Abi had never seen a portal opened with the dagger so she hadn’t been sure of what to expect. When the air itself seemed to be sliced open, followed by the abrupt expanding of the cut into an oval of swirling yellow, her eyes went wide with awe, and she wished Scott could have remained behind to witness it.

“Let’s be off,” Koroha said, then stalked into the portal only to be engulfed by the yellow.

Ilirianna went next, followed by Ryokumo and, after taking one final look at the apartment in Omaruo, Abi stepped into the portal as well. The experience was just as uncomfortable as last time, leaving her feeling like she had been plunged into a thick pool of water, but it was soon over, and when she stumbled back to solid ground, she found herself, as well as the other three mages, in a very strange and empty room. The walls and floor were all a dark purplish-black, as if constructed solely of obsidian, and she soon recalled that Ilirianna told her the entry point in Erika was a room on the first floor of the Citadel, charmed to inhibit magic usage should anybody enter their realm from another—a very rare occurrence.

Since Koroha said the king and queen were awaiting Ilirianna’s arrival, Abi expected her and Ryokumo to be given instructions as to what they were supposed to do in the meantime. She highly doubted King Markeas and Queen Toranei would be interested in hearing from them since Ilirianna could easily give the full report on the events in Omaruo herself, so she was quite confused when Koroha didn’t give them any orders at all. Instead, she silently strode towards the open double doors just ahead, the portal already closing behind them. Once outside, Koroha quickly said something to the guards stationed there, then continued on her way.

“U-um, Master Rhitta,” Abi stuttered, briefly taking in the beautiful sight of the silver and white halls of the Citadel—something she had only seen the one time she came to have tea with Grunly. “Are Ryokumo and I supposed to go with you, or…is there somewhere we should wait?”

Koroha glanced back and frowned, but seeming to realize the source of Abi’s confusion, she laughed. “No, I would like you to accompany us. The king and queen requested that, if the two of you were still alive, you would join Princess Ilirianna as well.”

J-join her?

Glancing sidelong at Ryokumo, she had expected to see a similar look of anxiety in his eyes, but was quickly reminded that Ryokumo Caeli was not the type of person to fear a situation such as this, for she found his already present grin turning thrilled at the news.

Wait… So…am I about to meet the king and queen of Ijiria?!