The Burning Flowers

Chapter XIX

Koroha’s sudden and unexpected arrival in Omaruo had already taken the three of them by surprise considering that they had been planning to remain in Wilham for another week or two while the realm dagger recharged. Having to prematurely say goodbye to Scott and then being back in Ijiria so abruptly had left Abigail’s mind in disarray, so the prospect of now facing King Markreas and Queen Toranei, the leaders of the Empire and two of the most powerful people in the entire realm, was something she wasn’t sure she could stomach. She had only become slightly comfortable around Ilirianna in the last two weeks, but interacting with her parents was a far more daunting and terrifying task. She at least took some solace in the knowledge that Ilirianna would be doing most of the talking, but if the monarchs wanted her present then that implied they would require her to speak at least once, and she was scared she might say or do something offensive, or even dangerous. After all, if she allowed them to catch even a hint of deceit regarding Scott Reiner’s existence, then the boy would almost certainly be erased, and she and Ryokumo would be arrested for protecting him.

I just need to breathe, she told herself. Take everything step-by-step and rely on Princess Ilirianna. She knows what she’s doing, so if I follow her lead, I should have nothing to worry about. I’ve got this!

A part of her was a tad annoyed that Ryokumo was so excited for this meeting, and though she knew he wasn’t stupid and had already more than proven his reliability, she also couldn’t help fearing that he might accidentally say something idiotic in the heat of the moment. She wasn’t sure if Ryokumo sensed her suspicion, but as she was watching him practically bouncing alongside her with his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket, he noticed her gaze, flashed her a flippant smile, and winked.

Jeez, Ryokumo. I wish I could be as relaxed as you are.

Following Koroha’s revelation that they would all be going to the throne room, there hadn’t been any conversation on the way through the lower corridors and towards the nearest lift. However, while the hallways weren’t as packed as the last time Abi had been there, there were still plenty of people going about their business, and whenever they spotted the princess, there were expressions of surprise from them. Abi didn’t know how much had been made public regarding Hiriech, but at the very least, their trip to Aeyir’s ball had been available knowledge. Therefore, seeing Ilirianna back must have surprised some, and to add to the strangeness of it all, Ilirianna, Ryokumo, and Abi were still dressed in the clothing they had been gifted by Scott—clothing that was not common there in Ijiria.

Finally, the four of them reached the lift, and it was by far the smoothest ride she had ever experienced, something she could only attribute to Koroha’s impressive control over wind magic. The highest Abi had ever been in the Citadel was only around six levels from the very top, where Grunly’s office was located, but they continued on even further, reaching the second to last floor where she was greeted by windowless hallways that weren’t silver and white like the rest of them, rather they were a bright and brilliant gold, with emerald green carpets, as well as suits of armor of the same color standing between various banners and portraits of old Iiji monarchs.

“Lead the way, Princess,” Koroha said, moving aside to allow Ilirianna to step off the disk first.

Naturally, Abi was confused why the Master of Wind suddenly decided to let Ilirianna guide them, but she decided not to bother asking such an unimportant question. Ryokumo was not so considerate.

“Not to be rude, Master Rihtta, but do you not know how to get to the throne room?” he inquired as they began moving yet again.

Abi rolled her eyes, and she was sure Ilirianna did the same, though the princess’s back was to them so she couldn’t be certain. As for Koroha, the Master glanced back at Ryokumo and cocked an eyebrow, though despite her clear displeasure towards his bluntness, she nevertheless answered him.

“The top floors of the Citadel are protected by a powerful illusion magic,” she explained. “It’s charmed so that anybody who is not supposed to be here will find themselves in a looping corridor with no means of escape. This spell is cast on the levels with the throne room, the Vault of the Relics, and the Iijis’ private living quarters. The only means of traversing these levels is with a designated guide—somebody who has been gifted the ability to safely walk the halls. At the moment, there are only a handful of people with this power, that being anybody with royal blood, as well as the top members of the Council, High Elder Solomon Orland and, unfortunately, Elder Kloras Glaus.”

Ryokumo’s eyes went wide at that last inclusion, Koroha’s bitter expression making it obvious how much she loathed the idea that Kloras could safely reach such important places.

“And with all due respect, I see you failed to include the Masters, yet Kloras Glaus has the power? Why exactly?” Ryokumo asked.

The Master of Wind sighed. “It’s a part of the same rule that created the High Council in the first place. The idea is to prevent the Iijis from hiding anything on the royal floors, and so the top two members are given the right to visit whenever they choose. The Masters being unable to have guideship is just a part of the checks and balances that law placed on them.”

“So then you’re saying that you Masters aren’t allowed to be guides,” Abi clarified. “Even if the royalty chose to permit it?”

Koroha nodded. “Yes, exactly. The individuals I listed off are the only ones permitted by Ijirian law to be guides.”

“Then I have to ask,” Ryokumo added, “what’s actually stopping the Iijis from simply ignoring this rule and doing so anyway? I mean, our little mission to Hiriech proves that you guys aren’t terribly opposed to ignoring these rules under the right conditions, so is there something preventing guideship from being illegally given?”

Koroha flashed him an angry expression, almost certainly at how disrespectful that question was, but as if to bail Ryokumo out, Ilirianna swiftly spoke up and answered.

“No, there is nothing. In fact, guideship can be given away with a simple uttering of a particular charm while grasping the hand of the receiver. The illusion magic up here is dangerous and powerful, but if guideship ever fell into the wrong hands, it could be spread to our enemies easily, and then we’re vulnerable. Absolutely nothing is keeping us from lying, and it’s yet another reason Glaus doesn’t trust us. If I chose to, I could give either of you guideship and he’d be none the wiser.”

Ilirianna glanced back at them and smirked wryly, earning herself a disapproving look from Koroha, but luckily for the princess, the matter was quickly dropped as they arrived at two beautiful gold doors that would admit them to the Ijirian throne room. Ilirianna didn’t hesitate to reach forward and open them, but before she could do so, the Master of Wind said one last thing.

“Like I said before, I do not approve of hiding this realm dagger from the Council,” she told them. “But given that it is not my place to make that decision, I will warn you now: Council Member Glaus is present for this meeting as well. I will distort Caeli’s bag of Omaruan toys, but that is all I will do for you. Understood?”

Ilirianna grimaced at the revelation that Kloras would be there, but left with no other option if she wanted to keep Iiji control over the dagger, she gave a curt nod. “Thank you, Master Rihtta.”

“Of course, Princess.”

With a quick casting of Disto, the bag in Ryokumo’s hand vanished from sight, and though if one looked close enough, they would notice the young man’s fingers curled in an odd way, it shouldn’t be enough to raise suspicion. Once that matter was handled, Ilirianna pushed open the doors and led the four of them into the golden room.

Abigail was quickly overwhelmed by the scene before them, for the room was as bright as she had expected, with massive golden pillars lining the left and right walls. Huge emerald banners displaying the Iiji family crest hung from the high ceiling and fell down to the floor, which was sparkling with the soft red hues emanating from the torches upon the walls. Directly ahead from the doorway was a raised platform on top of which were large gold and green chairs placed side-by-side, currently filled by who she knew without a doubt were Queen Toranei and King Markreas.

Even setting aside their defining emerald hair, the two individuals held such a dominating presence that it left no question who was in control of the room. Toranei had a certain cold grace to her, and despite Abi knowing her to be somewhere in her forties, she looked around ten years younger, with her hair tied back in an elegant braid and her blue eyes stern and powerful. Markreas had a similar presence, with hair that fell down to his shoulders and a full neatly-trimmed beard. He was wearing his glittering crown and had a long cape that came all the way down to rest at his feet.

Abi swallowed back her nervous anticipation, taking note of the others in the room, only for an overwhelming sense of relief and joy to hit her upon noticing the short, bearded old man standing alongside three other individuals, a smile on his face as they made eye contact.

Master Grunly!

Abi didn’t recognize those beside Grunly, but based on their appearances, she could make strong guesses as to their identities. To the Master of Nature’s right was a tall and handsome young man with youthful features and green hair the same color as the Iijis. Since Abi knew Ilirianna only had one brother, she deduced that this must be Prince Reigious Iiji.

On Reigious’s right were two men dressed in long green robes that she figured must be the proper attire of the Council Elders. One of them was an old man that she couldn’t even begin to identify and who looked about the age of Grunly, with a flowing white beard and wrinkled skin, but the other elder was undoubtedly Kloras Glaus himself.

Rennigan’s father had the same silver hair and nasty golden eyes as his son, though Kloras’s fell all the way down to his hips in a braid, and she could just barely make out the ghost of mustache on his upper lip. Abi was already inexplicably grossed out by him despite having only just seen him for the first time, and despite the intimidating situation she found herself in, as they entered the room and drew all attention toward them, Abigail opened up her sense and quickly took note of who could be trusted, and who couldn't.

Interesting… The only ones that are undoubtedly trustworthy are Prince Reigious and the council member beside Kloras. The king and queen, like Master Rihtta, are standing at a neutral position, which isn’t really surprising to me. And least of all surprising is that Kloras Glaus is someone to be weary of. Good to know…

“Liri,” Markreas said the second he saw them, and the love and relief in his eyes told Abi that, despite his calm and professional demeanor, he was beyond happy to see his daughter safely returned to the Citadel. “Words cannot express how grateful I am that you made it back. After hearing what happened in Hiriech, I just…” He cleared his throat and smoothed out his robes. “Well, I’m happy you’re home and…er, well what exactly are you wearing?” The king gestured towards her jeans and blouse with a curious expression.

Ilirianna laughed to herself and gently bowed her head. “I’m happy to be back, Father, and these are just some clothes we procured to blend in with the magicless. Though I do have to admit, I quite like them.”

“Ah, well yes… I suppose they are quite nice,” Markreas stuttered, seemingly having already lost interest in her attire. “But regardless, this is a relief.”

The princess smiled then glanced over towards her mother, who had yet to say anything and was instead silently gazing not at her daughter, but at Koroha, and as Abi looked between the two women, she realized that the queen had already picked up on the fact that they were hiding something, though she couldn’t be sure if it was simply Toranei’s intuition or if Koroha had sent her a silent signal indicating she was distorting something. Luckily, when Abi checked on Reigious and the council members, all three were more focused on Ilirianna than on the Master of Wind.

“So tell us, Ilirianna,” Toranei began, facing her daughter as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “Young Nigreos and Album have already given us a rather detailed report on what happened at Hiriech with this ridiculous cult, but nobody could say for certain what became of the three of you. How did you and the Malloway traitor wind up in Omaruo of all places?”

“And we also must ask,” Kloras added, speaking for the first time since their arrival in what was a far deeper voice than Abi had expected. “What became of Mallicent and his dagger? Acquiring a fourth realm dagger would certainly be a silver lining to this mess, wouldn’t it?”

Ilirianna didn’t so much as flinch at the question and lied without missing a beat. “It would have, yes, but I regret to inform all of you that we were not able to return with that dagger, for when Mallicent realized he was outmatched, he must have decided to make our lives as challenging as possible, then used his magic to smash the dagger.” She seemed to take strong satisfaction in the sudden fury that crossed Kloras’s eyes. “And as I’m sure you know, Council Member, once the metal has been shattered, the mana is lost and can not be reclaimed. Therefore, we had no choice but to eliminate the evidence.”

“Ah, is that so?” Kloras replied through a bitter smile. “Well isn’t that unfortunate?”

Ilirianna smiled pleasantly. “Yes, it is. I truly would have loved to bring it back with us. I apologize for our ineptitude.”

She directed that last statement towards her parents, and though Toranei gave no reaction, Markreas was clearly disappointed by the news. “As regrettable as that is, I do have to say that there were much higher priorities in Omaruo, and therefore would like to hear the report without Council Member Glaus interrupting.” Shooting Kloras an irritated scowl, Markreas motioned for his daughter to go on. “Please, tell us what happened, Liri.”

Thus, at the king’s beckoning, Ilirianna began telling the story of their mission in Omaruo. She explained how Ryokumo had pursued Mallicent out of the laboratory, allowing the young man to add details wherever necessary. In fact, despite being the ones giving the report, it was the three of them that actually received information regarding that event. Markreas informed them that, according to Nakoma’s reports, the doctor that Mallicent had been working under was actually a magicless from Omaruo that, through still unknown means, had acquired a dagger and arrived in Ijiria through one of the other entry points. Since they had known nothing about this Uma Miyon beforehand, it was welcome news, and Abi couldn’t help deducing that Miyon must have been the previous owner of Mallicent’s apartment.

From there, Ilirianna explained a fictional version of the events in Wilham, leaving all information regarding Scott Reiner out, and from what Abi could tell, she was doing a very efficient job. The story she concocted was that they used magic to acquire some money, then purchased the clothing to blend in, as well as a room at a hotel where they stayed until they were able to defeat Mallicent and steal his apartment. She spoke of how Mallicent tried to use the magicless as hostages, but assured them that despite his threats, they succeeded in apprehending him without any witnesses to the struggle.

“So then sending an eraser to Omaruo is unnecessary?” Markreas inquired, to which Ilirianna nodded firmly.

“Yes, we were determined to avoid that fate at all costs, and I am pleased to say we did so. Not a single Omaruan had magic exposed, and so sending Lady Clara or Madame Corosone would be a waste of time, especially given the threat it now seems we’re facing here in Ijiria.”

Ilirianna’s features turned firm, indicating to Abi that she was clearly doing everything in her power to not raise suspicion regarding Scott from anybody gathered in that room. On the surface, it seemed like it had worked, but since Ilirianna was more familiar with her parents than she was, Abi wouldn’t be comfortable until the princess assured them that she had gotten away with it.

“So what of Mallicent then?” Toranei demanded. “I see he is not with you, so is it a safe assumption to believe he is dead?”

“It is,” Ilirianna confirmed. “Like I said, protecting the Omaruans and upholding the Isolation Act was of the utmost importance. Mallicent Malloway, despite being a potential source of information, was strong enough to wipe out a sizable chunk of that town, and thus our hands were forced. Caeli made the hard call and killed him before he could make good on his threats. I have returned with his ashes as proof.”

She finished her report, and even before the king and queen could make any other comments, Kloras Glaus once again chimed in with his unsolicited opinion. “So if I’m understanding this correctly, you’re telling us that you failed to reclaim the realm dagger and couldn’t capture Malloway? So this was all a waste then? We still know next to nothing about these Kosah-Rei?”

“Yes, that is what I said,” Ilirianna stated, shooting Kloras an irritable look. “I am glad your ears are functioning, Council Member. But unfortunately, someone lacking magical skill like you could never understand just how delicate of a situation we found ourselves in. My team and I did all that we could, and despite it all, Abigail and Caeli handled themselves with the intelligence expected of the royal team. Therefore, I will not allow you to spit upon what we did achieve, and that’s preventing any sort of magical harm on Omaruo, a far bigger feat than you seem to think!”

“Enough!” Markreas cut in, clearly sensing that Kloras was not going to back down from Ilirianna’s challenging tone. “Liri, I understand how you feel, but please do not disrespect the council member. And you, Kloras… Do not disrespect my daughter either.”

Ilirianna didn’t press the issue, but Kloras was obviously displeased by the reprimanding. With that said, the king then turned to address not his daughter, but Abi and Ryokumo, much to the young woman’s fear.

“Mr. Caeli, Miss Abigail, please step forward,” he beckoned, Ryokumo obeying instantly while Abi hesitated just enough to stumble over her feet when she hurriedly tried to follow. As was proper, they bowed yet again, and for a few seconds, Markreas seemed to be considering them before a pleased smile came across his bearded features. “From the sound of it, the two of you impressed my daughter back in Omaruo, as well as in Hiriech. What happened with Rotana Vesh and Mallicent Malloway was far from what we expected from a simple birthday celebration, yet you two acted accordingly and handled yourselves marvelously. In some ways, we should consider it lucky that the royal team happened to be there when the Kosah-Rei made their moves. I thank you for standing by my daughter and I look forward to seeing what your futures hold.”

Abi barely stuttered out a thanks as she bowed her head again, but Ryokumo was far more composed as he returned Markreas’s grin and replied, “That means a lot coming from the king himself, Your Majesty. Thank you.”

“Of course.” Markreas then sat up straighter and scanned the room. “With that, we would like some privacy to properly speak with our daughter. Reigious, if you would escort everybody back to the lift, that would be great.”

“Except you, Koroha,” Toranei swiftly cut in, her eyes piercing as she addressed the Master of Wind. “I would like you to stay for a moment.” Kloras was instantly glaring, as if furious that he was being removed before the discussion was over while a Master of Ijiria was permitted to remain, but Toranei seemed prepared for his protesting and shut him down instantly. “We will not be discussing anything you would like to hear, Kloras, so please leave us without throwing a tantrum. I merely need to ask something of my old friend.”

Kloras was clearly holding back a scowl despite the smile on his face. “O-of course, My Queen.”

With that, the two council members, Grunly, Ryokumo, and Abi went to follow Reigious from the throne room, with Abi internally panicking at the fear that Ryokumo’s bag would reappear once they were far enough away from Koroha, but it seemed it wasn’t much of an issue, for Ryokumo shot her a sly wink, and despite departing the room, the bag stayed safely concealed. The young wind mage was clearly quite pleased with himself, though whether at the fact that they had successfully pulled one over on Kloras or at the praise he received from the king, Abi couldn’t be certain, nor did she care, for once they were outside and on their way to the lift, all she wanted to do was greet Grunly. The Master of Nature must have been of a similar sentiment, for he fell behind to walk alongside her, and spoke even before she could.

“You truly do continue to amaze me, Abigail,” Grunly said with a beaming and proud smile as he gazed up at her. “I always had faith in you, of course, but to hear Princess Ilirianna speak so highly of you only further proves that I never made a mistake sponsoring you. I am so happy you have safely returned.”

Her own pride swelling in her chest, Abi failed to conceal the joy in her voice when she replied, “That means a lot, Master Grunly. I’m just glad it’s over, for now at least. It’s been a long few weeks.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose you’ve experienced a longer passing of time than we did,” he mused. “Omaruo runs twice as fast, correct? So then it’s been two weeks since the ball?”

“It has, yes,” Abi confirmed. “Though from the sound of it, even if it’s only been a week here, I’ve still missed quite a lot. What’s going to happen next? I mean, do we have any idea at all just how far the Kosah-Rei have infiltrated? And for that matter, have any of the other Great Cities experienced attacks like the one at Hiriech?”

Grunly’s aged features turned somber, his eyes drifting to his cane as he pondered an answer. “I do wish I could say something more concrete, but as it stands, Nigreos and Album only returned with the news of what happened in Hiriech a mere two days ago, and it is the closest of the Great Cities. Noctalus is the only place we could have received word from by now, and when nobody arrived, Master Viiro departed to personally check in on the city. Yesterday, Master Cartus left for Stellareid and Master Acostav is making for Harunhein. Since Krato is a month long trip just to get there, the preparations are still being made for Master Koroha to go back to her home. At the very least, we can confirm that nothing has happened in Erika.”

Abi wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of still being so blind to what the Kosah-Rei could do, but at the very least, she knew they had a long road ahead. Rotana Vesh was now a known traitor, and with just how destructive his actions in Hiriech were, he and his cultists would be the most wanted individuals in the Empire.

But he was clearly a smart man, so he knows this. He did all of that knowing what would happen, so I have to wonder what he plans to do to evade capture.

She had a nasty feeling that what happened in Omaruo with Mallicent would not be her last encounter with the Kosah-Rei because she was now a member of the royal team, and the cult sought to eradicate the Iijis. One way or another, their paths would cross again.

“You need not worry about it, Miss Abigail,” chimed in the older council member, who had been walking up ahead with Prince Reigious and Kloras. “Focus on your studies. Those of us in the Citadel will take care of this matter.”

She could see in his kind eyes that he was trying to reassure her, and she realized that her fear must have been obvious on her face. “Thank you, Council Member…?”

“Solomon Orland,” he introduced with a nod of his head. “It is nice to finally meet Master Grunly’s famous protege. I’ve heard many good things.”

Abi smiled and was about to respond when, as they arrived at the lift and all gathered within it, Kloras added his own thoughts.

“Yes, I agree,” he commented with a stiff smile. “My son has told me plenty about you, Miss Abigail. After all, it was your team that bested his at the orientation.”

And yet again, before she could say anything, she was interrupted, though this time, it was by Ryokumo, whose wry smile immediately conveyed that he was about to have his fun with Rennigan’s father, and there wasn’t a single thing she could do to stop it.

“And has he mentioned me yet, Mr. Glaus? My name is Ryokumo Caeli and I happen to be Rennigan’s best friend! He and I just get along swell and I actually look forward to seeing him again after all this time!”

Kloras furrowed his brow in disgust as he regarded Ryokumo, and to Abi’s surprise, Grunly, Orland, and the still quiet Reigious all turned their heads to conceal their amusement, telling her that not a single person on that lift liked Kloras Glaus even a little.

“Yes, Rennigan has mentioned you, Mr. Caeli, and he has not said anything nice,” Kloras spat. “Perhaps you’ve gotten a bit full of yourself with all of your successes in the past month, but you should maybe learn some respect.”

Ryokumo casually brushed aside Kloras’s words and shook his head. “That’s a nice suggestion, Sir, but I think I’ll pass. Rennigan’s just being bashful, but we’re actually great friends! Besides, I do show respect, I simply give it to those who deserve it.”

Kloras eyed him coldly. “And what are you trying to imply?”

“Ryokumo,” Abi whispered softly, hoping he would heed her implied warning, but of course, he did not.

“What I’m trying to say is that I haven’t heard anything nice about you either—that all you do is hinder any sort of meaningful solutions to the troubles this empire is dealing with.” Ryokumo’s smile then all but vanished, and he returned Kloras’s glare with one of his own. “We’re facing what could very well be one of the biggest threats to Ijiria in a long time, so if you want respect, my friend, you should consider what is actually best for the people and not your misguided feud with the Masters.”

Kloras’s face turned bright red with what was clearly rage, but Ryokumo didn’t back down. “Excuse me, Mr. Caeli, but perhaps you should know your place and not speak on things you do not understand.”

“Yes, I’m told that quite often,” he stated cockily. “Too bad I don’t ever listen.”

Sensing the awkwardness that descended over the lift, Abi glanced down at Grunly and mouthed a “sorry about him”, but the Master of Nature just shook his head reassuringly. She wasn’t particularly sure if they actually reached the stop the Council Members had intended to get off on, but regardless, the disk slowed down and Orland was quick to motion for Kloras to join him.

“It was nice meeting you, Miss Abigail, Mr. Caeli,” the old man called over his shoulder, practically dragging a fuming Kloras off the lift, and without hesitation, Reigious reactivated the charm and continued downwards.

“You’re an idiot, Ryokumo,” Abi hissed the second they were moving again. “What the heck were you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself in trouble?!”

“Ha! What’s he gonna do to me?” the wind mage said without care. “And besides, somebody had to say it. I understand wanting to regulate the Masters and the Crown, but that man simply does it to show off his power. I’m afraid for what’s coming, and I felt he needed a little reminder of what his job actually is. I’ll accept Princess Ilirianna’s punishment later.”

Abi sighed with exasperation then glanced wearily at Reigious, who hadn’t said anything yet. She feared the prince was going to chew him out, but just like before, Reigious seemed quite amused as opposed to anything else, and when he spoke to Ryokumo, it was not with any sort of disapproval.

“Unfortunately, Caeli, my sister will be more likely to pat you on the back for doing that than punish you,” he mused. “She doesn’t always hold back with Kloras either, despite Mother and Father urging her to be more cooperative. I’ll refrain from giving you my opinion.”

“Yes, you and Princess Ilirianna may be too similar in that sense,” Grunly added with a chuckle. “Abi, it seems it will be your job to reign them both in. You have your work cut out for you.”

Abigail grimaced while Ryokumo’s smugness just increased. “See, Abi? The Master of Nature and the prince himself agree with me!”

“I never said that,” Reigious stated.

Grunly nodded. “Nor did I.”

“It was implied!”

In a way, she was glad Ryokumo was acting like himself, as it did give her a sense of comfort after everything they had endured. It truly had been a long trip, and it felt like months since she had been back in Erika, so she was anxious to return to the Academy and finally get some proper rest.

***

“Well, my mother pretty much saw through Koroha’s distortion instantly,” Ilirianna told them as they arrived in the gardens at the foot of the Citadel. “And it took far too much effort to convince her to hear me out. She doesn’t like Kloras, but she’s smart enough to know what would happen if we got caught hiding it.”

Abi glanced sidelong at Ilirianna, lowering her voice to a soft whisper as they passed a few guards walking in the way the team had come from. “So are we giving the dagger back?”

“No, not yet,” the princess answered. “I’ve already lied in front of Kloras, so she’s a bit hesitant to have to deal with the conversation revealing that fact. For the moment, she wants to keep her options open, so we’re going to use my plan and leave the realm dagger with the two of you for a while. I’ll keep you posted if anything changes.”

After making their way to the ground floor with Grunly and Reigious, the prince bid them goodbye and rose back up the tower while the Master of Nature took them to a small dining room not far from the lift where they grabbed something to eat. It was there that he asked them a few more questions, seemingly trying to touch upon any loose ends that remained, and to Abi’s surprise, they were allowed to go right back to the Academy. It was around the time they were getting ready to go that Ilirianna arrived, told Grunly she would escort them out to the carriage, and began filling them in on what happened after she stayed back.

Abigail sighed, having partially hoped that Queen Toranei would just take the dagger back, for it was almost too much of a burden on her to help conceal it. Ryokumo, however, grinned broadly.

“Perfect,” he chirped. “I, for one, am always happy to deceive a Glaus!”

Ilirianna snorted. “Yeah, I figured you would be.”

Stepping through the outer gates where the guards instantly bowed, the three of them found a black and green carriage waiting for them just down the road. Ilirianna remained at their side, and as they drew closer, she lowered her voice again and turned to gaze at Abi.

“At the very least, it seems we’ve gotten away with keeping Scott a secret from her…so I feel I should emphasize this,” she muttered. “That dagger is now in your hands, so any responsibility for what happens with it is no longer mine. I will not interfere or do anything that would harm my reputation with my family. The two of you are intelligent adults who can make their own choices, and accept any consequences. I’ll leave you with that.”

Abi didn’t even have to wonder what Ilirianna was implying with those words, but like always, the princess’s actions proved how willing she was to ignore the laws if she didn’t consider them necessary. After all, she wasn’t telling Abi not to use the dagger to visit Scott again, rather she was simply saying she would not bail her out if she got caught.

“Of course, Princess,” Ryokumo said. “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything risky!”

Ilirianna didn’t even slightly turn away from Abi, who gave a soft nod of affirmation and added, “Same.”

“Good. I would think not.” The driver of the carriage had already seen them coming, so he had hopped down and moved to open the door by the time they arrived. Ilirianna stopped just short of the entrance, watching as they moved to climb inside. “You two take care of yourselves. I’ll get in touch with you soon and give Nigreos and Album my best.”

“Until next time, Princess!”

“Take care, Princess.”

With that, the door to the carriage was pulled shut, blocking Ilirianna from their view, and within seconds, they were heading down the streets of Erika in the direction of the Academy. Neither Abi nor Ryokumo spoke, both silently pulling their thoughts together, so it was a rather peaceful ride as they made their way through the city, bathed in the orange light of sundown. Before she knew it, they had pulled up to the gates of the Academy of Erika, the driver helped them out, and they were back on the campus they had left behind weeks ago. Given the later hour, there were only a smattering of students in sight of the front gates, and it was as she and Ryokumo were lingering there that she realized she wasn’t even certain what day it was.

“It’s kind of bizarre,” Ryokumo murmured, “that after all of that, we’re just going to come back and go to class as if nothing happened.” He then glanced down at the bag of plushies now undistorted in his hand. “It’s going to be an interesting few days, I think.”

Abi nodded. “Tell me about it. I guess we should just head to the dorm tower?”

“I suppose so.”

From there, they properly entered the school and began making their way off in the direction of the dormitory. A part of her hoped that Nigreos and Album had brought her meager belongings back from Hiriech because if they hadn’t, then all she had left back at the tower was one spare uniform, and unfortunately, they had left so abruptly from Omaruo that she hadn’t thought to collect the other outfits Scott had purchased for her.

Though, I guess there’s nothing stopping me from going back to get them, she thought, briefly sparing a look down at Ryokumo’s bag. No, stop it, Abi. Princess Ilirianna wasn’t giving you permission. It would be stupid to do that.

Shoving that tempting but dangerous thought out of her mind, Abi tried to focus on their walk, but her attention was soon pulled to something up ahead when Ryokumo suddenly muttered, “Is that who I think it is?” Before she could even figure out what he meant, his millionth smug smile of the day came across his face, he stuck his hand into the air and shouted, “Rennigan Glaus, I have returned from Omaruo intact! Have you missed me, old friend?!”

Finally realizing what had caught Ryokumo’s attention, she couldn’t help smiling as well at the sight of Faye, Jessi, Hirokol, and even Rennigan walking down a pathway that joined with the one they were on. It seemed as if the team had been deep in conversation, a tense one based on the irritated expressions they all had, but at Ryokumo’s call, the four glanced Abi’s way, and all at once, looks of stunned shock came over them. Ryokumo was already sauntering over, clearly prepared to make up for all the time he missed to tease Rennigan, so Abi stayed on his heels, raising a hand in greeting towards Faye.

“C-Caeli?” Rennigan stuttered, the first of the four to compose himself as he straightened up and fixed Ryokumo with a nasty glare that, now that she had met him, she realized was almost identical to Kloras’s. “I see you’re alive, after all. What a damn pity.”

The wind mage clicked his tongue. “Of course I’m alive! One does not simply kill me!”

“Oh, thank god,” Faye sighed, the next to snap back to reality as she rushed forward and threw her arms around Abi, who gratefully embraced her back. “You insane woman, Abigail. I didn’t want to doubt that you were dead, but after what Noctis told us, I just couldn’t help worrying! It’s so damn good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you, too, Faye,” she responded, and once Faye released her, Abi wasn’t even given a chance to breathe before Jessi practically lunged at her, pulling her into a much more forceful hug that almost knocked the two of them to the ground. “Er, and I’m happy to see you, too, Jessi.”

As abruptly as she gave her the hug, Jessi pulled back, fixing her with that devious smile of hers. “It’s a good thing you made it back alive cause if you two had died then I’d have never gotten my chance for a rematch! Don’t get yourself caught up in something like that again, you hear me!”

“Loud and clear,” she stuttered, then noticing Hirokol standing not far behind his friend, Abi stepped forward and gave him a hug as well, finding even more relief at her reunion with her friends.

“Jeez, Abi gets all of these welcoming hugs and here I stand, all but forgotten!” Ryokumo jokingly lamented. “Glaus, where the hell do you think you’re going?! Get over here and give your best friend a hug!”

Rennigan, who Abi now realized had already returned to trekking back towards the dorm towers, glanced back at Ryokumo and growled, “Caeli, I would rather eat my own shit than give you a hug.”

“Wow, disgusting,” Ryokumo grunted. “And after I went through the trouble to bring you back a souvenir from Omaruo!”

Before Rennigan could demand what he meant, Ryokumo reached into his bag and produced a stuffed zombie then tossed it to the water mage, who seemed to only catch it by reflex. Rennigan glared down at the green and gray stuffed toy and cocked an eyebrow.

“This is hideous. What the hell is it?”

Ryokumo made a show of rolling his eyes. “It’s a zombie, Glaus! Have you never heard of them? They’re a famous monster in Omaruan stories that I just had to bring home for you since I figured it would remind you of your father!”

“Shut the hell up,” Renngian spat. “And why do you keep blathering on about Omaruo? Don’t tell me Noctis was right and you actually crossed realms.”

“Oh but we did! And I must say, it was quite a pleasant place, wasn’t it, Abi? And I even got this fancy leather jacket!”

Tossing the topic to Abigail as he showed off the jacket with a few poses, she was silently cursing Ryokumo’s lack of thought, and she wasn’t sure how much about Omaruo they were even allowed to reveal. But where it was easy for them to brush aside Ryokumo’s words as simple jest, when Abi failed to disprove his claims, the air turned to stunned silence once more.

“You’re kidding?” Faye said. “Did you actually go to Omaruo?”

“Uh, well…”

Gosh, I guess there’s no getting out of this. Good job, Ryokumo.

“Yeah, we did. We’re fine though, so there’s nothing to worry about!”

But Faye was already laughing like what she had said was funny. “What the hell, Abi?! You already had plenty of stories I wanted to hear, and now you’ve gone and seen another realm?! There are Masters of Ijiria who have never done that!”

“Well, yeah, things got complicated,” she stammered.

“That’s an understatement!”

“Hey, Glaus, come back!”

Turning towards Rennigan once again, Abi found him stalking off angrily, not even bothering to acknowledge Ryokumo’s calls as he practically crushed the stuffed zombie in his tightened grasp. He seemed quite livid at that news, and Abi could only imagine he knew as a fact Ryokumo would be lording this over him for a good few weeks.

“How’s that been, by the way?” she inquired.

Faye scoffed. “I’ve debated how worth it getting arrested for murder might be, so not well. Not well at all. We’re just lucky that us normal teams won’t be going on any missions until the spring semester. Hopefully we’ll clean this all up by then.” The rock mage then shrugged, forcing the scowl from her face and adding, “But we can both catch up another time. I’m sure you’re exhausted, and if you’re interested, we just left Noctis and Luz back at the library on the third floor. I’m sure they’d be thrilled to know you guys made it back okay.”

Deciding she actually did want to go and see Nigreos and Album as soon as possible, she thanked Faye and bid the rest of the team goodbye, promising to meet for an elongated brunch the day after, before she and Ryokumo rushed off towards the library. They arrived on the first floor and rode the lift up to the third where they made their way towards the group study room they had frequented before Hiriech. They didn’t have to even look that long, catching sight of Nigreos and Album sitting at a small table not far from the doorway. They were talking softly to each other, and getting to see her friends safe and sound made everything feel properly real—that they truly had returned home safely.

Nigreos spotted them first, having casually glanced past Album, and for a second, it almost seemed as if he believed himself to be seeing things. When Abi and Ryokumo both raised a hand in greeting, he practically shot to his feet, and his sudden movement caused Album to glance back curiously.

She was on her feet just as fast.

As they rushed over, all trading hugs as they reveled in their reunion, a sense of calm came over Abi, for as much as the future looked grim, there was also some light coming their way, for her time at the Academy of Erika could now properly begin. She would almost certainly encounter the Kosah-Rei again someday, but that day would not be today, and she took some joy in that fact.

There in the library, the royal team embraced, together again to face whatever was to come, both the good and the bad.