The Burning Flowers

Chapter I

After around ten minutes of patient waiting, the sound of footsteps down the corridor told her that it was finally time to leave. She had been anxiously anticipating this trip for some time now, especially given how few people of that era had ever done such a thing, but she was also eager for the opportunity to witness one of her visions play out with her own eyes. More often than not, what she saw took place without her present, but every once in a while, she would observe an event that included herself. This particular vision was one of interest to her because, while she knew what would happen, she wasn’t sure what the purpose of it would be.

What did fate intend for them to do with what they found?

Why was it necessary to do this?

She didn’t know, but she also wasn’t one to question her visions, rather she was a simple follower of them. They shaped her actions and her decisions, guiding her through her life in order to reach whatever it was that was in store for her. This was the philosophy of Tali Firrik, and she had a feeling that philosophy would never change.

Slowly opening her blue eyes and turning her head left to gaze down the corridor, she watched with a pleasant smile as Doctor Uma Miyon, Sir Barron Kristoff, and Leiolai Sartella made their way towards where she was waiting.

The Omaruan was grinning with intrigue of his own, for even though Tali had yet to give him all of the details of this operation, he still knew the basic facts, which was more than enough to excite his magicless mind. Uma was currently dressed in a tunic and long pants colored with dark browns, blacks, and grays. A traveling cloak was draped over his lean shoulders, but the hood was down to reveal his mature features, pitch black hair tied down to his back in a braid, and rounded spectacles resting atop his nose.

Beside the doctor, Barron was dressed in his enchanted red and black armor, though at the moment, his helm was carried under his burly arm, giving Tali a rare glimpse of his face. His white hair was trimmed and neatly combed, and his beard and mustache of the same colors were cut into mutton chops that framed his square jaw. There were a few visible wrinkles that hinted at his fifty-eight years, but otherwise he appeared younger than he actually was. His lack of smiling made him seem intense, but Tali knew that he had a soft heart should one succeed at befriending him.

The last of the newcomers, Tali’s closest friend among the Kosah-Rei, would not be joining them on this mission, so she was dressed only in casual loose clothing that covered her smaller form. Leiolai’s short, boyish brown hair had grown a little long in recent days, with her bangs partially obscuring her narrow and intimidating eyes that she kept lowered towards the ground. Tali knew her friend was quite disgruntled at the fact that they were going on this trip, and had urged numerous times that it wasn’t worth it, but each time, Tali had to remind her that her visions could not be altered and thus, no matter what they did, there would be no stopping their future.

“A good afternoon to you, My Lady,” Uma greeted as the three of them stopped right before her. “Is everything in order?”

Tali shrugged, motioning towards him and replying, “Depends on you, I guess. Did you bring the dagger?”

“Of course I did.”

Reaching down into his cloak, Uma revealed a small sheathed blade attached to his hip that he gently pulled out for her to see. In the dim red lighting of the dark castle corridor, Tali could only marvel at the beauty of the realm dagger’s blueish-green blade sparkling before her. At that short distance, she could feel the ancient and powerful mana emanating from it, and even after all that time, it was still surreal to be able to see an artifact as priceless as that one. After all, before Uma Miyon entered Ijiria from Omaruo, there were only three realm daggers left, and they were highly protected on the upper floors of the Ijirian Citadel, turned into nothing more than decorative items due to the Oralian Isolation Act. Realm travel almost never took place even among those in the Citadel, so Tali felt her heart pumping with a mixture of anxiety and delight at the fact that she was about to see it used in person.

“Perfect,” Tali chirped, clapping her hands together and glancing between them. “In that case, there’s no reason to delay. Let’s get this done with and be back by dinner!”

Unsurprisingly, Barron narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Just like that? Do you not intend to give us a little more information about what we’re doing? Don’t misunderstand, My Lady, I’m not intending to express distrust in you, but this could very well be a dangerous undertaking, and you’ve left the Doctor and I blind as to what we’re getting ourselves into. Don’t you think a little more transparency would be wise?”

“Oh, Barron, that would ruin the surprise!” she said with a laugh. “Trust me, we’re going to be fine! Nobody’s going to die, and nothing is going to go wrong! Rei has assured it, and I will voice her guidance for you.”

“Yes, but—”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Uma chimed in with a dismissive wave of his hand. “She’s right! A surprise makes it all the more exciting! And with that said, the anticipation is killing me so let’s get right to it, shall we?”

Barron let out a dissatisfied grunt but obliged regardless as he slipped the helmet over his head and reached back to ensure his glaive was tightly attached to his back. She could tell that, on top of the knight’s dissatisfaction at not knowing all of the details, there was also an underlying concern for her safety. Tali was, after all, only sixteen years old, with a very small form and a short height of only five-foot-five. Physically, she was not the most frightening individual. Magically, she hardly knew the first thing about combat. On top of that, from the perspectives of the Kosah-Rei, she was their only connection to the Goddess, making her the most significant and important member of the group. With all of that taken into account, nobody approved of the idea of Tali joining the trip, but they also couldn’t force her to stay when they were under the impression that Rei required her presence.

“I was there in the vision and thus I will be there in the moment,” she had told them. “Nothing we do can alter that fact, which means that I must be there to guide them to their destination. Rei has spoken, so we will obey.”

Tali giggled to herself at how easy it was to convince the Kosah-Rei to do her bidding, but she couldn’t say she didn’t appreciate their concern. Fiddling with a stray strand of her hazel hair, she watched as Uma took a step forward and pressed the ruby button on the hilt of the realm dagger, causing bright yellow mana to erupt around the blade. Then, with a clean strike down the center of the air, Uma sliced open the multiverse, creating a swirling oval portal of mana that would admit them access to another universe entirely. Having accomplished the job, Uma then spun around and tossed the dagger through the air, upon which Leiolai swiftly and easily caught it.

“Be careful out there, Tali,” Leiolai muttered with a sigh, breaking her silence as she moved to stand right beside the young girl. “I know you’ve assured me that everything’s going to be okay, but still… If anything were to happen to you…then this movement will die before it can even take its first breaths.”

Tali took in the sight of Leiolai’s strained features, appreciating her best friend’s ever-present concern. “In the name of the Goddess Rei, I promise that when you cut open that portal in two hours, I will emerge though, safe and sound with the payload in my pocket.”

“G-good. I’ll hold you to that. Now get going…”

Giving Leiolai a gentle pat on her shoulder, Tali turned back to face the portal swirling ahead of them, and just before she went through, she decided to have a little more fun at the expense of her allies.

“Sir Barron, I will add one thing,” she muttered with a sly tone in her voice. “Get ready to catch Uma.”

“Catch him?” Barron grunted, his voice muffled by the helm. “Meaning?”

“You’ll see!”

Giving the knight a mischievous wink, Tali skipped forward and hopped into the portal, trusting the other two to follow. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting out of the experience, but was still a little put off guard by the sensation of being drowned in a pool of thick water. She couldn’t breathe, and the pressure was a tad uncomfortable, but the sensations lasted only a few seconds before she tumbled through the other end and found herself freefalling through the sky. Most people would have panicked at that fact as they desperately tried to figure out where the ground was before they smashed into it, but since she already knew how this played out, the girl could only let out a cheer of excitement.

Despite the hour in Ijiria having been night, when Tali took in her surroundings, she found the sun beating down on her from above, indicating that it was somewhere around noon there in the new realm. The earth below was still a long way away, giving her a magnificent and clear view of the barren world that stretched out for miles, without so much as a glimpse of either plant or animal life anywhere. The air was thin but breathable, indicating that oxygen was being produced by something somewhere, making this realm still moderately livable. Her attention only lingered on the landscape for a moment before her eyes turned to the gaping crater directly below her, seeming as if it stretched out for dozens of miles, its diameter and circumference probably bigger than the entire Great City of Erika. Whatever had created it was lost long ago, and only theories could be made, but due to the vision Tali had witnessed weeks ago, she thought she had some idea already.

So this is Cansi, eh? she thought with awe. How exhilarating!

Tali spared a quick check over her shoulder to make sure her allies were there, only to see Uma hanging on to Barron’s back as they soared down towards her, wind magic moderating their fall. Satisfied, Tali brought mana to her own hands, muttered the incantation “Ventus”, and felt as her descent began to slow, allowing her to gradually glide down into the gaping crater. Using her memory of the vision to guide herself to the proper landing point, Tali altered the air and pushed towards the western side, picking a flat spot where she gently planted her feet. Letting out a sigh of relief, she glanced back up seconds before Uma and Barron landed right next to her, the former cackling and the latter dead silent.

“Well that was a fun little ride, wasn’t it!” Uma exclaimed as he jumped off of the knight. “God, I love magic!”

But Barron was clicking his tongue with irritation. “My Lady, with all due respect, a more proper warning would have been welcome.”

“Why? I already knew you two were gonna survive? Wasn’t it more fun this way?” she teased.

“No. No it was not.”

Tali rolled her eyes. “Aw, come on, Sir! Lighten up a bit! As far as we know, we’re the first living beings to enter Cansi in over a thousand years! This is a cause for celebration! Back me up, Uma!”

“Yes, yes, she’s got a point,” the Doctor responded absently, as if only partially paying attention to what they were saying as he scanned the gaping crater around them. “You know, now I ought to go visit Kaira and Hildegan just to say I’ve seen all our neighbors. Wouldn’t that be something for a magicless like me? Any chance we could spare a quick trip after we’re done here?”

“No, I think avoiding realm travel is the best idea,” Barron insisted, seemingly wanting to nip that idea in the bud as soon as possible. “As for celebration, I’ll appreciate this feat only once we’re safely back in Ankalla. So if you would, My Lady, please take us where you want to go.”

Turning away from the grumbling knight with an exasperated sigh, Tali briefly surveyed the rocky and gray landscape of the crater, narrowing her eyes before locking onto the spot she was seeking. “Alright then, if you’re in such a rush then come on! We’re going over there!”

Naturally, she didn’t bother to indicate where “there” was and instead started making her way across the rocky terrain and towards a spot roughly two hundred yards away. Uma and Barron silently followed after her, the former still muttering to himself about how amazed he was and the latter having already removed his glaive, as if expecting somebody, or something, to jump out of the ground and attack them.

“This place is lifeless, you know,” Tali called over her shoulder. “Nothing’s going to hurt us.”

But Barron completely disregarded her assurance. “Perhaps, perhaps not. As you said earlier, Ijirians haven’t entered this realm in over a thousand years, so we can’t even begin to guess what may have happened here since. For all you know, travelers from distant realms have made their way here and are watching as we speak.”

“For all I know, you say?” The girl smirked. “Well, I guess I can’t say I know for sure whether that’s true or not, but what I do know is that if anybody is here, they aren’t going to bother us. Trust me, Sir Barron, we are going to do this without any issue.”

Then, as she finished reminding him of that fact, she caught sight of her destination. Increasing her pace out of excitement, Tali hurried over to the edge of a small hole in the ground that was around a yard tall and twelve inches wide. At first glance, most would have just dismissed it as a small space in the rock, but having witnessed exactly what was about to transpire, Tali knew that wasn’t the case. The hole was much wider and must have been covered at some point, though whether it was intentional or just a product of the calamity that befell this place, she didn’t know.

“Sir, do me a favor and cast Corsikei right here,” she requested, pointing towards the small crack.

Regardless of Barron’s discomfort, he still wasn’t going to ignore a command from the Voice of Rei, so he removed a hand from the glaive, extended it towards the hole, and cast the requested spell. A shockwave burst from his palm, flying straight towards that spot on the ground, and the second it made impact, the rocks blasted apart before revealing what she knew to be an ancient shaft leading deep underground. Uma’s eyes went wide as he rushed forward to peer inside, turning his ear towards the shaft in order to listen for the sound of the rocks hitting the bottom—a sound that never came.

“My Lady, how deep does this go?” he whispered with awe.

“Not sure on the specific measurement, but it goes far,” she answered wryly. “What we seek is inside. Sir Barron, make sure you bring some oxygen down with us, if you would.”

Barron exhaled sharply. “You mean to say you want to go inside of that?”

“Yup!”

Wanting to expedite things, Tali didn’t give him another chance to protest before she hopped forward and plunged into the endless darkness. Free falling for the second time in the last twenty minutes, Tali made sure to use Ventus to control herself since she didn’t actually know how long she would be plummeting. Barron and Uma weren’t far behind her, and it didn’t take the knight long to ignite a meager ball of fire in his hands to give them some illumination. When he did, it was revealed that the walls around them were not made of stone or rock, rather they were an old and rusted metal that was very clearly unnatural.

Amazing… What the Ijirians of old would have thought had they seen this. All those centuries of theorizing about the existence of an ancient civilization here in Cansi…confirmed at last…

Eventually, Barron’s light revealed the bottom of the shaft, so Tali slowed her descent even further before gently planting her feet on the floor—a floor she quickly realized was metal. There was no exit in any direction, with only the metal of the shaft surrounding them, but Tali already knew what the next step was. Before Barron had even landed, she was already giving her next order.

“Blast open the ground, Sir.”

Once again obeying without question, Barron turned his palm towards the floors and cast Perkari, sending a blade of wind straight through the old and brittle metal. With a cut made, he then used wind magic to rip open a wider hole that Tali stepped into, dropping only nine feet into a box. Naturally, that was just a simple description of what it was, for there was a closed door just ahead of her with some sort of panel of buttons just to the right of it. She figured they must be how the box was controlled, but they were certainly inactive after all that time. Her best guess was that the box must have been the lift that would take the Cansi mages down from the surface, and what Uma said once he and Barron dropped down confirmed that.

“Fascinating! It’s like some sort of advanced magical elevator!” Releasing his hold on Barron so that he could approach the control panel, Uma gently ran his fingers across the buttons. “I mean, it’s not exactly the same as what we have in Omaruo, but it’s close enough. Ah, what I would give to see this place at its height!” He then readjusted his glasses and shot an expectant grin back at Tali. “What now? Do we open the door?”

“Yup! If you wouldn’t mind…”

Stepping forward, Barron placed his palm against the door and cast Corsikei once again. With a loud crash, the elevator door flung forward before hitting the floor of a corridor on the other side. They couldn’t see a single thing that was further than a few yards since Barron didn’t have a strong enough control over fire magic to make a light brighter than the one he had, but where most would be terrified of walking straight into a pitch black hallway deep underground, Tali did so without hesitation. The air was painfully thin even with Barron’s magic so she took short and slow breaths, not wanting to suffocate as she walked forward, the knight moving to stand on her left and Uma taking the spot on her right.

They soon found out that the hallway did not just go straight, for they not only saw it turn in two directions up ahead, but they also spotted doors into adjacent rooms on either side of them, with plaques beside them that identified what they had been used for.

“My Goddess,” Uma breathed. “Biological Creatures lab, Cloning Facility, Lab of Celestial Magic?! What were these people?! And I thought the Ijirians’ existence was beyond insanity… Tali, what exactly is known about the civilization of this realm?”

Directing them away from the many names catching Uma’s eye, Tali took them down a right turn before continuing on. “Absolutely nothing. Until right now, no evidence of their existence was ever found. It was only theorized based on a strange abundance of mana in the air that could only be explained by the existence of mana-producing life forms. Unfortunately, all we ever found was a wasteland, leading those critical of the theory to believe there may be some simple life in the oceans…”

Uma grinned, bearing his slightly crooked teeth as he chuckled. “So you’re saying that nobody has ever seen this? Nobody has ever been able to confirm the existence of these people?”

“Exactly,” she said. “We do not know who they were, what they could do, where they came from, or what wiped them off the face of the earth. My best guess based on this underground laboratory is that this was the sight of an ancient city…” Her features then turned slightly uneasy, for even she was not thrilled by the implications. “So if a crater is all that’s left…then what killed them?”

“Yes… What indeed?” Uma glanced up and analyzed the remains of light fixtures on the ceiling, his eyes turning distant. “If I had to guess, I would say they probably killed themselves. Such is the nature of the human species, I think. We continue to improve and invent, and eventually, we create things that are better off unknown. In Omaruo, we have invented explosives with the power to destroy an entire city in an instant…” He snapped his fingers. “Just like that—millions dead… So if a magicless realm like mine can do such a thing, then what could the mages of this place have made? One disagreement between countries with such abilities…and billions of years of evolution are snuffed out in the blink of an eye.”

It was a chilling thought, but Tali supposed that no civilization could last forever. Everything had a beginning and an end, so the morbid side of her couldn’t help wondering what would bring Ijiria to its conclusion. At the moment, they lacked the power to destroy things as quickly as Uma described, but they were still discovering magic, so perhaps one day, somebody would create a world-shattering spell, and it would all be over as quickly as Uma described.

“We’re here,” she murmured, dragging herself from her grim thoughts as they approached the door with the plaque she actually recognized. “Primary Laboratory of Doctor Akvic Jackel, Senior Researcher in Reality and Quantum Magic.”

“Reality and Quantum?” Uma parroted. “Do those exist in Ijiria?”

Tali shook her head. “Not as far as I know.”

“Lovely…” Barron grunted. “And what exactly are we expecting to find in this place?”

As the knight surly expected, Tali didn’t answer him and instead silently motioned for him to bust the lab open. Making his displeasure known with a sharp click of his tongue, Barron cast a more controlled Corsikei and knocked the door straight off its hinges, sending it flying inwards with a loud crash. Uma bolted inside before anybody else, making his impatience clear. Tali was right behind him, and Barron took up the rear despite being the one with the light, though it was quickly revealed that his light was not necessary, for the room was already glowing a dull yellow. The skeletal remains of old and rotted desks were placed up against the right and left walls, which may have once had shelves and decorations but were blank now.

However, the details of the room were hardly processed by the three Kosah-Rei, for all of them were instantly drawn to a large transparent canister just across from them, filled with a luminescent yellow liquid. Even more shocking to the two men was that, in the center of this canister, there was a humanoid figure floating, multiple wires and tubes attached to it. Its body was pitch black and not fully solid, seeming as if it were made out of a thick ooze rather than skin. Strings of what must have been hair sprouted from its head, floating down around its shoulders. The curve of its body indicated that it might have been female, but the shape was the only indicator for there were no bodily organs visible. In addition, the only non-humanoid feature was the slimy protrusions coming from its back, folding around its body like an angel’s wings.

“Magnificent,” Uma uttered, carefully approaching the being before coming to a sharp stop and turning to stare down at the ground in front of the canister where the skeletal remains of a human was lying, its limbs splayed out around it as it lay on its back. The Doctor furrowed his brow in disgust. “I suppose we’ve found poor old Doctor Jackel, eh?”

“And not just him,” Barron added, nodding towards the two canisters on either side of the slimy being.

Those four were not glowing since they didn’t have any liquid left in them, probably due to the numerous cracks in the glass that allowed it to spill out. However, it seemed the slimy being was not the only one of its kind, for the skeletons of what used to inhabit the canisters were still hanging inside by the tubes connected to them. Oddly enough, they appeared to be human bones, indicating that the creature still alive must have been some sort of human, too.

I do wonder why the other four were destroyed. Maybe age just got to them one at a time and this middle one happened to last the longest.

“So I imagine this is the reason we’re here?” Uma inquired, to which Tali nodded in confirmation.

“Yes, exactly. In my vision, we approached the canister and blasted it open. Then Sir Barron used wind magic to compress the sludge into a small ball that we carried back to the surface. I’m not sure why it can compress like that given it must have a skeleton,” she added upon seeing the Doctor’s confused expression, “but I suppose that’s what you’ll figure out for us, Uma.”

“With pleasure!” he exclaimed.

Barron sighed. “And why exactly do we need whatever this thing is? I, for one, am not thrilled at the idea of waking up some dormant experiment from a civilization long dead—one that may have destroyed itself, no less.”

“No idea,” she chirped. “All I know is that the Goddess sought fit to show me this moment, which means this thing has a purpose in the world. The only way we can discover its significance will be to release it and bring it back.” Tali then clapped her hands together and smiled with enthusiasm. “So that is what we will do! Go on, Sir Barron! Pop that thing out for us!”

***

“Tali? You awake?”

Her eyes gently flickering open before squinting at the light above her, Tali Firrik let out a soft groan of disappointment, for she had been enjoying her brief moment of rest. As her eyes adjusted, she slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, realizing that after dozing off, her head had fallen against Leiolai’s shoulder.

“Yes, unfortunately I am awake now…” she replied, rubbing her eyes before fixing her friend. “Just thinking, was all. Is Rotana here yet?”

“No, not yet, but he’s on his way.”

Nodding to herself, Tali forced down the feeling of longing that had come over her as a result of dreaming about the day they found The Angel—a day that was now over two years in the past. So much had happened since then and so much had changed, some for the better and some for the worst, with still so much yet to come. Her glimpses into the future gave her some idea of what awaited her in the coming days, months, and years, but it could never reveal it all, so even a seer like her feared what may happen. After all, she had never seen a vision of Mallicent Malloway’s death, so she had not been prepared to lose the boy that, despite his obvious distrust in her, she had grown quite fond of. She wondered, had he lived past the Reckoning of Hiriech, what he would have thought about the direction the Kosah-Rei was marching in.

He’d probably be impatient, she mused. In these two years, we may be growing in numbers and influence, but we have still yet to achieve anything as great as the destruction of House Malloway.

The news of what happened at Hiriech that night had spread throughout the Empire and beyond despite the Citadel’s efforts to suppress it. There were few in all the countries that didn’t know about the fall of the Malloways, and almost all who did knew that the Kosah-Rei were the ones behind it. Most of that could be attributed to actions of Rotana Vesh, who used his many allies among the commoners of the Empire to spread the truth to all who would listen, and because of this, those who believed that Ijirian elite were invincible were given hope that the Great Cities could be breached with the right strategies.

And even though the other Cities still stand strong, we’ve made great strides in the smaller towns and villages scattered between them. The Citadel has done its best to fight us, and while on surface they are succeeding, I know that it's only a matter of time before they begin to crack and crumble. My visions have assured me of this.

On top of that, her visions had already shown her what their next step would be, and that was the reason that the six leaders of the Kosah-Rei were gathering on that night. Despite constant attempts to track down their base of operations, the Ijirians still hadn’t located them, and that was due to a number of highly advanced security and illusion charms that had been placed upon the solitary fortress of Ankalla, looming tall and silent in the northern foothills not far south from the Great City of Harunhein and the Trovian Border. It was a dark, cold, and dreary castle far from the fanciness that was common in the Great Cities, but it served its purpose of concealing them.

At the moment, they were gathered in a circular common room on the eighth level of the northern tower, with a large window on the western side that would often give them a beautiful view of the sunset, though at the moment, all they saw was the surrounding snow-covered hills glittering in the silver light of the moon. The rest of the walls were made of pitch black brick, which combined with the glow of the firelamps made for a very depressing atmosphere. Tali and Leiolai were sitting on the brown leather couch directly across from that window, the latter absently watching as Uma and Barron played a game of chess at a small table off to their right.

The final individual in the room was standing just in front of the window, gazing outwards as if deep in thought. His name was Quill Tyrus and he stood around six feet tall, with an average-sized build and a gaunt face, his sullen cheeks emphasizing his bony and protruding chin. His brown hair was curled, matching the reddish color of his tunic and pants. At the moment, he and Tali were the only higher members of the Kosah-Rei that the Citadel didn’t know the existence of. This was because Tali had been disguised as Yoral Malloway the entire time the royal team had been present in Aquesen, and Quill had been operating with the city guard down in Hiriech itself, though he was far from the area where Nyx Rana obliterated a large part of their army.

After a few more moments remaining lost in thought while waiting for his arrival, Rotana Vesh finally walked through the door behind the couch, and though he had yet to speak, Uma and Barron got to their feet while Quill turned around and fixed Vesh with a somber look, his brown eyes droopy and disinterested.

“Apologies for taking so long,” Vesh said with a brief glance around the room. “I had a few things to take care of, but everything should now be settled. That being said, I do not wish to waste any more of your time than I fear I already have, so I’ll turn the floor over to Tali and get this discussion started.”

“Good. I’ve been eager to hear what information the Goddess has blessed us with,” Quill muttered, his eyes shifting towards Tali as the others did the same. “That is, I imagine, why we are here? Rei has revealed to us our next move?”

Tali smiled, getting to her feet and eyeing each one of them in turn, always appreciating the trust they put in her. “Yes, she has. Just last night, in fact, and I think you’ll all be quite pleased to know what I have seen. After so many months of wanting to lead another attack that would shake this Empire to its core, the Goddess has finally given us the opportunity.” She giggled to herself, still rather stunned by what she had witnessed and what it could mean for the future. “I have seen one of the Great Cities bathed in her fires.”

Uma chuckled darkly as he straightened up, his earlier interest now increased to thrill. “A Great City, you say? Well, don’t keep us in suspense, My Lady! Where is it we’re going to grace with the Goddess’ presence?”

Barron and Quill, though being far less expressive than Uma, were watching her with anticipation, and since she already told Leiolai and Vesh the details of her vision, she faced the three of them specifically.

“Stellareid,” she declared. “The City of Starlight will be the next place we raze to the ground…”

Once again, and like always, Uma’s reaction was the most visible, and in this instance, his features were contorted in disappointment, mixed with what might have even been disgust. “Stellareid? Why? What purpose is there in attacking the most docile City of them all? Not to mention, the disruption we would cause in the scientific world could be disastrous! Would it not be smarter to turn our sights on Noctalus or Krato? Even Harunhein would be more effective of an attack!”

“Uma, you would dare question the Goddess?” Vesh inquired softly, though there was an unsubtle tone of warning intertwined within those words. “If Stellareid is where we are ordered to go then Stellareid is where we will go. Besides!” Cutting Uma off before he could protest further, Vesh raised his voice and went on. “Even without Rei giving us this order, I’ve had my sights set on the City of Starlight for some time.”

Plopping back down into his chair, Uma folded his arms over his chest, seemingly pouting like a child who was just denied his candy, as his eyes narrowed. “Well, by all means, Captain Vesh… Explain your reasoning.”

“Does he really have to?” Quill grumbled, leaning his back up against the window as he cocked a lazy eyebrow at the Doctor. “I, for one, think the reasoning is obvious. We do not currently have the resources or manpower to make a strike against a Great City as warmongering as Krato. Harunhein, as you’re aware, is far too close to this fortress, so an attack there would risk drawing their attention to us, not to mention the controversy surrounding Harunhein’s status as Ijirian or Trovian. Attacking it may very well anger the north, which is not ideal. As for Noctalus, well…” The man shrugged, eyeing Uma with a bemused look. “Do you want to fight off hordes of dark and light mages? Our people have hardly been holding their own against Nigreos Noctis and Album Luz alone. Should their entire family get involved, well…”

Tali forced herself to suppress her grin as she exchanged knowing glances with Leiolai and Vesh. As it stood, while they wouldn’t be waging a full-on assault of Noctalus, they did have a plan for the ancient city that was a necessary piece for the events of Stellareid to unfold in their favor.

“Yes, yes,” Uma grunted with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I understand that Stellareid is vulnerable, but it is the heart of this world’s science!”

“And that will not be affected, Uma, I promise,” Vesh assured him. “Remember, it is not the elite that give their blood, sweat, and tears to the scientific progress of this Empire, rather it is the common people who do so—and they are not to be harmed. When we say we plan to attack Stellareid, what we really mean is that we plan to attack the Fifth Ring. The other four will remain relatively undamaged.”

“And besides…” Finally seeming to decide it was time to add her own thoughts, Leiolai got to her feet and regarded Uma as well. “Whether we act or not, that City is becoming a powder keg that’s going to explode at any moment. Lord Eganno Cartigan is pushing his luck, and the people are starting to push back.”

Barron furrowed his brow in thought, recognition appearing in his features. “I imagine you’re referencing the recent protests—the ones led by Rickori Keskivaara?”

“Exactly,” the changeling confirmed.

The knight shook his head. “I mean, I have heard that things are getting tense, but everything indicates that Keskivaara intends to handle this situation peacefully. The man is well-known for being a diplomat and negotiator. Do you really think he wants to actually turn to violence?”

“It’s possible,” Vesh answered. “After all, Keskivaara’s requests have been simple. He just wants to sit down with Cartigan and talk things out, but the Lord won’t even grant him that. If Cartigan refuses to even try to negotiate, then perhaps the People’s Mind will start to consider other routes to getting what he wants—especially if we start offering him support.”

Quill gave a murmur of curiosity. “You mean you want to reach out to him?”

“I do,” Vesh confirmed. “Keskivaara’s forces have grown in number, and his influence is spreading into the regions surrounding Stellareid. If we could recruit his people well…” The man shrugged. “Perhaps the fall of Krato and Noctalus will not be so impossible, after all.”

“On top of that,” Leiolai said, “Tali’s visions have revealed to us another crucial piece of the puzzle.”

The seer nodded. “Yes, I do believe that the fall of Stellareid may not be the reason I have seen this particular vision. As it stands, I cannot actually confirm whether we will win this battle or not.”

Tali certainly didn’t fail to notice the concern that appeared on the faces of Uma, Barron, and Quill, and she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised. Every single thing they had done thus far, she had seen visions of their victory. The reason they attacked Hiriech the way they did was because she had seen visions of the ballroom burning down, of Yoral Malloway’s death and Mallicent’s decision to help, and of them all meeting in that forest afterwards, confirming their survival. Mallicent had been the only one she didn’t see in visions that took place after Hiriech, which she learned was because he never returned from Omaruo.

“So what’s the purpose of this then?” Uma demanded. “Stop beating around the bush, My Lady, and tell us exactly what we’re aiming for here.”

Tali grinned back at him. “Well, after two and half years, the time has finally come. Within those flames, I have seen Ilirianna Iiji and the royal team, facing off against us. I have witnessed The Angel at their side, and better yet…”

Taking pleasure in the wild expression that had overcome the doctor at the prospect of revenge, Tali gave him the final piece of her vision.

“The Battle of Stellareid…is where the royal team will tear itself apart.”