The Burning Flowers

Chapter XII

“Truly, if she continues along this path, that damn princess is going to be become a greater threat to our empire’s stability than even these Kosah-Rei are,” Lord Eganno Cartigan growled as he gazed through the window and down into the Fifth Ring far below the castle. “Prioritizing the desires of a man like Keskivaara over those of the people that actively help us is the idealistic nonsense of a child.”

Album forced herself to turn away from Cartigan, knowing that if she let her annoyance get the better of her then she would only cause more problems with her family than she already had. She wanted nothing more than to defend Ilirianna, for she truly did think the princess was on the right track, though that wasn’t to say she couldn’t understand Cartigan’s point-of-view. The Company Lords were some of the greatest financial assets Stellareid’s government had, so with such a public declaration of support for Keskivaara from Ilirianna Iiji, there was no doubt that by morning, Cartigan would be assaulted by dozens of angry lords seeking reasons for the princess's actions.

But even if they help benefit Cartigan, they don’t have anybody in mind but themselves. Keskivaara is thinking about the people, so it’s only natural that someone as considerate as Liri would take his side. I honestly hope their negotiations go as planned, because if something doesn’t change soon, I fear what might happen.

Unfortunately, aside from maybe Eko, who had yet to voice his opinion on this matter, Album was the only one in that room who held these beliefs. She and her brother were sitting quietly on the couch, listening to the discussion taking place between Cartigan, Viiro, and Acostav, the latter of the two sitting across the large coffee table from the Luz children. Album’s father wasn’t as quick to voice his support as he normally was, but Viiro had seemed to grow more unreasonable in the recent days, so it was no surprise that he was the one who responded to the Lord of Stellareid.

“Yes, the more time passes, the more I fear what this empire may be like under Ilirianna’s rule,” the Master of Darkness grunted. “I’ve always held hope that the girl would begin to mature and accept the ways of this world, but no matter what anybody says or does, she remains firm in her ideals. King Markreas and Queen Toranei have done their best, and I commend them for their patience in dealing with her, but it is amounting to very little. Her successes over the last few years have only further inflated her ego.”

Bite your tongue, Album… Getting into an argument with them right now doesn’t help anything…

Acostav slowly nodded, shooting a brief look towards his daughter that silently ordered her to keep her mouth shut and her opinions to herself. “Yes, I am of a similar mind. She has never failed to hide the fact that she selected the royal team for Reiner and Caeli, as opposed to Album and Nigreos. If not for Headmaster Tykon putting our kids in the same pairings, she would have turned her backs on Viiro and I in a heartbeat.”

“Yes, she clearly lacks any respect for the Great Cities,” Cartigan muttered with a snort. “She would sooner toss Noctalus and Stellareid into fire should it allow her to continue sucking on the cocks of the commoners.”

Album didn’t consider herself the type to give in to anger, or even to get angry at all, but a part of her truly wondered if Cartigan and the Masters forgot she and Eko were there. The way they were speaking about Ilirianna was revolting, and their lack of concern for what they said in front of her was a slight in and of itself—like they didn’t respect her. Still, she didn’t want to cause more of a scene than she and the team already had, but as Cartigan continued slandering the princess, Album lost her temper.

“I half expect to find out she’s been literally doing that with the Sukonese boy given how close she is with him. I mean, why have him go with her as opposed to Nigreos or Album?”

“Alright enough!” Jolting to her feet, her eyes narrowing in disgust at Cartigan, Album clenched her fists down at her side. “Lord Cartigan, you should watch what you say about your future queen! Ilirianna Iiji is your princess, and as a member of her royal team, I will not stand here and let you say such vile things about her!”

“Album!” Acostav hissed.

“The same goes for the two of you!” she shot back, talking over her father as she gazed at Viiro and Acostav. “Just because she doesn’t share your opinions does not make her own childish!”

Before either Master could retort, Cartigan gave a snotty laugh as he slowly turned from the window and gazed at Album as if he considered her an immature child as well. “Masters, perhaps you should be teaching your children more respect. The rebelliousness from Nigreos, Lunara, and Album I’ve witnessed in these mere three days is truly humiliating for you.”

Acostav’s face turned bright red while Viiro’s large jaw tightened, but Album wasn’t about to let them say anything as she rounded on Cartigan. “And you wonder why Lunara and I are so willing to turn Noctalus in favor of Keskivaara? Lord Cartigan, you are bringing this on yourself. This city is falling apart, and it is your fault.”

“Little Album,” he began in a belittling tone. “Do you have a mind of your own, or do you just regurgitate what your beloved princess spews into your mouth? You’re an emotional girl, getting worked up over something you hardly understand. What do you know about the politics of Stellareid? What do you understand about my decisions? You have never once entered this city until just the other day, yet you’re going to stand here and tell me that I don’t know what I’m doing?”

“I-I…”

“Use your brain,” Cartigan spat. “Whether I like it or not, in a year and half, you will become a leader of a Great City as well, so let me impart some wisdom on you, garnered from a lifetime of governing Stellareid.” The Lord took a few, almost threatening steps toward Album, his aged features contorting into a smug look. “The people are powerless. The people may whine and complain all they like, but they can't do anything to us. We’ve made sure of that. Magic is taught only to those who can afford it, because if magic is spread to the common man, the destruction caused by these idiotic parasites crawling around the slums would be uncontrollable. As such, they cannot fight back.”

“Then what do you make of the Kosah-Rei?” Album snapped, though she couldn’t deny that her initial adrenaline from her anger was swiftly dissipating in the face of Cartigan’s intimidation. “They’ve certainly fought back.”

Cartigan shook his head. “Have they? What damage have they really done? Every town and village they’ve wandered into, they’ve been expelled from, some by your own hand. The pastors walk into the light and we shoot them down. Sure, the leadership has remained hidden, but soon enough, they, too, will stick their heads out of their holes, only for the hammer to come down on their skulls. Uma Miyon is just the beginning of their end.”

“And Hiriech—?!”

“Friez Malloway was a pompous idiot!” Cartigan snarled. “The man was Vesh’s puppet, fooled even by his own son! He was blind! He was cocky! He thought Aquesen was untouchable, and for that, his bloodline ended! I am not so stupid! Saientia is a fortress the Kosah-Rei cannot hope to breach! Hiriech was an anomaly, nothing more! Soon, this cult will be gone, and the hierarchy of Ijiria will remain intact! So, Kiddo, why don’t you remember who has power and who doesn’t. Align with the people, suffer the consequences. They cannot help you the way your fellow lords and ladies can. The Company Lords fund me, the people drain me. It's like that here in Stellareid and it will be like that in Noctalus! Ilirianna has yet to learn this, and she will regret it!”

Album was just barely shorter than Cartigan, but it felt as if he was looming over her, and though she knew she was in the right, her throat tightened up and her brain stopped functioning. She couldn’t come up with the retort on the tip of her tongue, and as she glanced around the room, she saw Viiro glaring at her with disgust and Acostav with his face in his hands. Even Eko refused to look back, rather he turned his eyes away and made it clear he would not come to her defense. Weakly, she hung her head, knowing how pathetic it was to back down after coming in so strong.

“Album, just sit down and be quiet,” Acostav grumbled, and doing her best not to break down in front of them, Album obeyed.

***

Nigreos was nervous by the fact that Luna’s presence in Stellareid was desired by the Kosah-Rei, but at the same time, he took some comfort knowing she was alive and that he could protect her himself. Having her remain in Noctalus after such a violent attack was far from ideal, and had Neah not been allegedly taken to Stellareid, Nigreos may have ignored his father’s orders so he could remain behind in his home city. Since Lunara was skilled enough to defend herself should anything else happen in Noctalus, Nigreos had forced himself to put the eldest of his little sisters out of his mind while he focused everything he had on locating Neah. That was why he was conflicted by her sudden arrival there in the City of Starlight. She was both in more danger, but also safer where they could stand together. He didn’t have his father backing him up, so it was a great and welcome relief to have a different dark mage giving him aid.

“You know, Brother, I meant to say this earlier, but I’m kinda surprised by the way you confronted Father,” Lunara said as the two of them enjoyed a walk through the corridors of Castle Saientia, the windows on their right displaying the lights of the city and giving a wonderful view of the Five Rings. “You were always so insistent that we could rely on him—that we could trust him to do what was necessary when the time came. You clearly don’t think that anymore, so what changed?”

Glancing down at her curious gaze, a part of Nigreos considered keeping that particular detail to himself before realizing that it wouldn’t be much of a reveal for Lunara, who would have expected the way events unfolded there in Saientia over the last few days. “When we interrogated Miyon, Father declared he had no intention of finding Neah. In his own words, he said he wouldn’t waste resources trying to save a girl that would soon be dead anyway. He made this declaration as if it were the obvious choice and…I guess all the lies I’d been telling myself could no longer hold. Everything crumbled, and I saw him for what he really was…”

Lunara scoffed and shook her head. “Yeah, sounds like him. So you stood up to him then?”

“The whole royal team did,” Nigreos told her with a proud grin. “Princess Ilirianna, Ryokumo, Album, and Abi… They all had our back, and that’s the sole reason we’re still here in Stellareid at all. I just wish…we would have found something by now…”

“R-right…” Luna murmured that word so softly that Nigreos almost couldn’t hear it. “H-hey, Brother…?”

“Yes?”

A conflicted expression came over her face, as if what she was about to say to him was something she was struggling to put into words. Her mouth opened but nothing came out, and for a few seconds, he was concerned that there might have been something else that happened to her—something she had omitted from her initial report. Nigreos went to try and help her express herself, but before he could do so, Lunara’s eyes shifted to something just down the hall as she let out a sigh of relief.

“Abi! Glad to see you up and about! How are you feeling?”

Nigreos turned away from his sister to find Abigail walking towards them, smiling warmly. On the surface, nothing seemed wrong with that image, but as his friend got closer to them, it suddenly seemed like she was straining herself.

“I’m much better,” she assured them. “Still not really sure what happened to me, but both the castle healer and Iris said I was perfectly healthy, though they want to keep a close watch on me for the next couple of days just to be certain.”

“Do you think it might have been related to your odd mana shortages?” Nigreos inquired, but Abi just gave an innocent shrug.

“Who knows really? I hope so, cause it means I might start getting some answers about all that. But anyway, Luna, do you have a moment to chat? There was something I wanted to ask you about, but since I collapsed, I didn’t get the chance.”

Lunara tilted her head curiously. “Uh, I mean, yeah, sure! You wanna talk here or should we go somewhere more comfortable?”

“More comfortable sounds good since there’s no reason to just stand around the hallway,” the nature mage answered. “There’s this small library in the northwestern tower that I’ve been wanting to visit, so why don’t we head up there?”

“Okay, lead the way!” Luna chirped, then glanced back up at Nigreos and added, “Forget about what I was going to say. It’s not important. I’ll see you later, Brother!”

Lunara moved to join Abi on their walk to the northwestern tower, leaving Nigreos standing there awkwardly. Something felt wrong, though he couldn’t quite explain what it was that made him feel that way. Even so, there was a nagging in the back of his mind that was causing his stomach to twist uncomfortably. The young man gave it a moment’s thought, hoping to pinpoint exactly what he didn’t like in regards to that brief interaction with Abigail.

What does Abi want to ask her? Ryokumo said he and the princess spoke to her before they left, so I imagine she was already filled in on Lunara’s situation. Any mysteries surrounding all that aren’t known by Luna either, so what’s Abi doing? Is that what’s bothering me? I suppose it might have to do with what happened in Soladnay Park with Sartella, but what about that would she wish to discuss with Luna alone? After all, I was there, too, so wouldn’t she invite me?

Yet, as he asked himself that question, he couldn’t help but doubt that she would. He trusted Abi with all his heart, but it was a simple fact that she had been keeping things to herself in the recent days. On top of that, he and Album both had a sneaking suspicion that she had confided in Ilirianna and Ryokumo, so was it really out of the realm of possibility that she didn’t trust him?

Yet she’s trusting Luna? Am I just getting obsessed over something that isn’t there? Maybe whatever she wants to talk about isn’t even related to the Kosah-Rei. But…

Nigreos opened his mouth to call out to them, having come to the albeit questionable decision to request that he join them, but before he could get out even a singular word, The Angel’s voice, sounding exactly like his own, entered his mind.

“Son of Darkness, I would advise you against following them. Mind you, I am not telling you to stay here, but if you pursue Abigail and Lunara to that library, you may not be able to speak with an unbiased mind. With that said, do you still wish to call out to them?”

Up ahead, Abi came to an abrupt stop, and even from where he stood, Nigreos could see her body tense up, telling him that The Angel had allowed her to hear its words as well. Luna glanced back at the nature mage and frowned in confusion, indicating that she was the only one of the three excluded from the telepathic conversation. Abigail spared a momentary glance back at him, silently begging him to remain where he was and look the other way, but where moments before, Nigreos could brush his fears aside as based in paranoia, he could no longer do so now.

Even setting aside The Angel’s vague warning, the very fact that it was there at all told him that something was going on behind the scenes, and Abigail was trying to keep him out of it.

That was more than enough for him to make a decision.

“Abi, Luna, since I've got nothing to do, why don’t I join you?”

***

For the third time in a mere two days, Rennigan Glaus found himself riding that same stupid gondola from the Fifth Ring to the Fourth, on his way to once again speak to the circus master Hakelades Omorossa, accompanied by his Academy team. He was truly getting sick of this repetitive trip and he certainly did not look forward to yet another walk through the obnoxious hellhole that was the entertainment district, but if all went well and Omorossa had the information they desired, then he would never have to speak to the clown again. Unfortunately, due to Abigail waking up mere minutes before they were supposed to depart, the four of them were running late, and Rennigan certainly wouldn’t put it past a man like Omorossa to ditch their appointment even if they were a single second behind schedule.

Of course, it’s not like I can blame Rio and Yuahl for being concerned about their friend. Even I can’t deny how out-of-the-blue Abigail’s collapse was, and given how close the three of them are, I suppose I should consider myself lucky I got them to leave at all. I do wonder what that was all about though. Rio said she was feeling better, but she didn’t really elaborate on what went wrong in the first place.

On top of that, Faye and Jessi were both quite pale, confirming for Rennigan that there was something they hadn’t decided to let him in on. Hirokol either didn’t notice or was too polite to pry, but Rennigan decided he’d kept his mouth shut for long enough. Ever since the morning they departed the Academy of Erika, he had noticed an underlying struggle that Fayela Rio was attempting to conceal from them. He wasn’t sure who among their party had been told the truth, but he would have bet his entire family treasury that Abigail Reiner was one of the few in the know. This hidden anxiety of hers hadn’t lessened at all in the few weeks that had passed since he first noticed it, and now that even Jessi appeared unsettled, he was getting quite sick of being in the dark. Up until now, he had allowed it to slide, for there were other matters his attention was more deserving of, but since the gondola trip still had a few minutes to go and the cabin was empty aside from the pilot, Rennigan finally broke his silence.

“Alright, Rio, Yuahl, out with it,” he began. “What the hell is the matter?”

Faye and Jessi, who were sitting on the bench across from him and Hiro, snapped out of their thoughts and fixed him with two very different expressions, Faye’s being one of uncertainty while Jessi’s was just outright mean.

“What are you talking about, Glaus?!” the fire mage spat, to which Rennigan rolled his eyes and glared back at her.

“The hell do you think I’m talking about? You two said Abigail was fine, yet you’re sitting here fidgeting like you think she could drop dead at any minute. I’m not blind, you know, nor am I stupid. I’ve known you for two and half years now, and Yuahl, you wear your emotions on your goddamn sleeve.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t stick your nose into other people’s business!” she shot back. “Abi’s fine, it’s just…”

Rennigan raised his eyebrows expectantly when Jessi trailed off. “Yes? Go on.”

“It’s honestly hard to explain,” Faye muttered after a few seconds. “Abigail is okay, that we can promise you, but…”

The rock mage leaned forward, resting her arms on her legs as she gazed down at the dirty floor. She truly did look terrified of something, and though Rennigan knew Jessi was right in that prying into their business wasn’t the most respectful, he also couldn’t deny that he was begrudgingly worried about them, Abigail included. Whether he liked them or not, Faye and Jessi were certainly not the type to get genuinely worked up over nothing, so he was certain this issue wasn’t something he should be overlooking.

“Look,” Faye finally continued. “If this amounts to anything, you’ll know when we get back to the castle. Right now, it’s hard to say, and I’m trusting Abigail to handle it. It could be nothing, or it could be something very bad, but right now, we should focus on the task at hand. It’s out of our control.”

Hiro furrowed his brow, his previously annoyed expressions indicating he was fully on Faye and Jessi’s side. However, as Faye gave that answer, the wind mage sat forward and appeared slightly startled. “Wait, I thought you guys were just worried about Abi’s health, but you’re saying there’s actually something happening?”

He spoke to both of the women, but his eyes were directed towards Jessi specifically, who seemed to shrink back at her old friend’s gaze. “Er, yeah, maybe… It’s about her sense, Hiro.”

Rennigan cocked an eyebrow at the mention of a “sense”, and he couldn’t help feeling a bit offended when recognition flashed across Hirokol’s eyes, followed by a concern that fully matched the intensity of Faye and Jessi’s.

“Then…Lunara?”

“Hey, hold up a second!” Rennigan protested, shocked by the swiftness with which Hiro came to his conclusion. “What sense? What’s wrong with Lunara?” He was suddenly faced with the fact that there was a very important variable that his entire team had been privy to and had opted to leave him out of. “Rio! Answer me, damn it! Is this related to why Abigail joined us this morning or why she gave a fake name to Omorossa? And for that matter, how big of an issue is this? Is it why you were so upset the morning we left Erika?”

Having caught Faye off guard with that last question, her eyes went wide as she stared back at him. “I-I don’t… What do you mean? Nothing was wrong that morning.”

“Bullshit!” he retorted. “I could see it in your eyes then and I can see it now! Something happened the morning we left, and I think it might be related to all this nonsense the three of you are keeping from me! I—!”

He was unfortunately cut off by the sound of the gondola docking on the Fourth Ring, and taking that as her chance to escape his interrogation, Faye jumped to her feet and stalked towards the doors, motioning for the three of them to follow.

Damn it all, Rio!

Rennigan, Hiro, and Jessi filed out of the gondola, and since the streets had plenty of people walking around, he decided not to continue pressing such a personal matter where they could be easily overheard. Although, one thing Rennigan filed away for later were the confused looks of Jessi and Hiro when he mentioned the morning of departure.

Interesting… So did they not know either? Then Rio and Abigail have some dirty little secret even Yuahl doesn’t know about? Who does know then? Rennigan’s eyes narrowed as he recalled another suspicious incident that had taken place after they left Erika, brought to the forefront of his mind when he stuck his hands into the pockets of his new white jacket. The morning of the solstice’s eve…Caeli was behaving unlike his usual self. Noctis and Luz seemed thrown off by it as well… Perhaps if Rio won’t be honest, I might have to squeeze some answers out of Caeli later…

Letting out a sigh, Rennigan was so caught up in his thoughts that he hardly processed Faye disappearing completely. They had been walking towards the archway marking the beginning of the entertainment district with Faye in the lead, and the second she walked underneath it, she vanished.

“R-Rio?” Rennigan stuttered, blinking rapidly a few times to ensure he wasn’t just being blind. “Hey, Rio?!”

Jessi and Hiro were standing right beside him, gaping at the spot she had just been in as they looked to one another for confirmation. Clenching his teeth, Rennigan spun on his heel and surveyed the road leading towards the district, realizing that the three of them were the only ones around. At some point between the gondola and the archway, the crowds had thinned before disappearing altogether. Turning back, Rennigan stared through the archway only to find the same sight: there wasn’t a single person within the entertainment district.

There was nobody calling out to passersby.

There were no sounds of merriment and music.

There was just complete and total silence.

It’s the middle of the dinner rush! There’s no way a district that thrives at night could be so empty at such a time! Something’s gone on! A feeling of horrific dread settled over him, Rennigan’s palms going slick with sweat that he desperately tried to wipe off on his pants. What is this? Where did everybody go?

“Glaus, what do we do?” Hiro breathed.

Rennigan licked his suddenly dry lips. “No idea… But… We have to help Rio!”

Steeling himself, knowing that even if he was about to sprint into danger, he could not leave Faye to whatever had befallen her, Rennigan rushed through the archway, his mana drawn to his hands and ready to attack at the first sign of trouble.

Still, he wasn’t prepared for what did happen.

The very second he stepped under the arch, the scenery altered. The cold went away, the empty roads were gone, and instead, Rennigan Glaus found himself standing in a short corridor that turned left and right a mere twenty yards ahead. Somehow, being in a random hallway wasn’t the strangest part, for the walls were not made of stone, wood, or any other sort of traditional building materials. Instead, every inch of the eight-foot walls were made of individual four-foot tall mirrors. They were stacked on top of each other and placed side-by-side, leaving not even a tiny gap between them. When he looked up, the ceiling was the same, with mirrors aimed down at him and displaying dozens of his reflections looking back. The only comforting aspect was the sight of Faye standing not far from where he entered, her mana drawn and a conflicted look on her face as she stared at him. The water mage could sense Jessi and Hiro enter right behind him, followed by their sharp gasps of surprise.

“Where the hell are we?” Jessi murmured.

Rennigan spared a quick glance over his shoulder at the two to confirm that the corridor of mirrors continued that direction as well before he shifted back to the sight in front of him. The entire area was very mana dense, and as he closed his eyes and reached out with his own magic, he came to a quick conclusion at the same time Faye put it to words.

“We’re in somebody’s pocket realm.”

Shit… Rennigan opened his eyes, clenching his fists in rage. So somebody’s making their move against us, and given Barron Kristoff’s obsession with me back in Noctalus, I’d be damned if this isn’t the Kosah-Rei, but—!

His thoughts were cut off by a sound from behind him, one that resembled a strange choking sound. Faye’s eyes went wide and Rennigan spun backwards to see what had happened.

The blade of a knife was sticking out of Jessi’s neck, drenched in red that was dripping off the tip. The girl’s pink eyes were wide with horror, her open mouth filling with blood that gurgled in her throat. Time felt as if it had come to a stop as Rennigan could only stare dumbfounded at a scene that made him want him to vomit. He didn’t know how much time really passed before the blade of the knife was wrenched to the side, cleaving her neck further and splattering blood across the face of a stunned Hirokol.

Jessi Yuahl was dead before her body had even hit the ground.