The Burning Flowers

Chapter XIV

Unable to handle what she had witnessed, Abigail Reiner found herself running before she had even tried to process it all. She didn’t know where she was running to, nor did she even know where she was now. The fires in the nearby buildings had been extinguished by Lord Cartigan and his soldiers, but even if the street was dark and silent, the blackened wreckage of a once bustling district remained as evidence of the destruction that unfolded. Her feet carried her into a small alleyway between some of the ruins where she finally ran out of breath and collapsed to her knees, her arms hugging her battered body tightly as she fought back to urge to cry once again. It was all too much for her to handle, and she wondered if she had always been this weak. She’d never considered herself a coward before the war with the Kosah-Rei, but ever since Hiriech, she had found herself turning away from things she didn’t like while using Omaruo as a haven from her struggles. She’d been running away for years, but everything had finally caught her, and now she was out of energy.

Ilirianna might be dead, and Nigreos might have killed her.

They had heard the battle off in the distance, and when the combatants flew above the medical zone, the shadows and light had implied that a Noctis was fighting a Luz. Naturally, they hadn’t known what to make of that, especially given what Lord Cartigan had told them about a flash of light and a subsequent explosion from the Grand Observatory before they had left the Fourth Ring. Cartigan was livid because the Observatory had been utterly destroyed by a casting of blue fire, and he suspected Ilirianna to have been the caster, so when she fell to the ground, Abi knew that she almost certainly had been. She and Nigreos had gone toe-to-toe and Nigreos had won. Even if Ryokumo, Rennigan, and the city guard managed to capture him, if he killed Ilirianna, then victory went to him. The only question now was which Luz had died, and where was the survivor, Master Viiro, and Lunara?

After all, Master Viiro went with Album and Eko to confront Luna and Nigreos up there. Who survived? What happened that led to Nigreos and Ilirianna fighting like that? Is Album dead, too? Did she meet the same fate as Faye, Jessi, and Hiro? Or was it Eko? Has she now lost her brother, too? I don’t know… I really don’t…

Leiolai, Uma, and Quill escaped, and Ryokumo told her that Ilirianna had been handling Vesh and Keskivaara. Perhaps they were dead, but at the very least, it was likely that Tali Firrik had escaped as well. She did not know what became of Barron Kristoff, so she hoped The Angel had succeeded in eliminating him. They needed victories that night, or else what did everybody die for?

Abi took a seat and huddled against the building behind her, shivering in the cold as snow began to flow down to that abandoned alleyway. She didn’t move even as the snowflakes piled up on her head and her body trembled from the terrible chill reaching her bones. A part of her hoped the snow would bury her, but as her hand drifted to just below her stomach, she knew that was a selfish hope. She was carrying a child, and in that moment, for some reason, the thought brought her comfort.

I should probably go back… Kumo is going to worry about me, and I need to know whether Liri survived, but…

She still didn’t get up because she was terrified of the possibility that the Princess had passed away from her injuries. She didn’t think she could handle losing Ilirianna, especially while Album was still unaccounted for. Her shoulders slumped, her body shook, and she remained unmoving for an uncertain amount of time. Maybe it was minutes or maybe it had been hours, but all she knew was that she was covered in snow and that her mind had gone blank. It was better that way, for she was tired of thinking. It had been a long night, and she doubted that it was even midnight yet. How much longer was it until the sun rose?

“Ah, there you are! Finally!”

Album’s voice echoed through Abi’s head, startling her as she sat up straighter and watched a ball of black and white slime fly into the alley before expanding like it always did to take the form of Album Luz. The Angel stared down at her with concern, almost certainly due to the apathetic gaze she directed up at it. Abi was relieved it was alive, but she lacked the strength to convey that emotion, so she was grateful it could read her mind and understand her without her having to do or say anything.

“Ryokumo told me you disappeared,” it said softly as it entered the alley and approached where she sat, its hand gently moving to begin brushing the snow from her head. “He filled me in on everything that happened, and I can assure you that Ilirianna survived. In fact, she was already awake when I made contact with them.”

Abi’s eyes went wide as she let out a sigh of relief. “She is? Oh, good… Yeah, good… I’m glad…” Her numb features barely managed a smile, but despite being truly genuine in her joy, her smile felt fake and forced. “W-what about Kristoff? Did you kill him…or at least capture him?”

The Angel let out a grunt as it shook its head. “I mean, I won the fight, but he used the same escape method as in Noctalus. He’s not in the city, but I was able to learn quite a bit about the way his armor works. I’ve communicated it to Ryokumo, so with any luck, that man’s days are numbered.”

“Oh…” The Angel seemed moderately pleased with its report, but Abi could only make that utter of disappointment, for she had hoped that Barron would no longer be a threat. “I see… Well, Miyon and Sartella got away from me, so they’re still at large. So is Quill Tyrus… I just…couldn’t do anything to stop them. They were all so powerful… It’s not fair, Angel… All of this...” She weakly gestured at the destruction surrounding them, causing more snow to fall from her body. “...and for what? What did we accomplish? Who did we kill? Are all six of the cultists still alive, and with Keskivaara on their side? Meanwhile, we lost Faye, Jessi, Hiro Master Acostav, Lady Ella, and probably either Eko or Album…and on top of that, Nigreos and Lunara betrayed us. It’s just…ridiculous! We lost horribly! There’s no silver lining, there’s no dawn to look forward to! Just…loss... I mean, what now? Where do we go from here? What do we do?”

The Angel removed its hand from her head then gently moved to take a seat beside her, and before anybody had said anything further, it raised its right hand and plunged it into its chest. Abi frowned for only a second before she understood what it was doing, for it had removed the blueish-green blade that was their realm dagger from within itself.

“For all my power and wisdom, I could not tell you what Ijiria is to do now,” it began. “But I can tell you what you can do. You’ve run away, and nobody knows where you went. If we use this dagger to open the portal to Omaruo, you can leave Ijiria behind for good. The government will assume you died somewhere in Stellareid, and nobody will come looking for you. It no longer has to be your problem, Abi.”

The Angel passed her the dagger, and without thinking, she took it into her hands as her eyes scanned the beautiful blade. This was the best chance she had to cleanly escape. The chaos of this battle would make her disappearance a low priority for Ijiria, and so long as she never used magic in Omaruo, not even the QuaerBasim would be able to expose where she went. This was the moment, and she had already decided she would do it. Right then, she needed Scott Reiner more than she had ever needed anybody, and if it meant she could put all of this behind her—to never think about the Kosah-Rei again—then that was just the cherry on top. She could stay with Scott for good as they raised their child together. She could just be a magicless woman, devoid of any reputation or responsibilities. She wouldn’t have to be a member of the royal team or the future Master of Nature.

She could just be Abi Reiner.

“Okay,” she whispered under her breath as she gradually rose to her feet. “I’d like that. Omaruo…sounds so wonderful right now. Yeah…” She was smiling for real this time as her thoughts wandered to what could be. “I could go back to Wilham, find a job and raise my child. Maybe I’ll take them to that pier on the beach Scott’s always going on about… I could see more of Omaruo outside of just Wilham, and I could be safe… We could be safe… Please…”

Abi’s finger was already hovering over the button that would draw mana to the blade, her mind far away from the Fifth Ring of Stellareid.

“May I make one request of you?” The Angel asked before she could press it. “Nigreos Noctis has no reason to protect my existence now. I find it likely that he goes scorched earth and exposes everything to take revenge for his capture, so I no longer find myself safe in Ijiria. On the chance he does tell the government, would it be alright if I went with you? Of course, I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your safety,” it quickly added, “but I could be a source of defense should Ijira ever learn what happened. I could protect your family, and at the same time, I could remain protected. Would you be opposed to that, Abigail?”

“No, of course not,” she responded, knowing she didn’t have to think much on the matter. “An extra layer of protection would be welcomed, and I understand your position. By all means, come along.”

The Angel grinned as it got to its feet, but before it could say anything, it furrowed its brow and turned to stare at the mouth of the alleyway. Abi followed its line of sight, wondering if it sensed somebody while also knowing that if it was anybody who posed a threat, it would have concealed itself. The very fact that it waited told her it was a person they could trust, but since she fully expected it to be Ryokumo, she was stunned when Ilirianna stumbled around the corner, her body still wounded but far from the ruined state it had been in before. The Princess was breathing heavily, sweat covering her head while her clothes were stained with her blood, but her face was filled with a determination that overwrote whatever agony she was still in.

“Liri?!” Abi exclaimed. “What are you doing?! You need to rest! Your wounds—!”

“Did you really think I’d let you go without saying goodbye first?” Whatever was happening inside her mind, Ilirianna still smiled wryly as she interrupted Abi. “When The Angel offered to go find you, I had a feeling you wouldn’t be coming back. Luckily, there’s enough chaos going on back there that I managed to slip away.”

The Princess hobbled forward, keeping herself propped up by holding a hold to the wall on her right, and wanting to make her job easier, Abi met her halfway, pulling her friend into a gentle hug as she muttered,

“I’m so glad you’re alive, Liri.”

Ilirianna chuckled. “Of course I’m alive. Takes more than a bit of dark magic to kill me, you know? I’ll make this quick though. It wouldn’t have taken them long to realize I disappeared, and the last thing we need is one of Cartigan’s soldiers stumbling upon this.”

“Right…” Abi broke off their embrace and stepped back. “Then I guess this is goodbye, huh?”

“I guess so, but only for the moment. I’ll visit you, one way or the other. Somehow, I’ll make sure this isn’t our final parting. Even if I have to steal another realm dagger behind the government’s back, I will see you again. Gotta meet the kid, right?”

Ilirianna was making promises she couldn’t keep, but Abi did not feel like correcting her, so she didn’t. “Right. I look forward to it. I love you, Liri. I’m going to miss you so much.”

“And I you, Abi,” the Princess replied. “Now go, quickly. Before the others find us.”

Steeling herself, Abigail turned and pressed her finger to the realm dagger’s button, igniting the blade in yellow mana as she drew it back then swiped down hard on the air in front of her. A fracture in space followed the dagger’s arc, splitting open just a little before snapping outwards into an oval of swirling mana. She took a deep breath and spared a glance at The Angel, only to find it gazing back at Ilirianna, whose features were drawn tight. Something was shared between them at that moment, but Abigail wasn’t going to pry, for if it was her business, she’d have been included in the telepathic conversation. Instead, she pretended not to notice as she raised her hand in a wave.

“Tell Kumo I said goodbye and that I’m sorry I couldn’t have told him myself. Be safe and…

“Farewell, Ilirianna.”

***

Angel, before you go, I need to know something. Do I have Cansi blood?

There was a pause, one of obvious hesitation, that was accompanied by a look of regret on its face. “No. No you do not.”

Why did you never tell me? You knew the Iijis were descended from Cansi, and I know you can sense for their blood, so you should have realized that something was wrong from the second I met you. Why did you keep it to yourself?

“Because what would I have accomplished by exposing that fact? The implications of the Empire’s heir lacking Iiji blood was far too consequential. Whatever the circumstances of your birth were, it seemed everything was well hidden. Why poke a sleeping lion?”

So King Markreas…is not my father?

“No. I know not who is.”

And what about Reigious and Anna?

“Descended from Iiji. As far as I can tell, you are the only exception.” The Angel slowly shook its head as Abigail’s portal expanded outwards. “I’m sorry, Ilirianna. I don’t have time to learn the means with which you found the truth, but I am sorry it came to this. Whatever your future holds, I wish you the best of luck. If it means anything to you, I do think you are the most fit to lead this empire.”

“Tell Kumo I said goodbye and that I’m sorry I couldn’t have told him myself. Be safe and… Farewell, Ilirianna.”

Abigail’s parting words dragged Ilirianna from her thoughts, but knowing she needed to retain her mask of positivity, she forced a smile and replied, “I’ll tell him, don’t worry. Farewell to you as well, Abigail.”

And then, she and The Angel stepped through the portal and left that realm behind for good. Within seconds, the swirling yellow oval began to shrink until the cut in space fused itself back together and dissolved the connection between Omaruo and Ijira once more, leaving Ilirianna standing alone in that alley, pain wracking her body and mind as she took in what she had learned.

Tali Firrik wasn’t lying… I’m not an Iiji… I truly did not believe her, but when light magic destroyed my arm, I innately knew that I lacked control over it. That’s why Mother always insisted they were unnecessary affinities to master… She was covering her ass… Now The Angel’s confirmed it…which means that Uncle Nakoma…is my real father. All this time…all my life, they’ve been lying to me. They’ve been lying to the King, to the country, to Anna and Reigious… I’m…not a princess…or the heir of Ijiria. I’m just a bastard girl…

Ilirianna’s entire identity revolved around her responsibilities and her heritage. Her life had been molded around the idea that she would succeed King Markreas as ruler of Ijiria and Grandmaster, but all of that could be ruined if the Kosah-Rei exposed the truth. Tali, Vesh, and Keskivaara knew who her real father was, so if they wanted to back her into a corner, they could start spreading rumors about Nakoma and Toranei’s treachery. Even if nobody believed them, so long as her natural hair color was checked or a DNA test was run, the truth would come out and everything would come crashing down around them.

What the hell? Mother…Uncle Nakoma… What have you done? Who am I supposed to be if not Ilirianna Iiji?! What have I spent my life training for if it’s not even my birthright like I believed?! My royal team was illegitimate! Iam illegitimate.

She could sense an oncoming mana signature, and to her intense relief, it was exactly who she needed. It was moving fast, most likely by using Proto, and soon enough, Ryokumo landed in the mouth of the alleyway.

“Liri!?” he exclaimed, but whatever was supposed to follow caught in his throat as her expression came into view. “Er…are you okay? Where’s Abigail? Did you find her? I—?”

She barely managed to cross the small distance between them before throwing her arms around him and embracing him tightly, her legs barely holding herself up. She could sense his conflicted emotions, but like the good person he was, he returned the embrace and began running his hands through her emerald hair for comfort. She had always done her best to keep a certain distance between them, knowing they could not progress past friendship regardless of what either of them wanted. That distance had been closing recently and now, she didn’t care. What did it matter if she wasn’t even a princess?

“Abi’s gone…” she whispered. “She and The Angel left for Omaruo. They aren’t coming back.”

“W-what? Abi left? But I…didn’t get to say goodbye…”

She pressed her head against his chest. “I’m sorry. You had gone off to make that report to Cartigan about my battle with Nigreos…and I had a bad feeling that we didn’t have much time. Abi did tell me to let you know she was sorry she couldn’t say goodbye, and I would have gotten you otherwise, but I just—”

“Er, no, no, it’s not your fault,” he quickly assured her. “Honestly, I’m just glad you’re okay. When I got back only for Glaus and Mackia to tell me you’d disappeared, too, I just panicked. Didn’t think you’d have the energy to move. You’re insane, you know that? In a good way, of course.”

Ilirianna laughed softly. “Yeah, insane. That about sums me up, doesn't it? I’ve lost my mind.” Before he could say anything else, knowing that he was the only person she could confide in, Ilirianna spilled everything. “The Angel confirmed what Firrik said at the lounge. I’m not Iiji. I’m not Markreas’s daughter. I’m Nakoma’s… They lied to me—to everybody.”

“T-they… What? I…”

Ryokumo was speechless, stumbling over his words as his mind almost assuredly struggled to take it in. Even so, when he couldn’t figure out what to say, he tightened the hug and stood at her side for as long as she needed him. She felt broken in a way that probably couldn’t ever be repaired. Everybody who survived Stellareid would probably share the same fate. This night would live on in her nightmares for the rest of her life, and in the end, it was a pointless waste of life.

The Kosah-Rei won.

There was no question of that fact.

Ilirianna had no idea how long they were in that alleyway, but eventually, Ryokumo suggested they get back to the others and wrapped an arm around her to help her walk. They trudged through the ruins as the snowfall picked up, indicating that the storm on the horizon had finally arrived. The crunch of their boots was the only sound for quite a while before voices appeared in the distance. Minutes later, she and Ryokumo rounded the corner and reached the little market street outside Saientia where the wounded were being cared for.

Ilirianna exhaled sharply, for just up ahead, Album Luz was setting down an unmoving Lunara before stepping back and allowing the guards to attach magic-suppressing cuffs to her one remaining wrist. The fact that they were bothering at all indicated that she was alive, though Ilirianna didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not. However, Album’s survival was a huge relief, and as the light mage turned back to address Lord Cartigan, she caught sight of them. Her own relief crossed her features, though Ilirianna noticed that she stopped to scan for Abi. Guilt twisted Ilirianna’s stomach, but for the moment, it would not be smart to tell Album the truth, so she kicked that can further down the road.

“Kumo! Liri! You’re alive!” she called over, immediately rushing towards them.

The three remaining members of the royal team embraced one another, deciding not to trade words for a few seconds as they simply enjoyed the fact that they had survived the battle. Unfortunately, Lord Eganno Cartigan had other plans.

“Princess Ilirianna,” he spat, his hatred for her no longer being kept hidden behind a facade of etiquette. “I was wondering where you ran off to. Glad to see you’re alive, but it seems I’ll have to cut into this little reunion. We need to talk. Once this uprising is quelled, I want you up in my office. Until then, get the healing you need, then report down to the lower Rings. The Company headquarters are under attack by Keskivaara’s insurrectionists.”

Ilirianna rolled her eyes, far from in the mood to put up with him, but also knowing she couldn’t exactly get out of it. At her side, Album and Ryokumo both looked ready to snap at the Lord of Stellareid, but Ilirianna cut them off and answered affirmatively.

“Very well.”

Cartigan then stalked off as he barked orders to his soldiers while Ilirianna just let out a sigh of exhaustion. She was mostly out of mana, so even if she received the highest quality healing, there wasn’t much she could do for the other four Rings. However, since that was a matter for a later hour, she instead turned her attention towards the immediate present.

“Are you okay, Album?” she inquired. “I see you beat Lunara, but—”

“I’m okay,” Album answered, almost on instinct with how quick and monotone she spoke. “I just…need to rest a bit. Lunara killed Eko, and Nigreos killed Master Viiro. I’m the only one who survived of those who went to the Observatory, and that’s probably because of you, so…thank you for coming to back me up, Liri.”

Ilirianna held back the sickness that assaulted her upon learning that Viiro Noctis had also met his end. The state of the Noctalus Masters would now be quite uncertain given that Eko and Nigreos had been Acostav and Viiro’s successors. Neither could take those roles now, but they couldn’t turn to Lunara and Neah either. The cousins of the main Noctis and Luz branches were too young and untrained, so it was likely they’d have to turn to Viiro and Acostav’s generation for successors.

Though…despite tradition, I think something was proven tonight… Ilirianna internally commented, her eyes drifting towards the still Lunara a few yards away and then to Album, the one who managed to beat her. Album would certainly make a respectable Master of Light in her brother’s place…

***

When Abigail Reiner exited the portal and stepped foot onto the Omaruan beach just outside the entry point, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief. The young woman took a long, deep breath as she basked in the salty air of the sea, no longer mixed with smoke like it had been in Stellareid. She could sense the portal closing behind her, but she didn’t want to look back, so she simply did not. It was sometime after dusk there on the outskirts of Wilham, and hanging in the clear sky up above was a brilliantly bright full moon, its silver light reflecting off of the still waves of the ocean. She felt strangely calm given all she had experienced, and the knowledge that Scott would be just a few miles away helped to alleviate the negative emotions she had been fighting all night.

“Abi,” The Angel said in her mind, having already condensed itself into a floating ball of black and white slime that hovered just above her shoulder. “One more thing I should add is that I do believe my presence will show up on the QuaerBasim if I retain my normal form for too long. It’s not guaranteed, for I’ve proven my skill at suppressing my mana, but I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks that would put your family in danger.”

Fair enough, she replied. But then…what are you going to do?

“I intend to enter a sort of hibernation that would completely conceal my presence from that relic, so this may be the last time you and I can chat for a while. That being said, I told you I would serve as your family’s protector should you ever find yourself in danger, so if that time ever comes, wake me up, and I’ll fight for you with everything I have. You have my word.”

Abigail nodded softly, a small feeling of disappointment creeping into her heart as she realized even The Angel would not be there with her in Omaruo the way she had thought. The last piece of Ijiria that she had retained would go to sleep, but she knew she could not complain. She should consider herself lucky that it intended to protect her at all.

Thank you, Angel.

“Of course, Abigail.”

The ball of slime then hovered down towards her torn and blood-stained jacket before disappearing into an inner pocket, its voice and presence vanishing completely from her consciousness, leaving her standing all alone on the shore.

That loneliness caused her to shiver, so Abigail took off towards the natural stone staircase to her left, wanting to reach Wilham as soon as she could. Her injuries had been healed by magic, but evidence of her battles were clear in her clothes, so she was grateful to the darkness, for it allowed her to pass into the small town and make her way towards Scott’s apartment without drawing any attention. Normally, she would have used a distortion spell, but even that might appear on the QuaerBasim, so it was no longer an option. In fact, calling upon any magic was now dangerous, meaning that if she was never found by the Ijirians then she may never cast a spell again. That thought pained her, for as much as magic had harmed her, it was also something she used for good. She was a nature mage—a healer, and now she would not be able to call upon that healing no matter what.

She was as good as magicless.

But that’s a small price to pay, isn’t it?

Abi walked through the automatic doors of the apartment building and hurried towards the elevators before the receptionist behind the desk could notice the blood. Luckily, he was too engrossed in his book to pay her any mind and she reached the front door of Scott’s apartment without anybody ever seeing her. Abigail knocked, barely keeping her anticipation in check as she prayed he was home. The clicking of the door was relieving, and within a second, Scott Reiner had pulled it open to see who was there, only for his features to light up with pleasant surprise before shifting into horror as he saw the current state of her clothing.

“A-Abi?!” he stuttered. “God, what happened to you?! Are you okay?!”

She stepped forward and threw her arms around him, pulling the man she loved into a tight hug that obviously startled him. Nevertheless, he returned the embrace, though she could feel in his tense body that he was barely stopping himself from repeating his question.

“I’m okay,” she assured him with a whisper. “Everything’s healed…I promise.”

“B-but…I mean, how did you get hurt…and why are you here? I figured it’d be another month or two before you came back. What about Noctalus? And that other place you said you and the team were going?”

Abigail smiled, her head remaining pressed against his chest, for she could not bring herself to let him go. Tears were pressing against her eyes, though she couldn’t tell whether they were out of joy, relief, sadness, mourning, or whatever else.

“It doesn’t matter, because it’s all over now. I’m not going back, Scott. I’m staying in Omaruo permanently…if you’ll have me…”

“Uh…? What? Of course, I’ll have you, but why now? This feels a bit abrupt, and… Look, Abi, why don't you come in and we can talk? I’ll call Laura and see if she can bring clothes over for you, and I want you to tell me what happened to you?”

“I’m pregnant, Scott.”

He wanted an answer, so she gave it. She hated throwing all of this on him out of the blue, and she would have preferred to have talked everything over with him first, but the circumstances of Stellareid didn’t permit that. She simply had to hope that he still wanted her—that he even wanted to care for this child. After all, he was just a college student, and from what she gathered about magicless society, it was far less common to have a child while still in school than it was back in Ijiria. He might not even be in a financially stable position to do it. If he wasn’t, then she wasn’t sure what she would do. Perhaps she’d have to return to Ijiria in shame, but thankfully, she didn’t even have time to ponder other options before he was speaking.

“You’re pregnant?” he parroted. “You…? Really?”

There was a touch of shock in his voice, but she certainly didn’t fail to make out the happiness mixed with it. Abi finally forced herself to break off the hug and stare at his face before she smiled at him.

“Yes… I am… That’s why I’m here,” she said through tears. “I want to be with you. I want to raise the child with you. I’m sad to leave everything behind, but I’ve chosen the two of you… Is that okay? Is this too sudden?”

Scott chuckled as he reached up to rub the back of his head. “I mean, yeah, it’s sudden, but… Yes, it’s okay! More than okay, even! Look, come inside, and we’ll talk this out, but if you’ve chosen me, then I’m more than happy to choose you, too. I’ll definitely have to work things out, cause raising a kid is not a simple matter…but if you’re here with me, then I know we can handle it. Come on, Abi… Let’s get you something to eat…”

She could see in his eyes that he wasn’t lying or exaggerating. He fully intended to stand with her, so as the dam fully broke and her sobs came through, she followed Scott into the apartment. She would miss her friends in Ijiria desperately, but this was for the better.

She was free of the conflict with the Kosah-Rei.

She was able to forget what became of Nigreos and Lunara.

She wouldn’t have to watch anybody else die.

There in Omaruo, Abigail Reiner was finally free.