The Burning Flowers

Chapter II

Album Luz let out a gasp of agony as her back slammed into the closed door of Lord Cartigan’s private lounge before she collapsed to her hands and knees. Violent flames were consuming everything, searing through the furniture, the curtains, and the carpets while the hearth completely shattered into chunks of stone that scattered across the floor. The pressure from the initial explosion nearly destroyed the walls, and almost certainly would have if the construction of Castle Saientia wasn’t so sturdy. However, cracks appeared along the surface in a web-like pattern, showing just how close the room had come to being smashed apart. Album winced from the heat, her base instincts urging her to grab the handle of the door and flee the for safety, but the emotional and illogical part of her was desperate to rush towards the source of the fires: the charred corpse of her father and the Ijirian Master of Light, Acostav Luz.

Mere seconds ago, the man had started coughing, and while at first it simply seemed as if he had something stuck in his throat, that was quickly proven not to be the case. His body began to glow, he started groaning in pain, and before anybody could try and save him, the combustion magic of the Kosah-Rei tore him apart and killed him instantly. Lord Cartigan had managed to put up a shield of wind that protected himself from the blast, but the pressure of the explosion still sent the Lord of Stellareid collapsing backwards into his rocking chair—the one piece of furniture that didn’t immediately go up in flames. Viiro Noctis had prioritized removing Acostav from the lounge, but at the last minute, he’d been forced to turn his shadows away from the Master of Light in order to defend himself. Album hadn’t thought of anything except trying to save her father, so she knew she was lucky that Eko acted the way he did, grabbing her arm and pulling her away as he threw up his own shield—one that wasn’t strong enough to survive the fires.

“Viiro, move from the window!” Cartigan snarled, turning the wind magic that had been his shield towards the spreading flames.

With a practiced and refined skill, he used magic to sweep up the inferno, condensing them into a sphere twice the size of his head before hurling it through the shattered window and out into the cold night beyond. Viiro had reacted the moment he heard Cartigan’s call, so he was safely out of the way and already setting about extinguishing the remaining flames that the Lord had been unable to remove.

Album watched this unfold from her knees, her eyes wide with disbelief as she struggled to accept the reality before her. Eko’s arms were wrapped around her from behind, holding her close to him as if fearing something was about to happen to her, too. However, the desperation to break from her brother’s grasp and rush to Acostav had ceased, leaving Album unable to move as she gaped at the blackened remains of her father laying still on his back in the center of the lounge. It was a horrific and gruesome sight, for the only thing left that identified him as Acostav Luz were the few pale spots on his fingertips that the fires hadn’t reached. His stomach, chest, and face were all blasted open, his shattered ribs sticking out at odd angles and the dried husk of his brain barely visible in his opened skull, much like the rest of the organs that hadn’t been completely disintegrated in the initial blast.

H-how? I don’t understand? How is Father dead? How did the Kosah-Rei get to him? And why just him?! Why were Viiro and Cartigan spared?! What did they do differently that enabled them to escape this fate? Father… Father please…

Album raised a weak arm towards Acostav’s corpse, wanting to reach out and do something, but it was far too late. The tragedy had already occurred, and just like her mother a mere week and a half ago, her father was now somewhere she could not reach.

“No…” she whimpered. “Father…”

Eko’s hug tightened as tears formed in Album’s eyes, but she wasn’t given even a chance to say or do anything before they all noticed the distant sounds like thunder, and the slight shaking of the world around them. Cartigan and Viiro both spun on their heels and turned to gaze through the window, only for the former's features to contort with horror while the latter merely clenched his jaw with rage.

“By fucking god,” Cartigan breathed. “What in the blazes has happened?”

Even though she could feel his reluctance to do so, Eko released his sister and jumped to his feet, rushing towards Cartigan and Viiro so he, too, could see what was going on. Album really didn’t want to move, but the expression on Eko’s face combined with the reactions of the other two was enough to force her to her own feet before approaching the sight that was sure to be a living hell. Album’s shoulders slumped with defeat as she came to a stop between Eko and Viiro, a sickening feeling twisting her stomach into a million knots as she gazed upon the nightmare taking place down in the Fifth Ring.

Everything was burning.

Buildings were crumbling to the ground, pillars of smoke were rising into the sky, and the night was glowing a bright and terrifying orange. Even from their spot up in the castle, they could hear the distant screaming of the civilians. It was like she was gazing upon the apocalypse itself—like the end of the world was unfolding before her eyes while she was helpless to stop it. There was no coming back from this. Whatever the Kosah-Rei had done, it was once again a success, and all she could think about were the two dear friends of hers that were supposed to be down in that very inferno.

Kumo… Liri… Could they also be…?

Album forced herself to suppress those thoughts, wanting to believe that Ilirianna and Ryokumo had somehow managed to escape that fate. Of course, they were with Rickori Keskivaara, whose allegiance was still uncertain, so for all she knew, the People’s Mind had been expecting this and had lured the princess there for a reason.

“Take note,” Viiro growled. “Smoke only rises from the Fifth Ring. They spared the other four… It seems the Kosah-Rei have made their damn move…”

Cartigan shook his head, clearly unable to accept it. “I don’t understand… How could they have done this? In Hiriech, they had people on the inside, but I know as a fact that my security wasn’t compromised! How could they have possibly gotten to this many people, or Master Acostav, for that matter?! This doesn't make any sense!”

As the Lord rambled off his words, a stab of fury entered Album’s heart—an emotion that she didn’t often feel. She didn’t consider herself someone who got easily mad, but as she listened to Cartigan speak, she couldn’t help bitterly recalling his pompous declarations from barely a half hour ago.

“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… 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… 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!”

“Well now,” Album began with a venomous tone before she could think any better of it. “The people are powerless, huh? The Kosah-Rei aren’t a threat to Stellareid, huh? Hiriech was an anomaly, was it?”

“Album…” Viiro warned darkly, but the girl was already too overcome with disgust to heed his words as she spun on her heel and fixed Cartigan and the Master with an expression of pure hatred.

“Where’s all your experience now, Cartigan?! I thought you knew what you were doing?! If you had everything under control then why is your city burning down?! Why was my father just murdered in the heart of your supposed unbreachable fortress?!”

Taking threatening steps towards the stunned Lord, Album hadn’t even realized a ball of light had formed in her palm until Eko jumped between them, extending his hands to keep her from getting any closer.

“Album, stop!” he hurriedly said.

“Excuse me?!”

“This isn’t the time!” Eko’s blue eyes were desperate, and even in her rage, she could see that he didn’t necessarily disagree with her as much as he was simply trying to prevent things from deteriorating further. “This is not the time to blame each other! Regardless of whose fault this is, it’s happening, and we have to do something! We need to find Nigreos, Lunara, and Abi! We need to get down there and try to minimize the damage as best we can! Shouting at each other…” He features contorted with pain. “It’s not going to undo any of this…”

It took every ounce of self-control in her body to bite her tongue, for she knew that Lord Cartigan would never learn from this incident. He would blame the Kosah-Rei, he would blame Keskivaara, and he would probably even blame Ilirianna, but the Lord of Stellareid was incapable of realizing that he indirectly facilitated this.

Especially if Keskivaara is involved… I can’t bring myself to think a man as peace-loving as him would approve of destruction on this scale, but I also don’t think Vesh would make an attack this large if he didn’t have Keskivaara on his side. At the very least, he managed to convince him to stand back and remain neutral, but if that were the case…would he really have wanted to meet Ilirianna?

Album clenched her fists down at her side and turned her head back to her father. Without waiting for anybody else to speak, she stepped towards the body and slowly knelt down beside it, choking back the nausea building up in her throat at such a hideous image. Eko was right behind her, dropping to his own knee as they gazed upon Acostav Luz. She hadn’t been present in the Aquesen ballroom and her father had ensured she never saw her mother’s corpse, so this was the first time Album had ever seen the result of combustion magic. It only further proved the evil of the Kosah-Rei, for it was one thing to kill a person, and another to massacre their body so violently that it was nothing more but a blackened husk of what they once were.

I was so close… she thought. We were actually starting to build a relationship. After our discussion earlier, I thought I might be able to have a proper father. I know I made him mad with how vocally I supported Nigreos and Liri, but even still, I thought that maybe…

“If either of you were in Neah’s position, I’d raze this whole city to the ground to find you. I want you to know that. I want you to be the best that you can be. I want you to thrive. I…understand that I may be harsh, and perhaps my actions have not been regarded positively by most…but everything I have ever done has been for the two of you… To protect you and make sure you were not destroyed in this dangerous and cruel world of ours. I may not say it often, but I do love you…and I want you to live long after I’m gone.”

I love you, too, Father… I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything… I’m so sorry…

Behind her, Viiro and Cartigan had already dismissed her presence as the two frantically got about speaking with one another, and though she tried to tune them out, she knew it was important to pay attention to what they were saying.

“We need to check the rest of the castle,” the Master of Darkness stated. “I doubt Acostav was their only victim, and if we’ve been infiltrated, the chances of the cult attempting to break Miyon free is high. Keeping him in our grasp is critical.”

Cartigan gave a murmur of affirmation. “Agreed. I’ll send my guards to locate Ella and have them head straight for the dungeon. In addition, I agree with Eko. We should locate Reiner and your children. For that matter…”

It was then that the Lord of Stellareid must have remembered they erected a silencing charm over the door to prevent their discussions from leaking out, which meant that if the guards outside had been knocking, they wouldn’t be able to hear it. Cartigan hurried towards the door and opened it, only to be greeted by the frantic and panicked expression of Ella Cartigan, the two guards right behind her.

“Ah, finally, Father!” Ella exclaimed, throwing her arms around the man in a hug as her typically composed demeanor was tossed aside for that of a worried daughter. “I knew the silencing charm was up, but I was so scared you were dead! I was about to blast this damn thing off its hinges! I’m so relieved…”

Album was revolted by the feeling that roiled within her chest and the sarcastic intrusive thought that forced its way into her mind.

Good for you, Ella… Glad your father made it out…

“I’m relieved you’re okay, too,” Cartigan replied softly before breaking off the hug as they returned to business. “As of now, the only victim we can confirm is Master Acostav, but the rest of us here in the lounge are alive.”

“Acostav…?” The Lord’s daughter glanced over his shoulder and took in the sight of Album and Eko beside the burned corpse. Her saddened gaze and look of apology to Album immediately made the girl regret the jealous anger she had directed towards the woman. “I see… I was on my way to the lounge when the combustions were activated, so I’m not sure of the state of the castle. What shall I do, Father?”

Cartigan sighed. “Go to the dungeons and guard Uma Miyon at all costs. Do not let him fall back into the hands of the Kosah-Rei! I also need you to locate Nigreos, Lunara, and Abigail then send them straight here. I pray they still live.”

“And the city?” Ella inquired.

“Master Viiro and I are heading there in just a moment. The two of us will have it handled. “

The young woman nodded. “Very well! Be safe, Father, I—”

“My Lady!” one of the guards suddenly interrupted, and when the two Cartigans turned to see what was wrong, both exhaled sharply, the Lord hurriedly ordering, “Help her in!”

Album frowned, wondering what could have possibly happened now, but instead a sense of relief came over her as she watched one of the guards and Iris Mackia aiding a weakened but alive Abigail into the room. Naturally, she was anxious to know why Abi appeared harmed, but just the fact that her dear friend was alive at all was good news.

“Reiner, what happened to you?” Viiro demanded without waiting for Abi to catch her breath.

Given the destruction of the furniture, Iris motioned to the guard that she had it handled, then gently helped lower Abi to a salvaged part of the carpet where the young woman sat down with a weak breath. Album had yet to see Abigail since her strange convulsions that morning, but Ilirianna had assured her on her way out that their friend was awake and healthy. Her first assumption would be that Abi was weakened because of that incident, but for some reason, that wasn’t sitting right with her. Cartigan swiftly dismissed Ella, urging her to get to the dungeons, before the Lord closed the door again and turned back to wait for Abigail to catch her breath. However, when the young woman raised her head to look at Album, her eyes flickered towards the corpse beside her, and strangely enough, there was no surprise in her expression, nor did she seem to wonder who it was. It was as if she had expected Acostav to be dead.

“I’m sorry.” Those broken words were the first thing that came from Abi’s mouth, her features pale and her eyes glazed over with despair. “I’m honestly so sorry… I screwed up… I couldn’t stop this…”

Viiro furrowed his brow in annoyance at her vague answer before he fixed Iris with an impatient glare. “Mackia, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” Iris admitted nervously, shrinking back at Viiro’s sharp gaze. “Abi left the healing quarters an hour ago, saying she wanted a walk to clear her head. I don’t know what she was up to, but a few minutes ago, not long after the explosions began, I found her hobbling down the stairs, muttering something about needing to get to you guys. I don’t know what’s happening…in the castle or the city…”

“Abi…” Forcing herself to move away from her father, Album shuffled along the ground to stop just in front of the nature mages. She then reached out and tenderly took her hands, gently squeezing them to offer her comfort. “Please, tell us what you need to.”

Barely holding back her sobs, Abi seemed to decide to be blunt as her next words went straight to the point, and just like everything else that night, they stabbed Album straight through the heart.

“Lunara betrayed us!” she cried. “She had this ring that was linked to the combustions and she was the one who activated them! She said that Omorossa was replaced by a Kosah-Rei leader named Quill Tyrus, who was marking the civilians of the Fifth Ring with the combustion magic! She told us that she was the one who marked Lady Nium, Lady Clara, and Master Acostav and she activated the magic knowing full well Acostav would die! I tried to stop her! I tried to prevent this, but I couldn’t! Lunara’s been working with the Kosah-Rei… That’s how the NightLight was compromised. That’s how Saientia was compromised… I’m sorry…”

Album couldn’t believe it. She just couldn’t. She wanted to accuse Abi of lying—of making all of this up. The thought that it wasn’t merely the Kosah-Rei, but Lunara Noctis who was responsible for her parents’ deaths was just impossible. Lunara was one of her closest friends. Album had known her since the younger girl was born. They had played together in the NightLight, and grown up together. Just like all the Noctis children, Luna was like a sister to her. She couldn’t possibly have betrayed them. And yet, even if Album hadn’t known Abi as well as she did, the pain in her sobs as she confessed the truth was far too real to be anything but truth. And then, in the privacy of her mind, The Angel confirmed Abi’s story.

“I’m so sorry, Little Light. We did our best, but we hadn’t expected her to have that magic…nor did we think so many people could be marked.”

“Lunara…” Viiro uttered her name, emotionlessly and without any indication of what he thought of Abi’s claim. He just spoke the name of his daughter, then asked a follow-up question. “Where is she now? And where’s my son? Was he with you when Luna supposedly revealed this?”

Abi’s lips drew tight before she sucked in another breath and answered. “Nigreos is the reason I couldn’t stop her. Even after everything she said, he wouldn’t allow me to hurt her, so he delayed me long enough for Luna to use the ring. She then merged with the shadows, scooped him up, and fled into the night…straight for the Observatory.”

“Nigreos did…?” Album muttered before anybody else could react. “But why—?”

“Neah was fused into Luna!” Abi shouted out, appearing desperate to get everything into the open. “Luna helped kidnap Neah and took her to Sartella, who used changeling magic to somehow put Neah inside of her. I don’t understand how it worked, but it was to keep Neah from succumbing to her disease. I think…Nigreos didn’t want Neah to pay for Luna’s sins… Perhaps…he thought she was bluffing with the ring… I honestly don’t know!”

Again, Album didn’t want to believe that, but this part made far more sense. Nigreos Noctis would die for his sisters, so of course he would stand between Abi and Luna. In fact, that would explain why they lost even with The Angel present.

Nigreos… What have you done?

“C-can you prove these accusations?” Cartigan stuttered, licking his lips anxiously as he glanced between Abigail and Viiro. “I mean, to accuse the heirs of Noctalus of such vile things…”

Abi meekly shook her head. “No… I can’t prove it… But it happened.”

The room fell silent with the sole exception of the distant chaos in the Fifth Ring, leaving Album scrambling to both accept what was said and figure out what to do about it. She looked first to Eko, whose head was in his hands and blocking his expression from view. Lord Cartigan was tapping his foot aggressively against the carpet, and Viiro Noctis was as neutral as ever. What must a man like him be thinking when presented with such a story? He might be heartless, but his legacy was important to him. One of the reasons Neah meant nothing to him was almost certainly because she wasn’t a part of that legacy. Nigreos, however, was his heir, and Luna was the next ruler of his Great City. If Abi was telling the truth, then his daughter would be arrested and executed for treason, and even Nigreos might find himself facing a similar fate for defending Luna at all, regardless of his reasoning. The succession would turn towards Lord Nogara’s children, a sharp stab to the Master of Darkness’s pride.

“Well…” he grunted finally. “It seems I must go to the Grand Observatory then…”

Cartigan rounded on Viiro with surprise as he sputtered, “Master Viiro, you believe this nonsense?!”

“I’m not sure, but it certainly answers quite a few questions,” Viiro growled. “I have to head into the city anyway, so if Nigreos and Lunara are at the Observatory then I’ll have to go and demand an explanation. If Luna is the one responsible for these murders, then it is my duty as her father to put her down before she can cause more harm.”

Album turned back and stared up at Viiro, somehow still shocked by such a statement even knowing the type of person he was. “You’re going to kill her?”

“Yes, Album. If what Reiner says is true, then I have no choice. If Nigreos resists, I’ll do the same to him.” Still expressionless, Viiro Noctis spoke of personally killing his children without a second of hesitation, and even knowing what Lunara might have done, that fact sent chills down her spine and made her continue to question just what happened to Viiro’s humanity, if he ever even had it. “Lord Cartigan can do whatever he wants, but I would order the rest of you to remain here in the safety of Saientia and, should it not be safe, to defend it with everything you have.”

“No!” Lowering his hands to now reveal a face full of determination, Eko Luz denied Viiro’s orders and got to his feet to confront the man. “I’m going with you, Master Viiro. For my own peace of mind, I must hear what Nigreos and Lunara have to say for themselves! I must know why Father had to die!”

“Eko, do not be a fool—”

“Do not speak to me like that!” he retorted in an uncharacteristically sharp and frustrated tone. “Viiro… As of right now, I am the Master of Light and as such, I am your equal. I will join you! Besides, your children are strong. Maybe not as strong as you individually, but in the middle of the night together, you may not be able to win if they fight back. Having a light mage at your side is imperative!”

Viiro’s eyes narrowed in annoyance at Eko’s claim he couldn’t win against Nigreos and Lunara, but before either he or Eko could continue their argument, Album stood up as well and made her own declaration.

“I’m going, too! I need to face them as well! Nigreos is not only a fellow member of my team, but he’s like my brother, and so I have to talk to him! Lunara, too! And like Eko said, light mages are useful here—both at the Observatory and in the general city! My powers are wasted in Saientia!”

The Master of Darkness eyed the two of them with a shake of his head, meanwhile Eko refrained from opposing Album’s suggestion, instead standing in support of her. She supposed it was smart for them to stick together and watch each other’s backs, and that must have been why Eko didn’t try to keep her in the castle. Finally, as if knowing they were wasting time, Viiro turned away and gave a gruff,

“Do as you wish, Luz. So long as you aren’t in my way, I do not care what becomes of you. However, I can reach the Observatory in a mere few minutes. You two are not as fast. I will first take stock of the situation in the city and then go straight there. That is the time you have. I cannot promise you that the confrontation won’t be over before you arrive.”

“Very well,” Eko replied confidently. “Let’s go then.”

Realizing that the decision was made and that they weren’t going to head to the gates, rather they would be using magic to hop from the window, Album swiftly composed herself. She glanced down at Abi, who was watching the interaction with a broken expression, so wanting to give some momentary comfort, Album forced a smile.

“Thank you for trying, Abi. We’ll handle it from here. Just stay safe.”

The nature mage nodded, though there was very little conviction behind that motion. “R-right… Please, Album, don’t get hurt.”

“I won’t,” she assured her. “I’ll come back, safe and sound. I promise. And with any luck, I’ll bring the others with me. Nigreos, Kumo, Liri… I know we’ll figure this out!”

It was optimistic, foolishly so, but in that crushing despair created by the many tragedies unfolding in such quick succession, Album knew that a little bit of positivity was desperately needed. That was why, even if she wasn’t completely sure of the words coming from her lips, she forced herself to commit to them, and put as much confidence in them as she could.

“Reiner, Mackia,” Lord Cartigan began, seemingly trying to push past Album’s weak optimism. “Your magic will be needed in the city. My daughter can handle the castle, so I actually want the two of you to come with me to the gates. Are you able to do so?”

Iris gave a firm confirmation, but it took Abi a few seconds to speak. In that time, she and Album stared into each other’s eyes, trust passing between them formed from years of living together and fighting together. They had been through a lot, and they knew the power and talent they had. Album trusted Abi to survive this just as she knew Abi trusted her. That knowledge seemed to be enough to snap Abigail out of her daze as she got to her feet with Iris and faced Cartigan.

“Understood, My Lord.”

“Good! Then come!”

Album watched Lord Cartigan lead Abi and Iris from the lounge, and as if taking Cartigan’s departure as a que, Viiro and Eko began heading towards the shattered window. Album trailed behind, watching as Viiro melted into the shadows and Eko became a beam of light. The young woman cast Ilumine, doing as her brother did and turning her body from flesh, blood, and bone into pure glowing energy. Album Luz then gave one last, longing look at the solitary body of her father laying in that room before she flew down to the Fifth Ring of Stellareid.

Don’t worry, Father. Eko and I will avenge you. We’ll fix this…

Somehow…