Chapter XIII
Even though Album rarely got a good night of sleep anymore due to the incessant nightmares of Stellareid and the erasure of Lunara, that particular night was somehow even worse than normal. No matter how she turned her body or how many deep breaths she took, she could not get comfortable or silence her ever-chaotic mind for even a second of much-needed rest. It frustrated her beyond belief given that this would be her last night in a bed for around a month, and as her inability to sleep progressed, that frustration got worse and only made it that much harder to relax. It was a cycle of horrific stress, anxiety, and nausea that resulted in her stumbling to her feet and retching in the bathroom once or twice. She was frantic and panicked, leaving her wondering just how she was supposed to get any rest at all when she was stuck sleeping on the cold ground of a tent. Her hands rose to her head as she absently gripped her white hair so tightly that pain started to spread across her skull, so she swallowed back her negative feelings and tried to release her fingers.
She knew it was being induced by the fact that her first battle with the Kosah-Rei leadership since Stellareid was on the horizon—a fact that was so terrifying to her that she didn’t think her heart ever dropped below a hundred beats per minute for the entire duration of the night. She knew King Markreas was confident that such a powerful force would be more than enough to overrun Ankalla and wipe out the heart of the cult once and for all. In theory, he should have been correct, especially given his own presence among this force, but whenever the King gave his assurances, all Album could remember was the boasting of Lord Cartigan under a mere hour before the Fifth Ring burned.
“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!”
Album grit her teeth, feeling a sense of deja vu every time Markreas spoke, which only reminded her of how her father and brother died, as well as what became of so many other people who traveled to Stellareid that winter. If Markreas was as wrong as Cartigan was, then what tragedy was the Ijirian attack force walking into? Who among her treasured friends was going to die this time, if not Album herself? Was she going to be forced to watch Ryokumo or Ilirianna cut down or combusted by the Kosah-Rei? Even Rennigan’s death would be too much for her to take should he fall at Ankalla, despite the fact that she had never been particularly close with him. She didn’t want to fight them again. She didn’t want to confront any of the six, or Keskivaara, or even a mere handful of Teeth.
But I have no choice, she reminded herself. They’re attacking Ankalla whether I join them or not, and I’d rather have some control over what happens rather than sit on my ass here in the Citadel hoping those I love come back to me.
She still saw in her mind’s eye the flashes of Lunara’s maddened smile, the conviction on Nigreos’s face as he stood beside her, and the screams of that young woman when Album shoved her hand through her chest and condemned her to the erased realm. Neah was long gone, forgotten by the world because Album had no choice if she wanted to get rid of Lunara. In a sense, even with Nigreos still alive, she lost every single member of her Noctis/Luz family that night, and not even the supposedly all-powerful erasure magic could bring them back to her.
All night, her mind went in a circle as she constantly and repetitively ruminated on Stellareid, and eventually, the time to get up arrived. They would be slipping out of Erika in the hours before dawn so as to ensure not a single spy of the Kosah-Rei would spot them. Vice-Captain Bann should have already departed the city with his force of Korrei-Tarr and the distortion generators the previous afternoon so he could set up camp at the rendezvous point about half-a-day north of Erika. Once they met up with him, they would all start marching to Ankalla together, and if they made their ideal pace, they would reach the fortress within a week and a half.
Album crawled out of bed, her eyes so painfully heavy that she found it unfair she wasn’t able to sleep. Her quarters were bathed in pure shadow, so she cast a meager fire spell to light a few of the lamps before going about a hasty version of her morning routine. They would be traveling lightly, with the Korrei-Tarr supplying the food and water they would need, so all Album had to bring with her were her traveling clothes. Even her typical suit would be left behind in favor of the light tunic, pants, and cloak that she had set aside the previous night before bed. After taking one final shower for the foreseeable future, she donned those clothes, put on her boots, then tied her pure white hair back in a ponytail to keep it out of her face before departing the quarters. King Markreas had ordered their party to first meet in the Chamber of the Masters so that was where she took off to.
Thankfully, the corridor was empty, allowing Album to make the walk in peace, though this was a double-edged sword given her poor control over wind magic. The lift trembled and occasionally dipped back down, but after a rather long ride despite the closeness of her destination, Album reached her desired hall and gratefully returned to more stable ground. She arrived at the Chambers not long after, and upon entering the circular room, she was first happy that she was not the last one to arrive, only for that joy to be replaced by a swirling of complicated emotions upon seeing who was there.
Standing behind the seats dedicated to the Masters of Darkness and Light were Ryokumo Caeli, Rennigan Glaus, and Nigreos Noctis, who all turned their heads upon noticing her entrance. It had been a few months since she had seen Ryokumo first due to his trip south with Rennigan and then because the upcoming battle had kept her busy, so to see his grinning, thin-bearded face caused her chest to swell with love—a love that was then rivaled by the disgust she felt at seeing Nigreos standing beside him. The Master of Darkness gave her a smile of his own, albeit far weaker than Ryokumo’s, as if wanting to greet her despite knowing that she detested his presence. There was a moment of internal debate as she wondered whether she should approach them at all with that man present, but her love for Ryokumo won out over her hatred for the dark mage, so she took a subtle deep breath and walked over.
She hadn’t even gotten a word of greeting out before Ryokumo met her halfway and threw his arms around her in a hug. “It’s been far too long, Album. It’s so good to see you again!”
All of a sudden, a large portion of her stress dissipated at his touch, so she gently placed her hands on his back and closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth of his body. A part of her was pained to know that this was merely a hug among friends, but as she always concluded, that was far better than nothing.
“Hey, Kumo,” she whispered back. “I’ve missed you more than I could probably articulate. How’ve you been?”
He let out a soft chuckle. “As well as I can be with all this going on. That being said, I’m more than ready to march on that fortress and shove my beloved sword down Rotana Vesh’s stupid throat.”
“So you’ve still got it?” Album murmured, to which he swiftly replied,
“Of course I do! It was a gift from one of my dearest friends, which means it’s one of the most precious things I own.”
“Good. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Album.”
It was then he broke off the hug, much to her disappointment, before the two of them made their way back over to where Nigreos and Rennigan were lingering. The former hesitated to make eye contact with her, but the latter gave her a pleasant smile that she knew would have been ridiculously out of place back at the Academy.
“Good to see you again, Album,” he greeted.
“And you, Rennigan. I’m happy you and Kumo are joining us for this. Even setting aside how powerful you are, it’ll just be nice to have you both around for a little while. It’ll be a long trip, after all.”
Rennigan snorted as he shot Ryokumo a cocked eyebrow. “Oh yes, continuing to be stuck with Caeli for the next couple of weeks is sure to be just excellent. Honestly, I wish we could have just left him behind. I’ve already been traveling with him for more than a lifetime’s worth.”
“Ah, come off it, Glaus!” the wind mage retorted. “Stop pretending not to like me! I know as an absolute fact that you’ve more than warmed up to me, and there’s no need to feel embarrassed about that in front of Album!”
“Shut up! I’m not embarrassed about anything!”
Album laughed to herself as she shook her head in exasperation. I’m glad to know some things never change.
As she listened to their childish bickering, the Master of Light took a second to scan the Chambers and see who else was already there. Sinna Cartus and Nyx Rana were standing behind their own assigned seats, talking softly to each other while the former occasionally sent irritated glances Ryokumo and Rennigan’s way. Sinna wasn’t dressed much differently from usual, but Nyx was no longer wearing her blue and white cloak, having replaced it in favor of one colored brown and gray like Album’s. In addition, she noticed the pommel of a fancy rapier on the Master of Water’s hip, which she had never seen before and that made her wonder if Nyx knew any Korrei-Tarr techniques.
Turning away from the two of them, Album then noted the lone presences of Seiras Ka and Edwar Grunly, the Master of the Mind simply sitting against the wall not far from Sinna and Nyx while the Master of Nature sat in his chair. Grunly glanced her way a second after she started observing him, and while the old man gave her a gentle smile, for a moment, Album thought she saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes, though it was gone so fast that she figured she must have imagined it. After all, for what reason would Grunly have to be sad for her? For now, there was no sign of the three Iijis that would be accompanying them, nor were Masters Nakoma Taurus and Koroha Rihtta present yet, but knowing them like she did, Album wouldn’t have been surprised if they all showed up together.
“Well, this could be it, couldn’t it?”
Nigreos’s soft question snapped Album back to those around her, but as she turned to gaze at the man who spoke, she couldn’t quite stop herself from glaring up at him.
“Yes, I suppose it could be,” Rennigan grunted. “Though, I don’t think I’ll start being optimistic until all six of those damn cultists are lying dead at my feet. I don’t care how confident King Markreas is, these bastards have always had tricks up their sleeves, and all it takes is one good surprise to kill an otherwise powerful mage.”
Ryokumo nodded his agreement. “Absolutely, but I do think the King has a point when he says that not even the Kosah-Rei’s tricks can best the entire roster of Masters.”
“Doesn’t matter whether they can best them or not,” Rennigan retorted. “In the end, we managed to keep Stellareid, didn’t we? All things considered, that was an Ijirian victory, yet there’s not a soul who fought at that Battle who would agree with that sentiment, correct?”
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“True,” the wind mage conceded, to which Rennigan continued with,
“Exactly. Perhaps we win. Perhaps we kill all six of them, as well as the People’s Mind and return to Erika as heroes… But what price are we going to have to pay to reach such an ending? Who will we have to sacrifice this time? That’s what I’m more worried about…”
Album was slightly comforted to know that somebody else had been agonizing over the same things as her, but at the same time, Rennigan’s agreement only added more credibility to her fear.
But I’m the Master of Light now… I might not match up to Father or Eko, but I’m still powerful… I’m the one who beat Lunara in the middle of the night, and I’ve gotten much better since then. I’ll just have to protect them… I’ll have to give this my all and use whatever power I can tap into to make sure Liri, Kumo, and Rennigan are able to return to Erika in one piece.
“Although,” Rennigan added with a click of his tongue. “It will be nice to finally have an opportunity to get justice for my team—for Faye, Hiro, and Jessi. If that whistleblower is to be believed, Quill Tyrus will be there, and this time, I’m making sure that unkillable fucker doesn’t ever leave that fortress.”
Nigreos nodded, his jaw clenching in a frustration of his own. “There’s definitely a sense of anticipation on that, isn’t there. Those cultist bastards killed my father, and they’re almost certainly the ones responsible for Abi’s death, so if I get even a glimpse of them, I’m putting in every ounce of mana in my body to avenge them.”
Album’s fists clenched down at her side, a spark of pure rage abruptly jolting through her and, for just a second, overcoming her meticulously-placed inhibitions. “Is that so?”
Her tone was accusatory, and the moment her words left her mouth, she regretted speaking them, for they would make no sense to Nigreos and Rennigan. The dark mage glanced down at her with a frown.
“Yes, Album, it is. Why the hell wouldn't I want justice for them? Obviously I loved my father, and I loved Abi as much as the rest of you, so please, explain what you mean? Don’t tell me you doubt me?” Nigreos glared at her challengingly, but since there wasn’t an answer she could give that would satisfy this current version of him, Album remained quiet and turned to stare at the ground. “Album! Come on, if I’ve done something to you, then just come out and say it!”
As his tone turned desperate to understand her behavior, Album found herself no longer able to remain there, so she walked away without a word, deciding it would be better for her to just distance herself from the conversation before either Nigreos or Rennigan began to put any pieces together. In her current sleep-deprived and anxious state, she just didn’t have faith in her self-control to not incriminate herself, so Album stopped beside the wall not far from the Grandmaster’s throne and leaned against it.
I need to stop being such an idiot, but I just can’t help it. I hate him with every fiber of my being, but nobody other than Kumo knows what he’s done—not even Nigreos himself. This version of him never betrayed us. This version didn’t kill Viiro or help to kill Father and Eko. He’s an innocent person, and yet…
His merciless attitude moments after Eko’s death was never far from her mind when she was in his presence. It was when she truly realized that Nigreos never felt for her what she felt for him—that he was an equal to Eko in her eyes. Their last names were meaningless to her, but Nigreos and Lunara decided that Neah and each other were worth more than hers and Eko’s lives. They abandoned her, and probably would have killed her if Ilirianna hadn’t shown up when she did, so how was Album supposed to just stand by this man and treat him like a friend and brother when she knew just how easily he could turn his magic against her?
I can’t… I just can’t… To hear him claiming that he wants to avenge Viiro and Abi when he’s more-or-less responsible for their deaths is sickening? You want to avenge them, Nigreos? Then go shove a dagger down your goddamn throat! Go tear your own body apart! Only once you’re gone will they ever be truly avenged…for no matter how many Kosah-Rei you kill, the friendly blood on your hands cannot be washed away.
***
Ryokumo watched Album stalk away with an internal sigh, for he wholeheartedly understood her predicament. In fact, he was the only person who understood it, but where he was able to bite his tongue and pretend those events never happened, it seemed it was just too much for her.
And of course it is, he internally remarked. Not only was she present to confront that version of Nigreos, but she also lost far more to his actions than I did. He stole her father, her brother, and from her perspective, Abigail as well. She listens to Nigreos declare his intent to avenge people he killed, and she can’t hold herself together. It’s a terrible curse she’s bestowed upon herself—one I wish she could free herself from, but as far as I’m aware, an eraser cannot tamper with their own memories. Album will be cursed with the truth for the rest of her life.
“Ryokumo,” Nigreos began softly, pain entering his voice as he turned a somber look towards him. “I know the two of you have always been close, so has Album ever told you what I did to make her so angry? I mean, just out of nowhere, she started looking at me like she hated me more than she’s ever hated anybody, but I’ve never done anything, right? On top of that, in all the time I’ve know her, I’ve never seen her so angry. Admittedly, it’s been keeping me up at night…so if you know something, please tell me and I’ll do my best to make amends with her.”
Rennigan glanced curiously at Ryokumo as well. “I was wondering a similar thing. Is there something wrong with Album?”
And thus it falls upon me to pick up the pieces, he lamented. Though, for Album, it’s the least I can do. I convinced her to erase Lunara thinking it would make things better, but in the end, perhaps leaving everything as it was would have been the superior option. I shouldn’t have been so impulsive, but I desperately wanted things back to normal. Now, she’s bearing this burden, so if I must, I’ll lie through my teeth to Nigreos and Rennigan as much as I need to. After all, I’ve long since drowned myself in a sea of lies that I’ll never swim out of. I’ve lied to the world about Abi, I’ve lied to Liri about Lunara, I spent years lying about The Angel… So what right do I have to complain about the consequences that come with it all?
“I unfortunately have no idea,” he answered with a shrug. “But honestly, Nigreos, I wouldn’t take it personally. She’s been through a lot, and I think her anger is more born out of a personal frustration than out of any ill-will towards you.”
The Master of Darkness furrowed his brow with clear disbelief. “You really think that? I mean, it’s one thing for her to greet you with such joy, but she even greeted Glaus like an old friend. As for me, she didn’t say a word until just a second ago. If it’s just a natural frustration then why is it only directed at me? I’m basically like her brother…”
Exactly, Nigreos. That’s the damn problem…
Luckily for Ryokumo, he was spared any more of that conversation by the sound of the Chamber’s door opening, and when he glanced over his shoulder, he found King Markreas striding into the room with Toranei, Ilirianna, Nakoma, and Koroha trailing behind him. Instantly, everybody bowed before their King, as was protocol, and as Markreas stopped to scan his surroundings, a broad smile came over his bearded face as he gave a nod of satisfaction.
“Perfect. Please, all of you rise. I see we’re not missing anybody, so that means we can leave now.”
Ryokumo rose back to full height, instantly making eye contact with Ilirianna, who was already waiting for him to do so. The two shared a poorly hidden smile, and based on her expression, he could tell that she was just dying to get away from Toranei and Nakoma. The wind mage spared a glance at Ilirianna’s biological parents, but while Nakoma wasn’t paying him any attention, Toranei was glaring his way, her upper lip curled into a sneer. Once upon a time, Ryokumo may have avoided pissing off the Queen, but his own respect for her had plummeted so drastically that he narrowed his eyes and smirked in defiance—an action that caused her face to light up with surprise at his boldness.
Fuck you, Queen Toranei, he said in the privacy of mind, wishing that a day may come when he could say such a thing to her face. And fuck your whore of a boyfriend.
As this took place, Sinna, Nyx, Grunly, and Seiras all moved to the other side of the table so that every member of the attack force was in the same place. Ryokumo briefly eyed them all, astounded even now that he would ever be included among a group of such powerful and influential mages. Given Koroha’s apprentice, he knew he would never actually stand among them as equals, so he basked in this moment since it was assuredly the closest he would ever reach to being one of the Masters of Ijiria.
Markreas took a deep breath, waited for everybody to settle into place, then continued. “I do not wish to waste any time, so if everything is in order, we’re going to depart immediately. I still wish to rendezvous with the Korrei-Tarr before late afternoon, and should we manage that, we’ll be well on our way to finishing this before the month’s end. I have absolute faith in all of you, as I have faith that we can do this without a single person in this room losing their lives. The Kosah-Rei have taken enough from us, so in the memory of their victims, we will leave their bodies so deformed that it’ll take magic to identify them…exactly as they did to the innocents of Stellareid and Hiriech.”
Ryokumo could feel the surge of determination from everybody present, and while the threat of a trap would never be far from their minds, they were nevertheless ready to do what needed to be done.
From there, as Markreas said, they wasted little time in their plans to secretly depart the City of Erika. The idea was that they would split up into separate teams of no more than four, with one of the members being talented enough at distortion to conceal themselves from even the most sensitive individuals to mana signatures. Despite being a wind mage, Ryokumo was not his team’s distorter, but since Ilirianna was the one given that privilege, he decided such a slight on his talents could be easily overlooked in favor of getting to be with the Princess. Their group consisted of the four members of the former royal team, for better or for worse, while Rennigan split off to join Sinna and Nyx—the duo he was ordered to remain beside for the duration of the march. Markreas was the distorter for his wife, Seiras, and Grunly, and the final combination consisted of Nakoma and Koroha alone.
They cast distortions in the Chambers then split up from one another so they could ride separate lifts to the ground floor. Obviously, the missing Masters and royalty would be noticed by Citadel officials eventually, but the Council of Elders would cover for them as long as they could, and when they were eventually exposed, the Kosah-Rei spies wouldn’t be able to catch up with the force before the Battle of Ankalla commenced.
When they reached the ground, they made their way to the conveniently open front doors of the tower then crept through the silent gardens before heading towards the Citadel’s outer walls rather than the gates themselves. According to Ilirianna, there were a number of secret passages through the walls that could only be opened with the right pattern of mana—a pattern known only to a handful of people. She used her magic to open one such tunnel, which was barely taller than Nigreos and nearly not wide enough for him to fit his larger frame through. They fell into a single-file line to accommodate the lack of space, and when they reached the other side, Ilirianna placed an eye up against a small peephole in the wall to check for anybody who may be loitering outside the premises. Once she was certain nobody would notice their exit, she opened the passage and led them out into the city proper.
There would be no carriage to take them to the outer walls, so the former royal team was forced to make their way to the northern gates on foot. There was still no sign of the sun, so the combined efforts of the distortion, the darkness, and the lack of civilians outside made it a simple task to reach yet another secret entrance through Erika’s walls that Ilirianna provided them access to. Ryokumo could only marvel at such revelations, for it reminded him that even if he was a former member of the royal team, he certainly did not know all the many secrets that Erika and its Citadel contained. The passage they went through was hardly different from the last one, but this time, when they emerged from the tunnel, they found themselves standing out in the great forest that surrounded the highway leading into the northern territories.
No words were shared as Ilirianna remained in the lead, taking Ryokumo, Nigreos, and Album not towards the road, but through the trees and dirt. Recalling the briefing he’d received the previous night, there would be horses awaiting them not too far from the walls that, once they reached, they could use to increase their pace towards the rendezvous point where Alharo Bann and the Korrei-Tarr were waiting for them. As promised, within an hour of their departure from the Citadel, the four mages arrived in a clearing where a handful of horses were tied to the nearby trees.
“Alright, let’s move,” Ilirianna whispered under her breath, wasting little time as she and the others moved to untie their steeds.
With that final task completed, the former royal team mounted the horses and were soon well on their way to the northern fortress of Ankalla and what would hopefully be the long overdue end of the cult of the Kosah-Rei.