Chapter XV
The march through the Akkii Forest continued without any delays, something the extermination party took as a sign of good fortune in the battle to come. Their biggest issue, being the potential that the Kosah-Rei had scouts keeping watch on the road that could hear the commotion through the distortion, was handled by their own scouts, who rode out into the trees around them and would eliminate any watchers they came across. Master Koroha often accompanied them, for she had an inherited ability like Abigail that allowed her to see through any distortion no matter how powerful. Hiding from her was next to impossible, so if there were hidden cultists out in the woods, the Master of Wind would know. If she wasn’t riding in the vanguard with her old team, she was jumping between the trees with Proto, scanning every inch of the ground with both her eyes and her magical senses. However, no watchers were identified at any point in the first week of travel, and as dawn greeted the eighth day since departing Erika, everything was going shockingly well.
Nigreos Noctis let out a sigh as he gripped the reins of his black stallion. The others have called it good fortune, but I consider it suspicious. These cultists are vile, but they have never been known to be fools. Either we’ve been missing the watchers or there aren't any, and while it’s possible the Kosah-Rei aren’t keeping an eye on the road with Ankalla still three days away, I do not like how easy this is.
Naturally, the Master of Darkness knew that if Koroha couldn’t find any, then he certainly wouldn’t be able to, but for his own peace of mind, he carefully scanned the tree line on his side of the road, his white eyes slowly moving along his right. He grimaced before shaking his head with dissatisfaction. He knew he wasn’t alone in his concern, for whenever he caught glimpses of the other Masters, most of them held the same hesitant expression that he did. Only the members of the Korrei-Tarr, garbed in their sparkling red and black armor, seemed to be pleased with how things were unfolding, which only spoke to their lack of experience dealing with the cult.
Then again, can I really blame them? he asked himself. I can count on my fingers how many are within this party that have ever encountered the leaders of the Kosah-Rei. Princess Ilirianna’s royal team, Glaus, as well as Masters Taurus and Rana are the only ones, so I guess it’s only natural for the rest of them to be confident the way they are. Nigreos narrowed his eyes, a flicker of disgust crawling into his body as he considered this fact. Then again, they know the fates of my father, Master Acostav, and Eko. The knowledge that they all fell prey to the cult should be more than enough to scare the living shit out of them. And then there’s…
His thoughts trailed off as his anger was quickly replaced by sadness.
Abi…
Back at the Academy, Nigreos had been well aware of his feelings for Abigail Reiner. He knew she was a special person and that he did love her, but it was never quite apparent how strong his feelings were until she was no longer in his life. Like many, she was killed at the Battle of Stellareid, and just like Eko and his father, they had no idea who killed her or how. It was frustrating to not know who to direct his rage towards. At least Rennigan knew that his hatred was for Quill Tyrus, but Nigreos didn’t know which member of the cult he was supposed to kill if he wanted Abi to be avenged.
“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.”
This was the declaration he made to Album, Ryokumo, and Rennigan the morning they departed the Citadel, and he meant it with all of his heart. Because of the cult, he would never see her smile again or hear her laugh or know what it was like to just sit and talk with her. She was one of a kind, and the Kosah-Rei robbed the world of the amazing woman and mage she could have become. That was more than enough to drive Nigreos’s determination, whether Album or anybody else would acknowledge it. Even now, he had no idea why his declaration angered Album the way it did, for she refused to talk to him these days. Somehow, someway, he had turned a woman that was like the sister he never had against him, but no matter how much he wracked his brain, he just couldn’t figure out why she detested him so much.
But maybe, if she sees how much effort I put into this battle, she’ll know that my convictions have never been hollow. She’ll know that I despise the cult as much as she does, and maybe then, we can start on the path to rebuilding what she and I once had. After all, with Eko dead, we’re all we have left.
Since Album avoided him and Ryokumo was too busy cuddling up to Ilirianna, Nigreos had been spending much of the trip by himself. It was undeniably lonely, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. The other Masters were all so senior to him that it was nearly impossible to talk to them as equals, and the only one who was appointed after him was Seiras—a man so strange and off-putting that Nigreos preferred loneliness to his company. It was this that further emphasized Abi’s absence. However, there was one among them that he had been meaning to speak with for some time, and as Nigreos pulled his eyes away from the job of watching the roadside, he shifted his attention to Edwar Grunly riding not far ahead of him. Of the Masters, that man was the one who knew Abigail the best, for he was the first to ever see in her what everybody else eventually did—that she was, in fact, one of a kind.
Nigreos lightly tapped the side of his stallion with his right foot, indicating for it to speed up so he could pull alongside the Master of Nature.
“Master Grunly,” he called out, drawing the old man’s attention to where he now rode on his right. “How are you feeling?”
There had been concerns that Grunly’s age would make the trip to Ankalla painful for him, but as Nigreos asked the question, the man just chuckled and gave him a pleasant wink.
“I’d be a poor nature mage if I couldn’t alleviate sore muscles, now wouldn’t I?” he pointed out. “I’m doing just fine, Nigreos, but thank you very much for asking. How have you been holding up? If your body is sore, I’d be happy to help.”
While that was far from the reason he was there, Nigreos found that he was quite exhausted, so deciding to accept the Master’s generosity, he nodded. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to be a bother, but could you?”
“Oh, of course,” Grunly assured him with a dismissive wave. “It’s a simple thing. Here, take my hand.”
Nigreos did as he was told, extending his palm so that Grunly could place his own atop it before chanting, “Alevia”. The familiar pleasant sensation of nature magic coursing through his body made him even more nostalgic than he had been before, and as all the aches and pains from over a week on the road vanished in a mere few seconds, the Master of Darkness felt more alive and determined than he had been in a while. By the time Grunly finished the spell and removed his hand, Nigreos could only beam with appreciation.
“That’s magnificent,” he said. “Thank you. I haven’t had healing that effective since Abigail was still around.”
Grunly’s pleasant expression wavered at the mention of his old student before his eyes turned a bit distant. “Y-yes, well, that just speaks to her talents that she was comparable to the Master of Nature before even graduating the Academy. A true pity…her loss was.”
“That it was,” Nigreos agreed. “She’s never far from my mind, you know? Abi was one of my best friends, and I loved her more than I’ve ever loved most. She was taken from us far too early, so it’s her that I’m thinking of as we ride to what could very well be the final battle with the Kosah-Rei. I intend to fight in her name and in her memory.” He then increased the conviction in his words as he glanced up at the glimpses of blue sky he could make out beyond the forest canopy. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you—to assure you that I will avenge her. You have my word, Master Grunly, that those treacherous bastards will pay dearly for killing her.”
He didn’t exactly have any expectations for what Grunly would say in response, rather he had merely wanted to speak such a thing to somebody who would take him seriously the way Album and the others didn’t seem to do. He thought that of anybody, Edwar Grunly would at least be able to hear his declaration and give him encouragement or gratitude, so when the old man didn’t say a word, Nigreos was utterly confused. He turned away from the canopy, fixing Grunly with an expectant look, only for his confusion to grow even stronger.
The Master of Nature looked conflicted.
There was no sadness or anger in his eyes or in his body language. He instead seemed as if he wasn’t even sure whether what Nigreos said was a good thing or a bad thing. But to the Master of Darkness, that made absolutely zero sense. What was there to be conflicted about? What the Kosah-Rei did in Stellareid was objectively evil, and avenging Abi was just a positive outcome on-top of their plan to exterminate the cult from the face of the continent.
So why would Grunly make that expression…unless he knows something I don’t? Just like Album, Ryokumo, and Princess Ilirianna. It’s really starting to feel like I’m being kept in the dark about something, and whenever Abi comes up…
“Master?” Nigreos prompted, snapping the old man out of whatever reverie he’d fallen into, and just like that, he covered up that previous expression as if to hide it from him. “Is something the matter with what I said?”
A flicker of horror came over Grunly, one that only seemed to make itself known because his age made it harder to hide things. “N-no, of course not. I thank you for your kind words about her. I’m sure…er, she would appreciate the fact that you’re still fighting in her name.”
What the hell? What was that look for? What was he scared of?
Nigreos recalled one of the most recent Masters meetings where Grunly announced he had finally decided to retire—that the Battle of Ankalla would be his final mission as Master of Nature. It had seemed strangely abrupt, but Nigreos had written it off as Markreas and Ilirianna convincing him to step down. He hadn’t revealed who his successor would be, for Markreas had irritably insisted they wait for an official announcement, indicating that the King wasn’t terribly pleased with Grunly’s decision. Ever since, he’d been in better spirits, like the fact that he was finally stepping down had lifted a weight from his shoulders.
But what if something happened that convinced him to change his mind? What if it wasn’t mere chance that he obeyed Markreas after vehemently insisting he didn’t need to retire? And…? Nigreos furrowed his brow, recalling how a mere week before the announcement was made, he had passed Ilirianna and Ryokumo making an odd late-night visit to Grunly’s office. Could it be connected to why the royal team has been so distant from me? Am I being lied to? His lips tightened with frustration, his pale eyes narrowing at a Grunly that was becoming more anxious the longer Nigreos remained at his side. The Princess and Ryokumo are far too clever to let anything slip, but Grunly’s mind is weakening. If I am being lied to about something and I’m not getting paranoid, the one who’ll break the fastest is him. I could—
“Master Noctis!”
A call from a Korrei-Tarr soldier just ahead interrupted him before he could grill Grunly further, forcing him to begrudgingly turn his head towards the man. “Yes? What is it?”
“King Markreas requires your presence at the vanguard immediately.”
Nigreos frowned, noticing now that the company had been gradually slowing and was now completely stopped. Fearing that something bad had happened, he told himself he’d have to postpone any further discussion with Grunly, though he didn’t miss the look of relief on the old man’s face as Nigreos rode through the masses and towards where King Markreas was leading the soldiers alongside his former royal team. However, his interest was swiftly peaked when he noticed that there were roughly twenty men and women ahead of Markreas, facing him and deep in discussion with those at the vanguard. For a second, he couldn’t quite believe his eyes, for not only were these twenty wearing black armor with a white trim, but he could clearly make out a large banner on the back of one, displaying the blackiron horned helm of House Noctis.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
These soldiers are from Noctalus?
Increasing his horse’s pace, he rode past the last handful of Korrei-Tarr and was about to move into the spot between Markreas and Nakoma when he caught sight of the person speaking directly to the King. She was young, around the age of eighteen if he was remembering correctly, with olive-colored skin and amber eyes, as well as pitch black hair that fell just barely past her shoulders and two braids that hung before them. She, too, was armored like she was ready for battle, which only threw him off all the more.
“Miklan!” he called out, drawing their attention to him as he rode to a stop. “What are you doing here, Cousin? I mean, I didn’t know we were expecting any reinforcements from Noctalus.”
Markreas shook his head. “We weren’t, but it seems Lord Nogara had other plans.”
“Excuse us for not announcing ourselves,” Miklan said with a bow of her head to both her elder cousin and the King. “But when Nigreos and Album arrived at the city to tell us of your operation, my father simply could not sit by and allow this battle to take place without Noctalus support. After all, our city has more reason than most to seek out the Kosah-Rei’s death. We are here to supply extra numbers to make sure that, trap or not, this battle is a victory.”
“But…are you not a bit young to be fighting here?” Nigreos pressed.
Miklan smirked. “Were you not my age when Rotana Vesh attacked the nobility of Hiriech? Besides, I’m a dark mage. I can probably handle myself better than a lot of mages older than I.”
“M-maybe, but…” The Master of Darkness sighed, glancing instead to King Markreas since it was his word that would decide what to do. “Your Majesty? Is this a good idea?”
Markreas let out a frustrated snort before shaking his head. “I suppose it is not my problem what becomes of you, Miklan Noctis. If Lord Nogara has permitted you to risk your life in Ankalla, then who am I to turn you away? We can use all the soldiers we can get, but I do hope you made your way here without tipping off the cult. I don’t imagine a company of Noctalus soldiers traveling this far north would go unnoticed by the Kosah-Rei.”
Miklan smiled reassuringly. “Worry not. We have multiple soldiers here talented with distortion, so as long as we kept close together, we needed only one to shield us at a time. I’m just happy we reached this point before you, and I’m glad your plans didn’t change on which highway to travel on. Luck is on our side, King Markreas, and I look forward to avenging my uncle and aunt, as well as the Luz that were taken as well. We may bear the banner of Noctis, but we fight on Lady Ilum’s behalf as well.”
“Then we welcome you,” Markreas stated. “Now, fall into the ranks and let’s be off. We still have leagues left to travel.”
“At once, My King.”
With that, the momentary delay was ended as the extermination party once again continued on the path to Ankalla. Nigreos was hesitant to have his little cousin join such a dangerous operation, but at the same time, he quickly found himself pleased to have Miklan there, for he was finally able to talk to somebody that didn’t seem to be lying to him. She made it clear that Nogara intended for her and Nigreos to fight on behalf of those they lost three and a half years ago, and she was fired up to be the one to do it.
The days continued to pass without issue, and a day after the soldiers of Noctalus rendezvoused with them, the company emerged from the Akkii Forest and onto the plains that stood between the forest and the mountains where Ankalla was hidden. In one more day, they reached the rocky foothills and soon enough, they set up camp roughly five hours away from Ankalla in what would be the final night before the battle took place.
All the while, Nigreos Noctis kept an eye out for Grunly, wanting nothing more than return to their interrupted conversation, but whether by coincidence or design, he never found another opportunity to speak with him, forcing him to put off that issue for later as he turned his full attention towards resting for the following morning.
***
Due to the orders of his father, Rennigan was stuck with Masters Sinna Cartus and Nyx Rana for the entirety of the trip north. He rode with them during the day, ate his meals at their side, and even had to share the tent with them, though there was a flap they erected between their sides to give them privacy. It was boring and he felt like a third wheel to people that he now realized were far better friends than he had previously known, leaving him baffled that he could ever miss Ryokumo’s company. Of course, Nyx attempted to make him feel welcome, and had tried to talk with him a few times, but Rennigan wasn’t terribly keen on her forcing herself to interact with him, so he rarely allowed these conversations to progress for too long. That wasn’t to say he didn’t appreciate her efforts, but the fact of the matter was that he still felt ridiculously bad that he’d been hoisted onto her shoulders for the foreseeable future.
His guilt was intense. Kloras had pretty much held the operation hostage so that Rennigan could become Nyx’s apprentice, and after all that time, the Master of Water officially conceded. His father got his long-desired wish, something that Rennigan would have once celebrated himself. However, his ambitions were a thing of the past, and while he would have accepted the honor if Nyx did it of her own free will, the fact that she was forced left him still highly tempted to decline once the Battle ended.
“Then earn it in your mind. Kill one of the leaders, like you want to. If you can accomplish something like that, then you’re more than deserving of the honor, right?”
Those were the words Nyx spoke to him the day they met with Kloras, and they were the one silver lining in this whole ordeal. Perhaps he could bring himself to accept the apprenticeship if he managed to kill Quill Tyrus and come out of it alive, an ending that seemed very unlikely. After all, he’d long since wanted his life to end once he achieved his revenge so that he could go join his team in the afterlife and put his failure of existence behind him. Even with Ms. Jellia’s reveal of how to beat Quill, he was quite sure he wouldn’t be able to take advantage of such a thing without dying in the process.
But if I live… Would it be okay to keep living? Could I train under Master Rana and even succeed her somebody? I once believed that I could be a good Master, one of better character than many of the others, so could that be my purpose—my reason to stick around in this godforsaken realm of ours even without Faye, Jessi, and Hiro?
“Rennigan? You should eat before your stew gets cold. It’ll be important to have energy for tomorrow.”
The water mage returned to reality as he noticed he was just staring at the bowl of beef stew in his lap. He then glanced up to where Nyx was sitting across the campfire from him, a gentle smile on her face as she watched him.
“Must you continue to act like his mother?” Sinna grunted as she downed the rest of her own dinner in one last gulp. “If he’s not going to eat then he can pay for it later. He’s an adult, isn’t he?”
Nyx let out an exasperated sigh. “Must you always be so harsh, Sin? I’m just a little worried for him.”
Rennigan shivered as a cold breeze blew past him, the summer temperatures having dropped exponentially both since the sun went down and since they entered the mountains. Unfortunately, because of his daydreaming, his dinner was no longer cold and would not help him with the chill. Nevertheless, Nyx was right in that he needed energy for the battle, so he was about to start eating when the Master of Water suddenly swiped the bowl from his hands. He was startled since he hadn’t even noticed she got up, and before he could inquire why she stole his food after ordering him to eat, he found her placing another, warmer bowl into his hands.
“You eat this one,” she told him. “It’s fresh out of the pot, so it’s plenty hot. It’ll ward off the chill much better, so make sure you eat it fast.”
“Er, but…?”
Before he could ask what she was going to do with the cold food, she sat back down and began eating it herself. Beside her, Sinna let out a snort and an unsubtle roll of her eyes to indicate disapproval. Deciding not to protest, Rennigan managed a weak smile of his own and replied,
“Thank you, Master Rana.”
“You’re welcome.”
He then got about quickly eating the stew, which did warm him up like she said it would. Though, Rennigan had a feeling she was only babying him like this because he was being blatantly obvious about how nervous and conflicted he was. She knew he was scared, and perhaps she had even sensed his reluctance to survive, so she was treating him with a kindness he didn’t really deserve. But whether he deserved it or not, he didn’t want to be ungrateful, so he made sure to be as polite as possible as they finished their dinner. He couldn’t deny that Sinna’s cooking was quite delicious, so by the time he’d finished the bowl, he was tempted to get some more but decided he didn’t want to come across as gluttonous.
Taking a long breath of the mountain air, Rennigan spared a glance over his shoulder, wondering if he’d spot Ryokumo amidst the crowds, but wherever the royal team pitched their tents, it was not within sight of him. Chances were high he wouldn’t see the wind mage until just before the battle started, and then it may very well be the last time they would ever see each other. He pondered whether or not he should seek out Ryokumo, if only to say a proper goodbye should this be the end, before deciding that a man like Ryokumo Caeli would be utterly pissed at him for even suggesting that the two of them wouldn’t survive. He had once said as much back at Stellareid, so Rennigan reminded himself that he would just be causing unnecessary problems if he reached out to the other man.
That being said, if it’s my last night, then…there’s something I should probably do…
They stayed up another hour or so, Rennigan sitting by the fire in silence as he listened to Nyx and Sinna chatting with one another about some restaurant they were excited to go to once they got back to Erika. Eventually, once it became clear that much of the company were beginning to retire for the night, Nyx announced that it was smart for them to do the same before she and Sinna made their way to the left side of the tent so they could sleep. Rennigan was given the right side, but as he crawled towards his bedroll, he did not lie down. Instead, he grabbed the small leather bag he’d brought with him and pulled it towards him so that he could begin rummaging around inside. Yet, the only things he otherwise brought were snacks which he’d already eaten the majority of, so it took hardly a second to wrap his fingers around the bottle.
The Elixir of Sweet Dreams, a potion that allows you more control over what you want to dream about and guarantees a good night’s sleep. Of course, I can’t consciously customize my dreams, rather I’ll simply see whatever my subconscious wants to see the most.
It was a solstice gift from Faye, one he had brought with him on a whim. He wasn’t sure he’d come home, so it only seemed proper to put the gift to use rather than let her generosity go to waste should he wind up dead. The blue liquid within the bottle could be downed in a long drink, so once again hoping that it hadn’t expired, Rennigan popped the cork from the glass and took a brief sniff of it.
Lavender…and maybe a berry of some kind? It smells nice though, so I’m gonna assume it's safe. Here goes nothing. Cheers, Faye.
Rennigan tilted his head back and drank the potion, finding its taste to be about as pleasant as its smell, allowing it to go down easily. Letting out a sigh, he set the bottle down beside his bag, the effects already happening even before his head had hit the bedroll. He had already been utterly exhausted before, but now, it was like his consciousness could fade at any second, and before he even realized it, he was asleep.
For an uncertain amount of time, Rennigan was comfortably floating inside a dark void, his mind turned off and freeing him from his worries and anxiety. There were no nightmares of Stellareid, nor were there any spasms of guilt, self-loathing, or regret. He was simply existing in a peaceful state that could not be merely achieved by biological means. It was a wonderful effect of the elixir—an effect that lasted not much longer before a voice began cutting through the slumber. It started out far in the distance, but as time passed on, it became clearer, and he could make out what they were saying.
“Glaus.”
It was his name.
“Glaus, come on, wake up!”
Wake up? Already? But this is so nice… I really don’t want to…
“Come on, you lazy bastard! Get up!”
Hey… Lazy bastard? Masters Rana and Cartus would never talk to me like that. In fact…isn’t this a guy speaking to me? Did Caeli crawl into the tent to harass me? No, he wouldn’t do that in front of the Masters…I think.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, if you don’t get up right this damn minute, I’m leaving without you!”
Leaving? Oh, right… We had plans today. What am I even thinking? What tent? I’m in my dorm… And Cartus and Rana? I must have been having a bizarre dream brought on by all the stress of exams. But it’s summer break now… It’s the first day of summer… That’s right, I have nothing to worry about…
Rennigan’s eyes flickered open before squinting at the light shining in through the dormitory window. A man was standing above him with his blonde hair tied back in a bun and his eyebrows cocked with impatience—an impatience that was replaced by satisfaction upon seeing he was awake.
“Took you long enough. Now get moving. We’ve only got a half hour until we meet Faye and Jessi, so unless you want to smell like the dumpster, I’d suggest you hurry to shower, yeah?”
Rennigan slowly sat up, his eyes never once moving from the man ordering him around. He just stared silently at him, his brain not finding the words he wanted to speak.
“Er, are you okay?” the man inquired, suddenly becoming concerned. “Why are you crying?”
Laughing softly to himself, Renngian reached up and wiped the tears forming in eyes before fixing Hirokol Pafran with a wide, joyful grin.
“Sorry, Hiro… It’s just that I…must’ve had a really bad dream…”