Florentina started with a single name, Rosaceae. The one who had gained Aqua Soma, one of the greatest healing Ars ever created. Its origin traces back to another spring. One hidden from the world, much like this one. Gaia blessed a place of purification, only accessible to a few aos-si. The reservoir was so holy it had no name. It healed any wound, unlike this one. It stopped any curse and cured any ailment, even Heat-haze. No flame could dry its body. On the night the two moons aligned, Rosaceae received the Ars Aqua Soma. That night, spontaneous flames of almost every color appeared. Red, blue, yellow, green, and even purple. Across the land of Abhainn-Reatha, they dance in the night. No one knew where they came from, or how, or why. But those flames burned and fizzled out. That was the Night of Prismatic Embers. It was also the same night Titania sprouted her wings.

  The Elders spoke of how those fires bore no direct casualties. Those beautiful wisps of flames, however, attracted two dangerous threats. The Gallu-utukku and the Lumen-Golem. From all over. Each of them rushed to feed on those flames. It was the second time the barrier had fallen. Many aos-si died. It was the only thing she had ever heard everyone consider a level five threat. Some even said it made Dragons Rain look reasonable. Its ominous light continuously drew gallu to that area as if they were moths to a flame. None were safe, even behind the barrier. Somehow, the Gallu had found a way in.

  “If it were not for a premonition Titania had in a spring like this, the citizens of Tir-noNog may not have evacuated safely.” Said Florentina.

  Anemone spoke, “Remnants? Those gem-like things that feed on Ars…They were there, too?”

  “Yes. And it was the first time we had ever seen a Gallu fuse with a dragon. A Gallu-dragon paled in comparison.”

  “Tirno-Nog’s first fall… that thing made everyone flee to this Tir-noNog.”

  “Yes. It was.”

  Remnants were some of the oldest things to exist. Scholars say they predate the Gallu-Utukku presence in Abhainn-Reatha. Terror that elders used to scare the young who abused Ars. Creatures that glowed like Lumenopal, that absorbed Ars, and that almost no metal could pierce. That was what Remnants were.

  “But wait—I thought Grandpa Dagda stopped them… who’s Rosaceae? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of her.”

  Florentina went silent. Anemone even noticed how she had flinched at her statement. Then a surge of pain shot through her head. Fog covered her mind. Soon, the pressure built behind her eyes forced them to shut. A vision played before her. Someone was talking to her, but they did not have a face, nor could she hear their voice. Anemone tried to regain her focus through the fuzziness, but her body heated. Sweat dripped from her brow. The feeling of her heart throbbing in the back of her throat almost made her choke on her spit. Although she could move her right fingers and arm now, they were heavier than iron slabs.

  “This pain… my runic symbols! They burn!”

  Anemone hinged over to the left as pain pulsated through her right side. Anemone squirmed about as her muscles tightened. Groans left her clenched jaws as it took all her willpower to raise her arms and inspect them. Looking at both, she noticed the sigils on her arms fading. Instinctively, she placed her left hand over the right side of her face, and the intense pain faded. Her heart stopped pounding, and her labored breathing calmed down. When her eyes met Florentina’s wrinkled brow, Anemone faked a smile.

  “You’re just like—how do you feel?”

  Florentina wiped Anemone’s forehead.

  Anemone said, “I feel as if a rock slammed me and something cleaved my arm. Also, my legs are on fire.”

  “That’s…specific. However, I don’t see any external trauma. I’ll re-add the runes and sigils to your limbs and body once you dry off. Hopefully, it will ease your pain.”

  Florentina stepped inside and pulled Anemone out of the pool in the center. Then she dried her hair. Anemone brushed her fingers across the fading sigils and smiled. Anemone remembered Spriggan had placed them on her arms when training her with Ars from a young age. Pretty often, Florentina or Spriggan would have to reapply them. Along with the crest in the middle of her sternum. Every time she exhausted herself, they faded faster. And seeing them now, put a knowing grin on her face.

  “I always saw them on his arms… he told me they helped with the flow of Od through one’s Flux.”

  “You miss him… don’t you?”

  Anemone said nothing as Florentina stroked her hair with a towel. An inward gaze grew as her heart ached. It was hard not to tune Florentina out as she spoke.

  Florentina continued, “Perhaps your wings are not too far off. Just like Nia. Maybe soon you’ll have something to grab her attention.”

  Anemone thought to herself.

  “Nia? I can’t remember the last time Florentina ever called Titania that.”

  If she had not already experienced a strange day, that might have thrown her off. But hearing Florentia mention her wings as a possibility grabbed her attention. After all, she had heard gossip of sh’fae having dreams before they sprouted their wings. They were usually vivid dreams of good fortune or luck. But a nightmare? That was unheard of. Anemone was already eighteen, but she still showed no signs of them sprouting. Often, wings sprouted from a sh’fae’s back little by little. Rarely did full-grown wings appear from the get-go. Titania had gotten hers on her fifteenth cycle, which many considered late. Anemone almost screamed. Even holding back her tears seemed pointless.

  “Worthless, wingless,” she hissed. “I can’t even dry myself off after a slip and fall…I hate this. I hate hearing about her—”

  Her hand covered her mouth shut before anything else came out. Never had such a thought crossed her mind. In that moment, she recalled Aronia’s words before Titania had left for Albion, ‘YOU HAVE TO! OTHERWISE, YOU’LL LOSE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO HER LIKE ME!’

  “Maybe Nia is right”, Anemone thought.

  Florentina said nothing and reached behind her. Like magic, she revealed a fresh set of clothes with an oversized woolen cloak placed beside her. From behind her veil, she spoke with soft words.

  “Are you ok, Nin—Anemone?” Florentina questioned.

  Anemone winced at hearing her family name. Florentina always had a terrible habit of bouncing between Anemone and Ninlil, and it was often at the worst times. Like a terrible hangover, the room spun. She moved her left hand to cover her eyes; another vision played.

  A strange scene of her sitting in a forest with L’wah, not too far from her. Spears of white light gravely injured him, ramming into his body. Someone else was there, but she could not see them. They had blinding white flames surrounding their bodies that obscured their presence. When the stranger raised their hands, the white embers roared in the air before condensing into more spears of light. As they snapped their fingers, the light spears flew toward Anemone at blinding speed. Like the wind, L’wah appeared in front of her, knocking all but one away. Right before the spears hit her, she heard the stranger say, ‘She pales compared to Titania.’ Then she blinked.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Anemone was back inside the pool near Florentina. A blank look crossed her face as she hunched over. There was a faint scent of iron and forest dew. Her nostrils flared. And her breathing grew rapidly. It was still there; the feeling of something placed between her ribs and through her heart. Something so real, her hand froze right above her chest. Right where that light spear had pierced her. No pain, but something lodged in there. Stabbing at her, forcing her to cough. Her fingers clenched the air. And for a moment, she held something solid.

  When her hand collapsed into a fist, the sensation faded. And soon after, so did the smell of the forest. Anemone slammed her hands into the pool beneath her, and a weak laugh escaped her shivering body.

  “What the Muspell is this!? Why am I so terrified? Even in my daydreams, someone trying to kill me involves Titania.” Anemone clenched her fists.

  Anemone gritted her teeth as she considered that faceless stranger, comparing her to Titania. Heat filled her body. Seeing L’wah there felt even stranger. Anemone could never see herself choosing to deal with an individual like him. All she could remember was his aloof attitude and uncaring words. She constantly asked him for answers, but he didn’t tell her what she wanted to know. Then the Lost Historia crossed her mind, and she spoke aloud.

  “Florentina? The First Fall of Tir-noNog… Does it connect to a book called Lost Historia?”

  Anemone saw a shift in Florentina’s usually stiff frame. She tilted her face, and for a second, Anemone could finally see her face from behind the veil. Florentina always wore a poker face, but this time she had daggers for eyes that were as cold as steel. From that simple reaction, Anemone knew something was up. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she locked eyes with Florentina.

  “Let me guess… You can’t say anything?”

  “I’m sure there are many books with that name.”

  Florentina paused and looked away. Then she huffed while slowly nodding.

  “Really, it’s your mother who should tell you.”

  Anemone shook her head, expecting Florentina to stop there, but she complied.

  “The real saviors of Tir-noNog were two other Aos-si. Rosaceae and Vermilion.” Florentina sighed.

  Those words resounded through Anemone’s body, and her stomach churned. Anemone dropped her jaw and looked down at the pool of water. In her mind, she replied every time someone had compared her to Titania. Every time she faltered, it was “Be like the Queen”. Not just from Spriggan or Florentina, but from other soldiers, the citizens of Tir-noNog there was no escaping that phrase. There were no words that left her mouth, and as she sat there with her mind blank, Florentina continued.

  “Vermillion had come from the icy wastes of Northgand… It was she who stopped the black flames from spreading further. Not Titania, not Medb.”

  “The black flames?”

  Florentina stopped speaking. Her face went pale—paler than her already snow-white complexion.

  “So, you knew about them? So, when I told you about my dreams—”

  Florentina interrupted her.

  “I shouldn’t say more…”

  “Florentina, that isn’t fair!!! What's going on?!”

  “Anemone… no one can know about the Sacred Flames,” said Florentina, staring into the distance.

  “The Sacred Flames?” Anemone tilted her head. “Adnero?”

  Suddenly, she remembered that when she first met L’wah, he had mentioned Sacred Flames; he called it Adnero. She tried to remember more, but nothing came to mind. Anemone gripped her head as a sharp pain pierced her mind.

  “Did Medb even become the tree that protects us now? What about black flames? Are they connected to the Sacred Flames?”

  Florentina shivered, “Dearest Ninlil, know there are some stories that we, Aos-si, should not talk of; terrors in this world that everyone must forget.”

  Anemone looked past Florentina and saw her grimoire covered by the pants. She threw the towel aside and dragged her body toward it. After she flung the book open, she summoned the Lost Historia. Quickly, she turned to Florentina and shoved the book in her face.

  “Tell me what’s in this book!” Anemone demanded.

  Florentina pushed the book aside. “That book holds the words of those terrors and more. Trust me when I say this: Spriggan and Titania will tell you more. When the time is right.”

  Anemone dropped the book in her lap. The slam echoed and bounced through the springs. They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, and every bone in her body had a bad feeling. Anemone knew something strange. She had half expected that telling Florentina about the book would have caused a fight. Florentina knew almost every scroll or tome Tir-noNog kept hidden, and seeing something like this should have put her in a frenzy. Going through any archives without permission or even touching this should have set her off, especially if this was something so important. Yet there was no response, and it didn’t seem right. Somehow, L’wah crossed her mind again. He had not only become a catalyst for this moment but a prime resource for information. Now all she had to do was figure out how to find him and get her answers. Anemone ran her fingers along her scalp and almost pulled her hair out. Before she could think of anything else, Florentina’s voice broke her train of thought.

  “I don’t recommend you compete in the Trials today, Anemone.”

  “Today? What do you mean by today? How long was I out!?”

  “Almost three days.”

  Anemone stood up, but her legs nearly buckled from her weight.

  “Florentina, how??? You can’t be serious?”

  “Whatever happened to you shocked your mind and left your body paralyzed.”

  Anemone tried to scan her mind for any memories, but her mind was still blank. All she knew was that she had approached the alley and reawakened here. Her mind kept drawing her attention to L’wah. However, she knew she had not spoken to L’wah since the night the barrier had broken. Yet somehow, her gut told her otherwise.

  “Florentina, it feels like I’m losing my mind. I don’t know what is happening! These daft dreams keep haunting me. Days are fleeting, and—?”

  “I understand where you’re coming from, Nin. I’m also feeling something is amiss, as if we are all sitting on a calm wind before a storm.” Said Florentina.

  Florentina’s head shifted slightly, and even though Anemone could barely see her eyes through the veil, she knew Florentina had looked away. Seeing Florentina’s sleeve fumble around, Anemone knew she was clenching her hands. It was a habit Spriggan told her about. Even if you did not see her eyes or face break, the doubt she had came through her need to fidget. That was one of the main reasons Florentina wore long, puffy sleeves and walked or stood with her hands behind her back.

  “It does not help that none of us have heard from Titania since she left for her expedition to Albion. She was gone for so long, I’m sure Spriggan followed her. Even Spriggan’s extended silence is strange.” Florentina continued.

  Anemone’s chest boiled beyond anything she had ever felt. The throbbing in her head grew even more vicious. Right now, she couldn’t care about anyone else; she only wanted peace of mind.

  “Why is there so much secrecy!? What have I done to be kept in the dark!?”

  “Ninlil, it is not your fault. It’s just… our way of keeping you safe.”

  “LIES! It’s all LIES!”

  “Anemone. Please understand—”

  “I don’t care, Florentina! The Trials are the only way to get my mind off this runaround!”

  “You can hardly even stand.”

  “Too bad! I’m doing these trials even if it kills me!”

  Anemone threw her hands up and cried.

  “They can find me somewhere in the Wildlands if they care so much about me! Anything is better than being stuck here waiting for something to happen!”

  “Ninlil! Don’t be foolish!” Florentina stood up.

  “NO! This is an ORDER! By declaration of what little FRIGGEN power I have from this worthless family name, YOU. WILL. LET. ME. Go!”

  Her words fell almost to a whimper. Anemone grabbed her things and hobbled off, leaving Florentina behind. Even with her body as heavy as it was and the numbness in her arms, there was no reason to sit around and avoid the Trials. For years, she had waited for this opportunity. Nothing was going to stop her. As she fumbled to throw her clothes and mask on, Anemone tripped. There was no pain as her shoulder dragged into the wall; she caught her fall. Anemone looked back at Florentina, unable to see her face, but she could see how her head tilted away. It looked as if Florentin hung her head to the side, still holding back whatever else she wanted to say. Anemone's heart swelled as the pain in her stomach weakened her legs. Even if she wanted to fall back down she could not allow herself to drop. As she pushed herself off the wall, Anemone dragged her feet.

  “If Titania or Spriggan care so much, they can find me in the Wilds dead or alive.” Anemone placed her mask on her face.