An air of oppressive and foreboding silence descended upon the air. It was as if the message summarized by Zenvix carried the very chill of the inhospitable mountain ranges of northern Elaria.

"This is grave news," Dylas said heavily. "My word. An incoming invasion by the beastmen of the northern tribes? If what Alvaro said was true, a great war is coming. A bigger one than what hit Nox." Misaki looked visibly disturbed, yet a grain of disbelief permeated her visage. "How is this possible? The beastmen were routed, and their Alpha, Maagros the Minotaur, was killed by the combined forces of Eqia and Nox during the Frostfire War three decades ago. Ever since then, I heard that the beastmen were in disarray and there was rampant in-fighting among the unruly tribes."

"A new Alpha has ascended," Zenvix said ominously. "From Alvaro's words, a dominant beastman, said to be stronger and more savage than Maagros, had unified the tribes under his rule. He sits atop the Frostbone Throne now, commanding his monstrous legion for a second invasion of Western Elaria."

"But why Ceil?" Misaki exclaimed. "It makes no sense if you see it from the beastmen's viewpoint. Eqia is the closest city to Icesia North, and also the rightful target of their vengeance. Territory annexation should logically start from there."

"It makes sense to Aderis," Zenvix responded. "Because we are here. Because the Third Key is here."

"Wait, are you saying that Aderis has somehow convinced the savage beastmen to side with his cause? Impossible. They are barbarians, and they listen to no one save the Alpha who is the strongest of them all." Misaki said incredulously.

"The information that Alvaro procured came from none other than the perpetrator behind our demonic assault at Merchant's Hill‒Bismarck. Leveraging his network, Alvaro managed to capture the scoundrel, who is in the midst of a plan to poison the general of Ceil and her deputy officers. He has admitted his allegiance to Aderis under duress from Alvaro. To further verify Bismarck's information, Alvaro also sent his ravens to Icesia North to scout out the region. What he saw spoke clearly of Aderis's hand in the beastmen's current path of war," Zenvix replied.

"To poison the general of Ceil, Faelynn Erisbane? Wait...is he trying to-" Dylas conjectured.

"-realise Zila's worst fears about Nox? Yes. Aderis's lackey had obviously done his homework in Ceil. He knew of Zila's prejudice towards Nox and had prepared to emulate King Vladimos's diabolical act to create hatred towards Noxarians, hoping to borrow Zila's hand to dispose of us. At the same time, by getting rid of the commanding echelon of Ceil's army, the city's defending forces would be compromised, making it even easier for the beastmen to raze Ceil to the ground. Killing two birds with one stone." Zenvix finished.

"The ploy is coming together now," Misaki nodded, her expression a picture of bleakness. "One thing though - you mentioned that Alvaro saw Aderis's involvement in Icesia North? What, through his ravens...?"

"Alvaro is skilled in beast manipulation magic," Zenvix replied, recalling the encounter he had with the mage back at Merchant's Hill. "He is able to immerse in the senses of his controlled beasts; in this case, ravens. Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. All five senses are linked to his mind while he is in control. With the ravens' aid, he scouted out Icesia North, and what assailed him was the revolting smell of bloodlust. Heavy and putrid, like suffocating smog."

"Smell of bloodlust?" Yurisviel said, her memory jolted. Zenvix nodded his head in sombre affirmation. "The scent of the dark artifact. All of the beastmen reek of it, for they have been subverted. Corrupted by the energy of Demon's Seduction. Worst of all, they are coming now, even as we speak, with the nefarious power of the dark artifact behind them."

Misaki closed her eyes as the gravity of the situation sunk in. When they opened, a look of fierce determination was ablaze. "I will not allow the tragedy that befell Nox to repeat itself."

"Nor will I," Zenvix responded firmly. "That's why we are here. Alvaro estimated that the beastmen will reach Ceil in five days. To defend the walls, we would need the cooperation of the army, Misaki."

"Five days?" Misaki said, a look of concern across her face. "You would need the express approval of Faelynn Erisbane to enlist the army's assistance. Even then, Faelynn cannot act on her own without Zila's authorisation."

"From what I knew of the Frostfire War, the beastmen rode on ferocious monsters called Zargyles, which are native creatures of northern Elaria. They look like a cross between a bear and a wolf, possessing the immense strength of the former and the speed and stamina of the latter. Known to be meteoric and tireless, I'm not surprised if they can traverse long distances in five days," Zenvix replied, "especially if you account for the strengthening power of Demon's Seduction."

"Then we would need to seek an audience with Faelynn to warn her of the danger," Dylas said, his tone grim.

"From what I know of her schedule today, she's away on a hunt and won't be back for another hour. There's no helping it," Misaki said. "Let's slowly head to the Erisbane Manor."

⧪⧪⧪

A sweltering afternoon greeted the prince's group as they entered the central market of Ceil. Though they knew their objective was the Erisbane Manor, there was no avoiding the market as it was a necessary bypass towards Faelynn's residence. Ceil's central market boasted the busiest trade and best ware selection in Western Elaria, with merchants of exotic dressing selling unusual products alongside their domestic counterparts. From luscious Ceilian meatballs, smooth silk cloths to two-headed pet snakes and smoking cocktails of sparkly violet, the market had it all. Apart from the typical hustle and bustle, however, a special occasion seemed to be afoot.

As far as the eye can see, hemp strings connected the various tall shophouses on opposite ends of the busy market street. Countless flowers perched themselves on the connectors, arranged meticulously by color and type in an artistic display of myriad hues. Among the flowery decorations, there were hibiscus and petunia, amaranth and candytufts; every imaginable species a flower collector would love to collect. Soft aromas, delicate yet mellifluously sweet like honey perfused the air; a byproduct of the floral embellishments that adorned the market.

"Is today a special day?" Yurisviel said in a low voice, her mind whirling with the consideration that Aderis might plan an attack near or on a special day, where defences were often more lax.

"In the summer, Ceil celebrates its very own Festival of Flowers. That is why you see floral decorations across the entire stretch of the central market," Misaki remarked. "I only hope this year's Festival of Flowers will not be one of blood and death."

"Let's not be overly pessimistic; we will convince Faelynn once she is back." Zenvix said, as he attempted to alleviate his companions' negativity. "Why celebrate flowers though? Doesn't sound like a proper purpose to me."

Misaki made a fleeting sound of disapproval. "You are thinking too much from a pragmatic point of view. No wonder you are so serious all the time."

"Huh. An occupational hazard of being a young prince in a court of gloomy old dodders, I'm afraid." Zenvix responded.

Misaki said, "Well, the Festival does have a symbolic meaning beyond just flowers actually."

"And that is?" the prince questioned.

"If you had seen a statue of Ceil's Goddess, Esheria, you would notice that across her head, she wore a wreath of flowers. It is a favourite of hers. According to religious teachings, flowers symbolize the beauty of this world in the Goddess's view. They encapsulate the virtuous tenets she stands for, such as peace, prosperity and order. Wherever these principles exist and thrive, there is beauty, and the world is made a better place. And just like the flowers you now witness, such ideals are beautiful, but immensely fragile. Peace taken for granted is peace easily broken. A single wrong move, and these ideals are lost...like scattered petals in the wind. Hence, the Goddess sees herself as a protector of these principles. She wears the wreath proudly as a reflection of her dedication."

"I see," the prince replied, "so the festival is actually a celebration of the Goddess's commitment to those virtuous tenets?"

"Indeed it is. It celebrates Ceil's enduring peace and prosperity, which, according to the priests, is a result of her divine protection."

Let's hope the Goddess's protection holds up in five days then. Zenvix thought satirically. As the group wound their way quickly through the numerous citizens browsing wares or bantering in small clusters, Yurisviel spotted a shophouse selling armour and various combat ware.

Observing that her equipment was in dire need of repair or replacement, she made a beeline for the merchant, accompanied by Dylas who offered to provide his opinion on the lady's choices. Waiting outside with Misaki, Zenvix's eyes browsed casually across the numerous patrons going about their day. Virtually all of them displayed faces of glee and contentment, harbouring not a care in the world as they milled from stall to stall in the market. The prince even noticed a few soldiers still in their on-duty armour; drinking wine in bright daylight and sporting flushed faces that hinted poorly of their soberness. In the yonder just outside a tavern, a group of armoured military troopers seated at an open-air table guffawed loudly as they played cards and laid bets.

Peace taken for granted is peace easily broken. Have the talons of complacency already struck, unbeknownst to Ceil? Zenvix thought, recalling The Council's stubborn dismissal of his warning. Prejudice is one thing, but how much of that refusal to listen, is born out of complacency spawned from prolonged comfort?

Entrenched in his thoughts, Zenvix was taken unawares as he felt a tugging sensation on his sleeve. He looked down, and spotted a scrawny girl holding a straw basket of flowers. She looked like she hadn't had three square meals a day for a long time. "Mister, please, will you buy a flower from me? The Goddess will bless you with her light!" She requested in a small, shaky voice.

Zenvix turned to look at his companion, only to find that Misaki had already retreated some distance away from them, bearing a forced smile on her face as she concealed herself behind a shophouse pillar. She knows. She didn't want to scare the young girl. The prince thought, recalling Misaki's story of the daughter of Skavesh, and her ill-repute with the citizens of Ceil.

A tragic irony. The greatest defender of Ceil, shunned by those she sought to defend. Yet in the shadows she still toiled, receiving not a shred of gratitude for her sweat and blood. In this world of men and monsters, are men perhaps, the true monsters after all? Zenvix mused, bending his knees to inspect the contents of the girl's basket. He had no use for flowers, but seeing the dishevelled state of the young lass changed his mind. Picking one based on a whim, Zenvix fished out a coin to pay the girl before sending her on her way.

"You've got a good eye there," Misaki said, approaching to look at the white lily that the prince now held in his hand. "Since when the respectable prince of Nox gained an interest in flowers?"

"Well, since the time I thought of giving it to you." Zenvix wheeled around and extended the flower towards the pink-haired lady. A look of surprise crossed Misaki's face as she regarded Zenvix's outstretched hand. His tone firm, the prince then said. "Keep your chin up. You are not alone anymore. You've got us, your friends. And we ain't afraid of pink-haired, scarlet-eyed monsters."

There was a slight moment of fluster as Misaki's scarlet eyes looked away, unsure of how to react; it was clear that no one had done this for her before. But that moment passed quickly. Hesitation gave way to a nervous, almost shy smile as she accepted the white lily from Zenvix's hand.

"Well, I err....thank you." She replied, her eyes looking fleetingly towards her bottom left before meeting Zenvix's once more. "There's just one thing though."

"What?" The prince asked.

"You do know that the white lily is a flower given by a man to his lover as a sign of his commitment, right?"

.......

A stunned silence developed, one that seemed to eat away at eternity.

"...Well, err...the Erisbane Manor awaits us. Let us grab Yurisviel and Dylas and head off. Time is of the essence," Zenvix said quickly, marching into the shophouse to reconvene with the pair. Before he left Misaki's side, however, he heard laughter bubbled forth from the lady at his all-too-awkward response.

For some reason, that laughter sounded so genuine it was almost as if the lady had not laughed like this for a long time. Though still feeling a little hot around the neck, Zenvix decided he did not dislike the authenticity of that sound.