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Chapter — Fire Before Water
Sorrel closed the thick Aether tome with a soft thump, the pages whispering shut like they were relieved to be free of his eyes.
"First Fire," he said decisively, pushing the book aside, "then Water."
Oliver leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming idly against the wooden table. "You make it sound like we're doing groceries. Except one of the groceries could burn a castle down."
Sorrel ignored him, already pulling up the map they'd been marking since yesterday. The Avernal Nether portal wasn't going to open without the Elementals, and for Fire, there was one name the book had made annoyingly clear.
Princess Rosemary.
She wasn't a name either of them expected to associate with flames. The description in the tome had been vague—mentioning refinement, grace, and an iron will beneath layers of etiquette—but nothing about fire magic. That mystery was part of what made Sorrel decide to visit her first.
Getting to her was easier than expected. Rosemary's nation, though distant, had open gates for diplomatic visitors, and her family, the Rosefields, were long-standing nobles. Their coat of arms—three roses intertwined over a sun—hung proudly from every polished wall.
When the two were finally led into her receiving hall, Oliver instantly understood why she didn't look like a Pyro user.
Her hair was a silken magenta that shimmered under the light of stained-glass windows. She wore a perfectly fitted yellow dress with gold embroidery at the hems, her posture effortlessly poised, hands folded in front of her as she regarded them. There was an air about her—not cold, but reserved, like someone who measured her words before breathing them.
"Travelers," she greeted, her voice smooth and formal. "I was told you sought an audience regarding… the Elemental of Fire."
Oliver met her eyes, trying to read what lay behind them. No flicker of heat, no restless energy—only still waters in her gaze, which was strange for someone tied to fire.
Sorrel bowed politely. "We were told you may know its location… or how to obtain it."
For a moment, her lips curved into the faintest, knowing smile. "The Aether book," she said quietly, as if she recognized the trail they had followed. "Very well. But understand, fire in this world is not merely taken. It is earned. And the trial for it lies far deeper than most dare travel."
Oliver tilted his head. "Deeper where?"
Her smile widened just enough to be unsettling. "Into the volcanic reaches of Ardent Hollow. But before you enter… you will need my permission. And my company."
Sorrel blinked. "You're coming with us?"
"I am the key to the trial," Rosemary said simply. "And the fire will not answer to strangers."
Oliver exhaled slowly. This was going to be more complicated than they'd planned. And they still had the Water elemental to deal with after this—meaning a trip to the Oceavera region and the Undine holder, Neptis. But for now… Fire came first.
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