“How often does this happen?”
'Most nights,'she replied. 'Sometimes Her Radiance only dreams. Other times…'
Her fingers hesitated.
'Other times, Her Radiance screams.'
He looked down at the girl in his arms—the Void's chosen, the city’s holy vessel. Thinner than his damaged memory. Wrapped in secrets sharp enough to eviscerate him.
He adjusted the blanket more snugly around her shoulders and looked at the papers on the desk. There was still much to do—requests to issue, protections to draft, names to list. But he didn’t place her in bed. He let her sleep there, wrapped in warmth, nestled on his lap. Each time she stirred, searching in shallow sleep, her fingers would lift and he would guide her hand back to the earring.
“Easy now,” he whispered each time. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Eventually, her fingers stilled. Her breathing deepened. The Bond quieted.
And when she let go of the earring at last, he knew.
In the part of her still untouched by Doctrine or fear, she trusted that he never would.
10
The Rot Beneath
1129 BE – Cycle of Growth, Day 43
Minutes of the 2,784th Assembly of the Inner Council
Location: Axis Hall, Jade Lattices
Attendance: Full quorum present. Sovereign Flame also present (no utterance recorded).
Recorded and Observed by the Sokâr
—Auryn’s note:Over two decades of sneaking into this dusty hidden passage, listening to these bloated old fools speaking about matters they don’t understand, and all I have to show for it are these ratty journals nobody will read. But soon—soon I will go through those doors and show them that you cannot rule those you cannot see.
And now, of course, it is even more crucial that I don’t miss a beat of these discussions. Now that Kailorien is so determined to protect me, I worry he will overlook one of their schemes or pay too high a price to shield me from something I can endure without his sacrifice.
Opening Topic: Ward Degradation and Shield Integrity (Presented by Councilor Draevan)
Councilor Draevan (Master of Strategic Mana Flow):
“Preliminary measurements from the Veinposts indicate a minor Shield contraction. Fluctuations in Mirror Shaft reflection have caused a quarter-width shift by the upper Flowe markers. Containment remains stable.”
—Auryn’s note: Draevan delivers this like he’s reading a weather scroll: mild fog, potential for citywide death. It’s frustrating how the others don’t seem to grasp the severity of his reports. Shield contraction is not to be taken lightly.
Councilor Mirava (Untitledand Unqualified):
“You’re referring to the Shaft flickers? That’s common with the approach of the Cycle of Fire. The Flowe junctions always swell under prolonged exposure.”
—Auryn’s note: Everything swells in Fire. Including egos. Mirava speaks as though he’s qualified to weigh in on this topic.
Councilor Draevan (Master of Strategic Mana Flow):
“Yes. However, this is the third such contraction recorded in as many Cycles. My office has compiled a model based on cumulative Veinpost drift across the last 900 spans. Should this trend continue unmitigated, the city will lose an equivalent of half a District to Shield erosion within sixty years.”
[Pause recorded. Several Councilors exchange glances. One (unidentified) audibly cleared throat.]
Councilor Mirava:
