LOGINARAHEEN
A servant directed her to the Relic Chamber of the Grand Castle.
It was her first time entering it. Only the general—and those he personally permitted—were allowed inside. She remembered how much she had once resented Theobald for boasting about being brought here before her.
She had always dreamed of seeing this place.
Heavy curtains of blue and gold velvet draped the silver walls. Across those walls were sigils etched by the s
ARAHEENA servant directed her to the Relic Chamber of the Grand Castle.It was her first time entering it. Only the general—and those he personally permitted—were allowed inside. She remembered how much she had once resented Theobald for boasting about being brought here before her.She had always dreamed of seeing this place.Heavy curtains of blue and gold velvet draped the silver walls. Across those walls were sigils etched by the sigilmakers of past generations—her mother among them.Araheen recognized several of her mother’s designs carved into the crystal columns that lined the chamber.Her gaze moved slowly across the relics displayed throughout the room.Some rested upon ornate pedestals, others were preserved beneath glass covers or arranged neatly on crystal shelves. Ancient swords, calcified feathers from great birds, enchanted devices, and petrified remains of creatures shaped by s
ARAHEENThe High Council erupted into a mix of reactions.“I am not opposed to that arrangement,” one of the female High Council members said. “Lady Araheen has proven herself one of our finest tacticians. It would be logical for the Dragon to be placed under her supervision.”“But we require someone with greater battlefield experience,” Lord Harius countered. “A true warrior. Commander Reinhardt remains the most practical choice.”“Lady Araheen is both a formidable combatant and our most skilled sigilmaker,” another High Council member argued.“Which is precisely a concern,” Lady Deenia interjected. “Why risk our most valuable sigilmaker on the front lines?”“She has already taken greater risks than most of us in this room,” another replied. “She baited the Dragon herself and executed a plan that required immense personal d
ARAHEENShe had not been informed of this.The High Council intended to keep some of the salamanders alive? For what purpose? Enslaving them would bring the sylphs no real advantage, and she could not imagine the Shining Keeper altering the parameters of the Divine Command.The entire purpose of the sylphs’ existence was to eradicate the barbarian race and become the sole guardians of the lower mortals.She leaned toward Feviel. “Did you know about this?”He inclined his head closer. “This is news to me as well, Araheen.”She figured the High Council must have agreed upon it shortly before this assembly. Still, she found herself sharing Gildeon’s question.Had this truly come from the Shining Keeper?“Let us return to the important matter at hand,” Lord Erminius said as he clasped his hands upon the table. “Now that we have presented our end of the bargain,
GILDEONSo this was the High Council.His comrades had often bet on what their assembly chamber looked like. As expected, it was just as ornate as the halls of the lower mortals, perhaps more.A wide chamber stretched around him, its marble floor polished to a mirror sheen, silver walls carved with shifting sigils. Crystal columns speared up toward a high-domed ceiling where bird-shaped markings seemed to stir and glide when he blinked. White orbs floated overhead, flooding the room with cold, steady light.A massive golden table curved in a half-circle before him, taking up most of the space. Nine high-backed seats rose behind it, the tallest at the center—General Lothair’s throne.Most of the High Council looked as old as he had expected. He recognized a few faces from the battlefields long ago. Behind them, additional seats held other high-ranking officers—layers of rank and age.What he hadn’t exp
GILDEONNone of this was fucking fair.His body had finished regenerating days ago. Flesh knit clean. Bruises gone. Bones whole. The slow, dragging ache in his chest had faded into a steady rhythm.He was restored—except for the enchanted restraints still binding his power.Meanwhile, Eitan and Yadira lay sprawled on the floor in front of him, half-conscious. Fresh blood mixed with old, soaking into their hair, torn clothes, and staining the floor around them. Limbs that had been torn off and regrown several times left ghost scars along their skin. They both had missing fingers and toes, their claws either broken to jagged stumps or plucked clean from the root.Eitan had cracked ribs along his side. Yadira’s torso was a map of puncture wounds, some closed, some still leaking.It wasn’t fair that he could draw a full breath while theirs came shallow and rough.But that was the point. He’d figure
ARAHEENThere was no response.She gave a slight nod to the guards. For the next hour, they used more enchanted instruments to fracture bone, tear muscle, and crush joints. The dull crack of impact echoed through the room. Steam hissed from the salamanders’ skin as their bodies attempted—and failed—to shift into defensive form. The sigils suppressed every instinct.More cries. More broken groans.The chains held them upright even as their strength faltered.After some time, Araheen rose from her seat.“Keep them here for as long as it takes,” she instructed. “Do not stop until the Dragon submits.”“Yes, Lady Commander,” the guards said.She cast one final look at Gildeon.He was fighting his own agony in silence, jaw rigid, toes slowly regenerating where they had been severed. Fury and torment warred in his eyes, but he said nothing more.Arahe







