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Eledis   The role of the king is harsh and unforgiving. Impossible, even. Your subjects will always find fault with you. -Kinlith, scholar and tutor to the Audish heir   As usual, I waited for Raimie in the spot where the boy typically descended from the ...

Eledis   “Where do I begin?” Raimie asked, looking incredibly lost. “How about with a target?” Kylorian said. Raimie jumped upon the prompt with clearly apparent gratitude. “Yes! Thank you,” he said. “So, the next place we’ll attack. It’s going to be the ...

Eledis   As if the delay with Ryvolim had never occurred, Raimie said, “With Da’kul’s capture, we’ve come into possession of several siege machines. I’ve asked around and learned that Tiro has the means to transport them. If Tanwadur agrees to assist us, we’...

Eledis   When Tanwadur jerked his eyes to me, I realized that not only had the protest I’d meant to keep in my head been audible but I’d also risen to my feet. Eyes were boreing into me, and I bowed beneath the weight of them. At least my actions had stoppe...

Thumb This line was advancing at a ridiculously slow pace, one that was clearly wearing on the nerves of the people around me, and when a fight broke out several places ahead, I smiled. Human nature was so wonderfully predictable at times. For a moment, I ...

Thumb   No matter how hard I tried, my mind wouldn’t go empty, as I’d like. My thoughts kept returning to the last time I’d indulged in this habit. My opponent—an unimpressive little man—enters the ring, but just because he seems so unintimidating doesn’t m...

Thumb   My next opponent—a stout man, madly smiling—stopped opposite me, and on inspecting him, I quickly discounted any challenge that he might bring. I could easily counter his pattern. Soon, the cheering around us died, and I waited for the command to be...

Raimie   We were halfway through the third day of our journey to the Birthing Grounds when Oswin pulled everyone to the side. “We’re being followed,” he quietly told us. Which seemed to surprise only me. Kylorian, Little, and Ryvolim all nodded their agree...

Ryvolim   I was in the middle of a pleasant conversation with one of Sanc’s farmers, gradually plying information about the Birthing Grounds from him, when Raimie flat-out sprinted past us, moving as if monsters were on his tale. I was on my feet, reaching f...

Raimie   By the time dinner rolled around, I was exhausted in a way I hadn’t been for a long time. My fucking brain was hurting, right alongside my aching calves and feet, but still, I did what I could to get our nighttime meal prepared before settling aroun...

Ryvolim   And so, I found myself here once more. Standing on the fringe of the forest that separated two Enforcers’ regions, I look out over a cracked and blasted land, grateful that Doldimar had kept such destruction to one portion of Auden this time. He’d...

Ryvolim Near where the Daevetch bolt had cracked a cave wall, Kylorian had already straightened from his stumble with his weapon raised. “Where did that come from?” he said. “From one of them, I suspect,” I said, pointing. Three men and two women had occ...

Raimie Focusing in this place was impossible. With every step I took, I struggled to break free of Daevetch’s enticing touch, and each time, I barely kept myself from falling into a hole I’d never escape from. That dark energy had been so heavily utilized h...

Raimie   Thank Alouin for no further surprises. In the house at the middle of the Birthing Grounds, the ground floor’s second room looked exactly like Little had described it last week. Doldimar had left his victims dangling from the ceiling: several dozen c...

Raimie   My other half spun toward the noise, stumbling to a stop as soon as he had. At the front of the room,, a black-eyed Enforcer was casually defending herself from Hadrion’s attacks with an amused smile distorting her features, after a breath, Nylion ...

My darling, I’m writing to you from Auden, the last stop on my tour of the human kingdoms, and as requested, I’ve given each of their kings the Council’s tribute while keeping in mind the favor you’ve asked of me. When it comes to that, I’m sorry to say that...

Heir to the Audish Throne Today is a special day. Today, my father spent the morning with me. Today, we’ve had a party. Today, people tell me that I’m smart and good and nice. Because today, I turned seven. Master Kinlith says, “Birthdays are a chance for...

Heir to the Audish Throne   6th of Fifth, 3461 Recently, I’ve learned that this is the proper way to open a journal entry. While I must admit that I’ll miss the carefree way I’ve written in this journal in the past, I also hope that by changing my habits in...

Raimie   Securing the Birthing Grounds and returning humanity to the Kiraak had become welcome distractions for me. Every slow, tenuous drag of Corruption from someone else’s body, every task that required my input, was delaying the time when I’d need to dea...

Raimie   Should I sit beside Hadrion? Should I let this roiling pot of grief and guilt in my gut boil over? Did I dare shove a lid on top of it, hoping that it would cool on its own? I didn’t want to speak the words that would unburden my weakness on an emp...