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.He shoved the book back under the cloth.“Yes?”Hon Nirilan opened the door and poked his head in.“You’re wanted at the castle,” he said.He’d been slightly nervous before.Those words made that nervousness wrap around his heart, making it pound.“Yes.” He thought of his books, and hoped none had been found in the wreckage after all.“Yes, I’ll be right there.”“I’m to escort you.” Hon Nirilan lowered his voice.“Something’s happened.”“What?” That sounded more like breathing than speaking, he scolded himself.Speak up next time.“Dunno.Dogs are running all over, all of them staring at us as if we were the enemy.Some of the brothers have said they heard a call for masons and carpenters to come to the castle, while others say the biermen were called.”“I imagine they would be.The King is dead.”“But the Dogs were calm after that announcement.What would get them agitated now?”Hyaji thought of Krysilla and that thug minstrel that had been with her when they’d last spoken.When she’d threatened him.Probably due to the minstrel.Bastard lowlife.He quickly ran through an abbreviated chant to rid him of such violent thoughts toward a fellow Tothsin, then focused once more on the issue at hand.“Someone such as I can’t hope to guess.” He followed Hon Nirilan out of the Disciples’ library and across the yard.He’d heard rumors that the castle didn’t exist in some far-off place, but remained here in the city.Everyone, he’d decided once he’d been told, must know this, but only somewhat believe it.Though it would make sense for the castle to remain in the city of Hurush, given the wars of the Ornic, it also made sense for the castle to remain far removed from anyone who might be harmed during a coup.Therefore, Hyaji was not surprised when he was met by a scarlet-vested Dog, led through the wall and into a spacious, green courtyard, perfectly trimmed.Filthy luxury surrounded him on all sides, a testament to the ways that led to suffering.The Dog led them through richly decorated halls and under ornate archways.At one point, they passed a large room filled with sunlight.Entranced by the sunlight’s beauty, he saw a pile of white stone, as white as the stones that made up the castle around him, lying in a broken heap on the floor.Masons and carpenters walked over and around it, some scratching their heads, others talking amongst themselves in a small group, and surrounding them all were the Dogs, silent and watchful.He felt a tendril of magic as they passed, its trail etched into the floor.But he had no training in whatever spell had been cast, and could only feel the rage inside it as the spell had fallen apart.They turned, and entered a narrow stairway that was too plain to have been used by nobility.They ascended slowly, passing several floors until Hyaji began to wonder when they would stop.Finally, they walked through a door into a landing far above the rubble Hyaji had seen earlier.A large hole that must have once been a doorway almost as large was in the wall to their left.From inside, Hyaji could hear a man speaking.“Are you sure the exit is shut?”“Yes,” another man said.They were close enough now, Hyaji could view inside the enormous room.Blood spattered one wall, scorch marks another.The whole room felt wrong, so very wrong in a way that Hyaji had never encountered.The man who was listening appeared to be a noble, if his brilliant green, gold-embroidered (and always covered by the pious nobles) vest was any indication, a hastily folded, white handkerchief in its pocket.He sat in an ornate white and gold chair, leaning it back until there were only two legs on the floor, his head keeping it from tilting too far back.The man who had just spoken was much older and wore the scarlet red vest of the Dogs.The Dog who’d brought them knocked.The noble glanced at them, lifted his hand to show that he would get to them in a moment, then continued speaking.“And you can’t tell their location?”“The Ornic shifted the location as he jumped through.All we can read is the last place entered, not where he arrived.”“Impossible.” The noble let the chair fall back onto all four legs, obviously upset by the news.“It is impossible to change the location in a portal spell.”A female Dog, leaning against the wall with arms folded, said, “Perhaps.”“Perhaps?” the noble scoffed.“What, do you have a story of another impossible feat by the Ornic? Perhaps they raised a castle when they landed, too.” Turning to the man, he said, “Have the Dogs seen any spring up lately?”The man he’d spoken with chuckled.The female Dog looked away, as if bored by the conversation.“Tell me, Dog Ishia,” the noble said, sitting down in a cushioned chair, “what story you heard [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]