Rumor of Thorns by Sandell Wall

Author:Sandell Wall [Wall, Sandell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 27

FREIDA ENTERED THE PROVINCIAL capital of Galvon, with Magister Henrich at her side. It did not take long for her to decide that she preferred the silence of the sudo to the man’s incessant chatter. Henrich acted as if he were a local guide, pointing out every inconsequential detail and providing a running dialogue of every point of interest they passed.

He droned on about the auspicious heritage of an inn next to the highway, and Freida shut her ears to his voice. Instead, she focused on the people they encountered. Henrich was trying to paint a picture of normalcy, even prosperity. But Freida focused her senses to pierce through his lies.

The longer she spent in Galvon, the more Freida became convinced that it was a province on the brink. On the brink of what, she was not sure yet. War? Revolt? Collapse? She needed to know for certain before she returned to Arnoth. The turmoil here could not be ignored. Her superiors would want to know how to respond, and Freida’s firsthand report would be all they had to inform their decision.

As they moved into the city proper, Freida detected an undercurrent of fear everywhere she looked. What few citizens she spotted in the streets were quick to duck out of sight. There were soldiers everywhere, sudo and human. They all wore the black armor that the governor seemed to favor. And to Freida’s surprise, the imperial crest on their uniforms had been replaced with Governor Willox’s own personal emblem. A white vulture’s skull on a field of black.

“To look at these soldiers, you’d not think them a part of the imperial legions,” Freida said, interrupting Henrich’s monologue.

“Eh, what’s that?” Henrich said.

“These men aren’t wearing the imperial crest. Some might consider that treason.”

“Ah, yes, that. There’s nothing so nefarious behind it, I assure you. The governor merely entertains himself by personalizing their uniform. Historically, Galvon has specialized in death magic, and the vulture’s skull is a part of that tradition.”

This mention of death magic recalled to Freida’s mind her studies before traveling to the province. Each imperial province was home to a specific sect of the magisterium, and these magisteriums distinguished themselves from one another by focusing on a specific branch of magic. Galvon had long practiced death magic, which made their soldiers some of the most feared on the battlefield.

“You’re not dressed like a practitioner of the school of death,” Freida said.

“My predilections are inclined towards the flame, but yes, as a magister of Galvon, I’m required to know how to weave a macabre enchantment or two,” Henrich said.

This admission forced Freida to adjust her perception of the man. Behind his folksy, earnest exterior was a magister educated in the ways of death. Strange that he disguised it behind the garments of a different school of magic.

The mention of death magic seemed to have sobered the magister, and he walked in silence for the first time since their meeting. He turned right at the next intersection. Ahead of them, in the distance, Freida got her first glimpse of the governor’s palace.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.