Page 71 of Sins of His Wrath

Then, just as quickly as it had slipped, Prillu’s mask returned. Her expression smoothed, her voice turning cool once more.

"Let’s go," she said flatly. "The council is waiting."

"All right," Naya breathed, looking around at the council gathered in the archive chamber.

Compared to this morning, they now appeared positive and ready to work, less suspicious and hostile. Scrolls and leather-bound volumes were already stacked on the massive stone table, and archive assistants moved quietly around the edges of the room, ready to retrieve additional materials as needed.

“I’d like to start with understanding how you deal with magical attacks when they happen,” Naya said. "How do you protect the city?"

The council members exchanged glances. Ranin cleared his throat. “Apart from recent events, we haven't had an attack within the city itself for many years." His answer sounded carefully composed. "Thennin-boulders create a barrier that usually deflects them. But in the past, they were frequent—sometimes weekly."

"The most effective approach was early detection," Tshel said. "We developed methods to monitor when thennin-eellithicame close to our borders and track their movements. It gave us time to prepare."

Naya leaned forward. "But what about when they get too close, like the one that recently entered the city?"

A heavy silence fell over the room. No one would meet her gaze directly. The weight of what she'd done—however unintentionally—hung between them like a physical presence. Naya swallowed, but didn't retreat from the uncomfortable moment, looking them each in the eye. The encounter with Prillu had annoyed and hardened her. These people were acting like she hadn’t been kidnapped and tortured, like they were the only victims. She felt guilty, but that was for the actual victims—the people out in the street who had no hand in her suffering and weren’t prepared.

Tshel and Ranin both glanced at Prillu, who exhaled slowly.

"When annin-eellithibreaches our outer defenses,” Prillu said, her voice measured, “we have specialists who use tools to syphon off the magic, redirecting it away from populated areas."

"But they weren't able to do that with the recent one," Naya said quietly.

Prillu's mouth tightened. "No. It moved too quickly, and was... unusually powerful."

The unspoken accusation lingered—Naya ignored it. “I want to know about the earliest occurrences of magical attacks in this region," she said slowly, carefully choosing her words. " I want to know what happened, how it happened, the effects on the region, and how the attack was stopped."

The council members nodded, and began searching the archive with the help of the archivists. They worked solidly for an hour, mostly in silence, and then gathered back at the table. The rustling of ancient pages and the scratch of charcoal on parchment as they took notes filled the chamber.

"Earliest sign of magical disturbance was nearly a hundred years ago," Tshel said finally, laying a yellowed scroll carefully on the table. "It happened on the edge of the city and attacked a traveling party who were leaving Onn Kkulma."

"How did that get resolved?" Naya asked, leaning forward to examine the faded script. “What happened to the magic?”

"The records don't say specifically," Tshel replied, her finger tracing the text. "But it is one of the earliest known sightings of wild magic. After that, incidents became more frequent, more severe."

"Was magic being used at this time?" Naya asked, her mind working quickly. "Was it being used regularly in the city?"

"Yes," Tshel said. She glanced at Oppo, who had remained mostly silent so far.

When she offered nothing more, Naya pressed. "How?"

"At that time, magic was extremely prevalent in the city," said Prillu. "We used it extensively, much more than we do now. We had magical traveling methods to move easily from one side of the city to another. Magical healing that could mend the most devastating injuries, magical cultivation that could grow crops in barren soil, magical defenses that kept armies at bay."

"What changed?" Naya asked, sensing important information just within reach.

The heavy door to the archive opened with a resonant thud that silenced the room. Naya didn't need to turn to know who it was—the sudden, charged stillness that gripped the council members told her everything. That, and the feel of him in the room, the way her body prickled with awareness, some hidden part of her responding to his presence before she even laid eyes on him.

Akoro strode into the chamber, his footfalls heavy against the stone floor. He wore formal attire—layers of rich fabric in deep colors, patterned with intricate designs that emphasized his broad shoulders and powerful frame. His eyes swept across the room, landing on her with an intensity that made her stomach flutter.

"Leave us.” His voice was a low, commanding rumble that brooked no argument.

The council members exchanged glances but rose immediately. They filed out of the room in tense silence, Prillu last among them. She paused at the door, her gaze flicking between Naya and Akoro, before she too disappeared into the corridor.

The door closed behind them with a heavy finality that seemed to compress the air in the chamber. Naya straightened her back, refusing to be intimidated by his sudden appearance.

"You will be with me for the remainder of the day," Akoro said, approaching the table.

Naya glared at him. "I'm in the middle of research, Akoro. You can’t just come in here and order everyone out when I need them.”

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