Page 45 of The Laws of Nature (Heirs of the Empire #3)

TOBI

T hey are spotted by the watchtower and the iron gate of the zhilvar opens for Embox.

She trots through it and into the wide courtyard.

The guards on the watchtower have alerted the Solwen.

There are several guards and members of the council waiting for them.

Jer and Sami are there too. Sami has a rope harness ready for Baby.

Tobi is glad to see two healers.

They rush forward to help Harok down from Embox. “Careful. Irgo hurt,” Tobi shouts. “Arm. Top arm broken. Exceli hammer.”

Tobi slides down from Embox and takes the rope from Sami. He calls Baby to him and puts the harness on her. Her fur is covered in blood. But she seems quite calmed after her long run through the forest. He hands the rope to Sami. “Wash,” he says to her in Ambolk. “Wash beast. Put in stall.”

As Sami takes the harness, someone lays a heavy hand on Tobi’s shoulder and says, “You will come with me, kushir.” Tobi looks around to see Olladin. His face is stone .

Tobi nods. Olladin is looking at him like a kushir who ran away. Which he supposes he is. Will he face more of Harok’s wrath for this?

With a firm nod, Olladin takes Demonica from Tobi’s hand. Tobi blinks at it. He had almost forgotten he held it. A sword so big and heavy, and yet, it had felt oddly light in his hand. As if moving it would have been easy.

Olladin hands it to one of the other guards.

Tobi glances back at Demonica as he allows himself to be marched out of the courtyard. He tries to see Harok, but he is hidden by the healers and advisors that crowd around him.

Tobi is taken to his chamber and locked inside.

He turns and looks at the room. It looks exactly as he left it, but for some metal bars that have been fixed over the small window. He was so angry with Harok last time he was here. He doesn’t know how he feels about him now.

His body hurts and he is hungry, tired and dirty.

He pulls a fresh alit from the chest and changes into it, tossing the one covered in blood and dirt on the floor.

But his skin is still smeared with mud and filth.

He paces around the chamber. He checks the door that leads to Harok’s room and finds it locked.

What will happen now? Harok is injured, perhaps mortally.

And the Rose Court told the Exceli to make sure that Tobi never escaped Urynwud.

Lymok says that order came from the Thousand Eyes.

From Chancellor Vindar himself. Tobi has not seen Vindar since he left the Rose Palace.

But he has long been aware Vindar kept track of him.

He has been approached over his years in Northern Azuria by many a handsome man — never the same man, but they all had the same air — that came to see his show and then seduced him in the same way, following up their pleasure with the same questions about his plans, his feelings about the Rose Court, his mother, his father, his brothers.

He always knew those men were one of Vindar’s Thousand Eyes.

And it seems Lymok was one too. Lymok has joined the Exceli.

Tobi is certain Lymok survived Harok’s attack, fleeing into the trees.

And the Azurian Empire is supplying the Exceli with weapons.

He needs to tell someone this. About all that has happened. But he is a prisoner. He sits down on his bed.

There’s nothing he can do.

After a while he hears sounds in Harok’s room. He races to the door. “Harok,” he shouts. “Irgorye. Tell them to let me in.”

There’s no response. Is Harok even able to hear him? Tobi keeps hammering and yelling until he tires and gives in. He sits on his bed and waits. He waits and waits as the sun outside climbs the sky.

The only people that come to his room are his body servants and two healer women, who wash him and see to his wounds.

None of them speak to him, even when Tobi tries to talk to them in Ambolk.

His wounds are minor compared to Harok’s smashed shoulder.

But he has bruises on his ribs from kicks and one on his face from where he was punched.

His lip is torn and the healers treat it with a stinging salve.

Then, they leave, and he is alone again. An imprisoned kushir. Perhaps he will never be freed from this room again.

But eventually the door to Harok’s chamber opens.

On the other side stands Mereli. Tobi has to fight an urge to shove him aside. “Let me see Harok,” he says, trying to keep the desperate snarl out of his voice. “Does he live? ”

“Kushir,” Mereli says evenly, “Irgo Harok lives. You can see him shortly.”

“Then let me pass,” Tobi says, and this time his voice is a snarl.

Mereli shakes his head. “You will, I swear it. But first,” he says, “I need you to tell me what happened. It appears you left Urynwud with Lymok.” Mereli walks over to the newly-barred window and looks out. “You climbed from this window? That is quite a feat.”

“I came from a circus,” Tobi says bluntly.

Mereli turns around and looks at Tobi. He raises an eyebrow.

Clearly he wants more. “Lymok came to my room and said he would help me. He claimed he wanted to help me so I didn’t suffer the same fate as his mother.

But it was a trap. Lymok was going to the Exceli.

To join them. He took me because he wanted to shame Harok.

And because Azuria offered to help the Exceli in return for them ensuring I never left Urynwud alive.

The Exceli have Azurian weapons from this pact.

The Azurian empire is helping them.” The words tumble out of him in garbled sobs. Half Ambolk and half Artemian.

But the truth in his heart is simpler. Harok came for him. And in the process, Harok was injured. An injury Tobi is sure would have killed any other man. “Will the Exceli be able to get inside?” Tobi says, feeling sickened at the thought.

Mereli pauses for a moment. “Urynwud has not fallen for two hundred years,” he says.

”Harok has informed us of the same things you witnessed.

He explained that when he came to your bed chamber and saw that you were gone, he went after you on Embox.

He was able to track your cart. He has told us that Lymok is a traitor and that he took you to the Exceli and also that the Exceli appear to have Azurian steel.

But Harok believes they do not have the numbers to take Urynwud.

Especially after many were slain this night. ”

“Is Harok angry with me?” Tobi says. “Will I be punished for leaving with Lymok?”

Mereli shakes his head. He looks out of the window again and says, “Kushir, do you see that stone there in the zhilvar? Do you know its purpose?”

Tobi comes over to the window and looks out. Mereli is pointing to a tall grey stone in the centre of the zhilvar, surrounded by trees. Tobi has seen it before, but never approached it.

“I know it is called the sacrifice stone,” Tobi says.

He doesn’t know why it is called that. But that is the stone Lymok claimed Harok would chain Tobi to as punishment and leave him to be taken by all.

Tobi is sure Lymok was lying, Harok is far too possessive to ever do such a thing.

But he wonders why Mereli is pointing out the stone to him now.

“The sacrifice stone was used for one of the three trials faced by those given to Diazuul. Here the tribute would face the Trial of the Trees. The second trial. The first, the Trial of the Beasts, would happen in the ring. You have seen the ring, I am sure?” Mereli points over towards the courtyard, indicating the large circular structure Tobi had taken for some kind of abandoned fighting arena when he arrived.

Tobi sucks his top lip. He is unsure why Mereli is telling him this. “There were three trials? The sacrifices were not simply given to Diazuul?”

“No, it would take some time. Every Long Night. The beasts, the trees and the final trial. The Trial of the Earth. Each named for one of the ancient Gods of the Solwen. The ones we honour once again, now under Irgo Harok’s rule.

Beasts, trees and earth, the three aspects of the sacred forest. The Triple God. ”

“So the triple God was still a part of the worship of Diazuul?”

“The Blood Priests were no friends to the Verilissia, but they still respected that their ways were tied to the ancient forest. The three trials were meant to give each aspect of the Triple God a chance to intervene and stop the sacrifice.”

“And did they?”

“No. If you ask me, I do not believe the Triple God has been interested in the ways of the Solwen for centuries.” Mereli turns back from the window and looks at Tobi.

“I am sure Harok regrets his actions when he saw you wearing boots. He has trouble with his temper. Some say he is demon-kissed, because of what he did.”

Tobi looks at Mereli. In all that had happened since, he had half-forgotten about what had caused him to run from Urynwud. But now he is reminded, the memory stings sour. “I do not think he had cause to burn my possessions and punish me before all, Sire,” Tobi says,

“It was indeed a rash action. But not an unexpected one for a man like Harok. Your Irgorye sleeps now. He has been given salix and sofi to aid his healing. While we let him rest, let me tell you more about your master.” Mereli gestures to the chairs by the fire.

Tobi nods reluctantly. As he goes to sit down, Mereli says, “And let us have some of your bark tea. I see the urn I requested is here.”

Tobi nods and goes over to the urn. He pours out two cups of tea, loads his own with honey and brings them over to the fire. Mereli has already taken his seat.

“If you want to tell me about Harok,” Tobi sniffs as he sits. “Perhaps you could tell me what he even wants with me. Why am I here? He ignores me except when he takes me to bed and surely he could have found any handsome man for that who would be honoured with such a position.”