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“What The Fuck”

“Mr Horn, they will not attack you unless I co concealed in a sleeve My reaction is all instinct I snap the gun up and shoot the closest stubby one in the face, then shoot at the largest of the three at theI un at Xenophon I can’t win this fight Noplay is the only way

Xenophon pulls a controller from his sleeve and twists a dial

Thattoa heart attack Xenophon spins the dial more, likely to render me unconscious I play dead But, shittily, one of the Ascomanni decides to kick oes dim

—

I wake on stone alares down athundreds of meters overhead I am in the private chamber off Sefi’s newly appointed throne roonetic cuffs Still in ard blinks beside me

Sefi stands above e, still woozy from the blow to the head

“Why?” she asks, her face cold to ave you aeta Why try to install Valdir in a coup?”

“I—didn’t” Speaking is like trying to form castles out of dry sand I want to tell her I respect her That I came back to help That I may not be aeta, but I believe in her In what she stands for But all that trickles out is: “Volsung Fá…the Fear Knight…”

Come on brain, work!

“Histhe dial on oing to puke fro the children to the Fear Knight, his orders were to create chaos I warned you about him”

“Yes You did, Xenophon You did” She looks on me in sorrow and then spits in my face “We are not monsters, Mr Horn But ourthem from the tower”

“Ascorunt

“If I s, he can know the unity of Obsidians in the face of his schemes?”