The Ruin of Kings (A Chorus of Dragons)

by Jenn Lyons

  *I’ve always wondered how mimics manage that, since they don’t seem to bleed most of the time.

  *Not true, but I suppose it is still accurate to say that no sword Kihrin had access to would be capable of such a feat.

  *Gaeshes are considered a variant of a wizard’s magical talismans, dangerous only because an enemy who puts their hands on one may use it against the gaeshed subject. It’s not taught that a gaesh causes this kind of spiritual damage. Unsettling news to me as well.

  *No, but only because she made such excellent bait. Although, who knows? Darzin might well have been stupid enough to kill her.

  *This follows vané naming conventions. I wonder if that was intentional or just coincidence? There’s always been rumors of Kirpis vané persisting in the Empire, inside the Kirpis forest, even after the diaspora. Never proven, of course. The Quuros citizens of the Kirpis and Kazivar dominions do keep showing up with Kirpis vané traits like cloud-curled hair though, often in pastel hues.

  *I do. Talea had previously worn her hair straight and unbound, but Talon wanted to make sure Kihrin would recognize Morea’s sister, so had the woman change Talea’s hair to match. Since the style is Zheriaso, I assume Ola is the ultimate source.

  *It’s very odd to read a description of oneself written by other hands, although I must admit Tishar’s description flatters. She had a keen eye for detail, or more likely, Talon gave her one in retelling her story. I find it curious that Talon would paint any part of me in a pleasant light: we were not exactly friends.

  *Again, flattering. Also untrue. I care a great deal what people think of me. For example, those who think I am dangerous are less inclined to interrupt me while I’m reading.

  †There were always rumors this wasn’t true, but I think everyone assumed I was an Ogenra plucked up by High Lord Cedric D’Lorus after the Affair of the Voices. No one questioned too closely: truth in the Upper Circle is whatever a High Lord says it is.

  *This is, incidentally, exactly what Gadrith the Twisted is.

  *Growing up as royalty can be an excruciatingly lonely existence, especially for a child in line to inherit. Every child from a rival family is assumed to be some sort of saboteur or spy, and every child from inside the family is a potential rival. Some families purchase companion slaves for their children, but such a relationship can hardly be a healthy one.

  *The fad of killing an entourage to guard one’s tomb fell out of popularity when people realized that such murdered innocents tended to make poor guards to the tomb, even if Thaena did allow the souls to linger as undead. The story goes that the four dozen concubines of Saric D’Mon VIII all animated, broke out of their tomb, and went on a killing spree that began with the High Lord successor who had authorized their deaths. When twenty-some soldiers and five members of the family had died, the concubines fell to the ground, dead once more.

  *A bad habit Darzin almost certainly picked up from Gadrith.

  †One might say this about Relos Var too, of course.

  *Given that the vané have no special prohibitions against incest, this is possible, but I think it more likely that this is just malicious gossip.

  *The Gryphon’s Men. At least, such is what I call them—I have no idea what they call themselves. There are many groups who are interested in the prophecies, for many reasons, but I begin to think that I have underestimated this cabal in particular. What their goals are is still unknown to me, but looking at the evidence, we can clearly count Kihrin’s adopted father, Surdyeh, among their ranks. And at least one Emperor, as well.

  *She’s adopted. I checked.

  *Let’s just comment that I’m glad I wasn’t written off as unsavable. I found that “may” to be very reassuring.

  *I certainly couldn’t have done what Thaena just demonstrated. Even Gadrith, who has an affinity with tsali stones and their creation, had never given the slightest hint that he could move spiritual energy from one vessel to another beyond their initial creation.

  *Yes, that really happened. I had my reasons.

  *I used magic. I’m not by nature good at the arts of stealth.

  †I believe High Lord Cedric D’Lorus paid a veritable fortune in bribes to maintain the fiction Raverí died in captivity after giving birth. We all knew it wasn’t true, but better an executed Lord Heir’s wife than admit the witch-hunters were never able to complete their mission.

  *Respectfully, I beg to differ.

  *In all seriousness, never bet against Kihrin D’Mon at cards. Or hazards. Or any game of chance. He has Taja’s own damn luck. Literally.

  *Yes, I really did say that, but with all apologies, being an ass was the whole point.

  †No, that wasn’t part of the plan at all.

  *A Thriss musical instrument consisting of three silk strings strung over a short sounding chamber with a long neck played with a variable-tension bow. The Khorveshan spiked violin probably evolved from this earlier version.

  *These concepts aren’t mutually exclusive.

  *How would that even be possible? To take a soul and turn it into a tsali stone is one thing. A tsali stone may in turn be transformed into one of the artifacts we call Cornerstones, like the Stone of Shackles and Chainbreaker. But Kihrin’s soul is clearly not one of the eight known Cornerstones. However, even if we assume the dragon was speaking metaphorically, it still implies a strong connection between Kihrin and Vol Karoth, which is terrifying.

  *As much like a normal horse as a Thriss is like a normal human. Firebloods, crafted by the god-king who once ruled Jorat, are so far removed from normal horses that they must be considered a separate species at this point. They are intelligent and perfectly capable of understanding Guarem, even if they cannot speak it themselves.

  *Oh, that would be because Cedric D’Lorus was terrified of Gadrith. Yes, Cedric was perfectly aware of his son’s continued existence. I think the High Lord hoped that if he ignored the situation, it would all just go away.

  *It would hardly be the first time that rumor’s been spread about a noble, although in Kihrin’s case it would be exceptional for having no core of truth to the tale.

  *I think the worst mistake he ever made was what he did to Kihrin’s teacher, Mouse. His sands flowed downhill from there.

  *Technically, it’s not necessary for a witchhunter to keep a variety of different metal weapons on themselves (the normal counter for magical sabotage practiced by the Quuros military). The daggers they use stay close enough to the wielder’s body to be covered by the same aura field that protects the rest of their body. Still, I suppose it has become tradition.

  *He attended the D’Mon party dressed as the goddess Thaena’s hunter? He really does have an extraordinary talent for getting under one’s skin. I can only imagine how Therin reacted to that particular heresy.

  *They really do exist and live high in the Dragonspire Mountains, but I suspect their inclusion in matters of prophecy is meant to be taken as metaphor.

  †“Therin” does comes from a root word that meant lion in the old Guarem, but it’s also a common name. My own name is a variation. This is what I hate about prophecy. Any old thing becomes hugely significant.

  *He’s overthinking this. As far as I’ve ever been able to tell, Gadrith originally kept me for ritual purposes, and then later decided I would make an excellent host body once he obtained the Stone of Shackles. That’s why he made me Lord Heir—so he’d have his old position back once he swapped souls with me.

  *Caerowan would know the correct form of address is “Your Highness.” One may surmise Caerowan didn’t believe Lady Miya’s assurance of Kihrin’s non-involvement in matters of prophecy.

  *They would have worked too, against everyone but me. This means they would have worked against everyone but me and Gadrith.

  †Of course, I was sad. This was starting to seem like a scheme that might work.

  *Regretfully, I suspect that I am the one responsible for Ola’s death.

  †Because I’m only half-human, and the
vordreth have a considerable immunity to the effects of most alcohols and drugs. I suppose Talon would have known that if she’d ever read my mind, but I am not easy to read, not even by a mimic.

  ‡There is a bounty for his capture to this day. It’s never been claimed.

  *It’s a measure of how desperate Therin was to recover Kihrin, that he consulted with the church of Thaena afterwards. Unfortunately, given the Goddess of Death’s own particular biases in this matter, I can understand why the answers were inconclusive. Darzin used his own methods to find out Kihrin’s location too—and those methods involved Talon’s ability to gain the memories of those she consumes. Talon apparently failed to find any answers—and what she told Darzin to excuse her failure here was equally misleading. I think I can say with some conviction, however, that the Gryphon’s Men now count a mimic amongst their members. I am unsure whether that is a good thing, or horrifying beyond belief.

  *He’s wrong. Mimics can do this, but I’m less certain that they can hide from the kind of very intense scrutiny Kihrin learned to perform while on Ynisthana.

  *At least he had a realistic sense of the odds.

  *She married Galen when the lad turned sixteen. It was a beautiful wedding, if absent of any qualities of love. That’s hardly unusual for royal weddings, however.

  *Pretty much true. I couldn’t lie, you see.

  †How did I know? The same way I know so many secrets. It’s my witch gift, and the reason Gadrith kept me around for so long. That’s all that needs to be said on that subject for the moment.

  *I can only beg your pardon: she really did say this. Believe me, my ego is not so fragile that I feel the need to invent compliments.

  *As I do not intend to put so pernicious a summoning as the calling of Xaltorath into public hands, the ritual itself will not be described here. Some knowledge is best lost in the sands of time.

  *One wonders if there could be a connection between mimics and the Daughters of Laaka?

  *I’m guessing that this spike is the twin of the one that Kihrin was holding, when he thought to surprise Talon in his rooms. It must have been enchanted to deal with her. Neatly done, that.

  †Speculation as to what became of the mimic called Talon has been rampant. To my knowledge this is the last time anyone saw the creature. Teraeth later testified he was too concerned over Kihrin’s fate to take the considerable time necessary to destroy her. And the magical spike that kept her paralyzed would not have led to a permanent end. Since her body was not found later, we must assume she remains at large.

  *It was never going to work anyway, you see. That’s the funny thing, isn’t it? Neither Gadrith nor Darzin ever really understood just who Kihrin is. If they had, they’d have never attempted this—because Xaltorath had named a price they could never pay. Kihrin’s soul hasn’t, I suspect, been whole for centuries.

  *And mother.

  *Apologies, but I shortened this curse from the full version. Although the original was, uh, creative.

  *Demons are associated with cold, and the eating of fire and heat. That this woman is just the opposite—exactly the opposite—seems odd, and merits further research.

  *I doubt that was the only reason. Phaellen D’Erinwa was also top of his class. After his disappearance, that honor fell to Gadrith.

  †It’s true. He studied Sandus at every opportunity. He never let me help, even though I would have made the task easier. I suppose he wanted to make sure I couldn’t find some loophole that would allow me to betray him. To be fair, I would have.

  *My assumption, inaccurate as it may be, is that this spell would turn Gadrith to water without technically breaking the bonds between body and soul. So, as a kind of living water incapable of thought or act, Gadrith would still be “alive,” preventing the Stone of Shackles from activating. Clever.

  *My sentiments exactly. Kihrin, you insane idiot. Don’t ask me what that will do: I have no idea.

  *I know: if Kihrin does not remember what happened to him while he was dead, how could I write of it? How could I even begin to speculate what happened to him in the Afterlife? It is, as I have mentioned, a result of my witch gift. Even if the knowledge and memories are not actively accessible, a deep-buried part of Kihrin does remember.

  *The last Hellmarch was twelve years ago, starting in Marakor, and cost incalculable lives. Jorat is still underpopulated.

  *This explains why King Terindel, of the Kirpis vané, thought that Queen Khaevatz was “unfit” to rule the vané—because of her voramer mother. Presumably since then, the Royal Family has come to terms with that bit of grafting onto the family tree. This is especially true since they probably know Khaemezra is actually the goddess Thaena. Also, technically, Kihrin and Teraeth aren’t related to each other—only because Kihrin’s biological mother is Miya (even if Miya’s body is now possessed by Khaemezra’s granddaughter Khaeriel). Were that not the case, Teraeth, who is Khaevatz’s half-brother, would be Kihrin’s great-uncle. Yes, it’s complicated.