Story so far
What happened
The broken prisoners are brought before the throne as a lesson. Stormurinn kills first. Hamdik follows. After long thought, Rish Rash does the same. Wilfred alone refuses, arguing that mercy would serve the crown better than fear and that obedience without thought leads only to ruin.
Maltraxis has him arrested. In a chamber of fire and chanting mages, Wilfred drinks a potion and steps into the flames. His death teaches the survivors exactly how carefully truth must be spoken. Months later Lucien arrives—polished, observant, and fluent in the kind of survival that smiles while measuring leverage.