ToP Chapter 10
Chapter Ten: Clothed in Dark edit
Meliu awakens under a cart in Inster, miraculously healed from the physical toll of her escape from the brothel, suspecting a dreamlike intervention by Ulrikt or Sol. Reflecting on her dangerous use of Dark prayers, she vows caution, aware of their seductive power and potential for madness. Seeking retribution, Meliu confronts Karu and her husband at the bakery, using Dark to terrify the husband into confessing his betrayal, leaving him broken and Karu unconscious. She spares Jile, the young assistant, taking chickens and silver, and dons a clean dress to erase traces of violence. Outside, a mysterious boy—possibly Ulrikt’s Face—reveals he’s been watching her, returning her stolen haversack containing the original Codex of Sol. He urges her to study it and reconnect with the Choerkin, claiming it may justify the horrors of the Shadows, but Meliu, torn by anger and curiosity, resists his manipulation while accepting the book. As she leaves Inster’s gates, the sight of a Hidreng army massing on the southern horizon shifts her perspective. Realizing the Silone face greater threats, Meliu heads toward the Choerkin tents with her chickens and the Codex, weighing the risks of revealing her priestly identity against the potential safety among allies, her resolve tempered by the looming danger.
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