Murtagh wakes to bells after the shared nightmare he and Thorn experienced. Thorn compares the visions to Galbatorix’s mental torments, though Murtagh notes that these dreams felt different and seemed to rise from within rather than from an outside mind. Uneasy but determined, Murtagh prepares to face Bachel, refuses a possibly tampered breakfast, and keeps Saerlith’s clasp with him.

Alín arrives to guide Murtagh through the temple, giving Murtagh a chance to question her. She says Bachel has ruled Nal Gorgoth for longer than Alín has lived and is just because she is the Speaker. Alín confirms that she is one of the temple chosen, protected by strict purity rules, but she becomes frightened when Murtagh asks whom Bachel speaks for and who the Dreamer of Dreams is.

At the courtyard door, Alín reveals that she has never left the valley and asks what the wider world is like. Murtagh describes Alagaësia’s mountains, deserts, forests, cities, and peoples, which stirs Alín’s curiosity. Their exchange reveals a key belief of Nal Gorgoth: Alín thinks Riders should share the same dreams as the villagers because dragons are sacred, and she admits that everyone in Nal Gorgoth endures the same dreadful dreams night after night.

In the courtyard, Alín is awed by Thorn and calls him a living god. With Murtagh’s permission, Thorn briefly touches Alín’s mind, filling her with wonder and bringing her to her knees in gratitude. After Alín warns that Bachel will soon summon Murtagh and Thorn, Thorn explains that he reached out because Alín has been told much but seen little, and he wanted her to know truth directly.

While waiting, Murtagh and Thorn follow chanting in the streets and find Dreamers gathered before a small altar, reciting ritual phrases and reporting their dreams. Murtagh realizes their shared dream-practice is not merely political or conspiratorial but cultic, centered on Bachel, prophecy, and obedience. The villagers report variations in their visions, including a crimson dragon and a glowing carved obelisk, and one child is told to present herself to Bachel for interpretation.

The ritual turns cruel when Dethra confesses that she did not dream properly and instead saw a forbidden image involving a white mountain. The acolyte denounces her as unclean and unworthy, and Dethra begs for punishment. He orders her confined in the Azurite Room until Bachel chooses to bring her to the realm of the Dreamer, leaving Murtagh and Thorn unsettled as they follow and watch Dethra dragged into the temple.