Contents
Chapter Sixty-Two
Overview
As a violent storm hits the island, High Engineer Fenn rushes to check a possible fire despite protocol. Samran Hounds ambush him; after he floors several, their captain reveals they hold Fenn’s wife and sons, forcing his surrender. His capture signals an escalation in the Hounds’ coercive campaign during the crisis.
Summary
When a destructive storm slams the island, High Engineer Fenn leaves his office immediately, activating rehearsed emergency protocols. Haunted by years of underfunding and patchwork fixes, Fenn worries about ignition risks in the woods near the Monkey palace and decides to investigate suspected smoke himself.
Moving alone into the treeline, Fenn is intercepted by a squad of Samran Hounds. Confident and in a hurry, Fenn tries to push through. The Hounds attack, but he floors multiple recruits with brutal efficiency, mocking their training while attempting to continue toward the potential fire.
The Hounds’ captain, speaking with Venerant poise, orders Fenn to come with them. When Fenn refuses, the captain escalates: she announces they have Fenn’s wife and sons—whom Fenn believed were safe on the mainland—and displays his wife’s distinctive brooch as proof.
Confronted with the threat to his family, Fenn stops resisting. The Hounds chain him and lead him away, leveraging the crisis to remove the island’s chief engineer at a critical moment, leaving the island’s fragile infrastructure more vulnerable as the storm rages.
Who Appears
- Fenn (High Engineer Fedala)Island’s chief engineer; coordinates storm response, investigates smoke, overpowers Hounds, then surrenders when family is threatened.
- Samran Hounds CaptainCalm, authoritative leader; reveals hostages and a brooch to coerce Fenn’s surrender.
- Samran HoundsEnforcers who ambush Fenn; outmatched in combat until the captain uses leverage.
- YardhandBriefly confirms uncertainty about smoke versus steam, prompting Fenn’s check.
- Fenn’s wifeOff-page hostage; her brooch is shown as proof to force Fenn’s compliance.
- Fenn’s sonsOff-page hostages; threatened by the Hounds to secure Fenn’s surrender.