43. Arcady: Nauśtje

In the lock shop, Arcady invokes a private seal, binding Sorin to speak truth for a candlemark. Shaken by revelations that Everen is not the last male dragon, they hear Sorin’s halting history: an orphan raised by the Order, secretly recruited by Magnes, trained as an assassin, and responsible for seven kills. Everen clarifies that dragons are powerful but not divine, and Sorin’s faith collapses under the seal’s compulsion.

Sorin recounts a wraith attack that left her scarred and describes Magnes’s interest in a dragon claw from the auction—where he taunted Arcady. Everen deduces the relic was Magnes’s own claw, implying lost power now restored, and recalls Ammil’s fearsome magic. Sorin says she served as an Eye near Nalore Monastery where leylines meet, with forbidden caves beneath accessible only to monks.

Pressed on motives, Sorin reports Magnes’s claim to “heal chaos” and prevent something sleeping from waking. Everen reveals the Dreamer: a primordial serpent whose nightmares are wraiths; if it wakes, both worlds burn. Sorin admits the Trials were engineered to study Arcady and confirms the third trial will funnel students toward Nalore so Magnes can capture them.

Questioned about her loyalties, Sorin swears—under the active seal—to oppose and kill Magnes, and the magic affirms her vow. The trio assess their bind: they must start the third trial due to the contract but need not finish it. Arcady proposes fleeing at dawn to gain distance before the oath reacts, exploiting time and space to weaken magic.

They agree: Sorin will return to the Citadel to avoid suspicion, while Arcady and Everen remain hidden and decide final steps tomorrow. Sorin urges them to restore the strength of their bond, recalling their power on the Feast of Flowers, asserting it’s essential to survive what comes next.