Realm Breaker

Corayne walks to Lemarta’s port with her guardian, Kastio, waiting for the return of Meliz, her mother, who is a pirate. Meliz is about to return to port aboard her ship, the Tempestborn. As Corayne spies the ship in the open water, she goes to bribe an officer and gives him a fake list of cargo. He accepts the bribe, and Corayne dashes to greet her mother. She and Meliz discuss business, and Corayne advises her mother on where to send some of her smuggled wares. The officer tries to ask for more bribe money, and Meliz threatens his life, proving herself to be worthy of her pirate nickname, “Hell Mel.”

After weeks of travel and exhaustion, Andry makes his way back to Ascal in Galland. Nightmares of the temple plague him, but he goes to the throne room to report to Erida, the young queen of Galland. She instructs her Lionguard to leave them alone, and Andry recounts what happened at the temple. He also relates that prior to the events of the temple, he and his group had gone to Iona, where the Elder Monarch had told them of a theft involving a Spindleblade and Taristan. Erida takes the blame for the deaths of Sir Grandel and the other Galland knights because she was the one who answered the call for help from Iona’s Elder Monarch. Andry’s shame and survivor’s guilt are all-consuming, but he tells Erida that the army at Taristan’s disposal now threatens the safety of the realm. She instructs Andry to tell no one of what he saw, because if she claimed to believe him, she would be judged to be a fanciful and frivolous queen. Dismissed, Andry returns to his mother’s rooms. He finds her sleeping and still ill, and he uses the opportunity to hide the Spindleblade beneath her bed.

In a bar, Corayne, her mother, and her mother’s crew are drinking to their successful run. Meliz informs Corayne that she plans to take advantage of the political discord in Rhashir to maximize her profits, and Corayne asks to accompany her on this next voyage, touting her worth as a negotiator with deep knowledge in navigation. However, Meliz refuses and tries to frighten Corayne by declaring that her crew consists of killers like herself. She claims that Corayne does not have the spine to lead a pirating life. Corayne leaves and heads for a cliff, feeling abandoned by her mother and dissatisfied with her life. Two people suddenly appear from the forest, and though Corayne is suspicious, the larger man of the two falls to his knees and asks for her forgiveness. As she notes the long scars on his face, he introduces himself as Domacridhan of Iona and seeks her help.

After the battle against Taristan, Dom survives and returns to Iona on a dying horse. Struggling with grief over Cortael’s death, Dom goes to meet Iona’s monarch, his aunt Isibel, who is an Elder (or a Vedera, as the Elders call themselves. In her throne room, Dom describes the battle with Taristan and blames himself for his group’s failure. He confirms that, just as they feared, the demon god called What Waits (also known as the Torn King of Asunder) is behind Taristan’s sinister efforts against Allward. Dom asks Isibel to rally their soldiers and face Taristan before What Waits devours the realm, but his aunt declines.

Isibel believes that the realm is already lost and wants to focus on finding the Spindle that will take allow them to return to their homeland, Glorian, which will become accessible now that Taristan is opening Spindles everywhere and destabilizing the world. Aghast and betrayed, Dom calls Isibel and her court cowards and leaves. Later, his cousin Ridha, who is Isibel’s heir, finds Dom in the stables and tells him that she is on his side. They plan together; while Ridha tries to rally other Elders to their cause, Dom will go find Andry and locate someone else with Cor blood; he will also try to find the Spindleblade. When Ridha reveals that Cortael had a child, Dom is distraught to realize that Cortael never told him about this. Grudgingly, he knows that he must seek out those who keep watch on the Cor bloodline. The cousins head in opposite directions to implement their plan.

Sorasa Sarn kills a man while he sleeps next to his too-young wife, cutting his left ear and left index finger, as is her trademark. She escapes from the mansion before the alarm is sounded, but as she blends in with the market crowds, she encounters a fellow assassin named Garion. He accuses her of stealing his killing contract and warns her against violating the Guild’s rules. After she retrieves her belongings from an inn, Dom appears and stops her. His sudden presence makes Sorasa believe that he has come to execute her in accordance with the will of her former guild master, Lord Mercury. They fight even though Dom states that he does not want to harm her. She flees, and he chases her through the market. When cornered, she unlatches a fence and unleashes bulls on him, but when he effortlessly tosses one of the animals away, Sorasa realizes that she is dealing with an immortal, an Elder. They fight again, and though Dom repeats his request to speak with her, Sorasa runs away and hides in a tavern. Dom finds her. They sit and drink ale, and Dom finally offers to pay her for information on Cortael’s child (who is later revealed to be Corayne). Sorasa knows the child in question and knows that the child’s pirate mother will cause problems. Even so, Sorasa quotes a price for her information, and Dom reluctantly agrees to pay it.

Dom tells Corayne about the adventures that led him to her. She tries to leave, but Dom entreats her to think of Allward—also called the Ward—and urges her to consider the consequences if they do nothing to stop What Waits from destroying the realm. Corayne tries to redirect them to her mother, who had known Cortael, whereas Corayne was abandoned by him. Dom reminds her that she, like her father, will never be satisfied with her life unless she is chasing horizons; he also tells her that her mother will never grant her this opportunity. Corayne asks for three days to consider his offer.

After three days, everything her mother will need for her next journey is in order. Corayne once again asks Meliz to let her join the pirate expedition, and again, her mother refuses. Corayne chooses to follow Dom. She and Meliz bid each other a tense farewell, and with her mother gone, Corayne bribes her guardian to leave her alone for a few hours. When he leaves, Sorasa finds her. Corayne and Sorasa meet with Dom, who announces that they must travel to the royal court of Ascal to find the Spindleblade.