The needle under Arthur's skin was moving, and it refused to let him rest."You need to drink this water and sit down, Arthur," Lord Beric said, shoving a tin cup into Arthur's hands as they stood in the middle of the crowded tier four plaza. "You look like you just crawled out from under a fallen mountain."Around them, thousands of refugees were laughing, weeping, and embracing. Families were setting up permanent bedrolls along the warm stone walls, while militia men passed around wooden bowls of hot soup. The dread that had hung over the Iron Hearth for days was finally gone, replaced by the cozy, hum of safety."I cannot sit, Beric," Arthur said, holding his right arm out into the warm light of the plaza. "Look at it."The golden lines of the compass dial beneath his skin flickered softly. The delicate needle pointed steadily down the dark western passage of the plaza, completely ignoring the surrounding walls.Ethan jogged up to them, wiping a thick smudge of black grease from hi

The center of the world was beating, and every strike shook the dust from Arthur's skin."Watch your footing on these steps!" Elena called out, her voice dropping into the endless dark below. "The stone is slick as ice!""Keep those lanterns raised!" the lead scout shouted to his squad, his crossbow resting steady against his shoulder. "We do not know how deep this staircase drops!""It goes all the way to the core," Arthur said, his hand gripping the cold white railing as they marched down the winding steps. "I can feel the warmth pulsing right through my boots."The spiral staircase wound down thousands of feet through the dry, hollowed basin. With every step they took, the air grew warmer and sweeter, smelling of fresh ozone and warm summer air rather than cold damp earth."Look at the walls," Elena whispered, pointing her blade toward the smooth stone curves. "There are no tool marks anywhere. It is like this whole cavern was carved in a single breath.""We are at the bottom!" the

The stars were no longer just lights in the sky, they were waiting for orders."Are those actual ships up there?" the lead scout asked, his voice shaking as he pointed up at the massive metallic hulls glowing in high orbit. "They look larger than whole mountain ranges.""They are real," Elena said, stepping closer to Arthur as the stardust map hovered softly around their boots. "Arthur, what is that map showing us?"Before Arthur could speak, the golden light of the stardust projection condensed into a slender, flowing silhouette made of pure white light."Greetings, High Commander," the figure spoke, its voice sounding like chiming glass across the snowy peak. "I am the First Herald, the primary intelligence of the Starward Fleet. Your signal has restored main power to the primary orbital grid.""First Herald," Arthur said, holding his palm steady as the projection shifted. "Is the local system completely safe from the imperial fleet?""The local system is fully secured," the First H

The eyes inside the wall did not blink, they just started to crawl."Fall back to the boarding pod!" Elena screamed, drawing both her steel daggers as hundreds of razor-sharp legs scraped against the metal floor."We cannot fall back!" the lead scout yelled, his men backing into a tight circle right behind her. "The door behind us just sealed shut!"A wave of black, spider-like mechanical constructs poured out from the split bulkhead. Their obsidian bodies were covered in sharp iron spikes, and single crimson eye lenses glowed brightly in the center of their heads.Arthur tried to raise his hand to blast them with starfire, but the glyph on his palm flared with a sickening, cold purple light. A harsh shockwave rippled up his arm, locking his elbow in place and shutting down his energy channels."My hand is locked!" Arthur gasped, his knees slamming into the metal floor as a dark voice echoed inside his skull. "The mark is jamming my channels!""Arthur!" Elena called out, stepping rig

Three hundred golden warships were waiting in the stardust clouds, and every single weapon was armed."Exiting hyper-space right now!" the First Herald announced, its blue light flashing across the bridge display screen.Starward One burst out of the tunnel of light, coming to a dead stop at the edge of the Orion Nebula. Vibrant, shimmering clouds of purple and pink stardust stretched out for millions of miles around them, illuminating the majestic precursor fleet. Three hundred sleek, golden warships stood shoulder to shoulder in a massive wall, their hull lights glowing brightly as they formed an unbreakable blockade across the sector."Look at them," Elena gasped, stepping up to the view-port with her hands resting on her blades. "They are actually here.""High Commander on the field!" a deep voice echoed from the central comms terminal. "The armada is locked into your signal and standing by for orders!""Hold your positions!" Arthur ordered, raising his right arm toward the centra