I stood at the railing of the balcony, looking out over my favorite view. Ostrogotho stretched out beneath me, the
repairs mostly completed, the cluster of suns overhead shining down on the black stone city. New rock had just arrived
from the mines at Bilhaeder. I'd had a brief conversation with Questorin, the new supervisor of the mining operation
there. He seemed to be taking his responsibilities very seriously, a fact that made me both happy and almost giggly.
"It was the sorcery's drain creating the brittleness in the rock," he said when I called to check up on him, covered in
rock dust, but his young face eager and earnest. "Everything seems to have gone back to normal."
That was good to know.
"You'll have what you need within the day," he finished our conversation. "With our thanks, my Ruler."
I said goodbye to the loyal young miner and tried to ignore the look of worship in his eyes. Partly because that