Chapter 87: Defeat, Part 1

The Broken Monastery was gone when they arrived. In its place was a small city that showed every sign of expanding and someday thriving. It wasn't the Heart, but pieces of the Heart were in it. High on the hill, the old monastery had been repaired or completely rebuilt in places, the original dark stone interspersed and merged with a gleaming, light gray stone. Sule could see the start of a curtain, and even a moat, that would eventually divide the new royal castle from the rest of the fledgling royal city.

If that was all that had changed in their absence, Sule might have rejoiced and insisted they quit for the day to celebrate. Unfortunately, all he wanted to do right then was throw up—because everywhere he turned there were Petrocian soldiers in their sky blue and dark gray uniforms, all with swords, half also carrying pikes or glaives. Sule had endured them in small numbers before when they had come as an escort party to some visiting ambassador or other noble.