This was the first time Felit?a could ever recall dreaming about the Room though. Since the Room was only a mental construct, as were dreams, she was surprised at first that this dream version had that dream-like haze to it—like any other dream—rather than the more solid structure she’d given it over the years. As she thought about it, though, it made sense. She was asleep, so her mind wasn’t focused. It couldn’t give it any more substance than what she was seeing.


    Felit?a.


    Since this is a dream, does that mean you’ll talk to me? she asked.


    Felit?a, you must listen to me.


    I guess not. It had been worth a try.


    FELIT?A!


    Felit?a.


    FELIT?A!


    She made a point of putting on her travelling clothes and not the dress she’d borrowed from Harrick’s sister Wendy. She and Wendy were close in size, but it had not been a good fit—too big in the chest mainly. Still, it had been better than nothing.


    She regretted taking Nin-Akna with her when she’d gone in search of a dress. She had thought it would be a good opportunity to help put the young woman at ease with something that was different from their usual routine and wasn’t likely to result in a fight to the death. However, she hadn’t considered the reactions of the women they met with. It seemed the other Padaras were not as open and friendly to non-Foliths as Harrick and his grandfather were.


    They hadn’t taken that well and their whispered conversations after were about Felit?a as well.


    FELIT?A!


    She hurried to finish dressing, then pulled out one of her supply packs and retrieved The Foretellings of Eleuia from it. Picking up the heavy book was still a strain on her fingers, but once she had it tucked under her arm, she had no further difficulty.


    FELIT?A!


    Yelling at me really doesn’t do you any good. Go back to sleep and leave me alone.


    FELIT?A!


    She walked into the hall and closed the door behind her. The Staff continued to scream at her, but it became less noticeable the farther she walked from her room. By the time she reached Lord Padara’s study, it had faded away completely.


    The study was dark, but Felit?a knew there was a case of spills on the shelves near the door. Feeling first for the shelves, she put the book of Ninifin secrets down, and then found the spills. She took one and returned to the hall. As she’d suspected, the guard had move on. She lit the spill with the nearest hall torch, returned to the study, and lit some candles—not all the ones in the room, but just enough to give her some light to read by. She placed the lit candles around the spot on the floor she had cleared earlier in the day, retrieved the book, and sat down to read.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    She placed the book in front of her and opened the cover. The Foretellings of Eleuia, as Recorded by Her Devoted Disciple Nin-Papan in the Days Leading to Her Death at the Hands of the Dragon and the Hated Isyar. There hadn’t been much opportunity to look at it during their journey. With her fingers in splints, it had been very difficult to open it and turn pages without help. Corvinian had eagerly offered his assistance, but Nin-Akna had also needed his help with the camp and horses. There had been little time left over for him to help Felit?a. So the book had spent most of the journey packed away. It had been a couple weeks since Felit?a had last tried to read it.


    The lack of opportunity to read it meant she hadn’t yet found any of the passages that referred to her—or, more specifically, the Will-Breaker. The book wasn’t indexed and Nin-Papan appeared to have written the “foretellings” in the exact order Eleuia had given them, which didn’t seem to have any order to it at all. The predictions jumped around in time and location. Most of them were about the Ninifins, but not all, and they covered all kinds of topics from drought to the deaths of queens.


    The time approaches 10,000. When 10,000 is reached, the decision must be made: hell or hell.


    Ten thousand what? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Something else? And measured from when? The statement sounded like the ten thousand whatever were already well in progress by the time Eleuia made it. Then there was the decision, which wasn’t a decision at all, given both options were the same.


    Felit?a wished she had an annotated copy. In the two centuries since Nin-Papan had written it, the Ninifin priests studying it must have made some. But she hadn’t had time to search for one.


    In 2251, heavy rains will cause flooding in the city that will bear our people’s name.


    Be on constant vigilant look-out for the Isyar, who will bring the weight of time upon you. The intended of this message will know who she is when she reads it.


    She couldn’t be sure if that referred to one Isyar or multiple since, in Ninifin just like in Arnorgue, Isyar did not have different forms in the singular or plural, and Ninifin verbs didn’t change based on number either, relying on the nouns or pronouns to distinguish number.


    In 2306, an assassination attempt on Folith royalty will be prevented.


    That was strange. That was Felit?a’s birth year, but she couldn’t recall hearing of an assassination attempt on any Royalty in her lifetime. Queen Gabriella had been assassinated a few years earlier, but that had obviously not been prevented. She would have to look that up sometime. It would be good to know whether this prediction and others that had passed their prescribed times had come true.


    After some time—she wasn’t quite sure how long, but a couple hours or more—she found the first of what she was looking for: a mention of the name Will-Breaker.


    When the nations of the world come together in meeting for the first time since the days of old, the Will-Breaker will first make herself known.


    Felit?a!


    In Ninifin, it had reached her from inside the Grand Temple while she was outside. Was she farther away now? She couldn’t be sure.


    Felit?a! Be wary!


    Be wary!


    Of Lord Padara? Can you actually talk to me?


    Felit?a tensed as he got closer, and readied to put him to sleep if necessary. Nervousness and worry emanated from him. But why? Was he worried she would look at something he didn’t want her to see? He had left her alone in here previously without any hint of worry. Had something changed?


    Be wary! the Staff called as she opened the door and was stepping through.


    Of what? She closed the door. Please tell me.


    Felit?a, the Staff greeted her upon her return.


    What are you trying to tell me? Be wary of what?


    Felit?a.