Prologue

    “Your Highness! What brings you to Last Harbor?”

    Captain Bastin began to get up from his desk to salute, but his guest motioned for him to remain seated as he pulled out a chair for himself.

    “No need for formalities, Gabriel, this isn’t an official visit. How are things up here at the northern end of the empire? As rainy as I remember?”

    “As wet and miserable as ever, just last month the west wall slid into the sea and took a quarter of our winter stores with it. The men are rebuilding as quickly as possible but, as I’m sure you’re aware, we’re running on a skeleton crew out here. We’ll make do though, nothing else for it.”

    The prince nodded, “It was the same when I was posted here, but I have good news for you Gabriel. First, though, do you have anything decent to drink? The road from the capital has been a long one.”

    “Of course Henry, in fact I have something special on hand.” Gabriel opened the drawer in his desk where he kept his glasses and liquor. Taking a glass for each of them, he poured a measure of liquid into his guest’s glass and then into his own.

    Henry took his glass and sniffed, his mouth curling up at the corners. “Mm, now this is certainly something you can’t easily get down south.”

    Gabriel chuckled, “I wasn’t sure if you’d still like it. If memory serves, the last time you drank apple brandy you got fabulously drunk and vomited in your mother’s favorite hat.”

    “She still hasn’t let me forget it! She made me swear off drinking the stuff, but father would sneak me a bottle now and then through the palace guard.” Henry’s smirk bled into a sad smile, “I haven’t had any since he passed.”

    Gabriel raised his glass, “To the late Emperor Corsey. May his reign be long remembered.”

    Henry clinked his glass against his friend’s and they both downed their drinks in a gulp, Gabriel reaching to pour them both another.

    “Alright, let’s drink these properly this time. What’s this good news you mentioned?” Gabriel asked.

    “Ah, yes! Your garrison is being reinforced to full strength and then some. The Empress has authorized the full mobilization of the Northern Host, as well as elements of the fleet in support.”

    “Should we prepare to be attacked? My scouts haven’t noticed any of the border nations mobilizing for war.”

“No, just the opposite in fact, we’ll soon be going on the offensive. And not, I think, north across the wall.”

    Gabriel’s eyebrows raised, “Have the gods brought news about the mists, then?”

    “Indeed they have! According to the clergy the mists will fade in half a year at most. They report that the goddess of Aiane is waning as her people lose faith. and as she fails so does her protection.”

    “Fools,” Gabriel shook his head, “even the peasantry should know that the gods are not responsible for the follies of men. We should have taken them into the Empire when we had the chance.”

    “Father had his reasons, but things have changed and soon the island will lay open to invasion once more. The Empress has decreed that we be ready for when that happens.”

    Henry got up and walked to the leaded glass window overlooking the coast. The horizon was blanketed in fog, a wall of white raising high enough into the sky to occlude the sun. What light filtered through was barely enough to make shadows.

    “Soon, Gabriel, we will see what treasures the Shrouded Isle holds.”