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Festival of the Caller, for real.”
    Nobody moved.
    “Every man, woman, and child eats and drinks their fill.”
    No effect.
    “One slave in ten will be set free.”
    Heads swiveled and locked into place, eyes wide.
    “ Soldiers and servants will receive double pay this month.”
    After a moment of silent shock the hall behind him erupted into shouts and applause.
    Were they all insane? He couldn’t be the Caller! The Caller of the Dra was a myth. Nothing more than a reason to celebrate a festival. Everyone knew that dras weren’t real. And even if they were, who in their right mind would call one? Thaniel craned his neck trying to search her eyes for the madness that surely must be there, finding nothing. 
    With that settled Lisella Ontar turned and faced Thaniel fully as she purposefully traced two fingers along the thin white lines tattooed just over her eyebrows.
    Irkhir did the same.
    Thaniel stared at them as, with one voice, they, along with the entire First, recited the same phrase. “The code sings.”
    It hadn’t stopped echoing down the hall before Lisella Ontar’s eyes darted around, looking as if she was missing something important.
    “Irkhir, where is the girl? ” The question silenced the hall that had already started stirring with activity. “We can’t have a Caller without a kiss.”
    Somehow Elycia had managed to slip away when no one was looking.
    “I definitely don’t have one of those, not now.” Thaniel could hardly believe he spoke out loud, but he didn’t have any doubt of the truth of it. Thanks to that glowing carving, Elycia didn’t want anything to do with him. He couldn’t blame her. Everyone that was smiling now about the prospect of a full belly, freedom, or more coin, had only moments before regarded him as a monster.
    Lisella Ontar stepped closer to him, lifting his chin with a finger. Her gaze swept across his features, taking in every detail before she used a thumb to wipe away one of his tears. She pursed her lips thoughtfully and then a small smile curved up the corners of her mouth. Slowly her eyes dropped down to the floor.
    “Oh, I think you’re wrong about that.” She said as she held up the crushed blossom between her thumb and forefinger.

Chapter 1 0
    Blue Fresco
    “Get on with it.” A soldier shoved Thaniel from behind.
    Torches blazed in mounted sconces on every wall, illuminating a vast domed chamber that majestically vaulted easily a hundred feet overhead. Steep walls gradually sloped inward until they met at an ornate circle in the center. On the circle was a faded yet still dazzling fresco of a bluish dra in mid flight. From the exact center of the dome rose a vertical column at least twenty paces wide.  It topped out right under the center of the ceiling, directly under the dra.
    A winding path, cut in a pattern that reminded Thaniel of scales, started at the entrance and led a sinuous course towards the base of the tower. An ornate archway waited at the base of a stair that was chiseled right out of the sides of the tower. Thaniel leaned his head back to see the stairs wind around and around the tower. More of the strange arches were set intermittently up the stairs.
    You might be able to skip the first one on your way up, but unless you wanted to hang off the sheer sides of the tower to do it, there was no avoiding the rest.
    Thaniel craned his neck all around, at first mesmerized by the chamber as he moved forward. He tried to stare at any one spot and found it hard to do. Other than the scale patterned path he was walking on, every surface in the entire stone chamber was carved with a flowing pattern that felt like the wind itself, if wind could be seen with the naked eye that is. 
    With every movement he made, the room seemed to spin, like he had been swallowed alive by a creature of living wind. Thaniel forced himself to look down at the scaled walkway beneath his feet. He was grateful he wasn’t the only person who seemed taken aback. Even