It was the sound of a gruesome knock that woke us up that early morning.
And before we even opened the door to hear the messenger's news, I already had a feeling that what we would hear soon, could never be anything good.
"Let's wait for Lady Xemein" Regalis said to Griffin, who he was talking to, by the entrance of our room.
I stood up from our bed. Wrapped a scarf, round my neck and followed Regalis and Griffin out of the room.
Griffin was shaking. Until we reached his room, and he opened the door.
We walked in. By his bedside stood two elderly male examiners.
What were they doing here? Standing beside Cleavon, who looked asleep.
Regalis and I turned and stared at Griffin. And he suddenly burst into tears "we spent the night together" Griffin wept.
We already guessed as much. So, why were we here? Why did he call the examiners?
"Suddenly during the night, as we slept" Griffin wept on, "I heard him choking. And so, I woke up. His hands were on his neck. As if he was fighting with someone. Trying to prevent someone from choking him. But then, I looked around. No one else was in the room but us. No sign of sorcery. Yet, he kept struggling to breathe. Fighting to breathe. And finally -" Griffin's voice shook, "he stopped fighting back. And I knew he was -"
Dead. My mind completed.
No sign of sorcery. No one else in the room. Suddenly started choking, while asleep.
My legs shook. While asleep.
Regalis grasped my waist. While asleep.
One of the examiners spoke, "we've examined this body and examined it again. The cause of death remains unknown. We'd say sorcery, but, we highly doubt sorcery was at work here".
Randall! I wished I could yell out.
Randall!! My eyes closed.
He was sending me a message. Not via a howler, this time, but through the death of someone. The death of the collar mage apprentice who tried to break my collar.
Anyone who trys to free me, will end up this way. Dead. No matter who it was. For it was he alone, who could decide if I and my people could ever be free again.