Ajax and Aramil retire soon after dinner, leaving Valentine free to broach a delicate question. “Inglorion, you know Sieia gave me Tereus’s cloak, and I wore it for some time. It had sentimental value, though I’d be hard-pressed to say why. I feel it’s yours by right.” Inglorion laughs and shakes his head. “I remember […]
“I’ve wanted so much to get to know you,” says Tereus. “To share a meal, or the occasional smoke, or a drink. We both hold commands, after all. We’re powerful among our people. I’ve wondered if you felt doubt and regret about what happened — the troops you lost.” They’re sitting side-by-side on her little […]
Another episode of Man Raised by Spiders, the coming-of-age story of Valentine Shelawn. Valentine is able to complete a brief trance before Inglorion shows up for the last time. He leads them past a series of guard posts to a narrow tunnel that slants towards the surface. “If you follow this corridor for a quarter […]
Another episode of Man Raised by Spiders, the coming-of-age story of Valentine Shelawn. When Valentine returns to the townhouse, a footman intercepts him and leads him to Sieia’s withdrawing room. Apparently she’s decided to send footmen with verbal instructions instead of notes. He’s grateful for her delicacy — it saves him the trouble of questioning […]
The second episode of Man Raised by Spiders, the coming-of-age story of Valentine Claudius Shelawn. The next morning, Valentine receives a dinner invitation from his cousin Sieia, Xardic’s wife and, apparently, one of his many living Shelawn relatives. It’s delivered by a servant who was told to wait for an answer. Valentine gives a verbal […]
Soundtrack: Eurythmics, Missionary Man Through all of this, there’s Lucia herself, hopeful, innocent. The first time Inglorion sees her after his conversation with Lucius, he knows that, yes, of course, she sees him as a suitor. She’s modest and pious, so there’s no flirtation in her manner, but she does everything in her power to […]
Inglorion seeks out Collatinus the very next morning, and they talk quietly in the garden. “You were right,” Inglorion says. “They can do it. We shook hands on it.” He adds shyly, “He said between 100 and 120 gold pieces, though. I have 17 GP saved. I don’t know how I’ll get the rest. My […]
