Garret just stood on the parapet, staring at the sheer, god-like devastation.
And suddenly, a tiny, painfully obvious puzzle piece in his brain, a piece that had been glaringly obvious to half the military brass and every single informed aristocrat in the kingdom, but entirely missed by a clueless, grizzled veteran, finally clicked into place.
The prodigy installer... The kid who treated classified castle blueprints like a casual reading assignment. The boy who dismantled a game of dice in two rounds.
'Red Pathfinder.'
Garret blinked slowly. He mouthed the words.
No.
'Ren Patinder.'
A short, rusty bark of laughter suddenly forced its way out of Garret's throat. It was a completely involuntary, breathless sound of absolute disbelief.
