Night fell.
After his conversation with Haman Valen, Raylo didn't linger in the hall.
The Old Earl needed time to digest the bitter fruit of defeat and to arrange the future of the Valen Family.
Raylo had given him dignity and a choice. The rest was up to the family's last helmsman.
The prisoners were temporarily held in a warehouse on the south side of the castle, guarded by Knights assigned by Ed.
The air was thick with oppression and despair. The occasional soft sob could be heard, only to be quickly swallowed by the heavy silence.
"Fire! The south warehouse is on fire!"
A piercing cry shattered the tranquility of Red Iron Castle.
It was immediately followed by a cacophony of shouts, footsteps, and the clash of weapons. The commotion spread rapidly, like a stone tossed into a calm lake.
An orange-red blaze shot into the sky on the south side of the castle, dyeing half the night sky crimson. Billowing smoke stained the darkness an inky black.
"Protect the Lord!"
