Welcome, to the Heart Pyre. This is episode 28, The uncertainty of reality.

CW: anxiety attack, heavy self-doubt, loss of reality

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[SFX city noises, multiple footsteps, over time the city noises get muffled and there’s a louder breathing noise]

Rena and her companions didn’t stay long at Asha’s family’s house, just long enough for Maniala to force a bag of food onto them and make Asha promise she’d visit more often. They needed to return to the safety of their rooms in the Broken Mast Inn but not without finding Logan and Finn first. In the hope that the two men were still at the palace, they made their way through Hrevim’s narrow alleyways, avoiding any major streets to reduce the likelihood of running into Silac or Deacon. A strange feeling enveloped Rena as they passed through these tight lanes as if her body was once more trapped between buildings and her lungs couldn’t expand. Her mouth ran dry and a cold sweat chilled her back. She held on to Asha’s robes, not wanting to fall behind and be left alone. She still didn’t truly understand what had happened as she’d run after the fox and to be quite honest, she’d avoided thinking about it as much as possible. It had surely only been her nerves who’d made her feel like the buildings had been pressing in on her. She’d lived through a lot over the last days, her companions told her as much, it was no surprise she couldn’t fully trust her perception anymore.

And Rodrick might be right. Even if the fox was a real animal, how could she guarantee it was actually trying to communicate with her. The concept alone was outlandish. Even if Silac had these strange powers, and even if the Crow thought they were bringing back old Gods, why would a mystical fox be talking to her? Be telling her to hurry? What was so special about her? It had been so vague with its instructions anyway, it might all just have been a figment of her imagination. A strange way for her mind to rationalize all that had been going on.

Her eyes darted around, her heart beating erratically in her chest. Could she still trust her own perception? The others might have seen the fox but the cities were full of foxes. She was the only one who had heard it speak. The fox’s mouth hadn’t even moved, the voice had been entirely in her mind. How could she ever have believed that the fox had actually spoken? It seemed so clear to her now that it had all been her imagination.

The buildings around her kept inching closer, almost grazing her shoulders. She could still feel it on her skin how she’d had to push herself out of the narrow alley only hours before, how empty her lungs had been for her escape. They cramped up again, forcing her to breathe in short bursts. She held on tight to Asha’s arm and luckily Asha didn’t complain or truly even notice. Asha’s shoulders were set tight, her gaze focused on the path ahead, scanning any face who dared pass them. Barely any people were walking through these side streets and most of them simply greeted them politely, nothing to be wary about, although it seemed almost impossible for their entire group to rest easy.

Time stretched into eternity for Rena, as if they would never emerge from Hrevim’s underbelly, as if the palace had been swallowed by the ground and they would never be able to reach their destination. She wished any of her companions would say something, she’d even listen to Rodrick ramble on about the difference in architecture between Hrevim’s districts. This silence was choking her, amplifying the oppressive presence of the surrounding walls. Her brain was about to implode and she didn’t know how to save herself from it.

[SFX crowd noises grow louder but are still in the distance, breathing abruptly stops, footsteps stop one after the other]

Kalani slowed down, holding her hand up to stop the rest of the group.

KALANI (quietly): I don’t think there’s an easy way to find Logan and Finn without going into the palace’s crowd. We just have to hope that luck is on our side and Silac hasn’t made his way here yet… Or if he has, that we spot him before he spots us.

Rena craned her neck past Asha and Kalani and was blinded by the lights beyond the alley’s end. They had the perfect view of the palace, shining bright white on its hill, a million colourful ants swarming around it. Blue, red and white ribbons had been tied to the lamp posts leading up to it, blowing calmly in the breeze. The air flowed into their alley, filling Rena’s lungs with cold, expanding them until her chest hurt.

RODRICK (unsure): Maybe if some of us stayed in the safety of the alley, one brave soul could venture forth into the crowd to find our missing companions and our chances of being seen by nefarious eyes won’t be as high.

ASHA (mocking): Are you scared, old man?

RODRICK (nervous): Well, Asha… I’m not above admitting that this situation has not particularly filled me with the greatest sense of security.

Rena almost agreed with him but at the same time she wanted to run out and leave these alleys far, far behind. Danger seemed omnipresent wherever they went but at least she would be able to breath out in the open. If only they could already be back in their rooms, her heart might settle again.

Kalani shifted, a contemplative frown clouding her face.

KALANI (hesitant): I don’t think splitting up is wise. If something happens to any of us, the other party might not know about it until it’s too late. It’ll just make us lose too much time and we don’t have a lot of it left.

RENA (worried): Kalani’s right. I-I don’t think we should split up anymore. Nothing good came of us splitting up this morning.

KALANI (solemn): Let’s just hope Logan and Finn are still here. A lot could have happened in the last few hours.

[SFX crowd noises get louder, footsteps start again]

They slowly spilled out of the alley, Kalani leading the way. Rena focused on her breathing, forcing it to stay calm as her eyes carefully scanned the crowd around them. Masses of people moved in and out of the palace’s massive entrance like the waves of the ocean, all becoming one and threatening to pull Rena and her companions into their core.

The group advanced slowly, staying on the edge, their necks craned to see above the sea of heads. Dread ebbed through Rena anytime she saw black hair or a hint of orange, no matter how illogical it was that the fox would appear at the same height as people’s faces.

RENA (excited): There!

Rena’d spotted Logan’s curls to their left, her heart skipping a beat at the realisation. He was pushing his way through the crowd, a grim expression on his face. She excitedly waved at him before thinking better of it. Her hand came down just as quickly as it had shot up but it seemed to have been enough for Logan to turn their way. His expression momentarily grew heavier but then his eyes met Rena’s and his face instantly lit up. He enthusiastically waved back and corrected his course to head towards them.

ASHA (murmur): [big sigh] Did he never learned anything about being discreet?

[SFX footsteps coming closer]

As Logan and Finn emerged from the crowd, Rena noticed that they were wearing different clothes from that morning. Finn was clad in a golden yellow coat and beige trousers while Logan had donned dark blue trousers, a green vest and a cape that matched his trousers.

RENA(astonished): What are you wearing?

LOGAN (quiet voice): We wouldn’t have gotten into the palace with our regular clothes, now would we?

RENA (confused): B-but where did you get them from?

LOGAN (cheeky): A store.

ASHA (deadpan): He stole them.

LOGAN: I did no such thing! I exchanged them fairly against something of equal value.

ASHA (deadpan): Which you stole.

LOGAN: That is not the point we’ve been discussing.

Finn kept looking back to the palace’s entrance, his whole body rigid. He barely blinked; his jaw set tight as if he was anticipating something bad happening.

RENA (uncertain, a bit scared): Is everything alright?

LOGAN: Well… not everything but it’s manageable.

KALANI: We shouldn’t stay here to chit-chat. Let’s get back to the inn.

Kalani’s stance had never relaxed – arms crossed as she scanned the crowd entering and leaving the palace.

LOGAN (more cheerful than he should be): So what kind of situation have you folks gotten yourself into?

KALANI (serious, murmur): Silac’s in the city.

RENA (small voice): And Deacon.

LOGAN: Ah, how wonderful! Let’s organise a big fest for all these reunions! Finn’s sister is also in town!

RENA (astonished, unsure): Your sister?!

Rena looked at Finn, a smile forming on her lips which quickly fell when she saw Finn’s expression. The muscles in his jaw clenched as he glanced at her for a moment, his eyes ablaze with something resembling fear, before they darted back to the palace’s entrance. His hands clenched tight at his side, before opening wide and clenching again, the motion repeating incessantly.

RENA (small voice): So, not a good reunion then?

LOGAN: Apparently not.

KALANI (restless): We can discuss all these grandiose things once we’re somewhere quieter. Let’s go!

Kalani turned around and didn’t wait for any of the others to follow as she sped past the crowd and headed back to the narrow alley they’d come from.

[SFX footsteps, crowd noises fade into the distance again]

Dread slowly crept its way over Rena’s back again as they approached the alley. She needed to distract herself, to not think of her surroundings anymore. She latched onto Logan’s arm and let the rest of the group lead the way.

RENA (excited): I also met someone else! Someone from Oceansthrow. An old friend of my father’s. I’m not the only one who survived!

LOGAN (astonished): Oh, shit, really? How’s he doing? Why’s he here? How did he survive?

RENA (regretful): He’s hurt pretty bad, actually. Didn’t have my luck. He might lose sight in one eye… And he’s here with Deacon, strangely enough… and some lady from the historical academy.

LOGAN: Deacon? Why? [sigh] What’s that guy planning again?

RENA: I don’t really know. I guess the Historical Academy helped Jesper recover and Deacon latched on to that. I don’t really get it. But he’s really, really focused on finding you. He knew that I was travelling with you. I tried to downplay how well we knew each other, not sure he believed me though.

LOGAN: [big sigh] I’ve got better things to do than deal with that guy.

RENA: I don’t think Jesper should stay with them. I really don’t know what the Historical Academy wants to do with him but it’s certainly nothing good, and I don’t think Deacon is the most trustworthy companion either. Jesper deserves better than them.

LOGAN: If we could avoid running into Deacon, that would be grand. He’ll get bored of looking for me eventually.

RENA: What did you do to him that he hates you so?

LOGAN: Just some disagreement.

RENA: I don’t think “just a disagreement” turns into such a wild chase. What did you disagree on?

[small pause]

RENA: About the train? That’s what you’ve been trying to gather information on, right?

LOGAN (dismissive): Kinda.

[Small pause]

RENA: You really don’t want to talk about it?

LOGAN: Nope. Now tell me more about Jesper? Who is he? You said he’s a friend of your father’s. So have you known him for long?

RENA: (big sigh). Yeah, all my life.

As they followed Kalani through most of Hrevim back to the Broken Mast inn, Rena told Logan about all the old memories she had of Jesper, about his goats and the cheese he would gift her family. About her parents’ bakery and her four siblings. About her uncle and aunt and their children she would visit almost every day. About all that had been taken from her so brazenly.

Thinking about it hurt less and less each day and talking about her family and her life unravelled some knots deep within her that she had barely been aware of. She almost wished the journey back to the inn could last longer, that they could walk slower through the city, just so she could tell Logan more about her family. It made her ignore that they were passing through the same alleys as before, that she had felt miserable just a few moments ago. But with Kalani’s pace it took them no time at all before they crossed the threshold of the lopsided building that was the Broken Mast Inn. They didn’t stop until they’d passed through the long, labyrinthine hallways that led them to their rooms, making sure that no one was following them.

[SFX happy dog noises, light gas hissing in background]

Relief flooded over Rena as they reunited with Vincent. She fell down to her knees and let the dog run to her, burying her hands and face in his fur as he happily fidgeted in her arms. She had barely even noticed how worried she’d been about him with everything that had been going on but seeing him happy and healthy relaxed at least some parts of her body.

[SFX porcelain on ground, water pouring into porcelain, wrapper noises]

Rodrick took the bowl of the wash basin off its stand and placed it on the ground near Vincent before pouring in some of the water from the pitcher. Asha unwrapped the food she’d gotten from her aunt’s cousin and picked out some pieces of meat that seemed appropriate for the dog.

After having taken care of the dog as best they could, they all settled on the beds while Vincent ate, silently gazing into nothingness, the energy of the day having drained out of them. Kalani was staring straight ahead, unblinking, her hands clasped together in front of her face. She stayed like this for a while, no one daring to break the silence filled with her deep thoughts, before she took a deep breath and straightened.

KALANI: [sigh] I think we need to pool all our knowledge together before we can figure out how to proceed. I sent a message to Cass to let them know I’m alive. I’m not sure how much they’ll be able to help us right now but they might manage to gather some information that could help in the long run. I doubt we have the luxury to wait for an answer. Not with Silac strolling through the streets.

ASHA (mocking): And Logan’s friend hot on his heels.

Asha looked over at Logan and flashed him a devilish grin but Logan only dramatically rolled his eyes in return.

KALANI (pensive): Yeah. And we can’t forget about Inkra. We don’t know where she went after the attack outside of Halvint but with Micheal now tagging along with Silac, I’ve got a feeling she isn’t far.

RENA (small voice): He really didn’t look like he was doing too well.

Rena wasn’t sure how Michael had ended up looking so rough. Sure, Asha might have pushed him around a bit during their confrontation in Halvint but she was certain that it could not be the reason for his dreadful appearance. Someone else must have gotten to him since then.

LOGAN: Do you think he’d still be willing to show us where the Crow’s hideout is?

ASHA: Why the fuck would he?

LOGAN: I don’t know, Asha, but have you figured out where they’re hiding?

[small pause]

ASHA: (sigh) Not precisely. If I had more time I’m sure I could find someone who knows where they are. The fishers and dockworkers know more than people realize. Everything goes through the harbour, it’s impossible to hide stuff from the workers. They know about the Crow. They might not all know precisely who the Crow is or what they’re doing, but the Crow’s schemes are much less subtle than we think they are. We just need to find the correct people to talk to.

LOGAN: They’re not gonna lead us to the Crow for free, though.

ASHA: If we had a week, I’m certain I could find someone who’d help us with no expectations of return. But in our situation? … We might have to think about what we’d be willing to part with. Did you figure out where they’re hiding?

LOGAN: Not even close. We know a lot about Viscount Zarkid’s upcoming wedding and his three husbands though.

ASHA: How’s that supposed to help us, Logan?

LOGAN: Well, as it turns out, one of the husbands is family with the Zawarecs who weasled their way into controlling the military academy who are also family with Silac.

ASHA: … and?

LOGAN: Nothing. That’s about it.

ASHA (annoyed): That’s it?

KALANI (pensive): I’ll have to hear more about this later. It’s not going to help us now but I haven’t considered how connected Silac is yet, even if his branch of the family is disgraced.

FINN: They’re not officially disgraced, just disliked by a lot of people.

Everyone looked over at Finn but he simply stared straight ahead at a spot on the floor. It had been the first time he’d said anything since they’d reunited. They waited for him to say more but he stayed silent.

KALANI: Well, … either way, who knows what all these connections imply for the kingdom. As far as I know, the Zawarecs aren’t the most well-liked family in general. They just have a lot of power. But that doesn’t matter to us right now. We have a vague idea where the Crow should be, we could try our luck and search for them on our own. I really don’t know what the best option is right now.

Three paths lay in front of us, on which the story could continue.

• On the first path, the companions try to get out of Hrevim as quickly as possible and find the Crow’s hideout on their own
• On the second path, the companions try to find a contact at the docks who could show them the way
• On the third path, the companions try to reconnect with Michael to find the way

You can cast your vote by going to the show’s twitter page, the tumblr page, or on theheartpyre.com. You have until November 23rd to cast your vote.

I wanted to apologize once more for the delay between episodes. I didn’t expect that starting this new job would disrupt my production habits so much. I’ll try my best to be more consistent in the future and to stay much closer to the initial release schedule. We’re nearing the end of the season so it would be highly annoying if it took another six months to finish it.

As always, if you like this podcast, consider leaving a review or supporting it on Ko-Fi or Patreon. You can also get the novelization of the first season as an ebook and paperback from most major retailers.

You can find transcripts for each episode, character art, and a map of the kingdom on theheartpyre.com.

The intro music is Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone.

The Heart Pyre is written and produced by me, Audrey Martin.

Thank you for listening.

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With 70 percent of the votes, our story continues on the first path.

The companions finally all reunite as they try to avoid the different threats coming at them from all directions. 

Content Warnings: anxiety attack, heavy self-doubt, loss of reality

By the end of the episode, three choices will be presented to you. Voting is open until November 23rd.

The Heart Pyre will go on a short hiatus after this episode.

Find A Searing Faith, the novelisation of season 1, on your favourite platform:
https://books2read.com/A-Searing-Faith

Intro music: Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone

Logo Design: Mars Lauderbaugh

This episode is the secondof two bonus episodes portraying what Logan and Finn have been up to while away from the rest of the group.

I apologize for the long, unexpected hiatus. As mentioned in the episode, this is a solo project and with my new job taking over all of my time I’ve found myself barely able to work on the show at all. I truly hope I’ll find time to work on the end of the season in the near future but I can’t predict any release dates for now.

Find A Searing Faith, the novelisation of season 1, on your favourite platform:
https://books2read.com/A-Searing-Faith

Intro music: Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone

Logo Design: Mars Lauderbaugh

Welcome, to the Heart Pyre. This is the second bonus episode following Logan and Finn as they gather more information in Hrevim’s palace while away from the rest of the group.

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            [SFX crowd whispering getting louder over time, distant sound of the ocean and seagulls]

LOGAN (whisper): Let’s find our perfect victims.

Logan winked at Finn before turning his attention back to the crowd in the palace’s inner court. Most eyes were still lingering on the entrance at the back that the woman with the steadfast stride had disappeared behind.

            [SFX footsteps on dirt path]

Logan leisurely strolled through the crowd – Finn only a step behind – and faked an interest in the vegetation while he observed the people surrounding him from the corner of his eye. It took him longer to locate a suitable group to infiltrate than usual as the healer’s tincture was wearing off much faster than anticipated. The heat around his wound spread out over his stomach and his mouth started to dry out. Breathing became difficult and he wished he could simply settle down on one of the benches in the garden and enjoy the nice weather with Finn, but he couldn’t let the opportunity the stranger had given him slip through his fingers.

The majority of the crowd quickly lost interest in what had just transpired – the incident hadn’t been all that interesting in and of itself after all – but Logan was searching for those who wouldn’t let such a provocative display go uncommented.

And he didn’t have to look for long. Three people to their right – one man and two women, all dressed in impeccable clothing with fabric imported from far away places – spoke in hushed voices as their eyes darted back and forth to the back door.

Logan discretely signalled for Finn to follow him, then drifted closer to the group without ever looking at them directly.

[SFX footsteps casually walking around]

WOMAN1 (fading in, with disdain): She’s already walking around like she owns the place. They’re not even married yet.

The first woman – a tall, stout person with tan skin and a halo of dark curls – looked at the door with such disdain that it almost made Logan stop in his tracks.

WOMAN2 (shock and contempt): Did you hear what they have planned for the wedding?

MAN1 (judgy): I’ve heard they’re planning to import kalana flowers from Menakala. The orange ones.

The second woman – with a much slimmer build and high cheekbones, but clearly related to the other woman – rolled her eyes as if using the wrong flowers at a wedding was the greatest transgression one could commit.

Logan knew that this was the perfect group to infiltrate. If he wanted to learn anything about what was going on at the palace and the rest of the province, these people would be able to tell him all. He just wasn’t sure how trustworthy their information would be.

LOGAN (mock shock): Orange Kalanas? From Menakala? At this time of year?

Logan approached them with the utmost shock on his face. The third person of the group – a man with one missing ear and skin much lighter than the women’s – gave Logan a startled look before stepping aside to let him join the group.

MAN1: Oh, absolutely! Doesn’t it sound like they think themselves more exceptional than nature? They surely must be aware that the flowers will wilt before they ever reach the city, right?

WOMAN2 (conspiratorially): Well, I’ve heard that this marriage isn’t truly being organised by Viscount Zarkid anyway, that it’s all his second husband’s idea, that this newest husband is just a plaything to keep him occupied since the viscount and the first husband barely talk to him. The Viscount probably doesn’t even care about this youngling, certainly not as much as his mother thinks he does. He’s never even cared about Kyrec in all the years they’ve been married either. But both of those marriages are just political alliances, nothing more.

FINN (a bit confused): Most noble weddings are political alliances.

The group turned to Finn, having noticed him for the first time, and he instantly froze like a cat caught stealing fish. The woman with the high cheekbones looked him up and down and seemingly deemed him worthy of address.

WOMAN2: Not with his first husband, but you’re probably much too young to remember that wedding. Oh, bless the stars, what a marvel it was. The hills outside the city bloomed like they hadn’t bloomed in a hundred years on that day. The fates truly blessed their union. There was no such sign for Kyrec’s wedding and there certainly won’t be any for this one either.

MAN1: They’ll try to imitate it again like they tried last time but it’ll fall flat once more. People aren’t blind. It’s so plain to see that Zarkid barely cares about his new marriages.

WOMAN1 (with mock and disdain): Truly. And still his mother struts around like she’ll get invited to the Royal Council at any moment. Her son is just the toy of a toy. I doubt the viscount even remembers his name.

[WOMAN2 + MAN2 snicker]

FINN: I’m fairly certain Viscount Zarkid’s first wedding to Yormic Hanimid was also politically motivated.

The group turned back to Finn, their laughter dying down as the arrogance on their face shifted to confusion and annoyance.

Logan had to save Finn before he’d get them kicked out of the group with his attempt to stay logical and, quite frankly, he was tired of hearing these people pass unfounded judgement on someone else’s relationships. He was sure if he dug deep enough he could find plenty to criticise about their own relationships. He probably wouldn’t even have to dig all that deep.

LOGAN: They probably didn’t have to import Kalanas for the first wedding to make it spectacular.

WOMAN1: Oh, absolutely not. They didn’t need to lure guests in with such nonsense. The flowers are just a distraction from the catastrophe that is this union.

LOGAN: And we have perfectly fine regional flowers in Baedan. Those wouldn’t wilt before the wedding’s even had a chance to start. Like the red maikans. They’re wonderful flowers, why can’t they just have some of those.

FINN (shyly): And they’d fit regional wedding customs.

Logan shot a quick smile at Finn – relieved he seemed to finally comprehend how to butter these people up – before turning back to the rest of the group with a grand display of exasperation.

LOGAN (dramatically exasperated): Exactly! Baedan has its own wonderful traditions, why try to imitate the North.

MAN1: Hear, hear.

LOGAN: The South has already lost so much since the unification, there’s no reason to try to make the entire kingdom alike.

WOMAN2: I’m certainly not one to constantly insist on traditions and our kingdom is truly a wonderful place but it is sad to see such beautiful customs disappear.

WOMAN1: The first wedding was according to our traditions, I don’t see why they have to change things now.

LOGAN: And you think Kyrec is in charge of planning this wedding?

WOMAN1: I’m sure of it. Zarkid would never organise such a pompous feast and disregard Baedan’s venerated customs. The longer Kyrec is at court, the more he tries to mould it to his own will.

WOMAN2: Not to speak ill of our neighbours, but they’ve always tried to imitate the north.

MAN1: Well, they barely have any culture of their own. Just a bunch of fishers and old documents.

From the corner of his eye, Logan saw Finn’s expression shift ever so slightly. The veins at the base of his jaw started to pulse with his heartbeat, his eyebrows drew together just a fraction, and even though, from far away, his expression would still be read as neutral, Logan knew that the thoughts currently swirling through Finn’s mind were anything but. Logan counted himself lucky that the three nobles found each other and their chatter too important to pay Finn any heed or they might have noticed his disagreement written plainly all over his body.

He needed to somehow stir the conversation towards something actually beneficial to them or they would lose their entire day listening to the absurd opinions of bored nobles who had never had any purpose in life.

LOGAN: Well, I wouldn’t say that the entire province has no value. The military academy is quite important, wouldn’t you agree? It has produced its fair share of great people, after all. I seem to recall that the viscount himself attended the academy in his younger years. I do truly admire anyone who vows their lives to protect the rest of us.

As much as it pained him to say these words, he knew that it was the right path to travel on if he wanted to find out if these people knew anything about Silac.

MAN1: Oh, yes, absolutely. We all do, of course.

WOMAN1: But it isn’t what it used to be either. Not since that Zawarec family took over.

WOMAN2: My nephew is currently serving at the academy and we are shocked by how much has changed since my father attended. They don’t teach any discipline anymore.

FINN (pensive, barely audible): Kyrec Sitec is distant family with the Zawarecs.

The group’s attention snapped right back to Finn as if he’d suddenly appeared out of thin air next to them.

WOMAN1 (curious): Oh, is that so?

MAN1 (pensive): Yes, now that you mention it, I seem to recall having heard something similar a while back.

FINN (pensive): Captain Silac too, if I recall correctly.

WOMAN2 (curious): Who’s Captain Silac?

MAN1: That new captain of the guard in Hollowtooth. Dreadful man. Last year we arrived late for Tidebringings and he made us drive through the fisher’s district to get to our lodgings instead of escorting us through the main road. [pause for effect] Unbelievable. But they’re not celebrating Tidebringings correctly in that city anyway. I don’t think I’ll ever go back for it. Especially not if that man is still captain.

WOMAN1: I truly don’t understand how these people keep weaselling their way into such important positions when they have no qualifications for them. Wasn’t Lisec slated to be captain? What happened to him? He was perfectly capable of taking over the job and he always looked after us and our needs when we went to Hollowtooth. I’m sure the Zawarecs forced one of their pawns into yet another position. [sigh] Soon they’ll try to get control of the entire region. They’ve already got their pawn in Baedan, who knows how many more they’ve got in Napahrit.

Logan let the conversation flow as the three nobles found new subjects to complain about. His eyes were glazing over from the discomfort in his body. He truly wished he could sit down and rest his head, preferably even take a very long nap, but he couldn’t let the others know how he felt. He had to play the part. They still needed to find their way into the palace.

He interjected some platitudes into the conversation here and there, some agreements to please the nobles, but didn’t try to steer the conversation towards anything useful anymore. Finn had gone completely silent and Logan knew that the time had come for them to move on. His head suddenly whipped up as if he’d seen something and then he waved at a person that wasn’t actually there.

LOGAN: Ah, excuse us, I’ve just spotted my cousin. It was truly a pleasure to meet you all. I’m sure we’ll see each other again one of these days.

WOMAN2 (with some humour): At the latest at the wedding, I suppose.

LOGAN: Of course, I wouldn’t want to miss the blunder those wilted flowers will be.

WOMAN1: [haughty laughter] Oh, it will be such a horrendous sight.

Logan gently grabbed Finn’s wrist and led him towards the other end of the court as if they were going to meet up with someone near the back. He made sure there were plenty of people between them and the three nobles before he stopped.

LOGAN (low voice): Oh my stars, those people were awful. I don’t think I could have survived another minute listening to their blabbering. [small pause] Have I ever told you the names you people have are ridiculous?

FINN (distracted): Hmm.

LOGAN (low voice): With your ecs and ids and ranks embedded in the names. I’m so glad you’re not using your full name. I don’t think I could bear calling you something like that. Finnic or Finnamic or, dare I say, Finnohic. Absolutely horrendous. [pause] (concerned) Everything alright with you?

FINN (distracted): Hmm. Yeah, sure. … What now?

LOGAN: Well… I suppose we try to get inside the palace.

FINN: Mhmm. How?

LOGAN: Brilliant question from a brilliant mind. Hmm. How about like this?

Logan grabbed Finn’s wrist and pulled him along as he joined a group of young men who were confidently striding towards the back entrance. They stayed a few steps behind the men and only caught up as they neared the door. Logan’s heart was hammering wildly in his chest but the rush of excitement felt amazing, waking up every bone in his body, his vision sharp as ever. As they passed the guards he even dared smile at the one to his right and bow his head in greeting. He slowed down again when they were inside the palace and led Finn down the first side corridor they came across.

            [SFX outside sounds fade out, interior is much quieter]

LOGAN (relieved, slight laughter in voice): Phew, I’m happy that worked out. That could have gone so wrong.

FINN ( a bit judgy): You are truly addicted to bad ideas.

LOGAN (with a smile): I know, but my bad ideas always deliver results. How would you have gotten us in?

FINN: (sigh) Not nearly as quickly.

LOGAN: Exactly. (slight laughter) What a rush! At least we’re awake now.

FINN: Sure.

Logan looked around, unable to contain the big smile spreading over his face. The hallways of the palace weren’t nearly as busy as the courtyard had been, especially not the side corridor they had fled into.

LOGAN: I think all of the action’s happening upstairs on the balconies.

FINN: Looks like it.

[SFX footsteps resonating from interior walls, far away crowd sounds get louder as they walk upstairs]

They walked out of their hiding spot and up the stairs as if they’d gotten the viscount’s personal permission to be there. The palace’s décor was kept quite simple. Even though the lower half of the walls were decorated with an intricate mosaic of blue and green tiles, the upper half were plain white with no paintings or other art adorning any of the hallways. Logan was a bit astonished that none of the palace had been decorated for tidebringings, considering how colourful the court and the surrounding balconies had been.

As Logan had predicted, the second floor held many more people although they all looked much busier than the ones in the courtyard.

LOGAN (whispering): Alright, now to find a new target… Won’t be as easy as infiltrating that horrible group in the garden, though. We probably need to listen in on what people are talking about for a while. Not the quickest method but we don’t know yet what we’re working with. Maybe you’ll recognise someone who could be useful to us.

            [small pause]

He glanced back at Finn but Finn wasn’t paying him any attention. He had his gaze to the ground, eyebrows drawn together, as he automatically followed Logan through the hallways.

LOGAN (unsure): Finn? [small pause] If… the people are getting too much for you, we can also just leave, you know?

            [small pause]

FINN: No, no. We might still be able to find out more.

LOGAN: Okay.

FINN (pensive): I’m just thinking… The one lady mentioned that Lisec was slated to become the new captain before Silac took over. I hadn’t really thought about that until now. I remember most people were confused that Silac got the position instead but I just dismissed it at the time, thinking it was probably just some internal politics that got Silac the spot, but …. Do you think he could already influenced people back then?

Logan guided Finn onto an empty balcony with a light touch and looked out over the crowd in the courtyard below as he considered Finn’s comment.

[SFX quiet interior turns into far away chatter from courtyard below and far away ocean & seagull sounds. Footsteps stop]

LOGAN (pensive): Hmm, that’s a really good question actually. [small pause] When did he get the position?

FINN: About two or three years ago.

LOGAN: That’s not that long… I don’t think we can rule it out. Maybe he’s had the ability for a while now. Would make sense that he didn’t just suddenly acquire it as we ran into him. I didn’t really consider how long he must have been influencing people to get what he wants.

FINN: It also means he has been working with the Crow for that long, or even longer.

LOGAN: If they are actually the source of his ability.

FINN: Where else would it have come from?

LOGAN: I don’t know. Maybe from something we know nothing about and the Crow is working with him because of his ability without being the source for it.

FINN: That could also be a possibility, yes. [small pause] Two years ago was also when the fire in Miller’s Knee happened.

LOGAN: Yeah. … Do you think it’s related?

FINN: Who knows. We don’t have nearly enough information to draw conclusions.

            [pause]

LOGAN: If Silac is related to the Zawarec family and the viscount’s second husband, do you think they’re all working with the Crow.

            [pause]

FINN: I hope not.

LOGAN (sarcastic): Wouldn’t that be terrific? If a group of fanatics who are trying to revive the old Gods had infiltrated every aspect of the kingdom’s regime?

FINN (dryly): Yes, truly terrific. Next you’ll tell me all the members of the Royal Council are just puppets to be sacrificed to bring back Tavuu’Moda.

LOGAN: Well, I think you can guess my stance on our dear Royal Council.

FINN: I do think they’re doing a better job at governing the kingdom than a God angry because we woke him from his slumber.

LOGAN: Hey, who knows, maybe Tavuu’Moda would be a peaceful tyrant who lifts everyone out of poverty.

FINN: And connects all provinces to the railway system.

LOGAN: As long as he’s doing it without exploiting his workers he’ll do a much better job than the Council’s doing.

FINN: [sigh] The Council isn’t even the one overlooking the construction of the train system.

LOGAN: Yeah, I know, but they are the ones turning a blind eye to the situation.

[SFX rhythmic, mechanical clanking approaching slowly]

A strange machine appeared at the entrance of the inner court and instantly the crowd quieted down. Large, mechanical legs protruded from a comfortable seat on which an older man sat. They advanced slowly, like the legs of a spider – a slim pipe behind the seat exhaled a plume of smoke high above the man’s head. He looked serious, unsmiling as he manoeuvred his way through the parting crowd. With his left hand he steered the moving chair across the inner court, although Logan couldn’t quite see how the mechanism worked.

LOGAN [whisper, mockingly]: The lord of the castle.

Logan leaned forward, placing his elbows against the stone bannister. Viscount Zarkid had grown sombre in his older years, to the point where some people might call him unpleasant. He’d garnered a reputation for liking feasts and festivities held in his palace but Logan doubted that was still the case. He barely greeted or even regarded the people surrounding him in his inner court and didn’t exchange any words with the ones accompanying him.

LOGAN [whisper]: I’m astonished he didn’t also put these ridiculous ribbons all over his chair to match the occasion. Although, I’m sure all this decorating is more the fault of one of his husbands than his own.

He looked back at Finn with a grin but his face quickly fell as he saw his friend’s expression. He’d never seen so many emotions displayed on Finn’s face at once, so much fear and anguish battling against utter confusion.

LOGAN [concerned whisper]: What? What is it?

Logan straightened again as Finn’s fear infected him – his arms and legs becoming restless.

            [small pause]

LOGAN [concerned whisper]: Finn, what is it?

Finn opened his mouth, but no words tumbled out. His wide-open eyes were fixed on the scene in front of them. Logan turned around again, his eyes scanning the inner court but nothing seemed out of place to him.

LOGAN [concerned, fast murmurs]: I don’t know what you’re seeing, Finn. Is it the chair? Is it Zarkid? Did someone else show up? What?

FINN [barely audible]: Why is she here?

LOGAN [scared]: What? Who? Who is here?

FINN [barely audible, scared, tapers off until it can’t be heard anymore]: She shouldn’t be here. There’s no reason for her presence here. In Baedan? There’s nothing here for her. Why would she form an alliance with him? All of her work focuses on the North. Didn’t she say she was bored of the South? Is she back because of me? Did they send her to get me back?

Logan’s gaze fell on a woman who was accompanying Viscount Zarkid. His eyes only lingered on her cause she reminded him of someone and a second later it hit him that she reminded him of Finn. Logan whirled around to stare at Finn again, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion, before his eyes darted back to the woman. Their hair was the same shade of blond, although hers were slightly longer, ending just below her chin. They had the same slender frame, the same square shoulders, and Logan was sure if he could have looked her in the eyes hers would have been the same light shade as Finn’s.

LOGAN: Are you talking about her? The one walking next to the chair? Do you know her? She looks like you. Is she family?

            [small pause]

LOGAN [getting frustrated]: Finn, for the love of the stars, could you please answer at least one of my questions?

FINN [shaken]: My sister.

LOGAN [louder]: Your what? What do you mean your sister?

FINN [confused]: What is there not to understand? My sister. My parents’ other child.

LOGAN [astonished]: You have a sister?

FINN [confused]: Yes? Why are you so astonished?

LOGAN: You never mentioned it before.

FINN: Why would I have mentioned her? How would that have advanced our research?

LOGAN: I don’t know.

FINN: You never mentioned any siblings either.

LOGAN: Well, I have a brother but that doesn’t matter now, why are you terrified of your sister?

FINN: She … she’s a terrifying person.

LOGAN: Care to elaborate.

FINN: Not really.

LOGAN: Sure, yeah, whatever, be terrified on your own, that’s fine. Why is she here?

FINN: I don’t know. She shouldn’t be here.

LOGAN: Okay, I guess it’s time to find out then.

FINN: Absolutely not!

LOGAN: What’s one more mystery when we’ve already got fifty to solve. Aren’t you curious? Maybe she’s here for you. Or to form a super secret alliance with Zarkid. Shouldn’t we find these things out before they come back to bite us in the ass?

FINN: Logan!

LOGAN: Alright, alright. I’ll not go talk to your sister. I’m sure she’s only half as beautiful as you anyway.

FINN: She’s only half as nice as me, that’s for sure.

LOGAN: Who would have thought that could be possible.

Logan looked back out over the balcony, leaning on the cold stone again. The Viscount had long crossed the court with his moving chair and the crowd had flocked back together into their clumps, chatting away at whichever new rumours this entrance had just created.

Logan glanced back at Finn. His jaw and shoulders were set tight but his hands were incessantly opening and closing – a habit Logan had already noticed earlier that only appeared when Finn seemingly wasn’t in full control of the situation.

LOGAN: Do you want us to leave?

[Small pause]

FINN: I think that might be best. … I don’t particularly want to find out what she’d say if she finds me here. I… apologize that we have to cut our exploration short.

LOGAN: Nah, don’t worry about it. We came here to solve problems, not create new ones.

---

Next episode, we’ll turn our attention back to Rena and the rest of the group and we’ll get back to the voting system. I apologize once more that there’s been such big gaps between episodes but we should be able to get back to a more regular schedule in the near future.

If you like this podcast, consider leaving a review or supporting it on Ko-Fi or Patreon. You can also get the novelization of the first season as an ebook and paperback from most major retailers.

You can find transcripts for each episode, character art, and a map of the kingdom on theheartpyre.com.

The intro music is Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone.

The Heart Pyre is written and produced by me, Audrey Martin.

Thank you for listening.

---

With 75 percent of the votes, our story continues on the second path.

Rena isn’t sure what the fox wants from her, why it keeps showing up, but she know that the only way to find out is to follow it. 

Content Warnings: Confined Spaces, Suffocation

By the end of the episode, three choices will be presented to you. Voting is open until April 24th.

The Heart Pyre will go on a short hiatus after this episode.

Find A Searing Faith, the novelisation of season 1, on your favourite platform:
https://books2read.com/A-Searing-Faith

Intro music: Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone

Logo Design: Mars Lauderbaugh

Welcome to the Heart Pyre. This is the first of two bonus episodes focusing on what Logan and Finn have been up to while away from the rest of the group. I apologize that I had to take a break in the middle of the season. I’ve just started a new job and since this is a solo project, I’ve had to readjust my time quite a bit. I’m hopeful that the season will continue soon after the bonus episodes though, so enjoy this little side escapade in the meantime.

---

               [SFX gas hissing]

Logan entered the room they’d rented at the inn and let the satchel slide from his shoulder, dropping it onto the bed next to Finn. He sat down at the foot of his own bed and toed out of his shoes before crossing his legs. Finn looked at the bag in confusion, a frown slowly forming on his face. He was sitting with his back to the wall, legs angled up, his coat folded neatly to his right.

LOGAN: Where’s Rena?

               [small pause]

FINN: She left for the library.

LOGAN: Already? Well, I guess I was gone longer than anticipated.

FINN: I didn’t hear you leave this morning.

LOGAN (nonchalant): I can be sneaky.

FINN: You left quite early. Where did you go?

LOGAN: Just got us some new clothes.

FINN: New clothes?

LOGAN: Yeah, you know, we’ve been walking around in the ones we’re wearing for long enough. My nose tells me it’s time for some change.

FINN (mistrustful): You were gone all morning to buy us clothes?

LOGAN: It takes time to find true quality in this city.

Finn stared at him for a moment but didn’t say anything. Logan stared back, a pleasant smile on his lips. They both knew that Logan wasn’t telling the whole truth but would Finn think it important enough to start an argument over it?

[SFX clothes rustle]

He reluctantly turned his attention towards the satchel and slowly reached for it as if it might bite. He unlaced the top and reached in, pulling out a long red dress with black, beaded embroidery at the hem. The dress, however, had clearly lived a rich life before ending up in Logan’s satchel – the colour had already faded and some of the beads were missing.

LOGAN: That one’s for Rena. Tried to find something that wasn’t too long so she wouldn’t trip over it, but I’m sure we can make it fit somehow. I could try to rehem it if it’s really necessary.

Finn pulled out a shawl that matched the dress, then a pair of simple, blue trousers that had some very easily fixable holes near the waistband.

FINN: These aren’t new, or… true quality. Where did you find them?

LOGAN: In a store. Rich people throw their old clothes away when they don’t like them anymore, others rescue them from their tragic fate before the smell becomes unbearable, and we are the lucky ones who get to spend money to own someone else’s rubbish.

A look of disgust darting over Finn’s face for only a second.

FINN: [mumbling] Someone else’s rubbish. (small pause, louder) You had enough money on you to buy clothes for six people? Even if it is… this?

Logan leaned back on his elbows. He almost stopped as pain shot through his abdomen but he pushed through, reminding himself of all the times he’d been in much worse pain. He smiled at Finn, hoping it would mask the grimace his face wanted to contort into. The morning’s efforts didn’t agree much with his wound but he didn’t want anyone to worry about him, it would just waste too much time.

He was fine. Valentina’s paste had done its job and he’d found another healer in Hrevim who’d given him something against his pain. There wasn’t much else he could do but wait for it to heal. And hope he didn’t somehow make it worse.

LOGAN: No, but I have my ways. You don’t really need to know the details of how I acquired them. And if we’re going to the palace, we need to blend in with the rest of the crowd. Keep digging, you’ll find something for you.

He also didn’t want Finn to notice how light his head felt from the healer’s brew. It had gotten rid of most of his pain, and he was very thankful for that, but he could have done without the effect it had on his perception of the world.

FINN (mumbling): We’re not going to blend in wearing rubbish.

LOGAN: It’s not that bad, they got washed before I bought them. You can barely tell anymore that they’re rubbish.

               Finn turned his attention back to the satchel and eyed it wearily before pulling out the rest of the clothes. He found a long coat, similar in style to his own, but a rich yellow instead of his usual blue.

LOGAN: It’s like yours, the colours are just reversed.

Indeed, Logan had picked it precisely because it had reminded him so much of Finn’s. Where the blue coat had gold stitches outlining the lapel and pockets, the yellow coat had similar deep blue details.

FINN (unsure): Thank you. [pause] It barely looks used.

LOGAN: Couldn’t have you running around looking like a common peasant, your highness.

Finn stiffened for a second, then shot daggers at Logan.

LOGAN: I’m serious. It’ll be easy for you to fit in at the palace if your clothes look the part. You’ve already got the attitude, no one’s going to question your presence. I’m sure some of them will recognise you anyway, your lordship. And I wasn’t sure if Rena wanted to join us but I’m positive she could have made the red dress work, even if it looks a bit old. [flirtatious] But I suppose it’s just going to be the two of us after all.

FINN (mumbling): So it seems.

Finn pulled the coat closer. He rubbed the fabric between his fingers, the expression on his face shifting in contemplation.

FINN: The fabric is different.

LOGAN: [sucks teeth] Is it… a bad fabric?

[pause]

FINN: No, just a different texture. I’ll get used to it.

LOGAN: Alright, if you say so. But I could get you a new one if you don’t like it.

FINN (unsure, some disdain): It’s just a coat.

LOGAN: Well, I also got you new trousers. There are some brown ones I think would fit best with the coat. They’ve also got the fewest holes. Only the best for his majesty, of course.

As Finn reached for the brown trousers his hand recoiled the moment he touched the fabric. He froze, his hand hovering above the bag.

               [small pause]

LOGAN: Or you can use the beige ones.

               [small pause]

FINN (dismissive): I just got a shock. There must be some tension in the air.

Finn reached back into the bag, gripping the trousers tightly and pulling them out, before a shudder visibly ran through his whole body and he let go of them again.

LOGAN (slightly concerned): Are you sure?

               [small pause]

FINN (dismissive): Don’t be ridiculous, it’s just fabric. I will get used to it when I wear it. [pause] But maybe the beige trousers would look better with the coat.

LOGAN: I can assure you, either of them would look fantastic on you.

Finn shot him another look before carefully reaching back into the satchel and pulling out a third pair of trousers. He stopped for a moment, then pulled them closer and rubbed the fabric between his fingers.

LOGAN: It’s unfortunate that those got some stains but the coat should hide them.

The back of the trousers had light, green-ish stains, clearly from someone sitting in grass and finding themselves unable to get their unfortunate mistake out of the fabric. The stains were barely visible in the weak light of the gas lamp but who knew what daylight would reveal.

FINN: These will do fine.

He held them high and folded them before placing them on the bed next to his blue coat. He picked up the yellow coat, folded it, and placed it on top of the trousers.

FINN: I’ve been thinking about how we should approach the palace.

LOGAN: Brilliant. Tell me all about it.

FINN (pensive): Even if we were to get hold of the palace’s records, I’m unsure how beneficial they would be to us. As far as I recall, captain Silac has never worked in Baedan. There might be some reports of his interactions with the local guards but I doubt they’d be all too useful. At least not in proportion to the risk we’d be putting ourselves into by breaking into their hall of records.

LOGAN: Makes sense.

FINN (pensive): I don’t think our plan to go to the palace is a waste of time, however. We need to find out what Silac wants and why he’s associating with the Crow and while we won’t find any written proof of it, I’m sure we can find some of his acquaintances at the palace who might be able to enlighten us.

LOGAN: I know how to draw all those dirty, little secrets out of people.

FINN: I’m counting on that, actually. [hesitant] I’m not sure I would be the best person for the job.

LOGAN: Don’t worry about it. Just tell me where to strike and I’ll be your honey-laced viper.

FINN (pensive): We’ll need an excuse for why we’re accosting these people about Silac. I won’t be able to adopt a new identity. As you already mentioned, at the very least, a handful of people would recognize me, but we can still give you a new name. Someone with a high enough rank to justify your presence at the palace.

LOGAN (flirty): Your paramour.

FINN: We need something more believable.

LOGAN: Ouch.

FINN (pensive): A minor son of nobility. From the North perhaps. Somewhere far enough that the fewest people might be familiar with the regional nobility.

LOGAN: How about Jodash? That’s small and unimportant enough as a province.

FINN: I wouldn’t exactly call it unimportant, definitely not these last few years, but it might not be a bad idea to pick it. It hasn’t been the strongest province historically. Are you familiar with its nobility?

LOGAN: Familiar enough. The rest I can just make up.

~~~

               [SFX gas hissing fades out, ocean and seagull sounds fade in in background, crowd noises fade in]

Logan and Finn left the inn shortly after mulling over the details of their plan. The yellow coat and beige pants fit Finn quite well. Logan had also bought them simple, white shirts, and even though they were all too big for Finn, they found one that wouldn’t make him look too unkempt. Finn had contemplated whether he should bring his rapier, then decided against it, even if not having it on him made him feel uneasy. There was just no reason for a diplomatic visitor to the palace to have a weapon on them.

Logan wore the dark blue trousers, tucking the cuffs into his old boots to hide the fact they were much too long. He paired the trousers with a green, embroidered vest that had a badly mended tear in the back, and a dark blue cape that hung over his left shoulder.

They marched straight to the palace, walking with determination as if they had an important meeting. The fortress stood higher than the rest of Hrevim, built centuries ago on a small hill with the city growing around it. With constant renovations, it barely showed its age. The white walls still shone brightly in the sun as if no fleck of dust or dirt had ever dared touch it. A cobbled path – red and white stones forming an intricate pattern – led to massive cast iron doors that probably remained of the palace’s first iteration. They stood wide open, two guards standing to either side of them as masses of visitors flooded into the first vestibule.

               [SFX ocean and seagull sounds fade a bit, crowd gets louder, faint songbird noises]

Logan and Finn let the flow move them forward into the open room. Another set of massive doors led towards the inner court while to either side closed, guarded doors barred entrance to the actual palace. Logan guided Finn into the court with a light touch, weaving a way through the crowd for them. The centre held a garden large enough to fit an entire village. It had already been decorated for tide-bringings, with thin poles jutting out of the ground every few metres to which red fish-shaped streamers had been attached high in the air. Several metal sculptures of fire mackerels had been placed around the garden, their motion conveying a feeling that a swarm was circling around the court.

Grapes of visitors stood in deep conversation no matter where you looked, even deep inside the garden. Balconies on the inner side of the square building surrounded the court and held further flocks of people, looking down upon the ones unworthy of entering the palace proper. Blue, white, and red ribbons had been tied between the balconies, hanging down into the inner court.

FINN (unnerved): I knew Viscount Zarkid liked company, just not to this extent.

LOGAN (almost derisive): He really still uses Viscount?

FINN: It’s a historic title tied to the region. There’s no reason to abandon it.

LOGAN: It just sounds a bit pompous, don’t you think? Everyone else is just a lord or lady.

FINN: Not everyone. Jodash has an exalted count.

LOGAN: And that guy must be really arrogant.

FINN: Never met him. And Lailad isn’t lord of Vellashta either. Her title’s simply administrator of records even if her duties include overseeing the entire province.

LOGAN: Look at you being all important and on a first name basis with the administrator.

FINN (salty muttering): She basically raised me, I’d better be able to call her by her first name.

LOGAN: Raised you? Interesting. I like getting to know these little crumbs of knowledge about you. It’s like a puzzle with gilded edges.

FINN (slightly annoyed): [sigh] We’re not here to discuss my upbringing or the kingdom’s politics. [small pause] (unsure) I’m not sure how to proceed, however. I hadn’t imagined this place flooded by visitors to such an extent. Tide-bringings’s only in a few days.

LOGAN: What do you mean? This is great! So many people we can talk to!

FINN (disdainful): Too many. We’ll just waste our time talking to the wrong people.

LOGAN: There’s no such thing as the wrong person when you’re trying to gather information. Everyone’s got something to tell. You just need to identify the chattiest ones and let them lead you to those who actually hold power at this court.

FINN: That sounds… exhausting.

LOGAN: That’s why it’s my job and not yours. You just stand around looking all pretty and important and wait for me to come back to you.

               [small pause]

FINN: That still sounds like a waste of time.

LOGAN: If you have a better plan to get us into this stupidly massive building, I’m all ears. Cause I think what we actually want to do is be up there on those balconies.

FINN: Or inside the building.

LOGAN: Sure, but talking to the highest echelons of nobility won’t actually be helpful to us. We need to find the ones who gossip, the ones who have the connections but also have enough time to chat to random strangers. Those who have nothing better to do all day than to soak up rumours like a sea sponge that’s been stranded on a beach for a week.

FINN: The people I generally try to avoid.

LOGAN (with a smile): And my best friends on days like these.

FINN: How do we find them?

LOGAN: By observing the crowd. Identify those who are looking around and talking in hushed voices. Listening in to their conversations as we stroll through the garden. Make ourselves a mental map of who’s who. Do you recognise any of them?

FINN: A few.

LOGAN: Good. Tell me about the ones you deem most important. And not important to the kingdom, the ones you hate the most for being nosy.

~~~

Logan set the pace as they first wandered around the garden and then through it. Finn had a tendency to walk quickly and it was evident by the tension in his body that their leisurely pace was agony to him, especially paired with the mass of people surrounding them.

Logan regarded the visitors present in the inner court through the corners of his eyes, using this first lap to gather information while Finn told him what he knew about these people. He had to concentrate much harder than usual as the healer’s tincture was still messing with his head and the general noise of the place didn’t help him either.

He had half a mind to interlock his arm with Finn’s but he wasn’t so ignorant to think that the gesture would be appreciated. So instead, he clasped his hands behind his back and only leaned towards Finn close enough to hear him speak, but far enough that it didn’t look like they were conspiring.

The inner court was clearly the place to be if you thought you were someone in Hrevim. It seemed to Logan that everyone who even had the most remote claim to nobility had gathered in this garden. What they’d hoped to gain here, he wasn’t sure, but he figured they just had nothing better to do in life.

He’d identified a few groups that he might want to accost – the snickering ones whose eyebrows raised anytime someone walked past. He just wasn’t sure yet how to approach them so they’d be willing to talk to him. If he seemed too eager, they’d shut him out, or worse, call the guards. If he seemed too dull, they’d simply ignore him. Too interesting, and they’d waste all his time trying to figure out who he was. No, he’d need to slip into their conversation without them noticing. His head just refused to think clearly enough to come up with a viable plan.

An older woman entered the court and most people’s attention instantly gravitated towards her. The court fell silent for just a moment, barely noticeable, before the murmuring resumed. Even with just a glance, Logan could tell that she was someone.

LOGAN (whisper): Who’s that?

FINN (whisper, hesitant): I’m not actually sure.

She had dark olive skin with piercing eyes the colour of a summer sky. Her curly, blond hair had been pinned up into twists, only a few strands falling down her shoulders. She walked past all the hungry eyes pretending not to look at her, two servants hurrying after her as she crossed the court and headed towards a door at the back.

LOGAN (whisper, bit excited): And that’s exactly who we needed.

FINN (whispering, confused): Why?

LOGAN (whisper): Because everyone will want to gossip about her and once we got them talking, we can learn all kinds of things from them.

               [small pause]

FINN (whisper, unsure): Why her?

LOGAN (whisper): Because she wants to be seen and everyone’s more than happy to comply. She could have used the doors in the vestibule to enter the palace. Instead, she chose to walk through the busy court to head inside. There’s something brewing here, we just have to find out what.

---

Logan and Finn’s adventure will conclude in the next episode.

If you like this podcast, consider leaving a review or supporting it on Ko-Fi or Patreon. You can also get the novelization of the first season as an ebook and paperback from most major retailers.

You can find transcripts for each episode, character art, and a map of the kingdom on theheartpyre.com.

The intro music is Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone.

The Heart Pyre is written and produced by me, Audrey Martin.

Thank you for listening.

---

This episode is the first of two bonus episodes portraying what Logan and Finn have been up to while away from the rest of the group.

I apologize for the long, unexpected hiatus. As mentioned in the episode, this is a solo project and with my new job taking over all of my time I’ve found myself barely able to work on the show at all. I truly hope I’ll find time to work on the end of the season in the near future but I can’t predict any release dates for now.

Find A Searing Faith, the novelisation of season 1, on your favourite platform:
https://books2read.com/A-Searing-Faith

Intro music: Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone

Logo Design: Mars Lauderbaugh

Welcome to The Heart Pyre. This is episode 27, Winding Roads. As a warning, this episode contains some scenes in confined spaces.

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[SFX ocean and seagull sounds, dock working sounds]

An ice-cold shudder ran down Rena’s back as she realized she hadn’t just imagined the eerie voice; that the fox must have truly spoken to her. She didn’t dare breathe, her eyes fixed on the animal as it slowly stood up, its tail waving calmly from side to side.

But what kind of fox could speak? And had it truly spoken, or had she simply heard the voice in her mind? Not that it made a big difference, either option wasn’t natural, but after what Silac had done to Rena and her companions, anything seemed possible.

RENA [murmur]: Did you hear that?

ASHA [concerned]: Hear what?

Asha and Rodrick followed her gaze, their confusion growing as their eyes stumbled upon the strange animal.

RODRICK [confused]: Is that…. a fox?

RENA [dazed]: The same one.

               [small pause]

RODRICK: The same one as what?

FOX [otherworldly, commanding]: Come!

The fox leapt up and turned around, disappearing into the small street it had been standing in front of. Rena’s body jerked forward as if it meant to follow the animal, but Asha grabbed her arm, her fingers digging into Rena’s flesh until it hurt.

ASHA [mistrustful]: What is that?

Rena stopped despite every cell in her body screaming at her to follow the fox. And even though Asha’s grip shot pain up her arm, she didn’t dare wrench herself free, afraid that if she wasn’t held back, she’d simply run ahead.

RENA [scared]: I’ve been seeing the same fox over and over again. It was in the Plains, and the archives, and the forest near Oceansthrow, and I even saw it when Captain Silac attacked us. It’s been following me and I think it just spoke to me.

Her legs felt restless, her skin itching all over. If she couldn’t move soon, she’d lose the fox once more.

RENA [scared, restless]: I-I need to follow it.

ASHA [mistrustful]: It spoke to you? From that far away?

RENA [unsure]: Yes! [small pause] I-I don’t know. It told me to follow it. I need to know what it wants.

RODRICK [calm, mistrustful]: Now, Rena, are you sure that you heard it? I’ve never known of a fox, or any other animal for that matter, capable of human speech. I think if such a thing was possible, everyone would be aware of it, don’t you think? I certainly didn’t hear it speak just now. Did you, Asha?

ASHA: No.

RODRICK (concerned, calm): I’m sorry to tell you this, but you might simply be tired, Rena. Sometimes our mind plays tricks on us if we didn’t get enough sleep and then we can start believing that we hear sounds that were probably just the wind. And there must be a lot of foxes in big cities – they’re opportunists after all, and it’s much easier for them to live off humans’ leftovers than it is to hunt – I highly doubt that you saw the same animal twice, especially if you saw it in the Plains. Foxes don’t typically travel that far.

It felt so belittling. She knew she was young, and she knew she was tired from their journey, but that didn’t mean she was making it up! How had Rodrick experienced Silac’s strange ability but couldn’t believe her on this? After everything they went through, didn’t he trust her? Or might he be right and she was genuinely that exhausted? No, the fox had to exist. She’d seen it too often. If she’d heard the voice however, she wasn’t all too certain about, but she knew that she hadn’t made up the fox.

RENA [determined]: It is the same one! I’m sure of it. And it isn’t just the markings. It’s the way it’s staring at me. I’ve seen plenty of wild foxes in my life, this isn’t one of them. It doesn’t act like one. I-It’s like it’s seeking me out, like it wants something from me, but I don’t know what!

The longer they waited, the more restless Rena became, as if something was pulling at her, and she didn’t like that feeling at all. She’d never felt like this before when she’d seen the fox but it had never spoken to her before either. It scared her, reminding her of what Silac’s commands had felt like, even though it wasn’t completely the same. Silac’s control had felt wrong. This feeling almost had a sweet undercurrent to it, like it was trying to tell her she’d be safe if she followed.

She needed to know what the fox wanted. Why it kept following her. Even if she didn’t fully trust this feeling, she couldn’t keep living her life afraid the fox might appear at any moment, not knowing what it might do next, and that meant she’d have to follow it. It had to have something to do with their whole situation, with the Crow and the destruction of Oceansthrow and the disappearance of her sister, even if she didn’t know what yet. And it had helped her once before, it might help her again. Maybe even show her how to get to her sister. How to save her.

She turned to Asha, who was still holding onto Rena’s arm.

RENA [desperate]: I need to go after it. Please.

RODRICK: I don’t know if that’s the wisest use of our time. We need to find Kalani, after all.

RENA [whisper]: Please.

Asha looked at her, deep concern clouding her dark eyes before she looked up and stared at the passage the fox had disappeared into. For a long time, she didn’t say anything at all. A tightness formed around Rena’s heart, the urge to slip her arm out of Asha’s grasp and just run away rising, but then Asha nodded once and let go of Rena.

RENA [murmur]: Thank you.

Rena couldn’t let Rodrick and Asha know about the feeling pulling at her. They certainly wouldn’t let her follow the fox if they knew about it. She focused on her breathing, clasping her hands in front of her and digging her nails into the flesh of her palm so that the pain would overshadow this strange urge.

ASHA [determined]: But we have to be careful, you hear me?

RENA: I promise.

She smiled at Asha, then at Rodrick, trying to reassure them as best as she could. Rodrick didn’t look too convinced at first but soon he sighed and reciprocated her smile.

RODRICK: I suppose we can spend a bit of time figuring out this mystery instead of our usual ones, as long as it isn’t going to take up our entire afternoon.

RENA (excited): It won’t!

               [SFX multiple sets of footsteps]

Rena whirled around and almost leapt forward, but then stopped herself and forced her feet into a more regular stride. They walked past the dock workers on their lunch, murmuring a quick greeting in passing, before entering the narrow passage between two buildings the fox had stood before. Rena craned her neck in the hopes she could still see a flash of orange but the road bent to the right a few meters ahead. She picked up her pace, dread rising in her that the fox might already be gone. She dashed around the corner and almost ran into a worker coming from the other side.

RENA (murmur): Sorry.

               [SFX footsteps jogging closer, then stopping]

ASHA (hiss): Didn’t I say to be careful?

RENA (embarrassed): Yes, I know, I’m sorry. I just don’t want to lose its trail.

               [SFX footsteps pick up again]

Heat rose to her cheeks but luckily Asha didn’t say anything more. Rena forced her steps to stay in line with her companions’, mentally cursing Rodrick for walking so slowly, then admonishing herself for the thoughts. She knew that Asha was right, that she couldn’t simply run ahead without knowing where she was going, but that didn’t mean Asha had to talk to her like a child. They would never catch up to the fox at this pace and then they’d have truly wasted their time for nothing. Rena hated that the others didn’t feel the same urgency as she did, that everything had to be approached slowly. The fox’s appearances had to mean something, they couldn’t simply be a coincidence, not with how often she’d seen it, not considering it had spoken to her. She had to find out what it wanted, for Maya’s sake.

The afternoon sun illuminated their way but the high buildings surrounding them cast the narrow street in shadows. The roads in this part of the city had clearly been built a long time ago, with carts having carved grooves into the stones underneath their feet over the centuries. The walls around them had once been white but had long since acquired a brown and green tint. The salt of the ocean still lay heavy on the air, while the cacophony of the docks faded slowly into the background.

               [SFX dock working noise getting dimmer]

They walked for a bit, then turned another corner, to the left this time, only to see that the passage curved right again a few metres ahead. Rena stopped after having rounded the second corner, a flash of orange dashing away from her.

She leapt forward, her body moving before she could even consider waiting for her companions.

RENA: Quickly!

               [SFX footsteps quicken]

Luckily, no one told her to slow down this time. The fox disappeared between two buildings, into a passage that was barely wide enough for one person to fit through. Rena didn’t wait, quickening her step so she wouldn’t lose sight of it.

               [SFX ocean and seagull sounds getting dimmer]

The fox was always just a few metres ahead even though it seemed much faster and nimbler than Rena. Maybe it was waiting for her behind each corner? Rena couldn’t explain it any other way. Especially after she had to turn sideways to fit through some of the passages.

               ASHA (dim in background): Rena!

She wasn’t sure anymore where in Hrevim she was, or if she was even still in Hrevim. The walls around her grew higher, casting her path in shadows. She didn’t have time to think about what a strange route the fox was weaving, that these passages shouldn’t have existed. In the back of her mind, she knew that something wasn’t right, that there was no reason for a city to have been built like this, but if she stopped to reconsider her actions she would lose the fox’s trail and that wasn’t an option.

               ASHA (dim in background): Rena! Wait!

               [SFX Rena’s footsteps getting louder, faster and more echo-y]

She rounded another corner and was faced with a long and narrow street. The fox had disappeared but there weren’t many options where it could have gone to. The end of the street looked like a luminous dot as if the dark passage led to a wide road that basked in sunlight. But first Rena needed to get to it. She ran ahead until the walls almost grazed her shoulders. A few metres further and she had to turn sideways to fit through the narrow space.

               [SFX background noises dim and faded; Rena’s footsteps stop; all you can hear is her breathing]

She advanced quickly until she realized that she couldn’t turn her head anymore. She paused, her eyes fixed on the dot of light in front of her, the dot that never seemed to come closer. She knew with certainty now that the fox had led her somewhere that wasn’t truly in Hrevim. Where she actually was, she couldn’t even begin to imagine. She listened for her companions’ footsteps, unable to turn her head to look for them, but there were no sounds besides her breathing. She tried not to panic even though her fingers felt ice cold and her lungs started to cramp. She didn’t have much space to expand her lungs but she tried to take as deep breaths as possible, knowing that if she’d started to hyperventilate she wouldn’t be able to think of how to get out of the situation. She only had two options, either marching on or going back. She didn’t know what awaited her further but would she be able to find her way back to the docks? If she wasn’t truly in Hrevim, there was no guarantee that the way she’d come from would lead back into Hrevim. She couldn’t assume that this new space worked rationally, not after everything that had happened over the last few days. Everything she’d known before had turned out to be wrong in some form, she couldn’t fully trust in logic anymore. No, she needed to continue ahead. The fox had led her to safety before, she needed to trust it once more.

               [SFX breathing stops]

She closed her eyes, breathed out as far as she could and pushed her shoulder forward. The rough surface of the walls scratched against her back and chest, tearing at her dress. She took small steps, having to force her body forward, her hair tangling against the stucco of the walls. Her lungs started to cramp but she had to keep going. There was no going back. Her vision started to blur, white dots appearing before her eyes, joining the one she was trying to reach.

               [SFX ocean and seagull sounds become more present, crowd sounds appear faint in background]

With her last strength, Rena pushed ahead and stumbled to the ground. She’d reached the end of the narrow passage. The glistening sunlight blinded her and only after blinking a few times could she see that she was in a new street, one that looked like it should – wide enough for two carts to pass through with houses to either side. She breathed heavily and looked up in astonishment. Across from her was an old tavern, with festive ribbons hung in front of its windows, but it didn’t seem open yet.

Rena looked around, relieved that there were no other people around her. Her head turned to the left and she held her breath. A few houses down the street, sat the fox, its shining orange eyes fixed on her. She slowly stood up, brushing down the dirt from her dress, all while keeping her gaze on the fox. It didn’t move this time, even when Rena took a careful step towards it.

RENA (shaky): What do you want?

               [small pause]

FOX: You have to hurry.

Rena: Why?

FOX: Your time is running out.

RENA (confused): What? What does that mean? [small pause] Is it about Maya? Is she in danger?

FOX: That’s not for me to tell you.

RENA (confused, getting slightly angry): Why?

FOX: You’ll have to figure it out on your own.

RENA (angry): Then what was all of this about? Why did you make me chase you through all of these streets?! Why are you following me?! Just to tell me that I have to hurry? I know that I have to hurry! But how is telling me that helpful at all when you can’t even tell me why?! Is it about the Historical Academy? Or about Silac? Is it about Maya? If you can’t tell me then why are you here?

FOX: I have my reasons.

RENA (angry): You’re no help at all! All you did was make me waste more time! Was that your plan? Do you actually work for the Crow?

FOX: I don’t work for anyone.

RENA (angry, getting shouty): Then why are you here?!

A knot tightened in her stomach, twisting until she couldn’t breathe anymore. She couldn’t understand it. There had to be a reason for the fox to seek her out besides telling her that her time was running out. She knew that. She knew that if she didn’t find Maya soon, something bad might happen to her. But she didn’t know what. Why couldn’t the fox simply tell her how to save her sister? Why did it insist on being so enigmatic?

But maybe she simply had to think about it differently. Put what the fox had told her into a different light. Was it trying to tell her that she shouldn’t get distracted? That Silac and Deacon and the Historical Academy didn’t matter? That they were just a distraction from her actual goal? But what about Jesper? Now that she knew he was still alive, she couldn’t just let him believe that the destruction of Oceansthrow was an accident. She needed him to know the truth, to know that she was trying to right the wrong.

               [SFX footsteps running closer]

Someone grabbed her arm and turned her around.

ASHA (angry): Rena! Have you lost your mind?!

Rena whirled back, panicked, and saw that the fox had already vanished. A few metres ahead, an old church split the street. The fox could have disappeared either down the right or left side of it. Rena slipped out of Asha’s grip and ran ahead, stopping when she’d reached the church, frantically looking from side to side, unable to decide which path was the right. The church had boarded-up windows, its façade full of carved symbols and words. Rena dashed to the right, then thought better of it and headed left, but there was no sign of the fox.

ASHA (angry, yelling): Rena!

               [SFX footsteps running closer]

ASHA (under her breath): I should have never agreed to this.

Asha grabbed her arm again, her fingers digging into Rena’s flesh until it hurt.

ASHA: Why are you just running ahead? You don’t even know where you’re going! Did your parents never warn you how dangerous cities can be?

RENA (angry): Stop treating me like a child!

ASHA (angry): Then stop acting like one!

RENA: Why don’t you trust me? I know it’s dangerous but you can’t coddle me like an infant! How are we supposed to figure anything out if we’re always too cautious to progress? Was I supposed to just let the fox escape?

ASHA (annoyed): Ok, fine. You want to be treated like an adult? Then don’t come crawling back to me when things get messy.

RENA: I’m not asking you not to help me at all. I just want your trust! I know that I can’t do everything on my own, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t make my own decisions.

ASHA (growling): Trust is earned.

RENA: And until then you’re going to keep me locked up in a box so that I can never get hurt or lost, is that it?

ASHA: Maybe I should.

Rena opened her mouth to reply but no words came to her.

RENA [heavy sigh]

Her eyes drifted past Asha, unable to withstand the furious gaze in the other woman’s eyes. She saw Rodrick emerge from the narrow passage between two houses, but he didn’t struggle at all. In fact, the street looked just as wide as any other street, even wide enough for a cart to pass through. Rena frowned and looked at the other side of the street. The tavern was right there, which meant it had to be the same passage she had forced her way out of. She looked down at her dress, expecting it to be ripped from when she brushed against the wall, but besides some dirt around the hem, it looked untouched.

Asha finally let go of her, took a step back and crossed her arms.

ASHA (calmer tone, still slightly bitter): Did you at least catch up to the fox?

               [small pause]

RENA: Yes. It spoke again.

ASHA: Hmm. What did it say?

RENA: That I needed to hurry.

ASHA: Why would you need to hurry?

RENA (unsure, annoyed): I-I don’t know. I think it has something to do with Maya. But it wasn’t very clear. It said I had to figure it out on my own.

               [small pause]

               [SFX footstep coming closer]

ASHA: So, all of this was for nothing?

RENA: No! I don’t know why the fox is acting like this, but it has to mean something! Maybe Maya is in danger. Maybe the Crow is planning something big soon. A-at least it told me that it isn’t working for the Crow.

ASHA (bitter): Or it’s playing tricks on you.

               [SFX footsteps stop]

RODRICK (heavy breathing): Rena, I have to say, I’m a bit worried about you today.

A bitter taste formed at the back of Rena’s throat as heat rose to her cheeks. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked out towards the other end of the street.

RENA (muttering): You don’t have to be.

RODRICK: This behaviour truly isn’t like you. To chase a wild animal through the narrow streets of a city you barely know is extremely dangerous.

RENA (muttering): So I’ve heard.

RODRICK: And this talk of the fox speaking to you… Rena, I just can’t condone it.

RENA (angry, snappy): Then don’t but don’t tell me you wouldn’t have done the same if you were in my shoes! The Crow has had Maya for over a week.

RODRICK (murmur): We can’t be sure of that.

RENA (angry, snappy): Stop it. I’m well aware that she might be dead, but what’s the point of dwelling on it? She’d still be dead in a week or month or year. But if she is alive, then we don’t know how much time we have, because we don’t know what they’re planning. What if they want to use her in that ritual you found? What if she was the last component they needed?

RODRICK: I don’t see what that has to do with the fox.

RENA: I don’t know either! But how are we supposed to find out if we don’t follow it? Wouldn’t you have done anything to save your son if you could have? Asha, I know you would have done the same for your brother!

ASHA (grumbly): Careful where you’re going with this.

The intensity of the anger in Asha’s eyes knocked the breath out of Rena’s lungs and the zeal that had coursed through her just a moment ago evaporated just as quickly as it had appeared.

RENA (hesitant, develops into desperation): I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I just… I know the fox has something to do with all of this. A-and maybe it’s just playing with me but maybe it isn’t! And we can’t find out if we don’t meet it where it wants us to meet.

RODRICK: Alright, alright. I understand where you’re coming from. But I agree with Asha that we should be careful.

RENA (defeated): I know, I’m sorry.

ASHA: [heavy sigh] I would have done the same. But just because I would do something doesn’t mean it’s a good idea, understood? [mutter] It’s annoying how much you remind me of my brother. [louder] We’ve wasted enough time blabbering on. Let’s try to find Kalani. You can consider yourself lucky that the fox led us somewhere that I actually know. There’s a broader street not far away, let’s go there first.

______

               [SFX market crowd noises]

They passed the church and soon emerged onto a wider road, as Asha had mentioned, one bustling with activity. In front of almost every building stood a decorated stall selling a myriad of different foods, drinks and trinkets. Even though no large banners and ribbons hung above their heads like the rest of the city had, the stalls and houses were still adorned in the same blue, white and red colours. A thin line of gold had been added to the mix, waving around the other colours as if it was tying them together.

After her initial astonishment, Rena soon noticed two things: the stalls were giving away their wares for free – like she had seen happen in the city of Rancor – and the majority of the stalls had some sort of mechanical apparatuses on their table. Most of them looked old and rudimentary – ranging from turning plates displaying a variety of drinks to an undulating fish with red, flaking paint – but seeing just how many existed shocked Rena. She would have never expected to find such wonders in even the most regular of streets in Hrevim. She had been to cities before, why had she never noticed such devices? What made Hrevim so different from all the cities in Vellashta that she’d never gotten the privilege to experience such a delight before?

With a wide smile, Rena let her eyes wander over each and every stall but then a question made her pause. Wasn’t Tide-bringings still a few days away? Or had she truly lost all sense of time? Did they celebrate earlier in Hrevim than what was usual in Vellashta? That seemed like a strange change to Rena, especially if it was only a few days. The rest of the city had only started decorating, so why was the festival already in full swing on this street? Had the fox made her lose a whole week when it’d led her through those strange streets?

RENA (confused): Isn’t it too early for Tide-bringings?

ASHA: This isn’t Tide-bringings.

RENA (confused): Then what is it then?

ASHA: It’s what existed before Tide-bringings. Zaeuun. The southern islands have been celebrating it for centuries, the mainland only adopted it recently.

RODRICK: I wouldn’t call two hundred years recently.

ASHA: Compared to the age of the dirt we’re standing on, it’s definitely recently. And this travesty that the Royal Council has turned it into is even younger than that.

RODRICK: Oh, no, no, no, Asha, that’s not a nice word. Traditions change naturally with the people celebrating it.

ASHA (bitter): Only if it’s the change the Historical Academy wants to see.

RENA (suddenly) Wait! Over there!

Rena pointed at the other side of the street where a group of three people had just exited a house next to a stall selling intricately carved, wooden fish.

ASHA (confused): Is that…?

RENA (excited): (shouting) Kalani! (regular) See, I told you the fox was going to help us!

RODRICK: What did I tell you about drawing hasty conclusions?

Kalani turned around, scanning the street with furrowed brows until her gaze landed on Rena who was eagerly waving at her. She tilted her head, her eyebrows relaxing for just a moment before drawing back into a frown. She turned back to her companions, spoke a quick word with them, then jogged across the street to join Rena and the others.

KALANI: What are you doing here?

RENA (excited): We were looking for you!

KALANI (concerned): Why? Did something happen?

Rena opened her mouth, but then paused, not sure where to start.

RENA: Yes, well, a lot actually. I ran into an old friend of my father’s who also survived the fire in Oceansthrow! He was with Deacon and a lady from the Historical Academy.

KALANI (shocked): What? Deacon’s here?

RENA: Yes, uhm, he’s looking for Logan. But Jesper, my father’s friend, he doesn’t know that the Crow set the fire! He thinks it was all just an accident.

Before she could say anything more a hand grabbed her arm and jerked her back.

ASHA (under breath): Silac.

RENA (shocked hiss): What?

As Asha dragged her back into the street they’d come from, Rena’s eyes frantically scanned the space around them, until they landed on Silac, and her heart froze. He was standing with his back to them in front of the undulating fish, only the side of his face visible to Rena, but that was enough to see the look of disgust on his face and the faint traces of the yellow-green veins, giving his complexion a sickly tint. Next to him stood another man in dire condition, a man Rena had barely thought about over the last few days. Michael looked paler than she’d remembered, with dark shadows under his eyes – although whether it was from a lack of sleep or an injury, she couldn’t tell.

Asha (hushed): I know where it’s safe.

Asha led the back past the abandoned church, down the street with the tavern, until she stopped at a small house, its façade a dull, greyish white with faded red window and door trims. As they got closer, Rena noticed a symbol carved into the door, a simple flower pattern in a circle. She wasn’t sure why it had grabbed her attention, she was sure she’d seen it on other buildings before, until it struck her that she’d also noticed it in Rodrick’s notebook the first morning they’d spent in Halvint. She grabbed Rodrick’s sleeve and tugged at it, then nodded at the symbol.

RENA (hushed): Do you know what the flower means?

RODRICK: The flower? It’s beautiful, right? As far as I could gather from my journeys, it’s a symbol of luck.

Kalani stepped up beside Rena and leaned closer.

KALANI (hushed): It welcomes spring. Every year, people carve it anew to hope for a bountiful harvest.

RENA: The same way Rodrick mentioned the symbols of the old Gods being carved into stone over and over to pray, right?

KALANI: Less frantically. People only carved it once a year. Otherwise, you’d soon have a hole in your door.

Asha knocked on the door once, then opened it and walked in. Rena felt a bit uncomfortable just entering a stranger’s house without being invited in first but she also didn’t want to stay out in the open where Silac could find her at any moment. They stepped into a room that held a cast-iron stove and cooking utensils to the left and a large table with a dozen chairs of varying styles to the right. A short, older woman stood near the stove, staring at them in astonishment, absentmindedly stirring in the large pot in front of her.

MANIALA (astonished): Asha! Look at how much you’ve grown! I haven’t seen you in so long.

The woman’s face lit up as Asha stepped closer. She had even darker skin than Asha and short-cropped, tightly-curled, white hair. She was dressed in an elegant tunic, with different layers of dark red and orange, tightly fit around the chest and loose from the hips down. It looked quite similar to Asha’s tunic, although the woman’s had long sleeves. Thickly-rimmed glasses adorned her nose, although they seemed too big for her slender face.

ASHA: You saw me five years ago, I haven’t grown since then.

MANIALA: Has it already been five years since Nura’s funeral? Oh, how time flies. And who are your lovely friends? Did you come to introduce me to your new spouse?

ASHA: I’d rather skin myself alive than get married. Maniala, everyone. Everyone, Maniala. My aunt’s cousin.

Asha walked over to the table and sat down on one of the chairs.

MANIALA (happy): Are you all hungry? You surely must be. Sit down, I’ll bring you some stew. Asha, your cousin should be arriving soon too, he’ll be delighted to see you again!

ASHA: I doubt it, he never liked me in the first place.

As much as Rena tried to protest, there was no dissuading Maniala from feeding the whole group. Rena didn’t actually feel all that hungry, not after the balls of fish they’d already been offered earlier, but the stew smelled delicious and she was curious to know what it tasted like. The smell didn’t disappoint, the taste was just as good. It was a hardy stew – with roasted eel, olives and garlic – and Rena felt right at home with it.

While Maniala dotted on them and brought them drinks and cakes, Rena explained everything that had happened that day to Kalani – at least as much as she dared say in front of a stranger.

ASHA: And then she made us follow a fox through half the city.

RENA (mumble): It definitely wasn’t half the city.

KALANI: A fox? The one you saw after our encounter with Silac?

RENA: Yes! Exactly!

Asha (dismissive, almost mocking): Apparently it spoke to her.

               [small pause]

KALANI: What did it say?

RENA: That we needed to hurry!

KALANI: Hurry with what?

RENA: It didn’t want to tell me.

KALANI: Hmm.

Kalani looked at her stew pensively, spooning a bit of the liquid before letting it trickle down again.

RODRICK (careful): Certainly, we can all agree that there are no such things as speaking foxes.

KALANI: There is so much in this life that you know nothing about, Rodrick, even with your fifty years of research.

RODRICK: But not animals with cryptic messages.

Rena wasn’t sure if she should also mention the ever-narrowing passage. She knew that Rodrick would only dismiss her again, but Kalani seemed open to the reality of the fox. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, keeping an eye on Maniala who was at the other end of the room riffling through her cupboards for something more she could offer them. Only then did Rena notice a sort of bird in the corner of the room, a device similar to the fish she’d seen outside, just much smaller and probably older. It didn’t have much of a distinct form and most of the colour had already faded away but every few minutes it jerked into a new position in an imitation of life.

KALANI: Rodrick, I think your head would melt off your shoulders if you learned of all of the things I’ve encountered before. I’ll have to think about whether this fox is a good or bad sign.

RENA: It has helped me before! When I was lost in the forest near Oceansthrow, it showed me the way out. And I led us to you today!

ASHA: Or it led us to Silac.

Rena opened her mouth to protest but she had to admit that Asha was right, that they’d seen Silac only moments after finding Kalani. Their afternoon could have gone very differently if Silac had been facing the other direction.

KALANI: It’s just another piece of the puzzle we need to keep in mind. But let’s circle back to the other thing you told me. Your father’s friend is still alive? That sounds like good news, at least. Not too sure I can say the same about Deacon being here.

RENA: Can’t Logan simply speak to him? I’m sure the dispute could be resolved if they talked it through.

KALANI: I’m not too sure about that. Logan doesn’t always like to admit fault and Deacon isn’t the calmest conversationalist either, especially not when he’s angry.

RENA: Is … Logan at fault?

KALANI: Partially. You’d have to ask him for the details, I just know that they’d planned on getting some documents from some noble’s house and it ended with Deacon in a cell for five days.

RENA: Oh…

KALANI: Logan claims that he warned Deacon that his plan wouldn’t work out, but who knows what truly happened. We should meet up with Logan and Finn again. I don’t think we have much time to collect more information, not if Silac’s already here. We’ll need to act quickly from here on out. If what I gathered is correct, I might know where the Crow is staying. And I sent a letter to Cass. If luck is on our side, they’ll be able to send us some help.

Rena nodded solemnly, her eyes drifting down towards her empty bowl. Emotions warred against each other in her chest. On the one hand, she was happy that Kalani agreed with her, that she wasn’t simply the young, anxious girl making things up, but on the other hand, it only served to feed her fear and worry. If even Kalani said that they had to hurry, then there was no denying it, and they’d soon have to confront the Crow.

Maniala stepped closer with a smile, having found a tin box with candied fruit that she sat on the table next to all the other food she’d already offered them. Rena looked up at her and reciprocated the smile, even if it was with a heavy heart.

RENA: I really like your bird.

MANIALA: Oh, that old thing? They’re everywhere on Boerom.

RENA: Boerom? Where’s that?

Rena welcomed the change in topic. With how much had already happened that morning, she could feel the exhaustion settle in her bones.

ASHA: The most western of the Grey Isles. And they’re not everywhere. Not anymore.

RENA: Why not? They seem lovely. I’d be delighted to have one in my home.

               [small pause]

ASHA: They were outlawed after the takeover.

RENA: Oh… Why?

ASHA: I don’t know. I’m sure they found some fitting justification. Too dangerous for children or something stupid like that. They don’t quite like that we have our own way of living, especially not the new warden.

MANIALA: Oluvad never signed off on any of these new rules. He’s a good man! It’s all this Royal Council meddling in our affairs.

ASHA (annoyed): Oluvad also hasn’t been the warden of the Grey Isles in over a decade, Maniala. You can’t tell me that you forgot that Dardec Prabec stole the isles away from him.

RENA: Stole?

RODRICK: I’m quite certain that it was a voluntary abdication on Horec Oluvad’s part. There’s no reason to call it stealing.

ASHA (annoyed): [heavy sigh] You can think whatever you want, old man.

               [SFX chair moving, footsteps walking away]

Asha got up and stepped away from the table, walking to the door that led into the rest of the house. Rena glanced at Rodrick but he only met her eyes shortly, Asha’s brusqueness clear having wounded him. Maniala, not having noticed the shift in mood in the room, started a pleasant conversation with Kalani, who indulged her politely.

---

Three paths lay in front of us, on which the story could continue.

• On the first path, Rena and her companions go directly to the palace to find Logan and Finn
• On the second path, Rena and her companions go back to the Broken Mast Inn to wait for Logan and Finn
• On the third path, Rena and her companions stay at Maniala’s home and send Asha’s cousin to go look for Logan and Finn

You can cast your vote by going to the show’s twitter page, the tumblr page, or on theheartpyre.com. You have until the April 18th to cast your vote.

If you like this podcast, consider leaving a review or supporting it on Ko-Fi or Patreon. You can also get the novelization of the first season as an ebook and paperback from most major retailers.

You can find transcripts for each episode, character art, and a map of the kingdom on theheartpyre.com.

The intro music is Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone.

The Heart Pyre is written and produced by me, Audrey Martin.

Thank you for listening.

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Welcome to The Heart Pyre. This is episode 26, The rush.

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               [SFX background: city noises, faint ocean and seagull noises, calm footsteps]

Rena walked calmly through the streets of Hrevim, as if she was simply out for a stroll on a beautiful, sunny day. On the inside, however, she was anything but calm. She needed to find her way back to her companions but she wasn’t even sure where most of them were. Asha was roaming the docks, Logan and Finn were supposed to be at the palace – but what if Logan had never shown up? – and Kalani was somewhere in the city. The only one she knew where to find was Rodrick, as long as he hadn’t left the library in the last hour.

For a second, she considered going back to the Broken Mast Inn and waiting for her companions there, but how could she know if Deacon was following her or not? He hadn’t seemed to trust her in the teashop and he probably wasn’t all too happy that everyone had kept dismissing his inquiries. If he was truly so desperate to find Logan again, would he simply let Rena leave when she might lead him to Logan? The only hope Rena had was that Aldara would keep him busy with some errands, but she couldn’t fully rely on it.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up. She felt observed but was it simply her imagination or was someone actually following her? She wanted to turn around and check but she knew she shouldn’t do so. It would draw too much attention to her. She needed to keep her gaze fixed ahead and her steps slow and orderly, as if this was just another uneventful day. If Deacon was truly following her, she couldn’t look like she was in a hurry to get back to someone. She breathed with the rhythm of her footsteps even though her lungs felt cramped and every breath shot a spike of pain through her chest.

She wanted to run to Logan and warn him, tell him that he might be in danger and that it was all her fault again, but that was probably the stupidest thing she could do at that moment. No, she would need to find her way back to the library. She would be safe there and Rodrick would be able to help her figure out what to do next. She just wasn’t sure how to navigate Hrevim’s maze of streets.

Around her, the city was alive with the preparations of some festivities. A shock ran through Rena as she realized that she had completely forgotten that Tide-bringings was in a few days. The shops on each side of the road were busy building stalls in front of their establishments to celebrate the return of the fire mackerel to their seas after the cold winter months. Blue, white and red ribbons were hung between houses, shading the streets and flowing in the wind, imitating the scarlet fishes’ journey on the ocean waves. A knife twisted through Rena’s heart as she remembered that her uncle had promised her siblings and her that he would take them to Hollowtooth for the festival and suddenly breathing became impossible. She stopped, her eyes glazing over, the knot in her lungs spreading to her throat and threatening to make her vomit. She had loved the celebrations in Hollowtooth, had loved seeing the smiles on her siblings’ faces. Tide-bringings had been the first time she had learned how to fish. The first time she had cooked fire mackerel she had caught herself.

Each of the southern regions had its own traditions for the return of the prized fish. While in eastern Vellashta a lot of the traditions revolved around cooking, western Vellashta had a strong focus on liquors – although the only time Rena had had the chance to taste the honey liquor that was kept with a dried fire mackerel in the bottle she had questioned why anyone had ever considered sharing their ghastly idea with another human being. But Vellashta wasn’t the only province to celebrate Tide-bringings. Rena had heard that cities in Baedan had long parades where people dressed up in elaborate costumes and danced in the streets. She’d always dreamed of seeing these processions, had spent endless nights with Maya imagining what these costumes might look like when they should have been fast asleep. It felt wrong that she might see them without her sister, that she might walk these decorated streets without her family.

She closed her eyes, pressing her eyelids shut tight until her face hurt. Her nails dug into the flesh of her palms, sending spikes of pain up her arms. It wasn’t fair that she would get to see another Tide-bringings celebration when her parents and her siblings and her uncle’s family and the rest of her village would never get to experience it ever again. Why was she the only one with such terrible luck? What had she done in her life to deserve this?

Someone bumped into her from behind, dragging her out of her spiral as she almost fell forward.

A burly man walked past her in a hurry, barely regarding her.

               STRANGER (mumbling): Excuse me.

RENA: [gasp]

Rena gasped and looked around in confusion, remembering that she had stopped in the middle of the street with no regard for her surroundings. She hurried to the side where she wouldn’t bother anyone and leaned against a house, her hand coming to worry at the ring and pendant around her neck. She pressed her other hand against the façade until its rough surface buried itself in her flesh and the pain made it impossible for her mind to wander again.

She didn’t want to look up, didn’t want to see the streamers above her, but she had to keep going. She might not be able to get her parents or her brothers back but she could save Maya and experience Hrevim’s parade with her. Despairing wasn’t going to help her at all.

She slowly lifted her eyes, glancing back to where she’d come from but she couldn’t see Deacon or anyone else observing her. But that didn’t mean no one was following her. She still needed to be careful.

She pushed herself away from the façade and brushed her dress down before resuming her walk. She kept her gaze close to the ground and advanced quickly. Her break would have alarmed anyone following her anyway, there was no point in pretending she was simply strolling down the street anymore.

It took her a while till she found her way back to the library but she had never had a problem with asking for directions.

[SFX city noises fade out, library crowd noises fade in, rhythmic mechanical noises in background getting louder as she gets closer]

She hurried inside, past the reception desks and stepped into the moving boxes at the end of the hall without hesitation. She was too preoccupied to still be afraid of them. She leaned her back against the back wall of the box, keeping her gaze fixed on the library’s entrance, but no one seemed to hurry inside after her. She allowed herself to relax at least a little bit, taking a deep breath as the box was momentarily plunged into darkness.

[SFX crowd noises fade out, mechanical noises fade into background, occasional page turning and scribbling in background]

She re-emerged on the first floor and even though she wanted to run towards Rodrick she walked slowly so that her footsteps didn’t break the silence of the room. She was in luck, Rodrick was still sitting at the same table, hunched over an ever-growing pile of books. He had somehow acquired a piece of parchment, a quill and an ink pot and had filled the page with notes in a barely legible script.

RENA (hissed whisper): Rodrick!

               [SFX chair scraping against wooden floor]

RODRICK (astonished whisper): Rena? You’re back already? I hadn’t expected you for another couple of hours. Or did time fly by so quickly?

RENA: No, no. I didn’t go back to the inn. Something happened.

RODRICK: Something happened?

RENA (erratic whispers): Yes, I ran into someone. An old friend of my father’s. Jesper. He survived the fire! Ocassian already mentioned that someone else might have survived but I didn’t expect to run into him here. He’s travelling with someone from the Historical Academy and Deacon.

RODRICK: Deacon? Logan’s Deacon?

RENA: Yes! Deacon’s looking for Logan. I don’t know why he’s with Jesper though, maybe he thought if he could meet me he could get closer to Logan. I don’t know. But I went to a tea shop with them because they wanted to talk to me.

RODRICK: On your own? Oh Rena, I don’t think that was a smart idea.

RENA: I didn’t know what else to do! I couldn’t just let them leave. I might have never seen Jesper again. I had to find out where he’s staying so we can talk to him and maybe convince him to join us. I told them I would meet them tonight. They’re staying at an inn near the palace.

RODRICK (hesitant): Maybe we could try to talk to them together.

RENA: Maybe. I don’t know. The lady from the Historical Academy insisted that the fire was just an accident. And I had to pretend like I would go with her to Napahrit and abandon you lot so I could continue my life as normal. She said she could get me into a school there. But I would never stop searching for Maya! I had to tell Jesper about her and about the Crow. I don’t think he knew anything about it yet.

RODRICK (disappointed): Rena, we shouldn’t tell them too much about what we’ve found out.

RENA: I know. I didn’t! I only told Jesper about it. He deserves to know!

RODRICK (hesitant): He does, yes. I just hope he is as trustworthy as you think he is.

RENA: He is! I’ve known him all my life. Maybe he won’t believe me right away but I’m certain we can convince him.

RODRICK: I don’t doubt that he doesn’t wish you any harm, Rena, but situations like these often make people act in strange ways. I just think we should be careful no matter what. We can always tell him more once we’ve figured out what’s going on.

RENA (slightly defeated): [sigh] I know, but… I don’t like the thought that he might believe that the fire was an accident when there’s someone responsible for it just because the Historical Academy is lying about what happened. He deserves to know the truth.

RODRICK: I know, my child. I know. And he will know the truth soon enough. We just need to play our cards right.

Rena slumped against the back of her chair, her body sacking in on itself. She looked up and noticed that one of the librarians standing at the other end of the room was staring at them in annoyance. They placed a finger in front of their lips before clasping their hands behind their back again and looking out over the reading room. Heat flushed into Rena’s cheeks and she quickly looked away.

Rodrick patted her shoulder and turned his attention back to his books. He closed the one in front of him and carefully placed it on another one, creating two neat piles with the books on the table.

[SFX page rustle]

He pulled the piece of parchment closer to him and squinted at it, brushing his finger over the neatly written rows as he reread his notes. From close up, Rena could see that they were written in the same script she had found in Rodrick’s notebook a week ago, the one she couldn’t read.

RENA (whisper): What did you find out?

RODRICK: It is quite fascinating. I couldn’t find much at first because the manuscripts I read, in the beginning, kept their information quite broad, talking about the history of the old faith without going into much detail, but I found one that discussed its place in this region more specifically and that lead me down a rabbit hole. I hadn’t expected to find much about any body-controlling abilities or other such strange talents, or even about any rituals, but there’s actually quite a lot of information on both if you know where to look. How trustworthy that information is, however, I still haven’t fully decided. One of the resources I found talked about the Gods of the old faith and which miracles they could enact. As far as I know, this belief in miracles and influences that the Gods had wasn’t universal. Some regions believed in it, others didn’t. But the southern provinces seemed to be quite fond of the belief. But how ahistorical or metaphorical these beliefs are is quite difficult to parse.

RENA: So, there is a God who can… control people’s bodies?

RODRICK: In a sense. It is described more as guiding but you could interpret it as taking over someone’s body and mind. I’m sure I mentioned her before. Kaepi’Pari. Tavuu’Moda’s twin sister. Which, I supposed, if the Crow is so focused on Tavuu’Moda, it makes sense that they’d also be interested in his sister.

RENA (confused): But, what does that have to do with Captain Silac?

RODRICK: I’m not fully certain about that. Captain Silac’s connection to the Crow and what he told us certainly suggests that they did something to give him those frightening abilities. There seem to have existed some obscure rituals that either tried to imitate the Gods’ powers or turn someone into a God. The sources I found weren’t very clear about it, they mostly talked about how these practices were heretical and should be shunned. I would have to spend more time researching the subject to be able to come up with legitimate theories. The premise that someone could become a God or God-like, is quite fascinating. Even more fascinating that people might have truly believed in it. It implies a lot about how they viewed the Gods of the old faith.

               [small pause]

RENA: Does that mean they’re trying to make Silac a God?

RODRICK: I don’t want to draw any hasty conclusions, but it could be a possibility. Or at least to give him the powers of Kaepi’Pari. Well, potentially Kaepi’Pari. I haven’t had the chance to analyse all of the beliefs about the Gods’ supposed powers. Besides Tavuu’Moda and his sister, the rest of his so-called family seemed to be quite popular in this part of the kingdom too. But it seems quite preposterous that they would ever achieve such a thing. I find it hard to believe in these Gods in the first place, I just can’t bring myself to accept that a regular human could ever be turned into one.

Rena suddenly froze, a cold shudder running down her back.

RENA (quietly, in shock): What if they want to do the same to Maya?

               [pause]

RODRICK: Why would they do that?

RENA: I don’t know. But why else would they have taken her?

               [pause]

RODRICK: Well… I’m not sure. It might have simply been an accident or this is how they gain new recruits. She might not be the only person they took from Oceansthrow.

RENA (panicked): What do these rituals look like? What are they gonna do to her?

RODRICK: Rena, we can’t draw conclusions like this. There is no evidence that they would want to enact this upon your sister. We aren’t even sure they truly have her. I don’t want to sound harsh or hurt you, Rena, but I don’t want you to cling to this notion too much that she might be alive.

RENA (hasty, hissed whisper): But she might be, and if she is we have to act quickly or they might turn her into someone like Silac. I don’t want her to have those ugly green veins all over her face.

RODRICK (calmly): Yes, she might be, but she also might not be. And I know that we can only find out if we confront the Crow but I want you to consider the possibility that she might not be there.

Rena opened her mouth to reply but the way Rodrick was looking at her made her stop. His eyes were filled with concern, as if he was genuinely worried she wouldn’t be able to survive the news that her sister wasn’t alive anymore, and maybe he was right to worry. Deep down, Rena knew that it could be a possibility that Maya hadn’t survived the fire, that she had died with the rest of their family and Rena was all alone, but anytime she started to seriously consider it, a wave of panic washed over her. Her heartbeat started racing, her fingers turned ice cold, sweat ran down her back, and her mind went blank, as if her body refused to even acknowledge it. Maya had to be alive, and they had to save her, or nothing they had done had any meaning at all.

RODRICK (concerned whisper): I’m sorry, Rena. I didn’t mean to make you feel like this. I do hope we can find her but it isn’t a guarantee. Of course, we’ll do everything to figure out if she is still alive and to keep the Crow from continuing on their wretched path but it might all lead to more heartache. Can you promise me to keep this in mind? I don’t want you to obsess over something that might only devastate you.

               [pause]

RENA (deflated): Okay.

Rena stared out into the nothingness in front of her, her eyes unable to focus anymore. All energy had been drained out of her. He was right, she knew that, but what was the point of discussing it? Why did she have to consider that Maya might be dead when it was the only thing keeping her going? Stopping the Crow and bringing justice to the dead was a noble endeavour but if she was fully truthful with herself, she didn’t care about it, not really, not as much as she cared about saving Maya.   

After a few minutes of silence, Rodrick pulled a book closer to him and opened it part-way through.

               [SFX page turning]

She observed him as he rifled through the pages, stopped, then picked up the quill, dipped it in the ink, and started writing.

               [SFX quill against glass of ink pot, faint scratching of writing]

Rena still couldn’t fully wrap her mind around this concept of a ritual that might turn someone into a God, but whether the Crow was actually using it or not, she couldn’t deny the existence of Silac’s strange abilities. And whether any of them believed that Maya was still alive, even the slightest possibility that she was, meant that they’d have to act quickly. They didn’t have the luxury of finding out every little detail about these practices, not when that time could instead be used to get closer to the Crow.

               [SFX page turning]

They didn’t know what they were planning, but the possibility existed that they might turn Maya into someone like Silac, and Rena would never forgive herself if she was too late to prevent it.

               [SFX , chair creeking, clothes shuffling]

RENA (whisper): We should try to find Kalani. She’ll know what to do next.

               [SFX writing continues]

RODRICK (distracted, whispering): Yes, certainly… We should talk about these developments as a group. The others might have discovered something important as well. [pause] But maybe they aren’t done with their investigations yet… We might need to give them some more time… We’re meant to meet up tonight anyway, we might as well stay here a bit longer.

               [pause]

RENA (nervous whisper): I don’t think we should wait. We’re just giving the Crow more time to act. Even if they don’t have Maya, they’re certainly planning something, right?

RODRICK (distracted): They might be. But rushing our actions would not be beneficial. We should know what awaits us before we proceed. I don’t think I’ve exhausted all of the resources the library has to offer yet. All I have for now are speculations and vague theories about these practices, which we aren’t even certain have anything to do with the Crow. If I had more time, I could give us a clearer picture of the whole situation and maybe we might even learn how to prevent it.

RENA: Right, but… if we don’t know if these rituals are connected to the Crow, aren’t we wasting time? Shouldn’t we make sure we’re researching the correct thing before investing a lot of time into it?

RODRICK: Research needs its time, my child. Sometimes you head down the wrong path, but that time is never wasted. You always learn something of value and that something will help you comprehend what you were actually after. But I understand that a young mind like yours might not have the patience for it yet. My son certainly never had it. [small pause] Do you think you might find your way back to Kalani or Asha on your own?

RENA (hesitant): On my own? I-I don’t know. I’m not sure I can find the way to the docks, although, I suppose I could simply ask someone on the streets. But, Deacon might have followed me back from the tea shop. I’m not sure. I don’t think he was too fond of me. I did get back to the library safely, though, so I’ll probably be fine.

RODRICK (heavy hearted): [small sigh] No, no, you’re right. It was foolish of me to consider sending you out on your own under these circumstances. I can always come back to the library at a later time. Maybe tonight once we’ve had a chance to catch up with the others.

Rodrick gave the books back to a very annoyed-looking librarian. Rena couldn’t help herself from apologizing for the noise they’d made, which the librarian very reluctantly accepted, clearly having been trained to avoid any sort of confrontation with patrons.

[SFX library crowd noises, rhythmic mechanical noises in background]

They swiftly left the library but the closer they got to the entrance, the more Rena’s muscles tensed. She kept her gaze low but analysed every pair of shoes and trousers that passed her, hoping she would be able to recognise Deacon’s. They had been brown. Or maybe a dark green. Or blue? They certainly had looked old, but he was in no way the only person walking around in old shoes.

 Rena wanted to run, to get to Kalani as quickly as possible. Her skin itched with every slow step she took as if it was about to burst open and let her skeleton escape. She couldn’t keep her mind from imagining what the Crow was doing to her sister. What the rituals Rodrick had mentioned could look like. The hair at the back of her neck stood up as she remembered what Silac had looked like with the green veins spreading from his eyes to his face. Was the same fate awaiting Maya? Or would the Crow change her in a different way?

               [SFX fade into city crowd noises, faint ocean and seagull noises in background]

As they left the library, something to her right caught her eyes and Rena’s head whipped up before she could think better of it. She thought she had seen something orange, something fleeting, but as she scanned the street she noticed that it was simply a stray dog – not too dissimilar to Vincent, just stockier and more orange – scurrying from one side of the road to the other in search of food.

RODRICK: Rena?

RENA (distracted): It’s nothing.

She let her eyes wander over the rest of the street, looking out for any other animals, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She hadn’t thought about the fox since they’d entered Hrevim, but considering the first she had seen it was in the Plains, it wouldn’t have been strange to find it here too. She wondered where it was now. If it had followed her since they’d seen it in the forest or if it was finally going its own way.

Rena shook her head, admonishing herself for seeing shadows where there weren’t any. There was no time to waste, she could wonder about such trivial things later.

RENA: Sorry. We can go. I just thought I saw something.

               [SFX footsteps]

As they walked through the streets of Hrevim, the feeling that someone was observing her, never left Rena’s mind. She didn’t dare look back, but even as they walked through winding side streets it was as if a shadow loomed over her. The narrower the streets got, the more the feeling twisted into something sinister. From the echoes of the footsteps alone, she could tell how many people were near them, and even though the feeling never vanished, she was certain that Rodrick and her were the only people walking down some of these streets. At one point she even looked up to make sure no one was following them on the roofs of the houses – throwing all caution to not look suspicious overboard – but all she saw were sea birds perching on the rain gutters. She momentarily considered that one of the seagulls was following them the way the fox did, then quickly dismissed that thought.

They weren’t sure where to find Kalani, so they decided to go find Asha first, since she might be able to point them in the right direction. They mostly followed the sound of the ocean and industry to find the docks but found themselves in the most northern part of the city, only a few metres away from the city walls that jutted out onto the beach and almost into the water.

Rena stayed close to Rodrick as they searched for Asha, having lost the security of the narrow streets now that they’d reached the open spaces of the docks. They felt entirely out of place between the fishers sorting their catch of the day and the workers bringing material into the big hangars. Rena felt observed from each side, but at least this time around the feeling was warranted.

               [SFX ocean and seagull sounds get louder, dock working sounds fade in]

They found Asha a short while later, sitting on a low stool, surrounded by a group of older men. In the middle of their circle, on another low stool, sat a bowl filled with small balls wrapped in vine leaves, still steaming hot.

               [SFX footsteps running for a short moment]

RENA (excited): Asha!

ASHA (confused): Rena?

Asha turned to her and looked at her in confusion before her eyes wandered over to Rodrick.

ASHA: What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the library. Did something happen?

RENA (unsure): In a sense.

Rena looked over at the men beside Asha who eyed her in bewilderment. The one to Asha’s left had clearly lived a life out at sea, his dark skin weathered by the salty winds. The other two looked a bit younger with lighter skin. The man to Rena’s left wore similar jewellery as Asha and her uncle, although his clothing wasn’t much different than the other two men’s.

RENA (unsure): Uhm, we need to talk to you.

               [small pause]

ASHA: Sure.

Before Asha could stand up, the old man to Asha’s right smiled widely at Rena and offered her one of the wrapped balls.

OLD MAN (jovial): Don’t you want to sit down and eat with us first? It’s not the time of day to be discussing serious matters.

Rena considered refusing the food but then her stomach decided for her by grumbling loudly.

RENA (embarrassed): Thank you.

Rena felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she placed one hand on her stomach and accepted the ball with the other. The man stood up and gestured to his stool.

OLD MAN: Sit, sit.

RENA (mortified): Oh, no! I’m fine with standing. You really don’t have to get up because of me.

OLD MAN (jovial): Come on. I insist. Sit.

RENA: No, no, I really couldn’t.

The man waved her rejection away, then smiled at Rodrick, offering the same hospitality to him. Rodrick considered the offer, only refusing half-heartedly, but then Asha stood up and grabbed a handful of the balls.

ASHA: Let’s go somewhere quieter.

OLD MAN: Let your friends eat first, Asha. There’s plenty of time to talk later.

ASHA: How are we supposed to eat on a worried stomach? We’ll talk first, eat later.

Before the man could protest more, Asha grabbed Rena’s arm and led them away to the backside of a hangar where they could talk without being interrupted.

ASHA: What’s going on? Should I worry.

Asha turned to them and held the balls of food out to them. Rodrick happily picked up two of them and unwrapped one to reveal a white-ish ball of fish flecked with red spices. Rena considered the one she was still holding in her own hand and unwrapped it, biting into it before responding to Asha.

RENA: Well… Maybe? I’m not sure.

As Rena recounted all that had happened between bites of food, Asha’s face went from confusion to concern to anger and back to confusion, as if she wasn’t truly certain what to settle on.

ASHA: And you think Deacon’s after you?

RENA (nervous): I-I’m not sure. It didn’t seem like my answers satisfied him but I don’t know if that means he’d try talking to me alone. Or following me to get to Logan. I-I’ve been kinda feeling like someone’s been watching me ever since I left the tea shop but it’s probably just my nerves. I’m sure I would have noticed by now if someone was actually following me.

Asha glanced up and looked around, scanning the space around them. They were alone except for a handful of workers on their lunch break a few metres away, but they were far enough that they wouldn’t be able to overhear their conversation.

ASHA: He’s smart enough not to harm you but you’re right that he might be following you to find Logan, or at least keeping an eye on you. (under her breath) For fuck’s sake, what’s he gotten himself into this time? [sigh] (hesitant) Deacon’s… a particular man. It’s difficult to know how he’ll react to things. Sometimes he’ll forgive you for ratting him out to the guards, other times you knock over his drink and it’s as if you’d stabbed his mother in the tit. But I’m sure Logan did everything in his power to royally piss Deacon off.

RENA: It can’t be that bad, right? They probably just need to talk it through? Logan might be making it worse by dragging it out.

ASHA: Who knows, depends on what the situation’s actually about, but it’s definitely not the best time for Deacon to have found you.

RODRICK: I’m sure it can’t be that bad. I think Rena’s right that a thorough conversation could solve this situation.

RENA: It would also be the quickest solution.

ASHA: If it’s a solution at all. [pause] We’ll need to see what Kalani thinks of it. She probably knows what this dispute’s about.

EERIE VOICE [otherworldly]: Rena.

Rena spun around, panic suddenly rushing through her, unsure if she had actually heard something or not. It had sounded like someone was calling her name but she might have just imagined it. Her heart was beating frantically, the sound resonating at the back of her mind. She looked from one side to the other, then up at the roofs. She was sure now that someone’s eyes were fixed on her, she just couldn’t find where they were.

ASHA: Rena?

She wasn’t even sure who to look out for. Was it Deacon or had Silac caught up to them? Had Inkra healed from her injury and was looking for revenge? Was the Historical Academy trying to silence her?

RODRICK: What is it?

               [small pause]

As her gaze drifted back to her companions something orange caught her eye and this time it wasn’t simply a stray dog. The fox was sitting calmly at the entrance of a small street behind the workers, staring right at her. Rena froze as if any movement from her could scare the fox away. The workers were heeding it no mind as if they hadn’t noticed it.

EERIE VOICE [otherworldly]: Follow me.

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Three paths lay in front of us, on which the story could continue.

• On the first path, Rena runs towards the fox without notifying Asha and Rodrick
• On the second path, Rena tells Asha and Rodrick about the fox and approaches slowly
• On the third path, Rena decides not to pursue the fox

You can cast your vote by going to the show’s twitter page, the tumblr page, or on theheartpyre.com. You have until the March 28th to cast your vote.

If you like this podcast, consider leaving a review or supporting it on Ko-Fi or Patreon. You can also get the novelization of the first season as an ebook and paperback from most major retailers.

You can find transcripts for each episode, character art, and a map of the kingdom on theheartpyre.com.

The intro music is Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone.

The Heart Pyre is written and produced by me, Audrey Martin.

Thank you for listening.

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With 40 percent of the votes, our story continues on the first path.

As Rena finds her way back to her companions, she learns more about the old Gods and what the Crow might be planning, but can she trust the information, and what could it mean for her sister’s future? 

By the end of the episode, three choices will be presented to you. Voting is open until March 28th.

Find A Searing Faith, the novelisation of season 1, on your favourite platform:
https://books2read.com/A-Searing-Faith

Intro music: Lonely Dusty Trail by Jon Presstone

Logo Design: Mars Lauderbaugh