Kilthanis ran through the halls of the Imperial Wing. The palace was cavernous and criss-crossed with a warren of passages, but he had spent a great deal of time here over the years. As children, he and the Emperor had snuck in and out of the palace on a regular basis. He called upon that knowledge now.

A bustle of activity erupted behind him, but he soon left the confused sounds behind. He was just about to exit by the same door he entered when he literally bowled into the Imperial Seneschal. They clasped onto each other to steady themselves.

“My Lord D’Endray! Is everything alright?”

“My Lord Seneschal, I wish I could say yes. But I cannot. In truth, I am but two steps ahead of His Majesty’s guards. He’s taken my condemnation of his actions as treason. If you have any love for me, you’ll stand aside and let me flee for my life.”

The seneschal took all this in quickly and nodded his head. “I believe I can do one better, Kilthanis. I will try and intercede on your behalf with the Emperor.”

Relief flooded Kilthanis’s eyes. “Thank you! But I can’t ask you to put yourself at risk for me.”

“Nonsense. I’ve known you since you were a boy. And the Emperor may become wroth with me, but he would never harm me. Now quickly. Return to your griffin and get to safety. I will delay them as long as I can. Hopefully, it will be enough time to allow the Emperor to recover his senses. The swiftness of the Griffin God be with you, my Lord.” With that, he turned and bustled back in the direction Kilthanis was fleeing from.

Kilthanis watched him go for only a second before turning and trying to calmly stride to the griffin that had borne him here. “I need to go back to Dekiyem, Lieutenant.”

“As you wish, my Lord.”

“The sooner the better,” Kilthanis said, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder. “My business is quite urgent.”

The soldier nodded and offered Kilthanis his hand. “As soon as we mount up, we can be away.”

Kilthanis didn’t hesitate. He took the man’s hand and levered himself up into the rear of the saddle. He cast a quick glance back at the palace, silently willing the man to move as quickly as he was able. It seemed like minutes, but the man was soon seated and giving a sharp call to the griffin. It launched itself into the air and circled around to the southwest.

Looking behind him at the ground below, Kilthanis took one last look for signs of pursuit. He failed to see any and dared to breathe a sigh of relief. He had no idea what he would do when he landed, but for now, he remained one step ahead of the gallows.