26: STILLNESS

In this chapter, a plateau assault interrupts a period of internal doubt for the High Prince. As his forces march toward a contested plateau, an old ally turns investigator and tests his convictions in combat, forcing him to confront the moral weight of killing and the reliability of his guiding visions.

Chapter 31 opens with a scribe reading philosophical passages from The Way of Kings to the High Prince in his quarters. The readings comfort him initially, but his son's recent accusations about the visions have shaken his resolve. As he studies maps and contemplates whether his visions are phantasms born from nostalgia, horns sound announcing a nearby chasmfiend. Despite his doubts, the High Prince decides to lead the charge to restore troop morale and counter rumors. During armor preparations, his officers brief him on the plateau's location and advantage. He reconciles briefly with his son, who was upset after their earlier argument. The High Prince's force musters: two battalions, cavalry, bridge crews, and archers—approximately two thousand strong.

During the journey to the plateau, the High Prince of Information arrives with a royal writ to conduct his investigation into the earlier broken girth incident. His presence rankles the High Prince, and during the march, he provokes philosophical discussions designed to undermine the High Prince's newfound ideals. He questions the reality of the ancient powers, the reliability of the visions, and suggests the High Prince has been corrupted by the same book that ruined his brother.

When the assault begins, the High Prince and his son lead a two-man charge across the chasm via a massive jump, initiating a brutal melee. Initially, the High Prince feels the familiar exhilaration of battle—the "thrill"—and fights with lethal grace. However, midway through the combat, he experiences sudden revulsion at the carnage: burned-out eyes, shattered bones, splattered organs. The sickness overwhelms him and his performance falters, though his son covers his weakness. He recovers enough to continue fighting, but the thrill feels hollow. The battle ultimately succeeds; his forces kill dozens of trapped parshendi and secure the gemheart.

Amid the aftermath, the High Prince wrestles with existential dread. He observes a distant figure in parshendi shardplate departing the field and reflects on how his weakness in battle contradicts his need for certainty. The victory has not brought clarity—it has magnified his inner crisis.