Bryn kept a quick pace to force some warmth into his shivering body. His limbs felt like icicles: stiff, brittle and uncompromising in their coldness. He had stayed too long in Calkus; the continent which housed Narcys and Bellais was the warmest in the civilised world. Despite his occasional discomfort in the oppressive heat, it was certainly better than feeling like a walking iceberg. Bryn and Selenas had taken a ship from the Eastern Docks in Calkus to the Waking Docks; this allowed them to bypass the hazardous mountain range which separated Calkus from the Outer Cities. Tribal cannibals and grotesque freaks were said to dwell in the Northern Peaks, and Bryn did not wish to invite any unnecessary trouble; he already had enough. They bought passage on a swift trading ship, and arrived at their destination on the Outer Coast within two days. Bryn was glad to be off the ship, as the scholar had not stopped talking at any point during the journey; his only respite had been when Selenas drifted off to sleep, allowing Bryn a few hours of peace. He glanced at the scholar. Selenas stepped lightly through the snow, easily keeping pace with Bryn. He did not seem phased by the cold, despite the fact that he had ignored Bryn's warning to bring warm clothing and was still wearing a loose-fitting linen robe.

"You see, Bryn, the Crontans had a fascinating little past-time involving moving small figures around a checkered board. Who knows what the rules were, but it must have taken a vast intellect..."

Bryn grunted to imply he was still listening. He wasn't, but he had to keep the scholar happy, at least until he worked out how to save Cilirus. It was amazing how quickly he had bounced back from Bryn's torture; in all his years, Bryn had never seen anyone willing to discuss ancient board games with their torturer shortly after having their genitals threatened with a knife. I will never understand scholars, Bryn decided. He stared ahead, wondering how much further they would have to walk. He was glad that Selenas knew the way. While the deep snow and crooked fingers of ice hanging from the trees lent a crisp beauty to the surrounding woods, it also made all the trees look alike, and covered up natural landmarks such as stumps and ponds. It hid the well-established paths that were sure to have been trodden into the earth beneath. The snow made it look as if this area had been undisturbed by human traffic for centuries. Bryn pulled his cloak tighter around himself, and tried to ignore Selenas' incessant mutterings. He would kill for five minutes of peace and a warm glass of mulled wine.

After a long, cold and irritating journey, Bryn and Selenas arrived in Valrys. Valrys was the southernmost of the three Outer Cities, resting close to the Northern Peaks. Bryn shivered as he wondered what the weather was like in the northern territories. He followed Selenas as he scurried through the outer slums of the cities, heading towards the centre. Bryn was surprised at the lax attitudes of the guards; most of them leaned against the walls of their watch posts, occasionally taking sips from the steaming mugs they cradled. Not one had asked for them to state their business. Perhaps the cold just makes people lazy, he thought. They finally arrived at the main thoroughfare of the city. Most of the dwellings here were built from heltawood, a peculiar type of evergreen native to the forests surrounding Valrys. The wood was resistant to fire, but was also exceptionally good at trapping warmth, making it an ideal building material for this climate. Bryn remembered spending a surprisingly cosy night in a heltawood log shack in the Northern Territories after his company's ship had been attacked and driven to shore. He also remembered how tough the wood was; they had to chop the wood in shifts, just to get enough material for a shack. Strange how an unassuming tree could make soldiers, bred for violence and at the peak of physical fitness, seem pathetic. He smiled at the memory.

"Why are you smiling?" Selenas furrowed his brow. "If I've missed something humorous in the Vlatan uprising, please, do tell?"

"It was an unrelated smile, Selenas." Bryn sighed. "Are we near?"

"Well I can't possibly be sure, I've never visited this city at night before. Last time, V'rana got our approval from the Sealed Chambers."

"Let's just call it a night." Bryn nodded towards a nearby inn. "I doubt there's anyone awake at this hour anyway."

Selenas nodded his grudging approval. He was as eager to unravel this mystery as Bryn was. Bryn headed towards the inn with a different goal in mind: a hot dinner, a soft feather bed and some sweet mulled wine.

Bryn woke up contented. The spiced wine had chased the chill from his bones and his brief respite from Selenas had reset his mood to neutral. He no longer wanted to strangle him. Not quite so badly, at least. He forced his protesting body out of the warm bed and dressed quickly to avoid the biting breeze that found its way through the cracks in the window frame. His clothes felt like they were made from ice in comparison to the warm bedsheets. He descended the stairs to the inn's common room and was surprised to see Selenas sitting at one of the dark wooden tables. He looked restless.

"Finally!" he declared. "You would think we're on a holiday, not trying to unravel one of the greatest mysteries of our time."

"Morning, Selenas," Bryn said. He nodded towards the three empty cups next to the scholar. "I take it you've been enjoying the chai, then?"

Bryn couldn't help laughing when the scholar nodded vigorously. The Outer Cities were famous for their spiced chai tea. As an excellent way to keep the cold at bay, it was a sensible drink for the locals. However, one of the spices included in the tea, fernasus, was notorious for making people restless, and giving them boundless energy.

"Right, well I'll just get some breakfast, then we'll be on our way to the Sealed Chambers."

"Chambers first." Selenas twitched. "No point having breakfast here, I know a better place. We'll go after. Come on."

He was already on his feet and scurrying towards the door. Bryn shook his head, paid the innkeeper, then followed the energetic scholar into the frigid morning.

Fat flakes of snow spun playfully in the breeze, falling to the sparkling ground in lazy spirals. The sloped heltawood roofs in the square were performing admirably, as each carried a considerable weight of snow. The locals had a similar attitude. They were used to the cold. They clapped ice from their canvases and wiped down wooden supports before constructing their stalls in the centre of the square. Bryn noticed a stall selling mulled wine. It took every ounce of his willpower to continue following the wired scholar. They exited the square via an underpass, passed through a respectable-looking residential area, then entered another tunnel. This one was littered with refuse and reeked of waste. Bryn noted the fresh blood which had discoloured the grimy snow at the tunnel's exit.

"Rough area?"

"One of the roughest," Selenas replied. "They call it the Rat Trap. Don't worry, we're just passing over the borders."

Bryn couldn't help but snort. He hadn't grown up in the most noble of areas himself. Besides, if he could handle supernaturally fast assassins, a few drugged up street rats shouldn't pose much of a problem. Luckily he didn't need to put that theory to the test, as they soon entered another tunnel leading out of the area. Bryn noticed that the underpasses in this city were constructed entirely of ice. The temperature must never rise enough to thaw them, he thought. They emerged from the underpass into a more affluent area. The buildings were constructed from a mixture of white stone and heltawood. This square was smaller than the one outside the inn, with the buildings grouped closer together. Selenas studied the plaques in front of each building. He turned when he was in front of the smallest building; it looked more like a set of cells than a city office.

"Ah! This one! The Sealed Chambers. Come on, let's hurry now, no time to waste!"

"Hold on a second, scholar," Bryn said. Something had been bothering him. "If this V'rana got your approval last time, how do you know the way here?"

"Well, that's quite simple, torturer," Selenas replied. "I asked the innkeeper for directions this morning. Now, stop being so suspicious. I have no ulterior motives. We are on the same team."

Bryn nodded slowly. He couldn't help being suspicious when so much was at stake. It was the soldier in him. He gestured for Selenas to enter the building, and followed him inside.

They had been waiting in line for hours. The inside of the building was uncomfortably warm. The low ceiling, the countless bodies crammed inside and the heltawood interior conspired to trap the heat. Selenas had not stopped talking about the Glass Tomb the entire time. That would have been fine, if it had not all been pointless speculation, based on the likely exaggerated recollections of some idiot scribe. Finally, they were called up to the counter.

"Yes?"

"We need a way pass for Pekerin."

"Yes. Granted." The clerk handed over a worn piece of paper. "You have one week to return it."

Bryn gave the way pass to Selenas as they walked towards the door. He secured it in the bag of books that he always wore over his shoulder. Bryn welcomed the icy breeze as they emerged into the cold light of day.

"They didn't even ask what we needed it for," he noted.

"Well, only scholars bother going to Pekerin, anyway. They just like to issue passes so they can keep track of us. Official nonsense. Now, let's get going."

Selenas struck a fierce pace towards another ice tunnel. Guess I'm not getting breakfast today then, Bryn thought. Hope he can keep that pace up until we reach Pekerin.

The trail to Pekerin wound North-East, through an unspoilt wilderness. Unlike Calkus, whose mild grasslands and coasts were dotted with villages and towns, the Outer Lands had only a few hubs of civilisation in the sparse habitable regions. Bryn and Selenas met no other travellers. Half way between Valrys and Pekerin, they passed a glorious waterfall, which bled from the edge of a small mountain range. The dying sun threw its orange rays over the white cliffs surrounding the falls. Some of the sunlight filtered through the crystalline water, creating a pleasant glare. The babbling of the water and the creaking of snow-bearing branches were the only sounds threatening the silence. Soldier and scholar alike had no words; they stared at the spectacle until the sun retreated behind the cliffs. Bryn finally broke the heavy silence.

"Evening's coming, and we're still in the wild. You know these lands better than I. Do we make camp or keep moving?"

"If we keep moving we can make it before true dark, but we will likely encounter bears and wolves in these forests. They'll make short work of us if we can't even see them coming. Why don't you build us a shelter from some of these trees?"

Bryn almost choked with laughter. Selenas had gestured towards a helta tree. Bryn passed Selenas his hatchet and advised him to "loosen up" the trunk for him, while he readied a canvas tent. They spent a cold and miserable night in the tent, with the hatchet collecting snow beside the undamaged helta tree.

The next morning, Bryn shook the heavy layer of snow from the tent's flap and emerged into the wilds of winter. The tent looked like an unwelcome intruder, completely surrounded by fresh snowfall and nature. He tried to shake some life into his frozen legs. It seemed futile. They would just have to warm up during the remainder of the walk to Pekerin. How can something so beautiful be so damn inconvenient, he thought, staring at the pure flakes as they fell from the grey sky. Selenas' head emerged from the tent flap. He took a tentative step out into the fresh snow, as if he was worried it might attack him, and walked over to stand beside Bryn.

"Beautiful, it's remarkable really. But so cold. Not worth it at all, I wouldn't say. Shall we get a move on, then?"

Bryn was happy to agree. When he was cold, Selenas began to sound like the mad scholar Bryn had encountered on the Southern Coast. That couldn't be a good sign. Thankfully, Selenas had retained his bearings, and was able to find the correct path out of the clearing. They made good pace through the grey half-light, mostly due to their eagerness to warm their icy bones.

They arrived at Pekerin just as the sun rose over their heads. The snow had been unrelenting during the journey; the best weather they had experienced was gentle flurries of snow; the worst was a full-scale blizzard. They were cold, tired, and thoroughly glad to have reached their destination. Pekerin was a large, single-floor building, believed to be of Crontan origin. It was an unusual design. A massive slab of thin stone served as a flat roof, which was supported by ornately carved columns, which were equally spaced, surrounding the building in a square formation. Thick slabs of stone served as steps, leading up to the entrance. Inside, there were rumoured to be many disintegrating paintings and strange sculptures made from unknown metals and elderglass. However, this was not what they had come for. They had come to study a humanoid stone which lurked behind the main building. They walked up to the main gates and flashed their pass at two guards. They didn't so much as glance at the pass. One of the guards muttered something under his breath and waved the two pilgrims inside. Bryn couldn't help feeling a stab of annoyance considering how long they had stood in the sweltering Sealed Chamber just to get their pointless piece of paper. As they began to circle around the building, he consoled himself with the thought that they might soon discover a way to rescue Duke Cilirus, and to hopefully learn to defeat any cultists they might encounter. They approached the Thinking Stone. It was hidden in the shadow cast by the overhang of the stone roof, yet no snow touched the statue. Grass, unmolested by snow, was visible in a small area surrounding the statue. It seemed as if the statue was giving off a low level of heat.

"Curious," Selenas said. Without hesitation, he touched the warped, black stone. It was around the same height as an average man, only hunched over. It had no human features, but some of the stone offshoots gave the impression of painfully twisted limbs, aching to be free of the corrupted torso. Bryn suppressed a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold. Selenas had his eyes closed, his fingers desperately exploring the slick stone, hungry for answers.

"Anything?" Bryn asked.

Selenas did not reply. Another voice did. It was deep, rich, persuasive. It seemed to be coming from inside Bryn's own mind.

"Te nace audice sel," Bryn said, instinctively repeating the voice.

"He can't hear me?" Selenas took his hand off the statue and focused on Bryn.

"Te nara ep histe," Bryn said..

"He doesn't have history? The history! Perhaps he's talking about the generational memory?"

Bryn ignored the scholar's chatter. He wanted to make sure he missed nothing. Who are you? he asked, focusing his mind on the very essence of the question.

"Sel et Azarr."

"I am shadow. A ghost? A spirit trapped in the stone, I suppose."

Bryn thought of Cilirus, possessed by the strange intelligence, speaking Crontish. His pain at losing him spiked through his focus. He could feel the presence in the stone shrinking back in fear. Its presence returned a moment later. It bathed Bryn's mind in an aura of sympathy.

"Sol mar casi tes merema."

"You must make him remember. That doesn't make sense, did I miss something?"

Remember what? Bryn thought urgently. He could feel the connection between his mind and the spirit growing distant, slackening like a piece of severed string.

"Ek sol caso sel merema."

"As you made me remember. Really now, Bryn, you're not letting me hear the full conversation."

The stone was silent for a while; Bryn lost his train of thought. Did he have to make the Duke remember his empathy, his sorrow, in order to save him? He shot a look at Selenas.

"I will tell you everything afterwards," Bryn said. "Don't distract me again. Just translate."

Selenas seemed to remember Bryn's unpredictable temperament for the first time during their trip.

"Understood." Selenas nodded. "It's vital that I document all of this, so don't leave any details out."

Bryn focused his thoughts. He felt the stone's consciousness, like warm fingers, feeling in the dark for his mind. Bryn began to think of the assassins, with their supernatural speed and skill.

"Tose merema, ek Azarr. Sel nace sesa."

"They remember, as shadow. I can't help."

Bryn sighed. They would just have to avoid the assassins, as he wouldn't survive any more scrapes with them. He began to retreat from the stone, but Selenas grabbed his shoulder.

"Ask about the cult. What it has to do with eternal rebirth, with Azarr."

Bryn focused his mind again.

"Tose mar klepe menta se ra lebert. Fina pende, je wese fenit."

Bryn felt the presence leaving his mind. Perhaps that was enough answers for one day. Thank you, he thought, hoping the Crontan could still hear him.

"That's a tough one." Selenas' forehead wrinkled in concentration. "They must steal thoughts... or... mind? To be free."

"And the rest?"

"This is a complex language, Bryn. Lots of different interpretations. Give me a moment."

Bryn walked about, kicking at drifts of snow as the scholar mulled it over.

"Every pendulum... no, every cycle! Or suffer forever... endure eternity... both are awful!"

"So these Crontan spirits have become restless, and the only way they can avoid eternal suffering is by stealing the consciousness of another human being?"

"Yes, that seems to be correct, based on the facts we have to go on. What is truly interesting though, is the mention of a cycle. Perhaps that is why the Crontans can only now begin to possess people; they need to wait a certain amount of years before their consciousness is permitted to invade our realm."

"That seems of little use to us now," Bryn said.

"Have you no curiosity, thug? Did you never sit and wonder why so many different civilisations have disappeared from written records, despite showing signs of affluence? Perhaps it is because, at the end of each "cycle", the previous civilisation possesses and destroys them, to win their own freedom from purgatory. This could explain the very reason behind the disaster, the most famous mystery of our land!"

"Except the disaster physically ruins buildings. I don't see how some possessed bodies could crack the earth and smash stone structures that touch the clouds."

"True," the scholar mused. "But it's a step in the right direction at least. Come, let's head back to Valrys. I have a lot to think about, a lot to piece together."

"One more night here," Bryn stated. "I have a few more questions for this rock."

Selenas agreed, sensing that Bryn was in no mood to argue. Bryn would not leave until he was sure of how to save Cilirus. He would not allow this to be yet another failure.