‘Yes, I am exhausted these days,’ Enet replied, but said no more. And to that, Chel was unable to find a suitable response. They exited the house together and climbed into separate litters. Chel drew the curtains of hers; Enet did not. Let the Singing City see her, adorned in feathers and dripping with jade, that mark of the Chosen dark on her throat, as she travelled to the palace and into the Singer’s presence. Let them marvel at her. Let her glory steal their attention so that none would notice the two slaves walking behind the litter, the newest gifts for the Singer.

It had been ten days since the last. The holy lord needed to be fed.

THE SINGER

The source, Singing City, Pechacan, Empire of Songs

I am the Singer.

I am war and Empire and blood and fucking and death. I am screams. I am babes torn from parents.

I am the stars torn from the fucking sky if I choose. None can stop me. Here, now, in the darkness of my brother Sky Jaguar’s absence, I am all there is to look upon and worship.

And I demand worship.

I am the Singer. Blood and Empire and glory are my legacy. I will be the one immortal at the world spirit’s side. I will be its holy vessel. It is my strength that will awaken it; my strength that will nurture it. I will be loved as the world spirit is loved.

I am the Singer. I am the Empire. I am the divinity that restores the balance of this world: life and death; flesh and spirit; blood and magic.

I am the song. And my song is gore enough to drown the world.

PILOS

Eastern Tokoban

8th day of the grand absence of the Great Star

It had taken more days, more lives, and more fighting than he’d hoped, but less – just – than he’d feared.

Their advance had been torturously slow, though at least it meant they’d been able to dig in properly in Yalotlan, allowing the engineers and slaves to throw up small pyramids. The song now rang across almost all of western Yalotlan. Pilos prayed nightly to the holy Setatmeh that the same was true in the rest of that land, that Atu and the Talons under his command were making similar progress in their long, bloody drive to the coast. But now, finally, they were in Tokoban.