After several days of being held in chains in the courtyard of the lord’s manor, Koronos is inspected by a healer to see how his wounds are healing, to ensure he’s ready for presentation to the emperor. The healer is an older woman with long red hair that was likely beautiful in her younger days, garbed in moderately opulent robes as is befitting of someone of importance. Then she speaks to him, in a broken, heavily accented version of the Old Tongue; the language he speaks, “I’m not here to harm you, I’m a Healer, may I see your wounds?”

He doesn’t see her as a threat, and her presence is a welcome change to the constant presence of the guards, so he nods in approval.

She carefully unwraps the wounds, with the demeanor of how one might act with a wild animal, “hmmm, it’s only been four days since you were wounded?”

He hasn’t spoken in days, so he clears his throat to speak, “yes… why do you ask?”

“It’s remarkable, no one heals this fast, not even your people,” she says in dismay, now looking at him with even more interest than she already had, looking at him as if she suspects something but is afraid to voice it aloud.

He simply shrugs, unconcerned, “I’ve always been a fast healer.”

The Healer steps back from him cautiously, almost with reverence, she’s still holding back something and nearly says it, but glances at the guards, at the lord of the manor that is standing across the courtyard talking to one of his advisors; ultimately, she decides to hold her tongue. Koronos makes no change to his expression and remains stoic, even though he finds her behavior odd, even for a Flatlander.

She walks over to the lord, and they have an exchange of words, he seems pleased and places a bag of coins in her hand. She leaves but not before glancing back at Koronos one last time.

The following morning, he is woken with a bucket of water being tossed on him by the guards, they say something to each other and laugh. Koronos thinks about how it would be pleasurable knocking their teeth out with his fist, as he stands. They take him back to the wagon with the cage and toss him in. No sign of the lord though. Going through the streets in the early morning, the city is just beginning to wake up and begin the hustle and bustle of the day.

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When they reach Titan’s Palace, the gate is ridiculously ornate and gilded in gold with a half dozen guards armed with pikes, and short recurve bows, allowing them entry, but only after they make sure his chains and the cage is secure. The palace is a gigantic compound of unimaginable opulence, and grandeur with servants, guards and aristocrats going about their business.

He’s taken into the largest of the structures in the center of the compound, there appears to be other captives here that are likely slaves, but they aren’t in chains like Koronos. Guards are everywhere in this antechamber, some guarding chests of coin and treasures, some just standing at the thresholds for added security, some guarding important aristocrats as bodyguards. Here he waits for hours until finally the portly lord that brought him arrives, but with someone he hasn’t seen yet. He looks like some old scholarly fellow and he speaks to Koronos in the Old Tongue, it’s still heavily accented but not as broken as the Healer, “I am Calvion, your translator. You will soon be presented to the God Emperor Octavius, I have been told to warn you; you will refrain from being a savage in His Imperial Majesty’s presence, nor shall you make a scene in the throne room or punishments will be severe, do you understand?”

Koronos slowly looks down at him with contempt, “I am not property to be presented.”

“I’m sorry my friend, you are now,” then he backs away, even with the iron cage between them, he is still terrified of the imposing presence of Koronos. “Do not attempt to escape, even if you manage to subdue your guards, you will never make it out of the palace alive.”

The guards take him out of the cage, two guards on each side of him, his hands chained together and escorted into the massive throne room with a ceiling thirty paces high. Inside there are even more guards and hundreds of aristocrats and courtesans. A room that was designed to do one thing; inspire awe. At the end of the room, elevated on the top of stairs, to place the seated ruler above his subjects, is a massive golden throne. Seated in the throne is an imposing figure, as big as Koronos, sits the God Emperor: Octavius, and flanked on each side with guards and advisors that are standing. He looks to be of the age of mid-thirties, totally bald head, dark beard, wearing an elaborately embroidered and jeweled toga.

Octavius gestures to the guards to escort him closer, right to the base of the steps to the throne, and it’s there that he feels it, Octavius and Koronos lock eyes, they both feel it, they sense each other beyond the five senses. Koronos doesn’t understand what it is, but he can feel something is very different with Octavius, as well as three advisors next to him, the closest thing to describe what they are sensing is a halo or radiance that normal mortals cannot sense. And the advisors feel it about Koronos too and they all start looking at each other as the emperor stands and shouts a couple words and the entire court gasps.

Calvion looks terrified as he quietly whispers to Koronos, “he commanded the room to empty.”

People hurriedly exit as the royal guards escort everyone out until the entire throne room is empty except for Calvion, the three advisors and the elite royal guards, all while Koronos’ and Octavius' eyes remain locked.