Far from the mountain aerie, in the heart of the Cassia Kingdom, Prime Minister Qinryc Lukas narrowed his eyes as he walked out of his front door.
A cart had arrived at his private residence. Somehow.
Now, Qinryc stood before the haul, bewildered.
Before him, lining the sturdy shelves of the vault, were not the one or two precious vials he had been cautiously promising to his most loyal—and wealthy—allies.
There were dozens. Rows upon rows of delicate crystal phials, each filled with a luminescent, honey-gold liquid that seemed to hold a captured sunset within.
The soft, healing glow from so many of them together lit the courtyard with an ethereal light. It was a treasure hoard that would make a dragon blush, a stockpile of miracles that defied all logistical and alchemical sense.
