Adric's defiance against the Tower's oppressive regime and forced initiation

Adric presses Marta about the Tower's system of seizing young villagers, his probing exposing the cruelty beneath the custom of service. Marta reveals her son Karl was taken and warns …

Aukon's senses lock onto Adric as the villagers eat and speak of rebellion. He ignores protocol to single out the boy, sensing a rare mind beneath the peasant's facade. Adric's …