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Chapter 8
Vayle
The carriage stuck a little on the road among people going to the fair, and Nocté and Agnes got to the king's castle late in the evening when the masquerade ball began. The girl was the only late guest.
The servant met them at the main entrance and intended to escort them to the ballroom, but under Agnes’ icy gaze, he faded away and asked nervously, trembling from something:
“Would the lady like to refresh herself up?” he stretched out his hands to the valises, which the coachman thoughtfully helped to carry, and returned to the horses.
“Of course! We were on the road all day! What kind of servants does His Majesty have? Who do you think you've met now? A low-born philistine? Come on, show me the way to the apartments, my dear,” Agnes stamped her foot, and the servant heard a crunch, as if something had broken in the old woman.
Muttering apologies, he led them through the dimly lit corridors, puffing from
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From the records of the ship's logs: «From a distant, mariners always saw the shrouded in fog Black Cliff, as an ominous place, hovering above the earth in gloomy clouds. The captains kept their ships away from this damned cliff, fearing to run into prickly reefs and die before they wake from the terrifying collision. There were rumours that the Black Cliff has always been the refuge of the sea sorceress, however, no one has seen her for many years, and talks about her still continue to roam the lands of Sorfmarán. Local old-timers still remembered the sorceress's order: "When taking gifts from the sea, express gratitude and do not offend the dark waters with the guts of the dead." For this reason, fishermen kept boats with nets away from the water, cleaned the catch on land, and burned the remains in the fire, so as not to anger the witch and her pets — sea monsters lurking in the northern waters. After all,
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Nocté scratched her foot and winced in pain. A great deal of time has passed since the sorcery, but she still walks on the ground as if on glass shards. Every step is a torture.“Sister was right. I put too much at stake and bit the dust. Why am I not as far-sighted as you, Erida?” The strange gulls’ behavior circling over the black reef attracted girl's attention. The birds attacked something hidden from Nocté's eyes, carrying away some pieces in their beaks. Putting the pain aside, the girl ran out of the bedroom, slid down the spiral staircase past Agnes carrying clean linen and got to the first floor. The maid shouted something behind her, but Nocté didn’t hear.“Maybe there was a shipwreck somewhere nearby and the victim was washed up on the rocks? Or was it a monster that attacked?” Almost colliding with a cook holding a huge basket of fresh seafood, the girl ran down the st
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