Chapter 13: The Duel of Sorcery
The weeks since he’d come to the palace of Rashwenath passed in a monotonous blur for Hakem Rafi the thief. As Aeshma had promised, the palace was restored to its former grandeur; never since the far-off days of Rashwenath himself had splendor such as this been seen in Parsina, not even in the golden city of Ravan.
The walls of the palace were of alabaster that gleamed as though it were alive, and of marble so polished it reflected like a mirror. Inlaid mosaics pleased the observer’s eye, and jewels set in the walls sparkled with unearthly brilliance. Tapestries from all corners of Parsina, each of different colors and designs, hung against the walls of the smaller rooms, and these rooms were of numbers beyond counting. Doorways were carved in exquisite po
