Ephraim departs Olympia with Ozgard and Freihild after Sefi’s blessing and flies to the Valkyrie Spires to prepare a Godspeak. As the dragon skull burns, Ephraim counsels Freihild about her affair with Valdir, urging her to confront Sefi and end the destabilizing triangle. Freihild resolves to act and goes to seek nightgaze.

Left by the fire, Ozgard drops his public mask. He recounts his disfigurement, survival by a hermit, rise through manipulation, and eventual faith in Sefi’s unifying vision. He describes an un-dosed vision on Mercury of a red griffin and a gray fox, prophesying Sefi’s rise under a gray guardian, and tells Ephraim he will soon have to choose tribe over flight.

Cold and restless, Ephraim wanders the ruins and discovers a field of nightgaze and the shattered throne of Alia. He brings Ozgard to harvest the flowers, but notices a missing tree, strange carved stones, a gigantic bootprint, and jammed comms. He orders a retreat.

They then find Freihild’s corpse hung by hook and arrows. An ambush crushes Ephraim’s pistol, and towering pale Obsidians surround them. The giant leader toys with Ephraim, while shadows drag Ozgard forward. The giant maims Ozgard by destroying an eye, promising to take the other when they meet again.

The giant reveals the mass in Ephraim’s hand is Freihild’s heart, claims her strength, and issues a challenge: he has heard Sefi declares herself Queen of All Volk and now hunts her as prey. As ship lights cut the dark, he departs to his vessel, naming himself Fá.