Chapter 34: Burned Eye
Barovik burned — but not in flames.
What was burning there was order.
The city of twin walls, once a hub of balanced power, teemed under an occupation that none of its residents had chosen. There were no explosions. No sieges. Not even an officially declared war. There was only... entry. Footsteps. Solemn voices. Precise cuts. A domination carried out with the weight of fear, not brute force.
It was the Order of the Flaming Eye that came.
But not like before.
They abandoned the ceremonial robes, the embroidered flaming crosses, the sacred spears standing upright like pillars of faith. Now, they wore stained leather, makeshift armor plates, and hand-scratched symbols on their chests: a red iris embedded in black fire. Some had eyes marked with ash or tattoos on their temples. Others wore cloaks stolen from defeated foes. They were paladins without a church, clerics without gods. Fanatics freed from restraints.
And they followed a new doctrine.
The doctrine of purification through total denial.
Barovik was the first laboratory.
The central square, once a trading point, turned into a tribunal. The statues of the harvest goddesses were laid on the ground, faces shattered. The bell atop the tower was replaced by a magical alarm that sounded every time someone tried to summon any creature. There were no exceptions. Not for small animals, nor for auxiliary spirits. The Tamer class was synonymous with traitor here.
Ser Modell learned this too late.
He, who once led the most influential Tamer guild in the region — the Iron Hearts — believed he could negotiate with faith. He still held the title of "Sovereign of Barovik" within the community of tamers. And for a long time, that was enough for him to be respected. Feared, even.