The Ember Crown

The Old Banner

Chapter 2 · 1,410 words

The city bell rang before sunrise, low and uneven, as if the tower itself had learned to fear the road beyond the walls. The Old Banner 1. By the time the market opened, every stall had turned its brightest cloth inward and every guard watched the northern gate. The Old Banner 2. No one said the old name aloud. Names carried debts, and debts were the one thing the city could no longer afford. The Old Banner 3. At noon, a rider crossed the bridge with ash on his cloak and a sealed letter held high above the crowd. The Old Banner 4.