[3449] The Poisoned Rod

This is chapter 2.

Reading chapter 1 shouldn't be necessary to understand chapter 2, as they're told from different perspectives. I do have a couple of in-world words that I hope are understandable with context.

The only backstory that might help is this: my prologue tells the story of Horace Sala's battle in a series of caves. He received a vision of the future that allowed him to rescue two survivors of a kidnapping. The prologue takes place twenty-seven years before the events of the book. I also hope the prologue isn't necessary to understand any of the chapters.

Full disclaimer: I've written and rewritten this chapter more than any of the others. I don't have objectivity anymore. Something about it still feels off. As I hope to keep the few remaining hairs on my head, please help. Any advice is welcome.

Cashing in all this b/c it's a longer chapter:

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