What penance atoned for destroying a world? #Excerpt Ring of the Dragon #SciFi #MFRWhooks

In this scene, Pietas faces a task that sparks dread in his heart, and at this point in the story, he is dead set against Izzorah, the new love of Cyken. Pietas does not easily part with anything or anyone he loves...

Excerpt from Ring of the Dragon

The hallway to the Penance chambers started out blood-red crimson and darkened along its interminable length to scabby black.

The walls narrowed like the chances for escape facing Izzorah. The overhead lowered like the trap awaiting this Changeling who dared to confront his king. The nine Tradestandard feet at the door rose no more than a hand-width above the tallest subjects in the kingdom. No room to fight.

Each step lured a penitent deeper into the heart of the chamber of death.

Nothing mortals inflicted on his subjects could ever be worse than what Pietas could do. Death instilled little fear in his followers. They feared facing him far more.

Coming here, even thinking about coming here, turned his stomach.

His people designed this place for themselves, to keep themselves humble.

Used it to remind themselves they were not above mortals.

But this place... their Penance... did not punish just them.

Penance punished Pietas.

Penance reminded him what death felt like up close and personal. When he killed one of his people, he watched death take the light from their eyes. When one of his people died, he bore the moral consequences of their execution. Every single time. No one in history had more blood on his hands.

Pietas meted out punishment for failing to meet all the requirements his people set for themselves in each lifetime. Their penance became his punishment for failing to control himself.

He, who had convinced his people to follow him on a mission to save humanity, had, in a fit of rage, executed a planet full of people.

Destroyer of Worlds.

How he despised that title and detested this place. But deserved both.