(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

Moreover, I began to realize that enemies were everywhere.
"Are you well?" Dak'kon had intoned, "Though you have no name, I have
come to know you well, and something is different."
"You are not ill," Grace had said as she lifted her hand from my forehead,
"But I detect that there is something missing. Perhaps you need some rest,
or a stroll through the Ward. The entertainers may invigorate you... and a
new caravan has come from Parafel with fine new goods."
Even Morte seemed worried. "Come on, chief. You and me, when's the last
time it was just the two of us painting the town red, eh?" he chittered.
Annah remained silent, and distant.
If I did look haggard (moreso than usual, at least), it was because many of
my hours were spent in solitude, lifting what wisdom I could find from my
new servant.
"I bestow this advice: Be wary of those you keep close to you. Never take
them fully into your confidence, and never dilute your strength by sharing it.
Many emperors I have known have done such, and I do not wish you to
suffer the same fate."
"If they claim friendship, then let them prove themselves. Words carry little
weight compared to action. If friends they be, then they should be willing to
die for you."
"Show no weakness, do not admit error, do not show hesitation. These
things tell others that you are uncertain, a stone that is unbalanced and may
be toppled." I felt a slight tightening in my chest then.
"Beware mercy. A turned back is no defense against an assassin's knife."
"Beware the common view of love. Love must often be cruel in order so that
it may rise above the merely sentimental."
"Separate yourself from small-minded fools and the weak by recognizing
that you have a destiny. This alone gives you authority to tread where
others would fear to go." A faint sneer curled up the corner of my mouth at
those words. I quickly repressed it.
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