Chapter 51: Day one of training.

THE ROOF OF Nigel’s home was completely flat, a broad, sturdy platform. The wood his family had used to build the crown of his treehouse consisted of thick, bound-together trunks, overlaid with a woven stick carpet and smoothed leaves to cushion any falls.

His creator had built this square space for him and his brothers shortly after they were born, a dedicated training ground. It had been a while since Nigel had stood on this spot, expecting ...