When Erend and Eccar followed the apprentice through the winding corridors of the Palace, they couldn't ignore the uneasy murmurs around them. Small groups of Elves stood in shadowed corners and whispering in worried tones.
They cast glances as Erend and Eccar passed, bowed with respect with faces etched with concern. Though no one spoke directly to them it was clear that rumors had already spread through the palace and everyone knew something unusual was unfolding.
Exchanging a quick glance, Erend and Eccar silently acknowledged that whatever they were about to face was already stirring tension among the palace inhabitants. That can't be good.
Finally, they reached Saeldir's chamber. As the doors opened, Erend's eyes fell on the three strangers within the crystal cube. Standing by the edge of the cube, they appeared human but with an unsettling strangeness to their appearance. Their skin clutched by molten metal or rock that look so thight its almost as if its their real skin.
