The spatial passage tore open with such force that Alex felt the surrounding Aether begin to buckle under its weight.
He looked up, his expression turning serious as an elderly man stepped through the opening. The newcomer looked almost human, with a weathered face, short grey hair and a body that seemed rather thin beneath his loose black robes.
However, two things about him stood out immediately.
The first was the state of his robes. They were riddled with holes of every size. Some were small enough to have been left by needles, while others looked as though someone had taken a blade straight to the fabric.
Ragged as they looked, Alex could sense the extraordinary materials they were made from. The fact that they hadn't been repaired meant their owner either didn't care how he looked or had some peculiar attachment to the damage.
The second was the enormous basket strapped to his back.
