Three figures stood around a simple table, their faces illuminated by the pale blue light of enchanted crystals that hung from the ceiling.
Maps were spread across the surface, marking territories, guard positions, and strategic points throughout Pho's fortress.
Rynath stood to the east. She stood in silence as she was taking in all the tension in the room.
Loryn occupied the southern position. His skeletal fingers gripped the edge of the table.
Kaedor paced near the western wall. His rings clinked softly as he wrung his hands, the nervous energy radiating from him in waves.
"Kragoth is dead," Kaedor said for perhaps the third time, his voice carrying the edge of panic he was trying to suppress. "His head was delivered in a box with a message."
"We're aware," Rynath said, her tone cold as the ice beneath their feet. "Repeating it doesn't change the reality."
