Of Glow and Grudge

Arthur kept his lips pursed.

'A trade. For everyone I care.' He thought deeply. Even with the giant sea monster and the omnimancer next to him, there was no threat to feel.

He stepped back from the stone platform, the glow of mana projections trailing along the edge of his cloak as though reluctant to let him go. Then, with a quiet breath, deep and composed, he began to undo the fastenings of his coat.

Each clasp, each fold of cloth was treated with care, unhooked and slid away as though every layer were a bond, and removing them was a rite.

Yel watched, unmoving now, breath held in a silence that seemed deeper than the hush spells surrounding them. Even the filtered light through the glass ceiling dimmed slightly, the green of the runes pulsing in time with Arthur's breath.

Arthur's torso was bare now. The scars they'd already seen sat across his chest like a carved sun, but he wasn't done.

His fingers reached for the clasp at his throat.