Sylvia broke the silence first. "What's the state of things on your side?"
James exhaled shakily. "Bad. The Human Kingdom's council is compromised. My master is investigating the Elven Empire's sudden aggression, but even he doesn't have answers yet. He said the god-beast might be the catalyst, but it's not the only factor. Something else is moving the pieces."
"That lines up with what I've heard," Sylvia admitted. "The Dominion is mobilizing, but cautiously. No one wants to provoke the Elves into bringing their full force down on us. My master thinks it's a distraction. A way to keep us focused on the wrong threat."
James felt a pang of guilt at how much he'd leaned on Sylvia's strength during their journey. "Your master—do they have any idea how to deal with this? With the war, the god-beast, all of it?"