Velexaria Duskvale, Tower Master of the Dark Mages, sat with regal poise, her obsidian robes embroidered with crimson runes glimmering faintly in the gloom. Her eyes, dark as midnight pools, fixed Ethan with a look somewhere between calculation and pride.
Beside her sat Lysena Veilthorn and Kaeron Duskwright, both Sixth Circle Mages and legends in their own right. The space felt tight with their power, like sitting between walls of unseen lightning.
"So," Velexaria began, her voice low and smooth as silk, "when we reach the Empire's capital, you might feel overwhelmed. It's not merely a council gathering. It's a battlefield of prestige and silent threats."
Kaeron let out a dry snort. "The Light Tower's whelps love flaunting their brilliance. The Thunder Tower, too—acting as if the skies answer only to them."