The mirrored chamber began to flicker as the discussion came to an end, the reflections of the other goblin masters disappearing one by one. Vellok stood alone for a moment, the dark room feeling colder now.
As he teleported back to his own tower, his mind still raced with doubts. The ratpeople were clever, but they were also unpredictable. The emperor might see them as pawns, but Vellok suspected that the ratpeople saw themselves differently.
And pawns who believed they were kings could be the most dangerous of all.
Vellok was pacing back and forth when, all of a sudden, he stopped and took a knee. The air in front of him shimmered as a robed figure appeared, their hood pulled low over their face, hiding their features. Only the glint of yellow eyes could be seen beneath the hood, watching him intently.
"It's been a long time, little brother," the figure's deep voice spoke to Vellok, who remained silent.
