The castle of Yino was an imposing structure carved into living rock, its corridors illuminated by crystals that pulsed with a sickly purple glow. The very air seemed heavier here, weighted with power and secrets.
Two guards practically dragged Hagen to the throne room, his bandaged stumps contrasting starkly with the elegance of the place.
Each step echoed ominously through the ancient halls.
The King of Yino awaited, his Nian beast manifesting as a horn that his crown accommodated perfectly.
When Hagen finished most of his report...
The King's eyes, normally calculating, burned with barely contained fury.
"Do you know what you've done?" the monarch's voice was deceptively soft. "Not only did you lose the scorpion cores. Not only did you fail the most important mission I've given you in years."
He rose slowly, his Nian's power making shadows dance across the walls.
"You revealed to Yano that we can control abyssals!"
