"You said it would only take a second. What happened?" Reynolds flew to Grey's side, lightning still faintly crackling around the edges of his armor.
Grey stood without any visible elemental fluctuations, yet every member of the Asterope Faction could feel that he was anything but ordinary. The quiet pressure around him was different from raw power, it was controlled, dense, and difficult to read. The Gnomes sensed it too. Unlike the humans, however, their reaction carried a clear edge of concern. Several of the lower-ranked ones shifted uneasily on their platforms.
The two Ninth-stage Sovereign Gnomes stood side by side. Behind them the remaining Gnomes and their puppets quickly formed tighter ranks. The scout leader stepped forward and whispered urgently, "Sir, I thought you said it was impossible for anyone from the outside to come in."
He froze for a second. His pupils dilated. "Unless…"
