The evening artificial sun cast long, golden rays through the towering ether-glass windows of the lower dining courtyards, bathing the polished pale Sylfen wood in a warm, comforting glow as the three hundred initiates of the Vanguard gathered for their eagerly anticipated evening meal.
The air was heavily filled with the rich, mouth-watering aroma of roasted poultry and fresh root vegetables, but the young recruits were entirely focused on the massive, dark basalt tables positioned at the very front of the hall, where King Kaelen and his towering Star-Forged smiths were carefully unpacking exactly three hundred sleek, heavily reinforced armor sets.
Elian stood near the front of the anxious crowd, his young eyes wide with profound awe as he stared at the dark alloy plating that seemed to effortlessly absorb the ambient light of the room, while Jaxson shifted his heavy weight from side to side in completely uncontained excitement.
