Among the soldiers-to-be in the crowd was one who very quickly became the loudest, insulting one man from halfway across the courtyard. Immediately, some of the soldiers closest to her leaped into a ready stance, perceiving the Wyvern Knight as a potential threat rather than an ally very quickly. Yet, she could have been all bark and no bite, so none of them dared move in on her without a command to, a command which never came.

Helia, rather than paying particular attention to the girl herself, instead turned toward the man she so readily insulted. Her heart felt heavy as she looked in his direction, and she suddenly felt much more weary. The man was a void for magic--a consuming black hole that would likely never be satisfied. She heard a grunt of shock from Ishmer behind her, and she turned her head slightly and said barely loud enough for the Priest to hear, "You felt it, too."

"Yes, milady. That man . . . I have never felt a presence like his before."

"The girl is of no threat to us, I feel. Perhaps merely words. But that man, we must be cautious around. He could be a great ally or a dangerous enemy. His staring . . . it was not in lust as the girl believes. It was the stirring of his hunger."