"Use them?" questioned Azel, his interest piqued. "That seems rather difficult considering they've got us by our throats."
Gryphon chuckled, low and dry. "Dear boy, that's exactly why we'll use them. When someone's already decided your fate, you can make them think it was their idea all along."
Azel frowned, unconvinced. "They've decided we're either useful or dead. That doesn't leave much room for negotiation."
"Which is why we survive the Trial," Colwyn said firmly. "We do that, and suddenly we're not just outsiders—they'll owe us. Even the most arrogant cultures understand debt."
Penny tilted her head, still uncertain. "You really think they'll just… help us after that?"
"No," Colwyn said flatly. "But they might tolerate us. And that's enough."
Gryphon smiled, eyes glittering like someone who'd played this game a hundred times before. "The trick, dear, is making sure they need us more than they fear us. This trial? It's not a punishment. It's a test run."
