The two Neumonds present, visibly nervous, were not there for negotiation.
They knew who they were dealing with—and the knowledge only increased the tension. They gripped their swords, the steel reflecting the faint moonlight.
Blades ready to attack.
Leonard froze. A wave of sensations washed over him: anxiety, fear, but, above all, a repressed fury. His "cup," as he thought of it, was dangerously full, about to overflow.
His eyes, then, fixed on the swords he held. Smiling and Absolution.
A bitter, almost insane smile appeared on his lips. He stood there, still, lost in a private reverie, his mind oblivious to the imminent danger.
Meanwhile, Mikaela's predatory smile faded, replaced by a neutral, almost apathetic expression—the "blank stare" that preceded the storm.
Slowly, she closed her eyes. She brought her heels together. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, as if in prayer.
