Emerald Dream Realm, City of Lorelia.
The moment the great gates of the Dragon Crucible ground open, the trial was officially over.
Rolan strode out, his shoulders set broader than before. The first thing he saw was the waiting crowd: Lilith, Pallas, Elara, and the rest of the elders.
"Mistress Lilith, Elders…" Rolan gave a firm, respectful nod to the assembly. He was the last one to emerge from the Crucible.
"There you are." Lilith pulled Rolan into a warm embrace, then held him at arm's length, her hands instinctively straightening the collar of his worn tunic. "Look at you. Taller, stronger."
It was true. The Crucible had reforged him. The power thrumming in his veins had added a new density to his frame.
"Hah! That's Orion's disciple, all right!" Rendall's booming laugh echoed across the plaza as he clapped a heavy hand on Rolan's shoulder. "Not even a man grown and already hit Alpha-level. The youngest elder in the history of the Stoneheart Horde."
