The war room beneath the Ice Palace was cold, but the tension in the room generated a heat that had nothing to do with temperature. It had been one hour since Klaus Lionhart walked out of the throne room, leaving behind a promise that felt more like a child's fantasy than a strategic guarantee. Now, Queen Ellah sat at the head of the obsidian table, her ruby eyes scanning the faces of the seven patriarchs representing the founding families of Iskandriel. Only the Stark family head was absent from the table, represented instead by Captain John Stark, who stood rigidly near the map display.
"Erion is still holding the line," John reported, his voice rough with exhaustion. He was Erion's cousin, and the strain on the family was evident in the dark circles under his eyes. "But his mana core is fluctuating. He is using a White Core technique to sustain the barrier, but even a White Core is not infinite. He is burning through his reserves at a rate we cannot sustain."
