But Arlen didn't answer him with words, merely held his gaze for a long, silent moment, then reached into his storage ring and pulled out what appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary, slightly tarnished bronze coin.
The simple object gleamed faintly under the constant flicker of lightning overhead, looking pitifully insignificant against the backdrop of such raw, elemental power.
Without uttering a single syllable, Arlen turned and flicked his wrist, sending the coin whistling through the storm-lashed air. It flew in a fast, precise arc and struck one of the many lightning essence stones nestled near the lake's edge, making a sharp, metallic clink that echoed like a gunshot across the basin.
No sooner had the coin made contact than the heavens seemed to split open.
CRACKLE!
