Lumberling felt something then. A weight in the air. Strength, pride, and a presence unlike the others. 'He grew up fast… So this is what you've become.'
The black-scaled lizardman stopped a few paces away, tilting his head slightly as he studied him.
For a heartbeat, neither moved. The swamp was silent but for the dripping of water.
"Are you our Lord?" the black-scaled one finally asked. His voice carried confidence, his stance steady. He gave off the same sharp presence Skitz had when they first met, keen calculating eyes, and an aura that clearly marked him at Knight Page level.
The others stirred uneasily at his tone, as if bracing for a clash.
Lumberling's smile deepened. He could feel the challenge in those words, but also a strange sense of recognition, as if this one wasn't dismissing him, but testing him.
"What do you think?"
