The God of Wind smiled.
It was not the triumphant smile of a deity who enjoyed leaving mortals in suspense, nor the amused smile of someone entertaining himself at another's expense, nor the proud smile of someone pleased to have been recognized.
It was gentle... almost warm. The kind of smile one offered a traveler who had wandered farther than anyone had expected, and the kind of smile welcoming a traveler whose arrival had been anticipated for ages.
"Welcome, Vaelric Stormborne."
His voice drifted across the endless meadow like the breeze itself. It was neither loud nor commanding, yet it reached every corner of the golden world with effortless grace.
"Welcome..." His sky-blue eyes shimmered with an ageless warmth that seemed capable of calming even the fiercest tempest. "...to my realm."
Vaelric remained rooted where he stood. His eyes swept across the endless golden landscape again.
