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I gasp. Melkor. “I feared it might be so.” My teeth dig into my lip when I realize that I’ve actually broken the silence, but someone — is her name Chalice? — nods at me to continue, and I speak haltingly. “Melkor’s reputation has spread to even distant lands. They were mostly rumors, but my fellow believers and I feared the worst, so when I received the summons, I was quick to come, though it took many, many leagues.”

“You didn’t answer my question earlier. Where have you journeyed from?” The girl I now know to be Kate prods me again.

I glance at the guildmaster in his dark, billowing cloak, but he has fallen silent, so I figure I might as well start the introductions. “I come from the isolated land of Yizhan, as you can probably tell from…” I gesture to my face and tuck a strand of black hair behind my ear again. “Not many have heard of it, as it’s a place isolated from the rest of the world by mountains, forests, and sea. I have no worldhopping abilities, but I have had occasion to sail to other lands for my work and to gain experience. This trip is by far the longest.” My hand clenches around the watch, finding comfort in its weight. “I believe in our Lord — the One who Is — although those of us who do in Yizhan are few, and we live among pagans.” I glance around the table, where every gaze is fixed on me. It’s unsettling, but I press on. “Where have all of you come from?”

@kate