Ethan was still rubbing his eyes.
Fine sand had mixed with his tears, grinding against them every time he blinked. The pain was unbearable. He could only squint and struggle to make out what lay ahead.
All he saw was an endless curtain of yellow sand.
To protect his eyes, Ethan raised another shield in front of himself. Sheltered behind the white barrier, he closed one eye and carefully sensed the changes within the dust storm.
Elsewhere, Eldran and the others watched with growing resignation.
Ethan and Valric were already fighting at full intensity. If the rest of them kept standing around, they would look rather out of place.
Eldran led the group toward another open stretch of ground.
His hands slowly curled into fists.
Golden armor grew outward from his skin, covering his chest and arms before spreading down his legs and over his head. Each plate snapped into place with a crisp metallic click.
Eldran stopped and gave the others a slight nod.
"I am Eldran."
