"When do we start?"
A large smile bloomed on the woman's face as she nodded, clearly pleased.
"Now."
The smile vanished as abruptly as it had appeared, her expression cooling into something distant and severe.
"Listen carefully. From this moment on, you will address me only as Arbiter. You will finish every sentence with the suffix Arbiter, and you will respond to my every order the same way… Arbiter. Am I understood?"
Atticus blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sudden shift in tone, and a quiet doubt flickered through him as he wondered if this had truly been the right choice.
Still, he listened, nodding slowly.
"Yes… Arbiter."
"Good. Get up."
He listened, pushing himself to his feet.
"Was it really the elements you used earlier?"
The white haired woman raised an eyebrow and regarded him in silence long enough for the weight of it to press down on him. Atticus sighed.
"…Arbiter."
A small, approving smile appeared at her lips before she nodded.
"Indeed."
