Temple Courtyard
After the meal concluded, the group moved to one of the temple's courtyards to take in fresh air and escape the increasingly stifling atmosphere inside. The courtyard was beautiful—manicured gardens, fountains with crystal-clear water, and marble pathways that wound between flowering trees.
Jolthar stood with Milan, Andrion, and Elmesona, discussing the bizarre turn the afternoon had taken, when the sound of approaching footsteps made them all turn.
A group of men was walking toward them with a clear purpose. There were perhaps a dozen of them, led by a young man in his late twenties who wore the distinctive armor of a temple knight—polished steel with holy symbols etched into the breastplate, a sword at his hip, and the bearing of someone who had dedicated his life to martial and spiritual discipline.
Behind him were other temple knights and several priests, their expressions ranging from disapproval to outright hostility.
