––––––––
The dancing torchlight cast tall flickering shadows across the stone walls as fifty men and women filed into the dark room. Clasped in their deep purple cloaks, the guild members circled along the edges of the small space to watch the ritual. Feet scraping along the flat ground was the only sound that could be heard.
Barric caught a couple of nervous eyes darting back and forth. He did his best to act calm, to set an example, but he dreaded the ritual too. He was just watching from the crowd, but that was still too close. He drew his purple cloak tight around him as if it would protect him and leaned casually against the flat stone wall on the edge of the room, crossing his arms.
Barric turned his head slowly to glance around the room that lay deep under their massive temple.
