"Then it's settled."
Astaroth suddenly rose from his seat, breaking the heavy silence that had descended over the room.
Luke frowned as the man continued, "You are the Guardian, so I suppose you would go as far as to bet your life for your people?"
Luke neither agreed nor denied it. He had come this far, after all, and if it came down to it, he would do whatever he could to protect those people.
Astaroth turned toward the elders. "You have been rather insistent that we not barge through the ritual and remain where we are for the sake of avoiding unforeseen dangers. I respect your opinion. And that is precisely why I have come to a conclusion."
Somehow, Luke did not like where this was going. Anything decided by a being like Astaroth was bound to involve chaos, and judging by the look in his eyes, Luke doubted he would be proven wrong.
