Maddie's POV
Maddie leaned against the obsidian slab, crossing her arms over her [Abyssal Vanguard Carapace].
Across the glowing expanse of the Black Pool, the crafters were screaming.
Bram was red in the face, playing tug-of-war with a baby god. Ash, the Mythic Solar-Avian, had its beak clamped onto the edge of the anvil, happily ignoring the dwarf trying to pry it loose.
Maddie watched Will jog across the shallow stone bridge toward the chaos.
The damp air of Deep Karakorum chilled the back of her throat. If anyone from the old world could see her now, they wouldn't recognize her. Before the System, she had been small. Four years trapped with a toxic boyfriend, shrinking herself down to fit into a life that made her feel weak.
Now, she was the Warlord's Vanguard.
