Arden did not waste another second and ran back toward the building.
"I'll bring everyone," he said over his shoulder.
Garion watched him go, then turned back to Eldrin.
"So," he said, arms crossed, "what happened to that other otherworlder you mentioned?"
Eldrin lowered his head slightly, thinking. "He did… quite well."
Garion raised an eyebrow. "Quite well how?"
"He survived," Eldrin replied. "More than that, he gathered people around him."
Dion, who had stayed behind, blinked. "Gathered?"
Eldrin nodded. "He built a force strong enough to stand on its own. You could say… he created a grand clan."
Garion's eyes widened just a little. "Grand clan?"
Dion sucked in a breath and quickly turned to Garion. "Master, let me explain."
Garion waved a hand. "Go on."
"In this world," Dion said, "powers are divided by rank."
He counted on his fingers. "At the very top are grand powers. Grand clans. Grand sects. Things that even top clans don't dare provoke."
