章 1216: A Crane

Communication flowed freely through the shadow channel Arthur had forged. Relief surged through him as Marvi relayed his position from within the other dimension.  And then…a revelation.

"There was an artifact, my lord," Marvi rasped. "Something the King used to access this dimension.  I seized the brief opening it created, followed Emma when she was cast through."

Arthur and Lucian exchanged glances.  This was the key, the answer to their desperate puzzle.  "Marvi," Arthur said urgently, "do you know what this artifact is? Where it might be kept?"

"Alas, my knowledge is limited. The King guards his secrets well.  I saw only a shimmering disc, etched with strange runes upon a dais in his chambers."

The plan was already forming in Arthur's mind, a daring gamble fueled by equal parts desperation and adrenaline. He began outlining his course of action - a full-frontal assault on the Yalen King, a swift strike to claim the artifact...