Then, just as suddenly as he'd moved to defend Levi, the seventh elder returned to his seat. His walking stick tapped against the floor three times as he settled back into his throne, each tap echoing through the hall like a gong being struck.
Levi stood frozen for several seconds, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. The favor? What favor? When had the seventh elder ever owed him anything? They'd never even spoken before this trial!
Levi sighed in relief as he wiped the sweat and blood from his face with trembling hands. The blood wasn't from any external injury, he'd actually bitten through his own tongue during that confrontation, the stress and fear causing him to clench his jaw with such force that he'd drawn blood. The metallic taste filled his mouth, but he was too shaken to care.
