Lights and sounds came blurry piece by piece to his senses as Norton awoke. Once he realized he had in fact been moved and didn't just pass out or fall unconscious, he suddenly stirred and stood upright, his eyes darting left and right. He found himself amidst runes and a sort of... magic circle. His eyes widened, and he knew well whose domain arcane magic was... Though, of course, Thalya had been the exception. If she did not owe her allegiance to Tenebrax, there must have been others as well...<br/><br/>He calmed down a bit, taking in his surroundings. It was a far cry from the ocean and the beach, instead luxurious and refined. He kept walking forward, his eyes drifting from one object to the next, mesmerized by the torches. He did not feel any warmth from him, even when he brought his hand up to them. Trepidatiously, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the torch's glowing light. Feeling no pain, the young paladin sighed in relief. It was as he thought...<br/><br/>Then his attention was drawn to some movement in the corner of his periphery- the woman that sat before the crystal ball. He took one step before the wizard, but hesitated once the figure stood and turned towards him.<br/><br/>He was surprised to see that the mage was a woman, and moved to confront her- but he felt some kind of invisible force binding him there... He furrowed his brow and looked back towards her, listening to the woman as she spoke.<br/><br/>"I...<em>we</em>did not come here to punish heretics. We came here to seek... your help?" He left that last statement with a questioning tone, unsure if she was truly the person we sought, "You have given me no reason to wish you harm. For as long as that remains so, I give you my word I shall not let you come to injury."<br/><br/>"Though... you have given me reason for alarm. Why... take me here? You could have approached us on the beach, no?" He bit his lip, unsure of what to make of the whole situation.