Now if this wasnât a sight for sore eyes.
   Ikol didnât need to ask to know--call it intuition, an educated guess, or simply pattern recognition by now--and he assumed she wouldnât, either. Sheâd her look and he his. (Although, those horns of his mightâve been the more obvious giveaway between the two.)
    âWelcome to Golden Ward,â Ikol greeted her, flashing his teeth beside an immortal cavalier grin. âJudging by the imminent eclipse leading up to your appearance, this is your first time fielding the view, as it were.â
   Not that heâd chastise his ilk for being new to the storied city and its marvel mile-wide hole in the ground, of course. Ikol talked as though it might be a pleasant observation.
   âIâm Loki. Suppose you could say Iâm something of a veteran around the block.â
   His eyes shined with everything mercurial as he winked. âAnything in particular youâre searching for?â