---
Past the Rift the sand mellowed into hummocks dotted by hardy thorn trees. Here the Coatl team waited. Thea intent on resupply from a cistern oasis. Mia approached under white flag; army etiquette demanded trading of hazard data.
Kai watched from ridge. Sisters spoke alone; gestures sharp then softened. Perhaps Thea grudgingly acknowledged Cerastis' survival.
But Darius stood behind Thea, helmet off, expression smug. When his eyes met Kai's across seventy paces, he tapped his four-star insignia then traced a throat-cut motion.
Kai returned a slow smile, baring mandibles black with dried Crawler ichor. Let Darius wonder what monster's blood he wore.
Both banners set separate camps at opposite dune horns. The air was filled with tension.
That night Mia gathered her warriors around a small lamp.
"Tomorrow we enter the Shifting Labyrinth," she said. "Storms move dunes like ocean swells. Landmarks vanish. Our map from Needle is incomplete."
