The walls narrowed around us as we descended. The light fractured on the red rocks, stretching shadows long as claws.
The air was thick, saturated with an almost humid heat, and every breath brought back into my throat that metallic, acrid taste that clung to the tongue.
A low rumble came from below, at times mixed with guttural chants that echoed against the stone walls.
Beneath our feet, the ground had become nothing more than a mix of black sand and red dust, stained here and there with dark streaks. The smell… dried blood, burned leather, and something even more acrid.
Nyss walked to my right, silent. Her tail swayed slowly behind her, like a patient metronome.
Sae, to my left, scanned the heights, her gaze sliding from one overhang to another.
— Every tribe watches its territory, Nyss said in a low voice. The smaller ones sell themselves to the larger to survive. Here, no one offers hospitality for free.
I nodded, without slowing down.
