By the time Nova reached the next ridge, the flower field had disappeared behind him. He could still see the crater farther down the valley, a dark circle surrounded by pale, fractured stone. From here, it looked harmless, which only irritated him more.
Lunaris walked ahead, pausing every few steps to investigate some smell that Nova couldn't identify. The Auri stayed near his shoulder, a grey stain still visible on one wing. Nova wanted to rest, but the grooves they had discovered kept appearing along the trail.
"Someone put a ridiculous amount of work into this," he murmured, crouching beside another length of exposed stone. Three parallel grooves ran beneath the dirt, each deep enough to fit two fingers. Their sides remained smooth despite the surrounding erosion. "And apparently they were sensible enough to build something that lasted. A rare talent around here."
Lunaris sniffed the nearest groove and sneezed. Nova looked at him. "Thank you. Very helpful."
