The afternoon sun hung low, a warm haze settling over the newly built homes of Black Tortoise City. It was around three o'clock when Alec wiped the sweat from his brow and admired his modest new house.
It wasn't large—three bedrooms, a small living room, a kitchen, and even a stone-lined bath—but it was clean, sturdy, and bright. Smaller than the one he'd had back in the Moon Lake Tribe, yes, and without a yard, but it was theirs. That was enough.
He knelt beside a pile of timber, carving the rough planks into shape with a hunting knife. He planned to build a bed for his wife and daughter before nightfall.
"—Husband," came a voice from the doorway.
Alec looked up to see Susan, her long hair tied back neatly, with their daughter Sophia standing beside her, clutching the hem of her mother's clothes.
"I'm going to take Sophia to the high ground," Susan said. "She'll begin serving the Moon Lord."
