The gates of the Tenth City groaned open at dawn.
Mist curled through the massive archway, parting around the figures that emerged. Ten hosts led the procession, robed in pale gray, their faces sharp with authority. Behind them came a caravan of attendants, guards, and traders, the early light catching on their armor and scales of beast-leather.
Waldo walked at the forefront, a steady, calculating figure. When his eyes rose to the towering creature before him — the Black Tortoise, its shell vast as a fortress, its sides draped with dozens of pale cocoons — his pupils narrowed to pinpoints.
"So…" murmured one of the hosts at his side, voice low with unease. "The bait last night was completely taken."
"It seems our little 'test' met its end," Waldo replied coolly, folding his arms. "The Black Tortoise City is far stronger than we imagined."
A flicker of caution crossed his face. He masked it quickly.
