Chapter 10. The Fall

Coating the sky is thick blackness, the sound of creaking insects, crawling creatures, and rustling leaves, superimposing, creating a familiar melody for the moment as gentle waves dance around, spreading a serene, ethereal scent on the scene.

Several flame torches have been lit, casing a pale yellow hue on the setting yet not providing sufficient illumination to pick out minute details on the tableau.

Warm eruptions in my thorax continue, and my stomach churns. The sweaty lubrication on my skin grows worse as well, irrespective of the torturous frigid breeze that forced my teeth to clatter and my bones to fidget. The fact that highlands and mountains surround this tableau is enough explanation for such intense weather conditions.

For several days, we traversed the forest, managing nothing but shrubs, leaves, and nuts as food. Now, we stand on the rocky ground beyond the dry woodland. Toweri