The moment the first rays of dawn touched the eastern sky, Kai and Chiron abandoned the relative safety of their cave. The sounds of Dax’s hunting hounds and the heavy tread of armored boots were close enough now that waiting any longer would be suicide.
Their goal was simple but distant: the invisible line marking the boundary between the repressive Southern Empire, commanded by Morana, and the fragmented, clan-ruled Eastern Empire. The journey was estimated to take three days on foot, and every inch of it would be contested.
The next three-day journey was defined by constant pursuit. Dax and the Crimson Blades were relentless, their tracking impeccable. Morana had clearly spared no expense or effort, cycling through multiple tracking spells and hounds. They moved through deep ravines,
