The two guards exchanged a long, tense look. Beads of sweat trickled down the side of the lead warrior's jaw, his breathing turning tight as the threat of Damon's wrath hung heavily in the air. Fear flickered sharply in their eyes. After a heavy, agonizing silence, they finally lowered their steel spears, stepping aside to clear a narrow path.
Leaning heavily on my wooden crutch, I dragged myself past them without looking back.
Stepping out into the warm sunlight, the cool breeze hit my face, washing away the claustrophobic scent of herbal medicine and old stone. I forced my weak legs to move forward, taking agonizingly slow steps as I navigated the winding dirt paths of the market. My eyes scanned every vendor and stall like a hawk, searching for any fragment of the past.
A small, quie
