No Honor in Helplessness

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Shuule woke up the next day, in the dark as the candles had been blown out in the night, with just the sunlight coming in through the rock opening. Her eyes quickly adjusted, looking around for her roommate. Set was a large snake, curled up to sleep in the opposite corner, motionless. The hair on the back of Shuule's neck stood up a bit at the fact that she had shared a den with a snake overnight, but he had kept his distance. After settling in the afternoon before, she decided to cut the awkward silence with a nap, and ended up sleeping like the dead for twelve hours straight, not realizing how much she missed a soft place to lay and four walls to keep her safe. She stretched her arms over her body as she got out of bed, quietly walking to the opening to peek out.

Even just putting her head outside into the open let the air hit her like a brick. It was hot, the humidity oppressive. Usually the dry season was hot, but the unusual rain had made the air so heavy you could drink it