"The first rule of hunting is to know your prey, little wolf. But the first rule of survival is to know your ground."Kairi's voice was a ghost in my ear, a memory from a lifetime ago, as I picked my way down the treacherous scree slope into the Serpent's Tail Valley. The official maps were useless here, showing only blank space and the lazy curl of the river. The real map was written in the land itself—the way the wind twisted through a particular canyon, the type of lichen clinging to the sun-facing rocks, the subtle, almost imperceptible game trails used by creatures far wiser than any mapmaker. I was no scout, but I was a creature of instinct, and every fiber of my being was tuned to a single, desperate frequency: Find her.The journey was a brutal lesson in my own fragility. I, who had spent months in palaces and fortresses, was soft. My feet blistered in my worn boots. My muscles, used to council tables and throne rooms, screamed in protest at the relentless climb and descent. H
Last Updated : 2025-10-09
LOGIN
