The wastelands groaned beneath the weight of silence. Blood soaked the cracked earth. Torn pieces of the sandworm—chitin, flesh, and shattered fangs—lay scattered like the aftermath of a god's temper.
Kael rolled his shoulders, letting out a long breath. The last chunk of the beast sizzled behind him.
He grinned.
"That's the last of them."
His boots crunched over a severed scale as he walked forward, flames still flickering along his arm. The fight had barely left a scratch.
"Compared to the worms in Dunehaven… this one was alot stronger."
The wind shifted.
A shrill hum broke through the sky.
Kael looked up, eyes narrowing.
A black ship streaked across the clouds—small, fast, leaving a faint shimmer in its wake. It headed straight for the settlement.
His grin returned.
"Guess that's our ride."
Without another word, he turned toward the distant walls of the settlement grounds, walking through the wreckage like it was nothing.
Behind him, the other men remained still.
