The morning sun fell on the round dome of the little hut, its light streaming in through the flue at the top. Exploration Captain Zuwaro bowed his head and entered the hut to visit his friend lying inside.
This type of hut, typical of the Xiusilao people, was quite low from the outside, made with a framework of branches covered by bark, fur, and thatch. Once inside, it was surprisingly spacious, as half of it was dug into the ground. Through this practical design, only a small amount of building material was needed to ensure warmth in winter and coolness in summer. The main drawbacks were that excavation was laborious, the land needed to be dry with no groundwater, and relocation was impossible.
In the dim light, Zuwaro squinted, inhaling the faint scent of herbs, and looked at the grass bed at the center of the hut. Scholar Mikki was lying there, drowsily, not knowing whether he was awake or not.
