Even for beastmen, the ascent of the cliff had been a cruel experience. Their bodies were more resilient than mere men, bodies that were used to enduring battles, hunger, and fatigue, yet even their stamina was not limitless. Every muscle screamed, every breath torture in their lungs. The fatigue pressed down on them still from the mad dash from the dinosaurs—the kind of bone fatigue that made claws into weights of lead and wings feel like they were torn loose from their joints.
Shin's chest heaved spasmodically by the time they reached the top. He was standing on shaking arms, his forehead beaded with sweat that scalded his eyes. And yet he kept telling himself, they'd made it through. It was this thought alone that kept his body firm, even as it ached to collapse under him.
