The wilderness between Eltari City and the Solkara lands was a long stretch of broken ground, dry wind, and low hills that never seemed to end.
The last Eltari Overlord had stopped trying to count the hours.
His body told him enough. His legs burned, his lungs felt like they were pulling in dust instead of air, and his heart hammered so hard that it drowned out the sound of his own footsteps.
He forced himself to keep moving.
He crested a final ridge and saw the city walls.
The Solkara city rose from the ground like a black-and-red fortress. Its stone walls were layered and thick, carved with symbols of conquest and strength. Tall towers stood at regular intervals, and at the gates were figures that looked more like statues than guards.
Red skin. Four arms. Black, unblinking eyes.
The Solkara.
The Eltari Overlord slowed to a walk. His body finally refused to keep running. He staggered forward, dust clinging to his clothes and sweat dripping down his face.
