Chapter 70 - The March (2)

The Wildlands lived up to their hostile reputation within the first kilometer of foot travel. The ground itself was treacherous—solid earth could give way to patches of destabilized reality without warning, and the vegetation seemed to lean toward the marching columns with predatory intent. More than once, Zeph watched participants stumble as seemingly solid ground rippled like water beneath their boots, only stabilizing moments later as if the earth itself was playing a particularly sadistic game of "the floor is lava." The twisted trees that bordered their route looked almost disappointed each time someone managed to avoid the reality-warped patches, their gnarled branches creaking in what could have been the wind or could have been frustration. One particularly ambitious vine had apparently decided to moonlight as a tripwire, stretching across