Byung and the rest of the orcs were already back on the road by the time the sun fully rose, their horses moving at a steady pace that ate up distance far more efficiently than walking would have. They rode through treacherous terrain that shifted between dense forest and rocky outcroppings, the path winding in ways that made navigation challenging even for the sisters who claimed familiarity with the region.
But Byung could no longer stop thinking about the bigger picture that the dwarf's words had painted. The dark continent was the only thing occupying his mind now, consuming his thoughts with possibilities and preparations he needed to make. He absolutely had to make sure his settlement's forces were ready to face that existential threat once the barrier eventually dropped. Because it would drop—the dwarf's certainty about that had been too complete to dismiss as mere delusion.
