Dusk had already settled over the desert when the wagon finally rolled into the open area few kilometers away from the mouth of Al'Qatl Canyon.
Before the wagon had fully stopped, Kiel jumped down from the roof.
His boots hit the ground with a thud, and he immediately began scanning the clearing. His eyes moved quickly—over the rocks, and the scattered shrubs and trees that barely survived in the harsh land.
He found nothing.
Ulon climbed down next, landing with a heavy step and stretching his arms over his head.
"You wouldn't find them here, kid," he said casually, glancing around. "If the Kultians were smart enough to survive, they're probably hiding. Maybe they'll show themselves tomorrow."
Kiel's shoulders dropped slightly. "Is that so…"
Klaus jumped down from the wagon roof a moment later, landing lightly despite the sand shifting under his feet.
He brushed dust off his robe and glanced toward the dark mouth of the canyon.
"Do you think Kultians would roam around in a place like this after dark?" he asked calmly. "Even reckless people know when to hide."
Ulon snorted, "are you saying we're not reckless?"
Klaus shook his head, "No, we're mad."
Kiel kicked a small stone across the sand. "Still… I thought maybe we'd see them."
His voice carried a quiet weight that didn't match his usual mischievous tone.
One by one the others climbed down.
Maddy stretched both arms high above her head until her joints popped. "Finally. My legs are cramped from that ride."
"That's because you spent half the trip sleeping," Ulon said.
"I was resting," Maddy corrected sharply. "There's a difference."
"You were snoring."
"I do not snore."
"You absolutely—"
Shane stepped down from the wagon, cutting the argument short without raising his voice.
"Make fire and cook."
That was enough.
Ulon grabbed a bundle of dry twigs nearby while Shalotte carefully arranged stones for the fire pit. He knelt too quickly and almost tipped forward, catching himself with both hands.
"I'm fine," he muttered before anyone could comment.
Meanwhile Shane walked toward a lone tree standing near the edge of the clearing.
He removed Molly's harness and guided the massive white rhino beneath the shade of the branches. Zevy was already perched above, feathers rustling softly as the hawk shifted position.
Cukuz sat comfortably on Molly's back, clearly enjoying the ride even though the journey had ended.
Shane spread a pile of grass for Molly and placed Zevy's pellet nearby.
Only then did he reach up and lift the bat-like creature from Molly's back.
Cukuz let out a small offended screech.
"You've had enough," Shane said calmly.
The little creature pouted, wings drooping dramatically.
Shane sighed and pulled out a strip of dried beef from his ring.
Cukuz's mood changed instantly.
The bat grabbed the strip and began chewing enthusiastically.
Satisfied, Shane turned and walked back toward the campfire.
The flames were already rising, casting warm light over the group.
Ulon stirred a pot while Maddy tossed more wood into the fire.
But Shane noticed something immediately.
Kiel sat a little away from the others, elbows on his knees, staring at the dark.
Quietly.
Shane stopped beside Klaus.
"What's the situation?" he asked quietly.
Klaus remained crouched near the ground, lightly brushing sand aside with a stick. His eyes moved over the faint blood marks scattered across the clearing.
"Nothing much," he said.
He pointed the stick toward a patch of darker sand.
"There are blood stains. Plenty of them."
Petra stiffened slightly. "Blood?"
"But," Klaus continued calmly, "there are no signs of a battle."
Ulon frowned. "That doesn't make sense."
Klaus shrugged. "Exactly."
He nudged another mark in the sand.
"The footprints are scattered but controlled. No signs of struggles, no drag marks from corpses either."
Petra, who had been standing quietly near the fire, finally spoke. Her voice was soft, almost hesitant, but it carried clearly through the calm night air.
"So… someone was injured?"
Klaus, still crouching near the sand, nodded once.
"Most likely."
He brushed away another layer of sand with the tip of his stick and studied the darker stains beneath.
"Maybe the merchants from Varkesh," he added casually. "If my guess is correct, they fought something before they reached this place."
Kiel, who had been sitting quietly a few steps away, lifted his head immediately.
"You mean… the Kultians survived?"
There was a hint of hope in his voice—fragile but stubborn.
Klaus leaned back, resting his arms on his knees as if the matter was not important at all.
"More likely than not," he said. "The blood suggests injuries, yes. But the ground tells a different story."
Ulon scratched his chin, glancing at the scattered marks on the sand.
"So they patched themselves up and left?"
"Something like that," Klaus replied. "And if they were truly injured, they wouldn't waste time hunting Kultians."
Kiel's shoulders relaxed slightly.
The boy tried to hide it, but the relief on his face was obvious.
Shane, who had been silently observing the canyon entrance, folded his arms and spoke calmly.
"Then we search the area tomorrow morning."
His tone carried the quiet authority everyone in the group was used to.
"We'll look for clues before moving out."
Everyone nodded.
***
Night deepened quickly in the barren land.
The fire crackled steadily as the group gathered around it for dinner. Ulon stirred a pot of stew with focused concentration, occasionally tasting it and adding a pinch of salt.
Maddy casually threw woods to keep the fire.
Petra sat beside her, quietly cutting dried meat into smaller pieces.
After a moment, Petra tilted her head slightly and sniffed the air.
"Do you smell something burnt?" she asked.
Everyone paused.
Ulon sniffed loudly.
"Yeah… I smell it too."
Klaus glanced at him lazily.
"That's probably your feet."
Ulon blinked.
"Maybe."
Without hesitation, he pulled off one boot and lifted his foot toward his nose.
The group watched in silence.
Ulon sniffed.
Then he sniffed again.
"…Huh."
He sniffed harder.
"Wait."
Another sniff.
Finally, he shrugged and said confidently, "Not me."
Maddy groaned. "Put your boots back on!"
Shalotte covered his nose. "Please!"
Klaus leaned back, clearly satisfied with the chaos he had caused.
Even Shane rubbed his forehead.
"Ulon."
"Yeah, boss?"
"Boots."
"Right."
Ulon shoved them back on with a grumble.
Dinner continued with quiet banter, though the earlier tension still lingered faintly beneath the surface.
Eventually the group finished eating.
Petra and Maddy went inside the wagon. Shalotte and Kiel lay on the blanket beside the wagon.
Three men sat still around the fire pit.
Ulon looked at Shane, "Boss, get some rest. We'll keep the watch."
Shane nodded and lay his back on the ground near the firepit. He didn't mind the dirt and rock.
The desert grew quiet again.
Only two people remained awake.
Klaus and Ulon.
The two men sat opposite each other near the dying fire, keeping watch. The embers glowed faintly, occasionally sending sparks drifting into the night.
Ulon stretched his arms.
"You know," he muttered, "I miss Pe'cha."
Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Because of the comfortable beds?"
"No," Ulon said seriously. "Because people don't accuse my feet of smelling there."
Klaus smirked faintly.
The night passed slowly.
***
Dawn arrived with pale grey light spilling across the rock walls.
The group moved out shortly after dawn.
They spread out across the clearing, searching the area carefully.
Shane led the front while Zevy circled above the canyon entrance.
Klaus walked a little behind him, using his echolocation, he scanned the ground with lazy-looking eyes that missed nothing.
Ulon kicked rocks as he walked.
Maddy and Petra stayed together, while Shalotte carefully examined the ground step by step.
It was Shalotte who noticed it first.
"Um… boss?"
Everyone stopped.
He pointed toward a dark patch in the distance.
At first it looked like a strange shadow against the sand.
But the closer they walked, the clearer the shape became.
And then the smell hit them.
Burnt flesh.
Heavy and bitter.
The group slowed.
No one spoke.
When they finally reached the spot, the sight froze them in place.
A pile of bodies.
Dozens of them.
The corpses were blackened and twisted, burned so badly that their faces were no longer recognizable. Some were curled like broken branches. Others had collapsed into shapeless forms.
Smoke stains still marked the sand around them.
Petra gasped softly and covered her mouth with both hands.
Shane's eyes narrowed immediately.
Kiel stared.
His face turned pale.
His legs suddenly gave way beneath him.
He dropped to his knees.
"No…" he whispered.
His voice trembled.
"No… this isn't real…"
Maddy clenched her fists, anger flashing across her face.
"Those Varkesh bastards did this."
Ulon said nothing.
His usual loud attitude vanished completely.
Instead, he stepped forward slowly, knelt beside the burned bodies, and lowered his head.
Quiet words left his lips.
A prayer.
For the dead.
For the lost.
The desert wind passed silently over the scene.
Only Klaus remained standing slightly apart from the others.
His eyes moved slowly across the corpses.
His expression didn't show shock.
It showed something else.
Suspicion.
He frowned.
"…Something's not right."