The Adventurers Reached the Hilltop
The adventurers had already moved their tents to this safer location, so they could launch their attack at first light. A cold wind blew gently across the summit, chilling the night air.
Bren lingered behind, staring into the fire. He tossed another piece of wood onto the flames, keeping the blaze steady while his eyes constantly scanned the darkness. Fatigue was etched across his face, yet it cast only a faint shadow over the unyielding determination that seemed carved into his very being.
Mira was busy setting up wards. With slow, graceful movements of her hands, she traced glowing blue sigils into the ground. From each symbol, faint azure sparks scattered, and a translucent dome began to form around them, spanning roughly twenty meters in radius.
The others, exhausted from the long march and the night's labors, had already fallen asleep.
Bren sensed someone still standing near the fire. He turned slowly.
