Morning sunlight spilled across the sheets of their rented bed. Yena woke first and dressed with quiet efficiency, pulling her leather vest over her cotton shirt.
She kept stealing glances at Kai while he laced his boots.
No awkward apologies passed between them as they both understood exactly what had almost happened the night before.
They walked out into the blistering heat of Sunfall Oasis to gather information.
This city operated on a brutal hierarchy that became instantly apparent the moment they reached the main market square.
Healthy, confident women walked freely through the stalls, wearing fine silks and polished bronze jewelry.
They laughed loudly and carried themselves with complete authority.
Men experienced a completely different reality in this matriarchal nightmare.
Starved and exhausted laborers shuffled along the dusty stone paths, wearing iron collars around their sunburned necks.
