The ground shifted beneath their feet as Yara and the dragon made their way deeper into the southern part of the kingdom. The horizon ahead was dotted with clusters of trees and patches of uneven, rocky terrain that would provide cover for the night. The ground, once coarse and dry from the endless deserts, began to soften, moisture seeping into the air.
The change was gradual but unmistakable. The farther they walked, the more the environment transformed around them—the earth grew wet beneath Yara's boots, and the air grew humid and thick.
Yara winced as she straightened her back, every muscle in her body protesting the movement. The dry air from the desert was slowly being replaced by something damper, heavier.
Her skin, already sticky with sweat and dust from their journey, now began to cling to her clothes as the humidity wrapped around them like a damp blanket.
