As the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of crimson and violet, Amil gazed at the fading light. "The sun is setting…" he started, an unspoken curiosity in his voice.
Before he could finish his thought, Dumal interrupted sharply. "No."
Amil furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, 'no'?"
Dumal turned his gaze forward, the golden glow of the sun casting long shadows. "You were going to ask me to stop and build camp. Well, there's no need. We're robots; we don't need sleep. What we need is to complete our mission."
Silence hung between them as Amil processed Dumal's words. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, but he remained quiet, following in step as they moved deeper into the deserted expanse.
As they traversed the shifting sands, a silhouette emerged against the twilight backdrop. Atop a towering sand hill, the crowned appeared, each one grotesque and menacing. The creatures, birthed from Neato's twisted will, bore black halos spiked like thorns above their heads. Their skin was a deep void, absorbing the last rays of the sun, while their mouths gaped wide, revealing jagged teeth.
With an unearthly growl, they surged down the hill, a horde of hundreds, long nails digging into the sand as they sprinted towards Amil and Dumal.
"Listen," Dumal commanded, halting in his tracks.
Amil paused, straining his ears against the rising cacophony. The ground trembled beneath them, a prelude to the chaos approaching. He turned, eyes wide, to see a wave of darkness cascading toward them.
"Looks like we got company," Dumal remarked, his tone even, almost unfazed by the overwhelming odds.
As the creatures closed in, the desert seemed to hold its breath, the horizon ablaze with the remnants of daylight. The impending clash hung thick in the air, setting the stage for a confrontation that would test their purpose and resolve.
With the sun slipping away and shadows lengthening, the chapter ends, leaving a lingering tension in the cool desert air.
END OF CHAPTER 63