Nevara
The castle courtyard buzzed with movement by sunrise.
Guards moved between vehicles checking weapons and supplies while the morning air carried the sharp scent of pine, damp earth, and coffee strong enough to wake the dead. The sky overhead still lingered in that strange blue-gray space between night and dawn, lanterns glowing softly against the stone walls while the kingdom slowly woke around us.
Kael stood near the lead vehicle speaking quietly with two guards while Salas finished checking ammunition nearby.
And Drake…
Drake was enthusiastically attaching his comm unit to his jacket like a child receiving their favorite toy on Winter Solstice.
“I still think these are walkie-talkies,” he announced proudly.
“They are not walkie-talkies,” Kael replied for probably the fiftiet
