She looked back at the hyenas, who were staring at her with profound horror, their shivering bodies partially submerged in the freezing subterranean pool. The damp, heavy air of the cavern clung to them, making every breath a visible plume of white mist. They had been paid a handsome sum of gold by the Snake Tribe to kill a naive, human girl who was supposedly trying to play politics in a world ruled by beasts. It was supposed to be easy money. A quick assassination in the dark. Instead, they had crossed paths with a warmongering tactician who was about to orchestrate the downfall of a regional superpower just to prove a point.
Kaya paced slowly along the rocky edge of the water. The rhythmic crunch of her heavy leather boots against the stone echoed like a ticking clock in the minds of the terrified mercenaries.
