The fog and rain made the ground feel smaller than it really was.
Down here, under Ukai's main tree and the roots that spread like a web, everything looked the same - wet bark, slick stone, dark soil, and pale mist that swallowed distance. Sounds came in pieces. A shout. A beast's roar. A sharp crack of wood. Then silence again, like the fog ate the rest.
Enya reached the open area first, helmet down, raincoat abandoned somewhere behind her. The armor looked too heavy to move in. Dark plates completely covered her arms and legs. Sharp edges caught faint light as water ran off it in quick lines.
Yet, she didn't move like she wore weight heavier than her.
The fight stretched wide across a clearing where roots rose out of the ground like ribs. Ukaians stood scattered behind the front, hands forward, eyes focused, guiding beasts with steady motions. There were no spears. No blades. No luminite weapons.
Just people - and creatures.
