The cold bit at Sky's skin the moment he stepped into the highlands, the wind howling between jagged peaks like the wail of something
His cloak billowed behind him, flaring with each sharp gust, but the cold wasn't what troubled him.
It was the eggs.
Nestled within his backpack, hidden beneath layers of cloth and warmth, they were shaking—a subtle but persistent tremor that pulsed against his spine.
Sky sighed, adjusting the straps as he trudged forward. "You three need to calm down," he muttered under his breath. "I know you feel something, but we have to be careful, alright?"
The eggs twitched harder in response, a soft, eager vibration that made the leather of his bag rustle. They were reacting to something.
Something close.
Sky's frown deepened.
The village was just ahead.
It was a small settlement, nestled into the crook of the valley, its rooftops dusted in frost. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, but despite the evidence of life, the place felt... hollow.
Empty.
