Nemenos

Uphill Battle The now slippery, third golden rock nearly fell out of Djamila’s mouth. She was climbing up the ledge that would lead her back to where Cailu was still resting, and which had become her makeshift stash of rocks as soon as her saddle packs had become too full to hold the loot. Her companion was now surrounded by the scattering of gold Djamila had managed to amass. Not that that indicated her success in the competition by any means - even from here, Djamila could see her rival’s maddeningly large pile of gold glinting down at her from the perch too high for her to even think of stealing some. Not to mention the constant flashes of pale white zipping through the caves at a pace that made Djamila’s head swirl. She silently envied the other haedians who’d already finished in their respective territories, some of them now lingering to watch the ongoing spectacle. Cailu winced at her in commiseration, before whipping his head over to where a dark shadow shape blocked out the

Ave atque vale It was definitely not an escape, Djamila decided as she walked next to Cailu, leaving the territory of The Forgotten to fade into the darkness behind them. Already, she missed the chaotic bustle of the fun-sized thieves. The travel pack she’d come with was now a tad heavier, though: dextrous little hands had sewn on extra side pockets that were now stuffed to the brim with blue and red crystal candy. Her share of the loot and especially chosen to represent her and Blue’s “harmonious and fruitful cooperation”. Though a bit silly, Djamila was actually quite impressed with the young leader’s feat of diplomacy. She would certainly treasure the small presents. With a low voice, Cailu started introducing her to the next clan. His voice still found its way to the cave walls as he talked, its echoes bouncing around the tunnels, speaking of strong wills and hard work long after the two had passed. - - - - - - Strangers “The Brutes, you say?” Djamila cocked her head at her

Supply Run It was right after yet another little snack that they noisily said goodbye to the few that would remain at the hideout. The crystal-shaped treat still left a strong sugary taste in Djamil’s mouth, even as they set off to find the haedians said to be transporting the wooden planks. The tunnel walls were softly illuminated by the little plants sticking to any and all crevasses. During the hasty escape she hadn’t even thought about how or why she was even able to see her surroundings. In passing, she wondered if it was customary or even allowed to light larger pyres of fire in the caves. Wouldn’t they harm themselves with the smoke lingering without a way out? Wouldn’t it be possible to harm others that way, and would it not be necessary to have a large stash of firewood for that? She shook her head as if to knock her errant thoughts out through her ears. That was the loose speculation of a guard who had been away from the scheming in her hometown for too short a while, and