The next morning, after tending to the dragon eggs as I always did, I made my way back through the deeper chambers of the cave. The warmth of the nest room still clung faintly to my hands.
By then, the Nelyth had already begun making itself known.
The soaked fibers had filled the cave with the damp, earthy smell of marsh water, crushed reeds, and something sour beneath it all. It was not a pleasant smell, but I had stopped caring much about that a long time ago. Once something proved useful, discomfort became easier to ignore.
As I moved down the corridor toward the outer section of the cave, I woke the others one by one, the same way I usually did.
