When Cassian urged his stallion forward, the sky had only just begun its transition from the bruised purple of night to a pale pre-dawn grey. Following his lead, Hermi nudged Luca into a walk.
There was no racing between them today. The rhythm they moved with was leisurely, almost solemn. The Primary Cave sat only a few hundred yards away. With an hour left before the sun fully claimed the sky, they could afford an easy ride.
The strategy was one of brutal efficiency: they would strike once the sky was fully lit. By that time, the Mummy Bats would have long returned from their nightly hunting sprees. Striking then guaranteed the creatures would be at their most sluggish, caught in the heavy stupor of a post-hunt drowse.
