Kael's POV
The forest branch seemed to hurt me deliberately. Every root positioned itself exactly where my next step was going to land like the ground itself had been briefed on my condition and decided to take advantage of it. The canopy above was thick enough that the dawn light barely made it through properly just thin scattered strips cutting between the trees that were more decorative than useful.
I kept moving.
Stopping wasn't something I had the luxury of right now, even though my eyes were burning.
My wrists were still burning from the chains with the deep persistent kindof burnt that settled into the skin and reminded you of itself with every small movement whether you wanted reminding or not. My shoulder had been sending complaints since the tunnel and at some point during the forest walk had stopped complaining and simply gone into a dull constant ache that I had filed away alongside everything else my body was trying to bring to my attention.
