"Do I make myself clear?"
"Understood, mine," Caspian rumbled instantly, his chest expanding as a dark, proud flare of heat rippled across his scales.
Kulu gave a sharp whistle from the high branches above, the sound cutting through the mountain air like a blade to signal his absolute compliance.
Beside her, Raiden felt a sudden, frantic thud in his chest. The sheer, dominant weight of her words completely crushed the lingering dread of his mother's warnings.
He nodded quickly, his emerald eyes locked onto her face with a heavy, unblinking devotion. "Crystal clear, Hana."
Hana finished the last of the steamed potato, wiping her fingers and she checked her tablet one final time. The live feed of New Eden showed the automated grid humming perfectly. There was nothing out of the usual.
"Good," Hana said, sliding off the rock as she adjusted her harness over her chest. "Let's move. I'm not wasting any more daylight."
