With the Marshlands finally stretching behind Kael, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Even as they stepped onto firmer ground, mud no longer sinking up to their ankles, the smell of the marshes still clung to their skin and clothes.
"We should find a spot to rest," Elysia called out. "I'm tired, and I know you all are as well."
Kael kept moving forward, the pulse of the gem embedded in his chest driving him forward. "We can't stop. There's only one path ahead of us now."
"And what's that?" She asked, coming to a stop.
Kael had to force his legs to stop moving, though he wished they could keep pushing forward.
When he spoke, he spoke to all of the miners. "We're rebels now, right? All of us. The Officials want us dead. The Royals, whoever they are, want us dead."
They stayed quiet, but he knew he'd grabbed their interest.
"We are anomalies in the system. The system that has made them so powerful. They see us as a threat."
