Within an hour, the courtyard was a scene of chaotic, joyous gluttony. Hardened, scale-covered killers were sitting side-by-side with ragged dog and wolf beastmen, tearing into roasted chicken, passing massive jugs of ale, and loudly boasting about their respective strengths. The tension that had choked the canyon for centuries evaporated into the smoke of the bonfires.
Kaya stood on a high stone balcony overlooking the courtyard, watching the festivities with a quiet sense of satisfaction. The headache that had been pounding behind her eyes all day had finally receded. She leaned against the cool obsidian railing, a cup of warm, spiced wine in her hand.
She had done it. She had survived the assassinations, conquered a fortress, and actually managed to unify a terrifying army of monsters.
