He stepped into the open. The women saw him—Sera’s eyes widened, then narrowed. A strange man, scarred, wearing a tattered duster and a mask of bone over his lower face.
The Unchained Springs. A myth. A place where tamers could remove their brands and live free.
Kaelen laughed—a dry, ugly sound. “You want the outlawed tamer to help you. For what? Coin? I’m dead either way.” adventure of the outlawed tamer with beautiful explorers raw
Vesper’s mental reply was a sleepy pulse of heat.
“Yes.” He turned to leave.
The wind over the Skyfall Ruins tasted like rust and ozone. Kaelen’s fingers traced the scar on his left palm—a crooked “T” burned into the flesh. Tamer . A death sentence in the Empire.
Then he heard the scream.
Hungry , the serpent whispered.
Want me to continue into Chapter 2, add more character descriptions, or shift the tone (darker, lighter, more romantic tension)? He stepped into the open
Sera slashed a vine clean in two, but two more took its place. “Lira! The western route!”
Sera sheathed her swords. “Then we die in the Vault tomorrow. And you die in this ruin the day after. But if you say yes…” She extended her hand, still bleeding from a vine scratch. “You walk with three beautiful explorers into the dark. And maybe—just maybe—you walk out free.” The Unchained Springs