Calm down, he ordered himself. Not the time. Not the place.
He focused on the words instead of the man.
Chief Tharun pointed a thick, scarred finger toward the dark, looming jungle line.
"But do not mistake this peace for permanence," Tharun continued. "Out there... there is no safety. There is no mercy. It does not care about your name. It cares only if you are fast, and if you are strong."
The silence was absolute. Even the birds seemed to stop singing. Tharun's expression darkened, his eyes sweeping over the faces of the youth, landing heavy on those who had lost family.
Sol's eyes narrowed in grudging appreciation. He's good, Sol thought cynically. He really knows how to work a crowd.
"Do you remember?" he whispered, his voice dropping to a gravelly growl that carried to the back of the square like the rumble of an approaching storm. "Do you remember the night the moon turned red? Just one year ago?"
