The expedition reached an isolated earthen mound whose sweeping contours resembled the curved spine of a colossal sleeping beast.
Along the windward slope, wild clover and creeping thyme carpeted the rocky subsoil, softening the severe outlines of the ancient terrain.
The Watcher paused at the base of the grassy incline, her mobile ears angling backward as she listened to the deep silence.
She stepped forward and pressed her broad feline paw against the turf, sending an ancient pulse of amber resonance into the bedrock.
A hairline fracture opened along a natural geological seam, parting the thick layer of turf to expose colossal fossilized bone below.
Lana stepped back with her son, keeping a gentle, reassuring hand near his shoulder without pulling him away from the revelation.
The fossilized foreleg emerged first from the parted soil, its immense proportions dwarfing the largest transport wagon in their column.
