The morning wind whipped across the northern boundary stones, carrying the sharp scent of crushed gravel and dry grass.
Loccy knelt near the edge of the perimeter path, carefully painting bold numbers upon a smooth boulder with a horsehair brush.
She applied the white pigment with solemn, intense concentration, treating the task with the grave care of someone labeling high explosives.
"One thousand paces marked!" the vanguard called out, adding a tiny rabbit face beside the final zero before standing up.
"If your shadow steps past this rock, it falls over like a dropped sack of barley!"
"One thousand meters is plenty of space for a morning errand," Hajin replied, tightening the leather vambraces around his wrists.
Behind his back, the six bronze rings turned with a quiet hum, five of them glowing bright while the sixth dimmed.
"Remember the operational parameters before you release the anchor," Aria reminded him, reviewing her thick administrative ledger.
