He trips over a branch causing his left shoulder to crash into a tree. While breathing deeply, Garth thinks, “My body is so damned fragile! I wish I had eyes that could see in the dark, like a cat, so I didn’t trip or stumble. I’ve fallen four times already because of these clumsy feet. Still, I must endeavour to reach the base before Hawksley!”  His muscles burn and his lungs ache from the physical exertion. He eventually takes a break, leaning against an erratic on the cliff above the clearing where the cloaked base is nestled discreetly amid the charred earthy ash. “Good, everything seems silent. Perhaps I have made it here first,” he mutters to himself while recovering from his fatigue.

Garth awkwardly moves toward the base only to be met by two armed guards. “Halt!&r...

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