The group returned to camp as the sun was already touching the horizon. The sky took on a deep orange hue, and the daytime heat began to recede, gradually replaced by a coolness drifting down from the canyon heights. Although the sand still held the warmth accumulated during the afternoon, the air was finally becoming more breathable, relieving lungs irritated by the dust.
Kaiser walked last, at a good distance from the others, as he had grown accustomed to doing for a long time. His black coat was stained with dried blood, with splatters that soiled the sleeves and the hem of the fabric. His silver hair stuck together in thick clumps, matted by the same greenish blood of the sand worms he had fought earlier.
He said nothing and looked at no one, preferring to keep his thoughts to himself. He crossed the camp at a steady pace, heading straight toward the area where the water points had been set up, near the supplies.
