The distant chirping of birds pierced through the haze of exhaustion that enveloped Diana's senses, pulling her from the depths of sleep. Birds? In Atheroceanis? When was the last time she heard such a sound?
With a groan, she forced her heavy eyelids open, greeted by the warm orange glow that filtered through the walls of the grotto. "Oh," she croaked, her voice hoarse from disuse.
With aching joints, Diana pushed herself upright, every movement accompanied by a chorus of protests from her weary body. Soreness radiated through every fibre of her being as she sat up and began to remove her armour, regretting the decision to fall asleep in it in the first place. With a heavy thud, the scaled plates fell to the ground, and Diana took a deep breath, feeling the weight lift from her shoulde
