The prison cart jolted across the wasteland.
Little Fly lay on the straw, his back against the cold iron bars.
It was the first time he had felt such a twisted sense of safety—at least he did not have to face the attacks of the wasteland's beasts, nor did he have to run for his life.
The hunger in his body had temporarily subsided. Deep within his dantian, a black vortex slowly turned, drawing in the sparse spiritual energy from the air.
He could feel that with every rotation, his strength grew a little, though the change was barely noticeable.
The Nine Fiends Devouring Sun Bow had been taken by the fat man and was now in a bundle at the front of the cart. Little Fly stared at that bundle, plotting how to take it back.
And so, after traveling for who knew how long, the sky gradually darkened.
Two moons rose over the wasteland—one silver-white, the other dark red. Their eerie light spilled across the earth.
The demonfolk lit a fire and roasted some unknown beast.
The scent of meat drifted over, and Little Fly's stomach began to growl again.
The fat man tossed him a charred piece of meat. "Eat. You'll only be worth something if you get healthy."
Little Fly took the meat and ate in silence. It tasted awful, but it filled his stomach. As he ate, he observed the demonfolk:
Under the moonlight, the fat man's skin looked dark green. His arms were thick, and there was webbing between his fingers. He was clearly an aquatic or amphibious demon.
The tall, thin horned demon was taciturn and constantly wiped down a bone knife.
The cat-whiskered girl looked the youngest, around fifteen or sixteen. She had cat ears, and her tail swayed from time to