Chapter 83: Shell Town
The group hadn't walked more than a few steps into the market before a group of armored figures approached. Their uniforms were sleek but rough, stitched together with dark purple fabric and glowing thread patterns that pulsed softly.
A strange energy clung to them, the kind that made Dune's skin prickle.
They were the guards of Dreadmarch.
One stepped forward, eyes scanning the group with a practiced ease. "First-timers," he muttered.
"Welcome to the shell-town," another guard said, voice calm but firm. "Before you explore, we need to place a Neba mark on each of you."
"Neba mark?" Dune asked, taking a step back as purple mist began to swirl around their feet.
Cadogan stepped forward, unfazed. "Standard procedure. The guards use part of your Neba signature to bind a trace. It allows them to track anyone who enters."
Dune narrowed his eyes. "Track?"
"If you steal anything, damage anything, or try to disappear without paying your dues," one of the guards added coolly, "we'll know. And we'll find you."
The purple Neba surged, and one by one, a faint shimmer branded itself across their arms, just a brief pulse, like static crawling over their skin.
"You're marked," the lead guard said. "Try not to give us a reason to use it."