Their journey to the fortress had been long and grueling, the barren landscape stretching endlessly before them. The sparse vegetation was dry and brittle, the occasional dead tree standing like a solitary sentinel amidst the wasteland.
The air was dry and heavy, carrying with it the faint scent of decay and sand. Every step was a reminder of how far they had come, and the oppressive silence of the land seemed to weigh on them more with each passing hour.