Dumb
As they stepped out of the house the air was dry and clear, they could see the last stars fading out in the sky.
The girl walked ahead of them calmly, occasionally looking back as if to check if they were still following, those who were particularly observant, would likely notice she was actually looking at Hal.
Hal on the other hand, did not seem to notice as he was observing the surroundings with quite the interest as it seems...
As they passed by the main street, there was something being carried away under one of the sheets of red farbic, in distance towards the gate. Hal lifted an eyebrow and then half turned his head towards the girl.
"Say little one, why is this place so fortified?"
The girl almost stumbled but caught herself with the next step, she was silent for a couple moments before answering, clearly uncomfortable with the question.
"Mother says there are monsters in the night and they don't like us, she says we have to keep them out or bad things happen." She mumbled more than she answered, she clearly knew more but Halcyon didn't press the matter.
They stopped in front of the same building as last time.
"I see. Thank you little one." He patted her had and the girl blushed, standing behind as they entered the dim building, the elders already waiting for them.
"We greet you, again, our guests. We hope you had a good rest? We believe you have more questions?"
The old being tilted it's head, in apparent curiousity, whatever had happened over the night they seemed a lot more interested today.
As the ship took off, nothing in particular happened, there was no snap, no rumbling, no giant sandworm coming up from the grey soil...
Yet, from higher up, Galar could actually see the extent of what happened during the night, not only in the immediate surroundings of the ship, but also a couple hundred metres out, there were these odd traces in the sand, as if something had moved within. They all seemed to be centered either around the ship, or around the way he took from the tree to the ship. Yet, they were already starting to be covered up, by a faint wind that came up when the daylight came.
However lucky or unlucky that was, it seems whatever was lying under the sand, was idle during the daytime. In the distance he could now see the outlines of the settlement beyond the treeline, however sparse it was.