The Levantine hills were a fractured, arid labyrinth of sun-baked limestone, jagged ravines, and scrub brush that clung to the dry earth with desperate, thorny tenacity. It was a harsh, unforgiving country that offered no quarter to the weak, punishing anyone foolish enough to march through it without respect for the heat. To Julian, however, stepping off the main coastal road and vanishing into the rugged wilderness felt like slipping into a perfectly tailored glove.
He was not a lord here