The high sun over the White Sand Sea beat down overhead as the adventurers made their way into the desert proper. A breeze blew past them all, but rather than the relief of cool air, they were needled with pricks of hot sand mixed in the harsh air. There was no forgiveness or respite out here....fitting giving the quarry they were after.

Leandros had heard of a dragon lose in the desert thanks to his past work with Del, the steadfast monk who had helped him through a job in the Ash Lands. He was more than happy to work with her again, his enthusiasm not dampened by the reveal of what they were after. It seems a recently awoken dragon had regained its taste for destruction and was becoming a troublesome thorn in the side of many merchants and cities who relied on the White Sand Sea for travel. 

He wouldn't admit that selfishly he was also excited for the personal glory slaying a dragon would win him. While his main focus remained on being a man of the people, it never hurt having accolades to help you keep pace with the other nobles as well. With that motivation in mind, his chest swelled with a bit of pride while his armor and halberd shone in the sun. He was a great beacon, or perhaps a better term was target, to attract the dragon's attention.

"Do you know where this beast headed towards?" He looks over to Del, she had the most information about their foe. The best anyone could surmise was its base was somewhere nearby, but exact details were hard to come by because few people seek out dragons to say hello.

It felt odd being back in the Zeinav desert. After she had left the last time, after parting with Fish and meeting Killian, and heading onward to different tasks, much had changed in those long weeks. She felt more at home with her physical abilities, leaning into them instead of avoiding them. She felt more secure in handling those situations, if she needed to. That was in part, because of the people around her. Ones she felt she could trust.

Being called back to help deal with the dragon that had nearly killed her and Fish would be a good way to come full circle here. She knew there had been no way they could have known about what was down there, but she still felt responsible nonetheless. Before, there was little she could do about it, save for warn the researchers and the people who would inform the government. Now, though, it seemed things had moved beyond the scope of that control.

While that was disappointing to say the least, Del wasn't surprised. Now that she felt more able, and after asking if Cyran would be willing to take a little road trip to the desert with her to look into a dragon hunt, she certainly felt more ready to tackle this. For the first time in a very long time, she didn't travel alone. She was... extraordinarily grateful for the company.

"It was headed for the coast, last we saw it." She exhales, adjusting the scarf wrapped over her hair to keep the sun off and the sand out. "Maybe it was seeking the water or a new home? The etchings we uncovered in the temple we found it in seemed to indicate that it was being... worshipped. Placated, maybe, and that there was a motif of storms that surrounded it, as well as some sort of lunar pattern, involving an eclipse." She scuffs the edges of a sand dune to see if it will hold weight. When nothing shifts, she climbs up a little way to see over the sea of white sand. "It breathed lightning, so that would make sense. But then, why was it out in the desert to begin with?"

Taking in Leandros' stoic, knightly posture, Del smiles slightly to herself. That, she remembered from their stint on the Volcano; brave and bold and noble, in direct contrast with her; unassuming, dressed for camouflage.

Her gaze shifts to Cyran, the smile softening a little as she looks him over to see how he's faring; a professional hunter, as she had explained to Leandros, with no further extrapolation, for Cyran's privacy's sake, Del still knew without a doubt he would be instrumental in helping them find and waylay the dragon, one way or another. "What are your thoughts on that, Cyran? I imagine it isn't particularly easy to track something that mainly moves by air." Though they did know where the dragon had been striking.

Of all the strange things Cyran had fought hidden in the sands of Zeinav, somehow all of them paled in comparison to a dragon.

If he were being honest, he wasn’t sure he was entirely equipped to handle such a powerful beast. He’d fought monsters and any number of terrors before, but compared to proper adventurers, Cyran often felt like he was being swept up in a torrent, struggling to barely keep himself afloat. But when Del asked him for his expertise hunting the dangerous beast that had been let loose upon Zeinav, he couldn’t find it in himself to refuse. If you’re sure, he’d relented, before packing up his things in anticipation of another harrowing trip to the desert.

At least the company was nice. Being around Del, as always, was warm and pleasant - and her friend was a giant of a knight that bore armor more traditional of Sol City, one that towered above the two of them and made Cyran wonder what the hell they were feeding kids from the Capitol. But he was friendly and well-spoken, which Cyran could appreciate. Cyran himself mostly stuck to the shadows while the two made small talk, adding his own thoughts whenever Del spoke to him, but mostly content to listen while he kept his eye on the sky.

There was no sign of the dragon yet… though they were rapidly approaching the place where Del had last seen it fly off to from her recounting of the underground city she’d explored with Fish - and it had been a bit of a shock to know she was acquainted with the young thief as well. Even more troubling, though, had been hearing exactly what kind of evidence they’d found in that city. A civilization worshiping a dragon… an eclipse… he knew that dragons were meant to be heralds, though he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about exactly what this beast was meant to bring about.

“There seem to be a lot of dragonkin out here in the desert, still lingering from the era before the Collapse.” Cyran replied. It was not an informed guess, but one born from his own experience in the desert. He and Zarius had once fought a Wyvern under the pyramids. “… But where better to bring about an eclipse than the land bathed in sun?”

He returned Del’s smile as she voiced her concerns. She didn’t seem… especially worried, a feeling that he somehow implicitly understood watching her posture and the way she seemed more at ease with Cyran and Leandros. That sentiment calmed him, somewhat. Made him feel that he could take on anything. He rested a hand on Spell Slicer’s hilt, Uskeche hovering around him like a nervous wisp of a hummingbird, ready to be grabbed at a moment’s notice. “It’s not as difficult as you’d think…” He hummed. “So long as I have a sample - blood, clothes… it’s no trouble for me to find anything.” Or anyone.

He had no sample from this particular dragon, but he wasn’t concerned about finding the beast. Not when he caught sight of something in the corner of his eye… the sky was slightly darkened, like the sun was already beginning to set despite the fact that it was still midday.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a brewing storm.

He turned back to Leandros and Del, gesturing towards the clouds. “You said it breathed electricity, right? It might be easier for us to follow the trail of thunder and lightning.” Such storms were not common in Zeinav - there was little chance it was natural.

It wasn't hard for Leandros to note that Cyran was a quiet and stealthy type. A style that ran antithetical to his own, but it complimented well if you knew how to work it. Loud knights make great distractions for stealthy assassins.

He rubs his chin, thinking a moment as they talk about how old this dragon could be. "Who knows how long it has been asleep as well...it might look at these sands as its former kingdom....If what you described is true Del, then I imagine it might be looking to re-establish its lair somewhere."

If he was right, that made their mission even more time sensitive. Fighting a dragon was never going to be an easy task, but if they can do so before it digs its talons in somewhere it would be that much easier. Home turf advantage applies pretty heavily when talking about dragons.

He put his hands on his hips, looking out to the horizon as they took a pause to survey the area. It was calm for the time being, but those clouds Cyran pointed out couldn't be a good sign. "That's a good eye.....I know the both of you are quite quiet...we will need to be clever about this. Even I'm smart enough to know just offering myself up as bait isn't likely to end well. We need to think of this fight as a marathon, not a sprint.....Given its age and description, I believe in you both, but I don't think we will land a killing blow immediately.....if we can hamper its wings, that could give us an advantage. Grounding the dragon removes one of the biggest advantages it has over us."

As simple as he seemed on the surface, Leandros did know tactics. He could strategize through a fight with ease, math problems are a different battle all together.

She looked over to Cyran as he recounted what he knew the thoughtful take on the situation one she listened to intently. That there were other instances of Dragonkin out here was certainly interesting. It made her worry just what they were uncovering here-- and the poignant note about an eclipse brought to a land bathed in sun struck a chord somewhere deep in her marrow. That rang true, for some reason, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why. She nods slowly. "Very well said." The experience had been rattling, to say the least.

"Certainly could be, " She replies to Leandros, "Though where is a bit beyond me. The desert is huge, it could be anywhere, in theory." She shifts her gaze over to Cyran again, "So, if we needed to try and find it, using your methods... I bet there would be some shed scales still remaining in the ruins we could get from the researchers, if the're still there. They might have called off the project until the dragon problem has been resolved." His insight and calm sense of direction was a relief.

Then, as Cyran and Leandros draw her attention skyward, Del follows their gaze to the distant red eye in the sky that indicated a far off storm. "...Or that," the words come out on a little laugh, Del shaking her head at herself. "A very good eye, Cyran, " She adds to the compliment, smiling at him. Of course she had been sure. Trust could be such a fragile thing, and reinforcing it meant layers of experience. She was sure he would have her back.

And Leandros as well; he was as noble as they got, in her eyes. Leandros speaking about not being bait has Del raising a teasing eyebrow at the tall knight, amused, given their last interaction. "If you come out of this without a burn to your lungs, I will be satisfied with that." She chides lightly. She looks to Cyran as Leandros talks tactics-- Leandros certainly knew what he was talking about, and Del was confident that between her and Cyran's years of experience, they had a very good chance here, as long as it was executed well.

"I like to do a bit more reconnaisance before going headlong into things like this, but time being of the essence and the situation... what it is," She gestures towards the storm in the sky, "doesn't leave us much option. I can stay on my feet and moving without stopping for a good while. Who knows, it might even remember me." She offers, looking between them. "I also have some defensive layers I can implement to deflect blows an impact. But it might be more decisive if we have two people on the wings, one on each, to bring it to the ground. How did you deal with your situation when you were in the desert last, Cyran?" she asks, looking to him for that valuable insight, and then to Leandros for his. "You know a curious amount about dragons. Have you faced any dragonkin before? You mentioned you were only just starting off your journey."

“Looking for a new lair?” That didn’t sound good. It gave them little time to fight the thing while it was still out in the open and didn’t have anywhere to retreat. If there was any time to strike… it was now. Despite the urgency that suddenly hit him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit bashful at Del’s compliment. “Erm, thank you.” His cheeks turned faintly dark as he returned to the task at hand. Truth be told, he really didn’t know that much about dragons. They were supposed to be ancient creatures, with the wisdom and intelligence expected of their years, but as for the rest… he could only make educated guesses.

Besides, Del had been the one to actually fight the creature, so she would truly know best what its motivations or patterns might mean. He nodded along as she offered a couple of suggestions. Scales would work, as far as he understood - Cyran hadn’t exactly had much practice tracking down creatures this way - but it would take too much time. Time they didn’t have. It was lucky the dragon seemed to leave a faint stormtrail in its wake. If there was any trace to follow, that was their best bet.

The three huddled closer for a moment, listening as Leandros offered a possible strategy. Del had briefly told him about her past run-in with the young knight in the ruins near Mount Drakolt… an encounter that gave Cyran insight to Leandros’s self-sacrificial streak, and made him worry about how many damn researchers got lost up around that volcano. A question to ask more about later, when they were not in the middle of hunting down an ancient, primordial beast of old. At the very least, Cyran could tell from Del’s assessment of Leandros, and listening to the man himself speak, that he knew what he was doing. He trusted the young knight's judgement, and his ability with the halberd.

… Even if he didn’t agree with Leandros being bait.

He shared a look with Del, mutual understanding coming as naturally as it always seemed to - they were on the same page. “I’ve fought a wyvern before, while exploring an underground city. Similar to you.” He replied, thinking back to his fight in the underground city with Zarius. The beast’s strength had been nowhere close to what a dragon might have been, but at the time, he and Zarius had been more concerned about getting out of there with their lives than they were fighting the damned thing. “We triggered a cave-in to catch the beast before it escaped. But that will not be so easy here.”

He hesitated for a moment, idly fiddling with the wood-glass ring secured on a chain around his neck - a place he kept it for fear of sullying it when he got his hands dirty. “I… might be able to get myself and one other up there…” Probably not Leandros in his heavy suit of armor, but perhaps Del, “To ground it. I don’t possess as much firepower as you two, but what I lack, I make up for in speed and stealth. If we ground it as fast as we can, I can support you from the shadows and offer support.”

"None directly, but I have studied them....which I know is little substitute for practical experience, but only one way to get that." He sighed heavily, crossing his arms over his chest as they discussed.

In fact, up until this point many of Leandros' fights have been instructional and not so much practical. Much of that experience was being gained now, but that was the whole point of this soujurn. He couldn't back out and let people be hurt simply because he was overtaken with worry. Training had taken him to this point, time to put that training to use.

He thought a moment as he looked over to his horse who had stopped to get a drink at the nearby oasis. There's an idea.

"Well, I may not have speed, but Byrr does...if I can lead into somewhere we have something lying in wait....the sand doesn't offer many places to hide, but it's an option. Scouting is still a good first option, but without magics, and powerful ones at that, we might just have to accept using me as a lure as much as you might protest."

He smiled towards Del, uncrossing his arms and clasping her shoulder gently.

"Definitely not." She agreed with Cyran's assessment; they didn't have the advantage of a structure to collapse, not out here, and that made an already more complicated task that much more complex. Though it would be worse if and when this dragon managed to find a lair to get the advantage on.

"To be fair, it's not something a lot of people have practical experience on. They're so rare that finding an expert means you're probably more likely to find someone who's just trying to make some cash, or is operating on misinformation. Proper experts are few and far between, otherwise, they would have been called in for this," Del reasons, gesturing to the far off storm. "So, I'd say that puts you in a fairly unique position, all things considered." She exhales, reaching up to briefly lower her scarves to tousle her curls, restless.

"Fish and I did not fight the dragon, either; we only barely made it out ourselves. I can't even properly describe how big it us up close, it's eye is about--" her hand moves to just above her waist, about three-quarters of her 5'9" height, "--That large? So doing the math..." Del bends down to quickly sketch something into the sand with her finger, trying to get a sense of the scale. She draws a line for her, makes anothe, smaller line for the dragons eye, and then makes lines around it, muttering quietly to herself as the proportions come into view based on both what she remembered and what she understood about how size worked in relation to other parts of anatomy. When she pulls her hand away from the sand, she clicks her tongue, looking at it. It's truly massive. "...so we should be able to bring it down by the wings."

Standing again, she looks to Cyran with a graetful smile. If they could get up there and do what they needed to, the faster it could be brought down, the better. Though crippling it mid-flight also posed risks; it would probably involve falling. Del trusted Cyran to take that on with her, feeling the cool comfort of his gleaming ring against her skin beneath her shirt, noticing it when Cyran fiddles with the ring she gave him. That brings her a warmth and surety, a comfort in knowing he had her back.

In that vein, hearing Leandros suggest, again, that him being bait was the best course of action, Del purses her lips a little, hands set on her hips stubbornly as she looks up at him. She and Cyran were both faster, and Leandros putting himself in danger, while wearing metal armor, in the desert, against a dragon that breathed lightning, seemed like a very bad idea indeed. Then, Leandros reaches out to gently clasp her on the shoulder, offering a reassurance.

After a moment or two of silently warring with herself, she heaves a reluctant sigh, relenting. "I do protest, but unfortunately, it might be the best course of action," she grumbles, looking to Cyran. A worry line had formed between her brows, but she gestures; she could tell by his expression he didn't like it much, either. And for good reason. "His armor will be too heavy to carry him up, and even if we did manage that, if there's a fall that happens after bringing the dragon down, his weight will impact him more if he hits the ground than either of us. If we're fast, if there's cover," She looks back to Leandros, "Then an ambush might be the best way to achieve what we're doing."

"I don't like it, though." She gives the big knight a stern look to reinforce that point. Removing her satchel, she digs around for a moment. There was a small, toy wooden shield lodged in the bottom of the bag, a small project, not quite finished. Eyeing it, she hands it to Leandros. "If you put this between your jerkin and your chestplate, it should offer some protection for your heart. Wood doesn't conduct electricity. When you start to see it's throat glow blue, that's when you know it will be about to strike." It was the best protection she could offer at the moment. It wasn't much, but maybe it would help absorb the worst of something.

Exhaling slowly through her nose, Del turns to look out at the horizon again. Alright. Scouting. She looks to Cyran with a tilt of her head, and another try at a crooked smile. "Should we see what we can find? Maybe there's a location we can lure it to that would be best for an ambush?"

“I suppose that will get us through.” Leandros’s study, Del’s experience with the dragon soaring a good distance away, and Cyran’s fight with the wyvern - their cobbled together knowledge would have to be enough. As Del pointed out, there was no time for them to find an expert. They were the best response team there was. “And considering our foe, escape is commendable.” He addressed Del’s recounting of her experience with Fish, only a slight twinge of fear striking him when she approximated the size of the beast’s eye alone… and the size of the rest of its body in the sand.

Oh, dear.

Perhaps he was a bit out of his league.

“I think that’s our best bet.” He supposed this was a good a chance as any to test the age-old principal, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Unfortunately, that really only left one option for Leandros, the one Del had openly protested, and the one Cyran wanted to avoid at all costs. But as Leandros put a hand on Del’s shoulder, no fear on his face as he reassured her that he was willing to play that part, Cyran knew that there truly was no other way around it. The shadows were at their largest when the light was at its brightest - and Leandros shined. Not just his armor glinting against the sun, but his smile, and the presence he carried himself with. Cyran had only known the man briefly, but it was easy to see that he was every bit the otherwordly knight he looked.

And it was in the presence of greatness that Cyran worked best.

“If worst comes to worst, I can always back you up from behind.” Cyran replied - the closest he would come to assenting to this plan. He turned to Leandros, brows furrowed. “You said your mount can move fast? I’m willing to go with this plan if I know you have a way to make a quick getaway in the event things go south.”

Behind him, invisible to both of his companions, and even to himself, a pale elven woman manifested from his shadow, long hair flowing eternally behind her, as if she were suspended in water.^[1] She rested an arm on his shoulder, curious. They were back in the desert, hmm? It had been a while since she’d been summoned. Well, if Cyran wished to play hero and fight a dragon, she could not exactly stop him. All Rowan could do was stay behind him and step in if necessary. And give him a little nudge to… indulge in that darkness he was so desperate to avoid like he was better than it.

Cyran hummed thoughtfully as he considered Del’s words. From here it didn’t look like there was any particularly advantageous place that held enough hiding places for the kind of ambush they were thinking of. From here, the scenery simply looked like hills of rolling sand as far as they eye could see. “… Perhaps if there are ruins nearby? They would provide natural places to hide.” He glanced at Leandros. “I can function just fine without hiding spaces. It all depends on what you think you’d need as bait.”

But he could go whenever Leandros made the call, given that the plan hinged on him to succeed. The dragon was close enough that Cyran could get himself and Del there without little trouble. Flying was the easy part. Actually grounding the beast was the real challenge.

---

1. Guardian Spirit

"Ruins would be a good place to start...Other than my own safety, my biggest concern is if we do not find a place close enough then it might not be willing to chase us so far...though I suppose distance is relative given how large dragons are actually supposed to be."

He whistled Byrr over, giving the horse a few good pats on the neck as he checks over the saddle. Straps are inspected and tightened with a careful eye and firm hand. The two can see just based on looks alone the warhorse has a good size to him, enough to confidently carry Leandros, and seems just as noble as his owner.

"If you can get to an elevated a point as possible, that will make the jump easier. The sand makes it a little less daunting knowing your impact will be dampened if you miss, but you shouldn't. The wingspan is long enough to give plenty of opportunity to land a hit. Just wait till it dives, it won't be able to pull out fast enough at that point."

As confident as Leandros sounds, there is a slight edge of nerve that touches his actions. Granted it's only sensible to be a little nervous, in the grand scheme of things there are like ants trying to fight a bear. The nerves would at least hint to the others that he is not without a concern, he is aware of the dangers. Leandros gives a small nod to Del as he takes the wooden shield and fits it into his armor.

"I can fit one of you along with my on Byrr as we scout out a location. Or if you'd both prefer to save your legs I can walk...You two will be the ones that have to hold a crouch for an unspecificed amount of time." He gave a smile and short, but warm laugh.

Hearing Cyran agree with the idea of an ambush and the reasoning for Leandros being bait, was heartening. And his added offer to back the tall man in gleaming armor up, if he should need it, a tangible relief. If there was an easy enough plan to get to him, that would be more than enough to secure her confidence. She gives Cyran a small, warm smile of gratitude, before shifting to look back at Leandros. "I agree. Your horse would certainly help ensure your ability to escape if it comes to it." She lifts a hand to Byrr's muzzle to smell. He was an impressive warhorse, and covered in barding as fine as Leandros's own armor.

"Ruins it is," Del beams, agreeing fully with the both of them. The plan was coming together into a cohesive strategy. Her hands drop from her hips, one lifting to cover her brow so she can look to the storm in the far distance. "The ones Fish and I investigated shouldn't be far, and I know there were others in the area. Though where they are and whether they've been destroyed or reburied is up in the air. I would still be careful if we have to fall; from a certain height, the sand will be the same as stone. Similar to falling into water from a great height."

The memory she had remembered at the volcano surfaces for a moment, a twinge appearig at the corner of Del's mouth for a second. She pushes the thought back; the task at hand was what mattered now.

Her eyes narrow as she scans the horizon. It's leagues and leagues of shifting, rolling grains, always the same and yet never the same. It was hard to pick out any structures until you were almost upon them, if you could see them at all benath the sand. Then, one sand dune in particular stands out. "One of the dunes over there isn't moving as much in the wind," Del points out, gesturing in the direction of the sand. "That might mean it's more stone than sand. Good chance that's a good point to move from."

Hearing Cyran doesn't need any cover to be able to hide has Del smiling, giving him an appreciating nod. That connection to shadow was one of those points they had not yet explored. "I am the same; it's useful to have cover to prevent being hit by a blast of lightning, for instance, but if Cyran and I can manuvere easier without it, then we have a better chance of being able to get the drop on the dragon while you have a higher chance of staying safe."


She can hear the slight nervousness in Leandros' voice, a perfectly prudent wariness about the dangers they faced. Del feels... certain, though. Cyran had said he had Leandros' back, and Del was going to be able to directly help them both. The plan could change on a dime, but her strength was being able to change gears at a moment's notice. She reaches out and up to pat his shoulder. "If something goes sideways, don't be afraid to deviate from the plan. We will make it work, whatever happens. Cyran and I will be watching you, and I know you'll be minding us, too."

With that in mind, she looks to Cyran again, to give him a smile of reassurance as well. It hadn't escaped her that she'd get to see what Cyran was fully capable of today "We'll have to be smart and quick, but between the two of us, we can bring it to the ground. Might take some creativity, though I don't think that's a problem for either of us. I've got you." She lightly taps the place where the ring he gave her sits, just under her collar, with a smile.

Looking up at Byrr... Del realizes she doesn't know how to ride a horse. Or couldn't remember if she had. She could try, of course, but something about it felt... hmm. "Well, I've, ah, never ridden before... I don't need to rest before something like this, so I can walk," Though it wouldn't hurt for Cyran and Del to have their energy as fresh as possible, either. Del looks between the two to see what they think.

They could have spent endless hours in the heat of the desert arguing about the best course of action to take, the what-ifs and the maybes, and every possible way this mission could go wrong. About how the dragon could escape this trap, or how Leandros could get hurt from such a plan. But they could not afford to keep replaying this same moment over and over - they had to make a choice now. He prepared himself to move as Leandros summoned forth his mount. He felt a strange sort of… twinge in the back of his mind as Del spoke, almost troubled by something. A stray thought that she pushed down in favor of keeping her mind on the goal.

He wasn’t quite sure how he’d known she was so troubled, but… it was just a feeling he understood as naturally as his own worries that were now bleeding through in the face of Leandros’s nerves. “We will be okay.” He assured the younger man. Leandros clearly knew what he was doing, but there was a kind of assured confidence that came with years of experience. It was difficult for him to gauge human ages, but he knew Leandros was still young even by conventional aging standards. And coupled with the fact he’d never faced a dragon before, either…

Cyran was glad, though, that Leandros was not fearless. There was a difference between bravery and cockiness, and he would not follow a man into battle who only knew the latter rather than the former.

“Don’t worry about us. Del is a skilled climber, and has reflexes like a cat. Between the two of us we won’t have any trouble getting on top of the beast. And both of us are fast enough to cover you if need be.” Grounding it would be a different matter - one he was not sure knives and fists alone would solve. But that was a hurdle they could clear once they’d made it onto the dragon. One thing at a time.

He nodded at Del, forcing the tension setting in his jaw to ease, relaxing somewhat when she tapped his ring in reminder. They would be fine. Somehow. “And I’ve got you.” He replied, gripping his own gifted ring in the palm of his hand for a moment - grounding himself, or her, it didn’t matter by now. He turned his attention to the horse, considering for a moment. He didn’t want to deprive Leandros of his mount, but the two would need to be in fighting form and preserve their speed to make the first strike.

He suppressed a smile as Del expressed her worries about riding. “It’s not too terribly difficult. Here, I’ll take the reins and show you. It would probably be best for you to rest your legs.” He’d ridden a few times in his youth, enough that he had a decent sense of how to control one. Besides, they would be moving slow.

He waited to see if Del would accept before the three took off in search of a good place to hide so they could mount their attack, the distant clouds drawing ever closer.

Leandros gave them both a nod as he handed the reins over to Cyran. Byrr seemed a little confused at first, but he was a well-trained warhorse and would follow orders. There wasn't much more need for words at this point, the three of them knew the plan as uncomfortable as it was.

Thankfully for Cyran, the horse could do most of the driving and didn't require much direction from him. The trek through the desert was long and quiet with only the gentle sounds of hot wind breaking the silence. For Leandros' part, he was focused on walking himself through his part of the plan. Once it was enacted, there was no pulling back on this. There was no easy dismount on this ride, so he would have to be committed to every action.

Along the the path, maybe three or four hours into the walk something in the distance takes Leandros' attention. Crumbling walls and ancient gates dot the horizon, ruins with more then enough places to hid and duck under. A great sandstone gate stands firm even as the walls crumble on either side. It leads into an open courtyard that is strewn with the fallen buildings and bones of a community long since forgotten.

There were a few signs of life, it seems as if this place made a decent enough rest stop for traveling, but they would see how popular it became as a rest stop after it features at the center of this battle.

"I don't think we are going to find a better space than this...If you can find a place on the gate house, that should give you enough height to jump as it swipes low."

SPOILER: Click to show

Feeling the tickle of Cyran's apprehension is as comforting as the way he becomes settled again, holding his ring in her palm. She had the jitters, of course, of going into a planned battle-- normally her combat was a little less orchestration, more responsive that proactive. This, while a new feeling, is... good. Despite it feeling not at all unlike stage fright, she knows her role and feels competent in her abilities and those of her friends. Knowing Cyran and Leandros had her back made her far more certain of this endeavor.

Now, to actually get out there...

There is a heat that rises to her cheeks as Cyran offers to ride with her, assuring that it's not too hard of a task to grasp. "Ah, of course, yes, I would be happy to learn," Del does her best to keep her voice level. She climbs up with Cyran, sitting in front while Leandros hands him the reins, his arms on either side of her. She could lose focus if she thought on that for too long. Even steering her mind toward the task at hand, there was still a little flutter in her chest. Focusing.

"Thank you, Leandros. An Byrr." It's weird and unsteady, but once she got the hang of it, she was comfortable with the pace and the gentle sway of the creature through the sands. Actually, it was a pretty decent abdominal work out, keeping balance on a vehicle that shifted beneath you. A nice warm up for what was to come.

And it is hours of this. The distance over the expansive sand is always farther than it looks, but it gives them time to think, for Del to learn how to ride a horse (it isn't... so bad, actually), to go over the plan and find the best location for them to strike from. As they come around the top of a dune, beyond it to the one Del had pointed out earlier, that just beyond that was the exact sort of place they were looking for. Del perks up, excited that they have arrived. And not a moment too soon. The storm of that dragon, as Cyran had noted, had only gotten bigger over the course of their journey. It would be blotting out the sun sooner than later.

Around the very edge of the storm, the little towers of lightning glass where electricity had struck had started to form, standing like a marked path, beyond the ruins.

She looks back at Cyran with a smile; Nervous, eager, resolute. She would wait until he dismounted to follow suit, so Leandros could, of course, have his horse back before they fully arrived and got the dragon's attention. Del pushes her hips out, stretching from the journey. "I agree, I think this is the best location we will get, all things considered. Ready?" Her eyes move between the two men, clearly ready herself to take off toward where they needed to be ready for the ambush.

The horse ride was surprisingly comfortable. Byrr was a well-trained mount, and responded well to Leandros’s guidance and occasionally Cyran’s gentle nudging. They spent the ride in silence, scanning the horizon for any change of environment that might prove useful.

Cyran and Del stayed on Byrr for a couple of hours up until they finally spotted a break in the distance - a smattering of wrecked stone and sand buildings that shined under the reflection of the sun. The three wandered down the path in silence, coming upon what looked like it might have once been a square, in front of the bones of a large building. Perhaps if they had more time, or were not set out to accomplish the task that they were here for, Cyran would have taken more time to wonder what once might have been settled here.

He nodded as Leandros spoke. “I can get up to the gate.” He confirmed, pulling himself off Byrr and helping Del off if she needed it. The two stretched, shaking out the last vestiges of the horse ride until they were limber enough to start making their way over to the hiding place. Cyran shot one last look at Leandros, nodding.

They didn’t need to waste any more time with words. All three of them knew what needed to be done, and what their part was. The three split up, Leandros going to take his own position with Byrr while Cyran and Del made their way to the gate house. It was easy enough to get up to a position and hide, the natural shadows concealing their presence. Just in time, too - the wind was beginning to pick up around them, the storm just reaching the edge of the ruins.

It wasn’t exactly the stormwatching that Cyran had in mind when he’d proposed it to Del, but he supposed it would do.

He grabbed Spell Slicer and Cold Steel, ready to move at a moment's notice.