[center][h2]Plains of Ire[/h2]
[sub]Inside the Z-ATV[/sub][/center]

	Zay waved the book away casually and yawned. "I'm not much for reading, Jager," Zay wheezed, stretching his entire body and falling back into his seat again, "Word of mouth is where I get my knowledge from. Otherwise I'd be an ignorant old fool, like this guy over here." Zay motioned towards Dan with his eyes and pursed his lips into a faint smile. Dan was still lost in his own little world, and payed them no mind. By now the ATV was well into the Plains of Ire, making its way to the hillside that bordered the Illon republic which barely scraped by the edge of Illuna Forest. The ATV strode forward at its top speed, not stopping for anything on its path into the unknown..

[center][sub][i]~About an hour later~[/i][/sub][/center]

	Far past the Illon republic, and the swamps that surrounded it, Z-ATV-1 had made its way into a large expanse of progressively drier land. The once lush grass that covered hills for miles had become brown and decrepit, as if it hadn't rained for weeks. Eventually, the grass had all but vanished, replaced sandy, cracked dirt that shifted up and down at random intervals. This place had no name from Arcadia's perspective, but to the nations relative to its location, including Illon, it was known as the [i]Windtrace Dunes[/i]. It was vast, uneven, and littered with patches of tall, brittle-looking grass that the ATV did not heed, trampling patch after patch relentlessly.

	"We're nearing a steep incline!" the driver's voice roared through a small funnel above them. It connected into his room through a simple pipe system, allowing his voice to travel into the cabin without fail. Haley looked up nervously and nodded to herself. The ATV pulled up to a stop at the edge of one of the large hills, sinking into the dry ground at the edge. Dan sprung forwards and pushed his visor up. He blinked several times, apparently waking from a nap. Zay was equally startled by the sudden halt, but didn't react as such. "Already? We'd just passed Illon thirty minutes ago," Zay cautioned, getting out of his seat and rushing towards the ATV's left-front window that sat next to Haley's chair. "It's like a desert with... No sand..."

	Zay's commentary was accurate, for what he could see through the thick window frame of the ATV, anyways. From the cockpit, one would notice a vast expanse of sand that went on for kilometers after a 10 meter drop. The ATV could not proceed easily. There'd have to be preparation made for its continued voyage.

	Several yards away, following the ATV's tracks, were a pack of peculiar creatures that neared the truck cautiously. Trailing far enough behind to stay out of sight, the hungry creatures waited for the metal monstrosity that trespassed on their lands to release its delectable passengers.