Talbot smiled once again at Vellia before he got up, having finished his breakfast soup. He brought the bowl to the counter and set it there, sliding a few coins to the innkeep. The man took them with a smile. He must have almost gone crazy with all the ruckus we made last night. Talbot sighed, turning to the rest of the group. ”Come on, everyone. We have to get going. Next stop, Ferox! I think…” he shouted as loud as he could, turning his back on the group and walking outside. The sorcerer pulled off his azure hat and winced a bit as he ran his hand through his… hair. Oh. Right. He was bald. He felt like whining at the moment, but he was afraid at what everyone would say.

He had asked a trustworthy looking man to buy him a horse, and gave him the coin to do so. When he was asked what kind of horse he wanted, he simply replied, ”One that won’t bite and won’t mind a singing man on its back.”

The man returned a while after, explaining to him that he had bought him a gray, roan horse that would easily carry him across the deserts of Plegia. Talbot didn’t know much about horses, but he was told that it was in front of the inn. He hobbled out and glanced up at the hitch, seeing a delicate, long legged mare that was dark gray in color, flecked with white. She had a beautiful hue, but her hair was matted and tangled, and she seemed to be blind in one eye. Perhaps that was why the man was able to get it for such a low price.

Thankfully the mare had a saddle on her already. Talbot walked up to her and attempted to get on. The first few tries were failures; pain seared across his legs and torso as he tried to haul himself onto the saddle. Just as he was about to give up, however, he finally climbed onto the saddle and sat upright. ”Ah.” he said, clicking his tongue as he pulled on the reigns to the young but partially blind horse. He led it to the front of the inn and patted her side. She would be a comfortable mount. She seemed mellow. ”I’ll call you Frost. We’ll be like two peas in a pod, you’ll see~” he glanced up at the inn and frowned.

”Oi! Hurry up!”

---

Lumara was busy picking some dirt from under Caius’s scales when the injured mage rode up to the entrance of the inn on a freckled horse. It was a shaggy thing, it was… Lumara patted the side of Caius’s neck and grinned up at her beast. ”That thing isn’t even a snack for you, is it?” she laughed. ”It has no meat on its bones… just look at it!” the animal made a low grunting sound before raising his head toward Talbot and his horse, blinking his amber eyes. ”Well, I gotta see if that mage is coming. If no one listens to that baldy, he’ll yell even harder.”

And so, the woman stepped into the inn, stretching. I do hope that I caught that Logan’s attention. He seems like the kind of guy someone like me would like to spend time with… Walking up the stairs, she avoided bumping into a shirtless, black haired man (who she promptly eyed), and went to the room where all of the noise was coming from. For some reason, she just knew that Logan would be in there. And, when she peered inside, she saw him.

”We’re leaving.” she told the two men in the room. Her green eyes flicked to Logan and then back to the blond haired man. Who was that? He seemed to be from the area… ”Why is your nose bleeding?” she questioned as she glanced back at Logan.

Lumara leaned against the wall, crossing her arms as she restrained a hiccup that wanted to escape her lips. Logan was a cute guy… a very curious one, as well. But that man on the bed was handsome—she hadn’t seen blue eyes like his before. ”You.” she motioned toward him with a jerk of her head. ”What’s your name? You should get out of bed before that mage yells again.”

---

Ambra was concerned when Zaino collapsed onto his knees, almost asking if he was okay. However, she knew that it was better if she didn’t—it was obvious that he wasn’t and he might snap at her in annoyance. There was one thing that she learned from him so far: one shouldn’t mess with him. That was exactly what she was doing. So, she remained silent as he got to his feet and looked at her from in between his fingers. He told her that he would consider staying if she gave back his shirt. Ambra looked down at it and was about to give it to him when she heard someone say it was time to leave. Excited, she simply tossed it at him and rushed down the hall.

She darted down the stairs and outside, where she stood waiting for the rest of the group to follow. Ambra caught sight of two beasts, one gray horse and one brown wyvern that she recognized from the battle. It was that blond woman’s mount, and quite the beast it was. Even though it seemed to have a lazy expression on its face, muscles rippled under its scales and its talons gleamed in the hot, early morning sun. The second animal did not seem to be quite as fierce. Its rider was currently sitting on it. That’s Talbot… how did he get on it? she wondered before turning toward the door of the inn.

Even though it was before ten in the morning, as she could tell from the position of the sun in the sky, it was ridiculously hot. How a place could be so warm during the daylight hours and cold during the nighttime, she didn’t know. I wish I was back at Ylisse. Ambra thought as she looked down at her feet. Hopefully we can get back soon.

As Lumara voice's cut through the awkward silence, Logan grunted something unintelligible, glaring darkly at the door as he stood up. Still clutching the font of the dripping blood that coursed out of his nose, the dark-haired man leaned his head back in the attempt to stop the fluid leaking from his nose. After carefully raising his body up to standing position, the dark mage moved back toward the wall and used it to support his weight as he began to make his stumbling way toward the door. Logan chose this time to actually answer Lumara's inquiry about his nose, although the spellcaster wasn't in any mood for any more of the hated questions. He spat out the next few words, lacing them with as much venom and hatred as he could. "Some stupid oaf hit me in the face with a chair." A tiny fraction of time passed as Logan continued his faltering journey across the seemingly swaying room before a single thought cut through his black mood, striking true at his inquisitive nature. He paused, mouth slightly agape, staring at the Wyvern Lord with slightly clouded eyes. "Lumara, what was the end destination of this journey, anyway? It slipped my mind to ask."

Alicia emerged from the inn's stables, leading her pegasus by the reins as she walked. But before she could do anything else, she heard the man shouting out about the wounded mage. Raising an eyebrow, she checked around and did a quick headcount to see that all of the Shepards' mages were accounted for, so it couldn't have been one of theirs. Still, it couldn't hurt to at least see what was going on. Letting go of Bellerophon's reins, she took a vulnerary out from her satchel and walked back towards the inn, giving the wyvern a wide berth even as its rider left as well.

Reaching the mage's room, Alicia stepped inside to see Lumara already there. Looking past her, though, she saw a familiar face in the bed.

"What the-" She raised an eyebrow at the man's bleeding nose, as well as Logan's words. Deciding that it was better for her sanity if she didn't bother asking, Alicia skipped to the point. "Prince Laius? What are you even doing here?"

Lumara covered her mouth as she attempted to restrain a giggle at Logan. The Dark Mage was in pain, but it was hilarious to watch. Even though the laugh was muffled, one could still hear it. Maybe she had let it become audible on purpose? He’s adorable. Is he truly as devious as he says? Because it sure didn’t seem so. Either way, Logan continued to speak, and said that he had been in the face with a chair. Now that was hilarious! ”BAHAHAHAHA!” she bellowed, pointing at Logan with her index finger. ”You… you got hit by a chair!”

After a while of laughing, she covered her mouth once more and restrained her laughter. His question made her tip her head at him, and she slowly pulled her hand away from her lips. ”Now, we’re going to Ferox.” she told him. ”Or so I heard. But our long term destination is Ylisse.” she said nothing else. If Logan knew about what was happening, then he should piece it together. I hope Darrian gets what he deserves. she thought, narrowing her eyes at the floor. And I hope he dies a grizzly death.

Another blond haired woman stepped inside the room, this one calling the blond man on the bed a ‘prince’. Lumara glanced toward Laius, her eyes sharp, but inquisitive. Prince? What the Hell is a prince doing in an inn? Wait? Isn’t he… that man that helped us in that battle? She didn’t like princes, but there were two things that she could gain from this man. The first was for their cause—surely, he would be able to provide a lot of support for the Shepherds. If a prince was on their side, everyone should know that they were indeed ‘good guys’ and not ‘bad guys’. Second of all, if she were to lay with this man, her reputation would sky rocket—she could say she had been in bed with a prince!

”So, you’re a prince, eh?” Lumara’s face twisted into a devious smirk, and she stroked her chin and she looked him over. ”What is a handsome thing such as yourself doing in this broken down place?” That’s right, Lumara. Be smooth~

Seeing that the embers were out, he puled his head from the trough to see a shaggy mare carrying a bald man. He seemed to have some troubles getting on. Shrugging his shoulders, he reentered the inn and went upstairs, passing a man on the ground before going back into the room. He saw two women now. He waited at the doorway, waiting for people to notice. He then heard the blond haired lady calling his client a prince. That would make some sense in why he is traveling and requires a bodyguard. But, why do he not bring one with him? Anywho, it was time to make a decision.

Sorry to interrupt the happy reunion between prince and lover, but you have a decision to make. Will you go with them, being chased by gods-know-what, or traveling to your destination by yourself?

He handed his last vulnerary to the mage who got smacked.

Here is this. Use it wisely and try to dodge next time. You won't live long if you don't dodge such things.

He walked back to the doorway and leaned against one side of it, and put himself into a position where he could see the hallway and the room at the same time.

He felt a small breeze so he pulled up on his cloak. In the desert, there was no breeze, just constant heat. Kalar wished he was there right now, because it was too damn cold up in the north, but he had faced worst in more northern conditions.

He noticed that when his cloak was pulled up, his three weapons are revealed, as well as their condition. He might have reforge them soon. His face soon became scrunched up as he thought of what else he would have to do in the next couple of hours and days.

Well, at least the flaming pillows got thie dunderhead out of his room. He considering doing the very same to Logan, but the mage was already bleeding from the nose and stumbling about his room like a drunkard. Setting him ablaze was just unneeded cruelty. Besides, he was likely Laius only source for intelligent conversation, aside from exchanging witting flirtations with barmaids and village girls alike. His Mire tome was rather nice, too. The groggy prince pulled the sheets away and tried to fully regain his senses whilst his temper simmered. He was far too used to sleeping in until noon in his fine silk bedding to adjust to the lifestyle of hay mattresses and early morning chair flinging. As his mind fully adjusted to consciousness returning to him, he perked up at the realization of the Shepherds being mentioned. If he recalled from his conversation with the lovely pegasus knight, they were the group that had been chased through his capital only days earlier. So it seemed they were here as well. Before he could respond properly to Logan, a woman barged into his room.

If only his wake up call could've been the likes of her, then he would've been more receptive of being pried from his bed so early. He did remember admiring her, along with the handful of other females Shepherds whilst they fought off the Ylissean riders on their tail. She rode on top a wyvern, if he recalled. The drunk one who flailed about with an axe. His demeanor softened far more in the presence of the whorish blonde. How could a natural ladies man like himself be angry in the presence of the fairer sex? He nearly went right in to chatting the young up when she gestured to him. But her question did pose a problem. He didn't know how up to date the Shepherds were with foreign policy. He doubted a fighter like her would care much, but he did need to keep a low profile. If she recognized him as the prince and that word reached the inn, he would have problems. So he began to formulate a cover name... Suial! No one would ever suspect a reversed version of his name! Of course, fate, being that it liked to interrupt him before or in the middle of his sentences, threw another pretty blonde woman into his room.

Honestly, could she and the other one not have arrived twenty minutes earlier? Unlike Lumara, he instantly recognized this one. Having actually spoken to her directly he committed more than just her lovely feminine features to memory. Alicia, he recalled. Seeing her again would have made him far happier if she hadn't immediately addressed him by his title and completely blown any hope of keeping it secret. If not for the drunk girl, Lumara as Logan had called her, spilling it about camp the talkative dark mage would certainly let it slip. He sighed and kicked his feet over the side of the rickety bed. He silently thanked himself for wearing pants before settling down the night before. Far was he from modest, but to tempt these poor women with his mighty scepter would've been unfair. It was bad enough his torso was exposed. He had to remedy this, as much as he would've enjoyed showing off for the girls. With a swiftness in his step and a quickly snap of his arm he grabbed the rough tunic he had been wearing and slipped it on.

"It's lovely to see you as well, Alicia." He greeted in a bit of a teasing tone at her shock. The sudden revalation of his royalty had Lumara smirking as she eyed him up and addressed him. Normally, he'd enjoy the attention of this admittedly less than wholesome looking woman, but now was not the time for seduction. "I had intentions of getting to the Feroxi capital without incident, but I suppose that's out of the question. With Ylisse officially declaring war on Plegia, my father requested I personally leave for our allies to the north to offer them a part in Ylisse's inevitable defeat." While he spoke, he dressed more properly. Stringing on his belt and other accessories, snapping his four tomes onto their places and unraveling the sand ravaged cloak he wore.

"From what I've gathered, I'm assuming the Shepherds are fleeing there as well until the war ends? It seems there's no end to my fortune. I regretted not being able to chat with you for longer in the capital. It's not often even I get to engage with such a captivating woman.~" His tone, starting out very proper, eventually devolved to a flirtatious purr as he spoke more personally to Alicia. Perhaps today wouldn't end so badly after all. "Your choices in company are rather stimulating as well." He gave a cheeky grin towards Lumara as well, refusing to not acknowledge both beauties.

There was a space of twelve seconds exactly as Logan attempted to process a lot of things happening at once. He'd been laughed at, for one. That wasn't supposed to happen. It hadn't happened to his face before, anyway. The dark mage mused on the seeming humor in his entire situation(bloody face and all) before continuing to digest the next tidbit of information, a rather juicy one that could prove to be valuable in the future. Another attractive blonde woman had identified his roommate as Prince Laius of Plegia, explaining the man's seeming insistence to show of his sparks and the oaf's insistence about women waking up the prince(Logan noted darkly this didn't seem to apply to chairs). Then there was the informative knowledge of the direction they were headed. Regna Ferox. Grima knew how much he hated the cold, windy, and most of all barbaric place. Logan would go, of course, but that didn't mean he had to enjoy the blasted weather.

The dark-eyed one snapped back to reality as a rough hand shoved him a vulnerary. The would-be bodyguard, of course it was. "Look, yo-" Logan was cut off by the most insulting reply he'd heard for a very, very long time, and it infuriated him, the black rage surfacing yet again. The next words were yelled at the pitch and intensity of a wyvern's death scream, with the dark mage seriously considering using the last of the charges in his Dying Blaze tome to explode his would-be attacker. "You stupid bastard! You HIT THE PRINCE WITH A CHAIR AS SOON AS YOU GOT ME TO STOP BLOCKING HIS NOSE BY THREATENING TO DECAPITATE ME! How the FUCK am I SUPPOSED to DODGE STUPIDITY! Oh I think I'm bleeding again."

He growled dismally as he looked down at the flask, shaking it to see how much was left. The sloshing sides suggested one treatment, that was it. With a sigh of resignation(his anger all but abated) Logan downed the solution, feeling a slight tingling as his nose stopped the geyser of blood and snot while simultaneously his body began to restore balance to his system, the alcohol being transmuted into various essential factors. Muttering darkly about how even a daft assassin can be useful once in a while, he left the room(squeezing past all three of the people currently crowding the door) and headed down the stairs toward the door.

Logan got outside and grinned slightly, the warm, dry air of his homeland welcoming yet another day. After noting the bandaged spellcaster on the horse, Logan made his way over to the trough and began to clean his face, pulling off the metallic neck-guard in order to wash that too. As he worked, he called out to the man on the threadbare horse, letting loose a stream of conversation. "You're the current leader of the Shepherds, right? Headed to Ferox? Cold place, you know. Ah, yes, Lumara told me about you, offered to take me along. You look like you need all the help you can get, yes? Speaking of which, there will probably be two more, one who's either royalty or very good at lying, and an oafish assassin who kills via 'helping people'. You know, good stuff. I'm Logan of Plegia. And you? A mage, yes, but I meant name, so I at least know who I'm following into battle."

As Zaino put on a shirt for the first time in what seemed like an entire week, he felt complete; no longer did he feel the embarrassment of being exposed. His gauntlet fitted around his left hand, freshly washed like the rest of his clothing. He sighed, forming a fist and releasing it several times to allow his fingers to readjust to the accessory and lowering his arms to his side, sighing. He wondered why Ambra had been quick to believe his words; the very idea of her being able to trust him without suspicion that he would go against his word. What is with this woman? He looked down at where his shirt had been a tattered and bloody mess, and seeing it all patched up and sewn back to a pristine condition, he grumbled as he trotted down the stairs."What a drag."

Walking outside of the inn, Zaino folded his arms as he 'joined' the group, walking by Ambra while saying. "Only because you fixed it," and standing by at a spot away from the people. If he intended on being with them for the trip to Regna Ferox, he wanted no accusations of him being affiliated with these pigs in their little roleplay.

Talbot continued to sit upon his horse, only allowing his gaze to move from the door of the inn when someone addressed him. It was a Dark Mage; not only that, but someone he had seen before. He smiled at this ‘Logan’ fellow, dipping his head as far as he could without wincing in pain. ”My name’s Talbot of Ylisse.” he told him. ”And I suppose that you can call me the leader of this group for the time being… I don’t think anyone else wants to.” he heaved a sigh and looked into the distance. ”So we’re being joined by royalty? Great.” he rolled his eyes sarcastically. He didn’t want some pompous prince or princess on this trip. They would probably complain that there was sand in their shoes. ”Anyway, I do we get going soon. The trip will be a long and hard one.”

Yes, it would be. They would have to go back into Ylisse, which would be especially dangerous for the Shepherds. If they acted in any other way other than a band of pilgrims, word could get to the ears of officials. The last thing they needed was a battle back at home. Their enemies would have a report for Darrian before they could even leave Ylisse. Talbot shuddered at the thought. If those men came after them, and they actually engaged in battle, they would be slaughtered. They all looked so strong…

Talbot offered Logan another smile. ”So, Logan, why are you joining us? I mean, you do know that we are being hunted down by Ylisseans. It will be a shame if you get caught in a particularly nasty battle and become wounded.” it was merely curiosity that made Talbot speak. The sun was shining down at them, its bright rays bearing down upon him and his horse without mercy. He sighed, glancing up as if cursing it and turning back to the door.

”Let’s go!”

---

”I don’t get to speak to a prince very often.” Lumara purred out, avoiding talking about more… involved things and getting straight to the point. ”Perhaps we can meet later on? I already have an appointment with that Dark Mage fellow, though.” s

Someone called out once again, and she looked over her shoulder at the door. That mage was bound to have her lance up his ass at one point. He was already annoying the crap out of her. She turned toward the prince and the other woman, grinning softly. ”Well, I best be getting downstairs, then. You should too. His noise can get a tad bit irritating even if you do ignore it.” stretching her arms over her head, she turned and walked down the hallway and stairs, exiting the inn and walking up to Caius.

The day was getting hotter and hotter by the minute. Lumara brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and placed a foot in the stirrup of the saddle, swinging her leg over the other side. The beast raised his head and stood straighter. ”Ferox is gonna be really cold, buddy.” she told Caius, patting his side and frowning. Caius huffed as if he knew. ”You might freeze up a bit. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm. Maybe I can get some cloth that’s left over from our supplies and put it on you.”

Her gaze lifted from her mount and flicked to the three men and one woman that had gathered in front of the inn. Ah, there was the mage… ”Hey, are you joining me during this trek or not? There’s enough room for one more~”

---

As Ambra was waiting, she caught sight of Zaino leaving the inn and walking up to the group. He was wearing his shirt that she had washed and fixed as he was bedridden. It looked so much better than how it originally looked… He seemed to walk up to her, but instead, he walked straight past her as he spoke. So he was staying? She grinned, looking back at him. He seemed to separate himself from the rest of the group, which didn’t bother her. At least he was coming along. She could breathe easily now. Ambra looked back toward Talbot and the other mage, frowning when they began to speak about going to Ylisse.

She didn’t want to go to Ylisse, but they had no choice. In order to get to Regna Ferox, they would have to cut through Ylisse. Ambra hoped that they didn’t even think about stopping at Ylisstol. That would be idiotic… thankfully, the mage on the horse did not seem stupid. Just stay calm, Ambra. Everything will be okay…

Of Logan's observations, the one that stood out the most was the seeming bitterness of the bandaged man in charge of battered remains of the Shepherds. The dark mage liked that. No optimism, less chance of dying an ugly death by Ylissean spears. It was almost refreshing compared to the seeming good spirits of the rest of the party. But for all that, there was a barest hint of magic around the wounded man on the horse that Logan couldn't place. It was familiar, yes, but it was so faint it seemed he was constantly imagining it. Stranger and stranger. Perhaps he'd have to have words with this mystery of a man later, as mages always promised at least some form of intelligent conversation.

He continued his washing until Talbot asked his question, giving the faintest hint of a sigh before replying. Out of all the chances in the world, he'd chosen the inquisitive group of surviving Shepards. "Simply put, I don't care about the risks as I find the reward much greater. More eloquently put, I find the chance of discovering knowledge and the chance to access knowledge that has lain fallow with the Shepherds for decades to be a much greater draw that the chance I get more wounded than I'd like. Speaking of which, why do you fight, then, knowing that you could end up more wounded, and die alone as Ylissean blades draw across your band of followers, slaughtering them as you ordered them to fight?" A rather nasty question, to be sure, but Logan had been hit with a chair, prodded for answers, and then prodded for answers yet again. He wanted to be a bit nasty. Before he could get an answer, he heard Lumara call to him, and thus flashed a rather harsh smile at Talbot as the dark mage slid over to the wyvern.

Logan fastened his neck-guard closed once more as he looked Lumara up and down, giving a quiet whistle of approval. "Yes, yes, here I am. You paint quite a picture with the two of you. Lumara, do you mind helping me up?" He proffered his hand, the leap to Caius' back proving to be a bit much with the excitement of the morning.

The mage walked over to her, having said something particularly nasty to the bald one. Lumara could tell- his face had completely changed as he turned his back on him. Logan asked for her help as he stretched out a hand, which she promptly took and pulled. She hauled him up to the seat behind her. "I'll have to fly high in the sky." she told him, looking up at the broad expanse of blue stretching over their heads. Shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun, she continued. "That way, bandits and other enemies will simply brush us off as a bird. Even though I have bad eyesight, Caius takes over. He keeps up with the rest while I can lay back and nap."

The other mage turned to leave, guiding his horse to the head of the group. Lumara watched as she figured out the general direction in which he was headed, and took the reigns tighter into her hands. "C'mon, Caius." she pressed her heels into the wyvern's scales. The beast grunted and snorted, raising his head and spreading its wings. The horses that were nearby whinnied nervously, stomping their hooves and flattening their ears. Caius lazily beat his wings, scattering dust and grit and sand with the currents of wind that he produced. For a moment, it seemed as if they weren't going anywhere.

Then Caius lifted into the sky. His ascension was slow at first, but once he had enough room to fly without bumping into any buildings. Then, he tipped his head up and looked at the ocean of azure above their heads. "Better hang on tight. The flight up is the roughest for passengers, or so I like to believe." she warned, looking over her shoulder at Logan before looking back to the front. "Caius, up!"

And with his master's command, Caius shot into the sky. His wings beat powerfully and steadily. Lumara waited for a while, holding onto the reigns with her hands as tight as ever. After a bit, she patted his neck, and Caius leveled himself so he was parallel to the ground. Lumara grinned as the beast flew in circles over the group, relying mostly on the wind to keep them aloft. Below them were sandy dunes that stretched for miles and miles, and above them was the sun and all of the sky. "So, what do you think?" she asked, looking back at Logan.

As soon as Lumara had suggested he hang on tight, Logan did as such, his arms snaking around her midriff and drawing him close. The following rush was, for lack of a better word, exhilarating. Wind rushed past in a deafening roar, the dry air being mostly blocked by the wyvern and Lumara herself. The world dropped away as the sun's rise above the horizon was accented with altitude. Clear skies lay ahead and in front, the desert's signature heat seeming to increase as the beast rose. He could feel the beat of the wyvern's wings, every flap accented by a spasm of muscles in the lower back. There was no doubt that he was at the mercy of the rider(probably how she liked it, he assumed). There was only the trust that she wouldn't order the monster to throw him off. The fall would kill him violently, turning him from living man to bundle of flesh thrown against the hard packed sand. Logan, however, basked in the terror and excitment like the heat of his desert home. This was an experience that he'd never felt before and only considered possible by remote reasons, and thus it was wonderful.

As the draconic form of Caius leveled off high above the sandy ground, Logan took a chance to looked around as Lumara had suggested. He remained still and nearly slient for quite some time, before a faint squeal of excitement escaped from his lips, curving them into a smile. "Amazing! This is... everything I could I hoped for! This is experience that I can use! I can learn here! I can see here! Plegia has never looked so small, and yet so large! I... I enjoy this." His grin was both toothy and almost infectiously happy. This was worth the chair to the face, the questions, the knowledge that he'd be traveling with less than intelligent people, and all the other bad things that had made up his morning. This was pure pleasure, and he'd damn well make the most of it. "...It's brilliant. You enjoy being up here? Can you tell much about what's on the ground? Have you ever engaged in a fight this high up?"

Lumara bellowed in laughter as she patted the beast on the neck again. Caius leaned into her embrace and rumbled softly, knowing that he had pleased her. Logan seemed to be relishing the rush that his body was most certainly going through, and she grinned as she looked back at him. There he went, laughing and splurting out questions. ”I love it. I can actually think up here without having anyone bother me.” she told him. Even though the wind had been rushing past them a few moments ago, it was somewhat quiet up here. Caius’s wings beat once as she pondered his other questions. ”I can see little to nothing of what is going on below us. That’s why I trust Caius to pick up any abnormalities.” she paused a moment, trying to recall the battles that she had had. ”… The fight I had furthest from the ground was about half of this height. A fight at this amount of space between mount and earth would be much too deadly. One slip up and you’ll end up looking like a shattered egg.”

She grinned, laying down and rolling onto her back. Surprisingly, she stayed on the saddle. It was obvious that she was used to lying like this when she was aloft. ”I love taking naps here.” she told him. ”Caius makes sure that I won’t fall. Have you ever napped while you were hundreds of feet off of the ground? It’s truly heavenly.” Lumara closed her eyes, purring softly. She wasn’t stupid—neither of them would fall as long as they didn’t do anything rambunctious.

The stillness of the sky was almost startling to Logan as he looked around, listening for Lumara's answers. He didn't have to yell to be heard, and yet they were still floating on the breeze. It seemed dreamlike, with nothing supporting his ride but thousands of feet of air, the ground far, far, below with it's problems down there. He could see how Lumara felt at peace up here. There was literally not a single person that even approached this altitude for miles around, much beyond what Logan's dark eyes could see. It wasn't lonely, but more... free. Away from all the troubles, finally quiet. A sanctuary, he supposed. Although... the nearly pitch black eyes turned directly downward, staring down at the puny people below him. Such tiny beings in a huge world. So easy to... kill, to smash. There was a briefest moment as Logan calculated the range of his Mire tome, and realized how happy he was the results. Perfect. To be able to fling magic from here, no chance of retribution... it was a different kind of bliss, one much more sinister and grim. So this was a new kind of power. The dark mage made a note to remain on good terms with the wyvern lord, if just for these tantalizing choices of relaxation and battle.

"I'll assume that was a rhetorical question." Logan's response was as dry as the desert sands, tearing his eyes of the the horizon and the small specks that were the people going about their daily lives. He took the time to reach into his robes, pulling out his much worn Dying Blaze tome. It felt hot to the touch, even with the night's chill still set about the other books. The scent of burnt leather and merrily blazing wood filled the air, Logan breathing in deeply as the musty smell of wyvern and fire mixed, forming a scent cocktail that was usually only reserved for great battles. He loved it. "Do you mind if I read? I haven't gotten peace and quiet like this since... Well, a long time ago. I promise not to fling magic off Caius unless explicitly needing too." He had already cracked the book open, devouring the knowledged hidden within the burnt pages(They fluttered in the breeze, small scraps flying off every now and again) and absorbing the sooty scent like a wet rag.

”Hmm?” Lumara opened an eye at Logan, frowning when he pulled out a tome. He wanted to read up here? What if his book fell? Well, she would laugh, but… ”Fine, you can read. I don’t understand what’s the big deal with books, anyway.” she yawned and settled down more into the saddle, closing her eyes once again and smiling. Ah, she loved this feeling of freedom. If she could spend the whole day in the sky, she would. It was so much better than spending the day trudging beside some stinky horse and grumpy person.

As Laius spoke again, Alicia raised an eyebrow, surprised that the man was still trying to flirt with her. Didn't he have better things to do than try to hit on a disgraced third-born noblewoman that was being hunted down by her own country? Surely, the prince had plenty of nobles in his own nation to try to bed. Regardless, she supposed she might as well humor the man. If he was headed for Regna Ferox as well, it would only make sense to join up with him.

"In that case, would you care to join our party, Prince Laius?" Alicia smiled, not particularly enthused or bothered by the man flirting with her and Lumara. He hadn't said anything particularly lewd or unpleasant yet, so the constant flirting didn't really affect her much. Still, the prince seemed to be a powerful mage, considering the skirmish in the capital, and it wouldn't hurt to have another skilled fighter along for the journey.

They continued to ride for a while, but they did not cover much land. Talbot knew that were a couple of people that were probably still getting ready in their rooms. They should really hurry up. thought the injured mage, glancing over his shoulder. People were following him. Yet… he wasn’t one to be much of a leader. He’d rather be a follower. That way, he didn’t have as many lives in his hands. Leaders went through extreme stress… and he didn’t want that. It was only going to be for a while, though. He was sure that someone would step up and take the torch. His brown eyes flicked back to the way he was going. The group was slowly working their way to a rather large dune that was near the town. They would have to go around it…

His horse huffed loudly as he moved around the hill. Talbot allowed his eyes to rest on it as he passed it. If they could go around such obstacles, they would save their energy. There was no need to climb a hill if there was another path. He sighed, blinking up at the sky. The sun is merciless… he thought with exasperation. Thankfully, I have enough water to last a few days. I hope everyone does as well…

After a few more minutes of riding, Talbot paused a moment. His eyes were firmly set on what was in front of him. A group of people were riding towards them, their horses’ hooves kicking up sand and seemingly conjuring a menacing dust storm around their intimidating group. Who are they..? he quickly moved his hand toward his tomes, pulling out his Thoron and quickly opening it. It was obvious that they were hostile, but there was no crest, no sign of who they were allied with. He ground his teeth. ”Prepare for battle!” he yelled over his shoulder. ”A squad of raiders or bandits are headed our way!”

As soon as he had turned back to the men, they were already upon them. Talbot hissed a curse as a man on horseback rode up next to him and swung his sword at his neck. He ducked, saving himself from the fatal blow only by a hair’s breadth. Frost leapt back, screaming in terror and rearing up onto her back legs and lashing out at the rider and mount with her hooves. Talbot, however, struggled to remain on her back. He wasn’t used to riding around with a horse… I have to be careful. he thought, his panicked mind refocusing back on his enemy as his horse fell back to her four feet. He raised a hand, electricity manifesting itself around his fingers and palm. ”Eat this!”

The beam of lightning roared from his hands, shooting towards the man as if it was a piercing arrow. Though, everyone knew that if an attack didn’t hit… there was nothing to be impressed about. Not even if the attack was as fierce as a lion. The man dodged the attack, making Talbot flinch. Damn.

Kai who was treading along on her own horse, following Talbot from a distance. She would much prefer to remain hidden, but with all the sand around, that would virtually impossible. She had prepared herself earlier in the day, as she had awakened early like she usually does, to make sure no one suspicious was lurking around. Although it was mostly to make sure no one was plotting to kill Talbot. So she didn't have to worry about running out of water too soon. As she continued on, she heard Talbot to prepare themselves for battle. Upon hearing this she got her Bow out and pressed her heels into her dark haired horse. "Hurry Midnight." She neighed in response as she burst forward toward the group of incoming enemies.

As she got closer she pulled an arrow out of her quiver and readied it on the bow, she saw Talbot miss his attack but she quickly followed up on his miss by pulling back on the string and firing the arrow, letting it fly right into the mans head, watching the man slowly tilt to his side falling off his horse. She however didn't stop there, as she fired off another arrow into the chest of one of the attackers that got close to Talbot. The man did the same as the other one she shot and fell off his horse too. Kai's horse stopped beside Talbot's horse. She readied another arrow and aimed it at another one as she spoke. "You have to be more careful, you should move back more so you aren't in the way of harm." Kai then let the arrow fly hitting the horse this time causing it to fall over, dumping it's rider on the ground where Kai quickly took out with another arrow.

Zaino was surprised to find that a number of people in 'their group' had been left behind. In reality, he was actually quite overjoyed to learn of such; he only wished that it could have been all of them except for just himself. It was too late, though. This is gonna be a long trip, he thought as his hand remained resting atop of the hilt of his sword, not allowing himself to fall short on his senses. He was healthy now, and his body was functioning properly. He could finally provide and act for himself instead of having to accept the support of others, namely that Ambra woman. If I have to spend another second wounded and being tended by her, I'll-

"Prepare for battle!" sounded, prompting Zaino to draw his sword just as quick as the next set of words came through. "A squad of raiders or bandits are headed our way!"

Perfect, Zaino thought, smirking as the sounds of battle began to pick up. A warm-up for the upcoming contest of champions. His head snapped to the left as he wheeled his body around, and with both hands holding on, he swung low at the pair of legs belonging to a horse, his body lowering itself in conjunction as a sword past where his neck would have been. The horse cried and flipped over, sending its rider meters forward as the landing snapped the man's neck.

Satisfied, Zaino spun and brought his sword up fast enough to cut an arrow in two when it was about two feet away from hitting him. His sword had been craving for blood; the one skirmish at the capital hadn't been enough. Then again, what exactly was enough to him? "I'll take all of you on!" a shout full of confidence left his lips, smoothing his hair back so it didn't impair his vision. He watched as a few of the horsemen dismounted and brought out a variety of swords and axes, flicking his own weapon to the side and charging towards the mass of assailants.

High above the now spawning battle, Logan was quite happily reading his tome. It spoke of wondrous things, of fire, of death, and the blaze which linked the two in a way that was exceptionally unhealthy. The mage's lips curled into a grin, the possibilities of how such a violent magic could be used dancing around his mind like so many flames. Black eyes sparkled with unnatural light as he looked up from his book, closing the tome with a snap lest he be tempted to use it on some unsuspecting fool. It was then he glanced down, and remained staring at the small flashes of light thousands of feet below.

He reached over and shook Lumara's leg. "Hey Lumara. I think there's a problem. And this would be the time where I ask if it's okay to throw a magical bolt off your wyvern. Well, not so much a bolt of magic as it... would be a kind of magical long-range blast. Should turn at least one of them into a mutilated mess." Logan reached into his coat and replaced the Dying Blaze tome and yanked out his purple Mire tome, humming with glee. "Well, if anything, can you hold Caius steady? I'd like to be able to hit the enemy over your companions."