___As the harsh sun rose in the sky, a loud sand storm blowing outside stirred Cypress awake and, mentally preparing himself for his work, he lazily stepped out of bed and began preparing for the day. Eating the last portion of bread left, he offered a piece to his friend, a small snake named Eki; it was not the ideal meal, but it would have to do for the time being. There was a long day ahead and, with the arrival of summer, Cypress expected to find more items and parts of beings that fell victim to the heat than the previous month. Taking a swig of his water satchel, he gathered his bags and sail, and set off.
___With his companion hidden from the wind under his collar, they travelled through the Abiding Boneyard, gliding along the arid wastes while he kept his eyes trained on the sand dunes for any hint of something recent. Coming across a handful of carcasses, Cypress was able to gather enough meat for the upcoming week, as well as some interesting items he plans to trade at a market located right at the edge of the desert.
___After a few hours of searching, the storm had begun to die down but, as he was about to turn back, he spotted something moving, an unfamiliar banner in the horizon. It did not belong to any of the few clans that had settled down in the desert; with how extreme the conditions were there, it was extremely rare to come across a new camp.
___Carefully approaching, Cypress observed the piece of fabric, it did not look like it had been made with the original intent of being a banner, and more like a ripped piece of clothing that was improvised to serve that purpose. Already a faded color, it was a barely visible blue with a white filigree design. The sight of that cloth whipping against the wind brought a sigh to the dragon's lips; it was a work common to the artisans of the Ice domain, and if that belonged to a citizen of that territory, it was unlikely that they would've survived for long in that scorching heat.
___Stepping towards the small makeshift tent and with his hand resting near his knife, he slowly raised the sheet of fabric that was the entrance. While he looked around, he inspected a series of clear vials filled with strange substances, each bottle cold to the touch, as if it itself was made of some sort of ice that didn't melt, not even here. It was then that he heard a hoarse breathing, so quiet he almost did not notice it.
___In the corner, on the ground, laid a colorful wildclaw, barely conscious and staring at him through faded, heavy eyes that soon were closed as the dragon fell to unconsciousness. Cursing under his breath, Cypress began gathering anything that might be of importance or use, threw the passed out being over his shoulder, and began the trip back to his home.

---

____As soon as Cypress arrived in the Southern Icefield, he instantly knew this had been a bad idea. He was an experienced dune glider and, when it was suggested to him to participate in the Winter Games, he thought it was an interesting opportunity, a chance for a little vacation from the arid expanse of his home.
____He had never come to the South and had no idea what to expect weather-wise, but was told not to worry about it, he just had to bundle up a bit. Bundle up a bit my arse, it's gonna take a whole lot more than a scarf and some tea to make this popsicle of a place bearable during the coming week.


- Sornieth Winter Games - Alpine Skiing (First place winner)