Desertrose

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It is a late afternoon on the Shifting Expanse. The air is starting to cool, and the sun is sinking in the horizon, enveloping the sky in an orange glow. A group of five dragons– seemingly weary after hours of travel– makes its way across the sands. By now, they are somewhere off the course of the Lightning Farm, in the vicinity of a fabled old power plant which had been defunct for decades. It’s an obscure sort of place, hidden amongst dunes and boulders; one would likely not stumble upon it unless deliberately seeking it.

Desertrose, a sturdy Snapper, looks concernedly at her companions. Her body is the color of dark clay, with teal thunderstone growths that emanate invigorating lightning magic. She seems unfazed– although her magical gifts have always made long-distance travel a breeze, she is also simply well used to the arduous task of traversing the desert.

Just beside her is Striker– a charming and passionate Guardian. He is clad in a mechanical exoskeleton and an ocular enhancement. From an angle, his mechanical eye shines in cyan– like a true Lightning dragon– but a look at the other side reveals his natural eye color– a shining gold, indicative of Light. The grit in his expression and his powerful build suggest a couple of years of experience, although he is not as mature as his Snapper friend.

Springing from the sand is Revel, a cheerful Sandsurge with a penchant for camouflage. Though she is not normally part of the patrol team, she is able to keep up– this terrain has been home not just to her, but to her industrious ancestors for many centuries.

A black-and-indigo Aberration known as the Clausius brothers, or Heat and Work, are a handful of meters behind. While annoyed by the terrain which is nothing like the paved ground of their laboratory (or the stage on which they sometimes play the keyboard), they have a fighting spirit, as though their survivalism and an urge to outdo each other is propelling them forward.

“Giving up yet, Work?”

“Hah, nice threat, Heat, but the moment I stop, so do you.”

“Not if I can prove otherwise!”

At that point, Work grabs Heat by the mouth using one of their shared hands. Revel smirks a bit as she eavesdrops on their shenanigans.

Passionfruit, an eager pink Spiral, has been moving at an erratic pace. Some hours ago, he may have been zooming through the air with ease, his noodly body flowing in the desert wind, but right now, it seems like he slowed down, took a break to curl up, and…. Did he just fall asleep? This was a quirk of his that the group had been used to for his duration of employment in the clan. Far from surprising, but nevertheless, a minor hassle.

“Passion! Passion, darling, are you okay?” Desertrose calls out to him.

“It’s a no-go, ma’am, he’s faaaaast asleep.” Heat responds, amused.

“Oh no, for goodness’ sake…” Striker mutters. With his bionic eye, he can already see the old complex in the distance: surrounded by untamed desert grass, a group of weathered, drab buildings which had been bleached day upon day by bright sun. “We’re almost here. Try to shake him awake, offer him some water or insect jerky.”

Revel dives back into the ground and pops up right next to Passionfruit. In his arms is a bag– which he hadn’t zipped shut, so some of its contents could be seen. There are notebooks with labels such as “CAM Plants” “Desert Ecology” and even a “Funny Cacti Scrapbook” which has a sticker of a muscular cartoon saguaro cactus on the cover.

“Aww, let the poor lad rest. Bring him over here– I can carry him.” The motherly Snapper takes a few steps closer to her companions.

Revel shuts Passionfruit’s bag and tosses her sleeping friend, a bit unceremoniously, onto Desertrose’s back. This jolts him awake. “Oopsie!” she giggles.

“WAH! Good…” he looks up at the sky. “Good evening? How long have I been conked out?” He adjusts his misaligned glasses.

“Not too long.” Work glares at him, straight-faced. “I mean, if I were you, I’d sleep a bit longer!” Heat grins. “Have some water, bro.”

Revel takes the waterskin strapped upon Desertrose’s back and hands it to Passionfruit. “We’re almost here! Look!” She turns her head in the direction of the power plant.

Now that everyone is ready, Striker dashes forward and leads the party. His mannerisms are intense and he seems eager to get into action. Eventually, the group finds itself in the shade of the old complex, amongst the dilapidated architecture and overgrown greenery. He huddles everyone closer so they can hear his mandatory inspirational speech.

“This is just the start of our mission, friends. Chief Aurelius sent us here on the instruction of the Big Boss via his emissary, Lady Fulgura. There’s lots of Lightning power to be processed, and it’s high time for this facility to come back to life. They chose us specially because of our skills. Me– to map the place. Rose– for her land navigation prowess and tankiness. Revel and Clausius– because you three are the masterminds behind our power system. And Passionfruit– because you know a deal about botany. And you can slip into tiny places. We’ll do this for the clan, for Aurum Inc.!”

The spirited Guardian raises up his arm, prompting the rest to follow and cheer. Striker claws off the dense layer of foliage blocking the old plant’s door. Revel pulls out her lockpicking tools and deconstructs the mechanism keeping the door shut. Upon pushing it open, a musty old scent emerges, and it is nearly pitch black.