preserved in amber

After the merge -the Imperium desert-

That next morning, everyone woke up early. Skylor stood on the new bounty, just looking at it. She could tell Pixal hadn't made it. It wasn't her style, Skylor didn't realize Pixal really had a style til she saw the ship. It was definitely that Sora girl.

Everyone loaded onto the ship, Skylor looked at her weapons, two dagger and- damn it. She had lost most of her things. Misplaced them maybe.

Skylor looked around her. Swords. Skylor wished she had a sword. But likely that she'd get one from a fallen foe. She knew to be resourceful. After all, her whole thing was stealing powers, weapons were just more common to find.

Did that kid have a grappling hook? She wondered if he made that. Maybe he did.

"Where's Wyldfire?" Kai said. Sora shrugged.

"She told me she was getting something." Arin said.

Soon enough, Wyldfire came back and jumped onto the bounty. Everyone stares for a bit before they start to get to work. Lloyd grabs the wheel and the bounty begins to rise. Once they're in the air, Skylor watches Arin and Sora come up to Wyldfire.

"What took you so long?" Sora asked. "What did you have to grab?"

"Well I was eating breakfast, but then I realized that heatwave should get some too." Wyldfire said.

"Oh, we thought you were grabbing something." Arin said.

"Pshh-, like I need anything but my bare hands!" Wyldfire said.

Sora shook her head, and Arin shrugged to Sora.

The wind whipped through everyone's hair as they sailed in the sky.

It wasn't good that when they arrived, sand started to pick up in the wind. Skylor put up her mask and hood.

The bounty stopped as they saw Imperium in the distance. They parked, and everyone got off the ship. They began walking.

"Okay, everyone ready?" Lloyd asked.

Their plan was simple. There was a truck that ran from imperium to The Wyldness, it dumped trash there. They were going to wait for the truck to pass, and then they would hitch a ride. They waited on a sand dune. The wind was really starting to pick up.

"Woah!" Arin said, almost falling over. "There's no chance Euphrasia is here, right?"

Sora laughed. "No, it just gets windy."

"Who's Euphrasia?" Skylor asked, "another friend?"

"Yeah, the new master of wind, we met her in the cloud kingdom." Sora said.

"Wait but-"

Lloyd nudged her.

"I was confused too, apparently when an elemental master dies without a heir, the power picks it themselves." Lloyd said. "She definitely a nice change from Morro."

Skylor shrugged.

"Yeah I'd assume so." Skylor said. "Oh look, I see something."

The truck was beginning to arrive. The six of them assumed positions.

As the car came by, they jumped.

Thump!

Lloyd landed. He grabbed onto the truck.

Thump!

Sora landed.

Thump!

Kai landed.

Thump!

Arin landed.

Thump!

Skylor landed.

Skylor turned to see Wyldfire, she missed the truck.

"Wait-! Wyldfire missed the-"

Arin jumped off and grabbed her hand, he grappled onto the truck.

Everyone shared relieved faces.

"The wind was in my face." Wyldfire said.

They rode the truck all the way into imperium, the truck parked in an underground parking lot. There were guards everywhere.

"How are we gonna get past them?" Arin whispered.

"Maybe we FIGHT!" Wyldfire roared, Kai and Sora put a hand over her mouth but it was too late, the guards spotted them.

"There! Intruders!" One of them shouted.

"Okay... new plan." Lloyd said. "We fight."

Wyldfire jumped off the truck, laughing like a madman as she shot fire every which way. Arin and Sora followed suit.

Lloyd span into an emerald tornado a blasted through imperium guards, Wyldfire was shooting blindly.

Kai offered a hand to Skylor, she took it and a warmth entered her hand. The two separated and began fighting their own soldiers.

Once the battle had died down, Wyldfire ran up to Skylor, almost tackling her.

"You ARE a dragon!" She whooped. "I knew it!"

Skylor struggled to make a response. She decided not to say anything.

"Guys, let's go." Lloyd said, "let's use the soldier's armour to blend in."

"Man, this plan is changing every time I figure it out!" Arin said.

The group dressed up in the guard outfits and exited the lot, locking the door behind them.

"Now, to find Riyu." Sora said. "Gosh, I hope he's okay..."