At some point along the journey between their sheltered camp and this sandy expanse, Eanah had taken Leyn's arm as a form of support. She didn't need his assistance now, nor had she needed it when she had grabbed him in the first place. Still, catching sight of her fingers buried in the pale fabric of his light desert cloak and envisioning the striking figure they surely cut as they strolled across the sand pleased her in a way she couldn't articulate. Her hand stayed where it was, even after Thren began to silently tease her. The khehora kept pace with them on Eanah's other side, most of his attention focused on their surroundings rather than his cotton-headed bonded. They had come here to fight dragons and as such, were wandering around in dangerous locations. Despite the relative calm enveloping them currently, the creatures could attack at any time. This was no time for lovers' strolls.
"Are you all right?" Leyn asked, his low voice further dampened by the surrounding emptiness.
She responded with a faint, affirmative hum.
"She is very happy," Thren interjected. "And she doesn't need your arm." He turned and glanced at the pair, a reptilian smirk momentarily stretching his muzzle.
Eanah snorted in amusement before she could stop herself. "I don't need it, no, but I like having it." Irritant, she added affectionately.
Moonbrain, Thren replied.
Leyn chuckled, his third eye squinting in mock anger. "If Eanah is enjoying herself, then I'll thank you not to ruin her good mood."
"Yes. I will remember not to interrupt you when—"
Thren's attention was suddenly drawn to the heavens as a large draconic shape cut through the sky above. It was nearly as pale as the swirling clouds around it, but no one on the ground had any trouble seeing it coming.
Leyn turned to face Eanah, firmly grasping her shoulders and grinning a wild grin. "Are you all right? Seriously."
"Yes," she replied, her scepter already in hand.
"Okay. Take a deep breath, stand up straight, and... um... kill it."
He let her go gently, his hands skimming down her arms a ways before he broke contact completely. Leyn hurried off, jogging through the sand until he was far enough away to split the Gaili's attention. Thren took to the skies with the intention of distracting the dragon as well. They were a team. They would not be defeated.
Eanah raised her weapon, grunting faintly as her wound stretched. She hadn't come looking for this fight without warming up, but even taking that into account, she was still stiff and slow. She had been confined to her tent for months and loath as she was to admit it, she was out of practice. Catching the Gaili's eye, Eanah called forth her dark fire.
Leyn had often tried to explain how beautiful he found her magic, how it lit her skin—red, was it?—when she used it, but she failed to see it as anything more than a tool... albeit a tool that made her feel both powerful and untouchable, like she would never die. Flames shot from her scepter at the same moment that Leyn bombarded the dragon with lightning, and Thren's aerial shenanigans kept the beast from reacting to their assault until it was too late. The Gaili shook its now-flaming wings and fell from the sky, shrieking as it went. It should have been the end, but as the earth dragon slammed into the ground, Eanah heard another draconic bellow, this one deeper and louder than the Gaili's. A massive Aedaun winged its way into view, its second shout musical and sweet despite its menacing tone.
"Eanah!" Leyn's voice was barely audible from where she stood, but Thren's proximity to the other mage boosted his range. "Hit it! Now!"
She did as she was instructed, running on autopilot as she unleashed another blast even stronger than the last. The power of their deadly trio struck the light dragon violently, knocking it out of the sky in a shower of blood and viscera.
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