Journey to Balta

" First time I've seen it up close" says a young with flowing lilac and dusty lime eyes.

" Hey, Larry and daydreamers! This is the real world and we only have a couple of rules, the first one and most important one is everything you've learned at the academy, Forget about it!.

The second is your teammates always have their backs, finally no matter who or what you're up against.

Never back down, do you understand?! " says Dave as the scouts ride on their horses towards the capitals gates.

" The Badlands is filled with all kinds of crap. From giant man-eating sandworms to crazed cannibals, a pretty shitty place to be so don't get separated newbs, you all will take point "

Jesse, Larry and three ladies, one snow-white hair with light grey eyes, her boobs the size of freshly ripe mangos, ash hair with lime green eyes, hips firm and wide, a dirty blonde hair with purple-dyed tips and sea blue eyes, Annette, Lana and Helen respectively.

All draped in light brown clothing and reddish-brown scarfs that wraps around their faces while sporting their hooded capes, straps with swords and water gourds.

Their horses riding behind the unit leaders in front of the platoon, under the blazing sun as they leave the outskirts of the mythika, Hours later they reach at the Baltan desert with sizzling salt pans and crevices on the surface, hot air spurs out of the crevice engulfing the horses behind, startled the horses frantically scatter as the ground trembles.

" Woah there, agua! calm down, girl. Freya sit rep, Dave what's the situation? anything we should be wary of?" asks Bryan as he pats his horse.

Freya steps towards him as Dave hovers above the troops with a few from his regiment

" They're thirsty, the newbs and their horses," says Freya as she climbs down from her horse

" It's been hours since they had any water. Let's give 'em some."

Jesse glances around, to the west he doesn't see the members of the aerial regiment, while on the horizon a sand tsunami comes rushing in with three humungous sandworms with lacerated teeth, swimming along the waves. They shoot out of the tsunami gulping down horses and riders alike its path.

" Fall back, 1000m now! Freya take care of the tsunami, Dave give tactics the location of the sandworms and let them handle it the rest of you position Crescent Moon "

The remaining platoons and troops form a crescent moon shape while on their horses, as the members of tactics standby to launch their counterattack on the creatures.

Freya stands at the forefront, her fingers slightly crooked, a purple runic circle appears at her feet.

" ነርዪጎየፕ: Heaven Flashfire!"

A flash of white light stirs the atmosphere as a wall of flames comes rushing down from a circle in the sky, flames so hot as it rains down on the tsunami it turns it to glass, the sandworms scorched manage to escape Freya's flames.

But not the rail cannons of the technology regiment, used by the tactics regiment, searing off the flesh on the creatures, the troops scream at the top of their lungs as they celebrate their success.

" You're welcome," says Dave as he climbs down from agua, Freya walks back to her horse and the troops set up camp as the sunsets.

Meanwhile,

In an observatory deep in the Badlands,

A militia observes the Outsiders as they make camp, on the desert.

" They are coming and we must let the royal family know, mythika has sent her spies to invade Balta. "

" Yes Sergeant Bethune, sending word right away "

Later,

Halfway across the Baltan desert towards Dragonskeep, as the sun rises so does dark clouds that cause sand storms, but these clouds are thicker and faster as though they were alive. Dragons swoop down raining fire and energy vortices on the Outsiders, who scatter to find protection from the onslaught of the overgrown lizards with wings.

Without a moments notice, riders draped in white ashy cloaks jump down armed to the teeth with weapons of different types, they face off against the troops.

Dave and his commanders at the forefront standoff against the faceless invaders.

" Is this any way to invite your guests"

asks Dave while grinning slightly as he blue sparks light up around his fingers.

" You're trespassing and you're not welcome, turn back while you still can or we'll send your head back as a result"

says the leader clenching his fists as it turns mirror-like.

" ጎክርልዪሁነ, give me your fire "

A dragon pours out an outburst of flames towards the invaders. The intense heatwave radiates towards the troops as the invaders walk out unharmed.

Their leader dashes towards Dave, hurling his fists at his mid-section, Dave coughs up blood as he falls to his knees, as Freya and the other commanders battle the invaders, Dave staggers to his feet, blue lightning crackling around him.

" ጊዐዐፕዘ: Blue Bolt! "

A bolt of blue lightning strikes the leader but he dodges in the nick of time.

Then rushes in continuing a barrage of blows as Dave dodges with his lightning-fast reflexes then he kicks up dust and moves to a distance.

" Superior Technique; Blue lightning storm "

The skies darken letting a downpour of lightning on the leader's position.

Across the battlefield,

" These fighters are at least Lower Class S-rank to Upper Emperor Class X-rank," says Helen

"You say it as though you admire them"

says Jesse after knocking out one of the fighters

"What about the dragons?!" says Larry while pointing at the five dragons laying waste to the other scouts.

Helen dashes towards two riders

" Tremor Clash "

The ground rumbles releasing spikes impaling the first rider whilst the other dodges, she rushes at Helen spewing fire from her mouth pushing her backwards

Larry leaps in protecting Helen and himself with a large shield as the blast stop he throws the shield at the opponents face drawing out a blade and cuts the shield, Larry appears in front of the rider and drives a spear from underneath his chin killing the rider.

While the other who was impaled heals herself. Gathering a large green energy ball she fires it at Helen who evades in the nick of time allowing the ball to hit and kill another rider.

Helen slams the floor, it opens up swallowing the rider trapping her head in a crack then she draws out what resembles an old pistol from her side pocket and shoots a beam through the riders forehead killing her.

The dragons all simultaneously stop their onslaught and flee with the surviving riders. The sun becomes shaded, a huge shadow casts upon the battlefield.

The leader of the riders emerges from the aftermath, his body covered in smoke and dirt.

" The Dragon god! And his rider Eryis. For them to have descended from the void, impossible i cannot fathom why they have come. I can only leave to fate."

The leader jumps on top a dark silver tribal patterned dragon.

Eryis [One of the Grand Immortals, Brother Of Dax] does a superhero landing that creates a crater, as the dust settles his frail body and long white hair shiver, as he sets his ocean blue eyes on the Outsiders

" The void is uneasy about your presence "

he says pointing at Jesse. Dave stands in front of the troops

" We've come seeking passage and a possible alliance. Our warlocks tell us of a coming great unbalance."

Eryis moves towards the group slowly. A wooden rod phases out of thin air.

" I will give you passage but Aryon must come with me."

Jesse stares in confusion trying to comprehend the situation. Lance looks at Dave as he clues Jesse to go with the agreement,

" Jesse! No don't go with him, we don't know what he'll do to you " says Lance at the top of his lungs

Jesse stares at Lance as he lets a smile on his face.

Eryis takes him and they vanish, the shade cast by the dragon god fades away.