Myria says "I am coming with you!"

"You can't. I have to go alone or it won't count."

Myria says "Why does it have to be you? Why not let one of us fight it for you?"

"Because I am the one who is going to be king."

Myria says "Exactly! Kings are not supposed to risk themselves!"

"I am not a king yet. Besides, I am the strongest so I have the best chance of winning."

Myria says "Not true! Lizzy is stronger! Send her instead!"

"Lizzy is only stronger in straight forward combat. I have magic and the ability to heal myself. If we fought seriously I am confident I could beat her, it would just take a while."

Myria says "You are going no matter what I say, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

Myria storms off after hearing my answer, but I know she is just worried about me. You would think after all the things I have done and survived she would have more faith in me. I am actually feeling rather happy to have someone worrying about me, but I will never admit it.

We have dinner with the lizard tribe, who are very happy with the food I provide. Once dinner is done we spend quite a while sitting around bonfires and chatting with the tribe members. Then when everyone starts yawning we set up camp in the middle of the canyon and get some sleep.

In the morning, during breakfast, which I again provide, Barcar comes over. He hands me a map that shows our current location and where the beast's lair is. It clearly illustrates the best route to take to get to the lair and the dangers along the way.

Since I have to go alone I won't be able to enjoy Lizzy's ability to stabilize the sand. To avoid trudging through the sand I am probably going to fly to the lair. However, with few landmarks I will have to be careful to not get lost, and watch out for sandstorms.

Judging from the scale of the map it should take me most of the day to get to the lair. Assuming things go well, I will be back tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. When I tell the others the plan everyone is okay with it, except Myria of course.

She just gives me a cold stare the entire time I am talking to everyone. Luckily, she leaves it at that, she doesn't try to argue or turn the others against me. After everyone has a chance to tell me to stay safe or come back soon, I set out.

The lizard tribe members make a lot of noise when I bring out my wings and take off. Once I am clear of the canyon I turn southwest and start flying. It is still early but as soon as I leave the canyon the heat hits me like a sledgehammer.

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The sun feels like it is baking me so I fly harder, hoping the speed of my passage will help cool me. It doesn't really help, what does help is the endless waterskin that I have. Being able to drink as much as I want helps, but I have to be careful not to drink too much.

However, I can pour as much as I want over my body, even though it only lasts a few moments. There are very few landmarks in the desert, so each time I spot one I stop. This allows me to confirm my direction and correct any mistakes I have made in navigating.

Of which there are a few, even I have trouble staying on course in the desert. Flying might be faster but it is also painful, there is a lot of sand in the air I am flying through. Out of all the terrain types I think desert is my least favorite, the sand even gets under my fur.

Just a few hours of flying leaves me itching all over, and I still have a long way to go. Around lunch time I manage to find an oasis with some trees so I can at least sit in the shade while I eat. It is a good thing I only need to stay in the desert for a few days, any more than that would drive me nuts.

While I am eating I leave the endless waterskin lying on its side and watch the water flow out. It slowly flows down and joins the oasis waters, it makes me think about the desert. An area becomes a desert not because of temperature but because of a lack of water.

If I just left the endless waterskin like this, how long would it take for the climate to change? If I had more than just the one waterskin I might just leave it behind as an experiment. If I had to stay in the desert I would definitely start trying to alter the climate.

However, since I don't have to stay it is probably better if I don't play around too much. Nature can be a fragile thing, it can also be a terrifying thing, so it is better not to mess with it. So I finish eating, have a drink, put away the waterskin, and resume my flight.

The next hour or so passes with no changes, but then I spot a smudge on the horizon. At first I don't think anything of it, but when it gets bigger I pay more attention to it. It is a sandstorm and it is coming straight towards me, it is far too vast for me to avoid it.

Looking around I can't see anywhere to take shelter from the storm, so I need to make some. Landing at the base of a large dune I start digging into the sand, but that just causes more sand to fall. Then I try using the waterskin to water down the slope to make it stay in place.

However, the sand just sucks up the water and continues to slide down to where I am digging. All the while the sandstorm just keeps getting closer, now I can even hear it. Running out of time, I use mana and spread it on the slope to hold the sand in place.

Finally, I am able to dig into the sand and create a tunnel under the dune. Crawling inside I keep digging until I have a small area to curl up in, safe from the storm. I am using mana to keep the small cave from collapsing, but I let the tunnel collapse.

This seals me in, but it also seals the storm outside, unless the storm moves the entire dune I am under. Even with all the sand above me I can hear it when the storm reaches me. It sounds like the roar of an angry beast and makes me really glad I am not outside.

Luckily, the sandstorm is moving quickly and it passes before I run out of mana. The blessing that Lynara gave me has turned out to be a real lifesaver. Forcing my way through the sand is a lot easier than I expected, but it is because a lot of the dune is gone.

If the storm had lasted any longer chances are my shelter wouldn't have survived. The storm has filled the air with sand that is slowly drifting back down. Not wanting to fly through it, I take my best guess at the direction and start walking.