[Dungeon/Percy/Kyran/Leon] The Snake Maiden

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About a month ago, if you had told Leon that he'd end up fighting dangerous creatures in order to solve Fiore's more problematic issues that ran rampant through the country, he probably wouldn't have believed it. But even more, that he'd be working as the assistant to none other than Percy of the Dagger family? He'd brush it off as a joke, but it wasn't a joke, and this was his life right now.

Sand dunes rose and fell across the barren horizon, the noon sun scorching their skin with heat, small armadillo-bears scavenging the desert, and monkey-vultures picking away at corpses that were nothing more than skin and bones. The Forgotten Deserts was a large and expansive territory, a place where no one came unless they had to. But who could blame them? The days were blisteringly hot and the nights' coolness was second only to the Silent Glaciers. The monsters that managed to inhabit the wasteland were large and dangerous, and oases were few and far between. There were few villages here, so getting lost was probably a wanderer's worst nightmare. Fortunately, that wasn't the case today.

Together in the Forgotten Deserts were three men: Leon, Percy, and another fellow which Leon didn't know, but apparently, Percy did. If he recalled correctly, they were guildmates, weren't they? Or that was at least what he got from what Percy had told them about the investigation today. They were here to "deal with" some sort of Snake Lady that had been causing up a stir as of late. She lured wanderers into her midst and killed them without a second thought, or maimed them enough to let them leave wishing they had died right there. It was the latter few who had spread the tale and gave a rough area in which anyone interested in pacifying the Maiden could find her lurking.

"Leon," he introduced himself stiffly, his deep voice matching the menacing look of his appearance as he offered a handshake with the stranger. He had relatively short, charcoal black hair—although it was beginning to grow longer—and eyes that looked like he was about to murder whoever he was staring at. If his thuggish and glaring face didn't seal the deal for strangers, the scars stretching diagonally across the left half of his face surely would. He was a big man—bigger than the two that were accompanying him—with an intimidating air surrounding him. Although he did lack patience and was an overall intense man, he was far from the image that people held of him. "Nice to meet you."

Leon had only worn a navy-green tank top with him today, soot-black cargo pants, the only pair of combat boots he owned, and some technology that he was supposed to be testing out today. They were arm canons, but surprisingly light and easy to carry around. Obviously, he didn't know how well his impressions would hold up in combat just yet, but this was his first time being put to use. Even still, he underestimated the heat, sweating as he pondered whether or not he should wait to find the Maiden to cool down. What good was the tank top anyway? He probably should've brought something protective... or something. Then again, he didn't own anything effective like that.

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Leon had stood there, sweat running down his body as he stood there roasting in the Forgotten Desert sunshine. If the air wasn't so dry and hot, Leon might've enjoyed the heat as he wasn't particularly bad with handling it, but there was no need for that. Without warning, Percy had smothered him in a spray of sunblock, sending a flinching chill over Leon's body from the surprise. Even more, the man who had introduced himself as Kyran sent a modicum of magic over both of them, reducing their body temperatures to a comfortable level.

Leon didn't say anything when he received the magical gesture, but if he had the opportunity, he would have rejected it. His magical ineptitude was the reason he was in this situation, and it was also the reason he had such a tormented and difficult childhood. Everything was always such an uphill battle for Leon whereas sorcerers could easily coast through all the challenges that impeded his way. Call it jealousy, envy, or whatever else—all Leon knew was that he had a distaste for magic and, by association, sorcerers.

Now that he thought about it, his name was... Kyran, right? He recalled reading about someone named Kyran in one of those popular magazines (they gave them out for free at his jobs), and how he was suspected of the murder of some former bigshot trading company. There was the picture of an emblem and a man with bright orangish-red hair in between. Was he that Kyran?

The question lingered in his head as Percy prepared the vehicles that they'd be using. They were originally folded into compact boxes that could fit on someone's backside, but as they unraveled, they formed two complete motorbikes equipped with everything they needed to quickly traverse the Forgotten Deserts. There were a holographic map and other gadgets of technology beyond Leon's current comprehension, but all of it surprised him. Ever since he found out about Percy's bright mind, Leon was impressed with everything he created. Even though he was a quick learner, he obviously couldn't contribute anything of value to his research and projects, but seeing his work and being a sort of guinea pig for it was a reward in itself. How could Percy have possibly compacted two full-sized vehicles in such a portable way? How was that even possible? Leon didn't know, but Percy did, and that was what made him so eager. Plus, he also just happened to really like motorbikes.

"Drive." Leon eagerly grabbed the keys, almost cutting Percy off with how quickly he responded. His eyes widened fractionally as he tried to suppress his excitement from showing, although it just ended up in him frowning with a twinkle in his eyes. Percy, on the other hand, was sniffling as if he had come down with something. This was awfully strange considering where they were and how dry the air was, so what exactly was making his nose so runny? Did he actually come down with something before they came here? Leon paused for a moment to stare at him before he went over to the empty motorbike, stepping over onto the seat and effortlessly sliding the key into the ignition. It greeted him with a quiet rumble, the engine growling mildly as they waited.

His eyes glimpsed back over to Kyran now that the roles had been divvied up, wondering about that magazine column again. Leon didn't know the guy for more than five minutes, so he couldn't form an opinion on it all, but what's with his luck in meeting affluent people recently? Was Percy's coaterie just a bunch of rich people, or people who come from some sort of money? He could smell the alcohol off of him from here, too...  

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"Yeah, looks like it," Leon smirked back. He wanted more than to rev the engine and see how fast and far these motorbikes could really go. With such an open space, the field day he had dancing in the back of his mind was possible. But he cast the thought aside and held back. He had to take this seriously.
 
Kyran on the other hand rejected the role of driver altogether out of fear of causing an accident, but judging by the way he was acting, Leon thought he'd be more likely to crash it because he had been drinking more than his actual inability to drive at all. The gossip aside, Leon's impression of him wasn't very good right now. If anything, he seemed like two drinks away from being the drunk that was tagging along. It was annoying, but it wasn't like Leon was in any position to be too critical. After all, he was just tagging along with Percy as his assistant.


They arrived at the yawning opening of a cave where the Snake Maiden would likely be after a little driving through desert wastelands, greeted with the coolness of the stone features against the desert's broiling heat. The light disappeared after only about a dozen meters into the mouth of the crevice, dimly showing the beginning of tiny tunnels that stretched out. When Percy explained that there was a much wider tunnel ahead that would then lead them to another opening. With the motorbikes parked but not put away, Leon secured the canons to his arms, rolled his shoulders, and cracked his neck, ready to embark into the cave.

"I'm ready," Leon said without looking back at them, peeking into the crevice with pale eagerness. Surely, they'd need a light of some kind once they got in, a light in which Leon did not possess. "It's dark in there, though."

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