Heat. Oh the heat was unbearable. Why were there deserts and places hot enough that it was visible to see the heat rise with the naked eye? There was hardly a thing that lived out here anyway. It was a waste of space if anyone asked Dae and he was completely miserable during this half the journey. There weren't even trees or shade to gain reprieve. He had been perfectly fine on the boat when they sailed to this distant and mysterious shore but now it was just annoying. Why couldn't the twins live on a grassy island? Or better yet, why couldn't it be raining? Dae sighed to himself and adjusted the wet cloth that he had placed over his head to keep the sun at bay and cool himself off. His golden strands fell limply against his face and stuck to his skin in the most annoying way possible. His amber colored eyes gazed out into the distance and he couldn't help the smile that touched his lips when he saw the fence and the house that was his destination.
"Finally! We are almost there!" he called to his constant companion. Truly, Aquarian would be the one suffering the most in this heat. He was surprised the siren wasn't panting beside him. "How are you holding up?"
"I am fine, Dae. Unlike you, I have a layer of cool water drawn around my body," the siren grinned. "I am perfectly hydrated and cool."
"Show off. Why didn't you tell me you could do that? You could have saved me a miserable trek."
"You didn't ask. I assumed you wanted to torture yourself. You do that all the time after all. Always the martyr," Aquarian mocked.
Dae's eye twitched and he glared at his taller guide. "I do not play the martyr and I don't like pain. I am just not selfish. Why must you always say things like that?"
"Because it is true. Did you want me to cool you down?" the siren questioned with a grin playing on his full lips. The siren's sea-foam eyes sparkled with mirth at his rider's frustration with him as his own long hair flowed around him as if he were beneath the waves of the ocean.
"There is no point now," Dae grumbled, "We are here."
Dae pulled the shirt off of his head and quickly pulled it on properly. He did not wish to call attention to himself after all and it was best to be appropriately clothed when meeting strangers that were not part of the Tribe. He saw a great dragon lifting into the sky then and had to assume there was at least one rider already waiting inside the house. Who was the Dragon Rider this time? He ran a hand through his own hair to try and fix the mess induced by the shirt. He was surprised when Aquarian helped him fix it. Then again, Aquarian was a vain creature. He was probably helping Dae only to ensure the preservation of his own image. Dae represented him just as Aquarian represented Dae after all.
Dae saw Meg and Mary first at the door and offered them a polite bow.
"Welcome Maelstrom, our Siren-Rider. And to you, Aquarian."
"Welcome Maelstrom, our Siren-Rider. And to you, Aquarian."
"You are the-"
"-third to arrive."
Dae entered the room and quickly settled his gaze on the two other riders in the room. One male and one female. Considering the male had the phoenix fluttering about him, it was safe to assume the girl was the dragon rider. So, they were waiting on three more riders; the Griffin, Cerberus, and Pegasus. He was eager to see them as well. He gave the two a nod in greeting.
"Hello." He leaned against a wall a small distance away from the two and took out his flask to take a long drought of water to try and hydrate himself a bit. He was so not used to the sweltering of the desert.