Yang Xiao Long
Flying is such a strange sensation, even if you're prepared for it. Leaving the comfort of the ground, using your own power and might to disobey gravity... Well, Yang herself would personally equate it more to running then many others would. In her case, maybe she couldn't be blamed for making the comparison. Being one of the only beings in all of Remnant that had experienced being two different creatures, Yang could describe many sensations that others could not. For example, even with how different they reasonably should be, Yang would say that flight as a Dragon feels like the same activity as a Hellhound in full sprint. The work your limbs have to go through, the pounding and repetitive motion, the way one's body leans to turn, all of it was familiar... yet not. Though it wasn't as if Yang had much experience with flight herself, anyway. The Solar Dragon had been in the glory of her full form only a handful of times since being granted the title, and in only one of those instances did she actually fly... That occurrence had actually been for the sole purpose of figuring out how to fly. Not that it was needed, Dragon's instinctually knew how.
So, even with her limited experience, Yang did somewhat have a grasp on what flying should feel like.
Suffice to say...
"This is a new feeling."
Vale had many climates and biomes, from lush forests, fields of both grass and crops, and vast mountains one could spend centuries exploring... None of it, however, was a desert. This made the sudden switch from winds and the odd bug that was reduced to nothing on impact, to winds now containing constant flakes and masses of sand a very uncomfortable transition. She had felt it immediately, the instant her form skirted over the last fragments of the harsh rock that stretched for almost a mile into Vale's territory from the border, Yang was suddenly treated to a face full of sand that felt like it was set to grind away at her scales slowly but surely... Not that they could do any actual damage.
Still, the feeling was uncomfortable, and like the small flakes of earth were set to do on a humanoid shape as well, the sand managed to find its way onto every part of the Dragon's body within seconds. Her form shifted and twitched as the small particles found their ways into the tiny gaps between her scales, there wasn't any gap for the sand to actually reach her flesh underneath, but it was incredibly uncomfortable nonetheless. Yang was incredibly tempted to simply incinerate all of it off of herself in an instant, but doing so would be both a waste of Mana... and likely leave a trail of glass underneath herself. Even worse off was one of her front legs. The limb looked different to her others, though, it was still covered in those same yellow scales. Yang's prosthetic limb was powerful, but only enough so to keep up with her own strength, it did that mainly by drawing off of her own power, in a way, it essentially ran off of an altered Shifter Enchantment. Not that she really understood it. Burning away all the sand was out of the question, The Solar Dragon didn't exactly want to leave breadcrumbs for any enemies to track them... so, for now... she'd do with being incredibly uncomfortable.
Not that her companions were any more pleased with this circumstance.
"Are you alright?" The question wasn't directed at her, but Yang heard it all the same, even through the barrier she was using to carry her team with her front legs. By feeling out their locations using their Mana, Yang got a good idea of their positioning inside the bubble. Coco was lounging, using the barrier's curve to relax and lay down, of course, she was doing so in a cool fashion. Winter on the other hand was as stiff as a board, her back seeming so straight that it made Yang wonder about her own posture when she sat... Though, not too hard. In all honesty, Winter was likely feeling a built guilty. She herself had wanted to fly alongside Yang, maybe to even the load somewhat, but, a white Dragon was more likely to be spotted back dropped against the sands than a yellow one.
"I'm fine... just, crossing the barrier. It was... intense." The two who were talking, the final members of their squad. Penny was leaning over the other girl, checking up on her and trying to make sure that she was feeling alright. Though, one could argue she was doing more harm than good.
"C'mon, leave Robyn alone." Coco's first words since they started flying. None of the views Vale could provide were enough to get her to say even the smallest of comments, but apparently Vacuo's vast plains and rolling hills of sand was enough to wake her from her nap. "It's just her Affinity, Penny. She felt it more than we did."
"Surely, there's something I can do?" In Yang's opinion, Penny was an all too nice and innocent girl.
"A little space would actually be nice..." Even given her Affinity, Yang herself was forced to agree with Robyn. The heat was a lot for anyone, and huddling close together would be a one way trip to heatstroke. Or, at the very least, sweating.
Yang found Robyn herself an interesting case, between her style of dress and pure white hair, the Dragon found herself comparing her to a Schnee. Yet, her attitude, her personality, it wasn't the same as the pompous and rich style usually associated with that family. Though, the Schnee they currently found themselves travelling with didn't fall under that same grouping.
Winter piped up with a question, one Yang herself had been wondering. "Will we set up camp tonight?"
"I was wondering that myself." Penny's agreement was helpful, though, Yang didn't think that she actually knew what was going on.
"We don't even know how exactly they're sifting the desert, it could be some kind of vehicle or even just a travelling group of mage's for all we know." Coco's 'helpful insight' made the Dragon roll her eyes, and judging from the fluctuations in Winter's Mana, Yang guessed that the other Dragon felt the same way.
"So, we look first." Robyn seemed much more adept at taking on the leader role, or perhaps Coco just didn't want to for now. "We have some rough ideas as to where the activity has been going on, so we just need to head in those directions." Luckily, they had more than enough supplies to stay out here for as long as it took, no stopping in towns necessary. A bunch of carry-bags piled in the barrier with the others held everything they would need, from food and water all the way to a magic tent that would disguise itself as just another mound of sand. That particular item was a treat straight from the Queen Consort, so Yang had absolute faith in its ability.
"Alright then, where to?" Yang knew that herself and Winter would be responsive to the others words, but Coco seemed to be following that same pattern... It was honestly making Yang wonder if she had figured out the plan or not.
"Further north, we need to turn." Yang wasn't the best with directions, but, with Robyn's careful guiding... and several minutes, they managed to get on the right track.
"Ok... Never again am I flying for that long." Honestly, Yang had no clue how Ruby had managed to do it, then again, Yang doubted she'd have the patience to break a Formula either.
"Not that I have the skill needed to, anyway."
So, finally getting a break from that same repetitive motion that she had been doing all day, Yang was allowed to stretch her body a bit in front of their destination. More sand.
"Welp, this was a waste of time." Having reverted to her base form, she could get a better look at the others now. Winter was standing not far away with folded arms, her eyebrows furrowed in a way that reminded Yang of the younger sister. Penny, Coco, and Robyn however were all further ahead of them, inspecting a bit of sand that looked nearly identical to the rest of the desert. All of them were dressed appropriately for this outing, baring Winter, of course. The elder Schnee took pride in still sporting the Atlas military uniform, though who could argue with her given she could generate her own chill if she got too hot. Yang on the other hand was pretty much immune to the heat, so her choice of clothes that breathed well had nothing to do with location.
"It certainly doesn't look... promising." Both Dragons stood by one another, their eyes locked on the other three. Both Yang and Winter watched them without a single inclination of helping, the Solar Dragon continued to stretch, her arms kept above her head as she did. Meanwhile, Winter, The Ice Dragon, simply stood with folded arms... and that same almost frown that was so common of her family.
"I have an idea." The at first promising sound of Coco's words quickly turned into an unsure feeling in Yang's stomach as the woman blasted the area they were supposed to be investigating with a large gust of wind. The Magic tore away at the sand, replacing the flat surface with a hole leading down deep enough to let them see the stone beneath.
"That seems like a waste-" Winter cut off her own words, her eyes sparking with surprise as both herself and Yang moved over to see the damage Coco had caused... and the results she had apparently revealed. Beneath where the sand had been, cut into the stone and rock below, were markings. Whatever had grinded away at the tough rock had multiple prongs, each one spaced evenly and moving in a straight line... assumedly, it had been dragged along atop the sand, with those prongs digging as deep as possible.
"I know what we said... but to think, they're quite literally sifting the desert." Robyn's words made the rest of the women nod, as much as they had thrown the idea of a vehicle or machine as a possible candidate for their target... they had all been believing that it was actually some kind of spell.
Penny spoke next. "So... it's a large vehicle of some kind?"
"I guess... at least, that should make them easier to find." Yang was choosing to look on the bright side of things... but, this would also mean that their target would be much better defended than they had been expecting. The more people it took to operate whatever was doing this, the more guards were needed.
"And that's assuming there's only one of these things..."
Winter turned to Robyn, who it seemed had fully embraced the leader role. "So, what now?"
"We need to find this device, but it's likely that it doesn't just sit out in the desert at night." She rested a hand on her chin, the action would usually make Yang think whoever was doing it was simply dramatic... but, Robyn seemed to actually be deep in thought. "If it does rest at towns, for maintenance or even just to escape the weather... then we can either attack it during its rest, or while it's working."
Yang figured that Robyn had her own preference as to which they should pick, however, she left it open to the group anyway. "It would be an easier target in a town." Coco offered her opinion first.
"But innocent people could get caught in the crossfire." Penny was quick to try and counter it, but more so then make a point, she just reinforced the idea of her own innocence in the others heads. After all, this was a war.
"We may be able to lay a trap while it crosses the desert." Robyn finally gave her own opinion, to Yang, it seemed that she wanted someone on her side first.
"That would take time. We would first have to find out its routes, and in doing so, give it the chance to gather more Dust." Once Winter piped up, Yang realised she could also offer her own opinion.
"I mean, we don't even know if their strategy works yet. If we spy on them, I guess we could learn if this is even working for them." Dust mining, even this version, was never efficient. Unless you lived in Atlas, of course.
"Right now, we lack information. Gathering that would be helpful." Robyn attempted to regain control of the conversation... but, Coco swiftly took it for herself by saying the one thing they had all forgotten.
"You know, we... have to like... actually find it first, right?" All of them stopped for a moment, and with a collective sigh... realised that she was right. "So, let's find this thing, then observe it for a bit to find out if it works or not. If it's actually getting heaps of Dust? We attack it. If not? We lay a trap."
Finally, everyone managed to agree on a plan.
In flight once more, the Solar Dragon practically skirted the ground as they followed the direction of the markings. Yang may as well have been surfing along the sand, her wings kicking up clouds of it as they moved, her form so close to the ground that the dunes ahead of them hid them from anyone that may have been looking in this direction. The cuts in the stone, assuming they were from the prongs of a machine, it would have to at least be as big as a Dragon, making it quite easy to spot. Of course, it would be much easier to spot if they just went straight up... But being spotted wasn't on the table.
"I don't get it." Robyn's sudden words caused the others some confusion, but for now, Yang and Winter remained quiet.
Coco was the first to bite. "Get what?"
"Why are we hiding? Surely, with two Dragons, this team would be more than enough to deal with anyone that might come and attack us."
"Ruby did very well against Carmine in the Vytal Festival... and from what Weiss said, she's the strongest person in Vacuo." Penny's words made Yang momentarily worry, she wasn't sure if the girl had ever had a crush on Ruby... and the idea that she still did if it was true wasn't pleasant to think about.
"Because we don't know how they moved the capital."
"I understand that, Coco. But, they used that strength to flee rather than fight. Personally, I think we're overestimating them." As much as Robyn clearly believed her own words, she did sigh after a moment. "Though... why take that chance, I suppose." Yang felt a certain kinship with the woman. She didn't have much in common with her, but they were around a similar age... Plus, Yang actually had a pretty good chance to have been what Robyn was anyway. Raven had been a Roc as well, after all.
Night had fallen by the time they approached their destination. The method of travel they were using had drastically slowed Yang's flight down, the Dragon constantly having to angle herself to hover just over the top of dunes and not fly too fast to avoid kicking up heaps of sand. Still, they had arrived at their destination all the same. The group rested behind a sand dune, the mound being natural cover that hid them from the town in sight only a few kilometres away, which was nothing for both Yang and Winter's eyes. The town wasn't bustling or even really active, the night-life was practically nonexistent thanks to the desert's sudden switch from blistering hot to freezing cold. It appeared rustic, lacking many solid stone foundations and seemingly relying on magic to keep the buildings from drifting as the sand moved. That was true for all but a warehouse that sat on the edge of the town, which appeared to be much more stone and metal reinforced.
"The population is probably mostly Faunas." It was either that or Lycanthropes, Vacuo was home to the majority of both populations. Still, though, when Winter said things like that, it made Yang question those rumours about how Schnee's thought of the species.
"So they're weak, then." Coco's own statement didn't sit right with Yang, either. "Can you spot the machine?"
"I'm guessing it's in that warehouse." An obvious target, and a guess Yang was forced to agree with... for lack of a better option.
"So, we stay here for the night, then." Once again, Robyn took charge without issue. "Once morning comes, and it sets off, we attack it."
Yang turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "What happened to 'set a trap' or 'observe it first'?"
"We should settle this sooner rather than later." The switch in her attitude seemed sudden to Yang, but for now it just left her curious rather than actually voicing any concerns.
With that, they all stood from the sand and moved back down behind the dune. Penny was already setting up the tent, which seemed to be easier than Yang had first expected. The magic in the item took over almost immediately, the once small form of it that took the shape of a bag quickly springing out and adding a large mass to the side of the dune. Yang winced a little as she watched it awkwardly sit there, practically being a giant sign that says 'look at me' with its bright red colour, before the magic started settling. The once crimson colouring of it settled to match the colour and texture of the surrounding sand, leaving them with a now natural looking and perfectly disguised base of operations.
In fact, a little too well disguised. "Um, where's the entrance?" It took a minute or two after Yang's question to find it, but once they had, all of them were pleasantly surprised by the inside. Instead of a dingy looking tent that they had no doubt been expecting, it resembled more of a fancy suite with multiple rooms, just with tarps for walls rather than any solid material.
"If I ever meet the person that made this, ill first have to thank them before any introductions are made." Robyn's comment left all the others smirking, mainly thanks to their knowledge on Ruby's other creations. Compared to those, this was honestly nothing. "I know it's a bit of a stretch, but you don't think-"
"Yeah, there's running water." One of the things Ruby had told Yang about before throwing the tent at her. "But it takes your Mana to work, so don't go to the toilet tired."
Both Robyn and Winter made a face of identical discomfort, but nodded regardless. "Noted."
It took a few hours for everyone to properly settle. Picking rooms had been an easy process, they were all the same after all. Yang and Winter took the rooms closest to the entrance, just in case anyone somehow did find them. While the bedrooms weren't large or even impressive really, Yang was still thankful to have her own bed and even storage space... Luckily, Ruby had left them with instructions as well, so they wouldn't lose anything by leaving it inside when the device shrunk again. The space inside used complicated magics that only Robyn could appreciate at first, the woman being lucky enough to have a Spatial Affinity.
Once Yang had settled for the night, she couldn't help but stare up at the ceiling. It was strange, it didn't even feel like they were in Vacuo right now, and it especially didn't feel like they were on a mission for a war. So far, all of it had been rather tame. Yang didn't expect this mission to take long, but still, being this comfortable felt wrong. War wasn't meant to be this clean, this easy... And as a betting girl, she knew that it wouldn't stay this way for long. Things were going to get messy, things were going to fall apart... and probably quicker than she would like. People were going to die... Yang just had to make sure it wasn't anyone she cared about.
Rolling over, she laid on her side and changed her train of thought. So far, the main objective of the mission was going well. But, she had a secondary goal, well, her and Winter did. They had been pretty minimal with their opinions and input thus far, that was to help better judge Coco and Robyn. Those two were going through a test they didn't even know about, seeing how they used power and resources, in this case, Yang and Winter's own abilities. Both of them were candidates for the Drake Squad, and seeing how they managed the power of Dragon's would help Weiss judge if they were good to be trusted with that or not.
"Coco's been pretty smart so far, and she's as straight forward as always..."
The main problem with her being that Yang wasn't sure how much she could trust her... Robyn, on the other hand?
"I can't figure Robyn out... She changed her mind so suddenly today, but I think she wants to protect people?"
Yang had the inclination that the woman in question had figured out that she was being tested, but if that were the case, why keep quiet about it? If she was trying to pass the test, then that could mean she couldn't be trusted... so long as she knew what the test was about.
"I hope Winter is having an easier time figuring this out than I am..."
Closing her eyes, Yang's final thoughts of the day weren't about the mission or the war. Instead, she thought of Sun, of Celica, of Jasper... of Blake. The Dragon smiled before sleep took her. Even this far away, Weiss had been right. It felt like with this power, with how she was now, she could protect her family.
16th Day, Fourth Strike, 2115 PE