The desert sun was relentless, baking the sand beneath their feet, forcing sweat to bead on their foreheads and trickle down their necks. Yara, her face streaked with blood and grime, swiped at the red smear on her cheek, her breathing uneven and ragged.
Panting, Yara glanced over at the dragon standing amidst the carnage. His chest heaved with exertion, his skin smeared with a mixture of sand and blood, both his own and the slugs'. His gaze was sharp, and alert, even as he wiped his hands on his trousers, leaving streaks of crimson on the fabric. His dark hair clung to his forehead, damp with sweat.
"Are you... okay?" Yara asked breathlessly, her voice raspy from the dryness of the desert air. She wiped a smear of blood from her cheek, her body trembling with exhaustion.
The dragon grunted, stepping off the corpse of one of the slugs. His boots sank into the sand, the soft squelch of blood and grit beneath them.
