Gadlius ignored Athena’s comment towards Azure. To retort would be to dignify intelligence low enough to make the Collected actually look collected.
Instead, he turned to Hitora as he walked. “I Don’t believe we’ll encounter much resistence with receiving information from the people there, but at the same time it might be wise for one of our party to scout around while the rest engages in conversation with the people there. Do you have any recommendations?”
Eventually Ekimu would come across a very obvious trail of broken tree limbs and treaded-upon plants, some of which were far too large for an Okotan to simply crush underneath them. Hopefully the Storm had made his escapade through the mountains slightly more stealthy.
In fact, if Ekimu was at the mountaintops by now, he could possibly see his lumbering form awkwardly contorting his ankles in the distant skyline, trying to remain upright.
The Lord of the Undying Storm lumbered along, scanning the range ahead for a good way down the slopes. It seemed that there was a good path a little ways ahead, but he couldn’t take it for granted. He needed a break.
Even with the strength increase early on, it was far from the whirlwind of energy who laid waste to a small part of the City of Mask Makers. He plopped down on the peak, sending a small echo to travel down the slopes, with the setting sun golden on his back. “I thought,” He panted. “Ekimu was supposed to come with me. Although I don’t know if that would make this any better. Probably not.”
“…Why in thunder can’t the crater be somewhere colder.” He glanced down the high slopes of the mountain range. “That looks like sand down there to me.”
Rena’s party (aside from Dakron), if they decided to glance towards the setting sun on the peaks, would see the clearly-defined outline of a figure… Was it sitting or standing? Was it someone they knew, or some kind of phantom of the wastes? Maybe it was some odd rock formation, but…