Dag sat relaxing in the shade of an old palm tree. It was small, but then, so was he. Besides, he figured it was better for him to sit in whatever shade he could; being a Manakete, the heat didn’t bother him that much, and that fact clearly [i]did[/i] bother his friends. So he sat in the shade, listening to the sound of Talbot playing the lute. He figured he might make himself useful and go to find some water, but the others had though it best if they stuck together for now. [i]Or so they said,[/i] Dag thought to himself. [i]Maybe they just don’t want me going off on my own.[/i] Dag sighed. How long were the others going to treat him like a kid? [i]…Well, I mean, I guess to them I[/i] am [i] just a kid.[/i] He sighed again. It was rough being able to turn into a full Dragon and still have so little life experience. It was like having a really powerful spell, but everyone thought it was too dangerous for you to cast it, even though you knew that casting it could help them. [i]Ah well.[/i]

Dag looked up at the overly-bright sunny sky and smiled. Although the heat was terrible for the others, it was a really beautiful day out to his eyes. A sudden desire to transform came over him, to let his scales soak in the sunlight and the hot sand warm his armored belly. Dag quickly decided against that; he still wasn’t sure what happened when he transformed into a full Dragon. He often remembered only the fact that he had indeed transformed, but then he would wake up to destruction and burned bodies everywhere. And not all of them were enemies. So, he decided to forego the transformation and simply enjoy the day in silence. After all, even in the harshest desert, why waste a time with friends?
“Are you certain it’s them?” Serina asked.

“Yes ma’am,” answered the soldier. “We’ve confirmed some of their identities and plotted their likeliest course. There’s no doubt about it: the Shepherds are in Plegia.”

“And their numbers?”

“Uncertain, ma’am. They appear to be scattered. While a few have formed a small group, the others seem to be stranded alone. We’re keeping watch as best we can, but there’s no way to know for certain.”

“I see. And have they done anything aggressive?”

“Not yet ma’am, no. So far, it looks like they’re just trudging through the desert. They have no supplies as far as we can tell; it might be that these are the survivors of the purge that just recently occurred in Ylisse.”

“Understood. Thank you, Lieutenant.” Serina turned as if to leave, but the lieutenant seemed to hesitate. She turned back to him. “Hm? Was there something else, soldier?”

“Well, ma’am, if you don’t mind my asking…” The lieutenant seemed somewhat nervous. Was it that awkward a question? Serina gasped inwardly. [i]Oh no, he’s not about to ask me on a[/i] DATE, [i]is he?![/i] Serina looked him over for a second. He was a noble’s son, probably gained his position from nobility rather than actual training. [i]I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s handsome and all, but still, I-[/i]

“D’you think it’s really alright for us to just [i]leave[/i] them out there like this?” Serina breathed an inward sigh of relief. “I mean, we could probably spare enough supplies to get them to a city at least,” the soldier continued. “These [i]are[/i] Shepherds, ma’am; helping them now could help us in the future.”

Serina considered this for a moment. She had heard the news about the purge committed against the Shepherds in Ylisse; [i]I mean, who hasn’t, right?[/i] So the lieutenant was probably right: these were likely just survivors fleeing for their lives. Helping them could gain Plegia some valuable allies. But then, it could also make them powerful enemies. [i]Hmm…[/i]

“No, it’s too risky. If the Shepherds are being followed, and Ylisse sees us helping them, then whatever war is going on over there will almost certainly be brought back to us. As much as I may not like it, we can’t afford to help them. However, spread word that the Shepherds are in Plegia. Tell the guards in every town, city, and village that the Shepherds are not to be attacked unless they attack first.”

“Understood, ma’am.” The lieutenant fidgeted for a moment before adding, “And, uh, by the way, if you aren’t too busy this evening, I was thinking maybe we could…” he trailed off.

Serina blushed furiously. “L-Lieutenant! I believe you have your orders!” she shouted. The lieutenant snapped a quick “Yes ma’am!” before hastily retreating to his business. Serina huffed furiously for a moment, her cheeks still as red as the sunlight at dawn, before finally calming down enough to return to her own station. [i]Alright, Shepherds. I’ve done what I can. Now it’s up to you. You’d better survive out in those deserts, you hear me?!”[/i]