A grassy, desolate plain. That's all there was in sight, and all there had been in sight a while. Liadrin felt like she had been wandering the plains for hours... which, she had, just it still felt a lot longer than it actually was!
The entire time she had been traveling through this region, there had been nothing but empty grasslands, except for the single small town she had slept at the night before, which was on the very edge of the plains anyway. It was hot and the sun was out, and with no shelter from the heat, most people would have been extremely uncomfortable. Not Liadrin, however. She was used to the heat, being a fire mage. The arcane energies that coursed through her body were like the flames of a fire. She was beginning to feel dehydrated, though, and that was a very real affect of the heat on her.
After the long walk she had made, she began to see a small stream in the distance. Picking up her pace slightly, the mage headed for the water... her long, red dress flowing behind her, dragging slightly across the top of the grass. Her staff on her back shone in the sun, as well as the golden embroidery around her dress. At least her dress was light and silky, and was designed with a segment missing around her abdomen. This helped with the heat also, other than her just being used to it. Even if it wasn't the most noble looking dress (in fact, it left a good amount of cleavage exposed!), it was elegant, as well as practical for her.
The stream was beginning to come into sight better, and Liadrin was eager to get a drink. However, as she got close, she began to hear the sound of horses galloping behind her, and turned to see three men with swords, as well as one with a bow, riding their horses after her. She stopped and turned to face them, smiling. "Can I help you gentlemen?"
The one out in front spoke first. "This section of the plains belongs to our clan. If you want to get out of here unharmed, you'll have to pay up." Liadrin's smile disappeared, and she spoke out again. "I'm sorry, I won't be paying anyone." As the men readied their weapons, Liadrin's eyes began to glow a fiery red, and a ring of fire began to swirl up on the ground around her. The horses were terrified and ran off, taking their riders with them, who had a priceless look of fear on their faces as well.
Liadrin stopped casting her magic, but due to the heat and the dryness of the grass around her, the land began to burn. "Shit!" Liadrin cursed as the fire began to expand. She managed to get it under control easily, but the smoke and light from the blaze would surely not go unnoticed to anyone who was even remotely close to her.
