Thump.
Thump.
THUMP.
THUMP!
"It's hot."
"Shut up."
"I'm tired."
"Shut up."
"My joints are—"
"OH. MY GOD. CEASE!"
Many a miraculous sight was bound to be found off the beaten merchant's path of the Moraki desert. The shifting dunes and their wave-like courses across the arid lands revealed ruins of old civilization, shadows of bygone adventures and adventurers alike who'd wandered astray of the protected roads in search of fame and fortune, to never be seen again. It was a tale as old as time; those who did not heed the words of their elders who came before them were destined to repeat the mistakes and failings that they once found.
"Be more careful about your footing. You're getting sand into your greaves."
"But there's sand EVERYWHERE!"
"So be EXTRA careful, then!"
'Siege', as she had taken to calling herself, did not have this issue. See, the difference between a young, up and coming adventurer seeking fame and fortune away from home and a walking, talking mobile fortress of a suit of armor was that the young adventurer eventually left the nest of their elders to seek fame.
THE NEST WASN'T LITERALLY INSIDE THEM, NAGGING THEM THE ENTIRE TIME.
"You think I like being trapped in a half-assed suit of scraps like you?"
"OH MY GOD I DIDN'T EVEN SAY ANYTHING!?" What's more was the fact that the nest was also not intrinsically linked to the young adventurer's mind and soul, thereby almost literally letting it read the adventurer's thoughts the entire time.
"How sad for you. This 'nest' could care less about your private thoughts. Keep moving."
The armor sighed. It must've been nice to be a young, reckless adventurer.
Siege and Kiri, the 'nest' trapped within the armor, were journeying south, toward Essyrn... by foot. Why? Because the massive construct couldn't fit on a damn horse, couldn't fit in a damn wagon, and couldn't cross a boarding bridge on a damn ship. It was virtually impossible to get Siege into or onto ANYTHING that could reduce travel times, save a dragon— and most dragons were busy doing the flying thing. In the air. Away from Siege.
So with resounding thud after resounding thud, Siege moped her way toward Essyrn, one heavy footstep at a time, and groaned every time one of those footsteps was too heavy— knowing it would kick up sand and get it in her armor... thereby displeasing her inhabitant.
"Watch where you're going."
"What did I do NOW!? I'm basically tip-toeing at this poi—"
"I meant watch the road ahead of you, Siege. There's a presence ahead of us. A human. A singular one."
If the siege armor had eyebrows, it would've raised them in disbelief. "You... can't even see outside of my armor! How could you possibly know that?" A valid (in her mind) question, exasperated though it came off as. Kiri responded by sighing with the collective force of her entire soul.
"By tuning your senses, you can train your ears to recognize the sound of a human heartbeat. The smell of sweat on their skin. The—"
"Okay, nope, stop. You're scary enough as it is. Don't need the imagery." The armor cut in, returning Kiri's sigh with one of equal and opposite strength. Deciding that arguing any further wouldn't get her anywhere, Siege simply raised a gauntlet above her helmet and used it as a visor, peering ahead into the distance. Who else in their right mind would be out here, alone?