A group of warriors rushed across the sand while riding massive lizards towards a mountain range. The natural red rocky formation was countless thousands of years old and had an absolutely flat surface, gaining the name Fiery Plateau.

It was at least a hundred kilometers long, and at least half as that wide.

Now the group made their way over there, scaling the perilous-looking cliffs and following a tight path carved into the stone, up to the peak.

As they make it to the top, a strong warm wind blows across them. A constant stream of heated air is one of the natural phenomena that prevent any life from taking root on the bare stone surface.

The place is bone-dry and barren as well as flat as far as the eye can see.

"This seems like a good place to dry some meat…" Gerald commented, feeling the dry air extract moisture from his lips.

"Yeah, and turn you into a mummy," Dug agreed. "Just a single day without water in this hellish place and you are done for."

They then rode the Earth Dragons further until they were far enough from the edge to feel safe. There they set camp, with the beasts providing a barrier and protecting them from the wind.

"Okay, now we have to make a plan…" Dug said after everything was set up and they were all gathered in a circle.

"We're going to split into teams of two and three so we can cover more ground quickly. The last sighting of the Phoenix was around these parts more than a month ago, so we can't be sure if it's still here."

He then added, "We'll split food and water equally and it should last us about a week or two if we use it sparingly…"

They proceeded to randomly form four groups of two or three men and then Dug distributed the goods among them.

"How are we going to communicate if we find the Phoenix?" Gerald asked. This place was huge, surely they had a way to relay the information?

Dug turned to Gustav, and the latter took a few stones from his pouch.

"These are the Sound-Transmission Runes," he said and handed each team one of them. "All four of them are interconnected, so we can all hear what's happening."

"Yes, but use it sparingly," Dug sternly warned. "They were really expensive and take a long time to recharge, so make sure to only use them in emergencies or when you find the target."

Then he handed over a scroll to each person.

"Take this, it's a Light Spell Scroll. But beware, it's not to be used in combat. It will only create a bright pillar of light in the sky so don't waste it during the day. When you find the Phoenix, contact the rest of us, and wait for the night before using the scroll." After giving out the instructions, Dug took out a map and looked over it once more.

It was all well and good, but Gerald was interested in something else.

"Hey, um… How are you planning to take down the Phoenix? I don't think the swords will do the trick," he said.

Dug lifted his gaze and gave him a mischievous smile. He place his hand into one of his pouches and took out an intricately-carved wooden box. The container was covered in golden Runes, but that's about it. Gerald couldn't discern anything more.

"And that's…?" he asked.

"A secret," Dug replied. He then returned the box back into his pouch and said nothing more.

"Can I ask what it is?" Gerald probed.

"Sure," Dug nodded. "You can ask, but I can't tell you, sorry."

Gerald rolled his eyes, "Okay then, what CAN you tell me?"

Dug shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "Not much really… I can just tell you that it contains a magical weapon specifically made to take down the mythical bird. It's also really expensive, but at the same time, can't be bought with money."

"A well-guarded secret, huh?"

"Yup!"

"Hmm…" Gerald considered the weight his words carried, and calculated the various possibilities and implications such secrets would imply. After mulling it over for a bit, he came to a ghastly realization.

He didn't care. Not even a little bit. Might as well not bother even asking.

"Okay, how confident are you at taking down the big bird?"

"50%," Dug shot out a number without even having to think for an instant.

"Only 50%?!" Gerald thought he was sometimes too optimistic, but this guy was really something else. 'A coin flip chance and he went on such a long and expensive expedition?! Even risking his life?! How can he even move in his daily life, with balls as big as that!'

But Dug didn't seem concerned, and the rest of the guys also didn't budge. Actually, it seemed they were proud of themselves as if the victory was guaranteed.

"That's actually really good odds for us. Usually, it's less than 10%. Not many are able to afford such good stuff," Gustav stated as a matter of fact.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's get moving!" Dug then started delegating the area they would have to search through, "Group one, take the southwest, group two straight south, group three…"

Four groups soon split up and each went towards their section of the Fiery Plateau.

Gerald and his teammate rode the Earth Dragons in silence as the beast ran across the rocky surface and into the distance.

The giant footprints Earth Dragons made were quickly wiped off by the constant wind and sand, leaving the place clear of any traces of human activity.

That's why, when soon after another group of hunters came, and had set up their camp, before similarly splitting off in various directions, they were none the wiser.

The competition just became real, and they didn't even know it.