The mountain regions of the In-between where never kind or forgiving, but today they insisted on being even worst. The sun beating down felt hot enough to melt the very rocks it shone down upon, the air shimmering like a pot of bubbling molasses and the few plants, despite their adaptations to such an environment, where shriveling beneath it's violent rays. Vincent was faring no better, his thick coat of feathers and fur doing very little to protect him from it's cruelty but he was adjusted to heat, being an avid follower of solaris for years also did much to encourage his set path but what he had not intended on was a _companion._ It had started at the base of the mountain, as he walked past the sacred gates to begin, he felt something scurry into his fur alongside his usual solo companion - Another feline? The celestial felines where rare, skittish creatures who generally chose a dragon very early on in their kittenhood and rarely left their side, but the cat seemed desperate to hide from the aggressive heat under his wings and while he shrugged it off for mere moments, what followed next was a, to put it simply, _colossal_ pink emperor. It slunk down from the mountainous outcrops surrounding the beginning of the path and simply _consumed_ the landscape in what seemed to be sleek pink, mottled fur. This might've terrified some dragons, to be cornered by such a beast, but Vincent simply tilted his head as he approached, and tried to push past the gentle giant. "Al, you're awfully out of your usual turf out here." He commented simply, ear twitching as a giant huff of breath substituted for a laugh. "Well, ya see, I was gon' just run ta the top but, these rocks ain't really made fer traversin... Then 'Cat' ran up to ya, and ya where just hoppin path ta' path ,and seemed ta know yer shit so--"

"So you figured you'd follow me." The golden sapiere finished, already feeling the heavy steps of the emperor beginning to do just as he predicted. "Exactly." Al replied happily. The emperor had very few brains to spare, but he was always a good sport and happy to listen to any tales Vincent might provide, or even walk in silence should the atmosphere provide it, and well, Vincent could have much worst company. So he simply slunk into one of the many ancient tales of Solaris and Lunaris to the pink dragon as they traversed the landscape. The ancient mountain pass was tall, menacing and depressingly bleak. Usually patches of moss and grass bloomed in the shade, and sturdy ferns thrived in the light but the heat had it all shriveled. The only sign of life was the wooden stick fence lining out the suggested path, red talismans and rope faded from age, and the occasional shrine to Solaris that littered the sides for people to make their offerings to appease the old wyvern. The shrines where overwhelmed with offerings this time of year, even more so due to the extreme heat. The shriveled grasses crunched under Vincent's claws as he walked, and whole rocks shattered under Al's weight, making sharp, distinct 'Crack' sounds that echoed through the dead pass. Vincent had rattled off many stories of the great wyvern, all in his favor incase said grouchy wyvern was listening in, and Al listened and asked questions when the right time came. The two celestial felines took refuge under Vincent's wings, and he honestly started to wish he could join them. Al didn't seem affected by the heat despite his thick, rosy coat and while Vincent would normally question that he was simply too focused to think on the oddity. The grey rocky road ahead of them was framed by thick, tall walls of stone, limestone and clay, worn down by millennia's of wind and grit blowing past it. The wind was still today, however, and Vincent was unsure if that was a curse or a blessing in the heat. He stopped at a few of the shrines stationed in the area to pay respects, and implied for Al to follow suit which, to his credit, the emperor did after some confused head tilts.

Vincent himself had made this trip many times through his aged life, and this had to be one of the hardest trips yet. He wasn't sure if it was due to his age, or due to the heat, or a mixture of the both but he knew it was beginning to feel treacherous. Each breath was turning into a heavy sigh, each wing shift left them hanging limper then before, and he began to question if he could ask Al for a ride. Surely he'd easily fit onto the giants back, but this trip was part of the show of respect towards Solaris - He'd be seen as cowardly surely if he could not make this himself and so he shook his head to clear the stars that formed in his vision, and Al from behind him spoke up. "Ya doin' alright there, Vincent?" He inquired, looking over the man before gently using a claws to collect both celestial cats to instead tuck under his cloak, allowing Vincent to droop his wings almost entirely from the exhaustion. "...'m fine.." He muttered in return, coming off way grumpier then he intended. Al, however, was unperturbed by the slight snappiness in his companion's voice and offered exactly what was on Vincent's mind. "Ya sure ya don't want like, a ride? I'm sure ya god, Solaris was it? Would mind ta' much. Think he'd prefer ya alive and sleepy then dead and exhausted yea?" He mused and Vincent finally broke, turning around to scale Al's colossal form and get comfortable in the shockingly cool fur.

Al continued on, occasionally asking for instructions or which path to follow and before long Vincent recognized the tall flags and talismans showcasing that they where beginning to encroach directly upon Solaris's shrine, and as they passed through the gate, there he stood, and as the great wyvern turned, Vincent spoke before Al could. "Great one, we require your aid."