Step One

[Albert Wesker]

Their education on the proper manner to contend with the troubles associated with fire drakes was hastily carried out, much of it while they were making the last preparations to ship out, and even while they were underway on their exit from the canyon carved into the mountains. The creatures were, as was spelled out for them, extremely fierce when riled up. Strong, of course, all creatures associated with dragons were; and every bit as tough and hard to put down as they were fierce and savage. The only benefit to dealing with was that they were, as a rule, not exactly what one might call exceptionally intelligent. Certainly they were possessed of a frightening, bestial and predatory cunning, but they were not creatures of great insight or thinking capacity.

Facing them head on was dangerous, even for an experienced and powerful force. But leading them into traps and destroying them by out-thinking the beasts was the way that they were usually dealt with, when they began causing a ruckus.

Of course...in this instance, the Gorons hoped to simply slip through its territory without raising its ire at all, if they could manage it. They were well enough equipped and experienced to contend with it, if they absolutely had to, but the optimal plan would be to avoid it altogether. What supplies they had would be better served elsewhere, not dealing with a rampaging drake. Not even to mention the potential injuries that would slow down their progress even further, exposing them to more dangers.

Though outwardly, Wesker expressed his agreement and understanding; how avoiding such an unnecessary encounter would be for the best, simply to speed along their progress if nothing else, inwardly it was another matter altogether. He harbored an intense, burning drive to see this creature for himself. An encounter with it would play right into his hands. He could observe these Gorons at work in combat, see just how powerful they really were, and if it matched up to the titanic physique even the smallest and weakest of them sported. It would even present him with the chance to acquire some samples and resources to use for later analysis of the rock creatures for his experiments.

....and, of course, there would be the opportunity to exploit the encounter to study this drake creature firsthand, and even acquire some samples of it for his own ends. That he would be certain to be of use in the encounter, helping to set and bait a trap to put it down, would be of further benefit. Cleaning up in the aftermath, helping tend to any wounded while extracting his required materials, would only further solidify and cement his position and favor among the nomadic group of creatures. It would be too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.

Given the luck they had had since arriving here, it didn't even seem like too much of a longshot they would end up wandering right into the middle of its territory by some unplanned change in the path. Volcanic eruptions and flows of lava were altogether too common, and already, scarcely an hour and a few miles after their departure they had been forced to divert several times, making large detours and loops around newly formed crags, pits, and lava geysers. Only minor deviations, taking a few minutes each at worst, but it did not bode well for the long journey ahead of them.

When one of the Goron scouts, leading the party from far ahead, brought back word that 'one of the big mountains was looking ready to blow sometime soon', the mood of the entire tribe seemed to grow sour and disgruntled. That would definitely complicate matters. Depending on how bad it got...might even force them underground, to take the safe paths. Would definitely be the longer road, and a definitely still dangerous just due to how dark it was and how many things lurked below the surface, but at least the air would be cleaner and visibility would be easier, with some torches and lights. Slightly less danger of tripping into an unexpected lava stream, to boot.

It was a mixed bag, for Wesker. But he accepted it without comment, just trudging on among the strange rolling boulder tribe.