Walking across the dunes was no picnic for either of them, and Angelika found herself hating sand for it's slipperiness and the way it robbed you of energy at every step. Her shoes were dusty, and her trousers had picked up road-dust at the cuffs which cut into the hard-edge she had been intending to cast, but the sweat from her pores wasn't making the makeup run. Good preparation that, not good luck.

"I trust you can-maybe you can drop in from the rocks behind it or find some other weakpoint but I wouldn't be able to spot it from here." She squinted again, not noticing as her eyes flashed a brighter green than normal. Just for an instant-maybe it was the sun reflecting off her iris.

"Thanks-I'll try to keep them all busy as long as possible." She stepped out-and slid down the side of the dune towards the single road leading towards the entrance. She set off-not at a jog, but at a fast walk, something she could maintain for a long time. And she walked towards the mouth of hell itself-or the closest thing to it in the general area. It was just a mining outpost. With luck, she'd out-rank everyone there as a fake inquisitor.