Marcus
Manakete
Dragon Reborn
Hell and back is a long way to go, but my journey's only begun.
Posts: 176
Profession: Wanderer
Affinity: Dark
Dragon Element: Lightning
Profile: Marcus
OoC Alias: Marc
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Post by Marcus on Jan 8, 2016 19:17:17 GMT -6
Having once spent several weeks without his dragonstone, Marcus had thought he knew the lowest levels of deprivation any dragon could feel. And yet now, after returning to life from what he could only assume was Hell and wandering the wilderness for months, all without his dragonstone, he was beginning to wonder if he would string two coherent thoughts together ever again. Part of him had always known that he often walked the line of sanity, but he had never been this close to abandoning it altogether. The pull of his dragonstone was stronger now than ever, but no matter how far he traveled, it never seemed any closer. It called to him, screaming in the deepest corner of his mind. It was maddening. It was also incredibly distracting, which made it very difficult for Marcus to hunt, sleep, or even travel in a reliable direction. He was hopelessly lost and very hungry. He wasn’t sure the last time he had eaten a meal. In fact, he was only mildly aware of the passage of time. At times, he would spend hours motionless in one spot, only to find himself elsewhere almost instantly. He needed his dragonstone, and he needed it before he inevitably hurt himself, or worse, someone else.
Marcus had not gone entirely mad, however. Not yet, at least. There were still occasional lucid moments. It came rushing back to him in a fit of clarity and he found himself in a small clearing, axe in hand. He was staring down a large, proud-looking stag that had only just noticed him. His mouth began to water thinking about all of the meat the stag had on his bones. His stomach growled and Marcus’s more animal nature took the reigns. He heaved forward, flying across the clearing with inhuman speed. The stag had mere moments to respond, lowering its antlers in a vain attempt at defending itself. The animal hit its mark, glancing off of his shoulder. Marcus didn't feel it. He was already deep in bloodlust, ready to slay the stag at any cost. He brought the axe around in a windmill motion, driving the blade into the animal’s neck. It elicited a pained cry from the stag. It made an attempt to flee, but it was a hopeless gesture. The dragon had caught his prey and there was no escape. Marcus threw his weight onto the deer and brought it to the ground. With it pinned, he began to hack at its neck, drawing several more cries that slowly diminished with each swing. It eventually fell silent and grew still. Marcus knelt over the stag, panting heavily. As his breath slowed, he took his hand off of his axe, leaving it buried in the stag’s neck. He took one final, long breath and bit into its stomach. He ate sloppily and greedily. He had never tasted anything quite so good in his life. Nothing ever tasted as good as it did when you were starving in the woods. He ate until he had satisfied his hunger and ate a little more after that. He didn’t know when his next meal would be, after all. When he had eaten his fill, he sat back against a tree and let out belch. He felt good, like he was himself. Just a little more than he had been a moment earlier.
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Diarmut
Manakete
Posts: 14
Profession: Manakete
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Diarmut!
OoC Alias: Sol
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Post by Diarmut on Jan 13, 2016 11:13:29 GMT -6
There was something wrong about this forest.
Up until a few moments ago, Diarmut's anxiety had merely been at the same level as always. He had only recently become comfortable with Clyde journeying with him at all, let alone the fact that his draconic origins had recently been revealed by Chulainn. He hadn't felt comfort for any more than a few fleeting moments since his flight from the conclave, and today had been no different. According to his unlikely companion, the woods they were traversing acted as a sort of border forest between Bern and Sacae, though they supposedly didn't cover the border in its entirety. Though Diarmut frankly had no idea what any of that meant, he got the feeling that whatever awaited them on the other side of the forest held a significant connotation to the societal structure of humans.
And yet none of that accounted for the feeling that was beginning to well in Diarmut's gut. It felt dark and overbearing, to the point where the young manakete was having trouble maintaining his usual demeanor. He frowned and tutted under his breath; if there was anything he knew about Clyde at this point, it was that the man was irritatingly observant. Diarmut would be better off biting the bullet and sharing his feelings before the priest could pry it out of him. "Clyde," he began, his voice cutting through the faint chatter of their environment, "does this place usually have such a suffocating atmosphere?"
He glanced over at his companion before continuing. "I'm familiar with the uncomfortable feeling that an new, enclosed space can induce." He had an inkling that Clyde already knew he was aware of such a sensation, given the numerous occasions in which Diarmut had felt confused and out-of-place in their limited time together. "But...there's something different in the air here, right?" He once again cast his gaze to the ground in front of him, determined to simply put one foot in front of the other while he waited on Clyde to alleviate his concerns. Well, hopefully anyways.
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Post by Clyde Herst on Jan 13, 2016 13:19:05 GMT -6
Clyde had maybe been drinking a little too much from his flask. It had been a confusing and trying time of late. Did he really come from a backwoods village in the Etrurian wilderness? Did he really grow up listening to stories of how St.Elimine, messenger of the gods, fought with her holy fire against dragons? If so, how did he end up traveling with a dragon? Clyde looked askance at his companion and took another swig of spirits. Clyde didn't really know what to put stock in these days, but that the small boy beside him was a threat to the world seemed a bit far fetched. If anything, the boy seemed to have just as hard a time coping with the outing of his origins if not more than Clyde. Additionally, something just felt right traveling with the young dragon. They had seemed to regain their balance before entering the border wood. Yet, Diarmut seemed agitated again for some reason. Just as the thought entered his mind, the boy offered up what had been bothering him. Clyde looked away quickly and pondered what the boy said.
The woods didn't seem too different from what Clyde remembered. The landmarks hadn't moved, and there wildlife was still chattering. Clyde took a moment to corral his thoughts and cut through the alcohol induced fog. When a dragon tells you something feels off you should probably pay attention. The chatter, though still there, felt strained or almost panicked. Squalls and clicks cut through in rapid succession, but beneath it all the air was still. It was almost a palpable tenseness of something about to break. Clyde turned toward the boy and said, "Yes boy, I feel it now. Though probably not as strongly as you. Maybe we should get to cover and dig in for a bit." Clyde wished he had drank a little less.
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Marcus
Manakete
Dragon Reborn
Hell and back is a long way to go, but my journey's only begun.
Posts: 176
Profession: Wanderer
Affinity: Dark
Dragon Element: Lightning
Profile: Marcus
OoC Alias: Marc
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Post by Marcus on Jan 13, 2016 17:36:21 GMT -6
With his hunger sated, Marcus was at last able to think clearly again. A fog was lifting from his mind and for the first time in days his thoughts became more or less coherent. As he sat against the trunk of the tree, he took a moment to look around at his surroundings. While he was no nature expert, he considered himself well traveled and he could tell from the trees around him that he wasn't in Lycia anymore. Trees in Lycian forests were shorter and more densely packed. The trees here were taller and older, like the forests of Bern, but the land itself was far too flat to be in Bern. He realized, through process of elimination, that he must be in Sacae, near its border with Bern. He shuddered at the thought. He had come so close to stumbling back into the land where had died. The land where the mere sight of his true form had caused an immediate and violent reaction. How could he have been so foolish as to get so close? His mind must have been truly lost if he had been this careless. Marcus shook these thoughts from his mind. He couldn't dwell on his failures if he ever wanted to get his dragonstone back and reclaim his mind. He took a moment to find the sun in the sky. It was still rising, he was almost sure. He focused on the tug and pull of his dragonstone and as it came more into focus, he breathed a palpable sigh of relief. It was to the north. Thank the gods it was to the north. Wherever the damnable stone was, it wasn't in Bern.
Marcus threw his head back and let out a long, tired laugh. It felt great to finally be able to think again. To have an idea of where he was going. He knew it couldn't last, but while he was still in control, he would make the best of his renewed state. Hoisting himself back to his feet, his brushed off his robes and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He didn't have a mirror or some way to look at his reflection, but he was relatively sure that he had gotten all of the blood off of his face. It's not like he was going to run into people out here, after all. He glanced down at what remained of the stag. He would leave it for the scavengers. With a smile firmly plastered on his face, he set back on his way. There was a fire in the air and it fueled his energy.
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Diarmut
Manakete
Posts: 14
Profession: Manakete
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Diarmut!
OoC Alias: Sol
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Post by Diarmut on Jan 13, 2016 21:00:49 GMT -6
So Clyde could feel it too. Diarmut couldn't decide whether that fact put his mind at ease or not, but his instincts were leaning towards the latter. His frown deepened and his eyes remained glued to the forest floor in front of him. He appreciated that Clyde was willing to create a shelter and delay their journey for his sake, but the last thing Diarmut ever wanted to do was hunker himself down in a place that made him uncomfortable. "Actually, I think we should try to pick up the pace," he suggested with surprising firmness. "Let's just be ready for anything as we go forward." With that he doubled his speed and finally looked forward, determined to cut through the forest as efficiently as possible. He was aware that between the two of them Clyde was the one who knew his way through, but he had a feeling his companion would take the lead before he steered them awry.
The two traveled due north at a rather rapid pace, considering one of them was a middle-aged man of the cloth and the other had no idea where he was. Regardless, to Diarmut it certainly didn't seem like they were making such progress. Behind them lay trees and shrubs and skittering animals. Ahead of them? Trees and shrubs and skittering animals. The poor manakete was beginning to lose his sense of spatial awareness.
That made the clearing they stumbled upon a very welcome sight...at least for a few seconds. Almost immediately, Diarmut picked up the scent of blood, and given that this was an open space it didn't take long or him to identify the source. It was a deer carcass, freshly killed, splayed on the earth by a tree. Diarmut tapped Clyde on the shoulder to get his attention, assuming he hadn't already noticed the corpse on his own. The boy approached the body quickly, kneeling before it to get a better idea of what had slain it. The marks on its torso were clearly made by teeth of some kind, and yet the animal's neck wounds were more indicative of some kind of blade. "What...what could have struck this stag down with steel only to eat it raw?" he asked evenly despite the unease rising through his body. Whatever the answer might've been, the scene only served to augment Diarmut's desire to exit the forest.
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Post by Clyde Herst on Jan 13, 2016 23:19:02 GMT -6
Moving around in a dangerous area was something Clyde did not want to do often. He relied mostly on his situational awareness to keep him out of danger and left fighting to others as a general rule. Diarmut was certainly capable, him being a dragon and all, but there were plenty of dangers that even a dragon would be vulnerable to. Yet, Diarmut had a point. Going to ground here was probably not the wisest action when they didn't even know what had them so on edge. Being on the move would make being tracked down less likely as well. Clyde gave a grunt in reply and nodded. Clyde quickly took point and did his best to clear his head as he walked. Being tipsy at a time like this was probably not a good call.
By the time they hit the clearing Clyde was already tense. At first it was a welcome sight; another landmark hadn't moved on him. The sight of the carcass put him right back on high alert. As Diarmut stepped toward the corpse, Clyde quickly scanned their surroundings. Other than the blood and guts strewn about, nothing seemed amiss. At Diarmut's words Clyde studied the deer, there were indeed wounds made by a slashing weapon that no animal could have replicated. Clyde glanced back at the boy and rubbed his stubble as if he were trying to coax an answer from it. Clyde could think of only one or two creatures who would have done something like this. One could be a Taguel, but only if they had hunted the creature and ate it in human form swinging a human weapon. It was highly unlikely, but Clyde had never met a Taguel and villagers loved telling crazy stories about their kind. The other he had only just recently found out actually existed. There was always the third possibility of Clyde not knowing what the creature was. The world was indeed mysterious.
"What ever it is, it's bound to spell trouble for us." Clyde told the boy. Clyde checked the surroundings and had a thought he dreaded to say aloud. He looked at the continuation of the trail going North and said, "We didn't pass it reaching here. Either it's in the wood, or ahead of us. That deer is a fresh kill as well so it isn't far." If they continued it would be risky. Whatever killed the deer was swift and deadly. He had half a mind to turn back and go the way they came, but they needed to leave the area around Diarmut's conclave not go back to it. The nearest village back the way they came was at least a three day's journey away as well. No, best to head on towards Bulgar come what may. "Best prepare yourself boy." Clyde hefted his staff and started walking towards the trail, "Let's press on."
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Marcus
Manakete
Dragon Reborn
Hell and back is a long way to go, but my journey's only begun.
Posts: 176
Profession: Wanderer
Affinity: Dark
Dragon Element: Lightning
Profile: Marcus
OoC Alias: Marc
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Post by Marcus on Jan 20, 2016 10:43:52 GMT -6
As he continued on his way, Marcus reveled in his renewed senses. The sky seemed brighter, the air seemed crisper, and even the birdsong, what little he heard of it, sounded sweeter. Birds, and most small animals for that matter, seemed to flee as he approached. He had always assumed it had something to with the powerful aura he exuded, unnerving anything smaller than wolf. It made hunting something of a challenge. Now, though, he had no need for food and was practically frolicking down the forest trail, taking in the sights and sounds that had been robbed of him for days. There was just something about the way he felt this particular day that lit a fire inside of him. His soul burned with excitement. Burned. Something about that thought stopped him in his tracks. It wasn’t just that he was excited. The air itself was alive, burning, raging, and as he stood still, he felt it grow stronger, slowly, but steadily. It was as if something was approaching or following him. A smile slowly spread across his face. Marcus had a feeling, and a strong one at that, that he knew what was coming his way. In that moment, he decided to stop and see what this trail would bring him. Stepping into the middle of the trail, he removed his axe from his belt and tossed it at the ground. The blade buried itself in the dirt of the path, the handle sticking up lopsided in the air. Then, scanning both sides of the trail, he selected a tree that would allow him not to be immediately seen by anyone walking the trail. He climbed up it, found a sturdy branch to sit on, and waited. It didn’t take long, as the fire in the air grew stronger. After just a few minutes, an odd looking pair of travelers came traipsing down the trail, their pace hastened. The older of the two, a blonde man carrying a staff and wearing ragged brown robes, led the way. A priest of some sort, to be sure. His companion, the younger of the two, was of greater interest to Marcus. It was clear from the moment he came into view that he was important. From the circlet around his forehead to his style of dress, it was obvious the young man was different. But it was the fire that burned inside of him that really drew Marcus’s attention. They came to a startled halt as the axe in the middle of the trail caught their attention, sharing panicked looks between each other. The two began to cautiously approach it, but Marcus took this moment to speak up, and froze them in their tracks again.
“Don’t worry,” he called from his spot in the tree, “The axe won’t harm you, and neither will I. Tell me, travelers, what brings you to this particular corner of the world?”
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Diarmut
Manakete
Posts: 14
Profession: Manakete
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Diarmut!
OoC Alias: Sol
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Post by Diarmut on Jan 21, 2016 13:09:35 GMT -6
Their journey went uninterrupted for some time after the carcass incident, though it did nothing to aid the twist in Diarmut's gut. But he had elected not to bring it up again. The pair were moving forward at a commendable pace and it was evident to the young manakete that neither had let their guard down since their earlier discovery. Aside from that, there was really nothing more they could be doing, so Diarmut chose to remain silent and channel all of his senses into being wary of their environment.
It was only when they were within a hundred feet or so from the axe that something changed. Diarmut came to a sudden halt, frowning faintly and bringing a hand to his forehead. He swayed backward for a moment, reaching out to grab the nearest support he could find. Propping himself up on a nearby tree, he shook his head in an attempt to clear his dizziness and, surprisingly, it worked a little bit. "Sorry...I think I'm getting hungry," he lied quickly, knowing that if he got Clyde too concerned it would impede their movement. "Let's keep our eyes peeled for any dinner we can catch." Without waiting for a response from his comrade, he pressed onward.
And then he saw the axe. It was faintly bloodied and lodged in the ground; not only that, but the dirt that had been tossed up around it was fresh. No man (or dragon) with half a brain wouldn't think to connect it to the body from earlier. This newfound discovery, however, was quickly interrupted by Marcus' voice calling out to them. He seemed to be trying to assuage the pair's concerns about all this, but if Diarmut hadn't been somewhat paralyzed with fear he would have found the attempt laughable. A bloody axe and disembodied voice in the midst of a forest that had been creeping him out for hours? It didn't exactly scream 'safety'. The boy glanced anxiously at Clyde, completely incapable of taking any initiative. Whether they were engaging the stranger or fleeing, he'd be following the priest's lead.
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Post by Clyde Herst on Jan 23, 2016 12:19:56 GMT -6
When adrenaline hits, your brain starts being able to process more of the information hitting your system at a faster rate giving time the appearance of slowing down. Clyde was feeling the full effects of this phenomenon and didn't like it very much. Everything seemed to require more scrutiny: every tree a potential ambush point, every sound a clue to the mysterious presence, and every shadow cover for things that may be lurking. Time seemed to grind to a halt, and Clyde had to work to stop his thoughts from racing ahead of what he knew. A few minutes passed and Diarmut started to visually struggle with something. Before Clyde had a moment to aid his companion Diarmut rushed ahead citing hunger as the source of his trouble. Diarmut's actions were concerning, but Clyde refrained from pursuing the matter further. The boy seemed to want to press ahead. He just hoped that whatever was affecting Diarmut wouldn't keep the boy from acting if they ran into trouble.
It wasn't long before they ran into the deer's murder weapon. The ax still carried its victims blood and had seemed to hit the ground with considerable force. Before Clyde could make too many notes about the ax, the disembodied voice of it's wielder addressed them through the forest. Clyde exchanged glances with Diarmut and realized the boy was looking to him to make the first move. For being a Dragon, Diarmut was a cautious sort not that Clyde could blame the boy in this situation. He did his best to give Diarmut a reassuring smile; Clyde had faith that between the two of them they could get through whatever was happening. Clyde started scanning the forest around him and gave himself a three second pause to review what he knew about the entity that addressed them: the entity was hiding thus having the advantage if things turned violent, the weapon was placed in full view of travelers, the entity had eaten the deer raw, and the entity could talk. In conclusion, the entity wasn't human and was intelligent. He had also declared his non-violent intentions. The situation seemed a bit easier than talking his way out of a bandit hold up, but still dangerous as Clyde had no idea what the entity could be after. Best answer straight then and see what information Clyde could gain in return. Clyde stepped forward next to the ax and said, "We're on our way to Bulgar sir. We want no trouble either. Though it would do much to ease our anxiousness if you talked to us face to face. A bloody ax and a mysterious carcass can do much to put a man on edge." Whatever weapons the entity had, he would be without an ax if things got messy despite stated intentions. Not that the fact calmed Clyde much, but the initial trade of information could help solidify things to the peaceful outcome they all seemed to desire.
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Marcus
Manakete
Dragon Reborn
Hell and back is a long way to go, but my journey's only begun.
Posts: 176
Profession: Wanderer
Affinity: Dark
Dragon Element: Lightning
Profile: Marcus
OoC Alias: Marc
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Post by Marcus on Jan 27, 2016 9:53:22 GMT -6
Marcus watched intently as the travelers reacted to his greeting. From what he could observe from his elevated position, the older of the two was the more experienced traveler. The younger, mysterious one seemed to confer to his companion upon noticing the axe, and even let him speak for the pair of them. He wondered if they were brothers of some sort, or even father and son. They certainly didn’t look very similar, but from where he was sitting he couldn’t be certain. Much more likely, they had been brought together by circumstance. They were traveling very light, so it was unlikely they were merchants. The older of the pair carried a staff and wore rather plain robes, so perhaps he was a priest traveling with his ward. Whoever they were, they weren’t visibly armed, which only made Marcus more suspicious of the red-haired youth. More and more, he was beginning to realize what he could be. He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions yet, though. He needed just a little bit more information to prove his hunch.
“I suppose you’re in luck, then,” Marcus replied with chuckle, “as I’m not in the business of causing trouble for travelers. I’d like to offer my apologies for the deer carcass. I’m afraid I wasn’t quite myself earlier, but I can assure you neither it nor the axe were intended to frighten.” He could only imagine what these two men were thinking. He had to admit, they had every right to not believe him, given what they had seen. It was a wonder they were even still here. Much like the stag he had encountered earlier, the seemed frozen, ready to bolt away at the slightest hint of danger. He supposed it was only fair that he show them his face. They didn’t seem to intend him any harm and he was relatively sure he could take them if they did. He pushed off of the branch and landed at the foot of the tree in a crouched position. Marcus stood slowly, as to not startle the travelers and shook his hair out of his face. “The name’s Marcus,” he informed them, meeting their gaze. “I’m something of a traveler myself. I’ve been wandering for some time now, trying to find something I lost. It’s not here, though. Somewhere north, I believe.”
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Diarmut
Manakete
Posts: 14
Profession: Manakete
Affinity: Fire
Profile: Diarmut!
OoC Alias: Sol
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Post by Diarmut on Jan 29, 2016 11:16:46 GMT -6
Once again, Diarmut was thankful that he had found Clyde along his travels. If it was just him alone in this situation, there was really no way of knowing how he would have reacted. But with a seasoned adventurer by his side, he could safely hand over the wheel in circumstances like this. Of course, Clyde had failed to disappoint. He calmly and clearly communicated their concerns, and in a way that Diarmut felt was thoroughly non-aggressive. Even before Marcus had revealed himself, the boy began to feel his anxiety ebbing away.
When they could finally put a face with the voice, however, both his fear and the strange sensation he'd been experienced seemed to vanish. It was hard to pinpoint why, exactly, as the man before the pair wasn't exactly the least dangerous looking fellow in the world. All the same, Diarmut felt as if he could move and speak freely once again, and he wasn't about to squander the opportunity. "My name is Diarmut," he said quietly, though his voice was devoid of the usual quaver that accompanied meeting a new person. "And this here is Clyde." It wasn't much, but it was a start at making his voice known to the stranger.
Something in the back of Diarmut's mind, against all judgment, wanted to tell Marcus that he could travel with them. They were all headed north, and a firm sense of curiosity had taken the place of the boy's trepidation. But, for the moment, he held his tongue; he was more rational than that, and refused to act otherwise.
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Post by Clyde Herst on Jan 30, 2016 15:32:44 GMT -6
At least the stranger appeared to be in a good humor. The man seemed easy going enough, though his response didn't do much to ease Clyde's wariness. The image of the carcass was still fresh in Clyde's mind and prodded Clyde to question the man further. That seemed a bit too much like rocking the boat during what seemed to be a peaceful exchange, so Clyde kept his mouth shut as Diarmut introduced the pair. The boy seemed to almost immediately relax when Marcus had come into view which was a curiosity in and of itself as the boy had been just about ready to jump out of his skin a few moments before. Clyde had a choice here. He could either push for more and keep a defensive position near the ax, or do his best to keep the new-found peace and accept the stranger at his word come what may. After another moment of pontification, Clyde slowly and deliberately picked up the ax from the shaft and handed the weapon hilt first to Marcus.
Clyde was taking a leap of faith here, and hoped he had made the right decision. Clyde retreated back a few steps to stand with Diarmut again and said "Well Marcus, it sounds like we might be sharing the road a ways. Would you like to join us at least until we make it through the woods? It would do much to liven the journey." Not that Clyde's heart could take much more lively circumstances. Clyde was ignoring the rules of stranger danger, but in the end it might be safer if Marcus joined them. Diarmut was a fearsome sort if things became troublesome, but even a dragon can be taken unawares. If Marcus decided to hang back and then stalk them there might not be much they could do. Clyde thought of the deer again and suppressed a shiver. Luckily, Marcus had opted not to strike at them when he was hidden just a few moments before. That spoke more to his good intentions than anything else, and Clyde prayed his gesture had similarly bought Diarmut and him just as much good grace.
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