An Unlikely Path

[Marcus]

"C'mon, on yer feet now." Marcus stood up and looked around there were three bandits in the immediate are, but he could not see if there were more in the darkness. Ok, now wake up yer friend. It's time we taught you whelps a lesson." Marcus walked over to where Byron was sleeping. He nudged him with his foot. "Byron, wake up."

[Byron]

"Marcus... I told you...it's too dark to travel." Byron said still half asleep. Byron opened his eyes after being nudged again. "Dam... oh..." Byron looked at the three bandits and possibly more somewhere else. "What's going on?" Byron whispered as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He was tired and in a cranky mood for being woken up.

[Marcus]

"Well from the looks of it some friends of ours showed up. They kinda want revenge." Marcus turned to face the leader. "Follow my lead," Marcus muttered back to Byron. "So I guess this is it," Marcus asked the leader. Before the leader could say anything, Marcus thrust his hand into his robes, letting the energy spread once more. Now a dragon, Marcus lunged forward, not expecting the leader to be so swift. The leader expertly dodged and Marcus stumbled into the darkness. "KILL THEM!!! BRING ME THE DRAGON'S HEAD!!!" "Damn," Marcus thought, "There must be a lot of them."

[Byron]

Terrific Byron thought as he jumped to his feet and drew an arrow. He aimed at the leader as he was retreating into the darkness. He fired and the arrow shot through the air, but he easily dodged it without looking. "Agh" Byron said as he strung another arrow and ran towards Marcus to give him backup. He noticed he was being trailed by another bandit and turned around and got ready to fire.

[Marcus]

Marcus let off a little bit of flame so he could see. Marcus spotted three axeman, the leader with his sword, and two archers. Marcus leaped towards the nearest axeman, who swung at Marcus, hitting him in the face with the broad side of his axe. Marcus roared a spewed flames on the bandit. The bandit rolled away, dodging the flames.

[Byron]

Marcus can handle those axeman, but I'd better take down those archers they would destroy him. Byron ran past the axeman took aim at one of the archers and fired. It was a hit. "1 down!" Byron took another look and the same bandit he just hit stood back up, still bleeding and started to string and arrow. "Crap" Byron muttered to himself.

[Marcus]

Marcus was ready to try a different tactic. The dragon flapped his wings, knocking the axeman down. Marcus slashed at his belly, but the axeman was quick and retaliated, slashing his leg. Marcus let out flames, and the axeman went up in flames and ran off into the forest. Marcus turned his head to look behind him. Another axeman was sneaking up on him. Marcus whipped his tail at him, but the axeman caught his tail and chopped a small portion off. Marcus roared in protest, whipping his tail around. The axeman was thrown far off into the plains.

[Byron]

Byron fired the arrow, and it struck the archer in the knee causing him to drop his bow and roll down a near hill. Byron strung another arrow and prepared to shoot, but an arrow came down and hit him in the hand. It did not stick but the pain shot through his arm. Byron bent his knees and winced in pain. He opened his eyes and tried to re-focus. He aimed at the fallen archer who was struggling to get up and fired. The arrow went through the air and struck him in the chest. He fell over, and Byron was pretty sure he was dead this time. Another arrow came down, but this time missed. Byron ran backwards to a safer distance and for a better vantage point.

[Marcus]

"Alright just one axeman left... now where is he?" All of a sudden everything went black as the last axeman pulled a sack over Marcus' head. Marcus breathed out some fire, but to no avail. "The bag must be covered in some sort of flame retardant." Marcus shook his head wildly, trying to shake the bandit off. He heard a thud nearby as the bandit landed on the ground. Marcus continued furiously shaking his head trying to rid it of the bag, but to no avail. Marcus roared, trying to attract Byron's attention. "Let's hope he's paying attention."

[Byron]

Byron looked back as another arrow flew down. He saw Marcus gagged and shaking to get the bag off his head. Byron thought quickly and ran to Marcus. He climbed up and started untying the bag. "How did you let this one happen?" Byron barely dodged another arrow and it almost hit Marcus' head. Byron took off the bag, and swiveled to a new position on Marcus' back and strung an arrow. Byron saw the easy target on the ground and fired. He missed but proceeded to string another arrow. Byron fired again and hit him in the lower chest. He twitched and then went blank. Byron turned and leaped off Marcus. "One down"

[Marcus]

"I'll let Byron get that last archer," Marcus thought, as he turned towards the leader, bearing his teeth. Marcus surged forward, ready for any move the leader might make. The leader rolled out of the way, but Marcus was ready this time, grabbing the swordsman with his tail. He smashed the bandit into the ground, hearing several satisfying cracks from the leader's body. Marcus wheeled around, ready for the kill. Suddenly, Hassan was there on his shoulder. "Marcus, do you really intend to murder this newly crippled man?" "Yeah, he would have killed me, cripple or no cripple." "Marcus, this man may never walk again and you're going to kill him? Your mother would be ashamed." "Hassan, you didn't know my mother and neither did I! This conversation is over!" Marcus looked away as the wolf faded. Marcus raised up his claws and brought them through the man's skull, killing him instantly.

[Byron]

Byron watched as Marcus tore apart the leader. Byron strung two arrows from his quiver and aimed it at the remaining archer. An arrow suddenly came at him, but Byron dodged. Byron shot and one arrow hit the archer's knee and the other struck his stomach. The archer fell and rolled down the hill. Byron ran over to him as he was trying to get up and placed his foot on him to keep him down. "Don't think so." Byron said as he drove one last arrow into the archer's skull.

[Marcus]

Marcus let the energy drain out of his body into the dragonstone. Tucking away his wings, Marcus walked towards Byron. "That was one hell of a battle, eh kid?"

[Byron]

"I'd say" Byron replied as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "I thought that would have been a good hiding spot. Maybe next time we will have to try harder." Byron looked at the sky. It was still really early. "If your game, I say we get a head start."

[Marcus]

"Relax, there's still some time before sunrise and I don't think those bandits will try another attack tonight, not after they see what we did to the other group. Come, we should rest a little, get to know each other a little better. Once again, my name is Marcus Fireheart, dragon, and don't let my young exterior fool you, I'm 523 years old."