The Things That Slumber Beneath The Earth (PM For Entry)

[Carlisle "Hartmut"]

Torchlight cast long shadows down the old tunnels, or were they hallways? The extensive cave network around the mountains near Darrun were vast and ancient. Carlisle held his torch high with Percival by his side as they ventured deeper and deeper. It was less than a week since they had gotten Percival back and he was still not in the best of shape, but the old knight refused to rest when others were doing work. So the prince allowed him to serve as his guard during what should be a mission with very low stakes.

"You know, there is a reason I have asked you to come with me here," Carlisle scratched markings into the walls to denote the path they were taking and the way back out. The old knight grunted curious to hear more. "I believe it would be prudent for us to create an inner circle of trust."

"Is that not what we knights are?" Percival's brows furrowed as he tried to decipher the prince's intentions. "You don't mean to create another group within ourselves do you? I fear this could cause division among our numbers."

"Let's be honest with ourselves, that division is already there. You heard the whispers the same as I, and Travis all but renounced me already. Forgive me for thinking ill of those knights who have maintained such fierce loyalty, even now, but I fear betrayal from them regardless." It was a rare moment of vulnerability from Carlisle to admit it. A vulnerability that not even Percival was shown much.

"And this group would remain secret, I presume?"

"Yes. The rings of our order will allow us to know each other at a glance, but the circle will be the first among equals."

Percival sighed deeply in thought. "And who would be a part of this circle? Surely you have some in mind."

"Yes, as of now, yourself, and Marceline. You have always been there by my side and I trust none more than you, and her? She intrigues me."

"Milord!? You don't mean-"

"No, not like that," Carlisle chuckled. 'Her loyalty to us is stalwart but it feels hollow. Its like she knows no other way of life. And given her skills I believe it would be wisest to keep that fierce loyalty in check, not betray her, and fill that emptiness with purpose and meaning."

"The way you say it sounds almost conniving, milord."

"Perhaps." The prince scratched at another tunnel. Soft winds blew the torch's flames toward another tunnel. "We go left. There may be another exit down here, and that is worth noting." Then back to business, "But I do not mean to be a manipulator. Rather, with her skills she could lead a group of specialists compared to the others who are more militant minded."

"What? Like a new inquisition?"

"No, never, but the parallels of their skills... do not go unnoticed." he admitted. "It is merely an idea I have had to consider. I appreciate your honesty in the matter and for discouraging this inner group. I will consider it, but the possibility is not off the table."

Percival nodded silently. The prince was quick to defer to his judgments in the past but ever since leaving Nabatta he had overruled him more than once. It was frustrating and yet welcomed as well. It was good that the prince would think for himself but Percival often felt he knew better as well. The price of loyalty.

The winds around the torch suddenly blew more violently in another direction. "Hmm?" Carlisle turned to see where the light was taking him. It appeared to be a wall, but a wall with cracks and holes in it. "I think we may have found our exit."

"I don't think it would be wise to dig it out. In case the roof should collapse." Percival took the torch from the prince to observe above them. "Well... perhaps not, the way seems more blocked intentionally."

"Do you think Sharktooth kept a hoard here?"

"It's possible," the Knight admitted, "But I am doubtful. But these caves are old. There may yet be something of worth there."

"Right!" Carlisle chuckled. It reminded him of being a kid again and playing explorer in the kitchen. The gold was always the sweet rolls. And the cooks were the watchful guardians. But here? Who knew, there could very well be gold. Or nothing, or that exit out. "So... these rocks though. They're pretty big, but nothing we can't move. Just need to be careful." The prince moved a single stone from the mix. It looked isolated enough and yet.

Rumble, rumble, rumble, crr crr crr crr! Percival yanked the prince away from the pile as the stones came crashing down. Thankfully they fell into the discovered tunnel but more curiously they fell downward. Repeatedly the stones hit the ground and fell. "Stairs?"

The prince took the torch back and examined the stone pile. The majority of them had fallen and it was easy to climb over, but the stairs were most curious. "Well, you did say these ruins were old."

"Yes, and the oldest of its recorded record did little justice to its true age." The knight looked pensive as the prince began to climb over the stone pile.

"Right, let's watch our step and head down there. I don't much want to wait for the others."

[Mardok]

"Karisa..."

She had been the first casualty. It was not because she was weak - no, she was quite strong. It was not because she was foolish - in fact Mardok had relied on her for their strategy. Karisa had been killed simply because she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Crippled before she could take flight and then swarmed by their swift foe.

Mardok was still there. Still on the field. Scores of humans incinerated, eviscerated, or simply crushed beneath and behind him. Karisa was the first dragon that would fall on the field...yet Mardok was there. He could hear her cries of pain - they didn't really sound all that different from the human females they had felled that day. He could still see her blood fall to the grass - it was the same color as theirs too.

All the while...Mardok was -

---

The large man stirred, woken by a loud rumbling that seemed to shake his 'home'. Mardok turned his head to the side and blinked slowly. His eyes still felt heavy but...the soreness in his body seemed to have left from the last time he'd woken up. He focused his attention on the rocky wall across from the flat slab he was sprawled out upon. It always took some time for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

There was another slab similar to his own between his and the wall - but it was vacant. Tieria...she was not there when he'd last opened his eyes either. Where could she have been? Had it only been a few hours? No...the outright disgusting crack that snapped out from the dragon's back confirmed it had been quite sometime since he’d last moved.

Loud noises filled the dragon’s ears once more, and he slowly propped himself up a bit to see through the “door” that led out to the rest of Tieria’s cavern. He couldn’t see anything, but it had almost sounded like some stones had fallen from above…

Was Tieria’s home being invaded? Mardok couldn’t allow that. He placed his palms flat on the stone beneath him and pushed himself up slowly. His large arms - not quite as large as they had been before his injuries - wobbled at the sudden pressure...and the great dragon fell from the slab onto the rocky cavern floor with a tired grunt.

He...he had to move. He had to defend his friend’s hideout...

Mardok looked to the side and saw two pieces of equipment off to the side of the room. One was small, silver and shaped almost like a necklace or choker that housed a dark green stone at its center. The other was his old warplate...surprisingly in better shape than he was in. Without either of those things there would be little Mardok could do against even a single human. Yet they were so far, and he could not yet stand.

So the dragon began to drag himself across the floor.

[Carlisle "Hartmut"]

"Do you think we will find anything? As much fun as I find all of this, I honestly don't actually think it's likely." The prince was delighted. He used to join Khalid and Layla on journeys into old Nabattan ruins to see what they could find. Mostly it was sand and rocks, but there were some gold coins from long ago to be found on rare occasion. The thought of finding long lost relics tickled his fancy but nothing would prepare him for what was actually at the bottom of the cave.

After the last step the prince and the knight found themselves before another long cave. As the two traveled further something began to seem off to Percival. "Milord... stand behind me. There is something here!" Percival allowed Carlisle no opportunity to argue or react before he was pulled behind himself. Readying his halberd Percival lead on. His concern was the risk of some wyvern or subterranean monster, he never considered the possibility of meeting a dragon. As they reached the end of the cave his eyes widened as the sight before him caused him pause.

"A person!?" Carlisle didn't understand it, why, or rather how did someone get here? But if there was one thing that was clear they were weak and desperately crawling. "Percival, clear the room!" His order was given quickly as he ran to the stranger's side. Carlisle reached for his flask of water. The stranger did not appear wounded, so... perhaps he got trapped by the rocks? "Here. Drink." Carlisle peered to see what the man was reaching for. A necklace and armor? "I can get those."

[Mardok]

“No…”

He had been too slow - his body was too damn tired. He refused to simply give up but if a fight were to break out there was very little chance of defeating the intruders. “Forgive me, Tieria…” Mardok apologized in his mind, dreading the realization that he was about to fail yet another of his kind.

The intruders entered the chamber, Mardok could make out their weapons as his eyes continued to adjust to the dark. However they did not point their weapons at him, but instead one pulled out a water skin to offer him. Mardok hesitated not because of his body but instead because of distrust. Was it poisoned? No...that would imply they simply kept that on them. There was no way the intruders had known Mardok was in the chamber - the one that offered the water had loudly proclaimed shock seconds before.

Reluctantly Mardok took the flask and brought it to his lips. He would rather die by their blades than by poison, but...while he’d underestimated the humans during their battles, he did not think they were so cunning as to poison him like this. So Mardok drank the water, and it...tasted like water. A good start, but only the coming minutes would tell if he had gulped down life or death.

The man offered to bring Mardok’s armor and necklace to him, to which Mardok immediately shook his head - which was possibly a mistake. Still, he wasn’t certain humans knew about dragon stones proper, at least not the average human. Mardok wasn’t certain about anything really - how much time had passed since Tieria had dragged him to this chamber? What was the state of the war? So on, so forth.

He had to maintain whatever caution he could - especially around humans.

“...It is fine. I do not need them.” Mardok’s voice was a bit dry and hoarse even after the water. As if it had not been used in quite some time. “I will get them later…” The dragon offered the flask back to Carlisle. “...Thank you.”

No doubt the humans would have questions. Mardok would need to prepare.

[Carlisle "Hartmut"]

There were questions. Several questions Carlisle wanted to ask and know more about, and a dozen more that were pertinent to Percival and his concerns. Perhaps the most important question was just who this stranger was and why was he here? But the question that came out of Carlisle's mouth instead was, "You're welcome. Were you one of Sharktooth's men?" Carlisle took the flask adding, "If you need more don't hesitate to ask."

"The chamber is clear. No more passageways or objects of value anywhere." Percival returned to his lord's side and looked over Mardok with a curious eye appraisingly. He was massive and brimming with muscles. He could not have been here for long, but... just WHY was he down here? "Commander, I believe it is now prudent for us to regroup with the others and search this portion of the mountain more thoroughly." If there was one strange man stranded down here then perhaps there were more.

Carlisle nodded in agreement before offering the stranger a hand and shoulder. "Can you still stand, friend?" Carlisle could be patient whether the stranger decided to accept his offer or not, and just as well if the man needed time to work up the will and energy to take his hand. "Oh right, my name is Hartmut, and my comrade here is Percival. We're mercenaries working in this region right now." It felt strange to be taking this whole thing in such calm strides but when the alternative was panicking and bombarding the probably dehydrated man, it seemed more productive.

[Mardok]

The water did wonders for the dragon’s throat and his awareness. It helped his senses return to him at a faster rate - even his strength. It would be some time before he would be moving as well as he could before his recovery began, but anything that helped to accelerate that end was appreciated. The man who gave him the water went on to ask him about Sharktooth, and if Mardok had any relation to who or whatever that was.

“I have never heard of that name before.” Mardok answered as he pushed himself up into a seated position. To stand was still beyond what he could manage at the time, but he at least he would no longer be reduced to crawling along the stone floor. “Nor will you find anything of value down here. I am alone.”

Part of this was to discourage these people from rooting about the small sanctuary his friend had provided for him. Beyond that, though, it was a fact to Mardok. He could not see anyone or anything else present - and if his friend was present then she would be talking to these people, not him.

“It’ll be a bit before I can stand, but I will be fine...thank you.” The expression of gratitude did not come easily for Mardok. These people were undoubtedly humans - Mardok did not have even a single memory of enjoying a good relationship with any human. He couldn’t even remember a single good interaction. It was almost jarring for this, right here, to be it.

The man gave his name and that of his comrade’s. It...had a familiar ring to it, but Mardok couldn’t place from where. “...I am Mardok.” He replied. The odds were they knew not his name - and if they were going to kill him over something as simple as name recognition they likely would have already done so. “Mercenaries...so work brought you here?”