@Marakai Trin Tara knew she was in the right place when the scent of less-than-stellar alcohol and something that seemed suspiciously like old blood hit her nose. She wrinkled her nose and growled under her breath, but quickly smoothed her expression out as she approached the bar, taking the first empty seat she saw.
She was attracting some looks, she knew that. She could feel the stares sweeping over her body as she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and flagged down the man serving drinks in the tavern to order.
"Whatcha want?" He leaned against the other side of the bar, looking her up and down in a calculating sort of way, taking in her far-too-colorful-for-Zantaric clothes and the lyre visible in her pack.
She smiled, turning on the charm. "A water would be lovely, and have you got something hot to eat? I've been traveling all day and I'm exhausted." She leaned over the counter to artfully tug her neckline a little lower, highlighting the way her thing tunic clung to her body.
The tavern keeper snorted, probably used to such tricks, but nodded and moved off. "Hope you got the money to pay for that," he tossed over his shoulder.
She smiled again, resisting the urge to spit an insult at his back. Something about how anything she could purchase in this hellhole couldn't be worth more than a copper or two.
Closing her eyes and taking a breath- and then instantly regretting it as her sense of smell was assaulted again- she twisted to observe the other patrons as subtly as she could. She knew he was here, somewhere. Or he had been recently...
In the darkened corner nearest to the door, a large form sat. Natural shadow at first obscured all features, save a pair of red eyes that were glowing almost like lit coals.
And then he stood, and suddenly the attention was off the woman whom had just seated herself at the bar. The man was a giant - near seven feet tall, and very broad at the shoulder, garbed in strange black armor that would remind one of overlapping scales. Left behind him was massive sword - hidden almost in the dark, and far too heavy for any but him to carry, anyway.
The tavern grew silent as all eyes turned to the massive man, drawn to that crimson, glowing gaze, pale face, and grim visage. He drew nearer the woman, and slammed down two gold pieces, of a stamp none there would likely recognize.
With a gruff voice, he yelled toward the barkeep.
"Four ounces of solid gold. For the ladies meal, and all the swill you've been serving me all night."
The room was silent for a moment more as the barkeep turned around to look at the huge one addressing him. Just as the man opened his mouth, the larger one interrupted.
"Make it quick. And bring me something stronger than this donkey piss you've been filling your glasses with."
He took the seat next to the woman, and gave her a sidelong glance. Very pretty, but also very human. She smelled of the dust of the road, he noted, and wondered just how far she'd travelled.
"....you're right, you know. This crap isn't worth the time he takes to slop it onto a plate. But it's the only place that'll let me in." He gave a wry grin, and his eyes flared a bright red.
"....so. What desperation made you walk into this hole in the wall?"
Tara jumped as the stranger slammed the money on the counter and looked up at him with wide indigo eyes.
"Um...hello." She blinked, rather stunned; not so much that a strange man had paid for her meal- that actually happened a lot- but by the sheer presence he seemed to command with ease.
And his comment. That was a little unsettling. She frowned, leaning just a little away from him. "I could have paid for myself- and I never said anything about what this food is worth." At least not out loud. And she usually hid her feelings easily. "What makes you think you know what I was thinking."
She drummed her fingers on her thigh under the counter, a nervous habit. Choosing to ignore his question about why she was in the tavern, she rebutted with, "What do you want in return for the meal?" Nothing was ever free, not really.
The large mans grin faded slightly, and he turned back to stare at the barkeeps back as he - hopefully - hastened to complete his request.
".... You'd be surprised what one can gather from a fake smile and forced intake of breath. I've been reading people for a very long time."
He dragged his gaze away from the barkeep to take in her indigo eyes - and nothing else, one could notice - and his smile brightened a little. "And don't worry about the meal. The insult to our friendly host was more than worth it."
Just then, the barkeep returned with her meal and water, followed shortly after by an entire bottle marked in a language he couldn't understand. Hell, it was even clean - the red eyed man was surprised.
"Well, since you declined to actually answer my question...I suppose I'll leave you to your meal. Unless, of course, you feel like conversation. Most of this lot can't get their damn heads out of their cups to speak anything intelligible. Besides, you make a fine treat for the eyes, and I'd guess you wouldn't have to bother with them if you were sitting with me."
He gave a smile, and spoke again:
"And don't worry - I'm not as scary as I appear. Just asking for pleasant conversation that I otherwise wouldn't get in this place."
Tara smirked and rested her elbow on the bar, chin propped in her hand. "Well, thanks, I guess. And I'm not scared of you," she added easily, reaching for her water and taking a large gulp.
Which might have been a lie. She honestly wasn't sure yet.
"Why are you so interested in conversation anyway? This doesn't exactly seem like the best place to be social." She twisted a bit in her seat to face him better.
"I mean, don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind conversation- actually, maybe you could help me out." Her head tilted and she offered her best smile, lashes fluttering in a well practiced, alluring sort of way. "I'm looking for a friend, and I think he's here. Or, well, was here recently. Help a girl out?"
Marakai stood, lifting his bottle as he did, holding it delicately between two fingers as if afraid to break it. "If you truly knew anything about me, without knowing everything, you would be." He gently slid the barstool forward, then, back towards the bar.
"And like I said...this was the only place that would let me in. My appearance my not put you off, but others aren't quite so...open, I guess? I'd have to say it's the eyes. But anyway, I've not had nearly enough to drink to speak the drunken tongue." He gave a smile.
"Come. If you want to talk to me about something, follow me to my table. You won't be overheard. Bring your food, and if that water isn't enough for you, I'll share this." He gave the unknown liquor a small shake, and then began taking steps toward the table he had recently vacated.
Tara debated the pros and cons of following him for a few moments, then sighed, shouldering her pack as she stood and moved toward the table. She hovered for a moment, glancing from him to an empty chair.
"I don't need your liqueur," she said with a roll of her eyes as she finally sat. "I just need to know if you saw someone in here earlier: sorta tall- not as tall as you- dark hair, green eyes. Would've had a scar on his left cheek."
Marakai sat down into the opposite chair, pulled the cork from his bottle with but two fingers like it was nothing, and took a long drink, hoping for but not receiving the harsh burn of something with high proof.
"Bloody hell...no, I can't say I have, honestly, and I've been staring these louts down most of the night. I'd have noticed. Why are you looking for him?" He set the bottle down - easily half empty now, and looked across at her, red eyes illuminating a face otherwise shaded by the dark corner of the tavern.
"I assume you've got good reasons, yes? By the look of you, I'd guess you're not hunting him down for trouble, but I've been wrong before."
"Oh?" Tara smirked and leaned over the table, propping her chin in her hand as she once again employed the flash-some-cleavage-as-a-distraction trick. "And what sort of trouble do you mean? Can't really answer that question when it's so vague."
Marakai gave a frown, and gestured down towards her show of cleavage. "You needn't do that - while I am appreciative of the human female form, my heart lies with another. And if she's gone, so then is my heart as well."
He took another long draw off his bottle, and set it down empty - two drinks, and it was gone. The man didn't even seem tipsy.
"And by trouble...do you seek to do him harm? Is he a target of some sort? What do you want with this man?"
She laughed and sat back, eyeing him in an almost bemused sort of way. "Alright then. I mean- I'm not exactly complaining, but I've met many of men whose heart lies with another and certainly don't mind still trying for a tumble or two with any pretty thing on two legs."
She was actually impressed, if she was being honest. It was refreshing to talk with someone who didn't seem to be solely trying to get under her skirts.
"As for trouble...well, he's an old friend. I'm trying to...clear up a misunderstanding."
Marakai gave a wry smile. "A very long time ago, you'd be speaking to a man who likely would have paid you the attention you expect. However, as I said, that was...an age ago. But enough of that."
He leaned in slightly, one large hand coming to rest upon the table, fingers drumming across the scarred wood. "What sort of misunderstanding is it you seek to clear up? And...if he's in the area, I suppose I could help to find him, if you wanted. It's not like I've got much better to do."
"That's personal." Her tone was friendly enough, but invited no further questions. "As for your help- well, I certainly wouldn't turn it down."
She leaned back in her seat and quirked a brow. "But nothing comes free. And if you're not interested in this-" she gestured down at herself- "what do you want?"
Marakai shrugged his massive shoulders in answer, and was silent for a moment, contemplating.
"Ah...well, it seems you didn't give me your name. And besides that, I've got nothing else to do to spend my time, other than wander about or fetter away my coin in rats nests such as this one. Who knows - maybe we can learn something from each other, I don't know. Give me a reason to get out of this dump."
She eyed him up and down- she didn't buy it, no one just did things for other people.
But she was confident she could take care of herself, and she certainly wouldn't turn down some help. She smiled. "Tara," she told him easily. "My name is Tara. And I'd appreciate the help..." She trailed off and waved a hand at him, an invitation for him to introduce himself.
"Marakai Trin. Wanderer, sword for hire... among other things that you don't need to know yet." He stood up, reaching behind his chair for his massive, black crystal great sword, hefting it's mass easily over one shoulder.
"When you're ready, I'll be waiting outside. I gotta get out of this place."
He tipped his head and gave a small smile, before turning away and headed for the door.
----
When he was outside in the night air, he immediately felt the difference. His sharp senses could still pick out the fetid odors from the building behind him, but it was still infinitely better.
His sudden appearance seemed to scare off a group of vagrants, the flare of red from his eyes likely making it obvious he was something other than he appeared. He gave a snort - even in the cities and villages where he wasn't accused as being some sort of demon or whatnot, they still ran in fear. It was depressing, really.
He honestly had no idea what he was doing - why involve himself? True, he had literally nothing to do but wander and be depressed with the state of things, but really? Some strange, random woman? What was wrong with him tonight?
Not that it mattered, though. He'd said he'd help, and he would. Find a guy. Easy enough, if he had anything to go on. He'd hunted his brother to the ends of the known world and back again - finding someone in this heap of a town would be simplicity at its finest.
A merc. Of course.
Tara gave him a nod and a small smile as he got up to leave. She kept quiet, contemplating this rather odd turn of events as she finished her food. With a sharp exhale, she got to her feet and moved toward the door.
"Easy there, darlin'."
Of fucking course.
Tara sighed and looked up at the man who's moved to block her path, smirking. Gods, he reeked of alcohol. "Move out of my way before I make you," she said cheerily, flashing a smile.
His smirk turned into an expression of bared teeth. "You don't get to talk to me like that." his hand flashed out and grabbed her arm and she went cold, eyes icy as she stared up at him with a fixed smile. "Saw that pretty thing in your pack- you a bard? Ain't ya gonna sing for us?"
"Not if you're not paying." She tried to shrug out of his hold and move past but he refused to let go. Fine then.
"Easy, love, we just want some entertainment-" he leered, but before he could finish she'd twisted out of his grip and spun behind him, kicking sharply at the back of his knee to send him to the floor. He went down with a huff, obviously surprised, and she brought her elbow down on the back of his neck to knock him out.
Without even bothering to look, she heard the sound of chairs scraping as a few other patrons made to move toward her and slipped easily through the door.
She barely acknowledged Marakai. "C'mon, let's go. Have a feeling there might be a few angry, drunken patrons out here in a minute."
It didn't even take a minute - the door crashed open and five lugs of men stepped outward just as Tara finished speaking.
"....so, I step outside, and you piss off half the tavern. I'm surprised the barkeep- oh, no, there he is."
Make that six. Apparently the man didn't take to having his patrons smacked around. No matter.
Marakai gave Tara a glance, and stepped forward to face all six of them, his eyes flaring brilliantly, illuminating his face in the dim light. "You'd do well to turn around, walk right back into that shit hole, and finish your night. Otherwise....well, let's just say I can't guarantee your safety. The woman is with me."
"Are you kiddin'? She knocked Maleic straight down to the floor, she did, and we ain't lettin' that go." The man in front leered at Tara.
"...'sides, all he was wantin' was a little fun. Big guy like you can't take all six of us, even wif that scary thing you carryin' around."
Just then, Marakai dropped the sword. Now one could make a guess as to its weight - when it hit the ground, it hit solidly, and those present would feel the vibrations in their feet.
"...then I'll take you without it."
Tara sighed and rolled her eyes as the men appeared, pivoting on one foot as her hand went to the blade tucked away at her waist.
She jumped slightly when the blade hit the ground and cast Marakai an arch look, then shook it off. "Oi, who said he'd be taking you on alone?" she asked casually, rocking back on her heels. "I can deal with you lot easily as I handled your friend in there. Why don't we all just move it along, alright?"
"I said I'd be taking them on alone...." he said, laying a massive hand on her shoulder. "This will be fast...trust me."
"The 'ell are you talkin' about? Ya dropped yer giant damn sword, an' you wanna take us all on herself? Ya daft, boy?" the man in front said again. "Ya best let the lady help yeh, er yeh might jes be spendin the night ou' 'ere on the ground."
Gently, Marakai pulled Tara backward even as he stepped in front of her, standing head and shoulders over the man.
"I don't need her help to take on a group of stone-drunk louts like yourselves."
Suddenly, he was hit - his face quickly jerked to the side, and that and the cracking sound of knuckles hitting his cheek were the only clues to it.
Marakai tilted his head forward, and grit his teeth. One looking closely would notice a line of tiny black scales forming on the flesh on the back of his neck and hand, perhaps the point of a small horn beginning to jut from his hairline.
When he spoke, it was a hiss.
"My turn..."
The movement looked like nothing more than a light push, but the man in front was suddenly sent careening backwards into his fellows, knocking two more of them to the ground.
"You petulant, stupid fools don't know who or what you challenge. Run back inside. Now."
Tara tried to argue, but her voice choked off when she noticed the thin line of scaling that seemed to have appeared on his neck. Her eyes widened a bit and she started to move forward, but then he sent that man careening back with seemingly almost no effort.
Her hand white knuckled on the hilt of her dagger and she sank back into a crouch, ready to fight if someone came at her- whether it be Marakai or one of the drunken idiots.
Luckily, that display of power was all it took. That, and the terrible sight of spreading scales and spikes across his face that the drunkards were able to see, and Tara could not. Two of them dragged the others to their feet, and the lot of them nearly tripped over themselves to run back inside the tavern.
Marakai gave a sigh, and his tension relieved quickly. The visible changes to his appearance melted away, leaving him looking human once again, though those red eyes remained, still glowing like hot coals.
He turned around, flashing a small smile as he bent to pick up his massive great sword and heft it over his shoulder, it's one flat edge resting against his leather pauldron.
"Sorry you had to see that. Don't worry about me...unless you plan in using that toad sticker you're wielding so fiercely."
He raised a brow.
"I'm not going after you. Relax."
"Y'know, I'm not actually sure yet." She hefted the dagger a little higher and eyed him warily. "What the hell was all that?"
Marakai gave a sigh, and flipped his sword upside down to plunge it's length into the ground. He then spread his arms wide, and stood their, his guard completely nonexistent.
"Look, stab me as much as you want - it won't make much difference. And I'll tell you everything, if you want to hear it. But not here. I've attracted enough attention to myself already, and I'd rather not have to wreck this...pleasant little place."
He gave another sigh, and lowered his head. "Just rest assured - I'm not going to attack you. Those idiots had it coming. From what I can tell....you don't. You're safe from me."
"Uh-huh." Slowly, Tara lowered her dagger, but her stance was still obviously defensive. "Forgive me if I don't exactly take your word for it."
She didn't try to run though, eyes flicking up and down his form. "Let's move then."
Marakai nodded. "Good. Getting stabbed is more trouble than it's worth anyway." He grabbed his sword again, and again hefted it over his shoulder.
"Well...we're searching for yourfriend. You'd better lead the way."
"Oh hell no." She arched an eyebrow at him. "You don't seriously think I'm just going to waltz along the streets with you after that little performance? I'm gonna need a little more to go one here than blind faith." She took a cautious step back, eyes wary.
Marakai heaved a great sigh. "Fine. I'll talk. But like I said - not here. Follow me."
He turned away from her, then, and began walking toward the beginning of town. He stepped outside the ramshackle gate, and leaned against a gnarled, dead tree.
Tara followed him warily, her blade still within easy reach. She didn't speak, just watched carefully him as they eventually came to a stop- it was rather hard to tell if she was truly the hunter or the hunted in this situation, and she didn't like it.
When she came stop in front of him, he watched her, just like she was him. He honestly had no idea how she would react when he said what he was about to say, but in the end, the worse thing that could happen would be a stabbing, and her departure.
It's not like she could kill him, in any case.
"Tara...if the scales and whatnot weren't clue enough, I don't know what will be. I am Marakai Trin. I am the last member of the royal family, of the Aerie Dragon clan. I AM a dragon. And I still swear, on my nobility - I will not harm you."
Blink.
She cocked her hip and arched an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And...a dragon prince would be bumming around in back alley taverns...why?"
She didn't disbelieve what he was- hell, she'd met other dragons in human avatars, albeit with quite the presence he had- but she was entirely unconvinced as to his motivation. Nobility meant nothing in her world.
"....I'm the last of my race, other than my homicidal elder brother, an old hermit in the Thunderblacks, and possibly my mate. I'm royalty. I'm a black dragon - have you seen any? I'd be hunted if the world knew, and I don't want to destroy the world. I want to save it."
He raised a brow. "I'm in a backwater town, in the bar, trying to blend in. Is that so hard to believe?"
She quirked an eyebrow right back. "Yes, actually. That sounds like something out of a bard's tale- and I should know, I'm a bard."
She huffed out a breath and ran her hand through her hand, frowning when her fingers caught on a ribbon she'd braided in and forgotten. "Look- let's say I believe you. Why in the name of all the gods would you bother offering to help me find some random human?"
"A bard, eh? Well do me a favor and sing no songs, and spin no tales of me." He gave a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. "I've got enough to worry about without my brother hearing about me."
He pushed off of the tree he was leaning against, and looked at her seriously.
"The Aerie Dragon clan is directly descended from what are thought to be the first dragons. In the beginning, the first black dragons were savage, mindless beasts of destruction, under the direct control of the dark Goddess Tiamat, known commonly as the Dread Queen. They and her attacked the Golden one, Crosis, father of all other Dragonkind. In the end, Tiamat was defeated, and her control over my predecessors lost. Without one to follow, some of us turned to Crosis, some to the platinum dragon God Bahamut. But in either case, we were charged with maintaining balance in the world."
He then looked into the night sky, red eyes glowing brilliantly under the dark of night.
"And so, unlike some of the dragons I've seen since my...coming here, I guess you could say...my perception of humanity is different. I may be a dragon, but I am also a man, at least in mind. And so, as one person to another, I offered my help. Even if it was just to pass the time."
Tara shook her head again. "You're mad," she said with a sigh, rubbing at the back of her neck. "You're absolutely made. Shouldn't you be off fighting some evil gods or something, not hanging around in Zantaric taverns?"
She sounded more exasperated than confused. Gods, she so did not need this complication. "Look- if you're really about balance and all that, I doubt you really want to help me."
"Mad, you say? No. As I said, I'm the last of my kind, or very nearly so. It's more in my interest to appear human, or at least close to it, so as not to draw attention to myself. And I highly doubt that combat with a God of any sort would end in my favor. My brother is possessed by the essence of one, and the last bout I had with him did indeed end with his death, though at great cost to myself...and for naught, it seems, for the beast was able to resurrect him anyway."
He gave a dismissive shake of his head. "And for what reason should I not help you? You don't seem the sort to attempt to throw the world upon its back, so what harm is there in this?"
"Fine." She tossed her hands up. "On your own head be it- but if your crazy resurrected brother turns up, I'm outta here. Like, yesterday."
Marakai gave a laugh. "Perhaps you would be, but then at least you'd know I spoke the truth. The only thing I can prove to you now is that I am, indeed, a dragon, but that probably would end in an attack or mass panic."
He gestured forward. "Nevertheless...if that is done, then lead on."
Tara smirked. "Believe it or not, that's actually the easiest part of your story for me to swallow."
She sighed and ran her hand down her face, then shook her head. "It's late. This...whole mess is going longer than I'd thought- or would prefer- it to. There's a few inns around here, one has to have some free rooms."
She couldn't deal with all this right now. She needed sleep- and maybe some alcohol, she wasn't sure yet. If her target had been in and out of taverns here today, chances were he'd be here tomorrow.
Marakai gave a nod. "If not, I have money enough to pay for one for you. You can take your time - I'm in no hurry to leave. I'll try to stay nearby, in case those men from before decide to try for us again, but I doubt they will."
He picked up his sword, and looked back into the town. "I'll follow you, but I think it would be in my best interests to remain outside and hidden, if possible."
Tara shrugged. "Suit yourself." She slowly let her hand slide away from the hilt of her dagger and turned to head back into the town.
The large man hefted his sword onto one shoulder, following at a distance.
Marakai sincerely hoped Tara would keep her mouth shut about what he just told her. It was pretty obvious she still didn't trust him...at least, obvious the way he saw it.
He kept a sharp eye - and ear - out for trouble, unable to detect anything beyond the normal sights and sounds of a rough and tumble place such as this one. He stayed within eyesight of Tara.
Something she had said before continued to bother him, though. Why shouldn't he help her? What was bad about her that would warrant that comment? He supposed he'd have to wait and see.
Tara was adept at finding places to stay in strange towns, so it didn't take her long to find her way to an inn.
She paused at the door, glancing back at Marakai. "So...tore just gonna stay out here?"
He stopped, and looked at her for a moment before nodding slowly.
"Yes, unless their willing to allow huge red-eyed men carrying three hundred pound great swords one handed. That puts most people off." He turned his head off to one side, and looked out into the street. "I'll be nearby. If you need me for anything, just shout. I'll hear you, even from out here. And, here."
He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small bag full of coin. Despite its size, it was quite heavy - filled to the brim with solid gold.
"In case you're short for a room...don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. Just save enough for a meal."
In truth, he had much, much more where that came from. This was less than pocket change.
She snorted. "Honey, this is Zantaric. I honestly doubt there's bat an eye at you."
Her eyes widened when he tried to pass over the coin. "Whoa, hey. No. Thank you, but no. I've got coin enough on my own, and I don't fancy being in someone's debt."
She took a step back toward the door. Honestly, she wasn't even sure if she expected him to be there come morning.
Marakai shrugged. "Suit yourself. I just figured the one with plenty to spare should pay. And there'd be no debt involved, trust me." Nevertheless, he pocketed the bag again.
"And...listen. It's really not the fact that I'm different. I'm worried more that if something were to happen, I'd cause more damage inside than out here. I've got...a bit of an anger problem, really, and it's really safer for everyone if I'm out here. Like I said, just shout if you need me for anything. I'll be nearby. Have a good night."
With a short bow, he ducked out of sight, the only thing visible after a moment being a pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness. Then, he disappeared around the side of the building.
He found a couple discarded, old pillows likely due for a wash, but it was better for nothing. He stacked them atop one another, sitting down upon them and leaning against the wall of the inn, confident his sharp senses would waken him if there was trouble.
And so, he sat, closed his eyes, and waited for sleep.
Tara shrugged again. "As you like, I guess."
She gave him a quick nod and slipped into the inn. Locating the owner, she quickly paid for the cheapest room he offered and made her way up some stairs into what was really more of a cell than a room.
Alright, maybe she was being prideful and she could have taken the coin- but she could fend for herself damnit! She'd been doing it most of her life, it wasn't likely to change now.
Grumbling to herself, she plopped onto a bed that felt like a slab of stone and closed her eyes, fingers curled tight around the hilt of her dagger even as she slept.
Marakai probably had, ironically, the sleeping situation. After a moment of grumbling, he got up and searched around for more discarded bedding.
What he found wasn't bedding, but it was infinitely better than two filthy pillows on the ground. Grain sacks, a whole heap of them, all empty. With a shrug and a grin, he gathered them all up in arms, and deposited them at his claimed spot.
Now, the near seven foot man was able to stretch out, almost comfortably, looking up at the stars.
After a few minutes of idle stillness, he decided to close his eyes. He was asleep within minutes.
Tarabwoke around daybreak, as was her habit, and groaned as she sat up, rubbing sore neck and shoulders. She huffed, shook her head, and forced herself to her feet. Her eyes flicked to the sliver of window set in the far wall and she scrunched her face up in distaste.
Rain. Wonderful.
The coming of the rain was a source of great frustration for the prince, caught outside as he was. He woke with a start in the early morning hours, the first hazy light illuminating storm clouds.
Shit, came the thought, and he grabbed for his sword and made to walk inside the inn. The dark clouds rolling in told a story deeper than just rain - they were in for a storm.
The door crashed open to reveal a tall, soaking wet monster of a man carrying a huge sword. Luckily, the front desk was vacant at this hour, or surely there would have been a fright.
Closing the door against wind and rain, Marakai moved to take a seat in the lobby. He settled on an old chair, very gently so as not to break it.
And so, he waited. Surely Tara would be up soon - no reason to try and sleep again, the wet leather of his armor rubbing uncomfortably on his skin. He'd have to take care of that later.
[Oh jeez, typos 0.0 Sorry!]
Tara eventually made her way downstairs, glad she seemed to be up early enough to avoid any sort of crowd.
"Gods!" She yelped and whirled when she caught sight of Marakai; she'd only seen him as a vague figure out of the corner of her eye and it sent her fight or flight instincts wild.
Her hand flew to her dagger before she realized who he was and frowned- but her expression smoothed out quickly. "Ah. Caught out in the rain, huh?"
(You're fine. ^_^)
She was up quicker than he'd expected. That was a pleasant surprise.
He slowly nodded, the irritation clear on his face. "I should have known a hellhole like this couldn't afford me one decent night's sleep. From the look of things outside, it's going to get worse."
He slowly stood, joints popping from the cold that he couldn't feel. He left his sword lying on the floor for now.
"But a little rain won't hurt me. Are you wanting to beave the storm, or remain here?"
Her eyebrow crept toward her hairline.
"You're soaked," she noted mildly. With a sigh, she held up a hand in a "stay there" gesture and slipped around the stairs to a door that led into the tavern connected to the inn.
She returned a few minutes later with a relatively clean bar towel and held it out. "Here. Dry off, then you should probably get something to eat." She hadn't seen him eat the previous night- although, maybe he just didn't need to.
(Lol, beave = brave. The typo demon found me, too.)
Marakai sighed. "I can't dry off, because I can't take off the armor. It's part of me...it's difficult to explain. But I'll use it for my hair, thanks."
He took the towel, scrubbing his hair and face of the water. His hair might have appeared comical when he was done - he honestly couldn't give a damn.
"And sure...food sounds good. I haven't eaten since...two days ago? I barely notice anymore, honestly...but in any case, let's go, so long as there's no more drunken morons to deal with."
She sort of wanted to ask about his armor then, but decided against it. What was the point, really? They'd be parting ways soon enough.
"Alright. The tavern isn't open yet, but I'll leave some coin and we can just take something to eat. C'mon." She moved toward the door again.
Marakai gave a nod, and followed after her. "You're sure they won't mind us just taking things?"
He had to bend down to follow her, his massive frame far to large to enter conventually.
"I don't look forward to another pissed off bartender."
"In this town?" She scoffed. "I don't much care if we piss off another bartender. As long as there's coin left, they shouldn't have any reason to complain."
Her comment was met by a soft chuckle. "Yes...a fair point, I suppose. Let's see what we have to work with..."
He moved behind the bar into an adjoining kitchen, searching cabinets and the like. From inside, he spoke in a slightly raised voice.
"I hope you're not looking for extravagance...all I'm finding is bread in the cabinet, and some dried meat."
He then exited the kitchen, holding a couple of sweet rolls, a smile on his face. "And a small number of these. I think they may be awaiting a shipment - it's pretty bare in there. But perhaps you'll have better luck if you've a pick for the icebox."
Tara shrugged and climbed over the bar to hunt under the counter. "I don't need much, long as it keeps us kicking, yeah? Aha!"
She popped back up with a bottle in hand and dug around in her pocket to drop a few coins on the counter as she hopped back over it. "Not sure how good this'll be, but it's something."
Marakai laughed, and rather loudly. "I assumed you were talking breakfast. If you wanted to get drunk, there's plenty of that back there. Here, put something on your stomach, and I'll grab some of that bread and meat. Do you suppose we should eat here, or take it with us?"
He held out his hand, holding one of the sweet rolls. "Smells good. Bet it tastes just as well."
She smirked and took the roll. "I never said anything about getting drunk. Maybe just a little tipsy."
A shrug and she added, "C'mon, we can eat while we walk."
"Tipsy in the rain. Suit yourself, then." He offered a smirk, and walked back into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with a small rucksack with bread and wrapped, dried meat.
"Lead on, and let's find this friend of yours." He took a large bite of the sweet roll, and gestured her onward.
Tara's smirk turned a little brittle and she glanced away. "Right. Come on then." She grabbed a piece of bread and nibbled at it as she slipped through the back door of the tavern.
She hissed a bit when the rain hit her, hunching her shoulders against the wind and ducking down the alley between the inn and the building beside it. "So...don't suppose I could use you like a bloodhound?" She glanced over her shoulder with a crooked grin.
Marakai arched a brow, his mouth full. He forced the rest of the roll down before speaking.
"Have you any idea what I'm smelling right now? I smell old, stale alcohol, unwashed bodies, and an overwhelming stench of piss. And all that is - thank the gods - being washed away by the rain. I doubt I'll be able to track anything by scent unless it's particularly strong...is there anything in particular I'd be looking for?"
The large man appeared completely unfazed by the rain, apparently only bothered by it when caught sleeping.
Her eyes widened a bit. "Really? You can really smell all that? Gods, I was mostly joking."
She shook her head and ducked under an awning for a moment, trying to take stock and get her bearings. "Come on, at least get outta the rain for a few seconds."
Marakai moved to hunch beside her, too tall to stand straight without bumping his head. "Is this place made for men, or dwarves? I swear..."
He then snorted, and chuckled a bit. "Tara, I'm a dragon. I can see, smell, and hear on an entirely different level than humans. That's what I meant last night when I said I'd hear you if anything happened....even from outside the building, I'd hear your shout."
He looked out into the storm, then gave her a sidelong glance. "So. How are we supposed to accomplish anything with this downpour?"
"Hmph. Bet that comes in handy." She snorted and poked her head out to take a better look around, then retreated quickly.
"I'm not sure, honestly. He's probably holed up somewhere to avoid the rain, too. Not sure how to find him though."
"Well, what sort of places would you expect to find him at? He could easily be anywhere, honestly, if he simply hides from the rain."
Marakai, too, looked about, but even he could barely see through the falling sheets of rain.
"None of the taverns are really open yet," she mused aloud. "Maybe..."
She glanced up at him. "Feel like a quick run through the rain?"
Marakai heaved a sigh, but had a wry grin.
"I suppose. The real question is...are you?" He chuckled a bit, and strode out into the storm.
"Better hurry. You're leading, remember?" came his voice, barely heard over the falling rain.
Tara huffed and hired after him, grumbling under her breath. "This way." She veered as she much as she could to the left, teying to duck in and out of shelter whenever possible as she moved further into the town.
Despite his large size, Marakai could appear rather graceful in his movements, weaving in and out of alleyways and under awnings, ducking when necessary and never slowing in his movements.
It only took a minute for his long strides to allow him to catch up to Tara again.
"If you think I was a sight, soaking from the rain, you should see yourself. What destination do you have in mind?"
"Oh, shut up." She gathered her hair over her shoulder and attempted to wring some of the water out of it, then jerked her chin the direction of what appeared to be a rather dilapidated, abandoned house.
"In there, come on. At least we'll be dry."
Marakai laughed a bit. "Well, at least it's just water. Hold here a moment, I'll get the door."
He left their current shelter from the rain, taking off at a jog. His booted feet slapped the muddy ground, and he grimaced - he'd have to get both dry and clean. This wouldn't be his favorite day.
He made it to the house, and turned the knob on the door. Which, as luck would have it, was locked. He couldn't understand why someone would bother locking a ramshackle building like this, unless they were trying to jrrp vagrants or such out.
He turned to look back at Tara, and shouted. "The door is locked. Should I force it open?"
But Tara had disappeared. When Marakai started toward the building, she'd took off in the other direction, ducking around behind the little house to climb in through a narrow gap in a boarded up window.
She made her way easily through the house to the front door, flicked the latched, and bumped it open with her hip.
"You were saying something?"
"You....really?" He grunted, and shook his head wistfully, then chuckled and stepped inside.
"Well, good for you for not being a bloody giant, I guess," he said, spying the boarded up window it appeared she had come in by.
"I could have just broke the lock, you know. By the look of this place, I doubt anyone would have cared." He sat down heavily on an old chair. Luckily, it was sturdy enough not to break under his weight.
"So...should we just wait out the storm? This seems like it'll do well enough to keep us dry." He pulled the bag of food they'd brought with them off his belt, and checked it. Luckily, it appeared to have remained dry.
"That was the plan." Tara glanced up toward the ceiling that looked like it was falling apart.
"I need to check something," she murmured, "be back in a moment."
Marakai nodded. "I'll wait here. Be careful...I wouldn't bump into anything too hard." He dug in the sack for one of the hunks of bread, and tore it in half, fitting a bit if the dried meat between the halves.
Tara nodded and carefully made her way up the rickety stairs to the second floor, which essentially consisted of a long hallway with two doors on the left and one on the right.
Something moved in the house, just a soft rustling noise of clothes or sheets perhaps. She smirked, drew her dagger and whistled, long and low.
A wind gathered around her, soft at first but growing in strength until it burst out in a sharp gale that blew open the door on the right with a bang.
The man hunkered down amidst abandoned boxes and chests yelped, jumping to his feet while his hand flew to the blade at his hip. Tara tossed her dagger, pinning him to the far wall by his shirt. In the next instant she had another knife in hand and was sauntering toward him.
"Hey there. Mind if we have a quick chat?"
Apparently Tara forgot about his superior, enhanced senses - Marakai heard every word, every sound from upstairs. In a flash, he was standing, swift strides taking him to the bottom of the stairs.
He stood there, looking up the crickety flight, red eyes glowing like hellfire. And he was listening. To everything.
"Misunderstanding my ass...." he mumbled, the grip on his sword tight. "Sounds more like a confrontation to me."
He kept his voice low and quiet, so not to be heard, and listened to the events occurring above his head.
The squatter snarled and moved to jerk the blade from his shirt. Suddenly Tara was in front of him, her other knife pressed to his throat.
"I really wouldn't, sweetheart," she cooed.
He growled at her. "Crazy bitch! The hell do you want?"
Her eyes flashed. "You know very well, Camyn. Where is he?"
Camyn glared at her in stony silence.
"Fine." She shrugged and rocked back. "Maybe I'll just have my new friend come ask you. We haven't exactly been quiet, I'm sure he's heard us by now."
"I suppose that's my cue..." he mumbled, making his way up the stairs. He'd heard the man upstairs, heard her response, and figured he'd better shoe some muscle before someone got irritated and attacked the other.
It was simplicity itself to follow the sounds of their heated words, and he found himself at a door that had certainly seen better days, knocked aside as it was. Tara certainly wasn't being tactful, but he imagine the situation didn't exactly require it, if their words were any indication.
Narrowing his eyes, he willed the light of his eyes to life, giving him a visage straight from hell as the red illuminated his face. He stooped to enter the room, dragging his massive great sword behind him. When he was inside, he made a show of his strength, lifting it one handed as if the three-hundred pound blade were but a toy and resting it on a shoulder.
"Tara....is this one being a problem?"
He stared the man down with eyes glowing like the fires of hell itself.
She smirked- Camyn looked like her was about ready to wet himself. "Ah, there you are." She gestured between the two men. "Marakai, Camyn. Camyn, Marakai."
Camyn was pale, and his throat worked as he swallowed. "Wh-where did you find the giant?"
"Pleasure.. " he mumbled sarcastically, answering the introduction. He glanced at Tara questioningly. What was he here for? This man looked like he'd crumple under the strength of a breeze, as frightened as he was. Hell, the drunks from before had spine enough to stand up to him, at least for a second...though he also supposed that this guy was sober.
When the man spoke, Marakai turned to him with a glare, playing his part. "She found me out in the boneyard, munching on the bones of men. What's it matter to you, little man?"
Tara raised her hand to hide a chuckle turned into a cough as Camyn shriveled against the wall.
"B-bullshit," he protested, voice squeaky. His eyes flicked between the two of gh. "What's she paying you, huh? Or did she just whore herself out for the extra help?"
Tara's second dagger embedded itself in the wall by his head. The bard rocked back on her heels as though nothing ha happened.
Marakai tilted his head to the side sharply, the sharp sound of several bones in his neck popping simultaneously. If it were at all possible, it would seem as if that hellish light from his eyes began to burn yer brighter.
If he had a part to play, he'd play it well. He loosened his hold on his human form.
His teeth lengthened and sharpened slightly, and at the right side of his forehead, a long spike began to grow. One hand began to grow scales, his fingernails lengthening and sharpening into a Dragons claws, his palm and fingers twisting into a form appropriate for them.
If he thought the dagger by his head was scary, he didn't know what fear was, yet.
He was suddenly directly before the man, and the hand not holding his sword went through the wall. Before him was now a twisted sort of half-dragon, right in his face.
"Do you think this is some sort of joke, human!?" he yelled, directly into the man's face. His voice had an odd, gutteral quality to it, as if his vocal cords weren't meant for human speech.
"She pays me nothing, you little fool. I'm along for the ride because I was promised your corpse to feed on if you weren't...compliant."
He leaned in towards the mans face, a distinctly draconic growl freed from his throat.
"You'll tell her what she wants to know...or I'll start at your feet
..and work my way up to your face."
Tara actually skittered back a step, jaw falling open. She pulled herself together as quickly as she could though, and quickly moved forward to put a hand on Marakai's more human arm.
"Easy there, down boy," she murmured, hoping his ire- faked or not- wouldn't turn to her.
Marakai snarled into the man's face, and backed away. "You're lucky, little man..." he said, offering a sharp-toothed grin. He reached up, and with his scaled hand, pulled Tara's blade from the wall.
He stood and turned to her, offering it back. "I imagine you don't want to lose this, my Lady..." he said, offering a fake honorific. Unseen by the man on the floor, he gave her a slight wink.
Despite his monstrous appearance, he was all there in mind. Slowly, his draconic features melted away, and in a moment he was fully human again.
(Happy new year! Or at least it is over here!)
[And to you! *east coast time, whoo*]
The young woman closed her fingers around the hilt and tucked the blade back into it's sheath at the small of her back. She gave him a nod and a quick, subtle smirk.
"So." She turned to face Camyn again. "Feeling chatty now?"
The man paled even further and she half thought if her other knife hadn't been pinning him to the wall he might have collapsed. "Look, I really don't know," he said quickly. "Last I heard, we were supposed to meet up in Adela."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're lying. I know for a fact your last job was in Connlaoth, why would you come so far south just to head back to Adela?"
The man shook his head, wide eyes flicking to Marakai, but he didn't speak.
Marakai turned towards the man with a snarl, but remained where he was. "You might want to answer the lady, cretin. I like my meat tenderized before I eat it." He brought his hands together, making a fist and cracking his knuckles.
"And I'll make sure you're conscious once I start on you."
"The desert!" Camyn yelped. "There's an outpost, a small town at the border. He- he'll be there in three days."
Tara smiled. "See, now was that so hard?" She sauntered forward and pulled the knife from his shirt, then moved to leave.
On second thought...
She whirled, blade bared, and drove the dagger through his shoulder. Camyn howled and staggered back, clutching at his bleeding shoulder. Another jab forward to his knee brought him down and she straightened up, sheathing the blade.
Tara turned and strode casually back out into the hall. "Let's move , if you're coming," she said as she passed Marakai.
Marakai stared down at the man with a contemptible look, and followed after Tara.
He caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs, and laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "...what was that, Tara? You told me you were clearing up a misunderstanding....I played my part because I thought this was just that - a misunderstanding. That wasn't what that was." He crossed his arms across his chest.
"What's going on, Tara? You left a man, who can't walk now, upstairs to possibly bleed out, and for what? If this is something serious, I'll help you. I'll even fly you to the desert. But I need to know if this is going to do more harm than good."
She scoffed and jerked away from his hand. "He'll be fine. He's got a good set of lungs, he'll get help."
Almost on cue, Camyn started shrieking. She rolled her eyes and started to move. "Which is why we should get out of her as quick as we can, c'mon."
Marakai glared. "You'd better not play with me, Tara. You're going to tell me this, before we leave Zantaric."
He looked up, and snarled. "You shut your mouth, little man, before I come back up for you!"
Silence.
"There. That's time to talk. Now, talk."
Tara took an instinctive step back from him, but she flared, head high and jaw set stubbornly.
"What do you want to know? I told you yesterday you wouldn't want to help me."
"Yes. You did. And I intend to find out why. If I misjudged you, I'd like to know who it is I'm actually dealing with. Why are you going to the desert? What is the goal of this?"
He didnt move any closer to her, but his presence was absolutely looming. He remained where he was, arms folded across his chest.
Tara mimicked his posture, arms crossed and indigo eyes positively snapping fire. "I'm going to kill a man," she said evenly. "And while I appreciate your help back there- gods know that sped things up a bit- I won't beg you to come with me. But if you try to stop me, I'll fight."
Her heart positively shriveled in fear at the thought, but she held her ground, magic thrumming insistently through her body.
Marakai sighed. "Tara, I won't fight you. I won't stop you, either. I think you know that I could succeed in both, too." He noticed a change in her scent, and his nose twitched as he detected magic.
"Whatever else you've got cooking won't do much good, either. You say you're going to kill a man, and I'm no stranger to murder for the right reasons. Remember - balance. I'm no paladin. But, I'd like to know why."
Her fists clenched at her sides.
"Because he deserves it," she spat.
Marakai huffed a bit, and leaned towards her. "Why? Did he wrong you somehow? Kill someone close to you? Steal something from you? What? You're not giving me much to go on."
She stepped back. "What does it matter? He's an evil son of a bitch, and I'm going to kill him."
Marakai chuckled a little bit. "Well, I can understand evil. Now we're getting somewhere." He straightened upagain. "I've no problem with putting down evil, but why are you so against telling me this?"
Tara huffed and looked away. "Because it's none of your business." She shrugged. "If you need more of a reason to kill him, I'm sure he'll give you one within five minutes or so of meeting him."
Marakai sighed, and shook his head. "Now look. I shared my secrets with you. I shared my identity, the secret of my lineage. And you won't even tell me this. That's a little unfair, don't you think?"
She quirked an eyebrow. "I never asked for your life story- I just asked who you were. And for all I know you could be lying."
She didn't think he was, but it was a possibility.
Marakai threw his hands into the air. "You know what? Whatever. I don't care. You think what you want, and you can spend the next couple months walking to Essyrn while you do. I'll be around if you change your mind." He huffed, and mumbled obscenities under his breath. Two long strides took him to the door.
A shove took it off its hinges to fall into the street, as the fuming dragon stepped out into the storm.
Tara huffed and rolled her eyes, turning on her heel to slip out of the back of the house.
She made it about fifteen feet before Camyn started screaming again- and a few uniforms that looked an awful lot like town guards came rushing past.
Shit.
Ducking into an alley, she started making her way carefully back in Marakai's direction until she saw the rather broad expanse of his back.
"Hey!" she hissed. "Look, you've gotta get out of here. Like, now."
Marakai just stopped walking, but he didn't turn around. He did, however, bring his sword down to allow it's tip to pierce the earth, holding lightly onto its hilt.
He just stood there, in the rain, completely soaking wet. He didn't care.
"I hear them. I smell them, too. But...I'm not the one that hurt the guy. All I did was put a hole in the wall of an abandoned building."
Then he turned around, staring down at her with hard eyes.
"I committed no crime, and certainly not one they can prove. This is on you.... unless you changed your mind, anyway." He shoved the sword into the ground, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"There's not a damn thing they can do to stop me anyway."
She snorted, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder like a hunted animal. "Well, forgive me for trying to help," she snapped, eyes narrowed.
"Why are my motives so damned important to you anyway?"
"They weren't, until you insulted me. You refute me when I tell you everything, and then when I bring it up again you have the gall to call me a liar. My life story is who I am, and I didn't even tell you half of what really matters."
His glare continued. "And you're one to talk about trying to help. That's all I've tried to do. Yet when I try and find out what ends I'm helping you towards - well. Here we are. Imagine that."
Tara's stomach gave a guilty lurch, but she forced it away. Her eyes narrowed.
"Look, you don't get to pass judgement on me like that, I don't give a fuck who or what you are. You lead the kind of life I do, and you just expect people to lie, all the time."
She folded her arms and jerked her head back toward the house. "Camyn thinks you're some kind of demon. Guards won't let that slide, they'll hunt you down."
Marakai gave an almost feral-sounding snarl, turning his head to the side.
"We'll deal with this later, then. And I mean deal with it. Let's go." Almost angrily, he ripped his crystalline blade from the ground, and turned away.
"...I'll take you to the desert. But if we don't come to an agreement by then, you're on your own."
He hefted his blade onto his shoulder, and began walking again, away from the sounds of approaching feet.
She glared at his back. "I never asked for that," she muttered, but started following him.
Marakai said nothing, offering only a grunt in reply.
Using his nose and his ears, he was able to evade the coming footsoldiers. Ducking into convenient alcoves or behind crates, it was simplicity. He supposed the uniforms were too stupid to just trace tracks in the mud - there seemed to be plenty of them.
When they reached and exited the gate of the town, Marakai turned to Tara. "Let's get some distance from town, first. Then we fly."
She nodded, though her face paled a bit at the word "fly".
She hated heights. "After you." She gestured forward.
Marakai gave a nod in response, and turned to look at the sharp, broken topped mountains around them. It'd be easy enough to get up one, and fly from there. He wondered how well his irksome companion could handle the climb, though.
He'd find out soon enough, though. He started walking in a seemingly random direction, picking the peak that appeared highest.
"We're heading into the mountains?" Tara piped up behind him as she started following him.
"Mm-hmm. Be easier to take off from there. Otherwise, I'll have to fly over them, and that's much harder than it sounds, especially in the rain."
He looked up, shielding his eyes with his free hand.
"Which doesn't seem like it's going to let up anytime soon. This might be a hard climb... are you up for it?"
She narrowed her eyes and snipped back, "Are you?"
She kept walking, squinting her eyes against the rain.
The dragon turned to look at her, a brow raised. "... I'm serious, Tara. Slick rocks are hard to climb. I admit, the thought hadn't crossed my mind until just now. I'll have no problem climbing - if need be, I'll simply transform and scale it with claws. But you have no such luxury."
He turned back to the mountain. "...if you need help, let me know."
He continued walking forward.
Tara snorted, but didn't try to rebuff him. "Alright. C'mon, let's just keep moving, yeah?"
Marakai snorted a bit. "Let's see you say that when were climbing." He gave a bit of a chuckle, and picked up the pace.
Steadily, the muddy ground gave way to littered stones and cast off boulders as they grew closer to the mountains. Marakai walked right up to a sheer wall of stone, glancing back and forth for the best way to continue.
"I may have to cut handholds for you."
Tara huffed pitba sharp breath and mumbled, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me."
Louder, she said, "Isn't there a footpath or something? Even a game trail?"
"No point in mumbling under your breath - I can still hear you. And I imagine that yes, there probably is. If you want to stumble about in the rain and waste perhaps hours looking for one, be my guest."
He turned and regarded her with a flat stare. "Otherwise, I have an idea, if you don't mind hanging on to my neck. I can climb this - all you have to do is hang on."
She screwed her nose up, eyeing him warily. "You sure? You're not gonna drop me or anything?"
"On purpose? Never. Trust me, if I wanted you dead, you would be. Accidentally depends on your ability to hold on."
He turned back to the mountain, and brought his sword to bear. With a hard thrust, he buried it's entirety into the stone, high enough just for him to reach with a stretch. He pulled it out, leaving a hole. Then, a couple feet to the side of the first, he did it again, and left the sword there.
"Come on, wrap your around my neck and hold on. Just don't choke me, or we'll both be falling."
"Ohhhkaaay..." Very carefully, she stepped up and wrapped her arms around him, doing her best not to cling so tightly she'd cut of his air. Her legs dangled awkwardly and she shifted, uncomfortable, before finally muttering a curse and wrapping them around his waist.
Marakai turned his attention back to the mountain. "Hang on tight. If you need to adjust, let me know and I'll stop moving."
He raised his free hand to the open hole, pulling his sword out of the wall with the other. Then, he hefted himself upward to stab into the mountain again, immediately pulling the sword out only to stab again to the side. Holding onto the sword, he pulled himself and Tara - as if combined they weighed next to nothing - up to reprat the process.
After a few minutes if this - and thoroughly destroying the cliff face - they neared a ledge. Marakai shoved his sword partway into the stone, blade horizonal and sticking out a couple feet.
"Here - climb to the blade if you can. It's flat and wide, you should be able to stand on it. Then get up to the ledge."
All the color drained from her face. "You want me to do what?!" she whisper-shrieked, staring up at the blade.
She couldn't even force herself to let go of him, she hadn't looked down the whole climb- how in hell was she supposed to climb onto a damned sword?!
Marakai sighed. "Hook your foot onto my belt, grab the top of my head, and climb to my sword. If you've ever stood on a chair, you can do this. The damn sword is wider than you are."
Tara was shaking now, clinging to him even tighter. "I- I can't." Her voice was high and scared and she hated it. "I c-can't let go..."
"....You know, if you can't handle this, flying by dragonback will be impossible. Listen. I won't let you fall. I promise. As soon as you raise your leg, I'll grab it. And believe me, if you fall, I'll keep my grip - you weigh almost nothing. You'll be fine."
He shifted his grip on his sword. "I won't let anything happen to you. But if I try to get on the ledge with you on my back, you may fall. And I won't be able to catch you. You've got to do this."
Stomach tight, Tara forced herself to give a sharp, jerky nod. Breathing shallow, she hesitantly shifted to raise her leg to hook her foot on his belt, her hand bracing to up toward the blade and her whole body shaking slightly.
Her eyes flickered down and she froze, seeing the drop spin away beneath her. "I can't!" she shrieked, voice high and panicky.
Marakai grunted. "Fine...hold on as tight as you can. This is...going to get a little rough."
With a squeak she ducked back down to clung to him again, arms tight across his chest and ankles hooked together around his waist. She hid her face against his shoulder, sheer panic overriding any sense of embarrassment.
Marakai began swinging back and forth, kicking his legs out to gain extra momentum. With a grunt, he twisted to the side, ripping his blade out of the mountain and suddenly they were up in the air, twisting in a spiral.
Marakai came down hard on his feet, landing successfully on the ledge, and immediately detached Tara from his back. He turned to the hysterical woman, and encircled her in broad arms, his sword left on the ground.
"It's alright - we're on solid ground. Calm down, you're okay. I told you I wouldn't let you fall - I meant it."
Tara gave a short, sharp scream as they suddenly went airborne, then her voice died and her vision spiraled.
She wasn't fully conscious of what was happening until she was standing on the ledge, Marakai's arms around her. Shaking violently, she clung to him desperately, choking back terrified sobs.
By the time she had enough presence of mind to realize what she was doing, she let go of him as though the touch burned. "I- I'm fine," she mumbled, sounding really anything but.
Marakai stepped back as well, giving her the space that she seemed to want. He'd noticed the scream before they'd landed, heard and felt her shaky sobs when he'd attempted to comfort her. But apparently, this woman wasn't one who appreciated sympathy.
He shrugged. "If you say so." He glanced back and forth, and his eyes widened. "I think we may have found your game trail, though. So no more climbing, at least for now. We've the luxury of walking in the rain, now." He gave a smirk, and brushed past her to continue on the psrg, picking up his sword as he sent.
Tara took a few more breaths to get herself under control and started after him, paler than normal and very pointedly not looking over the side of the ledge.
"Can you tell how far it is to the top?"
Marakai shook his head. "No, but we needn't get to the top - merely the other side. If we can find an area wide enough, I can transform, and we can take off from there."
He turned his head, looking over his shoulder at her. "...are you going to be okay with flying? It's actually much safer than the climb was, I promise."
She snorted, folding her arms and hunching her shoulders. "Okay? No. Can I do it? Sure." She shook her head and added softly, "It's just...seeing the drop, and knowing how little space there is between me and the edge."
She huffed. "I'm not afraid of heights...I'm afraid of the ground from heights."
Marakai smiled, and turned his head to face the path once more. "You're in for a treat, then. We've got to get above this storm. If you can keep your eyes open...above the clouds, it's beautiful. And I promise - if you fall, I'll catch you. All you have to do is sit still. You won't even have to hold on."
Tara swallowed thickly, but nodded. Must of her snippiness seemed to have left her, at least for the moment, and it was suddenly painfully obvious just how young she actually was, eyes still rather wide in a wan face.
"Alright, if you say so," she mumbled, shuffling along the path behind him.
Marakai looked over his shoulder. "Just trust me. You'll be fine...and here we are."
As they came around the mountain, the trail opened into a wide, flat ledge. It was still slightly narrow, but it would have to do.
"You may want to stand back - I don't want to hurt you on accident."
"Ah- okay." She backpedaled quickly. "Just...how fare back are we talking?"
How big was he going to get?
Marakai chuckled. "Honestly? Go back around the bend there. You'll know when you can come out safely." He grinned and crossed his arms. "Just put some stone between the two of us, and you'll be fine. This will only take a second."
Tara's eyes widened a bit and she nodded, backing up before ducking behind the bend he'd indicated.
She was doing her utmost not to look at the nearby drop.
[Once again, apologies, but I dislike writing out his transformations...]
From Tara's vantage point, nothing could be seen, but she would hear bones snapping, stretching, spreading, and resetting themselves as the large man underwent a drastic transformation. Loud creaking sounds, like that of stretching leather, would echo over the peaks.
Then a titanic roar would echo even louder, so loud that even the stones would rattle, dancing upon the rock they stood upon.
A fairly long, sinuous neck attached to a huge head crowned with many spikes peaked over the mountain, huge all-red eyes glowing like fire, would loom over Tara suddenly. Huge breaths of air would blow her clothes and hair about with each exhale, strong but not so much to cause her to lose her balance.
There, Tara. See me now as I am, truly.
The massive dragon, at a crouch, suddenly stood and from foot to back, he stood over forty feet tall, coated in armorlike, jet black scales. Huge wings spread out to a span of over one hundred fifty feet, blotting out the light. A great finned tail slapped the earth almost two hundred feet away, shaking the mountain.
I am Marakai. And I am the Prince of dragons.
Tara staggered back, slipped, and tried to grab for the rocks to prevent herself from falling. Her palms sliced open on jagged stone and she hissed in a sharp breath in pain, staring up at him.
She's seen dragons before, but she had to admit he was quite impressive.
Not that she would admit it. "Alright. Very nice," she muttered, trying to straighten up. "Can you stop your showboating so we can go?"
Marakai buffed, and a small jet of jet black flames escaped his nostrils. He then laughed, but in his current form it sounded like a grunt. You speak as if you are not impressed.. But to see you fall on your ass as you did says far more.
He lowered his great head, a couple spikes on his chin sinking into the stone as if it were wet clay.
Very well. Climb up behind my head, and you will find a soft space under my spikes. My head will block the wind. Climb up, and I will hand you my sword - I ask that you do not drop it.
"Uh...sure. Okay."
Tara warily climbed up onto his neck, careful of the spikes that decorated his body. "Ooohhhh this is high," she mumbled, glancing down over his shoulder.
His mental voice echoed in her head, uncharacteristically gentle. I won't let you fall, Tara. And if you do happen to fall somehow, catching you will be quite easy. Please, don't worry.
His tail snaked back, flipping over the sword laying upon the ground and wrapping around it. It lifted easily, and that serpentine appendage came to gently deposit it, the hilt resting in her lap and the edge facing away from her.
This should be heavy enough to keep you in place. If it starts to slide, please let me know, and I will land.
(Please make sure all trays are in their upright and locked positions!)
[looool]
"Oookaaaay..." Tara rested one hand on the hilt and the other wrapped around one of his horns. "Ah- ready when you are, I guess."