Kendrick punctured the deer's hide with the point of the skinning knife and made a clean slit down its belly to gut and clean the kill. He didn't look at the dragon as he worked, likely to avoid accidentally slicing into his own fingers, "Reasonable? You fired an accurate eight hundred meter shot. The record for our bows is somewhere closer to three hundred. I hear the best in the world is four hundred, but who knows how much exaggeration that story may contain?" He paused a moment, letting out a soft sigh and shaking his head slowly. "Sykia, right now your task is to blend in. If you draw too much attention, then I won't be able to honor our arrangement."

His tone held no trace of anger, if anything it was only slightly disapproving, the way a father might chide a child that simply didn't know better. The prince's hands were deft and agile, never a stray cut, never too deep, and never a tear. The scent of blood filled the air and the condensation from the creature's retained heat rose from its wounds as he continued, "Did you have any thoughts as to who you'll be in this guise? Name, profession, purpose? How we met and why I've taken you back to the palace? Things like that."

"Eh don't worry about my back up disguise I have it planned out for months" said looking at the sky above them the sun shine and the world blooming with flowers. It was warmer as she chuckled "I'll be fine besides who would mess with a fire and destruction mage? " lifted eyebrow slowly. She had a good enough lie if a back story she had planned months ago. She looked at her fingernails "well I'm going to clean off my weapons. You can cook and eat I'm nit hungry" she said as she.walked along the banks of the river and put her.sword in watching the blood wash away.

Kendrick gave her another approving nod, "Good, just see that you keep a low profile once we reach the palace. No one can know about your... Real form. It is forbidden, even for a prince, to have contact with a dragon." He let her depart without further delay, preparing the meal to roast on the nearby fires. After some time, he did follow her trail to join her on the riverbank, having washed and changed into his usual riding leather, the royal scepter slung across his back casually.

"Our meeting... I think it best if you pose as my tutor in the arcane. I should warn you, I haven't a bit of skill at it, but the need for an education in theory should be more than enough to satisfy anyone's curiosity about it... Including my father's, the king's. We met by happenstance on this little expedition, and you offered your services as my teacher, no?" he asked immediately upon approaching, not even bothering to greet her.

The girl as mediateing when the prince was there, breathing deeply as he eyes opened "Fine but when things start to fall all over the place don't think I'll-" she was cut off and jumped up looking alert, she looked around a smell filled the air that she could smell, it smelled like rotting meat, but there was nothing rotting around here she grabbed the prince fast "let go now' she said, the water started to turn a color of pure purple color. She sensed it....evil was rising from its cavern and now was not the time to be in the forest.

Kendrick unslung the royal scepter from his back, catching it with one hand as the tines on its head charged with a blue-white energy that filled the air around them with the smell of ozone. He kept silent, but followed the dragon's lead, making way back to the camp; thankfully, most everyone had already packed up in preparation to leave. A few attendants were waiting and approached with his mount, "Your grace," they said respectfully.

The prince hopped up into the saddle, one hand taking hold of the reins, the other still gripping the scepter, "We're leaving. On the double." The servants nodded and made a quick pace towards the rest of the followers to inform them and get moving. Kendrick offered Sykia a hand up to sit behind him, "What's the trouble?"

She took his hand and gets onto the horse but her eyes fixed on the forest, watching and waiting for whatever it was to show its face. Nothing happned the forest grew quite the birds didn't sing nothing made sound but the wind that flashed through the trees' Coming the forest came what looked like a hooded figure it face hidden but there was something very dangerous about him. Sykia winced as her head hurt and shut her eyes tightly "go run " she said. The made grinned darkly walking toward them dark arua fallowing him easily.

Kendrick spurred his mount stiffly, but not cruelly, into a gallop, eager to be on his way. He wasn't exactly defenseless out in the wilds with his contingent of servants and men at arms, but he certainly felt more comfortable with the palace walls surrounding him and a standing army between him and any threats. A few of his hired guards matched pace with the prince, glancing over to meet his gaze before jerking their head towards the unknown man behind them. The prince nodded, brow furrowed in something akin to annoyance, what was he paying these men for if not to protect him?

The pair of guards broke off from the main group and turned around, guiding their own barded chargers to intercept the stranger. They kept their weapons stayed, but one hand rested on the hilts of their swords as they approached, "Halt! State your name!" they called, eyes warily looking over their pursuer.

sykia eyes widen "no you dumb ass" she mutters but she knew she could help them escape their fates. she shuts her eyes and focused hard on something but it stayed with her inside of her soul locked away. The dark male only grinned cruely and lifted his head and eyes glowing showing the guards their true and unspeakable fear that would drive them insane. he laughs softly but noticed the stupid dragon and prince had gotten away. he snarled and eyes stopped glowing and then eyes glow orange and he shifted into a large red dragon with two black long whiskers. his eyes flaming as he towered over the guards and opened his mouth and spews out wickedly white flames at the guards.

Kendrick felt a shiver run down his spine that urged him to press his steed forward with more haste. He dropped the scepter into a holster affixed to the horse's saddle and rested his now free hand over Sykia's, ensuring she was still holding onto him as the throng fled. One by one, the horses of the expedition began to tire; he could feel his own breathing hard in exhaustion. Mercifully, he signaled to slow to a trot, knowing a full stop was out of the question. He leaned back, turning his head to whisper in the disguised dragon's ear, "What did you sense? Are we yet safe?"

She closed her eyes and listened and waited "we are safe for about an hour I kept our scent hidden from him. it should keep us safe for a while but that.....thing isn't so post to be here....he was locked away long ago by my mother....guess he is out for me now" she shuddered slowly, she looked down at the ground "I should leave I am putting you and your people in danger' she said swiftly.

"We're always in danger, Sykia. This whole expedition to find your mother, to find you..." He shook his head, trying to think of the words, "We've made a deal now, and you've already paid a portion of your share throwing... Whatever it is off of our trail. I won't be a very good king one day if I start squelching on my debts now." The prince gave the horses another few minutes to catch their breaths before signalling for the entirety of the expedition to pick up the pace and press for home. He pulled her arm around himself tighter, "Now tell me everything you know about this 'thing', I assure you a prince is not powerless."

"i dare not to repeat what should Have never happned. Long ago my mother came face to face with a demonic dragon that wanted every race to burn. He was a shifter much like my mother and me. My mother mamaged to inprison him in a pit of flames and shadows but when she died the magic that held him died. His new target...Me" she mutters " he controls shadows and ghost fire much like white fire but it can pass through anything it comes in contact with" she mutters gently

The prince muttered a curse and sighed, whipping the reins of his mount to coax more speed as the expedition neared one of the posts on the outskirts of their home territory. "A terrible foe..." His brow furrowed in thought for a few strides of the horse before he gave another look over his shoulder, as if the enemy dragon was on their heels, "Controls shadows and breath can't be stopped... We'll need to get the drop on him for anything to be effective. And, assuming we can pull that off, we'd have to have something that will shut him down immediately... Permanently. Can you replicate your mother's seal?"

"i am not old enough to replicate the seal. It's too hard to do at sucha young age' she mutters gently looking at the shadows of the world around them/. She saw them come towarsd the outskirts and tensed slightly, she was still very uneasy around people but it was better then being someone's lunch.