[IC] Creatures of the Night (Wick and Dereken)

[dereken]

Murdell Haddock sat alongside a smoldering campfire, hands held out to the orange-red ashes, trying to ward off the persistent mist that had followed him the whole way up to Hoarfell Pass, where a drake had claimed the area as its own. Travelers and Hunters alike were killed or driven off by the beast, and the local baron had offered up a hefty sum to anyone who could slay the thing. From the rumors in the city, Murdell was the sixth Hunter to go up in search of the drake, the last five never coming back. He scoffed, drawing his thick cloak further around himself. He'd not perish to some runty pseudo-dragon. It was just a matter of finding the right ground to fight the thing. The pass wouldn't do, it offered little cover from the air. He'd have to lure it out into the wooded area at the foot of the pass. Murdell stood up, and stomped out the meager ashes that were left, ready to move on. He stopped, however, sensing a presence behind him.

Turning, Murdell could spot a vague figure through the misty air. He could hear the slight clink of armor in motion. Another Hunter? Or just some lost warrior? He called out. "Oy! I dunno where you think you're going buddy, but Hoarfell Pass ain't safe. You'll get ate alive, you hear me?"

[Wick]

Mara Grey

Mara had her eyes on the large creature. It looked like it was still unsure if it should be threatened by one so small as she. Her sword drawn she heard the other slayer's remark and countered back. "I'll not be eaten today for I am the devourer!" She said this part with slightly more confidence than she felt at that exact moment.

Mara expected fire and rage from the drake and quite possibly seeing the dead bodies of others that the townsfolk hired to kill the dragon. She had passed at least three on her way here. The dragon raised up and glared at her and she could see the smoke coming out of it's ears and the temperature rose and Mara stabbed at the creature just as it blasted fire at her. The spell she had cast had made her fireproof for the moment but it did nothing to keep the hot smoke out of her lungs. She walked towards the other hunter, stumbling a little and her skin was blackened in places from the char. Mara was coughing and thought she might not manage another breath. Sitting down across from the man.

"Hello, Mara Grey and you are?"

[dereken]

Murdell grunted, unimpressed. "Quite the display you put on. It was almost bothered." He looked at her, sooty but undamaged. Probably some form of magic. He sighed, magic did not make for a good Hunter, but being fireproof didn't seem like a bad thing when facing the drake. "Just stay here, I'll deal with the damn thing." Murdell marched up the hill toward the drake, which eyed him with the same disdain it held for Mara. "I'll cure that mean look..." He muttered as he swung his cloak open to aim the as of yet hidden crossbow. Twang! The bolt loosed, straight for the drake's face, and it anticlimactically skewed off its hard scales. Murdell scowled, and drew his sword. The drake roar, and took to the air, belching a torrent of flame down toward him. Ducking and diving for cover, Murdell was nearly caught in the blast, his clothes instantly drying in the extreme heat, and his cloak catching fire.

Murdell swore, and made for the road, back toward his camp. The drake did not pursue, clearly content to stay in its territory, though it roared at Murdell as he fled. He stopped at the circle of stones where once burned his campfire, clearly singed and angry. "I will murder that thing slowly."

[Wick]

Mara Grey

Mara grinned and tried not to chuckle as he came back. She said something and water rained over him putting out the fire on his cloak and then the cloud above him disappeared. She had pulled out a sweet treat similar to a marshmallow and threaded it onto a stick and held it over the fire and handed him one. She chuckled as he sloshed in his boots because of her rain.

"I see you did as well as I did." She smirked as she turned her treat over the fire. "I think we should work together. Maybe we can outsmart it. I can make you fireproof."
@dereken

[dereken]

Murdell scowled, flicking the tip of his blade through the micro-storm hovering over his head, to no effect. He grunted, sheathed his sword, and dropped down near the fire, half drenched, half scorched. He took the sweet from Mara, looking it over before dropping it in the fire. "I was going to outsmart it. Then I caught on fire." Murdell sighed, looking back up the road toward the drake, which eyed them both with unmasked, animal hatred.

"Fine. Make me fireproof. We'll take the damned thing's head." Murdell stood, reloading his crossbow as he did so. "I'm Murdell."

[Wick]

Mara Grey

Mara stood up and cast a fireproof spell so the drake couldn't burn him or his clothing, cloak included, although there wasn't much of that left to speak of. The next thing she did was touch the tip of his sword with her hand and spoke to it casting another spell. This one would make it sharp enough to pierce dragon scales. "This should make your sword capable of cutting the dragon's tough hide." The third thing she did was look at Murdell and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek for luck. "For luck!"

She followed him back to the drake and waited.
@dereken