Young Writers Society

"Well, that sounds ominous, eh?" said Tavis, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Mark and Agrona. The corner of his mouth quirked up. "Well, it's your world. If dragons are my only option, then I'll take it . . . even if I have to die trying."

Seung shivered a bit. "It's as good of a plan as any." He still found it hard to believe that dragons did exist somewhere, but at the same time, it was a thrilling realization.

James only nodded, and looked over to Tasha, waiting for her reply.

"Fine," she says. "Fine, fine, fine, we can go find a f****ing dragon," she says. "But I swear to the gods if we all die I'm going to kill you."

James hid an amused smile. "Well, we can worry about finding the dragon after Seung gets better." He looked at the boy. "It looks like you've caught something. How are feeling after last night?"

Seung replied, "Sick." He gave a small smile as he sniffed. "But I'll be okay. Thanks for asking, Mark."

"Well, if you think you're well enough to travel, then we really ought to. And if... if you're sticking with me until we find a dragon, whatever the chances may be, I believe you deserve some frankness..." James stood up, brushing himself off.

"I want to get you back to your home, wherever that may be. But here, in my world, I am not well liked, and people may come after me with ill intent. You, by association, could be targeted. So we'll have to stay out of the way of towns. We'll have to keep moving."

The man remained in the shadow of the trees, shaking off the snow that clung to his cloak when it proved necessary. It was impossible to recall how exactly he had arrived to this forest. He faintly remembered leaving the Ha'tak when arriving on the planet that had just been conquered; he had been ordered to investigate the civilizations currently there so his master could determine how to control them.

Even more faintly than the previous memory, he recalled reaching several of the small camps that the people had set up. They had Alteran in the blood. That was for certain - none of the Tau'ri had ever been brought to that planet, by Ra or anyone else. He had followed the orders to an extent, just as he usually did. He adopted the persona of a traveler who had just come through the Chapp'ai. None had questioned his arrival, though he suspected they had realized he was linked to the Goa'uld.

But no matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn't recall how he had ended up in this strange forest. The weather was hot, yet snow clung to the ground as if there had just been some sort of winter storm. He didn't like the absurdity of the situation in the slightest.

He came to a stop at the bottom of a cliff face, peering up at the top to no avail. He was certain that there were people there. There had to be. He could smell a fire, and hear faint discussion. So he found a suitable rock to sit on, lit a Detonation to melt the snow, and sat down on the rock once the surface was uncovered and dry. Pulling up his hood to conceal his face even more, he waited inside the shadow of the cliff.

Tavis shrugged and remarked, "That's quite typical a day for me. No problem."

"Okay," said Seung in a small voice. He coughed.

Both were wondering if he was an outlaw, though Tavis also considered the fact that Mark could be in a similar situation as Rin, Tavis' queen and the leader of the Cynbellian rebels. Maybe not the royalty part, but of being innocent but framed or targeted by the enemy and being forced to live in hiding.

“Alright... then let’s move out. We can start on foot. Seung, if you get tired or don’t feel well enough to walk, let me know, and you can ride my horse,” he instructed as he got up, and started packing his blanket on the back of his horse’s saddle.

The sound of people was beginning to grow louder. Whoever was in the cave at the top of the cliff had evidently decided to leave. He continued to sit where he was. He needed to observe them to determine who he was dealing with. If he was dealing with one of Ra's enemies - or, to a lesser extent, one of his own - he needed to be prepared. Waiting in the shadows was perhaps the best way to observe whatever possible foe he was about to encounter.

Tasha saddles up her own horse and strokes it on the neck, murmuring in some foreign tongue. Her dog sits at the entrance of the cave and suddenly stands with a snarl. She smells something.

"What's up, Bane?" she says, approaching her canine. The creature barks, hackles raised.

James slowly approached Tasha, with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Something out there?" He asked.

She nods and her eyes turn deep amber as she sniffs the air. “It almost smells human...but not quite. Not from here, that’s for certain...foreign. That’s the word.” Her fingers hover over the hilt of her sword.

James sighs. "Another person from another world...?"