The Horn Takers

FIVE: RISK

11:20AM : OCTOBER 21, 1816 : TRYNDROK : FANG'S WEAPONRY BLACKSMITH
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Marcus was having the slowest, most painful, most boring day of his life. Business was slow and he would occasionally find himself doodling on any paper within arms reach. Many hours had passed and he only had three people approach him.

He decided to focus on the crowds of the market instead, hoping he would see someone making their way to him. He sighed when, instead of a customer, he saw his best friend walking towards him.

"Hey!" He greeted him brightly once he got to the counter. Marcus didn't answer, just smiled back. Elijah smiled again then placed an opened envelope on the counter. He looked at Marcus expectantly.

Marcus glanced at the name; it was addressed to him from none other than the Tryndrok Dragon Council. He quickly snatched the letter to have a closer look.

"Where did you get this?" he demanded.

Elijah jumped over the counter to stand next to him. "I took it out of your mailbox."

As he opened the letter, a key fell out but he ignored it. Reading quickly, he couldn't believe what the words on the page said: he got a dragon. He glanced at the key, then at Elijah.

"Is this for real?"

"Of course it's real, it's illegal to forge a letter from the TDC you know." He grabbed the key and waved it in front of Marcus. "Let's go see your dragon."

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They were standing in a long hallway. The rusty lanterns planted on the dirt walls had very little fuel in them, and flickered as if they were about to go out and leave the boys in complete darkness underground.

Every couple feet was a large, barred gate. Behind it was dark and the faint outline of some sort of dragon could be seen.

As Marcus and Elijah walked past the many cells, Marcus felt an eerie ambience surrounding him. The knowledge of being forty feet underground and having many pounds of dirt above his head terrified him. He felt the urge to run back up to the surface world right then and there.

Elijah, on the contrary, walked fast and pulled Marcus ahead as if he didn't care that the roof could cave in on them at any moment. They continued walking along until they were in front of a gate labeled 'B21'.

Elijah slowly moved closer and Marcus attempted to pull him back but he was already tapping on the bars.

"Don't do that!" Marcus sharply whispered "You could anger it."

"Relax, it's fine." Elijah replied "You read what dragon you got right?"

Marcus almost didn't hear him. He was too distracted by the thought of finally having something he's always wanted; like a child finding a candy store in a street of produce stores. He felt Elijah place his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, did you hear me?" His voice was oddly gentle and his eyes were concerned.

Marcus turned to him, "Oh, right, no I didn't read that. Didn't you?" he asked.

"Oh, no, I didn't make it that far, I got too excited and ran over to your little shop."

Marcus smiled and took out the letter from his pocket, He unfolded it and began looking for the information he needed. Elijah waited patiently and glanced at a group that passed by them who were also looking for their dragons.

"You think we'll see that boy and girl from the registration here?" he asked. Marcus shrugged.

"I don't know. Look here it is." Marcus held his finger to a line that read: 'Dragon species profile: Elocater, Dragon class type: Lethal'.

Marcus' breath caught in his throat. That one word. It couldn't be right. Had the TDC really given him a Lethal class? The most dangerous of dragon classes? Both boys turned to look at each other; neither said a word. Practically staring off into space. Finally, Elijah broke the silence.

"Well, can't relate, I got a Windrazor. Dragon class type Air. Good luck with that one," he joked as he pointed towards the cage, ", You're gonna need it. Anyways, I'm gonna go look for mine, see you in a little bit."

Being left stranded, Marcus couldn't help but love his friend for his ability to throw humor into any situation. He pocketed the letter and turned back to the cage once more. How was he even supposed to train this beast? He would be dead in the first second.

He found himself with a solution; one that was very risky, but he wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, it was possible.

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"Hey, so about that Elocater," Marcus began as they stepped out of the darkness of the underground and onto the bright surface world. ", I think I know how I can train it but I need your honest opinion if you have even the slightest bit of doubt."

"Oh yeah for sure, tell me," Elijah stopped to lean on a tree just outside the arena. Marcus joined him. ", but can we go get some food after this? I'm hungry."

Marcus nodded then thought about how to word what he wanted to say. "Okay. I was thinking of maybe asking someone who knows about dragons and such for help." Elijah nodded then thought for a moment. Finally, he sighed as he understood what his best friend was trying to tell him.

"You want to ask Hajrack for help, don't you?"

Marcus nodded.

"And you want me to be there by your side for emotional and physical support just in case he decides to jump you."

Marcus nodded again.

"Basically, you want me to do the talking for you because we both know you're not gonna talk to him."

Marcus nodded one last time.

"What's in it for me?"

Marcus searched for a good answer, "My love and appreciation for you?"

"Really. That's the best you got?"

Marcus sighed and gave in "Fine, I'll buy you food."

Elijah was thoughtfully considering it. "Okay, but if he decides to punch me in the face, it's your fault."

Marcus nodded "Of course, I'll take the blame, anyways let's go get something to eat then." His best friend smiled excitedly and began dragging Marcus towards Main Street.

Elijah took Marcus' money then headed straight to a little stand situated outside a jewelry store. He returned with two mini spinach and chicken pot pies and began tearing at his.

Marcus didn't eat, he just sat on the curb watching the crowds. He felt anxious and stressed about what they would say to Andrew. They had to be very careful with their wording; a high class wouldn't help a low class for no reason, not unless there was something in it for them.

"What if we bet on something? Then Andrew would at least consider helping us, don't you think?" he suggested.

"Like money? Isn't that kind of risky though, especially with us having so little of it compared to him." Elijah's voice was muffled.

He nodded. "But if he's aware that he can hurt our financial situation with a little bet and if he's how everyone says he is, he'll probably take the chance and I'm willing to take the chance too. I want that dragon, Lijah."

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Marcus Andrews Medarniah
Elijah Eli Elwood