The Scar of the Dragon (Youtubers AU)

Chapter 4

The village pub is never a place that Mark likes to go. The rowdy patrons and the bar fights over even the slightest indiscretion helps him realize how much more he enjoys just being in the woods with his trusty sword and shield. Right now his plan is to just continue to slowly sip the one mug of mead he's had since they first got there, and hopefully get back to their camp before it got too late.

With the way that Bob is chugging down his latest beer and beginning to chat up the pretty barmaid, he prepares himself for a very long wait. As irritated as he feels he settles down deeply in his seat and waits. Bob regardless is the best friend he has and would take a sword blade if he needed to for him. Had already done so in fact. On the battle field a few years ago there was an ambush that Mark should have been ready for, but it was clear when he had put his boots on that day that their group was horribly outnumbered. In an attempt to save his men Mark argued for hours with his superior, but there was no convincing him of the blatant danger ahead.

Bob being built like a tank and great with a broad sword took the right flank while Mark covered the left, and it was Bob who took the long swipe with the short ax meant for the back of Mark's head. To this day Bob walked with a shallow limp because of his bravery, and Mark would make sure that he always had a place by his side until his dying day.

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind, young warrior."

The words were from a small elderly woman in a large cloak. Her eyes are dark and round and the smile slightly twisted as she looked Mark over.

"Yes, ma'me," he says, trying his best to keep his tone as polite as possible. There's something about this woman that makes him feel uneasy and on edge.

The old woman chuckles as she shuffles a little closer to him and sits next to him at his table. The wrinkled face glances over him with an amazing amount of care until the beady eyes reach his covered right sleeve. She chuckles again as she points a slender index finger towards his wrist.

"I would assume that some of your worries are about your scar?"

Mark reacts more on instinct than anything else as he pulls his right arm away protectively. His dark brown eyes narrow to view the woman with much more seriousness than he had before. However all he receives is another deep cackle for his sudden defensiveness.

"Please, there is no need to be concerned about me," she coos, her knobbly hands raising up to make sure that the warrior saw that she meant no harm. "I'm just able to sense when powerful magic is around me, my dear. That scar is as magical as it gets, and also incredibly dangerous to you and your large friend."

Her eyes shift quickly over to Bob still laughing loudly at the bar, and then back to meet the soft brown gaze of the warrior.

"How long have you had it?" she continues, ignoring the uncomfortable look in Mark's face.

"About two days now," Mark whispers back. "It came in the night while I was fishing. At first I thought that I had been stung by some sort of animal. I can't stand sea creatures. Fucking terrors."

The man covers his mouth at his language, but the older woman just chuckles again.

"It's all right my dear," she replies, patting her hand on top of his right shoulder. "I practically live in this bar. If a curse word were to have caused me harm, I would have been dead years before you were even thought about."

Mark smiles at this, and leans in a little closer to make sure that no one else could be eavesdropping. The right sleeve is pulled to reveal a bandage which he unwraps very quickly to show the black curved scar on his wrist. The woman's eyes seem to sparkle.

"Yes," she says slowly, lifting her head to meet the handsome face again. "That is indeed a dragon's scar. You have been chosen to perform a great quest of bravery by a very powerful sorcerer. The scar will stay with you until the task is completed. There may be others who will join you, who also have scars."

"A great quest of bravery?" Mark asks, his mind racing with the possibilities. "But I don't understand. Why was I chosen? Who gave me this...this task to do?"

The woman gives another deep chuckle as she covers the scar again with a gentle pull of Mark's sleeve.

"All very good questions, my dear. Unfortunately, I am not able to answer any of them. As I said I am just a old lady with an eye for the magical. Despite what my appearance otherwise may scream out, I just look like a witch."

Mark can feel a slight amount of redness reach his cheeks at the assumption that he was clearly caught on, but the woman waves away the apology that he has in his mind. She turns to Bob again at the bar, who now is giving her a very curious look.

"Your friend needs to be told about your scar," she advises. "You will need a second heart to assist you in your task, and he looks tough enough for the job."

"A second heart?"

"Yes, my dear," she says, her eyes narrowing in a serious way. "In case you die. Your second heart will take up your task and carry the scar if for some reason you perish before your - "

"What?!" Mark yells, a little louder than he meant. "I could never ask that of Bob. He's already saved my life too many times."

The old woman hums to show that she understands the warrior's plight, and pats him on the shoulder again.

"All the more reason to have him be your second heart. In the task of a Dragon's Scar love and friendship is always the best bonds. They are powerful defenses to the dangerous magic attached to your wrist."

Mark can feel his pace quicken at the idea of such unknown magic and danger. He would be fine with going alone, but even if this second heart wasn't needed, he's sure that Bob would never let him go on a mission like this alone.

"What if I just ignore this," Mark whispers, indicating his arm to the ancient woman. "Just live with the scar?"

For the first time since they first have begun to speak the lady's face turns into one of true fear.

"Oh, you don't ever want to turn away from the quest given to you by the scar of a dragon, my dear. That rip in your skin isn't just for show, It carries a curse of an incredibly painful death to it's owner, and even after it kills you, it will destroy anyone else who you truly care about."