The Scar of the Dragon (Youtubers AU)

Chapter 10

The scream from one of the largest rooms on the second floor of the inn were growing in both length and intensity. It wouldn't have been so irritating to the grumpy innkeeper if the sounds were even the slightest bit arousing.

However this is clearly not the case, as another shriek reverberates off the walls and to the curious ears of the customers in the bar. Their eyes and index fingers moving skyward as to where exactly the shouting is coming from.

"Master," Matthew hisses, hair disheveled and hazel eyes incredibly puffy. "I know it hurts, but if you keep on with the cries, we're going to be - "

"Great mages like myself don't cry," Nate hisses back. "We merely announce our unpleasant feelings into the air. It helps assists in spells for the future."

Nate glares at his apprentice, waiting to be challenged, but Matthew says nothing. Instead another stir of an amber liquid is placed into a small cup and given to the mage to drink.

"Are you certain that this...potion is the best to deal with your scar?"

Matthew has expected another sarcastic barb, but instead the smaller man gives a small sigh as he empties the cup's contents into his mouth and takes a couple of large gulps. The scar is just as deep and black as ever on the tanned skin.

"The ointment is more for warding off danger then fixing your body of danger has already arrived," Nate admits. "But damn it, Matt I have to do something until I figure out what my task is."

The two men stop talking for the moment and just breathe. Both of them are terrified but for very different reasons. Matthew is scared for his master. Worried about what will happen to him regarding the scar. There's nothing else that the large mark could be than a Dragon's Scar, and the more time they stay cooped up in this room is less time devoted to finding the other members of the task. If there were actually other members, that is.

Nate is scared too, but more about what he is going to be tasked to do. The mortality rate for mages and other magical folk who have been cursed with the scar of the dragon has not been great. Usually they are the first to perish more often than not.

"It's possible that staying here will protect me from harm until the others locate me," Nate says simply. The ointment is stirred a few more times before given back to the mage, and wincing slightly at the smell, he takes another long gulp.

Matt shakes his head, as if trying to rid himself of a pesky thought. This isn't the best way to deal with this situation. They might as well just be sitting around and waiting to die.

"Can I just go in your place?"

Nathan groans at the question, leaning over on the mattress and rubbing small circles into his temples. They have gone over this so many times already, and still Matthew is convinced that they can somehow get around the rules

"No, you can't just go in my place. The scar chose me, and I have to be dead or close enough to it for the task to switch to you. Besides, you are still in training, Matt."

A loud bang on the door stops Matthew from answering, and as soon as Nate is able to cover up enough in the bed his apprentice opens the door. Within a moment a tall man with dark curly hair enters and by his side a smaller man looks nervously around the room. At once there is a searing pain that shoots across the scar on Nate's chest and Ethan buckles. The younger man screams loudly as he clutches at his inner thigh and stares into the brown eyes of the mage laying in the bed.

"Well Ethan," Tyler says as he takes a hold of the smaller man in his arms and Matt closes the door behind them. "It looks like we at least found one other scar bearer."