. : D R A G O N B O R N : . (a MCSM fanfic)

Chapter 11: Refuge

"Yes-- it's me, you idiot!" the potion master blathered.  "Now if you could do me a favor and kindly release my beard--"

Lukas quickly let go, sitting back.  "Ivor, I'm sorry-- I didn't realize..."  He quickly glanced around at the others.  "Soren?  Harper??  What are you doing out here in the middle of the night???"

"Looking for you, as luck would have it!" Soren replied, one eyebrow raised.  "And it seems we have succeeded... no thanks to Ivor's navigating..."

Ivor growled under his breath, gingerly stroking his beard.  It was hard to tell what had been more wounded-- his facial hair or his pride.

Lukas shook his head.  "I'm so sorry-- I didn't expect you to be out here... I... heh... I was afraid you'd be someone else..."

"Soren told us you came to him," Harper told him, stepping forward and extending a hand to help him up.  "We saw the whole fight from Beacontown, and we had a feeling you'd be out there in the middle of it... and when you didn't show up in town, we figured you must have headed out somewhere to shelter."

"Thanks."  Lukas gratefully accepted her aid, rising.  "That's... almost exactly what happened-- I've gotta say, you guys sure know how to puzzle things out..."

"In all fairness, Harper was the one who figured most of it out," Soren said.  "I just told her about the dragon, and Ivor happened to know there was a cave out here where you might have been likely to shelter."

"Hey!  I'm the one who led you all out here!" Ivor protested, crossing his arms sulkily.

Harper and Soren traded glances.

"You mean how you took us down the path through the skeleton dungeon?" Soren asked.

"And broke a silverfish block in the hills?" Harper added.

"And nearly knocked us all into that lava pit?" Soren finished.

"I got you here in one piece, didn't I?" Ivor huffed, grumpily getting to his feet.  "And I was right, wasn't I?  The cave is right here, isn't it?"

"Well, the cave we're staying in is right around the corner," Lukas confirmed.

"See?  I'm not directionally incompetent!"  He crossed his arms and glared at them.

"Anyway," Lukas interrupted urgently, "Please tell me one of you brought potions of healing-- we really, really need them!"

All eyes turned to Ivor.  "Please tell me you didn't fall on them and break them," Soren muttered.

"I am not incompetent!" Ivor growled, producing a small assortment from his tunic.

Lukas heaved a sigh of relief.  "Oh, thank goodness!  Petra and the dragon are both hurt--"

"The dragon?  It's here?"  Ivor perked up a little.

With a sudden growl the dragon leaped out behind Lukas, eyes flashing purple in the darkness.  All of them jumped a little at his unexpected appearance.

"Good heavens-- it really is here!" Soren looked awed.  "What a magnificent beast!"

"And not even fully grown!" Ivor added, all traces of his grumpy mood fading abruptly.  "To think-- after so long, here we are in the presence of what might be the first dragon in the Overworld for centuries!"

"Yes-- yes, it's exciting," Lukas agreed, "But would it be possible for you to hurry?  Petra--" he hesitated a little, voice cracking.  "Petra's in really bad shape..."

They quickly sobered, growing more serious.

"I'm sorry-- you're right," Soren murmured.  "Where exactly is the cave?"