A gentle cool stream of water washed over Brian's face and everything fogged into view. His head throbbed annoyingly and his arms ached. A slight slip of blood trickled down his arm from a small cut. He watched the drop of crimson absentmindedly until it dripped onto chain cuffs that kept his hands locked together. He studied the cuffs as if from afar, nothing connected, nothing made sense, and everything was a fog, until his thoughts finally joined and the memory came back in one big wave.

Instantly Brian was on his feet. He spun around to skim his surroundings, though his heavy mind kept him from observing with his usual accurate sight. What he saw, though, was enough to tell him he would not escape. His cuffs were not just joined, but had a leash which the wolf held onto with a great smirk on his proud face.

Beside him, the dragon sat passively, water dripping down its jaws, which it spat into Brian's face.

"I'm awake!" Brian grumbled quietly, quickly wiping the water off his face with some difficulty. The dragon saw this as a dismissive gesture and walked off, over to the wolf, not notice Brian glaring harshly at it. The spider was on a tree and was building, ripping down, then building webs over and over again before it noticed Brian and cocked its head at the wolf.

A slight growly bark, surprisingly quiet, slipped out the wolf's throat and the spider climbed down in response. Then the wolf tugged on Brian's lead and started walking. Brian fell into step behind him contemplating every escape plan, most of which were impossible. Plus, when he factored in that wolves could probably smell blood and he had a cut, the semi-reasonable escape plans went out the window.

When his planning ceased, his mind turned instead to his handcuffs. The chain leading from his cuffs to the wolf's mouth caught on twigs and leaves and Brian desperately hoped they'd leave a trail. Maybe his friends would find him?

On the other hand, Brian didn't especially want the hunters to find him. What would Dolan say to see Brian a captive of the mythics?

I'm being led around on a leash like a dog! Brian added to his thoughts making the wondering go away, replaced by harsh anger. He kicked a couple stones as they walked until finally his anger lessened and he kicked himself mentally for not studying the way they had come.

Oh well, he thought sullenly, might as well start now. Not that it's going to make any difference.

He took in his surroundings. They looked exactly like his surroundings earlier, except more light fought its way through the course leaves, illuminating the ground in a type of shadowy pattern. The pattern changed continually as the leaves danced in the small, silent breeze.

The breeze! Brian thought, Of course!

If it was going the same direction as earlier he'd be able to follow it back! If he escaped soon, which was highly unlikely. Then his hope blew away like the breeze as it changed course and Brian realized it might have been hours since he left, he'd never be able to follow it back.

A silent sigh escaped his lips as he resigned himself to his fate. He was no longer thinking of escape and instead tried to enjoy nature as much as possible before the death that was sure to come soon.

He was so focused watching the sun rise and the birds tweet happily that he only realized where they were when the light was blocked from his eyes by a stone wall. Multiple stone walls actually.

The ground had changed from pokey softness to a rough, hard, rock. The walls domed meet a rough roof, dripping damply here and there. Brian didn't remember any caves anywhere near the camp. Then again, Dolan had never let him go far from camp. Dolan never let him do anything.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a voice commanded "sit down!" Brian attempted to see the source without moving when the voice repeated "Sit!" accompanied by a hard bump to the back of Brian's legs.

Brian toppled over, barely catching himself from faceplanting on the hard rock. A disapproving growl escaped from the dragon as if it were scolding whoever pushed Brian, returned by another growl. This one was deeper, indicating it was the wolf's.

Spider, or whatever the spider-thing was, stalked over to Brian and wrapped his chain around a pole driven into the ground. The dragon secured the chain to the pole with a bit of fiery breath, leaving Brian with only about a foot of lead.

Although it was daytime, the mystics started falling asleep. The wolf slept near the entranceway, but out of the light, and the spider started up into its web and fell asleep. Brian saw this as his only chance to escape, but tugs on his chains proved fruitless, especially as the dragon kept a close watch on Brian's moves.

Finally he decided to sleep, but as he lay down on the ground, the dampness made him cringe with its cool touch. Multiple positions served only to soak Brian more until finally Brian decided to try to sleep while sitting on his legs, which were already so wet that a little dampness couldn't hurt, but that proved fruitless too.

He resigned to lying on the cold ground and he shivered himself to sleep.