Maric's gold cloak blew steadily in the gentle wind that provided him and his black stallion with a nice cooling breeze. It was a beautiful day out, in fact, the best day he had seen since venturing out on his quest. The Paladin's order he belonged to stood for everything that was good and Holy, for justice and truth. And having received word of a dragon, which is anything but what they stood for of course, it had to be eliminated. Though he was only at the age of 26, Maric was surprisingly high in the ranks of his guild, having shown great promise at a young age. It was because of that, and that alone that he was chosen for this mission. They wanted to see how strong he could really be, and if he was able to send a dragon, one of the world's greatest blasphemies back to hell, then he would most likely be overwhelmed by what they would do for him. Promotions, wealth, power, influence, land, and more. That was the glory that awaited slayers of dragons. Yet the young man wanted none of this, only to do what was right.<br/>The knight reached into his horse's side satchel to take a swig of water, only to have it come out empty. Great. Just what he needed. Here he was, under the sun in a set of polished steel armor engraved with some of the finest gold and silver, and boy was he thirsty. It may be good for protecting one from a bladed edge, but it only worsened the beating of the sun. Removing his red plumed helmet, Maric brushed the dirty blonde hair from his eyes so he could try and find a water source somewhere nearby. He did not see any, but there was an orchard nearby, and those that tended them did usually have some source of water.<br/>Soon, his suspicions were affirmed, as he did in fact find a small pool in the clusters of trees. Even his horse seemed relieved at the site, nickering as they drew near.<br/>"Easy Hephaestus." Maric said to his steed, gently patting it's neck with a gantlet covered hand. "Once we're there, we can have all the water you want."<br/>Arriving at the edge of the pool, Maric leapt off the steed's back and stretched, glad to be able to finally move his stiff muscles.<br/>"Think we should rest here for a bit boy?" He asked, glancing over his shoulder, only to find the horse already drinking away as if the water had magical properties.<br/>"I'll take that as a yes then." The knight laughed gently.<br/>After removing the horses gear to give it a proper break, Maric proceeded to do the same for himself. Removing his stuffy armor, the Paladin found himself in just some plain leggings and a shirt that showed off his muscular body very well. Back at home, it was able to draw a lot of attention from women, and he sometimes enjoyed teasing them about it, but right now, he was just here to rest. Kneeling at the water, Maric examined himself for a moment. The days of traveling had left his hair a mess, and with a shadow of a beard. He usually liked it grown out a little anyways since it made him look a bit more dashing he thought, but it was just beginning to border that look. Taking a handful of water into his hands, he splashed himself with the clear liquid, the cold water shocking his system. Just what he needed after a long ride, he thought to himself as he flattened his hair.