Marduk sourit, se penchant et pressant son nez dans le ventre de Hayate. Le dragon s'exhala doucement, avant de lever la tête pour regarder en arrière au-dessus de la foule – en gardant un œil serré sur Mardochée. Je ne l'ai pas encore fait. Mais je ne veux pas vous perdre. Montez sur mon dos, et faites vite. Vous avez déjà monté un cheval, non? Je suis désolé que je n'aie pas ma selle. » Il s'abaisserait lui-même, en boucle autour de sa queue pour que l'homme se dynamise.
Ce n'est pas, pour le dragon, une proposition inhabituelle. Tarrying pendant que Hayate suivait à pied était stressant. Peut-être qu'ils pourraient continuer à suivre Mardochée comme ça, mais s'il n'avait pas à s'inquiéter pour le Norman, il pourrait même réussir à rattraper! Il n'aurait pas eu recours au piétinement des gens, mais il était tout à fait capable de les éloigner de son chemin. Son maître pourrait parfois être un homme impatient.
Il attendait assez longtemps pour que le chevalier prenne sa décision, puis il se promène dans la foule – soit avec Hayate sur le dos, soit avec le sac d'armure qui sort de ses dents. Ça ne l'embêterait pas de porter l'un ou l'autre. Quoi qu'il en soit, ce ne serait qu'une question de temps jusqu'à ce qu'ils rencontrent l'hébreu éperdu – Marduk a failli le piétiner, avec la façon dont il a éclaté de la foule!
"Vous l'avez trouvée?" Il demande d'urgence, en regardant vers le haut pour essayer de sortir Rhiannon de la mer des visages. Il n'aurait pas dû être si dur; une femme blanche dans une ville du Moyen-Orient purgée. Allez.
"Attendez, la voilà..."
Et puis, il a entendu sa voix – enivrante, et d'une manière ou d'une autre surréaliste. Elle a flippé dans la foule comme si c'était un rêve! Comme il l'a regardé, quelque chose s'est éteint dans la tête du dragon. Sans mot, il la suivait avec des yeux glacés...
Name: Marduk (“Bel”, “Baalam”)
Sex: Male
Race: Arabian Blue 
Personality: Marduk is easygoing, submissive, and rather apt to rely in the present figure of authority. He is not lazy, but he has never had to, say, feed himself or make important decisions.
Appearance:

Standing 5’ at the withers and easily between 6 and 7’ at the top of his snout, Marduk is a looming figure in the crowded streets of Jerusalem. Yet, he is nevertheless somewhat smaller than many other dragons of his species, and slighter of build.
His hide, smooth and lacking scales, is a ‘bole’ shade of brown, though lighter along his belly and broken up with a pattern of broad stripes that are lighter still. Markings on his face of the same color as his belly lie above his eyes.
The dragon’s claws are broad and triangular, better suited for digging and for maintaining traction on rocky ground than for cutting – they are not designed as weapons, although doubtless they might be used as such if he were desperate. The short, stunted horns on his head are certainly for display only – there is little practicality in the notion that he might be able to injure something with them.
Skills: Does obedience count? Marduk has had no opportunity to acquire a hobby or trade. He has however spent his life as a mount and on occasion draft animal, and thus is at least capable of carrying things. Or people.
Equipment: None; no earthly possessions.
Background: There is frankly not a lot to tell of Marduk’s background. He was raised by a dragon breeder in one of Jerusalem’s peripheral villages – he is frankly not sure of the name, only that he would know it when he saw it. It was a simple life in which his primary activity was existing. There were other dragons, of course, and he had never been lonely!
During his youth he received obedience training, and reinforcement of that has continued throughout his entire life. In his adolescence, too, he was acclimated to the trappings of a working animal: A saddle, a bit and bridle, reigns… it was humiliating, at first, but he soon got used to it. When he had demonstrated acceptance of being ridden, he was taken to market in Jerusalem and sold to an affluent Seljuk merchant.
His master was kind to him, and after a time Marduk became more or less one of the family. He was taught Arabic and introduced to the Moslem faith. But he has as well been expected to do his share of work; when he is not carrying his master, he is often rented for labor to help pay for his upkeep. A dragon is after all not cheap to feed!