"Magnets?" Tiny, harmless peaceful people, with magnets? Sure. That's likely.
Another heartbeat of consideration and Bruce sets off, picking to forge a trail towards the east, curving around in the direction they've been heading; it morphs back into less flat terrain northward sooner on that side. It's going to be a several mile walk, Bruce can already tell, but it's flatland and even with the company of the hopefully-herbivore-dragon to their left, it'll be simple compared to the hiking they've just done.
On their way, Bruce keeps quiet, listening and watching - there are insects, the occasional brightly-colored snake, and odd, but not terribly prominent, tracks through the grass. Nothing looks stepped-on, but bent oddly here and there. He can't figure out what it might be.
An hour into it and they're in the flatlands properly, the breeze picks up around them - it's pleasant for a few minutes, but then the lingering feeling of 'miiight not be great' catches up just in time to hear a great, unsettling grunting noise, and the sound of metal straining.
They've been noticed.
Without changing his pace, Bruce continues to walk, turning his head to watch the dragon as he does so. For a second it just stares at them, sniffing the air, long tail drifting behind it absently. Then it takes one step forward, almost lazy - then another. And another. Even unhurried, the sheer length of its stride proves in one very bracing heartbeat that there's absolutely no way they can bolt and have anything come of it - despite being a goddamn mile away from them, if it kicked up into a sprint, it'd be on them in a minute flat.
Continuing to walk doesn't seem to deter the thing, so-
no subject
Another heartbeat of consideration and Bruce sets off, picking to forge a trail towards the east, curving around in the direction they've been heading; it morphs back into less flat terrain northward sooner on that side. It's going to be a several mile walk, Bruce can already tell, but it's flatland and even with the company of the hopefully-herbivore-dragon to their left, it'll be simple compared to the hiking they've just done.
On their way, Bruce keeps quiet, listening and watching - there are insects, the occasional brightly-colored snake, and odd, but not terribly prominent, tracks through the grass. Nothing looks stepped-on, but bent oddly here and there. He can't figure out what it might be.
An hour into it and they're in the flatlands properly, the breeze picks up around them - it's pleasant for a few minutes, but then the lingering feeling of 'miiight not be great' catches up just in time to hear a great, unsettling grunting noise, and the sound of metal straining.
They've been noticed.
Without changing his pace, Bruce continues to walk, turning his head to watch the dragon as he does so. For a second it just stares at them, sniffing the air, long tail drifting behind it absently. Then it takes one step forward, almost lazy - then another. And another. Even unhurried, the sheer length of its stride proves in one very bracing heartbeat that there's absolutely no way they can bolt and have anything come of it - despite being a goddamn mile away from them, if it kicked up into a sprint, it'd be on them in a minute flat.
Continuing to walk doesn't seem to deter the thing, so-
Bruce just. Stops.
And turns to stare at it.
"..Don't.. seem nervous."
Uh.