An hour later, Cael found out that the only bait he needed was himself.
The swamp had plenty of dangers even without the dragons: mires, snakes… Cael was so focused on looking under his feet that he didn't notice the danger until it was too late.
His only clues were the sensation of someone's mana, and a splash of water—both coming from just behind him. Less than a step away.
At that moment, Cael didn't think—his body reacted on its own. Forgetting about snakes, mires, and dirt, Cael rolled forward through a patch of grass and—hopefully—solid land.
When he jumped to his feet, he turned behind to look at his assaulter—a swamp dragon.