7

Kaz asks Saphana to lean down a bit so he can climb up onto her back for the ride. As he steps up on her Tasi shouts angrily, “Oh, that’s not fair at all Miss Saphana. You get so bent out of shape whenever I hug on Kaz, but you’re totally fine with him riding on you?” Saphana laughs and Kaz begins to lose his balance, but Tasi lifts him back upright before he could fall completely off of her back. Saphana grins at Tasi and replies, “You have no room to talk, you stupid snake. I overlooked you two cuddling this morning, just try to keep up.” she sneers as she begins to run back towards the forest where she had first found Kaz. Tasi turns a bright red, leans forward, and begins to speedily slither alongside Saphana. Kaz gives Tasi a shocked expression as he realizes how fast actually Tasi was, they had to be running at least a good twenty-five or thirty miles an hour. Tasi sees his face and shoots him a thumbs-up. “I’m not about to lose to that scaly oaf!” she shouts to Kaz as she paces herself beside him.

The group knew where they were going this time around, they reached the area of their destination within an hour or so. Kaz hops off of Saphana’s back complaining about how his behind hurts from riding on her rigid back. Tasi catches up and pats Kaz on the back, “Maybe we should get you a saddle for her, what do you think Miss Saphana?” Tasi jeers with a grin. As Saphana hears this she rears back, obviously that comment caught her off guard, “I would, I think that’s a terrible idea!” she stutters as she blushes glowing red, a small jet of steam spouts from her nostrils as she finishes speaking.

Tasi’s gaze narrows as she looks at Saphana, who is visually distressed at the idea of having a saddle put on her. “Hehe, so that's what you're into!” Tasi wags a finger towards the dragon. Kaz then butts in, “Can we continue this later and begin looking?” he insists as he pulls the single key out of the coin purse on his belt. “I’ll head this way. Tasi, you look that way.” He states, “Saph, can you fly around and look?” he asks. Saphana nods and unfolds her wings, Kaz’s armor rattles in the gale created by her wingbeats before she takes flight. “Simply amazing!” he thought to himself as he watched Saphana launch herself towards the sky. After he finishes admiring the beauty of a dragon taking off, Kaz heads off in his designated direction.

It’s evening now, and the sun is beginning to set. “I’ve gone quite a ways.” Kaz mumbles to himself. “I guess I should turn around and meet the other two.” As he turns around he steps on something. He hears the sound of paper being crumpled beneath his feet, he immediately stops and takes a knee. What he had stepped on was a paperback book, realizing this, he got up and surveyed his surroundings. Off to his right he sees yet another book on the forest floor, after he picks it up as well, he spots a glint of light out of the corner of his eye. Kaz fishes the key out of his pouch once again and rushes towards the source of the bright reflection. He had finally found his car; he jams the key into the door and climbs inside. He hops back out and begins to shovel the books and other odds and ends surrounding his car into the back seat.

Again, he hops into the driver's seat. He hesitates for a second before shoving the key into the ignition. Unbeknownst to him, he wasn’t the only one in the vehicle. Just as he sticks the key in before he could crank the engine, a long skinny green arm reaches around his seat and puts a crude blade up to Kaz’s throat. He hears a voice screech in his ear, “My home! My home! Human leave!” Kaz freezes at once, “Behind me?” Kaz had to think fast, he slowly reached his left hand down and in one swift motion he grabbed the lever on the side of the driver’s seat and cranked his chair all the way back in an attempt to crush his assailant in between the seats. The arm drops into the back seat along with its owner with a loud grunt, Kaz rapidly turns around and grabs the knife that had been at his neck and in return he puts it at the neck of whoever, or whatever was behind him.

With Kaz in complete control of the situation now, he barked at the entity to get out and stand against a tree. Kaz quickly turns the key with his free hand, the engine of his small four-door churns and bursts to life with a loud growl. The lights in the vehicle come on and illuminate his surroundings as well as the thing that had held him hostage before. Having seen enough television and read enough fantasy novels, he knew instantly what he was looking at. A short green man-like creature with dull yellow eyes, pointy ears, and a smell that rivaled a barn full of hogs. What he was staring at was none other than a lone goblin. Kaz kicks the goblin to the ground and holds him under his foot, he then pops his trunk open and pulls out a jumper cable to bind it with. The goblin was screaming profanity, kicking, and biting at his leg. Before Kaz could tie him up, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg. The goblin had bitten him in the smallest area where his leg plates didn’t cover, “You sneaky son of a bi…” he grunted in pain, as the goblin escaped from under him and tried to scurry away.

Kaz drops the small knife and draws his sword, and in one quick horizontal slash he separates a leg from the goblin’s torso just below the knee. A faint chiming noise can be heard, but the goblin's cries of pain drowned it out. Kaz leaned down once again and bound the goblin’s arms behind his back and tied the wound off just above its knee. Kaz yelled at the top of his lungs in frustration before shutting himself in his car to calm down.