8

Kaz sits himself in the driver's seat of his car and raises the seat back up. He began banging his fists on the dashboard in frustration. He had never been in a fight before, he didn't like the feeling. Just then, he feels the ground shake as Saphana lands in front of the vehicle. She then puts her front talons on the roof of the car and rips it clean off, tossing it aside. She then turns to Kaz and plucks him from his seat, carefully and quickly. At this moment, all Kaz can see is a dark abyss down her throat from inside her mouth, but seconds later he feels the ground at his feet once again and is let go. Bewildered by what had just happened, Kaz slaps his cheeks and snaps out of it. He looks up at Saphana. “Kaz, are you okay? Did that bastard hurt you?” She prods him with the tip of her wing as she examines him for injuries.

Kaz is quiet for a bit before coming to the realization. She must have heard him yelling, and when she got here he was banging on the inside of a large unfamiliar object, in other words she thought I was being attacked by some sort of monster. He pounds his fist into his hand, “I get it, you thought I was in trouble.” Kaz starts laughing, he walks over and kicks the weeping goblin that’s still bound in the dirt. “First off Saphana, that is my car.” He points to the now topless vehicle. “Second, this little bastard was hiding in the back seat and got the jump on me, but I handled it. I just yelled because I was overwhelmed and frustrated.” Kaz kicks the goblin again, sending him rolling in the grass with a whimper.

Tasi arrives on scene just shortly after. She watches Kaz scold Saphana for jumping to conclusions and ripping the roof off what she assumed was his car, which is now propped up against the backseat with all of Kaz’s books and things piled up around it. Tasi couldn’t help but chuckle, she asks Kaz what he is going to do about the goblin he has tied up on the ground. “I’m done dealing with that green runt. Do what you want with him, I don’t care. We need to get my stuff covered before it rains, or all my things will be ruined.” He says as he mopes back into the driver's seat. Kaz sees Tasi drag the goblin off into the brush, he doesn’t think much of it. Kaz then turns to Saphana, “Is there a metal worker or smith in Rath? I bet he could put the roof back on somehow.” He asks.

Saphana repeatedly apologizes for destroying his car. “I don’t believe so; I can go ask my Father back in Rath. A human town would have one, but I would rather not send you there, as I am unable to accompany you.” Saphana replies, she looks up as she has an idea. “Tasi could go with you though! Humans might bat an eye at you for having a naga in your party but they’d be far more accepting of her than I. Where did Tasi go anyway?” Kaz starts to head off to the brush where he saw her disappear to, “I’ll find her.” He says this as Tasi comes out from the nearby bushes and tosses Kaz his jumper cables back. Kaz thanks her, but as he turns back to his vehicle to put the cables back in the trunk, he notices a green object dangling from her mouth, “Oh no, Tasi. You didn’t.” he says as he points to her stomach.

Tasi slurpa the last visible part of the goblin up like a noodle, “I didn’t what, Kaz? Oh, he would’ve bled out before long anyway without a leg.” She shrugs. Kaz puts his palm to his face in disbelief, “Never mind, I need you to take me to the nearest human town. I need a smith to reattach the roof Saphana so recklessly ripped off, and she can’t take me herself. She’s going back to Rath to ask around.” Tasi’s face lights up as she hears this, “Just you and I, together? Of course, I can take you. But what’s in it for me Kaz?” Saphana chimes in to say that she’s going to set off for Rath, she puts a single claw on Tasi's belly. “If there’s so much as a scratch on him, I’ll gut you like a fish.” She threatens Tasi. She assures the intimidating dragon that nothing will happen to him and she waves her off. Tasi turns back to Kaz, “Let me ask again, what’s in it for me?” she asks as they both watch Saphana take off into the night sky. Kaz leans into Tasi’s shoulder and he whispers to her. Her eyes open wide, she looks at Kaz for a moment before throwing him into the bushes. She leaps into the bushes after Kaz.

Tasi tries to get in the passenger seat. As she sits, she struggles to fit in the seat with her fifteen or so feet of coils. So Kaz gets out and walks around to her side and sets the back of her seat to recline as far as it could. With the seat back, Tasi is able to sprawl herself out in a coil over the seat and fit inside properly. Kaz once again enters the car, he warns Tasi of the sound it will make when he starts it. She is happily humming and said she won’t mind. Kaz liked seeing her like this, seeing others smile always made him feel good inside as well.