Chapter 15:

15

Balancing the Scales: The Sage Hero's Story


 The three are making good time on the way to Rath, Kaz yells up to Saphana to come down for a minute. Kaz pulls over beside a tree, he and Tasi both get out and circle back to the trunk as Saphana lands nearby. Kaz draws his sword and taps on the trunk, "I'm opening the trunk now, try anything and you'll be toasted." He nods and Saphana and pops the trunk. A small-statured teen pops out of the trunk and raises his hands up in the air, he had to be at least sixteen years old. Kaz ties him up and sets him down, "Ferron told me you were in there, what's your deal? Why were you hiding in there, and what's your name?" Kaz asks. The boy sighs, "Squire Roarke, Commander Hargeon learned you had the ability to talk to any creature. He said that worried him, so he ordered me to follow you and report where you go and who you talk to. If you were going to become a threat to Vance, he wanted to know, so I hid in your odd carriage with the help of Ferron. The Commander ordered it, so please do not be mad at Ferron." He explains nervously.

Kaz unties him, Tasi and Saphana both look surprised at this. "Well, I can't just leave you all the way out here. So I guess you're coming along to Rath with us for now, maybe you'll learn a thing or two." Kaz smiles and points to the back seat. "Hop in, it'll be dark soon." He instructs. The four of them set off for Rath once more. Before long they came up on the mountain range that housed the legendary town of dragons, Rath inside. Kaz pulled into the entrance cave slowly and parked along the cave wall, he grabbed a few books out of the backseat, and as they walked towards the town Kaz told Roarke that under no circumstances was he to draw his weapon, or to talk to anyone in town, Roarke agreed.

Kaz cut his bindings off and the squire followed along behind them. Kaz decided to stop by the bookstore first, he told Roarke to wait outside. Kaz walked in and began looking in each row of bookshelves for Irhvara. He found her in the last section, "Hello Ishvara, I've returned from the Capital!" He greeted her. Ishvara dropped what she was doing and sat down on her haunches and gave Kaz a hug with her forelegs. "Welcome back Kaz! Oh my, and Miss Saphana too!" She replied. Kaz rummages around in his bag and pulls out the box Ferron had given him. He asks Ishvara to close her eyes, "Whatever for Kaz?" She asks in a puzzled tone. Kaz shushes her and carefully takes the modified magnifying glasses out of the box and fits them on Ishvara's face, luckily they're a perfect fit. "Okay, now open your eyes Ishvara!" He told her.

The small black dragon opens her eyes and is amazed. "What is this? I can see so clearly!" She exclaims. Kaz explains how the glasses work to her, Ishvara begins to tear up. She reaches out and wraps Kaz in another hug crying thanks over and over. "Just be careful with them, they'll break easily if you're too rough." He instructs her. She nods in acknowledgement before releasing him from her hug. "They're a bit tight on my horns, but goodness. I still can't believe how well I can see!" Ishvara exclaims, Kaz then reaches back into his bag and pulls out a miscellaneous assortment of books and sets them on a table, "These are also from me. I thought you might enjoy them." He tells her, "You can understand the text, right?" Kaz asks. Ishvara nods, she is obviously overwhelmed and doesn't know what to say. Kaz tells her that they have to go and get a room at the inn, and to enjoy the books. They headed off towards the Inn they had stayed at previously.

Saphana got them a room, and told the three of them that she needed to go talk to someone and that she'd be back before long. Kaz and Tasi didn't mind, Roarke didn't really have a say. Saphana headed back to the bookstore, she went in to find Ishvara. When she found her, she was hunched over one of the books Kaz had given her. "He is such a nice boy." She tells Saphana. "You should know, you remind him of a loved grandmother he lost when he was young." Saphana told her what Kaz had said about his grandmother and how they were close. Ishvara closes the book and turns to Saphana, "I understand. If knowing me makes him happy, then I'm happy as well." She smiled back as Saphana headed to return to the Inn. She returns to find Kaz and Tasi clocked out on the floor and Roarke not far from them, Kaz was fast asleep in Tasi's coils and Tasi had her arms wrapped around him. "You two get along too well." Saphana whispers with a content smile as she lies down next to them.

The following morning Kaz wakes up to someone tapping his shoulder. He stretches and crawls out of Tasi's clutches, "Give me a minute." He yawns and trudges over to put his clothes and armor on while still half asleep. Kaz returns and rubs the gunk out of his eyes, Saphana and Tasi are both getting up by now as well. Before him Kaz stands a very familiar dark green dragon, "Zen?" Kaz yawns again, "What're you doing here?" He asks. Zen sits in front of him and lowers his head to Kaz's height, "The Lord wants to meet with you Tasi and Saphana." Saphana hears this and leaps to all fours, "Already? Kaz, what did you do?" She shouts hysterically. Zen walks over to her, "Calm down Miss Saphana! I'm sure your father just wants to thank Kaz for saving me!" He goes on to recall how Kaz aided Zen when he was shot down a few nights ago over the capital of Vance. "I see, well. Go wash up Kaz, we mustn't keep father waiting." She tells him. Kaz and Tasi both head to the washroom and begin to draw the water for a warm bath. Zen starts out the door, "I'll be waiting at the mound." He tells Saphana as he takes off.

Chill64
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