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Sent Kobold

Chapter 6: Ritual's Consequence

In life, there are actions which can demand more than what is given back. And yet, breaking that equivalence means a chance to do the same as a consequence for upsetting that balance. A chance to gain more than what is lost.

---

"Th- there it is sirs!"

"Good. Now that we here, you can go away. May want to think about life of being a bandit. Might be short one."

Serhis watched as the Halfling bowed and mumbled some sort of apology before running full speed away, his legs moving surprisingly fast. With the hopefully reformed brigand gone, Serhis stopped having to extend his legs for the extra height, the need to be an imposing Kobold gone. Sitting down on the hoard, Serhis looked over his shoulder, moving aside his wing to avoid blocking the view, to see the city of Milianso in the far plains below. And the back of Baous' head, which was still a bit snow covered.

They had spent three days crossing over the mountain pass, and once each day they found opportunistic bandits. Sitting in a wagon filled with gold and jewels tended to do that.

The first group was a challenge, if only because of being outnumbered five to one and they certainly weren't skilled. By the end of that day, the wagon was loaded down with even more gold. The second day was even more of a joke, only two highwaymen, but more competent, picking out a stretch of the path that prevented anyone from going around them thanks to the narrow road and high cliff face. Sadly, getting run down by a wagon full of gold and bearing the full weight of a small scaly Kobold, a larger furry Kobold, an unconscious dragon, and a charging horse had made the decision of standing in a narrow path with no possibility to get out of the way something to regret.

The lone Halfling seemed more of the desperate sort rather than the blood thirsty cutthroat type, leaping into their path only with a rusty knife and a badly tattered leather jerkin. He certainly started thinking more clearly when he noticed the unconscious dragon and had made the assumption that the two Kobolds were somehow responsible for its current condition, surrendering immediately and saying that this was a mistake. Making the best of it, they had him lead them through the shortest path to Milianso.

"Do you think he's really going to stop being a bandit?" asked Baous as he applied the brakes to the wagon as they made their descent.

"I hope so," Serhis switched to Draconic, "maybe he should be a mountain guide and make a business out of it. Should have suggested that before he le- ah, ah, achoo!"

Baous sighed, pulling out his handkerchief, "You alright? You've been sneezing almost the whole time we left Tiichi de Soves."

Sniffing, Serhis wiped his nose, "Fine, fine. Just a bit cold from the mountain snow. I really should have bought a warmth stone before we left."

"So you've been to Milianso before?"

Holding the handkerchief, Serhis was about to give it back before thinking better of it, a good wash was needed before he handed it back, "Yes, it was during the last months with Helena and we stayed there for two weeks. She wanted to study something in the library of the temple of Io. A whole week of nothing but reading musty old scrolls and tomes," groaned Serhis, sticking out his tongue, "bleh. I don't mind helping Helena out and I'm used to reading scrolls for weeks at a time during my training, but the library was always so cold and I think I might have sneezed a little on everything inside."

"You can keep that until you're done here then," offered Baous, "what is the town like?"

Serhis laid down on the bed of coins, some elemental part of himself enjoying the immense amount of currency extremely, making himself comfortable as he explained the essentials.

Milianso is a town that is smaller than Aveamaria and Lusion, nothing remarkable could be considered of it. Aside from the fact it housed a hidden temple of Io. Where temples to Bahamut were sparse, ones dedicated to Io were rarer still, the reason being that the deity of all dragons tended not to intervene unless an extreme event might occur. A reason that the temple had set up here was that a lair of a long gone ancient dragon was in the nearby mountains, the walls entirely carved out with a history of its life and the events it had observed, a font of information that the clerics were still attempting to record, as it was over two millennia worth of history. As for the town itself, it had a population of nearly two thousand, comprised mainly of Humans and Halflings, wasn't on a main trade route and generally a quiet place run by a local town council.

Halfway down, Serhis finished giving the last of the details, applying bitterleaf oil to his scales during that time.

"What about the deacon of the temple? Is that why we're here?" Baous inquired.

"The deacon's name is Jiaic Etias and he owes us a favor. The other week we spent in the lair of the ancient dragon, helping to recover portions of the record, since parts of it weren't completely safe because of natural hazards or something mean moving in."

Looking back into the wagon, at the green dragon still bound in chains, "A favor, huh. But what are you going to ask for?"

"First, I need access to the library again. I'm sure I saw things in there I can use. A banishment spell to put him on another plane of existence, something that could change it into another creature entirely so he won't be so dangerous, maybe something else and more dangerous to all involved. I need the deacon's help, he's more powerful than me and I'm not sure what to do when he wakes up," Serhis looked at his bandage work on the crippled dragon.

The wings had been cut off at the second joint, a bit of the leathery membrane still attached, but it was a total loss. He had stopped the bleeding before they put him in chains and he didn't have to worry too much about infection, the constitution of a dragon, even a young one, was legendary and common diseases would have been brushed off, however from the state of things Serhis had monitored conditions constantly. He had thought about amputating what was left, but refrained, not willing to risk surgery from the large number of mitigating factors. Overall the dragon had recovered from some of its more serious injuries and a few spells from Serhis had ensured that it was no longer in danger of dying, but the concussion worried him and that wasn't the thing he feared the most.

Having suffered a complete defeat would have been bad enough for this green dragon, but being stripped of its wings would undoubtedly cause severe trauma. Only a spell of great power would regenerate the limbs, power that Serhis did not possess and that even Helena didn't have. Only a few had that type of power, meaning that he was essentially land-bound unless luck or fate blessed him with a meeting with one of those few and only if they were willing to heal those injuries.

A dragon might have an element associated to it, being more connected to the living forests, heated deserts, high mountains, or deep seas, but above all it was as creature of the skies. A dragon that couldn't fly lost more than just the wings on its back, it lost something far more.

Serhis shook his head. He was letting his empathy get the better of him, he couldn't afford to get attached to the green dragon that he himself had no solid idea he was going to do, that he might have to kill it after all or would die of something else. He had more pressing matters at the moment, such as getting a wagon filled with more gold than the entire town possessed and a chained dragon in without drawing attention. The temple wasn't too far into the city, it was built next to one of the walls and as soon as they entered though the hidden entrance, they were safe, but first they needed to get through the front gates.

Sighing, he had to make another attempt at replicating the techniques of a man he would rather forget.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Halt, uh, creature. Who are you and what is your business here?"

Dressed in the most colorful attire that even a clown would find offensive, Serhis made an overblown theatrical bow with the wave of his hand, "Greeting! My name Serhis, and this my driver Baous! We Kobold would like to sell rugs and cloth and you look like you might need it. This place so not colorful and gray, need more color around to make thing happy!"

The guards looked at the wagon, the back was draped in rolled out rugs and rich cloths, some hanging off the sides to show to the world. Parts of it looked rather lumpy, likely because more things were underneath. If they bothered to look at it closely instead of the nauseatingly colorful Kobold standing on top of it, they might have seen it rise and fall slightly as something breathed underneath.

"Oh, I see you attention is on the rugs I stand on. If you want, I give good price to you all, then can you spread news that great stuff on sale. Just need to find shop to set up in, then if more customer come and they say you sent them, I give you even bigger discount next time you come! Deal? Deal?"

"Uh, no, we're not looking to buy anything today. Is that all you're carrying?"

"Oh no no no! Course of not, if you have time, I take off all the rugs and bring out more stuff, then all can see what you want! I stay here all day if you want, good deal for me and you and anyone who come this way."

"No, no, thank you for the offer," responded the gate guard as he suffered from the onslaught of an overenthusiastic Kobold merchant, waving them through. Baous could hear the mutterings of a guard who was wondering what just happened.

When out of earshot, Serhis whispered into Baous' ear, "go down that road, past the shop that has the brightly colored metal disk in front and into a small garden of a house. Keep going past the fountain there, the wall will move out of the way when I say the password." As they went down the street, a few of the residents stared at the atrocity of fashion sitting on the wagon, Serhis waving to keep up the guise he had made for himself. And suffering every second of it.

He was sure he wasn't violating any tenets of Bahamut by doing this, but he was certain he was breaking some form of law of the universe for wearing what was essentially something reserved for eldritch beings and acting like a complete fool. He knew he couldn't be the suave and smooth talker Faresterear had been and had instead been forced to become this mockery of the business world. Serhis had only done this twice and knew that he would never do this again, it was too humiliating and Bahamut would either be in roaring laughter or suffer a coronary at seeing one of his clerics doing this to get past the city gates. And to cause a Dragon god's heart to skip a few necessary beats explained a lot about how he felt about what he wore.

Going down a road that few ever took, Serhis tore off the costume with as much speed as he could when out of the sight of others. Baous finally couldn't hold it in anymore and was scaring the horses with his bellowing laughs, both from the noise and the rows of sharp teeth.

"Don't mention this to anyone, no one, especially not to Helena," demanded Serhis with a certain amount of humiliated fury.

"No, no one at all," agreed Baous, the toothy smile and squinted eyes suggesting otherwise.

Pulling back the cloth and rugs, Serhis made sure that his patient was still able to breathe before sitting back down and employing his wits to determine another way to get into cities without the humiliation, as getting in without notice seemed an impossible task for the Kobolds. He would keep wondering about it until they reached their destination, a small secluded garden in what looked like a private estate.

To the public these grounds belonged to the gentleman Jiaic Etias, a human who business revolved around the movement of goods and currency, a known recluse and rarely seen in public. Behind the mask of a hermetic merchant was instead an extremely pious soul devoted to Io, who further masked the presence of a temple on his property. Anyone who dug deep enough into the history of the place would find that all those who owned it were recluses in one form or another and that the only reason it hadn't passed on to another was due to the exorbitant price of the whole property. The reason for that was that the head Deacon would pass the property on to the next and that there was no exchange of money, ensuring a line of succession and perpetually hiding the temple.

With no one around to watch, Serhis whispered into the ear of a statue of a dragon in the garden, though nothing seemed to happen. "Baous, try to get the horses to go through the part of the wall that is covered in the ivy."

It took a bit of coaxing to get the horses to comply, though soon their heads went through the illusionary wall, then the rest of the wagon followed. They now stood in a small open area and facing the entrance to a grand temple. Some clerics were there in the open, looking to see who the new arrivals were, one rushing off into the temple to announce that visitors had come.

One of the clerics came forward to greet them, a lizard folk that Serhis recognized from his previous visit, speaking in Draconic "You're Serhis, yes? Welcome back."

"Hello Kese. It's been almost half a year, hasn't it?" Serhis said as the wagon rolled on, the lizard folk walking along with them, "sorry, but we'll have to talk later. That was Timothy going in to let Deacon Etias know we're here, right?"

"Yes. Why are you back? And who is with you? Someone we can trust I hope?"

"You needn't worry, this is Baous and the location of the temple is safe enough with us," he assured him while Baous pulled the wagon near the front and next to a pillar before stepping down to tie the horses to it while Serhis hopped off, tugging at the mass of rugs on the wagon and was only strong enough to pull one off "as for why we're here, help me get these off."

The lizard folk regarded him with perplexity before aiding, hauling off the rest in one pull and seeing the chained, wingless green dragon underneath resting on the piles of gold, "Serhis, what have you done to this dragon?!"

"I said I'll explain. We didn't do anything to him, we found him in the forest over the mountain after he had been in combat with an adult black dragon. His name is Iskdiwercaesin Thurkearseoyl and I've managed to heal some of his injuries and I came here to ask for the services of this temple to do what I could not, among other things," concluded Serhis.

Kese regarded the small Kobold with some surprise, then regained his composure, "We'll see what we can do when the Deacon gets here. Were the chains necessary, and so extensively?"

"Since he suffered a concussion, I don't think so, but I had to. If he woke up while we were traveling here, I'm not sure he might have torn us apart or used his breath on us," explained Serhis.

Baous came around the wagon when he finished with the horses, looking at Kese curiously before trying to speak in Draconic himself, "Hello. Serhis say you name is Kese, yes? Nice to meet you," he said as he extended a hand forward.

Kese shook his hand before responding in Common, "You can ssspeak Common, I undersstand it well. Draconic is more useful to me, Common tendss to make me have a lisssp."

"Oh. Umm, you're a lizard folk, right?"

The bipedal reptile nodded, "I've met only a few of my race that can avoid the manner in which our tongues tend to make us seem less intelligent when we speak in the Common language. As most of our number at our temple speak mainly in Draconic, I find little chance to practice. May I ask what you are? You look similar to a gnoll, but the shape of the head is not right and your temperament is not hostile. I would also have suggested werewolf, but you would be disqualified by those two criteria as well."

"Nope, I'm a Kobold. That might take some explaining. Can I ask you not to use all those complex words, I know a lot of Draconic thanks to Serhis, but I don't know all the words yet."

"My apologies. It's just that when in the presence of Serhis, we usually engaged in long and intelligent conversation that require those words to properly communicate the exact meanings of our discussions. Though I would like to have one of our debates later," Kese turned to Serhis before looking back at the temple entrance, "the issue of the dragon must be dealt with now.

Standing at full attention, Kese bowed at the approaching Deacon. He was dressed in robes similar to the ones more commonly seen around the courtyard, but additional vestments that marked him a high ranking cleric. Deacon Etias was 79 years of age and his face carried them fully, a face that didn't smile or frown, but was simply impassive, his hair completely white and cut mid-length and with no facial hair, the human carrying his staff both as a symbol of his faith as well as his walking stick, the metal bottom making an echoing noise throughout the courtyard as he approached.

Coming to the back of the wagon, he regarded the guests, a glance at Serhis, a brief inspection of Baous, and then all his attention at the dragon. No one spoke as he continued to look before he himself started to speak, his voice with a hint of dryness and used to speaking words of great power, "Greetings to you Serhis, cleric of Bahamut. The temple of Io welcomes you and those with you. Why have you come?"

"Deacon Etias, I encountered this gravely wounded dragon during my travels and I require the services of your temple to treat what I could not and I make a request to enter your library once more," said Serhis solemnly.

Taking a moment to decide, he answered, "Very well, we will treat your companion-"

Serhis interjected, "Oh, he's not my companion, though Baous here is. We found this dragon three days ago after it had been in battle against a black dragon. We've taken him under our care and medical treatment is going to be needed."

"Altruistic of you. And a bit at odds with the teachings of Bahamut if I'm not mistaken?" asked Etias.

"That's also why I requested entrance to your library, I hope to find a ritual or specific spell to deal with this dragon as it recovers."

"So not quite as altruistic. I would hope you don't try to kill your own patient if you don't find what you are looking for in our library?" the Deacon asked in a humorless manner.

"No, I know what I'm looking for so I don't have to worry about that. Even if I didn't, if that dragon decided to repay my kindness by doing something as rash as destroying a village or something, I'd swear an oath to Bahamut to hunt him down and not offer mercy twice," affirmed Serhis.

Giving a sage nod, Deacon Etias beckoned a few clerics, "arrange for this dragon to be placed inside the temple, have him examined, then cure him of those injuries. Also, remove those chains."

"Is that a good idea?" asked Baous worriedly.

"He will be placed in a chamber specifically for the more powerful patients. The founder of our temple was a dragon himself and knew that some of his patients might not be fully lucid and could be a risk to the clerics and the temple itself. I suppose that is another reason you came here, wasn't it?" Etias asked Serhis, though it was a rhetorical question, "I would like to speak to you later then, but for now, you and your companion have access to the temple proper and the library."

The Deacon walked back into the temple as a pair of clerics brought in the dragon behind him, the movement of feet and his staff connecting with the stone tiles was all that could be heard, then nothing.

Breathing a sigh, Serhis walked into the temple as well, gesturing for Baous to follow, "This is going to be a long day," he muttered, already starting to feel the draft of cold air.

They moved the main chamber first, a room with high pillars with a large multi-colored metal disk embedded into most of the floor, the symbol of Io, heading past it into the library which was larger than the main hall. On top of being the housing place for the translations, it also contained whatever else would be in a temple library. Religious texts, scrolls of spells, books of history and a myriad of other subjects filled a part of it, but the rest of the larger library was dedicated to the preservation of the records of the lair in the mountain and from what Serhis could tell they had managed to get six centuries worth of information stored out of the over two millennia worth of cave etchings.

There was always at least two clerics studying in the smaller section of the library, compared to the numbers that always ran in and out of the area working on the records, which meant the door was always open to save effort and time as clerics went in and out constantly to confer with others, double check if the records had been duplicated properly or some other task.

All that meant to Serhis was that a chilly breeze always made him shiver and he needed to have a paperweight for whatever he was reading.

Clearing off a table for his own use, Serhis asked Baous to retrieve certain books in one section of the library while he went to get a few scrolls and tomes regarding rituals. The table was stacked with various parchments and papers soon enough.

They were going to be here reading for some time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Eeuuuugh," groaned Baous as he stretched his arms and legs after almost four hours of constant reading. So far, all he had for his effort were spells that were either theoretical, highly dangerous and outright stupid to use, or demanded a component that was in the next plane of existence and not the type that could be accessed easily.

Serhis also got the same results. He knew he had read something from before that would help for his current situation, but the more he kept reading, the more rituals that he now understood in further detail seemed less feasible. Still, there was one or two that looked promising, though he had his doubts.

Despite what the stories would tell, they always seemed to miss the portions of the tale where the heroes had to spend a mind-numbing time fishing through piles of papers for a specific way to slay a vampire living through a complex spell, the right incantation to breech a barrier into a forbidden forest, or something similar. They also seemed to highlight the portions where seemingly random information garnered from before would prove invaluable later, never mind that there are other people in the world with their own quests, or how figures of great repute somehow interact with the heroes despite how low the chances of all these people coming together might be. Serhis highly doubted he'd ever need the information about the possible location of one of the Nine Swords, the ritual needed to banish the great hell devil Izo, or have to remember a certain wizard that loves to use a calabash pipe that lived on another realm altogether.

"Want to take a break?" Serhis asked Baous as he rolled up a scroll, "it's time for dinner and working through the night isn't going to help that much."

Ears perking up, Baous nodded, "Yeah. Some hot food would be good. You're right, this place is freezing, even with my fur."

"Which is why I had all these books piled up. Our own windbreaker," grinned Serhis, "of course, we're going to have to put it all back soon or the librarian is going to have a fit."

Exiting the library, they went to the temple kitchen. The meals were free, but Serhis felt compelled to pay for them anyway, leaving the silver piece as payment on the counter. Sitting down at one of the tables, Serhis watched as Baous silently ate his dinner.

"Baous, you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine, why are you asking?"

"It's just that you've had this strange look on your face for three days. Something on your mind?" asked Serhis.

"Well, maybe I am a bit distracted. I'm just wondering about what Nadia said, about going to Saletvarin, about the First War. But mostly about my parents and big sis. It's been a while, and I'm going to be away for an even longer time by looking for anything about my past. I know they're alright, but what if they're worrying about me? I really should have sent a letter by now, but it'll take some time before they get it. Maybe I should send something along with it? I don't think they'll need any gold, Dad's got loads of the stuff."

He's homesick, realized Serhis. This must be the first time in his life that he's been away from home for so long and he's worrying about how his parents are. Here's another thing that the stories don't tell, there's never a tale where the adventurers have a grounded connection to home, never anything as simple as how they might miss the people they know. The only other time it comes up is if the town is destroyed or some other cliché and it serves as motivation for that person.

"I've been wanting to ask you," said Baous, interrupting Serhis train of thought, "it's been months since you left Lehaskeral. What are you parents like? Don't you miss them?"

"Well, aside from their names, that's all I know about them," said Serhis as he bit into a piece of lettuce.

"What?! You don't know anything except for their names?"

"I guess it has something to do with how Kobolds normally do things. When the egg is laid, the mother simply puts it into the hatchery at that's it. The only way someone can tell if they're related is by smell and that's if they're lucky enough to bump into each other in the city. Most of the time, we don't care about things like ‘family values' and all that. I guess why I understand why you're so surprised is because I traveled with Helena and she explained it to me. The only reason I know their names is because I'm a Dragonwrought and they had the honor of giving birth to me."

Baous scratched the back of his head, wrapping his head around all that, "So when you said you don't miss home, I guess you meant it."

"Well, no, not quite. I do miss it sometimes, but only because I miss my friends there, not because of the place. Now that you mention it, I do wonder about Xet and Rhasalis," Serhis said as he started to feel what Baous was experiencing. "Uh, wait here," asked Serhis as he scarfed down the rest of his plate and running off, leaving Baous at the table with a half eaten steak and cabbage.

He only managed to finish half of that before Serhis came rushing back in, carrying various scrolls. Serhis spread one out on the table, "If you want to give a message, use one of these. Just make sure it's twenty five words or less."

"Where did you get these?"

"Bought them, I know it's many times more expensive then mailing a letter, but since I wanted you to tell how Innoc, Rosa, and Alexia how you are, I think it's worth it."

"You bought those for me?"

"For us I guess. I also want to let Rhasalis and Xet know how I've been doing and I don't think there's any mail services to a Kobold city," joked Serhis as he prepared the use the magic in the scrolls, "someday I'll be able to do this without the scrolls."

"Uh, wait wait, only twenty five words, right? Let me think about what I'm going to say."

"Oh, don't worry, we can use another scroll to continue, I've bought four of them," Serhis assured him.

"Still, I think I want to save the other one," said Baous as he thought out what he wanted to say, "Ready." Serhis set the spell in place.

"Hi Mom, Dad, it's Baous, we're fine, wanted to let you know. Found something to lead me to Kobolds and say hi to Alexia, thanks!"

Message sent, Baous sat down, tail wagging, "So they'll hear that?"

"I sent it to you parents and I don't think anything will be blocking it, I'm sure they got it."

Kese walked up to their table from the main hall, announcing, "Serhis, Deacon Jiaic wishes to speak with you. The green dragon has woken up."

Baous got up, but Serhis waved for him to sit down, "It's fine, you don't have to come. Besides, your dinner's getting cold."

"Huh? Oh, drat," he looked at his plate and realized he had forgotten all about it after spending so long trying to think about the twenty five words he needed.

"If you want, you can catch up," Serhis said before heading off, Kese staying behind for his own dinner.

Knowing which way to go, he headed to the only room in the temple that was likely to contain the green dragon, heading to one of the innermost chambers. Knocking on the metal door, he could hear Deacon Etias tell him to enter. Opening, he saw him sitting at a chair, his staff laid across his lap, and across from him was the green dragon, Iskdiwercaesin Thurkearseoyl. The wyrmling regarded the Kobold as he entered with his green eyes, watching in the way something that felt superior looked at an inferior being. As distasteful as it was, Serhis also felt it to be true.

That feeling was mitigated somewhat as Serhis saw where he was resting, curled up on a pile of cushions that were clearly inside a ritual circle that contained him. In the pure Draconic tongue, Iskdiwercaesin said to the Kobold, "Are you the one that stopped me from dying and also brought me to this place?"

"Yes" Serhis answered, resisting the twin urges to start twisting his tail and to grovel in front of the Dragon.

"A Dragonwrought, hmm? And a cleric of Bahamut as well? I should be so lucky being saved by you," he muttered, though Serhis couldn't tell if that was sarcastic.

Etias shifted in his chair, "We've been having a pleasant conversation while you were getting here, mostly involving his condition and how he was fortunate that he didn't suffer any permanent internal injuries."

"Fortunate!? I lost my wings! How is that ‘fortunate'?! I swear that when I get the chance, I'm going to rip that black dragon's own wings off and gut him with them! And that conversation is going to be a lot more ‘pleasant' when you let me out of here."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. You are in a rage and that circle is for your own protection as well as our own," said Etias, "in truth, we could let you out of that circle and you wouldn't be able to damage this room, we are near the center of the temple and this place is heavily enchanted to resist assault and I would be negligent to let you harm any of this temple."

Iskdiwercaesin growled at the human, simmering down, "I don't have much to do with the gods, but I'm not stupid enough to mess with Io. Your priesthood is safe. But you will get me out of this thing."

"I would hold you to your word that you do not injure anyone here, but I think I give that decision to Serhis here," Etias pointed his staff at him, "he is the one that brought you here. Whether or not he makes you his prisoner or simply a patient that needs to be restrained is up to him. He came here with the intent of healing your injuries and that is what we‘ve done, but if we should be involved or not remains to be seen."

"Typical Io bullshit. Always with remaining neutral," he grumbled, having a lot of guts to insult a god in his own temple, let alone a major dragon god, "Your name is Serhis? Then tell them to let me out and I'll be out of this place. You know what, for saving me, I'll give you the honor of personally serving me and when I get back at the black dragon, I'll see that you'll be made the All-Watcher for that Kobold city, Tiichi de Soves is the name."

"The name of the dragon that defeated you is Dianekesswhedabkeari Nocudithroden," provided Serhis.

"He didn't defeat me! Not yet! I'm not defeated if I'm still alive, something I'm sure to make clear when I beat him!" the wyrmlings pride certainly not dampened, "Ah, but you're going to make an excellent servant, you've already made yourself useful by giving me the name of that dragon. Dianekesswhedabkeari Nocudithroden. I'll remember that name. And I'm going to tell him my own before ripping him from the sky."

"I'm not going to serve you, but you're not going to be my prisoner. At least, not for long," Serhis interrupted his rant.

"What did you say?" demanded Iskdiwercaesin, emitting a low growl which anything that heard would recognize was in mortal danger.

Steeling himself, Serhis made his intentions clear to the dragon, "I serve Bahamut. That means that I'm going to have to do something about you, otherwise you're going to do anything to get back at Dianekesswhedabkeari. And that likely means you don't care who you're going to hurt along the way to do it. I also don't like having him in charge of Tiichi de Soves, but I'm not going to replace one tyrant with another."

"You defy me!? You, a lowly Kobold?! Do you even deserve the wings on your back?! Maybe I should rip them off and bury you in the dirt where you belong. Or maybe I'll use them for myself so they go to where they belong. I don't know what spells that'll need, but I will not be defied like that by some pathetic servant!" he roared before opening his jaws wide and breathing deep.

Serhis tried not to flinch as the acid came forth, only to run against the spell and dissipating, but not before burning some of the cushions and pillows. Standing his ground, Serhis turned to the sitting human, "Deacon Etias, I want to request your aid in a ritual. Payment for services provided and the materials needed are going to be in the hoard in the wagon."

"Don't you dare, you're going to suffer for touching my hoard. I was going to reward you a bit for saving what you could, but I'll see you crushed!" the dragon raging against his containment, but he is a wyrmling, not strong enough to match the spells surrounding him.

"So you've found something useful in the library. I might accept your request, depending on what this ritual entails," responded Deacon Etias.

"And you, human! What worth are you to Io?! How did some pathetic creature like you become deacon of this place, where a proper dragon is suppose to command? I don't see why Io shouldn't strip you of your powers for allowing me to be in this position!" Iskdiwercaesin railed against any that would hear him.

"Only Io can judge if I am worthy to serve as his representative here," answered Etias, "and so far, I've had no indication he rejects it. The founder of our temple was a true dragon sure enough, but his own followers came from all manner of species. Besides, I'm very sure Io is opposed to only having dragons as his followers, it would weaken his influence, as well as making for a lonely place here. Now Serhis, what is this ritual?"

Serhis had ran through his list of options during his research session. Banishing him to another plane of existence was possible, but that didn't entirely solve the problem, and he'd likely wreak havoc there as well. Outright banishment into what amounted to a hole in the ground that suspended him in stasis was out of the question, only the greater mages would have that type of power. A ritual that would permanently transform him wasn't viable either, he might be in a different form, but he'd still retain a vile and vindictive mind and would still be a danger to all around him, just in a lesser capacity, not to mention it would take to long to take effect or was simply out of their capacity if they wanted to make it immediate. Killing him would have been the simplest solution, there was little doubt about that, but it didn't sit right with Serhis conscience. He had the capacity and the means to change that and he was going to take it.

One ritual would be of use, but it also ran certain risks, "a ritual of alignment is needed."

Deacon Etias raised a wrinkled eyebrow, "I'm sure you know that wouldn't work. The subject must be willing and it would only change-"

"It's association with the elemental forces, not it's actual mind," said Serhis, "not that I want to do that. I'm referring to the Draconic scholar and mage Yscikvucot Myvillionverthichai's work."

Leaning against his staff as he shifted forward in his seat, Deacon Etias' brow furrowed as he recalled the reference, "There are still fundamental differences to that ritual and what you're proposing. That ritual is geared specifically for dragon eggs, changing how the wyrmling would think after it has hatched to the caster's choosing instead of what it would normally be like. I will not condone the use of that ritual anyway, it goes against the teachings of Io, and I will not allow you to mold his mind to your liking."

"That's not what I'm proposing. I don't want to alter his mind to become like my own, but I do want to stop the influence of his species' essence from doing so as well. I'm suggesting we remove that compulsion, give him a chance to choose how he wants to think instead of the color of his scales," Serhis affirmed.

This gave the Deacon pause, thinking about the implication, "A chance... There are still risks to this. It's untested and there is the possibility he might not survive it."

"Or it might not affect him at all. It depends on the strength of his will. If he's too strong, he'll resist the alterations and nothing would have changed. If he's too weak, it might overwhelm and kill him."

Iskdiwercaesin had stopped his ravings, knowing his breathe wasted and his fate decided without his choosing. He glowered at both of them, swearing vengeance. "I will not so easily changed by this ritual, I will be above your little attempts of magic. And when you're done and find that I'm not as weak willed as you think I am, I'll find a way to break free of the spells that are holding me too. Then you'll pay for trying that."

Sighing, Serhis looked at him. He wasn't sure what he was going to do if this did fail. Or even if it succeeded. If this worked, Iskdiwercaesin might not be compelled to ignore the suffering of others for his own benefit, but he wouldn't stop others from do so either. And what would Iskdiwercaesin do to him afterwards? Would he still be angry at being subjected to a ritual that didn't change his personality, but instead removed what was doing so? Would he be indifferent and go on his own way? Regardless, something had to be done.

The butt of his staff hitting the floor, Deacon Etias raised himself from his seat, "In this case, I find that aiding you would be acceptable. A dragon that can choose how it thinks... it sounds so strange, you would think that would already be the case," he mused.

"I'll go get what we need from the library, I left it all on the table," said Serhis as he began to leave the room, "In the morning, we'll buy the reagents needed, then we'll start the ritual."

A room had been provided for them and Baous was already asleep in one of the beds. Serhis got into his own, whispering prayers to Bahamut that this would work out. He found an uneasy sleep that night, his dreams entering unknown territory. The light sneezing and cough didn't help too.

In the morning, preparations for the ritual began. It would take some time to gather all the necessary components, most of the wealth in the wagon spent for it, and even more time for the ritual itself. Almost week would need to be spent, something of concern to all involved. The room Iskdiwercaesin was housed in was personally built by the founder of this temple, the enchantments would last for the duration of the ritual, but what was worrying would be him trying to escape his confinement. The participants of the ritual would need to be in that room for eight hours concentrating on the rites and during that time they would have to take a chance he might escape. If he tried while no one was around, all he would escape into was a locked room, but if did so during the ritual, he would have options. He would be probing to find any way to circumvent a powerful enchantment, and eventually he would find a way. Serhis only hoped that it was after the ritual was completed.

For Baous, he would have a lot of free time on his hands. There was little he could do to help in the ritual aside from bringing in needed material and there were other clerics that would do that. For a third of a day, Serhis would be part of the ritual, after which he would seek out Baous to spend the rest of the day on other activities, the other third for sleeping.

On the first day of the ritual, Baous had been out in the market getting supplies after offering to help, returning to see Serhis waiting for him on the steps that lead to the temple, a bit tired, but still active.

"How are things going?" asked Baous, handing Serhis an apple from one of the bags he carried.

"So far, nothing wrong," answered Serhis as he bit into the apple, his words slurring a little, "Iskdiwercaesin was screaming bloody murder at us the whole time, trying to slash and claw at us, making everyone nervous."

"So you're really sure this is a good idea? After you're done, then you are you going to do?"

Serhis took another bite, taking his time to chew and swallow before he answer, "I don't know. I really don't. It's not like I'm going to make him some great champion for the weak or anything, and there's nothing to stop him from becoming a sadistic creature again after the ritual's done, and we're only taking away a mask only to see that the face underneath it is the same thing."

"You're getting poetic," joked Baous as he sat down next to Serhis, "but you're doing what you think is best, right? Dad always said that if you know that to be true and just, what else can you do?"

"For the best? A lot of people would say just giving him a merciful death would have been for the best and a part of me agrees. I had an chance to save his life as well, but that wouldn't change anything, he'd probably would think burning down a village and making everyone his servants would still be a good idea. Now here we are not trying to change his personality, but instead we're getting rid of a blood compulsion and not sure what type of person he is without it. Deacon Etias certainly thinks it's for the best, he wants to see what could happen with a dragon that is free to pick how to be, the teachings of Io bolstering his faith that this could work. I've been thinking about Bahamut's own tenets, but there's nothing that helps in a situation like this."

"You have doubts?"

"Not about Bahamut, no," affirmed Serhis, "but he's never said anything about changing an evil dragon's personality, and I don't think he's going to appear right before me to give his personal verdict on the matter. It's good to want to convince someone from evil ways, but having to resort to forcefully... altering someone else's mind? Altering isn't even the right word for this. This just sounds cruel," he finished as he turned the apple around in his claws.

"I've never seen you like this," said Baous, causing Serhis to turn his eyes from the apple to him, "I always think you're someone that knows what to do if things go bad, like charging the zombies in Aveamaria or facing against Faresterear alone. Even if you can't find anything Bahamut says that makes you feel like you're doing the right thing, you're doing the best you can right now, aren't you?"

"That's the problem, even if this is the best I can do, Iskdiwercaesin could still die from the ritual or come out with nothing changed. I'd feel guilty for letting him live only so he could die later, or that I only saved a life so that it could continue being a heartless tyrant," lamented Serhis.

"So that's what's bothering you?" asked Baous, "You don't have to worry about those things unless they really happen, and you still have a chance to make things better now, don't you? If this works, then you've done something nobody else would have dared to do and nothing bad would have happened. Changing him is a lot better than leaving him for dead, and you said it's not really going to change his mind or his memories, just that he'll have a chance to choose other ways to think."

Serhis spent a moment in thought, finishing off the rest of the apple before he started to chuckle, "I thought I was supposed to be the one that offers wisdom and advice when others are in doubt. How did this happen?"

"I suppose it's because you think that it's your duty to do those things, but I think it's because that's what friends do for each other," answered Baous with confidence.

Rising off the steps, Serhis enjoyed the warming sunlight, "I'll have to talk to Innoc again when we have the chance and tell him you're a lot smarter than everyone suspects."

"Baous Winterstone, problem solver, noble knight, grocery carrier, and part-time bus boy at your service," he said with all the theatrics he could muster.

Serhis and Baous felt free to smile, since everyone one around here didn't mind toothy grins.

Helping take one of the bags, Serhis and Baous went dropped off the foodstuffs at the kitchen. Leaving the chilly larder, Serhis resisted the need to sneeze and succeeded, then remembering to hand Baous back his handkerchief, "Washed it, so don't worry about any Kobold snot."

"Huh? Ewwww, you didn't have to say that," protested Baous, but he pocketed the clean cloth anyway.

"Sorry. The cold makes me not think clearly. Between a drafty library, a sealed ritual room, and that larder, I think it's starting to affect me."

"Why didn't you get one of those Amulet's of Warmth?"

"It just slipped my mind. I was so busy in the workshops I only got a few things for myself. I was almost as skilled as the master trap maker there and he wanted my help in his projects. Besides, I thought I would get it when we got back to Tiichi de Soves after we finished misleading Iskdiwercaesin, but instead..."

"You can buy one in town, can't you?"

"Mostly Kobolds make those amulets, so it'd be rare to find one on sale above ground."

"And we're going to be here for a few days. That's going to be rough," said Baous.

Serhis gave an impassive shrug, "What can I do? It's only for a few days, so it won't be too bad."

For the rest of the day, they continued to have a free ranging conversation about anything they felt like talking about. For five more days, it continued like this, until the final day, where the critical moment of the ritual needed to take place.

Standing with Deacon Etias and the other members involved in the ritual. A near constant week of this wasn't going to be permanently detrimental to any of their health, but it was certainly affecting them. Serhis was tired, both physically and mentally, Deacon Etias now had a perpetual face that could be described as grim determination, and the rest of the group had varying reactions as well.

Opening the door, Iskdiwercaesin sat looking at them all as they walked into the room. For four days, he had spent all his strength in searching for a way to break out of the spell, to no avail. Realizing that the final part of the ritual was coming, he was saving his energy for this moment. If he could resist the ritual fully, he would have all the time he would need to escape as they didn't have the resources to attempt this a second time. For now, he kept his gaze on Serhis. Though Deacon Etias was the one leading the ritual, he blamed Serhis for all of this and had made his ire clear.

Shifting on the remain pillows that weren't torn apart or had dissolved in his acid breathe, he made Serhis uncomfortable with that gaze and what he said wasn't encouraging either, "When I am free, know that your days after this day a gift from me, because from today onward your life is mine to take. I may have lost all of my servants, but that doesn't mean there are others that can replace them, eager to serve me. I'm going to find you, little Kobold, and I'm going to make those days afterward the price for putting me here and making me sit through this stupid ritual."

Eight hours, they all were subjected to the promise of threats, each member told in horrific description about their future captivity, but almost all if it was directed at Serhis. His attempts to unnerve them might have been an attempt to disrupt the ritual, in the hopes one of them might break and run, but all present held fast as it reached completion.

"Ready?" asked Deacon Etias. All present nodded, their focus increasing at this critical point. Iskdiwercaesin had stopped talking, instead seeming to brace against the approaching storm. Slamming the bottom of his staff to the floor, the sound echoed through the chamber as even the air seemed heavier as the place was drenched in magic.

Iskdiwercaesin emitted a low growl as he shut his eyes, concentrating on himself. While being part of the ritual, some part of Serhis' blood could sense the mental strength of the green dragon rally as the ceremony continued.

And steadily fade.

"He's not going to last," said one of the members of the ritual, the half-elf Timothy, his words a bit distracted as he focused on his task.

"This is bad," agreed Serhis, "but he's going to make it, just keep going."

Iskdiwercaesin's growls were getting deeper and he began to shift and wobble. As time went on, the growls became screaming roars, his claws grasping his head as if in pain.

Serhis' doubts were beginning to take shape again. Even if he was a dragon, instead of fighting it off with some difficulty, Iskdiwercaesin's mind was beginning to unravel. "Endure!" he shouted as a way to bolster others in the ritual as well as Iskdiwercaesin.

The air seemed to change as all the magic was focused to one point and the ritual was complete. No flashy lights, no grand sounds, only a sense of enormous relief.

Deacon Etias leaned against his staff, the strain gone, "Is he still alive?"

Lying on the floor, Iskdiwercaesin had curled up into a circular position and it wasn't clear if he was dead or not. "Release the circle," he ordered, allowing them to inspect the green dragon.

Serhis leaned down, checking for a heartbeat and breathing, "He's unconscious, not dead. But I don't know if he's going to be changed, or an empty shell, or just the same."

Backing out of the circle as it was reestablished, Serhis leaned against one of the pillars of the room, the back of his head meeting the stone as he heaved a sigh, "until he wakes up, I'm going keep him under observation. If he wakes up."

Deacon Etias and the other clerics of Io nodded in agreement, shuffling out of the room, leaving Serhis alone with the unconscious dragon, pondering what was going to happen next.

Sitting in a chair too big for him, Serhis sagged against the back, his head tilted and leaning at the arms of the chair. Alone with an unconscious dragon and his thoughts, he still questioned if he was doing the right thing, now that everything had been said and done. Slaying him would have been "the right thing" as well, and any paladin wouldn't think anything less of it, extenuating circumstances aside, but on the subject of forcibly altering the essence of a personality on even an evil creature would likely stir up debate. Inherently evil by nature or not, he knew he'd be asking this question for a very long time.

He awoke from his half-sleeping state as the door opened, seeing Baous enter and closing the door behind him. Carrying a plate of hot food, he went over to Serhis, asking, "You okay?"

"I'm fine, just tired, thanks," Serhis said as he was given the plate.

Baous sat down next to him, looking at Iskdiwercaesin, "Did it work?"

"We won't know until he wakes up, if he wakes up," said Serhis with some uncertainty, "until then, I'm going to be wondering about my ethics," he finished with a degree of sarcasm.

"So you're still wondering about this," said Baous, more of a statement than a question, "If you ask me, I'd say there isn't any right answer for this kind of thing. You know, like dad said about two things being true at once, maybe some things don't have a single answer."

Thinking about it as he finished his plate, Serhis sighed as he finished, "Way smarter than anyone thinks," he mumbled around a piece of bread and swallowed.

"Oh, I got you something while you were busy," Baous said as he reached into his bag and produced a silvery scarf with yellow edges and presented it to Serhis.

Putting it on, he instantly felt warmer, "An enchanted scarf?" he asked.

"Yep. A scarf of warmth. A bit of a redundant name, but it works."

"Where did you get it?" Serhis said as he wound it around himself.

"Well, I asked Kese why he wasn't so bothered by the cold and he showed me the scarf he had on him, so I went into town and got one for you. It won‘t make you as warm as you‘d like, but at least you won‘t be so cold anymore."

"Thank you Baous, really, thank you."

"It's no problem, it didn't cost too much. Now you won't have to use my handkerchief so much," he added jokingly. "I hope you don't mind sharing. You're right, it's cold in here," he said as he tugged a part for himself.

Sitting there, they waited for a sleeping dragon to awaken.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey. Wake up."

Serhis blearily opened his eyes, blinking and rubbing them as he woke up, Baous also in a similar state.

"Huh? Must have fallen asleep," he yawned, only to hold shock still as he realized that wasn't Baous waking him up. In front of him, Iskdiwercaesin had risen on his front legs, his green eyes observing them closely.

"Wha-? Whoa!" Baous shouted as he immediately stood up, only to stumble as Serhis and himself fell to the ground, since he tried to stand while being connected by the neck with a scarf.

"Ow," Serhis grunted as he stood up, much more slowly than normal to avoid a repeat choking.

Still in the circle, the green dragon calmly regarded them, "Now are you going to let me out?"

As Serhis disentangled the scarf from Baous, he walked forward to the perimeter of the circle. Baous went to the door, "I'll go tell the Deacon he's awake," he said as he left at a run.

Again alone with the dragon, they looked at one another, neither blinking, neither moving. Serhis didn't know what to say now, but Iskdiwercaesin had no such problem, "Was it worth it?" he asked.

"... to tell the truth, I don't know."

"So you did this to me, even if you didn't know if it was worth it," Iskdiwercaesin measured his words carefully, each syllable carrying the connotation that he was either restraining himself or just curious.

"I could have killed you, or left you to die, but I thought it didn't need to be that way."

"So out of the kindness of your heart, you let me live only so you could change who I am. Or was. To satisfy some moral of yours. How nice."

"I let you live so that you could live. But I couldn't let you live so you'd bring pain to others."

"I can still ‘bring pain to others', even if you wanted to remove the compulsion."

Serhis shook his head, "Perhaps, but did it work? Did the ritual take effect or are you the same?"

"I'm... me," Iskdiwercaesin said unsurely, "I have all my memories, I still hold some ideas that haven't changed. But now, I get this feeling when I recall one memory and it's none of that ‘because you did something wrong' bullshit those paladins always say. And some things I didn't think twice about, I don't know for certain anymore."

"I'd say you have a better sense of empathy now. I have to ask, do you hate me for doing that to you?"

Serhis waited as Iskdiwercaesin looked at him silently waiting for an answer. It would have to wait a bit longer as Baous opened the door and Deacon Etias and a number of other clerics entered the room.

"You're awake. How do you feel?" asked the Deacon to Iskdiwercaesin, "are you of sound mind and judgment?"

"Are you going to take my last will and testament?" he replied sarcastically, "Whatever you had wished to do to me, it worked. Now can I be on my way and away from this place?"

"Yes, but first, we need to examine you and ask you a few questions. We need to document the effects of the experimental ritual before you leave. First question, do you still wish to tear me limb from limb for my participation in the ritual?"

"You're not worth it anymore, you've already done your deed, and I still don't want to mess with Io on his own holy ground, but I still might want to if you don't let me out of this damn circle! I've been stuck here for over a week!"

"Timothy, record that he is now not quite as vindictive, key word being ‘not quite'," the Deacon said as he paced around the perimeter of the circle, "Serhis, if you wish, go to the kitchen and get something to eat, you must be hungry by now."

"But I just ate a little while-" Serhis didn't finish, feeling that he was hungry, "how long have I been in here?"

"Nine hours," Deacon Etias answered.

Serhis could hear Iskdiwercaesin mutter under his breathe, "had nothing but pillows and feathers to eat..."

Taking the Deacon's advice, Serhis left with Baous to get breakfast. He still wanted to know the answer to his question.

Breakfast finished, they waited in the main hall for Deacon Etias, not wanting to disturb him until he had finished with his questions. Their self assigned task done here, they wanted to give a formal farewell before they left.

"We're going to Saletvarin, right?" asked Baous as they sat on the marble benches and waited.

Serhis nodded, then started to rise from his seat as he saw the Deacon enter. The other clerics in the hall also rose and bowed to him, though everyone was taken aback at seeing Iskdiwercaesin coming into the hall as well. The green dragon looked around the hall, pausing a bit as he saw Serhis before continuing to walk into the hall, though Serhis could see his head dip a bit as he regarded the symbol of Io. It was then that Serhis saw the symbol of Io handing around his neck, a small sigil engraved on it, though what it symbolized he didn't know.

The old human went up to the Kobolds with the dragon behind him, "it would appear that our somewhat altered ritual has been a success. I had hoped Io would provide some form of sign to note his approval or disapproval of this, but so far, nothing. If I were to make my own guess, I'd say he's waiting before he will give his judgment." This was more for those in the hall rather than for Serhis. "He is free to go where he wishes and we've given him that sigil as a means to show that he is associated to us, though not as member of our order."

"Thank you for your hospitality Deacon," said Baous, "we're going to go on our way now, and I guess good luck to you too Iskdiwercaesin."

Serhis had nothing to add to that, though he and those green eyes now looked at each other. Turning to leave, they went outside, passing the wagon. Looking behind them, they saw Iskdiwercaesin coming out of the temple as well before going to the remaining amount of wealth he had.

Seeing what remained of his hoard, which was in the range of ten thousand gold pieces, turning an eye back to the Kobolds who stood in the middle of the courtyard, "You wanted to know if I hate you," he said with a high degree of irritation, "I'd have to say yes."

A part of Serhis' mind felt both fearful and relieved, he now had a dragon that hated him, but some of his self doubt had been eliminated.

"But," Iskdiwercaesin continued, "I don't want your deaths. I owe you my life, you could have left me for dead in that forest or just finished it. Instead, you healed me and brought me to a place to fix what you couldn't. Then you changed me and used my own gold for it. Compared to me being dead, that's something of an improvement, but I have to say it only makes us even," he said grudgingly.

"Thank you for your answer," said Serhis, "if our paths ever cross again, maybe it'll be under better circumstances."

As Serhis and Baous turned to leave, Iskdiwercaesin had something else to say, "I'll be coming with you, so that won't be necessary."

"... Excuse me?" asked a perplexed Baous.

"I said I'll be coming with you, dog face and miniscule lizard," the irritable wyrmling repeated.

"Why?" they both said in unison.

"Humph. Just because I hate you doesn't mean I don't think you're not useful to me. Even with this symbol of Io, that's not going to be enough for some to stop anyone from attacking me on sight, and without my wings, it's going to be hard to get away if I'm not prepared. I come with you, then that might give others pause, since what would a cleric of Bahamut being doing with me. Though they'd have to be idiots to attack me anyway. And I've been thinking, if you were willing to keep me alive, out of some sense of duty or because you like being some kind of wandering healer or some other deluded perception of yourself, then being around you is going to extend my lifespan, and that's always something I want."

"Don't you have somewhere else to go?" asked Baous, "What about your old lair?"

"Weren't you listening? Every single servant of mine was with me during my battle with Dianekesswhedabkeari Nocudithroden," he spat as he said the name, leaving a small pit in the tile floor as the acid saliva melted through, "there is nothing left for me back there, that's why I wanted to go that that Kobold city, for a better opportunity. Some damn opportunity that was. Now all I have left is in this wagon. I don't know much about the surrounding land, so going along with you lot is more for my safety than just wandering around."

Baous and Serhis looked at each other, both unsure how to respond and looking to the other for advice. "There's nothing we can do about this, huh," said Baous in resignation.

Serhis shook his head in agreement. Even without wings, Iskdiwercaesin was now fully healed and there would be no way to be rid of him if they wanted. Then again, the benefit was that said dragon would be a great deterrent to any would be attacker. If he was inclined to help in the fight though. They essentially had an undependable ally.

"Right then, but we'll have our eyes on you and we‘re going to use this wagon since you‘re following us," Baous said as he went back to the wagon and taking the reins, "If you start going on a rampage or something like that, we‘re going to make sure we don‘t make the same mistake of letting you live again."

Iskdiwercaesin only chuckled as he got into the back of the wagon, amused at Baous thinking he could take him on. Serhis sat next to Baous on the wagon as he flicked the reins and the horses moved forward. They would have to go into the town without any disguises or acts as they left, they had to sell the rugs and tapestries. At least now with a conscious Iskdiwercaesin, they didn't have to fear a mob. Yet.

Looking back at the green wyrmling curled up on his depleted hoard, Serhis knew that at least one part of his personality was inherently his own and not of his blood, his preference for manipulation and taking advantage of any given situation. It wasn't evil, these things could be used to bring about good things as well. Especially about taking any advantage, no Kobold would dream otherwise.

As they went through the illusionary wall, past the mansion, and into the town, they got stares from anyone they passed. Gather around everyone, sardonically thought Serhis, it's no longer the tall and short Kobold show, we now have a wingless green dragon. Iskdiwercaesin sat in the wagon, head held high, as if he were in a royal coach instead of a worn and mud-caked wagon. He didn't put on his sigil of Io until after they were out of the town as a measure to protect the secrecy of the temple.

The trip out was as eventful as anyone would expect with an odd pair of Kobolds and a green wyrmling in the back. Baous was trying to answer the questions given, but he didn't need to answer many, not with Iskdiwercaesin looking intently with an unblinking stare at the questioning guard. Soon enough, the guard's nerve broke and let them pass expediently. At least now they had one way of getting though the gates quickly, thought Serhis. Most of the time.

A mile out of town, Iskdiwercaesin asked the Kobolds in the front seat, "where are you going?"

"Saletvarin, for the library of the Academy," replied Serhis, "you really sure you want to come with us?"

"I said yes, deal with it. You're still potentially useful to me and maybe if you do well, maybe I might just forgive you."

There might be another reason silently thought Serhis. It might have to do with the ritual. It had not only demanded expensive and rare reagents, but also a small sacrifice of an individual's power. Normally, the one that leaded the ritual would give that portion of power, but Serhis had asked that the Deacon that he be the one to power the ritual instead. He hoped that nothing ill would come of it, he would recover what was lost in time, but there was an element of doubt. Using an experimental and untested ritual could have unknown and undesired side effects, one might be that the subjects might be linked in some way or form. Serhis still remembered feeling the mind of Iskdiwercaesin, but it was brief and he certainly didn't feel anything now, it might have just been a temporary effect. Now, he wasn't so sure if he had no such connection at all or their souls were linked and he was coming along because of that link, or that he was over-thinking this whole thing, only time would tell what sacrificing what was essentially a small part of his soul had done.

Glancing back at Iskdiwercaesin, he now had a good profile of him, now that he was no longer all bandaged up and standing at his full height. He was as big as Baous, though maybe a bit bigger in every term of height, length, and weight, a small leathery crest rising from the top of his head down to his tail, though small parts were frayed. His scales were a deep green, but his eyes were a much lighter tone of green in comparison. As Iskdiwercaesin glanced at Serhis, he turned his eyes back onto the road ahead.

"Not a talkative bunch, are you?" said Iskdiwercaesin and interrupting Serhis' thoughts.

"We usually don't have a stranger coming along with us," retorted Baous.

"By the way, why are you going to the Academy of Saletvarin?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're going there to find out more about my people."

"What are you anyway dog face? You don't smell like a gnoll, you smell cleaner. Not that you smell much better though."

"Stop calling me dog face! My name's Baous Winterstone, and I'm a Kobold. Before you say it, yes, not a Kobold like Serhis, a different kind."

"Whatever mutt."

"What did you call me!? What's your problem?!"

"Both of you, calm down," interjected Serhis, "if we're going to be on the road with each other, stop with the name calling."

"He started it," quietly fumed Baous, only to have Iskdiwercaesin flicked out his tongue and blew at raspberry at him. To say it was one of the more unique sounds in the world would have been very accurate.

"Just how old are you, a naughty kid?" asked Serhis in exasperation.

"For your information, I'm four," huffed the wyrmling. "And a half," he added as an afterthought.

Baous blinked, not sure if he heard that right, trying to recall what his book had said about dragons. Serhis inwardly groaned. Dragons developed extremely quickly at first, usually attaining an adult sapient intelligence in under a year, a trait shared with Kobolds. Unfortunately, intelligence could change little about having the personality of a much younger being, and that wouldn't change for decades, since after the initial growth spurt, draconic physiology develops at a crawl, but never declines.

Passing a small ranch, Iskdiwercaesin's attention shifted, "Hey, stop for a second and I'll get one of those cows, I'm starving." Before they could answer, he was already off the wagon and running down one of the bovines, the rancher some distance off and helpless as the wyrmling pursued his quarry, "Damn! I want my wings back, this is a lot harder than before."

"Wait! At least pay the farmer for that first!" shouted Baous.

Serhis sighed as he placed a gold piece in plain view for the rancher. This journey had just gotten a lot more interesting. And aggravating.