thieves. When they approached, he bowed his head and held the curtain open for them.
Tass motioned Chihon into the darkened interior. There were cages stacked along the wall of the tent that contained exotic animals of all sorts. Most of them looked fierce and snarled at Chihon as she peered into their cages. Back in the corner, there was one cage covered with a heavily embroidered red cloth. It stood out from the others, alone on a crate.
Tass lifted the cloth to reveal the animal within. "Here, have a look. But keep your distance."
Chihon peered into the cage. The animal looked like a thick weasel with twisted horns and short stubby bat wings. It lay curled up in the cage, flicking a forked tongue in and out of its mouth. Chihon leaned over to get a closer look, but Tass grabbed her arm and pulled her up short.
The animal lifted its head and focused its eyes on Chihon. It drew in a deep breath, and spat a stream of fire, almost a full span long. Chihon stepped back to avoid the flame, as the air filled with the smell of rotten eggs and swamp gas.
"What's that?" Chihon asked.
"That's a mini dragon," Tass said. "They come from high in the mountains that withstand the Ice Father. They live in caves and crevasses that are almost impossible to reach. They are enchanted and carry their own power, and feed on the magic of the mountains, gathering the heat and steam born in the bowels of the earth. They are very powerful and very valuable.
"They're not pets." Tass replaced the cloth back over the cage. "They're sacrificial animals. The young men hunt them as a test of skill and bravery. They bring them here to sell to the affluent, so that they may be used to power the strongest of spells."
Tass turned to face Chihon. "One mini dragon can go for as much as a hundred golds. Only the wealthiest can afford them."
"What type of spells do they need that they are willing to pay so much?" Chihon wondered at the desperation that would drive a family to spend such a fortune just to improve their chances at a healing.
"The wealthy have more golds than they know what to do with. They desire power and success, or even love, and are willing to trade their golds for it. They often request spells to assure the birth of a son to carry on the family line, or to improve the outcome of a business transaction. Some wish to encourage a liaison between youths that will seal a business arrangement and sometimes even to raise their dear departed."
"Surely we can't do that? Raise the dead? Once someone is dead, they are dead."
"No, we can't raise the dead. But I have heard of a spell that enchanted a slave girl to look and act like the departed spouse of a wealthy man."
They left the market and hired a coach and driver to take them to the Temple in time for lunch. Tass told Chihon she wanted her to practice her sacrificial techniques that evening in order to maximize the life force she could absorb. She'd felt so exhilarated by the last sacrifice that she was eager to experience it again.
Tass and Chihon joined a number of young priests in the dining room. Two of them wore robes, much like her own, but trimmed in green, indicating highly ranking priests. The rest were robed in plain black with white trim; these were students. As she entered the room, someone cried out and the students stood up in unison.
"Good day, Mother," they said in one voice.
Chihon flushed with embarrassment at being called Mother. She was barely older than most of the students and younger than the priests.
She took her seat at the head of the table, beside the chair reserved for the High Priest. The students waited until she had eaten before they started asking questions, all at the same time. She tried to answer those that she knew but was at a loss for many of them. After a while, they adjourned to their own studies.
As the sunset drew near, Tass reminded her that she was to participate in the sacrifice soon. She entered the altar room to find a mini dragon
Tass motioned Chihon into the darkened interior. There were cages stacked along the wall of the tent that contained exotic animals of all sorts. Most of them looked fierce and snarled at Chihon as she peered into their cages. Back in the corner, there was one cage covered with a heavily embroidered red cloth. It stood out from the others, alone on a crate.
Tass lifted the cloth to reveal the animal within. "Here, have a look. But keep your distance."
Chihon peered into the cage. The animal looked like a thick weasel with twisted horns and short stubby bat wings. It lay curled up in the cage, flicking a forked tongue in and out of its mouth. Chihon leaned over to get a closer look, but Tass grabbed her arm and pulled her up short.
The animal lifted its head and focused its eyes on Chihon. It drew in a deep breath, and spat a stream of fire, almost a full span long. Chihon stepped back to avoid the flame, as the air filled with the smell of rotten eggs and swamp gas.
"What's that?" Chihon asked.
"That's a mini dragon," Tass said. "They come from high in the mountains that withstand the Ice Father. They live in caves and crevasses that are almost impossible to reach. They are enchanted and carry their own power, and feed on the magic of the mountains, gathering the heat and steam born in the bowels of the earth. They are very powerful and very valuable.
"They're not pets." Tass replaced the cloth back over the cage. "They're sacrificial animals. The young men hunt them as a test of skill and bravery. They bring them here to sell to the affluent, so that they may be used to power the strongest of spells."
Tass turned to face Chihon. "One mini dragon can go for as much as a hundred golds. Only the wealthiest can afford them."
"What type of spells do they need that they are willing to pay so much?" Chihon wondered at the desperation that would drive a family to spend such a fortune just to improve their chances at a healing.
"The wealthy have more golds than they know what to do with. They desire power and success, or even love, and are willing to trade their golds for it. They often request spells to assure the birth of a son to carry on the family line, or to improve the outcome of a business transaction. Some wish to encourage a liaison between youths that will seal a business arrangement and sometimes even to raise their dear departed."
"Surely we can't do that? Raise the dead? Once someone is dead, they are dead."
"No, we can't raise the dead. But I have heard of a spell that enchanted a slave girl to look and act like the departed spouse of a wealthy man."
They left the market and hired a coach and driver to take them to the Temple in time for lunch. Tass told Chihon she wanted her to practice her sacrificial techniques that evening in order to maximize the life force she could absorb. She'd felt so exhilarated by the last sacrifice that she was eager to experience it again.
Tass and Chihon joined a number of young priests in the dining room. Two of them wore robes, much like her own, but trimmed in green, indicating highly ranking priests. The rest were robed in plain black with white trim; these were students. As she entered the room, someone cried out and the students stood up in unison.
"Good day, Mother," they said in one voice.
Chihon flushed with embarrassment at being called Mother. She was barely older than most of the students and younger than the priests.
She took her seat at the head of the table, beside the chair reserved for the High Priest. The students waited until she had eaten before they started asking questions, all at the same time. She tried to answer those that she knew but was at a loss for many of them. After a while, they adjourned to their own studies.
As the sunset drew near, Tass reminded her that she was to participate in the sacrifice soon. She entered the altar room to find a mini dragon
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