looked straight at him.
"Ah, an intruder," Sulrad said. "Welcome, welcome. No need to rush away, come talk with me." He motioned to the table where the animal had been sacrificed.
A magical pull drew Zhimosom into the room in the Temple. He fought back, but Sulrad was strong, too strong. He felt his will weakening as Sulrad tugged at him. The mini dragon's magic must have added to Sulrad's own. He had pierced Zhimosom's shield with ease, and was drawing Zhimosom to him.
Zhimosom fought the pull, but he felt himself losing the battle. He saw the room flicker around him as he was pulled to the Temple. The walls of his room began to fade, to be replaced by Sulrad's sacrifice chamber.
"Hold on," Rotiaqua said.
Rotiaqua joined her magic back to Zhimosom's and pulled. Zhimosom raised the shield they had practiced, fighting against the Priest until suddenly the room was dark and Sulrad was gone.
"He saw me!" Zhimosom tried to calm his breathing, but the fear threatened to overwhelm him.
"He doesn't know who you are. If you can keep your shields up, you should be safe. I don't think he saw me, though. He would have recognized me."
"That was too close. Maybe we'd better stay away from him for a while." Zhimosom dropped the connection to Rotiaqua and tried to get back to sleep, but the brush with Sulrad had unnerved him and he could only lay there wondering what he had gotten himself into.
The Temple was nearing completion. Zhimosom and Rotiaqua had often watched Sulrad as he worked in his study or performed sacrifices in the Temple. They were becoming close and spoke almost daily.
One morning, Zhimosom was told to prepare the horses for Rotiaqua and the Baroness, he was excited to see her in person again, yet he was still nervous about being around a Royal.
He busied himself by brushing and saddling the horses and preparing for the arrival of the Baroness. Two Guards entered the stable.
"The Baroness Rieck and the Mistress Rotiaqua," one of them shouted. The Guard glanced over at Zhimosom and nodded.
The Baroness strode in confidently ahead of her daughter. She was arguing with Rotiaqua about her dress. Zhimosom didn't understand what they were fighting about. Apparently, the Baroness though Rotiaqua was improperly dressed for the outing or was going to be improperly dressed for some future outing. It was hard to follow as Zhimosom watched Rotiaqua climb up on her horse.
Rotiaqua was distracted, arguing with her mother and was not paying attention to her horse. The horse startled as she mounted and stepped away from the step. Rotiaqua lost her balance and swung her arms out to steady herself.
Zhimosom let go of the horse and ran to catch her. She tumbled off the step and landed squarely in his arms. He almost buckled under her sudden weight, but managed to keep his balance.
Rotiaqua looked up at him. "My, you're strong. Thanks for catching me."
Zhimosom blushed and quickly lowered her to her feet. "Sorry, Your Ladyship."
He lowered his gaze, knowing what trouble he could get into just for looking at her. It was a fear he lived with since they had first spoken many moons ago.
She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "You're getting tall."
He flinched as she touched him. He knew she wanted him to look at her, but he kept his eyes averted.
"Guard," shouted the Baroness.
Zhimosom turned to see the Baroness looking at him in rage.
"Take that man to the stocks. No commoner looks at my daughter, much less touches her."
The Guards grabbed him and knocked him to his knees. Zhimosom hung his head, avoiding eye contact with the Baroness as she raged on. "How dare you look at my daughter, you filthy swine? You will sorely regret taking that liberty by the time the sun goes down."
"Mother!" Rotiaqua stomped over to the Baroness. "He only saved me from getting hurt. He did nothing wrong."
"I'm done arguing with you." The Baroness turned to the Guard. "I said take him to the stocks and lock him there
"Ah, an intruder," Sulrad said. "Welcome, welcome. No need to rush away, come talk with me." He motioned to the table where the animal had been sacrificed.
A magical pull drew Zhimosom into the room in the Temple. He fought back, but Sulrad was strong, too strong. He felt his will weakening as Sulrad tugged at him. The mini dragon's magic must have added to Sulrad's own. He had pierced Zhimosom's shield with ease, and was drawing Zhimosom to him.
Zhimosom fought the pull, but he felt himself losing the battle. He saw the room flicker around him as he was pulled to the Temple. The walls of his room began to fade, to be replaced by Sulrad's sacrifice chamber.
"Hold on," Rotiaqua said.
Rotiaqua joined her magic back to Zhimosom's and pulled. Zhimosom raised the shield they had practiced, fighting against the Priest until suddenly the room was dark and Sulrad was gone.
"He saw me!" Zhimosom tried to calm his breathing, but the fear threatened to overwhelm him.
"He doesn't know who you are. If you can keep your shields up, you should be safe. I don't think he saw me, though. He would have recognized me."
"That was too close. Maybe we'd better stay away from him for a while." Zhimosom dropped the connection to Rotiaqua and tried to get back to sleep, but the brush with Sulrad had unnerved him and he could only lay there wondering what he had gotten himself into.
The Temple was nearing completion. Zhimosom and Rotiaqua had often watched Sulrad as he worked in his study or performed sacrifices in the Temple. They were becoming close and spoke almost daily.
One morning, Zhimosom was told to prepare the horses for Rotiaqua and the Baroness, he was excited to see her in person again, yet he was still nervous about being around a Royal.
He busied himself by brushing and saddling the horses and preparing for the arrival of the Baroness. Two Guards entered the stable.
"The Baroness Rieck and the Mistress Rotiaqua," one of them shouted. The Guard glanced over at Zhimosom and nodded.
The Baroness strode in confidently ahead of her daughter. She was arguing with Rotiaqua about her dress. Zhimosom didn't understand what they were fighting about. Apparently, the Baroness though Rotiaqua was improperly dressed for the outing or was going to be improperly dressed for some future outing. It was hard to follow as Zhimosom watched Rotiaqua climb up on her horse.
Rotiaqua was distracted, arguing with her mother and was not paying attention to her horse. The horse startled as she mounted and stepped away from the step. Rotiaqua lost her balance and swung her arms out to steady herself.
Zhimosom let go of the horse and ran to catch her. She tumbled off the step and landed squarely in his arms. He almost buckled under her sudden weight, but managed to keep his balance.
Rotiaqua looked up at him. "My, you're strong. Thanks for catching me."
Zhimosom blushed and quickly lowered her to her feet. "Sorry, Your Ladyship."
He lowered his gaze, knowing what trouble he could get into just for looking at her. It was a fear he lived with since they had first spoken many moons ago.
She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. "You're getting tall."
He flinched as she touched him. He knew she wanted him to look at her, but he kept his eyes averted.
"Guard," shouted the Baroness.
Zhimosom turned to see the Baroness looking at him in rage.
"Take that man to the stocks. No commoner looks at my daughter, much less touches her."
The Guards grabbed him and knocked him to his knees. Zhimosom hung his head, avoiding eye contact with the Baroness as she raged on. "How dare you look at my daughter, you filthy swine? You will sorely regret taking that liberty by the time the sun goes down."
"Mother!" Rotiaqua stomped over to the Baroness. "He only saved me from getting hurt. He did nothing wrong."
"I'm done arguing with you." The Baroness turned to the Guard. "I said take him to the stocks and lock him there
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