O' children

Chapter 7: Look Three Times, Act Once

Caysa searched high and low through the library of the monastery for any recent writings on the Tisgan Alps and Mount Verity but aside from small references in some sparse paragraphs, the histories recorded by the monks of the Garni Monastery focused primarily on the history of human movement that had occurred, and very rarely was any sort of dragon or other mystic beast mentioned. Caysa supposed he couldn't blame his spiritual ancestors for minding their own business and sticking to what they knew but it did mean Caysa had to walk awkwardly around the town centre trying to see if Marko or Aron were around to smuggle him into the Hirreshian Abbey with as few questions as possible. Part of Caysa was afraid that if too many people saw him, they might see what Danrho had seen, and they would know.

Well, largely he was looking out for Aron, who rarely bothered with questions for situations that didn't directly concern him. Marko was usually a different story depending on the day.

And behold the gods did listen but only with one ear because there across the town square was Marko, big smile, and even bigger laugh. Caysa peeked above the heads of the other townspeople milling about, trying to catch Marko's eye. Marko moved through the crowd with focus of a hunting dog, stopping in front of Caysa with an exaggerated pout.

"Look at that, you've managed to find yourself outside, was that on purpose or?" Marko smirked, Caysa gave him a light slap to the arm for his cheek.

"I actually came to see you," Caysa started walking towards the grand oak doors of the Hirreshian Abbey, the stonework of the abbey was far beyond what any Imran monastery could commission, Caysa's eyes couldn't help but trace the motifs and reliefs every time he passed that grand entrance.

"Me? I'm blushing," Marko exaggeratedly swooned, leaning heavily on Caysa.

"Oh, shut it. I'd like to get into the library, I need to find a book"

"So, you were just using me? Caysa, you dog!"

"Marko, please?" Caysa looked to Marko with big eyes, hands clasped in front like a prayer. "Please?"

Marko loudly clicked his tongue and then broke out into a big smile with a wink. "Fine, but you'll owe me,"

"I have never felt so threatened, never mind," Marko laughed, grabbing Caysa by the arm and dragging him through the open doors of the abbey.

Two brother's performing rites of some kind looked over with matching severe glares, robes heavy and dark as storm clouds. Marko was laughing as he put up a hand and said, "Sorry, sorry, just passing through,"

The library of Hirresh was bigger but worse kept, dust lined shelves and books in the darker corners but on the central dais sat a beautiful copy of the Ottrisus, the poetry of the gods, each page gilded, and painted with vibrant illustrations to match the poems next to them. The page it was turned to concerned the judgement of the four Sangui by Palo. There sat Imra, with nothing in front of her, detailed as little more than a pale blue blob, next to her was Narsa, God of Agriculture with his bounty of grain and fruit then Aral, Goddess of Order with her scales and gold money and presenting his bounty of fallen enemies to the feet of Palo was Hirresh of War and Victory, adorned in steel and blood red, he was by far the most detailed character on the page. Fashioned as the glowing leader and casting the other three in his shadow, Caysa couldn't help but laugh a bit at that.

"Pretty colours," Marko said, hand drifting over the pages, Caysa slapped his hand away with an amused glare.

"Ahem," Caysa turned around to see another brother, he was older than the other two and did not seem at all happy to see Caysa loitering around. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, he's here to help me read,"

"Yes, he's quite bad at it," Caysa said, trying not to laugh at the brother's unimpressed face "Beautiful book, by the way," Caysa absentmindedly waved his hand over the Ottrisus' open page.