The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [29] Broken Jaw

Joha ended up having to relay everything that Bjorn had told them to the council. Tanisha was too upset to deal with their foolishness. She and Bjorn walked out of the council's meeting room and sat in the lobby. Tanisha's mood finally transitioned from white hot rage, to slightly less hot anger, to lukewarm simmering outrage over the course of her waiting in the lobby.

Ignoring the disapproving glares of the town hall security, she sat cross-legged on the floor next to Bjorn, her hand idly stroking his long, sleek body. It was only now, in the quiet moments between the council's droning nonsense, that Tanisha truly took stock of his appearance again. Bjorn had grown considerably since he was born, even if he was smaller now than he was in Lavi.

He was about the height of a pony, his scaled body long and thin, built for speed and agility rather than bulk. From his snout to the tip of his tail, he stretched over twelve feet, a lithe, sinuous presence that coiled protectively around her. His scales shimmered in the light of the lobby, a striking blue-green hue. The color was more vivid than she remembered, an iridescent sheen that rippled with each subtle movement of his body.

As her fingers traced along his form, she couldn't help but notice the areas where his scales were missing. Patches of smooth, newly healed skin were scattered across his body, the aftermath of the brutal fight he'd been in only hours ago. While the wounds had healed, the scales had yet to grow back, leaving small, bare spots that felt oddly vulnerable under her touch. Each time her hand brushed against one of these bare patches, the embers of her anger flared again.

Tanisha's fingers hovered over one such patch near the base of Bjorn's spine, where a cluster of scales was completely absent. The skin beneath was smooth and pale, still tender from whatever healing magic or natural recovery he possessed. Her gaze traveled further down his body, noting the webbed spines along his back—sharp, angular ridges that looked almost like fins—and the thagomizer at the end of his tail that swayed lazily from side to side.

It was a reminder that despite his absolutely adorableness and graceful appearance, Bjorn was a dangerous predator, a creature born for combat and survival. Yet, here he was, calm and still beside her, his many heads resting quietly as though he sensed her need for comfort. One of his heads nuzzled against her leg, the coolness of his scales a balm to her frayed nerves.

Tanisha clinched her fist and breathed heavily through her nose. "I am sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. It's like we're never strong enough. My father, my mother, that troll, the druids, Thyra, fucking Loki. Now some werewolves and that Forest Father damned gnoll." She closed her eyes and took a proper breath. " We are going to kill them and Sabec."

After a few minutes there was a flurry of alerted looking guards going in and out of the meeting room. Tanisha could hear some of them talking about a "druid invasion" and "monster horde" as they ran to their stations. Joha finally exited the meeting room. He was joined by Robert and the two seemed to be conversing about something. Joha led Robert to her and she stood as he approached.

"...you will have to ask her." Joha finished some unheard conversation.

"Tanisha," Robert held out his hand.

Tanisha looked at the open palm for a moment then took the hand. "I appreciate you sticking up for me in there. I imagine things would have gone differently without you."

"It wasn't always like that, but after the Nazem's reform to a more capitalistic government these bottom feeders were quick to take power." Robert said with a sigh. "They are good at making money but they should never have been in any position of real power. Troels honestly did more for you than me though."

Tanisha rolled her eyes."He is the one that brought up all of the suspicious things I did."

"Yes, he did that on purpose so it couldn't be used against you in the long run. They had to act all at once to discredit you. He did that so we could have all of those negatives addressed and dismissed right off."