Scales Between Pages

Chapter 3

Throughout the next day, they meandered through the city streets and chatted idly about himself and random little topics that popped up.Though as Tasha quickly noticed the time flowed oddly here, there was no night or day among the tall buildings, and there wasn't a single clock or timepiece within sight. Before long, they came to a house of adobe bricks that was decorated with little glittering rubies and garnets tucked into the walls here and there. It stuck out like a sore thumb in a city of glowing wealth as something on the humbler side of . The travel buddies looked at each other then back to the hovel. It was shocking to see something like this in a place full of wealth, but the centaur on the roof was a greater shock. A man with chestnut brown hair peeked over the edge and he smiled down at them, before jumping down and landing gracefully before them. Once he was down, she could see him easier and noted his torso was attached to an onyx horse body that was muscled and fit. Tasha couldn't help but think of the racehorses that she seldom saw t the few fairs she went to. He had tan skin and brown hair, his eyes were black and held no color. He was wearing a plain and even his short, drab red tunic that hung limply off his shoulders.

"Buenas tardes!" He said with a smile and pulled out a plump tomato. After a few tense moments with the pair staring at the foreign centaur and the centaur being oblivious whilst eating his fruit. Finishing his snack, he spoke up and introduced himself. " Me llamo Toni. ¿Comó se llama?" After a look of confusion passed over Tasha's and Epsilon's face, he made another phrase in spanish. "Lo siento. ¿Tú no hablas español?I will take that look as a no. In any case, my name is Antonio Alejandro Fernando Lorenzo José Rico Taco Nacho Mandilla Quesadilla Jones the Third, nephew of Feliciano Lovino Flavio Hernández. But a chica bonita like you can call me Toni." The now introduced Toni grabbed Tasha's hand and kissed up her arm while wiggling his eyebrows and looking up at her through his eyelashes.

Epsilon quickly became consumed with jealousy and felt that something was off with the centaur. The naga became worried and agitated, swiftly used his blue tail to grab Tasha and pull her away and coiled gently around her, shielding her from the other male's sight and hissed fiercely, glaring dangerously, though before he said anything, he made sure to cover her ears. Tasha wiggled as the coils gently encircled her, she peered through a small gap between two layers of his tail, she didn't dare remove his hands for fear he would take away what little view of the situation she had. From what she could gather, Toni said something that wasn't to Epsilon's liking as the muscles that were wrapped around her tensed and squeezed her as if to reassure himself she was still safe in his grasp. Then Epsilon presumably said something back that caused Toni to outwardly display anger. The grip on her ears loosened so she heard Toni's retort.

"You are nothing! Besides, I can try to woo her just as much you can, but why bother, I will win her heart." Toni sneered as he snarled the venomous words at the ravenette in front of him. "I mean seriously. What type of girl would go after a nobody like you? I am a leader, who will be filthy rich and I get what I want. Including her. And then to spite you, I'll break her little heart." Toni boasted, he stamped his hooves the way a toddler would stamp its' feet after being denied of something it wanted.What makes you think she'd ever fall for you. Think about it, Girls scream and run away from snakes. She is probably only still around because she pitied you."

Epsilon looked down at Tasha, looking at her eyes that he only just noticed peering around his coils. She was prettier than aphrodite in his eyes; her short, bleached hair that framed her forest green eyes that sparkle more than any emerald ever could. But he also admired how she could find the silver lining to anything.

However, Epsilon knew he could never get her to love him the same way that he loved her.The minute she looked into his eyes, he became completely enamored by the girl. His friend would never love as a romantic interest, he knew that much, because though Antonio Horse-Ass Alejandro had been right in few aspects, Epsilon, would do absolutely everything in his power to protect Tasha from him.. Though the naga knew that he couldn't prevent Tasha from doing what she wanted, even if he knew what would come of it. With a resigned sigh his coils that were around her waist and legs loosened and allowed her to see everything. He let his hands drop to his sides as well.

"That may be so, but why do you want her? I know that I was instantly smitten, and after traveling with her I can firmly say I will love her every flaw and her every perfection." Epsilon said looking across at the manipulative centaur. "You, however, have not waited for a flower as precious as her. You'll never break her heart, as long as I'm here!"

Finally, Epsilon looked down at the girl that was in awe at all that had transpired. Though all she could think was wonder how this all happened so quickly. Returning the gaze to the ignored centaur they saw that he wielded a book. The naga made no move to defend himself, only that he protected Tasha from getting hit. Tasha on the other hand wanted to shield him. The hardcover book smacked her in the head as she leaped in front of Epsilon. But as with every experience that occurred when she had an adventure within books, as soon as she touched it, Tasha felt the familiar feeling as she started to fade from the Greek metropolis that is a book.

Epsilon recovering from his shock, raced forward and cradled the disappearing girl. Tears of confusion and fear raced down Epsilon's face, as he watched the one who he would have done anything for vanish. Her feet were gone and the nothingness seemed to creep up her legs and over her dress. Tasha was drowsy from the feeling of losing all feeling in everything beneath her knees, but she was aware of her surroundings Brushing the tears off of Epsilon's cheeks, she spent the few minutes she had comforting Epsilon and explaining what was happening as best she could. When Tasha let her her eyes close, she grew dizzy and almost completely gone her lips left a parting smile with Epsilon.

When she opened her bleary eyes again she found a book tightly in her hands and she was back in her study. Looking closer at the book in her hand, she found that it was a thick textbook on ancient Greek myths, there was a small divot where something was tucked between the pages. Opening it to the section where the item was, Tasha pulled it out and flipped the object over in her hands. The object that was resting over a small note on adopted legends was a scale that was the size of her palm.. It was a dark blue scale, on it was the small and crudely carved initials within a stiff heart, but it was heartbreaking as she realized that it was E as in Epsilon and T for Tasha. Clutching it against her heart she wailed.