Adventure of Zhasa

Zhasa h?d ?lw??? ?dm?r?d th? m?n wh? ??rv?d ?? ??ld??r? f?r h?? n?t??n. Ev?r? t?m? h? h?d ???n th?m ?n th??r un?f?rm?, th?? h?d b??n t?ll, lithe, ?nd h?nd??m?. Th?? w?r? th??r h??r ?ull?d b??k h?gh ?n the b??k ?f th??r h??d?, ?nd th??r un?f?rm? w?r? ?lw??? ?mm??ul?t?. H? h?d w?nt?d t? ??? th?m in the f??ld, g??ng through th??r tr??n?ng ?x?r?????, ?ut??d? of th? ??nf?n?? ?f th? royal ??urt. H? w?nt?d t? kn?w what th??r ?v?r?d?? l?f? w?? l?k?, h?w th?? l??k?d ?ut ?n th? f??ld, n?t ?n th??r dr??? un?f?rm?.

Un?ur? of wh?t t? d?, but ??rt??n th? ?r??tur? could n?t h?rm h?m, Zhasa ?tud??d th? ?tr?ng?r ??r?full?. He w?? unlike ?n?th?ng Zhasa h?d ?v?r ???n. Ev?n ?lum??d ?g??n?t th? w?ll, h? ??uld tell th? ?r??tur? w?? t?ll. T?ll?r th?t ?n? ?th?r ??r??n Zhasa h?d ?n??unt?r?d. Unl?k? Zhasa'? ?l?nd?r, w?ll?w? r???, th? ?r??tur?'? muscles were l?rg? and heavily d?f?n?d. H?? h??r w?? ?n v?r??ng ??z?? ?f dr??dl??k?, and ?t ???ll?d ?ll ?r?und him. The l??k? would ?r?b?bl? h?ng t? h?? kn???, ?f h? w?r? ?t?nd?ng. Th? ???? th?t w?r? r?g?rd?ng h?m w?r? ??m?l?t?l? golden, faceted w?th d?ff?r?nt ?h?d?? ?f gold. Th? ?nl? break ?n th? ??l?r was a v?rt???l bl??k ?r??, l?k? a ??r??nt.

The ?l??n'? ?k?n w?? ??m?l?t?l? ?m??th, ?nd u??n ?l???r ?n????t??n it ?????r?d t? ?h?mm?r ?n th? l?ght. Zhasa r??l?z?d th?t ?t was v?r??ng ?h?d?? ?f g?ld, br?wn, ?nd bl??k. It? f??? w?? a l?ght g?ld?n br?wn ?nd d?rk?n?d t?w?rd? ?t? h??rl?n?, ?nd d?wn ??th?r ??d? ?f ?t? thr??t. Th? ?dg?? ?f th? l?ght?r ??l?r gave w?? t? th? m?xtur? of ?th?r ??l?r th?t fl?w?d t?g?th?r ???ml???l?, creating g??m?tr???l ??tt?rn?.

L?k? ?t? b?d?, th?r? w?? n? h??r ?n ?t? f???, n??th?r ???l??h?? n?r ???br?w?, ?n?t??d there w?? d?rk?r ?k?n ?n th? area ?r?und ?t? ????, ?nd wh?r? br?w? w?uld b?. It? l??? w?r? ?l?? a f?w ?h?d?? d?rk?r th?n th? ?urr?und?ng ?k?n. G??m?tr???l ??tt?rn? w?r? visible ?n ?ll th? ?k?n Zhasa ??uld ???, ?nd they ?????r?d t? ??nt?nu? d?wn th? ?r??tur?'? ?h??t, ?x????d b? th? g?? ?n its ?l?th?ng.

Zhasa was br?ught b??k t? th? ??r??u?n??? ?f th? ?njur?d m?n'? ?l?ght. Th? ?r??tur?'? j?rk?n w?? t?rn, ?nd ?t??n?d with bl??d. It? l??th?r l?gg?ng? h?d n?t ??????d th? bl??d ?nd were ?l?? ??v?r?d w?th ??rth.

"You..." Zhasa ??uld n?t ?v?n speak. H? h?d never h??rd ?f ?u?h a r??? ?? th?? fr?ght?n?ng, ??t b??ut?ful th?ng b?f?r? h?m. H? ??uld sense ?t was a d?ng?r?u? ?r??tur?, but th?t d?d n?t ?h?ng? th? fact th?t ?t w?? m?r? ?ttr??t?v? t? h?m than ?n? ?th?r b??ng h? h?d ?v?r seen.

"I...I ?m d??ng. I'll n?t harm ??u." Th? m?n w?? saying.

"Y?u'r? d??ng?" N?. Z??h? d?d not w?nt h?m t? d??. H? ?n?h?d ?l???r.

"Y??. V?r? ???n I b?l??v?."

Zhasa ??uld hear the ?l?w?ng sound ?f th? ?r??tur?'? v????. H? w?? ?t?rtl?d wh?n a f?rk?d t?ngu? d?rt?d ?ut t? t??t? the ??r.

Th? ?r??tur? w?? mu?h nearer t? a ??r??nt th?n Zhasa h?d guessed. N?w th?t h? w?? ?l???r, Zhasa ??uld ??? th? ??tt?rn? h? n?t???d ??rl??r w?r? ?n ???l?d ?k?n, and th?? w?r? ?lm??t ?x??tl? like ?n? ?f th? poisonous ??r??nt? Zhasa h?d b??n w?rn?d ?f since ?h?ldh??d.