The Fate of Belze

Nia wondered where Belze was, but the silver merchant didn't speak.

She was worried for a second and asked, "Is he safe?"

The silver merchant nodded his head. He didn't try to talk as he knew that it would only result in less meaningful moans and screeches.

Nia sighed in relief. "That's good. I don't know how you knew I was here, but I'm sure it was some kind of strange magic that tracked me and brought you here. I don't really care," she said.

Nia's attitude changed as she worryingly said, "I can't come back."

The silver merchant was struck back to those words, but he couldn't ask why.

Nia walked towards the entrance and the silver merchant grabbed onto her shoulder to stop her. He tried to be as gently as he possibly could have, but his grip was strong enough to stop her. Nia asked, "Can you watch over Belze for me? I know it's a big thing to ask, but I can't watch him."

The silver merchant made no response. Belze wondered why she was leaving.

Nia looked down in defeat and said, "Please tell him... that I failed. Tell him... that I failed to save his parents."

Belze felt a sudden shock throughout his body upon hearing that. However, he didn't know how to feel. On one hand, he felt a sense of relief that Nia was safe, yet on the other, he felt his heart break from the news. He had no idea how he should feel, yet his new body would not allow him to show any emotions.

She continued, "I know what I'm asking is a lot, but I know that he is safe around you. Please take care of him for me. I will be going"

Belze began to struggle to make words. Nia had a hard time understanding him. He tried to concentrate on his words.

"Wh....Wh....Where?" He asked slowly. That was the only word that he could say, but he felt a sense of satisfaction from getting out at least one word.

Nia pointed towards the temple entrance and said, "Apparently, there are some portals there that can take me to another world or time. Living here is too dangerous for a dragon, and being here with Belze is too much of a risk. The only thing I can do now is run."

She faked a smile poorly, but stopped trying after a few seconds. Belze let go of her shoulder.

Nia walked into the temple with her head looking down in defeat.

"Tell him I'm sorry," she said quietly, but Belze heard it clearly. He also wanted to say that he was sorry, too. Sorry for being useless throughout the journey, but he just couldn't say it. He didn't know whether it was because his voice wasn't working properly or whether he was just too afraid to say it.

Nia entered into the dark temple and as she took a step forward, she saw a large spiral staircase made of stone leading downwards. There was only a thick wall above her. There was only one way to go. She dropped herself down the opening into the unknown depths.

Belze began to walk away having felt relief that Nia was safe, but at the same time saddened about his parents. He had no clue on how he should feel.

Belze looked back towards the entrance thinking about what Nia said. Logically, Nia made sense. While the dragons were being hunted, she was in constant danger. But Belze felt that there were no portals in that temple. For a reason unknown to him, he thought that if there were rips in time and space, then he would have felt them. He thought that Nia obtained incorrect information, but Belze was fully capable to creating those kinds of portals, although he had no idea how he knew.

With one hand motion, he opened a random rip in time and space somewhere within the temple. If Nia found it and was determined to run away, then he wouldn't try to stop her. He knew that she did her best, and if she believed that leaving the world was the best option, then he wouldn't interfere. His mind wandered. He didn't want to Nia to leave, but inside of him felt that he was not Belze, so it shouldn't matter to him, anyways.