Unsurprising revelations

The dark caverns spun before Tesarrius as he rode the warm air down into the reaches of the mountain. With a practiced grace he spun to avoid stalactites and sudden narrowings of the cavern while clutching a small satchel in his claws below. He flung himself through the twising maze of blind corners and sudden drops until he reached a massive rift within the mountain. Below him was the blood of the earth, pulsing in a great river. He rode the heat upwards, pounding his wings as he rose almost straight up to land silently on a wide ledge perched on the far side of the rift. A massive opening in the mountain yawned before him, and he strode into the darkness without concern. The darkness overtook all other light before suddenly being washed away. Before him lay a broken palace, seemingly endless heaps of gold, gems and art, meticulously crafted and cared for, and in the midst of it, a Great Dragon, his blue scales fluorescing in the light.

As he stepped out, he bowed his head before his master in reverence.
"My lord." He said.

The great dragon was appropriately called thus - he would easily be 60 yards long from tooth to tail, and almost as wide were his wings spread out. He was adorned all over with gems and jewelry, medallions and charms hung from his great horns and frills at such a scale as they would crush a normal man were they to fall upon him. Over his snout perched a miniscule pair of spectacles - too large for even a troll, but small upon the face of such a mighty creature. He was curled in a common resting position for a dragon, his paws raised as a namegiver might have them if resting on his elbows. In one paw he held aloft a dusty tome, sized to a common namegiver, and with his other paw he delicately turned the tiny, fragile pages with unimaginable precision.

He finished what he was reading, and with precise movement, placed the book onto a small table near the edge of a broken wall, careful to save his place. Removing the spectacles, he turned to the Tesarrius .

"Tesarrius, welcome home. Your journeys see you no worse for the wear. What have you come bearing?"

Tesarrius opened the satchel, and produced a ledger, bringing it forward and handing it towards the mighty creature. He was like the Great Dragon in almost every proportion, but minute by comparison - barely 7 yards from head to the end of his tail.

The mighty paw snatched up the small book, and flipped the pages.

After a few moments there was a snort.

"Several names of interest… study them in detail. Find out their connections, and who they serve." the great beast said.

Tesarrius whipped his tail. "Yes, my master - much of this has been done - most were independent collectors with private interest, one clearly had ties to Iopos, but was a lackey operating independently, and not part of the corrupted brood."

The great dragon brandished his teeth in a smile.
"Good, good. Still, not enough, however." he said calmly, "Move the operation to Urupa - I want the Theran connections. Presumably the Dwarven kingdom is in too much turmoil for the message to be clearly heard."

The great dragon handed the ledger back to Tesarrius, who replaced it into the pack.

Tesarrius bowed deeply, his long neck wrapping backwards.

"Then, oh great and mighty Far-"

The great dragon cut him off.
"You would leave without finishing your explanation?" he asked, his words terse.

Tesarrius appeared startled, his tail nervously twitching.
"No, my master, I - "

He was cut off again by the mighty beast. "If no is your answer, then enlighten me on your workings with Seven. Somehow this group earned barely a mention in your notes."

Tesarrius bowed again, speaking carefully.
"They came with little intent to purchase, and very little backing. They were interested, though I doubt they served the Theran order."

The Great Dragon looked down towards Tesarrius, his eyes narrowing.

"What gave you this impression?"

Tesarrius shifted nervously. "To be honest, master, they seemed to be aware of the ploy - though I was not discovered overtly, they asked a great many questions, taking little interest in me - thought I have heard of their encounters in Iopos, and know they fear no Drake."

The great dragon snorted. "You are no mere shambling Iopian rat. Do not compare my work to that. You say they asked many questions - then what were your answers?"

"I first told them of the named prices in silver - lacking the ability to pay, I offered them information on how to reach Yrns Morgath - which they hungrily took to."

The mighty dragon snorted loudly.
"So you suspect they would have been less interested were they already in possession of such knowledge?" he asked.

Tesarrius whipped his tail again. "Yes, master - this was the first time this information reached their ears - I am sure of it."

The Great Dragon looked curious, and fell silent. After a moment he spoke.
"Nothing else remains of that circumstance, then? They simply left with knowledge and what - did they toss you a coin for your trouble?"

"Indeed they did, eight silver, to be precise." Tesarrius whipped his tail around nervously.

Tesarrius could feel his mind being observed like a book. The Great Dragon's wings ruffled angrily, flaring out and creating enough wind that Tesarrius dug his claws into the ground to stay put.

"You conceal knowledge from me yet, fool! SPEAK!" The voice was so thunderous that loose rocks tumbled from the walls. A painted clay vase from the second age shattered in place atop a shelf.

"I may have suggested they enter Yrns Morgath and return with whatever they could spare from the ancient libraries. I gifted them six of the Keys of the Council, should they manage to reach the library."

"YOU MAY HAVE?" The great dragon roared, "AND FOR WHAT REASON?"

Tesarrius, his head bowed so low his chin touched the rocky ground, barely answered. To hear a draconic voice crack with fear is a delight available only to those that created them.

"As a gift, for you, my master - the knowledge they return with was to be surprise."

The great dragon stared silently at the tiny, cowering drake for several seconds, before bellowing in a mighty series of undulating growls.

Tesarrius looked up for a moment.
"Your servant, Tesarrius, humbly apologizes for his foolishness, mighty Far Scholar."

The great blue dragon looked down upon him.
"Oh, Tesarrius, the last drake to make me laugh so was destroyed before I discovered his folly - count yourself among the lucky."

"I do, my master, I do."

"Stand to your height, my creation." the Great Dragon's voice was filled power.

Tesarrius rose to his height, and spread his wings. The mighty dragon observed him closely.

"You have become, perhaps, my finest work. Had I brood, I might confuse you amongst them, if only momentarily."

Tesarrius seemed shocked. The "Far Scholar" reached out to him, and scooped him up into one of his massive paws.

"You have done well, Tesarrius, but I fear they will be too late to escape the city of their own power. You were wise to share the amulets with them. Lock the remainder away, and let no other touch them. Those trinkets are all that will keep those heroes in our world."

"Yes, master, I will not make such a mistake again."

"The mistake was not in what you set them out to do." The great dragon spoke in a calm, rumbling voice, "Aban's secrets are of great interest to me, and this was an opportunity of fortuitous coincidence with the return of Seven. You chose well for the task. I know well of their heroism, both in Barsaive and beyond - every fruit of Great Thera they touch withers, many times the vine with it."
The mighty dragon patted Tesarrius on the head like a namegiver might stroke a kitten.
"Your mistake was only in not speaking the truth - you must learn to better conceal your thoughts so your lies are not so easily betrayed… It would have been a pleasant surprise."

"With your guidance, my master." Tesarrius whispered.

The Far Scholar nodded, petting Tesarrius gently. The room grew mostly silent; the only audible sound was a warm purring, exactly like that of a kitten.