Chapter 17 ~ The Strange Boy From The Vision

• "You called me, Your Highness?” Cazien’s voice was calm, but carried a subtle edge of caution. He stood before the towering figure of King Tharion, his dark robes falling in precise folds, the insignia of his priesthood catching the flickering torchlight. The chamber smelled faintly of incense and old stone, the air thick with authority.
• Tharion didn’t rise from his throne but fixed Cazien with a sharp gaze. “Yes, Cazien. Come closer.” He motioned toward a small, ornate table where a rolled parchment lay. With deliberate care, the king unrolled it, revealing the finely illustrated portrait of a boy Weldon, the boy from his vision. “Behold,” Tharion said, his voice echoing through the cavernous hall. “This is the face I have seen. I need you to locate him.”
• Cazien’s dark eyes flicked to the illustration, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Locate him?” he echoed, disbelief softening his tone. “Your Majesty, you do realize what you are asking. I have renounced this kind of work for years. I bound my powers, sealed them from my own use.” Tharion’s eyes narrowed. “And yet, here you are, standing before me. The boy exists, and he must be found before he grows too strong. He cannot remain hidden.”. “I do not disagree with your concern, Your Highness,” Cazien said slowly, “but you ask me to do something I swore never to touch again. You despise the magic used for tracing, spying, or control. You have spent decades abandoning the very act you now demand of me. Why call upon that which you renounce, merely for your… convenience?”