-Whew this took a while. I know I just declared the previous to be the longest but here we are again, dangerously close to the 6k mark. I don't think there will be many more chapters this long (hopefully, for my sanity) but who knows? (I do, wink) Anyways, I've been working on cover art, and it should be done when I publish the next chapter. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy. -MAG
"Impressive. You took my advice after all. I was beginning to think that your arrogance and pride would blind you. It's good to listen every once in a while, IceWings don't hold all the best secrets."
Whirling my head around, I noticed the damp familiar cave again, and Stream sitting lazily at the entrance. She flicked her tail at me and wore a cheerful, amused expression, awaiting my response.
"How did you find out?" I asked, suspicious.
"I have my ways. It's nothing you should be concerned about. However, what is more important is that you may want to take advantage of what you are about to hear."
"Go on."
"But where is the insistent petulance? Doubt? I can't tell you unless you're actively trying to hate me."
"You can stop being sarcastic now. Tell me. I'll take your word this time."
"Nope. Not that easy. If you want to hear my news, then you have to ask for it. Nicely." Stream continued to stare at me with a pleasant look about her snout, without a hint of malice or deceit. Just a self assured smirk that made me want to scratch out her eyes.
"I'm not going to grovel to a SkyWing."
"Fine. Didn't think it would happen, but that's what I deserve for wishful thinking." Stream leaned towards me, lowering her voice and forcing me to perk my ears in order to hear. "I've hidden a map in the border between the Sand and Ice kingdoms. Quite close to the little outpost where that trite inflated Blaze spends her days."
"That's Princess Blaze to you, and someday she's gonna be Queen Blaze," I retorted.
"HA! Do tell me another funny joke. If you found me vain, I don't understand how you support that jewelry box with legs. Silly vain dragon must had promised something grand to Queen Glacier, and who knows, you IceWings just might get it."
Stream wasn't wrong, the SandWing princess was quite attached to her jewelry, swooning over the bracelet that Queen Glacier had given her on her first and only visit. Blaze had toured the palace once, wearing the Gift of Friendship to survive the bitter cold and Great Ice Wall but she spent the entire time complaining.
"Fine, Blaze might not be the top qualified candidate, but she's better than that maniac Burn."
The SkyWing covered her snout, muffling some quiet inside joke, then straightened her wings out. "There are many things you don't understand. Burn is strong, the most capable leader this land has ever seen. Maybe she chose the wrong side though. We will see."
"What's on that map?"
"Excuse me? Oh, the map. It contains detailed depictions of the Sky and Mud kingdoms, much better than the simple crude drawings your commanders probably possess. I guarantee that it will be a useful asset in the right talons. Just look for the stand of five cacti clumped together and I won't say anything else if it goes missing."
"Just a basic diplomatic meeting with our SandWing allies to reaffirm our alliance then, with a very minor side journey, that's what you're proposing I do?"
"Exactly. You're smart, must be those guard instincts," Stream smiled.
"Actually, it's lab assistant now," I blurted out, not thinking my words thoroughly. "I was promoted to a higher rank."
The SkyWing appeared pleasantly surprised. "Congratulations then, I knew I found the right IceWing to do business with."
And something about her honest composure and compliment warmed the cockles of my heart more than any promotion ever could. I waved farewell and the last glimpse of Stream before everything faded to the abyss was the SkyWing walking towards the exit, spreading her gem encrusted wings to launch into the roaring winds.
I awoke sprawled out on my balcony, exposed to the whipping cold front that swept from the eastern tundra. The sun had not yet risen over the horizon so hopefully no one saw my drunken state, except that there was another dragon sitting nearby, patiently waiting for me.
Upon seeing me awake, Bering piped up cheerfully. "Hello! I hope you don't mind that I've helped myself to a bottle or two of the currant juice. It really is quite high quality."
"How long have I been here?" I asked, still somewhat disoriented by the effects of the brew. I also wanted to inquire how he could down so much currant juice and not be affected because I counted at least four bottles sitting neatly in a row, their contents drained down his throat.
"A few hours. I accompanied Mink back here and found you passed out. I took the liberty of cleaning up the spill and watching over you. Besides, I had a few scrolls to read and annotate, and doing it out here is a much more pleasant experience that being holed up in the library."
At least nobody else witnessed this embarrassing event. There had to be some kind of drug in that currant juice, because why else would I had passed out? That skinny IceWing managed to drink quadruple my amount with no ill effect, yet I still had a miserable headache, the world shifting slightly when I wobbled to my feet.
"The effect hasn't worn off, it would be best if you give it some time, rest for a while, the sun won't be up for another hour," Bering prodded in my direction with his talon while taking another sip from the fifth bottle.
And as much as I struggled against the haze, there was no way I could even flop a few steps, so I took the advice and sat down as gracefully as possible. If this were going to be downtime, then at least Bering could provide interesting conversation. "What are you reading? Some kind of nutty science phenomenon?"
"Not quite, though I read a treatise on magnetism earlier. Right now I have a short story."
"Stories? But those are for dragonets."
"Then I never grew up. Stories are fun to read, no brain power to understand equations and they're full of charming characters and wild adventures."
"I was told they fill your head with nonsense and that drivel would shrivel up your mind so you become one of those old cranky IceWings that end up singing all day."
Bering frowned, displeased by this description. "That is a pessimistic and unfavorable view of literature. In my experience, none of that is true. Stories are a fantastic medium to tell the world from a different point of view. Here, how about I read you this one, it's short and sweet and you will like it."
I had nothing better to do, so I assented.
He began to read,
-Our story begins with a young IceWing eager to prove that he was the strongest, fairest, dragonet in his village. On this special morning, he was assigned to bring back enough food to feed everyone, and his first thought was to catch an exceptionally large seal, and he headed to to the nearby ice floes.
If he could snag one of the elephant seals, then the whole village would be impressed, he thought to himself. But along the way, he heard a cry of distress, which turned out to be a beached whale, haplessly stuck on the beach.
"Help me," it croaked with woe.
The young IceWing immediately saw opportunity. A whale would be so much more dramatic and exciting than a seal, and he promptly forgot about his seal aspirations, changing course to intercept this easy meal. All he could think about were the proud, smiling faces of his family and looks of admiration from the village elders, not to mention the adoration of the pretty IceWing next door…
The young IceWing half ran, half flew to the expiring whale, eager to sink his talons in and drag the corpse back, but the whale grunted stiffly.
"Don't kill me please," it pleaded.
"Why not?" the budding hunter asked.
"If you help me, then I promise that I will help you in return." The whale focused its massive eye squarely on our friend.
The dragonet scoffed, "And what would that be? If I push you back into the water, you'll just swim off and I'll be left with nothing."
"That isn't strictly true. You will have helped me return to my family. And I do promise that I will help you, but that requires you to help me first. It is your decision to make."
The young IceWing weighed the benefits and consequences, reflected on his parent's stories of doing the right thing, and came to the conclusion that was his insatiable curiosity. What could a whale do for a dragon exactly?
He had to know, and thus squared up his shoulders and began digging a trench around the whale, letting the crashing waves shoot water up through the channel under the whale.
Then, our young friend pushed and heaved against the heavy whale, budging forward slowly until at last, a particularly swell wave engulfed the base of the whale and brought it gently into the sea.
The young IceWing was sad to see his query leave, but before dipping into the waves, the whale had one more thing to say.
"Meet me by the river head, bring your fishing nets." And the whale was gone, its last salutation being a burst from its blowhole as it dove beneath the ocean surface.
So the curious IceWing, having nothing to show for his endeavors, snuck back into his family's hut and grabbed as many fishing nets as he could carry, making sure not to disturb his sleeping family.
It took several trips and some odd stares from the elderly dragon at the village border, but soon enough, he had amassed the family collection by the river and awaited his whale friend.
Right before he was about to give up, the young IceWing heard a spout, and saw a pod of whales heading in his direction, chasing a foaming mass ahead of them. As they approached, the IceWing saw that the foam constituted a massive school of panicking fish, speedily swimming his way and being funneled by the whales into the narrow waters of the river.
"Hello my savior," the lead whale called out. "Just swing your nets and you should catch enough fish for your entire village."
Our little friend proceeded to heed the command, sweeping his net into the squirming mash of fish and drawing out a full net. He did the same for each of the nets and when the flow waned, all the nets were full.
The whale whistled to his liberator, and the IceWing waved in response, the two exchanging grateful appreciation with their smiles. After the whales had departed, the young IceWing started dragging the first sack back to the village, but he didn't get far before the rest of the village came thundering in his direction.
It turns out that the elder had notified his family, and they had come to investigate. What they found was enough food to last a month, and their beaming son who they embraced, impressed yet mystified by the apparent success. When pestered, the young IceWing's answer only further baffled his family, but eventually their growling stomachs won the argument and they brought the fish back to the village for everyone to enjoy.
The end.-
"Hmm, who would want to eat that much fish?" I asked idly. The story was boring, as I expected, but I wasn't going to complain, we had passed a sizeable amount of time, and the story was more interesting than staring at the empty tundra.
"That's not the point of the story," said Bering, slightly miffed. "It's supposed to show you that you should be nice to others, because you never know when they might repay the favor."
I yawned and stretched as the sun peeked over the ocean, only half listening. Bering noted the dawn and began packing up his belongings and gulping down the final bottle of currant juice.
"The bell is going to ring soon," Bering mentioned. "What do you plan to do today? I have some laboratory experiments to run but they should be easy enough that I don't require any assistance. Maybe you could accompany Mink."
"What's Mink's plans? Are they more interesting?"
"Definitely not. I have been assigned to paperwork today, the most dreadfully dull task of them all." Mink landed with a thump behind me. "Unless you're into that kind of thing, in which case prepare your stamps."
Paperwork was a common administrative job in the higher circles, but typically it was reserved for the second circle, because while the job was mundane, it had good benefits and was easy enough.
But Mink was third circle, or at least I thought she was. I peered closely at her ears, and instead of the three rings from yesterday, one of the rings was missing and the two dangled enticingly.
Mink caught me staring and remarked in a gruff voice, "Queen Glacier promoted me yesterday after the council meeting. Some dimwit imbecile needed to be put in her place, and she had a spot to fill. If you ask me, it's a downgrade because now I have actual work to do."
I refused to comprehend that last sentence. Queen Glacier chose to promote her over me. Not that Mink was a bad character, but she had done nothing to deserve this promotion. I discovered the weapons stash and brought back valuable gear for the troops. But why didn't I get the queen's attention? What did Mink do that was so awesome and extraordinary? The answer was nothing, absolutely nothing at all. Resentment boiled in my veins and marched towards my snout. I wanted nothing more but to bark a bitter response or bite her obnoxiously elegant snout.
-You're one jealous dragon.
Oh look who's finally back. So nice of you to show up again.
-Apologies, I was busy.
With what?
-Ah never mind. I was taking a break that's all. Anyways, be happy for your friend.
I don't understand. Even Narwhal was impressed, but why does Queen Glacier not notice any of that. Why did Mink get the promotion?
-No idea, question is, what are you going to do about it? Biting her won't help.
Yes, but I still really want to.
-Understandable. How are you going to get your own promotion?
My previous promotion was from assuming the position of assistant, but I don't think that Queen Glacier would willingly give me another raise unless she deems me worthy of it.
-Then how are you going to convince her that you're worthy?
Those weapons really impressed the council.
-Right, they impressed Alpine and Narwhal, but not the queen herself. She seems to be more interested in Bering's work. It's likely that your path to promotion will be through him.
Bering isn't even 2nd circle. Why would I, his assistant, get promoted?
-You have a better idea?
"Um, hello Auster? Are you going to move?"
I blinked my eyes and in the time that I had spent conversing with Walrus, Bering and Mink had packed up everything and were preparing to leave. Mink wrinkled her snout and bade her brother and I farewell, stepping daintily to the balcony and taking off.
Bering was about to do the same, but I stopped him. "Could I accompany you to your lab?"
"Sure, but there's not much to do."
"I want to learn," I insisted earnestly. "Can you show me your projects?"
He peered at me curiously. "Strange, you've never shown interest in my work until now, but alright, I'll try my best to explain. Come along then." He took a few running steps and took off with me right behind, gliding down to lobby and walking the short distance to his lab.
Bering's laboratory consisted of the same mess from my previous visit, but notably a small paper model dragon stood at the center and the ring was nowhere to be seen. I completely approved of that.
My employer gestured to the model. "This is the results of our expedition and it will help me, us, model the optimal flight positions and improve speed and efficiency. In fact, you were instrumental in developing this prototype." He pointed out the wings that were eerily shaped like mine.
"So what is the optimal flight posture?"
"Based off of my testing, the single best optimization would be to shrink your neck and draw your head as close to your shoulders as you can. I noticed that when you fly, you have a very streamlined shape that's different from how the flight tower teaches dragonets."
I had never thought about flight as anything more than a means of transportation.
"Moving on, I have been working on this for months and the formula is almost ready." The skinny IceWing grabbed a vial of gray sludge from a shelf and plunked it down in front of me. The top of the vial was sealed with a plug and the silvery liquid flowed viscously when shook. Bering popped the seal off and poured a minute amount onto two ice shards before replacing the plug. "This is an adhesive that sticks things together," he said, demonstrating that indeed, the two ice shards were now inseparable, "but it is a flexible bond and will loosen in five days."
He handed me the ice shards and I tried to pull them apart. The gray adhesive stretched but did not tear, reforming to its original shape when released. "What do you use this for?" I asked.
"Great question. At the moment, I enjoy sticking bits together but once approved, I think the medical wing will find a use for it."
"To seal wounds?"
"Correct! You're catching on quick, glad to see I made the right hiring decision," beamed Bering, his silly smile once again on full display. "There are still some issues with rash but I'm sure with a few more revisions it will be perfectly safe."
"Hmmmm," was my noncommittal acknowledgement.
"There's something very cool I want to show you, but after this," Bering gave me a mirror. "IceWings often attack at sunset, wonder why?"
Having never fought in an actual battle, I just assumed that it was tradition or some kind of military strategy, so I shook my head.
"Usually we attack from the west, so at sunset, the sun will be right behind and blind the enemy. But, with these mirrors, we can use this element of blinding whenever there is sunlight."
"So it gives us an advantage because we aren't as affected by bright lights?"
"Yes, that's a way to look at it. Alright, here's the exciting thing I wanted to show you." The IceWing brought out a nondescript box full of block powder, sifting some through his talons before filling a small cup with the gravel. "Come with me, this is going to be fun."
We walked outside to the lobby where Bering proceeded to dump the pebbles, forming them into a line, then palmed off to me two heavy rocks.
"Strike them together," he instructed.
I brought the two rocks together with a harsh blow, glancing the lighter rock against the heavier one, chipping it in the process. The dense rock sent some sparks into the air, which shone brightly before extinguishing themselves after a moment.
"Now strike them again, but this time next to the powder."
Doing as my employer asked, I slammed the rocks together by the powder, eliciting the same shower of sparks as before, but one of the sparks fell onto the a pebble and to my surprise, ignited. I bounced back to avoid the flame as it travelled slowly along the path of stones. The flame burned bright and scorching until all of the gravel had burned through.
When I lifted my eyes from intently watching the flame, I found that instead of examining the blaze, he was scrutinizing me.
"What do you think?" he inquired. "It's interesting isn't it?"
"Quite," was my reply.
"The powder is incredibly difficult to obtain. A year's worth of mining might only produce a barrel of the dust and I need to combine it with other materials. I learned about this black powder from one of Blaze's soldiers, but unfortunately he died before he could give me any more information. So I have been experimenting with different formulas to see which one burns the best."
"What do you intend to do with this?"
Bering shrugged and tapped the ground thoughtfully. "I haven't progressed to that step yet," he admitted.
"What happens if you put all of the powder together and then spark it?"
"Ah, well there's an intriguing idea. The work of a scientist is to experiment, so if you have an idea, try it." Bering scooped out another dose of the black powder, depositing it on the ground in a pile instead of the line from the previous test.
Once again, I smashed the rocks together, producing the sparks that jumped to the black powder willingly, but there was no burn this time. I didn't have time to react before a colossal wave of hot air, blinding light and deafening sound rushed past me, throwing me into the air, tumbling until my talons hit the ground and locked me firmly in place. Bering met the same fate, being blown halfway across the lobby, slowly wobbling to his feet as he shielded his eyes.
In place of the black powder remained soot, fine grains of ash that sat innocently on the crystal clear floor. No flame persisted, but something had to have expended so much energy, yet there was no evidence of it anywhere.
Bering smiled enthusiastically after sniffing the remains. "That was exciting! My notes will definitely need to be revised after this showing, though next time we test this, I am wearing a visor."
Still recuperating from the blast, I replied drily, "Next time we test this, I will not be in the same room."
"The reaction was quite unexpected, but progress doesn't happen without some surprises. Besides you have that magical healing power don't you?"
"What?"
"I heard your conversation with Manta and Caspian. Apparently you are magical, though it's probably some kind of unexplained scientific peculiarity. We should examine it closely, perform some tests to find the underlying cause." Bering wrung his talons zestfully.
I didn't want to become a lab subject, but at the same time, maybe he could shed some light on the phenomenon. Since returning, I had not felt the worm effect but I still remembered it vividly.
"You don't have to decide today, and I won't push you," the skinny IceWing reassured, though his tail remained restless. "In the meantime, is there anything else you wanted to see?"
There was. From the very first time in his laboratory, I wondered what was in the secret side chamber and I asked him so.
"There's a project ongoing in that room," he explained. "It has to be isolated because of temperature reasons. Come take a look."
Bering opened the side chamber and we entered into a cramped and stuffy room, and immediately I noticed the oppressive humidity and heat that permeated the room. Clear glass adorned the ceiling and two of the walls, allowing the bright sunlight to penetrate and illuminate the single table, upon which sat a glass dish filled with a murky green paste.
"Sorry about the warmth, but it's necessary to keep these little buddies happy." Bering picked up the plate and gave it to me to examine. The surface was smooth, with streaks of lighter green throughout. Occasionally little bubbles rose up and popped. I started putting my snout towards the substance to gain a whiff but my employer quickly retracted the plate.
"Please don't smell it, uh, it may affect your … mental abilities…" he trailed off.
"This is poison?" Suddenly the green muck appeared heinous and revolting, each bubble a potential deadly attack. To avoid inhaling any fumes, I drew my wing over my snout.
"It's not that dangerous, but it may have some negative effects."
"Like what?"
"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you currently, council business," Bering shrugged regrettably.
His slight shrug and unwillingness to share more details only pushed me to demand answers. "I'm your assistant aren't I?"
"Yes."
"Therefore I should be able to know what that weird green stuff does. Council business is my business too," I stated.
Bering shook his head and placed the dish back onto the table, then ushered me out of the room. "In this case, this particular experiment remains under wraps until the right time. I really shouldn't have brought you in here in the first place. I only wanted to show you the room, but I should have known the classified materials would pique your interest."
"But I want to know what that stuff does!" I demanded.
"So do I," he replied quietly.
"You don't know what it does?" I asked incredulously.
The IceWing scientist grimaced, then locked the door for the side chamber. "We will see" was his inadequate reply, which only infuriated me. What use was a third circle rank and being a lab assistant if information could be withheld so readily? And what was so special anyways, he showed me the exploding powder, why not this?
"By the way, here's a present for you." Bering passed me a small, dense bag that jingled slightly. "A little token of appreciation from the council, they really do appreciate you."
As we exited, a thought popped into my mind, but it stayed just out of grasp and I was unable to form the amorphous idea into words. If I couldn't remember it clearly, then it must not had been important. I bid farewell to Bering, who was busy fiddling with an apparatus, and in his eagerness to return the gesture, spilled the pink liquid over his talons.
But that thought; someone had told me something important, yet what was it? I continued to rummage my mind and think in circles as I paced down the hallway back to my room.
-Having trouble?
Yes! Walrus, you've got to help me remember whatever it is, it feels important for sure.
-Hmmm. Did you forget to lock your door?
No, and why would it matter? I don't have anything worth stealing.
-Currant juice?
That liquid is vile, I think I will donate it all to Bering.
-Well then what else could you have forgotten?
Rrrrr, I forgot.
-Someone told you something.
Yes.
-Maybe if you saw their face it might help.
And just where am I going to find that dragon?
-Find somewhere with lots of dragons. Like the marketplace.
You're using this as an excuse to visit the marketplace again.
-If you have a better idea, feel free to chip in and solve the puzzle yourself.
Fine.
Fine. Perhaps the marketplace had something more interesting to do than twiddling my talons and exerting mental effort. There were still a few hours until the sun went down anyways.
The marketplace had returned to the normal bustling plaza of business. All that remained of aurora day were a few tattered banners that nobody bothered to take down. Presently, most merchants were changing out their day wares to prepare for evening.
Among the various stalls, a green gleam caught my eye. It came from a shadier alley between two grungy storehouses. The dragon behind the stand was a battle scared rangy fellow whose left eye rolled around at its own whim, only the right eye making eye contact with me when I strolled over.
The vendor made no response apart from glaring at me as I perused the goods, which appeared to be various powders and gels that smelled fragrant yet bitter. The green that had caught my eye before was in the center, standing innocently, begging me to pick it up. It had the same color but it was much more watery than Bering's concoction. I pointed at it with an inquisitive expression.
The seller grunted in a quiet voice, "Miss, that is a calming elixir. You have dragonets? Very useful in putting whiny dragonets to sleep, among other things."
I did not have dragonets, but I was too busy thinking back to Bering's experiment to respond. A calming elixir that could relax the mind, send it off into a peaceful sleep, perhaps that's what I needed. "How much for the calming elixir?"
The vendor smiled, revealing missing teeth and a horrible mouth odor almost causing me to reel back in disgust. The sharp odor smelled acidic and overpowered my senses. "What do you have to offer?"
I took out a few gold coins from the council's gift bag and placed them upon the table, and the seller's good eye were drawn like fish to bait, hungrily ogling the pieces. Instead of taking them and giving me the elixir however, the vendor took out a blade and pointed it at me, hissing angrily.
"You some kind of circle agent? Huh? Think you can trick me with these coins? Oh yes, I know the tricks and ploys and devious ways the council catches and punishes honest dragons like me. You didn't think I noticed?" the angry IceWing held one of the coins, brandishing it indignantly, their talon directed at the small imperial crest imprinted in the center.
I held up my talons in defense. "I'm not here to cause trouble, I just want the elixir. I'm not associated with the council. Just take the coins and give me the goods, and we will be done."
"For sure, and the moment I try to spend these imperial coins those filthy crooks will find out. Take your cursed coins back!" The vendor flung the coins at me, and pushed forward with the blade, eyeing the blue jewel hung around my neck. "I've found something else much more valuable."
The vendor approached slowly with their devilish grin and craving look on their snout, pushing me up against the wall as I backed up slowly. Scanning the area, nobody was around to assist.
"Yes," my assailant crooned, "these gems will fetch a pretty price, and perhaps," they jeered, "you will fetch a handsome ransom after I'm through with you."
My first instinct was to strike out in defense but when I reached for my spear, my talons didn't close around the smooth metal shaft reassuringly, closing in on empty air instead. My spear was still in my room, safely out of harm's way. No matter, guards were trained in talon combat as well, and I lashed out at the underbelly, ducking below the blade and skirting the attacker's swipes.
In response, I received a swift stomp on my tail that I had not tucked in fast enough. The assailant then landed a blow on my flank, causing me to double over. They pressed the knife against my neck again, but this time they had pinned me down.
"Feisty," the merchant taunted, "but let's get back to business." Their eyes darted back to the necklace and began tugging on it violently, trying to break it loose.
Something crashed nearby and abruptly, my attacker dropped the knife, its blade glancing harmlessly off my underbelly. The acrid IceWing fled down the dark alleyway without a word.
Regaining my stance, I peered at my unknown liberator and found a familiar old IceWing sitting still, holding a large smashed bottle that reeked of currant juice. He must have smashed the bottle against my attacker. The eye patch wearing dragon beamed at me and escorted me out of the alley into the broad street.
"By all the snow monsters, ye ran into one nahsty brute back thereabouts," exclaimed Feesh.
I immediately thanked him for his assistance and apologized about the loss of merchandise, explaining the entire situation.
"Bah, I woulda drank this bottle anyways. So this green stuff, ye want it real bad dontcha?"
"Yes," I replied.
"Ahright then, go geet it, that nahsty brute won't be back soon. And if he does, then he deserves a bonk from this bottle, and this time it'll be a real hard bonk!" Once Feesh finished his declaration, he led the way back into the alley, brandishing the bottle and ready to pummel any dissidents.
The merchant had not returned, and as such the full wares were now free for the taking. The various vials and substances enticed me and part of me wanted to sweep up all the vials and take them back for investigation, and also to deprive the lout of wares. Yet that would be stealing, I was here for only one thing, and that was the green substance.
Feesh scrutinized the flasks, muttering to himself, then proclaimed loudly, "This some real contraband, no wonder he hated ye. The council be crackin down real hard these days, so the sellers be smart and don't take gold coins anymore." He held up one of the coins to examine.
"Contraband?"
"Yeh. This purple stuff here, sweet lavendah, it'll make ye see rainbows and hahppy smiles everywhere. And the yellow goop, we call that caribou sunshine, same effect but ye will have a terrific head bonk after."
"What's in this green vial?"
"Ooh, that's green quack. A few drops will make ye drowsy, double that and ye fall asleep. The whole vial? Ye'll never wake up again. I used to give Tern somma this so she would sit her rear down and sleep. Ah, but the missus didn't like that at all, somethin about side effects or whatever. You got sleeping issues?" asked Feesh bluntly.
I picked up the vial and inspected the green liquid. This was the secret stuff that Bering wouldn't tell me about, but Feesh had divulged its mysteries without second thought.
"Yeah, sleeping issues," I murmured. I wanted to confront Bering with this vial, interrogate him and the council for why I was absent from their clandestine conversations.
"Ahright then, I'll leave ye to it, but can I ask ye for somethin?"
"Sure," I replied halfheartedly, still intently swirling the "green quack" and watching the streaks of lighter green travel around the vial.
"Well ah, my daughter, Tern, she really wants to visit the palace, somethin bout courts or library or whatever that young rascal read bout in her ice pads. But," and here Feesh blushed, embarrassed, "I can't enter the palace. They won't let me in after last time."
I recalled Mink's description of how the crate of currant juice had been delivered. The guards were probably on high alert for any old fossils lugging crates into the palace.
"You want me to give Tern a palace tour?" I assumed.
"Yeh, if ye don't mind, of course. Ye are a busy dragon after all, and I wouldn't want to burden ye-"
"Tell Tern to meet in the south courtyard entrance at the second bell tomorrow."
Feesh grabbed my talons and shook it profusely. "Tern will definitely be there, I will make sure of it. Thank you, Madame, ye are very kindhearted."
With that business done, we departed our separate ways, Feesh to his peasant huts, and I, back to my palace chambers.