"The first thing you should know about dragons," Snowcloud said, "is that they are vile beasts . Giant, vicious, and cannibalistic monsters, with the disposition of rabid dogs and half the intelligence . "
Arran frowned somewhat sourly . "But the stories say they're intelligent, and have magical powers," he finally said, once more remembering the tales of dragons he had heard as a young boy . And while those were just stories, he still found himself reluctant to simply abandon them .
"The stories are wrong," Snowcloud replied flatly . "Or mostly wrong, at least . "
"Then what's the truth?" Arran asked, unwilling to let go of his childhood dreams so easily .
A thoughtful expression appeared on Snowcloud's face . "I suppose I should explain how dragons grow up . That should give you a better idea of the kind of creatures we're after . "
She took a deep breath, then began to speak, with Arran listening intently .
"Dragons are born from eggs," she said, "and the females lay hundreds at a time, then promptly abandon the nest . Once the whelps hatch, they kill their siblings, fighting until only one remains, and feeding on the bodies .
"The lone survivor — the size of a horse, by then — will hunt in the surrounding area, killing and eating whatever it finds . Animals, people, other dragons — they'll eat anything that moves, and they're strong enough that even adepts will struggle to kill them . "
Arran didn't interrupt Snowcloud as she spoke, but his expression slowly turned ugly . From Snowcloud's description, dragons more resembled vicious beasts than the magical creatures he'd heard about in his childhood stories .
"After about a century of constant hunting and feeding," she continued, "a dragon will be the size of a house . When it approaches maturity, it will grow wings, allowing it to hunt across an even larger area . By then, it will be able to easily match Masters in combat, with a thick hide that resists both magic and weapons . The longer it lives, the larger and stronger it gets — but as strong and vicious as dragons are, they're simple creatures . Their entire life consists of hunting, eating, and sleeping . "
"So dragons aren't intelligent?" Arran asked, now feeling somewhat dejected . "What about magic? I thought they could use that?"
"Dragons aren't naturally intelligent," Snowcloud replied . "But as they spend centuries eating any living thing they encounter, they steadily absorb vast amounts of Natural Essence . If they live long enough, that eventually allows them to gain some intelligence — enough to practice magic, in very rare cases . "
Arran sighed in disappointment, then asked, "What kind of dragon do we need?"
"A young adult," Snowcloud replied . "A few centuries old, but no more than that . "
"A few centuries old? But didn't you say that a century-old dragon is already strong enough to match a Master?"
While Arran was growing more confident in his abilities, he knew he was still far from being able to match an adept, much less a Master . Against an even more formidable enemy, the two of them wouldn't stand a chance .
If Snowcloud's plan required them to defeat such a foe, there was no point in even trying — they might as well turn back now, because even with all the luck in the world, there was no chance of success .
However, Snowcloud merely nodded in response, her expression confident, and Arran understood that she must have something in mind that would give them at least a chance succeeding .
"We're not going to fight it," she said . "We're going to poison it . "
"Poison it?"
"With the ingredients we've collected, I can recreate the poison that was used on Grandfather . " There was some pride in Snowcloud's eyes . "That's what we will use on the dragon . "
Arran breathed a sigh of relief . "So we wait for the poison to kill the dragon, and then we collect its blood?"
"Not exactly," Snowcloud replied . "Dragons are highly resistant to poison, and although this poison should be strong enough to make it fall ill, it will eventually recover . Once it does, its blood will be an antidote to the poison . "
Arran frowned . "But how can we kill the dragon if we allow it to recover?"
"That's the difficult part," Snowcloud said, her expression turning somewhat troubled . "We have to strike right when the effects of the poison begin to wear off, but while it's still too weak to fight . If we're too late, we cannot defeat the dragon . And if we attack too soon, the dragon's blood will kill me . "
"The blood will kill you?" Arran asked, confused . "Isn't the blood intended for your grandfather?"
Snowcloud took a deep breath, then gave Arran a hesitant look . "The antidote in the dragon's blood will only keep for a few days after it dies," she said . "But if I take it myself, the immunity will be passed on to me, and I can use some of my own blood to cure Grandfather . " With a small sigh, she added, "At least, that's how it's supposed to work . "
For several moments, Arran remained silent, looking at Snowcloud in astonishment . When he finally spoke, he could not keep the disbelief from his voice .
"So your plan is to find a dragon as strong as a Master, somehow manage to poison it, let it recover before fighting it, and then drink its blood while hoping it doesn't kill you?" He gave Snowcloud a flat stare . "And you think that's going to work?"
By now, any enthusiasm he felt about fighting a dragon was long gone . Snowcloud's plan — if it could even be called that — sounded like suicide . He had no idea of how they'd even poison the dragon, and that was just the first step . Everything that came after was pure insanity .
"I know it sounds like madness," she replied . "But I don't know of any other way to cure Grandfather . And if he doesn't recover, it won't just affect me — without him, the conflict in the Sixth Valley can only descend into war . " She looked at Arran dejectedly . "If you don't want to come with me, I understand . But I cannot turn back from this . "
Arran didn't reply immediately, taking his time to consider the situation . By any reasonable standard, Snowcloud's plan was utterly insane . Thousands of things could go wrong, and the chances of it working seemed almost non-existent . And yet…
He shrugged . "I've followed you this far . I might as well see it through . "
The plan was pure madness, but then, it was hardly crazier than facing an entire army or fighting dozens of mages by himself .
Moreover, if it was dangerous for the both of them together, it would be all but impossible for Snowcloud to succeed without his help — and it was clear that she had no intention of turning back, no matter the danger .
"Then I'll be glad to have you with me," Snowcloud said, relief visible in her eyes . Determined though she might be, it was clear that she understood how little chance she had of succeeding by herself .
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