their orders; that really wasn't the best way to make friends. Tom also couldn't feel the bloodthirsty attitude towards the Astlanians that Boggy did. He didn't like them, but that didn't mean he wanted to kill them. Sure, for a while he'd wanted to strangle Lenamare, but that was only one Astlanian, and that only for a short while after being bullied by him.
Tom and Boggy went back inside the cave to get the tail and the lower torso of the dragon. Boggy dragged the tail out and Tom what was left of the torso. It was a tight fit, but eventually he got it to the cave mouth. Tom leaped into the air and Boggy followed, puffing as he hauled the tail along. Tom's section was bigger and heavier, but Boggy was the weaker demon. Eventually they both made it to the dumping site and unloaded the last of the dragon.
"I noticed as I was chopping up the dragon, there was very little blood on the ground. Some of the ground had been dissolved, but there really seemed like more blood in the dragon when I fought it," Tom commented as they returned to Tom's cave.
"Dragon blood evaporates quickly, and when in gaseous form is extremely volatile. Their acid breath is a toned down version of their blood. When they get extremely excited, more blood is pumped in and the acid gets stronger. If they exert themselves physically and raise their body temperature, the acid becomes a gas and the dragon can strike sparks on its teeth to ignite it as it breaths."
"Fire breathing dragon."
"Exactly."
"So is my cave likely to explode, if I spark something?"
"I doubt it, but it’s possible, however it would probably only cause you mild pain, we're fairly fire resistant."
"But not acid."
"You've got to give the poor suckers a fighting chance after all," replied Boggy with a grin.
Chapter 14
"Have you learned anything from the man yet?" Jehenna asked as she relaxed in the chair across from Lenamare's desk.
"No," he said looking at her from behind his desk, "not yet. We will though. If the normal interrogators don't succeed by tomorrow afternoon, I'll threaten him with the salt trick.”
Jehenna shuddered ; the salt trick was bad. In fact it was forbidden by every guild in Astlan. Fortunately only a very few wizards were capable of doing it. Lenamare, of course, was one. The salt trick was not done often, not because it was illegal, but because it was tedious and extremely taxing to the wizards involved.
I t involved spells to keep the victim alive as his skin was carefully peeled off in one piece. Salt and other substances such as ammonia were then gently applied to the inside of the skin. The skin was placed back on the victim. The wounds quickly sealed and healed magically, then the person given a thorough rub down. It was extremely unpleasant. It required two wizards and three experienced torturers to get it right. That, however, was not the worst part. The worst part was that Exador knew the trick also and he liked to do it for fun.
As a rule, the preparations and perhaps a little cutting were all that were necessary to get the victim to talk. Although few had seen it done, almost everyone knew what it was. Lenamare, in his characteristically benevolent and generous nature, had only had to threaten it and had never actually had to do it. Exador’s ancestors on the other hand, had been known to do it, and most presumed he would as well.
"Sounds like a fun night," Jehenna said drolly.
"Oh yes. We must know Exador's strength though, and we must know how soon he will arrive. This is survival of the fittest. May the best wizard win."
"To you," Jehenna said as she nodded and picked up the wine goblet beside her and raised it in a toast.
"To me."
~
Jenn tucked the last of the children in. They had had a busy day, as had she. She smiled wearily as she went down the corridor to her own cubicle. Those children were perhaps the only light in this damn school. She really didn't
Tom and Boggy went back inside the cave to get the tail and the lower torso of the dragon. Boggy dragged the tail out and Tom what was left of the torso. It was a tight fit, but eventually he got it to the cave mouth. Tom leaped into the air and Boggy followed, puffing as he hauled the tail along. Tom's section was bigger and heavier, but Boggy was the weaker demon. Eventually they both made it to the dumping site and unloaded the last of the dragon.
"I noticed as I was chopping up the dragon, there was very little blood on the ground. Some of the ground had been dissolved, but there really seemed like more blood in the dragon when I fought it," Tom commented as they returned to Tom's cave.
"Dragon blood evaporates quickly, and when in gaseous form is extremely volatile. Their acid breath is a toned down version of their blood. When they get extremely excited, more blood is pumped in and the acid gets stronger. If they exert themselves physically and raise their body temperature, the acid becomes a gas and the dragon can strike sparks on its teeth to ignite it as it breaths."
"Fire breathing dragon."
"Exactly."
"So is my cave likely to explode, if I spark something?"
"I doubt it, but it’s possible, however it would probably only cause you mild pain, we're fairly fire resistant."
"But not acid."
"You've got to give the poor suckers a fighting chance after all," replied Boggy with a grin.
Chapter 14
"Have you learned anything from the man yet?" Jehenna asked as she relaxed in the chair across from Lenamare's desk.
"No," he said looking at her from behind his desk, "not yet. We will though. If the normal interrogators don't succeed by tomorrow afternoon, I'll threaten him with the salt trick.”
Jehenna shuddered ; the salt trick was bad. In fact it was forbidden by every guild in Astlan. Fortunately only a very few wizards were capable of doing it. Lenamare, of course, was one. The salt trick was not done often, not because it was illegal, but because it was tedious and extremely taxing to the wizards involved.
I t involved spells to keep the victim alive as his skin was carefully peeled off in one piece. Salt and other substances such as ammonia were then gently applied to the inside of the skin. The skin was placed back on the victim. The wounds quickly sealed and healed magically, then the person given a thorough rub down. It was extremely unpleasant. It required two wizards and three experienced torturers to get it right. That, however, was not the worst part. The worst part was that Exador knew the trick also and he liked to do it for fun.
As a rule, the preparations and perhaps a little cutting were all that were necessary to get the victim to talk. Although few had seen it done, almost everyone knew what it was. Lenamare, in his characteristically benevolent and generous nature, had only had to threaten it and had never actually had to do it. Exador’s ancestors on the other hand, had been known to do it, and most presumed he would as well.
"Sounds like a fun night," Jehenna said drolly.
"Oh yes. We must know Exador's strength though, and we must know how soon he will arrive. This is survival of the fittest. May the best wizard win."
"To you," Jehenna said as she nodded and picked up the wine goblet beside her and raised it in a toast.
"To me."
~
Jenn tucked the last of the children in. They had had a busy day, as had she. She smiled wearily as she went down the corridor to her own cubicle. Those children were perhaps the only light in this damn school. She really didn't
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