Chapter 254: Draconic Domain

William Oh was voted the Tower’s most eligible bachelor, narrowly edging out incumbent Nephir Akul, riding the scaled vote to victory.

• Jason Salazar

“‘Ancestor’ is a bit of a stretch. I’m more like…a great aunt?” Nora said, holding her massive paw out and chatting with Loth while Will worked on it. “I was in the same clutch as one of the ones who went further down The Tower. She was a bit…slow, if you know what I mean. All the ones who moved down were the runts of the litter. No offense.”

“None taken. Kobolds are, in general, not very bright.” Loth replied.

“That doesn’t seem to be a problem for you, little one.” Nora said, fawning over her tiny niece.

“Yet I can’t help but wonder what I could’ve been.” Loth said.

“Can you feel that?” Will asked, cutting into the flesh.

“I can’t feel anything. Please warn me before you start, I can’t handle the sight of blood, and I don’t want to accidentally look at it.” Nora said, keeping her eyes firmly fixed on Loth.

“So what were we talking about before that?” Nora asked.

“The migration.” Brianna prompted, kicking her legs from where she sat on the fallen tree suspended above the putrid cursed water.

“Oh right. Well, every thousand years or so there’s a migration that happens, where the Floors open up for a few years. Miasma leaks through, followed by monsters and occasionally young, handsome eligible bachelors from the 14^th Floor.”

Nora crossed her claws.

“Humans view the end of a Coil as an apocalypse that resets civilization, but dragons think of it as a ‘migration’ and an opportunity to get a date.” Will said, shaking his head.

“They do?” Nora asked without looking at Will. “How odd. I suppose…I suppose they’re quite weak aren’t they? And they aren’t restricted from travelling between Floors outside the migration, so I guess they can meet new people whenever they want.”

“I want to point out that the ‘weak’ humans you’ve interacted with here on the 13^th Floor are among the most powerful of their entire species.” Loth pointed out.

“Oh…I’m sorry.” Nora said.

“We’re used to it,” Will said.

“What’s the migration look like?” Brianna asked.

“Like…holes in the air. It’s as if all the Floors were actually in the same spot, separated by thin layers of fabric, but something rubbed up against that fabric, causing it to gradually grow weak and frayed…and holes open up in the air.

“And then they just close by themselves after a few years?” Will asked. “What fixes the holes?”

“I’unno,” Nora gave a most draconic shrug.

Will shrugged and kept working. Nora didn’t seem the type to pay attention to those details. The details she did pay attention to…

“So anyway, last migration, there was this young buck named Beold who was absolutely glittering with draconic masculinity, His neck was thick, he could crack a dimensional oyster with that jaw…and that chest…gods. But that slut of a sister of mine mislead me about where he’d be the night I was going to make my move. While I was waiting in the wrong place, that shallow whore was raising her tail! Straight to the sky!”

Nora made what he could only assume was a vulgar gesture with her free hand, thumb out, pinkie straight up. If one applied their imagination it sort of looked like a dragon with their tail raised.

Brianna covered her mouth, eyes wide.

Loth gasped. “No!”

“Yes! And last I heard those two had a clutch of over twenty! That bitch must’ve been as round as the slimy toad her face resembles. She got hers, though, because shortly after she absconded with Beold, his parents…”

Will shook his head and kept up his work, letting the gossip flow past him as he concentrated.

Draconic bone and scale were hard, and Will actually had to use serious pressure to cut through them, even with his Phantom Hand.

Will didn’t want to hack haphazardly at the pinkie, so instead he made a collar around the pinkie and was carefully working the blade back and forth around it, taking advantage of the blade’s polymorphic properties to tighten the circle as he went.

It was slow going, but it would make one clean cut rather than a butchered mess.

Pop!

The pinkie fell off and Will immediately stemmed the flow of blood before it could get Nora’s attention. The last thing he needed was a fainting dragon.

“Hmm? Did you get started?” Nora asked, deliberately not looking.

“About to,” Will said, applying the regrowth potion.

A new pinkie sprouted from the wound. Quickly at first, then gradually slowing down as it achieved its previous size.

Sourdough

262 Charges remaining.

Waste not.

Next Will cleaned the blood and wrapped the base of the pinkie claw in cloth.

“Okay, done,” Will said.

“Wh-done!?” Nora demanded, gawking at will standing there with the massive clawed finger thrown over his shoulder.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

She closed her eyes and raised her left hand, peeking through one eye first before opening both to study her new finger.

“I don’t even see a seam.” She said, flexing her hand.

“It would be the height of impropriety to leave a scar on a lady.” Will said with a bow.

“Mr. Oh, you charmer.” Nora said, waving him off. “If you were a dragon Mr. Oh, I might be tempted.”

“Alas, I am not.” Will replied. “Is there any weakness in the finger?”

“Now that you mention it…yes, it feels a bit weak…” She poked it. “And soft.”

“The weakness will go away. The magic restores the bone, but it does take some time to rebuild the muscle and accommodate the new nerves. The scales will harden over time. They’re still completely fresh.”

“You sound like a professional.” Nora said.

“I’ve gotten my hand cut off enough times that this is kind of routine now.” Will said. “If it starts aching, make sure to give it plenty of exercise and stimulation. Stretches and strengthening exercises.”

“Will do.” Nora said.

“Now, about payment.” Nora said. “I have a list of materials that would be wonderful to waterproof my lair. Living in a swamp probably wasn’t the…best decision I ever made. But if I can use these to expand my den and get it nice and dry, the next eligible bachelor that comes by, BAM! I’ll pop out of my lair, grab him by his muscly neck and drag him back inside.”

Will scanned the materials and the quantities. It wasn’t out of the question, but it was a bit expensive and the freight doors would be a drain on his Influence.

It’d be cheaper to…I wonder.

“Would you be interested in travelling instead?” Will asked, glancing up at Nora.

“Wha?”

“I was listening to your complaints about finding a suitable man, and it seems like the biggest reason is you can’t move around like you want.

I’m a Lord. I might be able to buy you a Door to move between Floors ahead of the migration. Also, I know some Lords on this Floor and the 14^th Floor. I can speak to them and arrange a credit for you to move back and forth between the two Floors. To a certain limit.”

“I appreciate the offer, but the next migration is due soon. All I need do at this point is wait a couple more years and-“

“You could get ahead of your sister.” Will said.

Nora’s eyes narrowed as she peered down at Will.