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Standing on the sidewalk beside the newly arrived carriage is a woman dressed in a scarlet dress that clings to her body. She huffs when the ostentatious display comes, waiting for the door to open before she steps in.

Like many of its kind, the carriage is larger on the inside than outside, making the sole occupant within it seem all the tinier. The older creature lounges in a hot tub in the finely-decorated room, a cigar resting in his beak and a glass of sparkling liquid garnished with a cucumber in his other hand. His bowler hat is the only thing he wears, but there is sloshing as he gently tips his head.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," the green old man says. "Drink's available to you on the counter."

The woman sits down on the bench opposite the tub, takes a deep breath, and then lounges back, her size increasing, her skin becoming large plated scales, her head splitting in half and forming into two distinct necks until the dragoness sits there, towering over the kappa.

"You've caused quite a stir, Didatrinox," the kappa says, snickering. "Who'da thought a spitfire like you would put out for your mark.

"Up yours, geezer," says one head.

"Let's not talk about that," says the other.

The geezer chuckles, pulling his cigar out and blowing smoke. He sips his drink and sighs. "There's nothing quite like mixing things together to get a new perspective, wouldn't you agree? I would say you should have contacted your local representatives before trying to blow smoke against a headstrong neophyte like Draykan. The boy comes from good stock... not as good as some dragon-kin we know, but you know what I mean.

Didatrinox sighs, resting one hand on her palm and another on her knuckles, her shoulders lounging back. "I got myself caught by him," she says.

"He's the most charming dragon I've met," says another."

"Well, enough about what I think about the matter, I suppose," the old kappa says, draping his arms over the edge of the pool, "A sexy lady like you doesn't come to my place for nothing. You want something, or you want to talk to someone."

"Draykan wants an in with the Dragon's Council. Most of them are way too far to get into contact with."

"And yet, you said you were going out of your way to find one of them if I recall correctly."

She pauses, narrowing her eyes with one head and widening them with another.

"You knew?"

"Of course, you knew."

"Of course!" The kappa chuckles, shuddering. "But what makes you think you can just waltz up here and make demands? You may be a dragon, but you obviously have some problems seeing eye-to-eye with yourself."

"Stuff it, old man,"

"Please, put a good word in for Draykan. He wants to know where he fits in this world. Because of that horrible cult, he missed so many of his formative years."

"Yes, an order dedicated to so many evil beings, wreaking havoc upon the innocent of the lands. Bad for business and for the psyche." He takes a long drag. "I'll see what I can do for you and your boy." He says this, taking a deep breath through his nose. "Things are starting to boil up around town. I'm sure you can feel it. Somethin's gonna happen, so maybe having another dragon around before things blow up will be a good idea." He points toward her, narrowing his gaze, "but he ain't getting any of my girls. You got that? I'll share 'em when I'm dead. And he ain't getting a meeting with anyone up top. Just a capo, got it?"

"What?"

"That's not fair!"

He leans back, a sneer spreading upon his lips. "Take it or leave it, Dida... but I think I could figure something out with you... if you give me a little something in return."

"What could it be?"

"Oh, fuck no...."

He chuckles, licking his beak. "Oh, you're a smart woman, Dida, and I'm nothing if not traditional. I've always been curious about what it looks like when you have fun with yourself. Show me, and Draykan will get front-row seats to at least one of the highest-ranking members of the organization."

"Never in a million years!"

"Can I have time to think about it?"

He shrugs. "Take as long as you want, gal. Though we both know you have far more time than I do, your number of friends gets lower and lower by the day."

She gulps, gripping the hem of her dress.

"I see,"

"This sucks."

The carriage stops, and the kappa finishes his drink. "Here's your stop. You have some time before you're supposed to be back in town, right? Think about it... how much your loyalty to Draykan means. Would you break a promise to give him what he wants?" He cackles at this, waving her away.

And with that, Didatrinox shifts back to her human form, stepping out of the carriage, taking a deep breath, and heading into the bustle of the city.