12 Echidna? I Barely Knew Her. (2/2)
Nelda pointed back and forth.The eyes, the mouth, the hair?The with a sigh she took out her hair tie and pulled her scrub top over her head and took off her bra.”What about that,” she said, embarrassed. ”Look familiar?”
Echidna jaw dropped, a lot further than a jaw should be able to drop.”You have them too!”
”Exactly.”Nelda folder her arms over her breasts clutching her clothing in her hand.”So obviously it is my first duty to help my great, transcendent sister of the dragon race.”
”Drakaina, sister.A female dragon.”
”Oh, see, see! In my ignorance, I didn't even know that.I obviously have so much to gain by doing even the smallest of favors for my marvelous, but obviously probably distant, family member.” Nelda babbled on scrabbling for a compelling point to make, ”And if this herb can give flight to one as, um, humble as this one—I can only imagine with great thing that it will achieve with you?” Nelda was afraid she had somewhat overdone things, but Echidna tilted her head in the other direction and seemed to be pondering her argument.
”I concede the logic of what you say,” Echidna said. ”I can think of two ways to further assure your completion of this little quest. One would be if I were to hold onto one of your little followers here…” There was an awkward silence. ”But that one smells bad, and that one looks irksome.”
”Uh, yes,” Nelda said.”I can confirm that.But I did sort of accidentally fly away with them, so I am obliged… get them back home.”
”It is good that you feel this sense of obligation. Such is the nature of an elevated soul.And while it may vex me that the flighted attach such esteem to their state, it is something I do acknowledge and hence aspire to.”
Echidna took a deep breath in through her flaring nostrils and sneezed.It was starting to smell a bit 'goaty' up in this cave.
”Instead I will require this.You will give me your solemn oath.And to return with this herb, and preferably the means to cultivate it.And when you do I shall reward you with a great treasure.”She smiled a wide and toothy smile, that while more human in dimension was certainly draconic in its character.
”Treasure?” piped up BugleHead.
HoneyBeard smacked him.”Shhh, the crazy people are talking.”
”So,” said Nelda.”It would really just be an honor to assist.I don't need any treasure.”
BugleHead's ears drooped.
”Oh, I think this will interest you, little sister,” the monster said with a smirk.”If you return with what you promise, I shall give you the horn of a unicorn.”
”Okay, wow.That would be amazing?” Nelda hoped her dazed confusion would be mistaken for shock and awe.[What fucking use is a unicorn horn.I could make the world's most ironic dildo, maybe?]”Well, this has been great, but I should get right onto that herb, bush, collecting thing then, shouldn't I?So which way is the exit?”
The lazy loops of wyrm body writhed out of the way revealing another larger tunnel on the other side of the cave.
”But also remember baby sister, dear,” Echidna called after them.”If you fail me I shall assuage my humiliation by calling for all of dragonkind to hunt you down and erase from Mirth the slightest sooty sign that you ever existed.”