Oddly Targeted Container

[eternally_aggrieved]

The island is deserted, save for the statues.

And now, a rectangular brown paper package. It rustles and rocks, then tips over onto one side and stops moving.

Comments

[all_the_worlds_have]

Eva concentrates for a moment, and a tiny, tiny percentage of Saravasse's bank account disappears.

She hands the necklace over to the Endarkened.

[endragoned]

"I can make this bleed, too," he remarks, looping the chain around his wrist. "What fun."

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Takkarash are like that. Metaphysically, they're made of pain. Why they choose to express it in this particular way, I have no idea."

[endragoned]

"I wonder what happens if the unicorn purifies the pool of Takkarash blood."

[pythbox]

"...I sort of wonder that too," Liselen admits.

[all_the_worlds_have]

Eva raises an eyebrow. "That does sound interesting. Feel free to try it."

[pythbox]

Liselen goes out to the pool and pokes it with his horn.

He comes back inside and says, "Well, I definitely unicorned it."

[all_the_worlds_have]

Eva raises an eyebrow. "I honestly didn't expect that to work. Can you do things that aren't liquid?"

[pythbox]

"It depends. Why?"

[all_the_worlds_have]

"I was just wondering if you can unicorn a Takkarash coin."

[pythbox]

"I could try it and then we'd know."

[all_the_worlds_have]

Eva slides a Takkarash coin across her desk towards the unicorn.

[pythbox]

He pokes it.

Now it is not a Takkarash. It is a cherrywood Takkarash replica.

"That felt odd," says Liselen.

[all_the_worlds_have]

"I think your protection balance just rose by a Takkarash. Apparently touching Takkarash you own with your horn redeems them for you."

[pythbox]

"Hm. And turns them into whatever that is," he says. "How strange."

[all_the_worlds_have]

"I suspect that that is what a Takkarash-blank looks like before the magic goes on."

[pythbox]

"Well, anyway, all the really important unicorn business seems to be taken care of for now, so I'm going to run away," says Liselen. "Goodbye."

He wobbles off speedily.

[endragoned]

"I think I will go play with my new toy," says the Endarkened. He also leaves.

[all_the_worlds_have]

Eva looks at the dragon that is now the only remaining occupant of the room. Well, dragon's head, at least.

"Was there anything else I could help you with?"

[pythbox]

"You implied earlier that you might be able to turn people into species other than the one they started with," she says. "The dragons are having a bit of a population problem at the moment, as you may have gathered. Is that something you could help with? Either by turning volunteers into dragons, or through some other method?"

[all_the_worlds_have]

"That might be possible, yes. Though apparently the wild magic thinks that is a bad idea for some reason. You might want to ask the unicorn about that."

[pythbox]

"The unicorn said turning people into unicorns is a bad idea; did he say anything in particular about dragons?"

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Good point. Still, it would probably be prudent to ask him before turning anyone into anything."

[pythbox]

"Certainly," says Saravasse. "But what is your range of possible solutions for a species that has too few members and wants some more? Particularly when the entire dragon population outside this island descends from three dragons."

[all_the_worlds_have]

"Well, we can copy an individual sophont pretty much perfectly. Transferring consciousnesses between bodies is harder. Making someone's existing body into a dragon should be doable, but I am hardly an expert on dragon biology."