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

[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."

[pythbox]

"Can you provide, from whatever source, more dragons who are not the close relatives of existing dragons?" she asks patiently. "And if you don't know the answer to that question, can you find out?"