The Reconstruction of Fred

The fourth container of blood drained as Belboz wove the muscle, and tissue to restore the form of Fred's chest. Maybe, after I have drained his will, I can strengthen Fred's shoulders. But for now there will be a weakness that will slow his reflexes, just in case he decides to show ingratitude.

Belboz unfurled a mysterious pale cylinder. He produced a sharp blade, unrolled it slightly, and cut a large section of flat, flexible, whitish material. He then replaced the burned skin with a portion of the material. He mixed equal portions of two clear liquids in a glass flask, and then withdrew two flat slabs of a dark rock from a drawer. He rubbed the rocks together for twenty seconds, and then set them on a table. They were not hot enough to glow, but hot enough so that Belboz wasted no time dropping them. He then set the flask on the rocks. After five anxious minutes, the liquid in the flask started to change to a light yellow. Belboz dipped a piece of thin rag paper into the liquid. He shook his head, and waited another minute. He then dipped the paper into the liquid again, and both Astra and Checkers saw the the paper had subtly changed. It was still flexible, but somewhat more rigid. Belboz nodded his head and smiled slightly, satisfied with the result.

He poured a quarter of the liquid onto the patch from the pale cylinder, and then put on some silk gloves. He rubbed the liquid into the patch and the adjoining skin, and said something in a language that neither the Princess nor the Glider could understand. The patch appeared to be turning pink, and assumed the rough outlines of Fred's body. Belboz then started to drain the last container of blood, to replace that which was lost in this part of the operation. Belboz repeated the process of rubbing in the yellow liquid, sculpting Fred's chest, and letting more blood drain into Fred, until the flask was empty, and the skin was perfectly grafted. Fred's breathing became more steady, and his pulse became strong.

"Fred will sleep for a while, but there is no more danger," declared Belboz. "At this point, there is little more that we can do."

"Perhaps we should post a watch, in case something bad happens? Like the dragon appearing?" asked Checkers. Belboz did not release Astra from her oath, but this did not bother her yet. It seemed reasonable that he was waiting until Fred was awake, to praise Astra's offer, and to bring glory to himself. It never occurred to her that Belboz might have no intention of dissolving the oath.

Belboz thought about Checkers' question for a minute before replying. Even a dragon gets tired, especially when he assumes another form. He really could use a few hours of undisturbed rest in his natural form. But changing before them was out of the question.

1. "That is a good idea, Checkers. The dragon's minions are unpredictable, and someone should watch to make sure nothing unexpected happens to Fred. How do you propose to divide the watch?"
2. "The dragon is unlikely to appear, but his servants range farther than I thought. I shall set three wards at choke points in the cave to protect this area from harm. I must go alone, and will be gone for the night. You both should get some sleep."

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