It was a curious sight, that dragon’s corpse.

Telhari stood with his arms folded across his chest, observing it with placid determination. He watched as small animals darted a safe distance away, daring to venture no further than twenty feet from it. Even the birds refused to land, and no raptor would dare to approach or pick from its charnel bounty. It bore a curse of malevolence, even in death.

Telhari was glad to have performed his ritual last night, for this reason in particular. It was from creatures of immense presence and formidable spirit that such evil things as curses were born. As a restless wind or an uneasy feeling, Telhari could sense the phantasmal rage of the Darazak spirit. With time, though, it should come to rest. Enough time, hopefully, to allow this wide-eyed merchant, who stood stock-still before the dragon’s corpse, to conduct his business.

“Well…” the man said, just barely above a whisper, “It seems young Ellis was not exaggerating.”

The merchant’s name was Byles, as Telhari had been informed when they had greeted each other a few minutes ago. He was an acquaintance of Ellis and Mary’s. An admission that had come with a sense of deeper conflict, which Telhari had picked up on rather obviously; though he chose not to inquire further.

“Have you ever taken such a thing to market?” Telhari asked him.

Byles cleared his throat.

“I have brokered certain trades for pieces of one before, and heard many stories of the like. Though I have never before dealt with one whole.”

“I see.”

Telhari walked to the head of the dragon and began to gently maneuver it through the dirt to extend the neck fully.

“It is quite seizable, as you can tell. Likely impossible to sell to a single buyer in its entirety.”

Byles seemed to shutter at the ease and familiarity with which Telhari manipulated the corpse; even in death the thing was so terrifying and ferocious that it seemed only asleep— ready at an instant to spring forth and devour.

“What did you have in mind then, Master Telhari?”

“There are certain things which will be of little use to the people here; but which, if left remaining, might attract bad company. Those things I wish you to assist us in finding buyers for.”

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“Entrails, hide and the like?”

“Among other things, yes,” Telhari began, “Though, I would ask that the bulk of the skeleton remain here to be buried.”

“Buried!?”

Byles seemed disgusted at the notion.

“Yes,” Telhari answered plainly. “Most of the bones and meat are not needed here, nor do these people have such tastes. They would also not likely be worth their effort to sell.”

“Hmm…”

Byles moved a few steps closer to the corpse and began to look it over, imagining in his mind how he might market such an esoteric product.

“I think I may know of a few who might be interested. And perhaps a few more who might know an interested party.”

“Excellent.”

“Although,” Byles added quickly, “Please do not think me ungrateful, but to make this transaction move smoothly, we should first discuss the matter of your compensation.”

“My compensation?”

Telhari thought a moment before he turned finally toward the dragon and approached its foreleg. He bent down, drew his sword and proceeded to remove the largest claw down to the bone.

“This should suffice,” he said as he took out a cloth to wrap up his prize.

“Charming as that is,” Byles started, “I was speaking more of your commission price.”

Telhari blinked at him.

“How much you wish to receive from the sales?” Byles attempted to clarify. “A fee for brokering the deal and retrieving the goods?”

“Ah,” Telhari said with a sigh, “I need no such thing. You are free to keep it all.”

Byles laughed at the thought.

But when Telhari remained with a blank stare, Byles realized he was being truthful.

“You wish for nothing?” he asked. “Nothing at all!? You do understand how much we stand to gain from this creature? If handled correctly, it could yield a small fortune!”

“I understand.”

“And yet you would ask for nothing, still?”

“Then I offer this,” Telhari said as he stood before Byles. “Prioritize the rebuilding of the town. Anything beyond that is yours to do with as you see fit. That is my condition.”

Telhari held out his hand to Byles.

Even with such an even tempered and genuine proposal as this, Byles still couldn’t help but feel nervous. Beyond Telhari’s imposing height, size, and his nearly inhuman calmness, there was still the fact of this situation. Byles was standing before a creature that had felled a dragon and lived. He could, by all accounts, demand anything of Byles and have the strength to see it done; which made his open and trusting tone all the more confounding.

Perhaps it was an Elfkin peculiarity.

“Do you accept?”

Byles smiled wryly at the question. He then clasped Telhari’s hand and shook it firmly.

“How could I not?”