Without much further delay we leave the training parkour behind. Wiktor makes sure the door is locked again as we leave, then we head back down into the pawn shop.

The little dragon is already waiting for us. He is still behind the protective barrier of the counter and its bars though. He stands next to the singe barred gate that leads through now though. Yes, he stands there on his hind legs, his head resting on his folded front legs on the counter, while his long scaly tails swings about in what I can only guess is excitement. He sounds pretty chipper too.

“Had some fun? Give it another try one of these days!”

Then he continues in a stage whisper.

“I could even increase the difficulty a little next time.”

I look at him in surprise.

“There are different settings?”

Wiktor is the one to answer as we move over to the counter.

“Yes, there are. This one was just right for you this time around though. On the next difficulty setting the mannequins will react to any drawn weapons they spot. And so on and so forth.”

Beldrogar nods enthusiastically.

Before either he or my human mentor can say anything else though I decide to broach the subject of my promise to the dragon.

“So, want me to help with your scales now? Right here? Or would you prefer some other time or place?”

The dragon shopkeeper's surprisingly emotive face brightens and his tail whips around to tap something under the counter. A moment later the barred gate springs open too.

“Here and now is fine. Come on in.”

Then, before I can get moving his eyes narrow and the next few words he adds come out in a dangerous, rasping hiss.

“Watch your hands on this side though. I don't take kindly to thieves stupid enough to think that they can get away with stealing from a dragon's hoard. Do I make myself clear? Do you understand?”

I'm taken aback a little at first, but then, once I recover, I'm quick to nod. The dragon, despite not being any larger than me can be surprisingly scary.

“Perfectly clear!”

Wiktor waves as I enter the partition behind the bars.

“Alright, apprentice. Have fun and maybe try to earn yourself a coin or two. Just try your best not to get caught. Someone will get in touch with you tomorrow. Probably.”

Then he disappears into the labyrinth of shelves. A moment later I can hear the front door, just as the barred gate in the counter closes behind me too.

Beldrogar taps the spot under the counter with the tip of his tail once more and, as my gaze follows the movement, I can spot a bucket with some brushes and rags. Although calling them rags might be a little off. They are all rather fine cloth after all and neatly folded. The brushes on the other hand look like heavy duty tools. What a curious mix.

I don't waste any time pondering the exact nature of these things though. I just grab the bucket and follow the dragon. Up close I realize that he isn't actually all that small. In fact he is only a little smaller than me. Well, alright, I'm not exactly a giant myself. Not right now anyway. I probably could be though. In hindsight Beldrogar only looks small next to Wiktor, who stands taller than both of us.

The dragon doesn't climb back onto his hoard though. Instead he hops onto a low, padded bench on which he stretches before making himself comfortable. He doesn't even give me any time to ponder how to best go about this, which might be for the best. Instead he provides detailed instructions.

“Start with the red brush. Those are dire boar bristles. You'll need to lean into the strokes with that one. Don't worry if a scale comes loose here or there. That's normal. It usually means that a new one is already growing out below. Just gather them up in the bucket. And always brush in the direction of the scale's growth. Front to back. Top to bottom.”

I bite my lips ever so lightly. His tone as the added that last part leaves little doubt about the possible consequences should I mess up. I really don't want to risk a scratch or bite from him. Those would most certainly be worse than a cats. Other than that it doesn't sound too hard.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

He stops me again soon after I start though.

“A little harder. I told you to lean into it. The only places you need to be careful are around the whiskers and where my wings are staring to grow out.”

Well, if he says so. I lean into the brush strokes a little more, except around the spots he mentioned. There are indeed a few scales that come loose, but not too many. And before long he starts to emit a low rumbling sound which is not quite a purr and that can be felt almost as much as it can be heard.

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Massage general skill at Level 1!]

The divine whisper startles me a little. So this does count as a massage? Very curious indeed.

When I finally reach the tip of the tail, which is not exactly easy, as he doesn't exactly hold it still, the dragon lets out a rasping sigh.

“Very good! You are learning fast! Now the yellow brush. That one softer and has more bristles. You'll don't need to put as much fore into the brush strokes with this one. This is the first step to properly polish up my scales.”

I nod, grab the other brush and get back to work. I don't have to make any adjustments to my work this time around. I can see how the luster of his scales, both the dark and the light ones, starts to improve as I work my way down along his spine.

I'm hoping for another divine whisper informing me about an improvement for my newest skill, but there is none. Apparently this doesn't count as a massage anymore. Too bad.

I have to hold in some laughter. Yes, in a way it is more like shining shoes. Ha! Yes, I better never let him hear about that comparison. He might take exception.

Before long I finally switch to one of the rags and repeat the process. When I'm done at long last Beldrogar's suit of scales looks very much like a shimmering tuxedo. I have to admit it is mildly impressive.

He twists and turns in ways probably only dragons, and maybe cats, can, to inspect my work. He doesn't seem displeased. He lest out another little hissing sigh.

“Not bad. Not bad at all. I think I'm ready for a night out on the town.”

He sighs again.

“I just wish there were a few more fine young ladies like you with the guild. Rascals like Wiktor and Jerzy just don't know to appreciate my natural good looks. And I wouldn't ever trust most of the other numbskulls with a brush near my scales. Too many stupid brutes among the lot.”

I nod as I put the bucket with the tools and the collected scales back under the counter. I have no clue if it really is as bad as he makes it sound, it really isn't that hard after all, but I won't question him in that regard. For all I know some numbskulls, like that damnable Barandon, might mess up a simple task like this just to be never asked to perform it again. Yes, that sounds quite likely.

Once I have put away the tools again, Beldrogar sees me back out, both of his hoard behind the counter and the shop in general. The way he weaves through the cramped room in between the many shelves with such ease is quite a sight to behold.

“Thank you for your time young lady. You really did me a solid favor there. I'm sure Sezemat will appreciate your efforts! I owe you!I really do!”

We stop briefly at the front door, which opens as if by magic, which probably is exactly what happens.

“Anyway, drop by again, if you need some more training, if you have things to peddle, or if you need something you can't find elsewhere.”

He stops to chuckle. Another curious sound when it comes from the dragon.

“As long as you aren't looking for fancy magic, I probably have at least one of everything!”

His voice turns to a stage whisper.

“And even if fancy magic is what you are looking for, I might have a few odds and ends. Just remember, everything has a prize!”

I finally step outside and bow my head again.

“I'll keep it in mind. Take care and have a fun night!”

He perks up and flashes me a toothy dragon smile.

“I will! You too, take care and come again!”

After one last wave I'm off and the shop's door closes behind me. Now, what should I do? It isn't morning anymore, but it isn't evening yet either. I'm feeling a little hungry too. I would get myself a bite to eat, except my purse is almost as empty as my stomach.

This is a situation I need to change. It really can't stay that way. I need some coin! Should I really practice my [Slight of Hand] a little? I'm tempted to say that it probably won't hurt, except that simply isn't true.

If I mess up I'll have to make a run for it. I might even end up receiving a beating and while that might allow me to earn the achievement Sylwia supposedly has, I'm not sure if I want to. I grimace. No, at worst, if the guard catches me instead of an upset crowd, I might end up loosing a hand instead. That very much wouldn't be fun.

Maybe I shouldn't go after purses right away? Wiktor mentioned that there are other ways to train [Slight of Hand] after all. The ones he mentioned aren't much better though. I probably shouldn't try my hand at being a cardsharp without the guild's backing. And the same is probably true for running a shell game racket. And I don't have the slightest clue about stage magic to begin with.

In the end I decide on something slightly different. I don't go for the purses. Instead I decide to go for some of the food up for sale at the markets. That isn't without risk either, but it is comparatively low risk.

This approach has a deadline though, as the markets close for the night and I can't get started right away. Well, I could, but that really wouldn't be wise. I need to get to know the lay of the land around the market I pick first. In have to get familiar with the alleys. I need to figure out which ones are dead ends. And I need to know where I can scale the walls of the surrounding buildings to bypass those. After all there hardly is any better way to loose guards or merchants in pursuit of me, should I get found out.

I just wish I could take on a different face, but that isn't an option right now. I'm just too low on Mana. Except I should be reasonably close to a level up.

That is when another idea strikes me. Without missing a step, I change the direction in which I'm heading. Instead of the market, I head back down to the upstream waterfront.

I may not be able to set up a proper racket yet, but I certainly can run something simple like a little arm wrestling game. I'm not exactly a slouch after all. I probably won't even have to cheat in the strictest sense of the word. I could though. I certainly won't mind a chance to upgrade my [Bluff] skill. And at worst a little swim will probably get me out of full blown brawl. My [Swimming] skill is still pretty low. I should be able to level it up easily.

Yes, that sounds like a plan. Not much of plan, but a plan nonetheless. I'll get back to the idea with the market later, or maybe tomorrow.