Chapter 35 - 34: The Deal
Before returning to the Dragon Nest to face his dangerous mother, David had envisioned countless escape scenarios and contingency plans. He had even rehearsed the possible words Dragon Mother might utter, such as:
"Hmph! So, you little rascal finally remembered to come back?"
Or, like most Red Dragon mothers reunited with their lost whelps, she might say with typical malice:
"Oh? And who might this be? I don’t recall birthing a Red Dragon whelp like you. Surely, you’re not an undercover agent sent by the Metal Dragons, are you?"
Yet, he had never, ever imagined she would say this:
"Did you bathe before you came?"
What in the blazes? ’Did I bathe before I came?’ It’s been five years, and she’s still complaining I stink? If she hadn’t been so terrifyingly aggressive back then, would I have even been in this mess?
At this moment, even David, slow on the uptake as he usually was, realized it: his desperate ploy five years ago—fleeing the fate of being eaten by Dragon Mother by hiding in her leftover embers—she had known about it all along! She simply hadn’t been able to bring herself to take a bite due to her obsessive cleanliness!
However, faced with Dragon Mother’s colossal, imposing figure and her overwhelming aura, the words caught in David’s throat. He managed a polite and gentle reply:
"Of course. Before I came, I took several dips in the Arctic Ocean, scrubbing every crevice between my scales. There’s even a refreshing hint of sea salt on me now. If you don’t believe me, Mother, please, have a sniff."
As he spoke, he even lifted his tightly clenched tail, offering it towards Dragon Mother’s face. This movement, however, inadvertently revealed his cloaca, which, mercifully for the reader, was pixelated.