I've Arrived

Scale of a Dragon

         Vin pours himself back into researching pages upon pages of spells.  It is apparent how committed he is to finding the one that saves Luke.
His eyes fervently studying every line, every description, waiting for the right one to reveal itself.

Saturday morning

                 Egon jumps into wakefulness.  Giblet is spouting music that's too much like a marching band.
Too early for anything that obnoxious. What time is it? Ugh 6:30 AM. I'm no longer a fan of that green fluffball.

          There's a faint glowing light illuminating the room. Scooting out of bed, Egon finds Vin poised up on an even larger spell book.
Egon's cellphone is balanced upright against his desk chair leg. Vin is using the phone's flashlight. The mechanics of how to use the device came easily to him. Not only is the weasel fast on his feet, he's also a fast learner.

          Egon wipes his eyes trying to clear away the traces of sleep.   His body wants to curl back into bed. Th embrace of his blankets and pillow are beckoning him.
Concern for Vin overrules the desire.
"Have you slept at all?"

           Vin falls backwards in fright.  So absorbed in the book, he didn't notice Egon's awake and out of bed.
"Someone needs to put a bell on you. Oh oh, I volunteer, I have some ideas on where to put the bell."
Egon is too tired to find any of it amusing.
Vin switches to seriousness.
"No, I haven't slept yet, I'm on the last book I own. Nearly all the healing spells have been for flesh wounds or broken bones. There is this ONE.
It stops diseases from progressing. Pretty much eradicates the disease right where it is, BOOM, GONE.   And, it's not a spell, it's a POTION."
He moves his mini reading glasses up by his ears, a flicker of pride in his eyes.   He's confident he has found that evasive miracle.

       Sleep is no longer a fully body craving for Egon.  Vin's discovery trumps it.  Excitement now burns through his body.
"Vin!!  Thats incredible!! You're incredible." Trying his best to reign in his shouting, not wanting to wake his Dad.

       Vin's face transforms into a somewhat troubled expression.
"Don't celebrate too much yet. From what I've read about this potion.  It will end the disease upon consumption. BUT, it cannot reverse any damage a disease has already inflicted upon a person. It cannot CHANGE what has already been DONE.  Luke told us areas of his brain have shrunk, areas have atrophied. That will REMAIN after the potion.   It WILL rid him of the dementia, he won't get any WORSE.. or..die.  It's all I could find."

       Egon pets Vin's head softly.
"Don't you beat yourself up. This can save Luke's life."

           Tilting his head back, Vin gives Egon's hand a swift lick.

             "Eww. Why does your tongue feel all sandpapery?"

             "No one's complained to me about it before. In fact, I'm highly sought after for my tongue skills."

          Egon visibly blanches.
"Uh.. moving on. What do we need to do to make this potion?

        "There's going to be a tricky part to it. I have all the ingredients in my bag except for this one thing.
"A cat tail." Vin points to where it's listed in the book.

             Thankfully a small drawing of it is included.  The drawing makes Egon breathe out in relief.
"For a moment I thought we'd need to get a cat's tail. I see it's a cattail. They grow by lakes and ponds. I can find that for you easily. So, we can make this, right?"

            "That wasn't the tricky part. I do have everything else in my bag, but one thing isn't going to be easy to get. We need a dragon scale. I don't have a loose dragon scale. But, I do have a whole baby dragon.   She's also alive.  And pissed off."

        "You told me it's frozen in time in there. Can't you just go in the bag and remove a scale?"

           "When I'm in the bag, I'm not amongst any of my items. Time doesn't stop for me.
I'm floating within a kaleidoscope of colors, it's like the time I ate a bunch of mushrooms.  Except I don't get the gross dirt taste.

The only way I can get near her, is to bring her out of the bag.  Will need to yank off one of her scales.  Don't see her handing one over.  Not after placing her in the bag, twice.  I also may have offended her before whisking her away.

If we bring her out.. I won't be able to put her in again.. I can't."

           The gravity of how badly it can all go wrong, lay across them both like a thick fog.