Book Two Letter Four

Dear Smok,

Having disclosed the factors of secrecy incorporated in the secret meeting I shall divulge the details of the meeting presently, but I must remind you to tell no dragon, under any circumstances. Now that we have revitalized that agreement, I shall go on to tell you of the secret council with a clear conscience…Seriously, don’t tell anyone.

As the letter had noted, the transaction team arrived at dawn the day after I sent you my latest letter and blindfolded me accordingly, and then ordered me to grip one of their tails in my jaws and fly according to the flight patterns of my guide.

The flight to the unknown destination was rather uneventful, though we did appear to pass another party supposedly heading toward the same destination, and I could have sworn I heard someone mention squashing jelly, though my party of Dragons did not mention it, so I must have been mistaken.

We flew through the day and it had almost reached night by the time we arrived at our destination. From my various other incredibly acute senses I gathered that it was wet, tasted like marinated gone-bad beef and was rather quiet. Wait; I was still chomping my guide’s tail at that moment. So ignore the middle observation, but all the others were correct.

My escort led me down into what seemed a dark chamber and told me to make myself comfortable while we waited. I gathered we had arrived before the other council members. I sat down, and waited for several minutes until a number of other individuals entered the chamber. After they had all seemed to make themselves comfortable I was allowed to take my blindfold off, but it was still so dark I could barely see my fore-claw. In the gloom I made out several figures around a large pool in a reasonably proportioned cave, though other than that I am as in the dark as you would have been, nephew.

The meeting commenced with what seemed to be the leader telling us that several other Dragons would be joining us through Rippleread, he assured me that it was a reliable way of telepathic communication that would be accessible from the pool, and then proceeding that we would speak with the physically present dragons in the meeting.

My Dragon in the pool I must say was rather poor looking. Well, I wouldn’t say that, he did seem to have a healthy red scale-condition and an acceptably robust figure, but his face hinted that he was rather arrogant and overbearing, and had an overstuffed outlook on himself. Although this characterization I did not meet with until after the council.

I attempted to speak him about the expiring situations in various parts of the compass points, and told him my ideas about how to remedy the more lucrative catastrophes. But, how would you know, he merely mimicked me and mouthed everything I said back at me like some new-born Dragonlett and his expression remained in that brooding, infinitely belligerent tone.

But I took this in my stride; I continued attempting to raise his IQ points at least a centimeter from negative, but he refused to cooperate. At this I grew angry, and lo and behold he had the nerve to do the same, snarling and growling at me; the sheer nerve. Well, I wouldn’t take any of that! I promptly stuck my tongue out at him and then flame broiled his patch of the pond and that was the end of Captain Copydrake! I had taken a huge mental victory from this confrontation, and was very proud of myself.

Thankfully for my reputation, the other Dragons seemed to have had the same trouble with their correspondents and by they all had worked up compromises there was barely a molecule of un-evaporated water in the chamber. From then on there was no more mention of the infantile council members who we had lately cut off correspondence with.

The council began again and I started speaking to the Dragon closest to me. His ideas for rejuvenating the failing governments of the compass points and beating back supposed invasions were sadly lacking, he was almost as bad as Scaligar, maybe even the same! I told him of my much more fortified and offensive ideas on the revitalization of popular government and such, but he soon became quite rude to me; telling me that I knew nothing about modern politics.

I would have none of that and promptly became engaged with another Dragon, whose ideas were as flexible and lucrative as could be, worthy of Semithino's cunning, was my immediate thought, though don't tell him I said that, as he might get a swelled snout. I enjoyed my correspondence with this Dragon much more than with any other, although I did pass from him to others, whose allegiances and ideas were varied.

I soon realized that there must have been Dragons from all four points at the meeting. Although in hindsight, I believe that I was foolish to think such a thing, I mean, it was a Westerner secret council, not a nationwide rally. Anyway, who would think to invite a Dragon from the South? Those fools couldn’t trick a Westerner if they worked for ten years! What a silly idea anyway.
All things considered, the council meeting went rather well, though it was a shame we couldn’t commune in full view; but subterfuge must be upheld in many situations, especially secret councils. We were still undecided on the outcome of our debate on governmental rejuvenation by the time the council finished, but the leader promised we would meet again soon to continue our widespread discussion. 
After the meeting, I was blindfolded once again and helped out of the chamber and into the night air. I heard the other Dragons coming up and out, and I even managed to trip up the uncultured swine who had argued with me. Mwahaha. Although his literal heated retaliation left me smoking, and disgruntled. His flame even burned my blindfold off, and I caught a glimpse of what seemed to be the trademark scale color of a Southerner’s scales, maybe even…But no, they couldn’t trick a Western Dragon, we’re far too clever for them.  
I was given another blindfold and I set off once more with my return escort back to my cave. 
It was quite an experience, and I look forward to the next meeting, although I may have to keep it a secret from you, as our talk may get more and more confidential as we continue, no hard feelings my nephew, and I hope it shall not come to that.

Your loving uncle,

Trubodox the Scarlet