Letter Twenty-Two

My dear Smok,

It has come to my attention that you gave out a good dole of fire and death at one of the Aolian villages of late. Very good!

You tell me that you burned most of their crops and torched a few outlying barns. Very good! I also enjoyed reading of your antics with those horses. Very good show, lifting those hooved beasts and throwing them at the village, all with good aim so as to leave as many witnesses as possible while causing maximum destruction.

Very good, indeed. I am impressed by your recent venture. Now, I have looked up some notable dragons from the area. The records say that there are many dragons in surrounding provinces, and I am willing to bet that a few of them would stage a fight with you that would make you appear to be even more fierce and territorial than you are. In fact, a few of the greats paired up to make their name, such as Bithrax and Arvogg, to name only one such duo.

Here is a list of nearby dragons whom you might pair up with to create a terrifying splash in Aolia.

Racclevorn is a dragon in the province just south of you called Varigia. He is fairly large, but very thickheaded; you may want to enlist him as the brawn of your duo. While you make cunning, tactical strikes, he will swoop overhead, blanketing villages in fire. But then again, a dumb dragon can be difficult to work with sometimes; dragons with no cunning can get impatient and turn on you instead of helping you.

Varix is a dragon in the Besa province just west of yours; he is a very smart dragon, smaller than you but possessed of extreme intelligence. He may be handy in your duo; the two of you would be mastermind attackers. But Varix may weave some complex trap for you and get rid of you, taking over your lair and possessions, so you may want to steer clear of him.

Burgrath is a suitable dragon for a duo. He is of medium size, fairly strong, and fairly intelligent. He is very average in every way, and you would probably be able to defeat him if he ever turned on you. Yes, you should probably seek out Burgrath. He is your best bet. He currently lives in the northern province of Valicia.

The best way to approach Burgrath would probably be to watch his lair, making sure you are completely hidden. If he goes out to jellificate some humans, swoop in and lend a hand by burning up the town hall or something. He will ask why you are there, and you should reply that you merely wished to help. He will most likely invite you back to his lair after the attack and during the course of your idle conversation (in which he does most of the talking, and you nod your head and chime in agreement at the appropriate times) you will ask him to be your partner. If all goes well he will not refuse, having witnessed your prowess in battle and your extreme friendliness in the same day.

Write back to me when you gain his favor.

-Your serpentine uncle,

Scaligar

P.S.

I recently received a most unpleasant letter from your uncle Gargazath, my foolish brother. He ranted on about my “bringing you away from the truth”. Anyway, he had tried to lay a trap for me. Something about coming to a picnic in Yovi to celebrate your recent rampage. I politely refused.