Improving Slay Times in the Common Dragon
by Catherine H. Shaffer
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Copyright 1997 Catherine H. Shaffer
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Abstract
An extract made from the juice of the Hesperidensian pomegranate, injected intramuscularly, will weaken the common dragon, Draco areuginosa, sufficiently to allow a killing blow to the head or hearts (Richardson, et al.).
In order to isolate and characterize this effect, four adult male dragons of the species D. areuginosa were attracted to our laboratory using Jaffronium's method and slain using either traditional methods or Richardson's technology. Richardson's method improved slay times by 34%.
Ivan Quickblade arrived at Dr. Diabolvsky's promptly at ten o'clock. This was to be the first meeting with his new Alchemy mentor, who would guide him to achievement of his wizard's robes.
A sign reading "Necromivor Diabolvsky" marked the lab entrance. The door opened easily at Ivan's hesitant touch.
Inside was a maze of counters and shelves. Debris covered every surface: arcanely shaped glassware, bottles of chemicals, books, cathode-ray displays, empty soda cans. Clouds of fog boiled out of a bucket of dry ice in one sink. The air buzzed.
There was a movement in the rear of the room. Ivan ventured further inside. "Hello?"
A black man with rasta braids appeared from behind a stack of books. He greeted Ivan with a nod.
"I'm looking for Dr. Diabolvsky's office?"
The man pointed across the room. Behind two rows of lab benches, a door hung ajar.
"Thanks! I'm Ivan. I'll be joining your lab." He extended his hand.
"Larry." He turned and sauntered away, humming to himself.
As Ivan sat in the cluttered office, he wondered how the mentor-student relationship would unfold between them. Certainly, there would be long hours, frustrations, set-backs, even resentments in his graduate career. But this man had experienced it all. And they shared the same passion: Alchemy.
At 11:00 he emerged from the office and approached Larry, who was working at the sink. "Do you know where Dr. Diabolvsky is?"