You look down at your clothes, torn to rags now. Not that they were much to begin with, but after running from those bandits, and getting caught… well, the old things were bound to fall apart sooner or later. You look down at the chains at your ankles. You could escape into the night, but unless you get these chains off, you'll be easy enough to track down. As it is, you can't do more take more than a half-step in them, and they clink around enough to make you a belled cat. But there is one way to get them off…
You look at the overly large wagon, and the prize tightly tied down inside: the tickle dragon. A short coat of soft gray feathers covers its form as it lies curled up inside the wagon. It can barely fit in there, its long tail curled back against its body. You can see the fluffy tip, like a lion's tail… although that feathery appendage can do much more than anything a lion could do. A long forked tongue slips in and out of its mouth quickly, tasting the air. As you watch the darting, wet tongue you notice the tickle dragon's saliva, famous for being able to sensitize even the toughest of skin. Being licked by a tickle dragon is supposed to make one's skin as smooth and luxurious as a newborn babe's… and twice as sensitive, you think with a shudder.
The dragon is no more than twenty feet long, not including the tail, making it a relatively young specimen. If the rumors are true, that means the dragon will have much more energy, not bound to a lair like its full grown brethren. You can't tell if its male or female, but then again the distinction doesn't seem to matter. It's eyes are shut as if asleep, but you notice its catlike ears twitch. Tickle dragons are supposed to be intelligent, and you realize the thing is perfectly awake and attentive.
"Hey…" you whisper loudly, sneaking closer to the dragon. "I need to get out of here. Once those bandits realize I'm not of noble birth… well, I'm sure you can imagine." You pause before continuing, the dragon showing no signs of hearing you, its ears still idly twitching. "I can get those straps off you. I heard them talking earlier. They're going to sell you to some noblewoman down south. You'll be her prized pet, a jewel in her crown to brag about. Just thrown a ticklish prisoner every once and a while. You wouldn't want that, right? But if I let you out, and you break my chains, we can both get free… do we have a deal?"
You wait for what seems like an eternity, but must be no more than a minute. The dragon snorts dismissively, still not opening its eyes, making you crestfallen. "Please… I'll do anything! I need your help!" At this, the tickle dragon finally opens one eye, looking at you passively from the golden cat-like orb. It opens its mouth to speak...
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