Part 4
Demeter had never actually been in Xilro's well... lair he supposed, before. Nobody had that he knew of, come to think of it. So while he wasn't entirely prepared for the inside to be bigger than the outside, he wasn't completely surprised. The wily old dragon had tricks up his sleeve, it seemed. The fact he was inside a cave though, that intrigued him. Just where was this?
"Demeter, welcome to my home." Xilro said, approaching him and bowing. "You have questions, but save them for the end, yes?"
"You can talk normally!" Demeter shouted. Xilro flashed a smile.
"Saffron's soul brings calm to my thoughts."
"There's that name again. Who is Saffron?" Demeter asked.
"Questions at the end, friend. Come with me." Xilro replied, shaking his head.
As they walked deeper into the cave, Demeter noticed treasures and artifacts spanning all of history. Orcish pottery, dwarven bows, elven coinage, to name a few. He also noticed skeletons, of which he pretended not to notice. It's a dragon hoard after all, right? What's a few skeletons? Eventually, they arrived at what appeared to be a sitting room at the back of the cave. A woman who looked vaguely similar to Rebecca was sitting on one of the chairs, but she was wearing a flowing green dress and had flowers in her hair.
"Ah, Demeter Varlance. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Saffron Frostfall. The Witch of the North. Xilro's Bride. The Dragon that never was. The Lady of the Woods. You get the picture." She said, introducing herself and waving around her hand.
"Since you already know my name, I see no need to introduce myself." Demeter replied with a bow. "But still, protocol demands I must. I am Headmaster Demeter Varlance of The University."
"So, it's time for a story, Demeter." Saffron said, motioning for him to sit. "I'll first warn you my existence is unstable."
"Unstable?" Demeter asked as he sat.
"I died many thousands of years ago. I have been Rebecca for over a century, but I've also been many other people over the years. Rebecca refuses to be 'chained by the past', as she puts it, so she fights with me constantly. She is furious that she had to come to Xilro for help, but we came to a compromise."
"You managed to compromise with Rebecca Montague of all people?" Demeter asked. "The Phantom Thief herself?"
"Yes, but the details aren't important. Now, let's begin with my most important title. The Dragon that never was. What do you suppose the biggest difference is between dragons and the mortal races?" Saffron asked, taking a drink from her wine glass.