You roll a 5 (required 9). Failure.
 
Looking to your party, you meet Moonflower’s gaze, and silently gesture over to the crates with your eyes. She subtly nods in response, after which you turn your attention back to Smoke.
 
You tell yourself that if you can distract the dragon long enough, it should give your friends a chance to bring the stolen ore back to its rightful owner. And with that plan in mind, you agree to go with her.
 
Smoke: “C’mon, then! I saw a great spot for this just earlier.”
 
As she says that, Smoke grabs you by the barrel, and effortlessly lifts you off and into the sky. Her strong wings propel you forward at such high velocity that you can hardly keep your eyes open; the frigid wind bites at your summer coat, and your vision blurs with tears.
 
Fortunately, the flight is brief. You soon land somewhere new, and much warmer. Taking a look around, you now find yourself atop a stone plateau covered in dense fog. Bright turquoise brooks and springs flow down from higher lands, blowing hot steam into the cool air.
 
Focusing on your objective, you take a moment to undo your equipment. The heat makes it much more comfortable to do so here, and despite knowingly putting yourself at risk, you’d rather show Smoke that you somewhat trust her.
 
You unequip Blue Choker of Aquatic Respiration, Blue Striped Scarf, Magic Sword Scabbard, 2 Mirror Shin Guards, Star Hairpin, and Tempered Simple Breastplate.
 
Once fully undressed, you present your handsome, bare stallion body to your scaly companion. She grins, apparently enjoying the view. Seeing that you are ready, she steps closer, and crouches down to your level.
 
Smoke: “Alright, hot shot. Let’s see what you’re made of.”
 
Smoke nudges you back with a claw, the other ready to claim her prize. But when her long, forked tongue unfurls, you suddenly get the feeling that you are about to learn a thing or two about dragons…
 
Never before in your life have you ever been so brutally dominated.
 
By the time Smoke climbs off of you, you can barely move a muscle. What must have been an hour of near constant action wore you out completely; every last drop of your energy sucked out, and every part of your body aching — two moreso than the rest.
 
You can only hope that your valiant sacrifice was worth it.
 
Smoke: “Whew! I’ve had my fill. Heh. Thought for sure you were gonna break there, lil’ guy.”
 
You might have broken mentally, but you don’t say that out loud. Instead, you ask if she is satisfied with your performance, while doing your best to push yourself up. She chuckles, and helps you back on your hooves.
 
Smoke: “Yeah, you did great! For a pony, at least. To be perfectly honest, I’m impressed you even lasted this long.”
 
The way she looks at you leads you to believe that she’s grown somewhat fond of you, though whether she likes you as a friend, or as a toy, you can’t say for certain just yet.
 
Smoke: “Now, let’s go wash this off.”
 
You shakily follow Smoke into the hot spring nearby, and sit next to her. The water makes you feel lighter, and relaxes your muscles, which is much welcome. You close your eyes, and let out a sigh of relief.
 
Soon, you feel something move behind you. Then, dragon claws begin carefully scrubbing your coat and mane. A surprisingly nice gesture, even if you can hear her stifled snickering. She did cause most of this mess, after all.
 
Eventually, you are both thoroughly washed. Smoke spends some time playfully scratching your mane, behind your ears, or around your neck, every second of which you blissfully relish in, until she finally stands to stretch.
 
Smoke: “Anyway, that was fun, but now, I could really go for a snack.”
 
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