The Dragons" Court convened monthly in their great hall beneath the stables of the Palace, where the four moons shone through slits in the ceiling and a great fire roared in the grate. Lockjaw intermittently replenished the flames with bursts of fire and smoke from his own great nostrils. Their thick hides were impervious to the cold, still, the dragons welcomed the friendliness and comradeship symbolized by fire.
Moonraker, as a bachelor beast, counted the sacks of gold coins stacked near the fireplace, rewards for foraging in man"s forests and foreign castles beyond Gracklen"s walls. Dragons love gold, especially Moonraker, who had no mate to keep him warm. The crisp snap of gold coins through his fingers replaced any kind of love he might have cherished from a mate.
“Yes, the fairies
