Name of the Wind 78 - 81

Chapter 79

They set the trap for the draccus, using up about 2/3 of the denner resin. They get a fire blazing and prepare a rough ladder to climb up to safety. Denna is getting delirious and flirting with Kote, and there is some akwardness as he listens to her lungs. She explains she had pneumonia as a child and has felt as if she's only alive by mistake. She mentions that her patron, Ash, found her after the wedding tragedy and he is definitely alive. He was the one who injured her, saying people would be suspicious if she was the only one who survived without a scratch.

This was an awkward chapter to read, most of it being Denna encouraging Kote to man up and him painfully trying to do so. We get another glimpse of this Ash, and he continues to sound like bad news.

Chapter 80

The draccus comes and eats the bucket of resin they set out for it. Unfortunately, it is the night of the harvest festival back in town, and they celebrate by making huge bonfires. When the draccus sees the fires, he sets off in that direction. Kote puts Denna in a safe spot and heads after the beast. He arrives in town to find it is burning and the draccus is wrecking havoc. Kote climbs on the roof, and, using a burning shingle and the town cistern, creates an improvised sygaldry that damps the fires down to embers. Next he lights the rest of his resin on fire. He also lights an oak tree on fire.  The burning tree draws the draccus, and he eats all of the remaining resin. Then by binding the draccus scale that contains iron and the lodestone, he causes a huge iron wheel on the side of the church to fall and crush the draccus.

This was a good action-packed chapter where Kote gets to creatively use sympathy to save the day. Unfortunately, looks like all of the resin is gone, and Kote may not get a chance to grab the dragon scales like he was planning. So his financial troubles will continue to be a factor.  Also, will the townsfolk be suspicious that he caused the attack?

Chapter 81

Kote has a moment of pride, but then the roof collapses and he falls to the floor.

Pride goeth before the fall, right?

Name of the Wind 76 - 78

Chapter 76

They watch the creature, and Kote explains that it is not really a dragon, but something called a draccus. It is a large herbivore, so therefore harmless to them. They are pretty rare and gave rise to stories of dragons, but they are not truly dragons.

I thought this was a draccus, since it had been brought up earlier but never discussed, but when Kote called it a dragon I though we were in for the real thing. It's dangerous enough anyway, and eats trees whole. Another interesting feature, it has a streak of Smoky the bear, instictually drawn to putting out campfires.

Chapter 77

Kote and Denna uncover a drug growing and processing operation in the bluffs. Apparently the manufacturer had planted the source trees in a remote part of the forest and was cooking resin in a spot in the bluffs. They find his remains in a destroyed building and his self-defense crossbow. They hear the dracchus coming and climb up into a hiding spot in the bluffs, where they find his lookout spot. Denna eats some of the resin, thinking its maple candy, and Kote performs some medieval emergency medicine, detoxing her with charcoal. The draccus has been eating the drug trees and become addicted, Kote is afraid once the trees run out it will start attacking humans. He resolves to kill it.

I love this stumbling onto the fantasy drug manufacturing operation, totally unexpected and, combined with the draccus, seems to explain most of the weird goings-on in the area, other than the Chandrian attack. Kote continues to woo Denna with an irresistible mix of know-it-all-ness and lack of confidence. He does score points for saving her from overdosing, so he may still win her heart. As for how he intends to kill the Draccus, that should be interesting.

Chapter 78

They watch the intoxicated draccus thrash among the trees, despairing at how they would be able to hurt it. Denna comes up with the bright idea to hang a fire off the side of a cliff, but they'll need rope. They go back and search the ruined shed, find some twine but no rope. Kote comes up with plan B, poisoning he thing with the drug resin. It means all the money they were planning to make from selling it (to reputable pharmacists) will be lost, but will be partially offset by selling dragons scales.  Kote pushes to try to kill the thing ASAP, so they can go back to town in case Denna needs more medical attention.

Nice to see Denna come up with a bright idea here, Kote was really getting to be unbearable. Unfortunately, without rope they can't carry it out so they'll have to rely on Kote's brilliance again.