"Our chances seem good, then."

Grin. "We're definitely going to be the most important event around for quite a while."

"How long do you think it will take for the curse to depart these items?"

"Depends on the item and how long he had it. Some of it will take only a day or few, some might take a few weeks, and a few things might take months, and the Desolation itself might not fully clear until the spring."

"It'll be weak, though, all spread out like this. One cursed coin is nothing next to a hoard."

"I don't especially wish to babysit these that long."

"I can make the worst parts of it also unnerving - terrifying would take a bit of time..."

"If we incinerate nine of the first ten that come seeking, that may serve as well."

She laughs. "Then they might just bring an army, though, and we'd have just as much of a problem on our hands. I think the curses will go down enough over the next week it won't matter much after that anyways; I scattered the more cursed stuff around more broadly, and a week's plenty of time for a sense of horrible dread."

"A week, then."

She nods, bouncing. "Maybe if some of the humans come up I can talk to them, too."

"Do not count on intelligent conversation."

Shrug. "I don't get to talk to anyone much. Don't think any will be better conversation than you but some might be better than rocks."

"Only a few, perhaps."

"Better than none."

"We'll see."

She laughs. "I'll probably want to be perching on the mountain most of the time. Still, anything you want to do while we lurk? - Wouldn't mind learning some magic..."

"As would I. We can see if you have the capacity."

She makes an excited noise. "So some people don't?"

"Everyone has at least some mana. Fewer have enough to permit the casting of spells. Or so it was in my universe. I do not know if the same rules apply here."

"Or to dragons."

"Here anyone can theoretically learn the Song - it's just... Singing with intent? But some people aren't any good at it."

"Musical talent does vary..."

"I think that's most of it, yeah. I haven't met a bad singer who was good at that sort of magic, though I think there's good singers who don't know how to apply it properly..."

"It is not an area to which I have applied myself."

"I can teach you, then!"

"Thank you."