"Possibly, but - not the point. Are all sphinxes everywhere in danger from you?"

"I have no interest in - traumatizing them just to traumatize them. And I cannot keep them dead. I have lost."

He shuts his eyes again. "At her friends' mercy, in her stronghold," he mutters.

"Also, yes. We would hold you in more humane restraints if it were at all safe."

"I am clearly not - whatever it is you would have me be, but I am not an idiot. Using freedom of movement to attempt magic or violence would simply get me killed sooner rather than later."

"Yes," she sighs. "Thank you for understanding. That'll - help with negotiations."

He opens his eyes. "Enough to let me take some aspirin and go home?"

"Thank you," murmurs the dragon.

"You're welcome."

Cam, meanwhile, is looking for Idania.

Idania is writing on the ceiling of her house! It looks to be something about runecasting.

"Hey, Idania, can we have you standing by to keep an eye on the dragon if Adana wants to leave him?"

"Mm? Sure, I guess. Leeeet me just -" Write write write scribble scribble write. "There! Okay, let's go."

"Whatcha working on?" Cam asks as they head back for the Belfry.

"You know how the spellbinders have this thing about needing to fit an entire spell in their heads?"

"Yeah. You're trying to patch that?"

"Patch, no, I'm - most of the magic we're working with is intellect or working memory based. Theirs especially, at least when inventing spells. So I want to figure out how to make an item that helps with working memory and speed of thought. Seems like it would benefit just about all of us, and it would speed up anything I want to do after that considerably."

"Nifty."

"I think so! It's tricky, though, but I will get it eventually!"

"We will all be very appreciative." Here is the Belfry. There is a dragon in it.

"Hello again, dragon who broke my leg and also squished me."

The dragon does not answer her.

That's okay, Idania wasn't expecting an answer. She'll just be floating, over there. Judging.