“And I, in my desperation, thought the sceptre could save me from my own foolish oaths,” she said, and just as she turned her head to speak again, a flash of silver rushed up to her. A dragon of her strength would normally have reacted near instantly, but she had been so used to being safe for so long, the surprise alone caught her off guard. The spear flew and missed her face by a mile, but it did strike the crook of her claw, crashing against the poisoned scales and knocking one loose. Meranax hissed in pain and snarled, the sound rocking the treasure room.