"Not so much influential as simply being too powerful to argue with," Brand admitted. "Armies have figured out that killing us involves the expenditure of so many resources that it's generally not worth it...and negotiating a deal with a dragon in exchange for its control over a territory has its benefits.<br/><br/>"And no, I'm not aware of anyone with that particular preference," Brand said. "We all have different tastes, of course, but we usually don't talk about them much. Hell, unless we're mated or seeking one, we usually don't talk much at all unless we're trying to avoid killing one another."