"You've already been tainted with my scent."
Fiona whispered softly in Shard's ear after taking a deep breath.
"What?"
Shard thought this was some sort of crude metaphor, but he didn't believe Fiona would say something like that.
"The ancient ritual you used essentially allowed the dragon to be 'reborn.' And when dragons are born, their bodies carry a long-lasting unique scent to help the Dragon Mother distinguish and track her offspring."
She seemed somewhat enchanted as she continued to lightly sniff the nape of Shard's neck. Shard could even feel the intriguing sensation of a pen tip brushing against his skin:
"This will follow you for several weeks. But don't worry, ordinary people can't smell it. Moreover, this scent will instinctively drive away common beasts and monsters with low intelligence."
