Medicine Tester!

Upon hearing the command, "Drink the medicine," the young dragon shivered with such intensity that it jolted to its feet, its instincts screaming for escape.

She had fully anticipated fleeing, but fate played a trick. Unbeknownst to her, her sweeping dragon tail had been unwittingly trapped under the heavy foot of the turtle.

Without freedom of her tail, how could she possibly sprint away? No wonder turtle had fallen silent earlier; he must have detected her anxious aura before she had even noticed his foot on her tail.

"Turtle, you're standing on my dragon tail," she said, her voice a mix of irritation and desperation.

Turtle, understanding the distress he caused, quickly lifted his foot, freeing the distressed dragon.

Escaping was a futile dream. The young dragon knew she lacked the strength to contend with the formidable evil dragon Lance.

Had escape been an option, she would have taken it long ago instead of lingering in this precarious situation, risking Lance's malevolent plans for turtle's shell.

Initially, the intent behind being raised by the evil dragon Lance was simple companionship to stave off loneliness. Yet, over time, his intentions had warped. He now coveted turtle shell, imagining transforming it into a house.

How ludicrous was it to think that Lance's massive form could be housed within such a compact turtle shell? And yet, Lance had spent countless idle hours circling turtle, scheming ways to extract him from his natural armor. It was hard to determine whether Lance's intentions were born of kindness or cruelty.

To label him kind seemed ironic since he aimed to strip away the turtle's very essence – his protective shell. Yet, to call him cruel wasn't entirely accurate either, as he vowed to spare turtles life in his greedy quest.

It was clear he harbored some affection for the tortoise he had nurtured, though it was a strange, twisted sort of affection.

With a baby dragon now present on the island, surely Lance's attention should shift away from Turtle shell.

The baby dragon, innocent and uninvolved, deserved better. Lucia could have his medicine, but only under strict conditions, no tampering or experimental concoctions. If he deviated, misfortune was assured.

For the moment, the young dragon was safe.

"Turtle seems to favor you. He treats Marley quite harshly, but with you, he's surprisingly gentle. Come now, drink this bowl of medicine," he coaxed, offering a path of least resistance in their complex, intertwined lives.

"This bowl of medicine?" the young dragon exclaimed, eyeing the enormous stone container before her. "Who has ever seen a bowl three meters wide? This isn't a bowl, it's practically a small swimming pool! When I was human, I could have swum laps in it!"

After sipping from this gigantic 'bowl', exhaustion enveloped her, though thankfully devoid of any other side effects.

Lucia, with a hint of pride, declared, "I've struck the tortoise three hundred times, and now I feel invincible! I could punch a tiger and kick a lion without breaking a sweat."

"You show promise, young one," Lance remarked, his tone laced with a mixture of amusement and encouragement. "But as a young dragon, you should aim higher, think of battling Earth Bears, the truly formidable and ferocious beasts."

"I believe I could take down an Earth Bear," she responded, her confidence swelling.

"To conquer an Earth Bear, you'll need to fortify yourself. Drink up," Lance said with a fierce smile, extending the colossal stone bowl towards her.

Even his smile, meant to be reassuring, appeared menacing to the young dragon. "Do I really have to drink it?" she hesitated, sniffing the bowl's contents. The medicinal brew emitted a peculiar herbal scent, and its dark green color made her uneasy.

Such a sinister hue could be mistaken for poison. "In the imperial capital, if a pharmacist handed me a potion this color, I'd test it on a white mouse first. But are there even a mice on this island?" she wondered aloud, contemplating the impracticality of catching mice to test the brew.

"Relax and drink," Lance encouraged. "Turtle has been drinking my concoctions since he was a hatchling. Look at him now, not only has he survived, but he's thrived, growing larger with each passing year."

Her heart raced as she considered Turtle's earlier tales. The fact that Turtle grew so large could be attributed to his resilience rather than any beneficial properties of the potion.

To drink or not to drink, that was the question.

If she refused, she risked displeasing the formidable evil dragon, potentially fostering distrust. But drinking the mysterious mixture could lead to unpredictable transformation, imagine sprouting dragon wings from her head!

With a deep breath, she made her choice. "Drink," she decided, lifting the gargantuan bowl with trembling claws.

"I truly believe that Evil Dragon Lance's senior pharmacist certificate was earned through his skill, not purchased through deceit," Lucia asserted with a hint of defiance.

"In the human world, the sale of fake certificates is rampant," she continued, her tone laced with skepticism. "With the right amount of money, one can acquire any credential they desire."

As she peered into the enormous stone bowl, Lucia noticed that it wasn't as full as she'd anticipated, though it still contained a significant amount, certainly more than half.

Narrowing her vertical pupils, she bravely gulped down the dark green liquid with audible "gudong, gudong" sounds, emptying the bowl in one fierce draught.

"Drink, burp, all done," she announced, slightly belching as she handed back the stone bowl for inspection.

"Very brave indeed," Lance remarked approvingly, as he gently touched the top of the young dragon's head with his claw.

After praising her courage, Lance retrieved a meticulously carved and painted statue of Dragon from his dimension space. Holding it out to Lucia, he challenged, "Look, what is this?"

"Dragon," she replied simply.

He chuckled at her straightforward answer. "Yes, indeed, he is a dragon. But not just any human; he is a dragon god, an extraordinary one with advanced cultivation and powerful abilities, known as a [Taimat]."

"Follow," Lance instructed. "Repeat after me, 'virtus Taimati urget te."

"virts taim urge to," Lucia attempted, her unique accent twisting the sounds.

Lance pondered how to assist Lucia with her pronunciation challenge. "It seems we have a slight accent barrier here. It's not that you can't read; it's just your unique way of speaking."

He mulled over a potential solution. "What if we try placing a pearl in your mouth? Perhaps that might help refine your pronunciation."

"Let's try it tonight. You'll hold a pearl in your mouth and see if it helps you pronounce 'Taimat correctly," he suggested, hoping the novel approach might adjust her enunciation.

"If this doesn't help, we'll just have to accept it," Lance finally conceded, recognizing the impracticality of quickly resolving the accent issue. "Teaching you Latin isn't feasible just to correct your accent, right? Given our longevity, there's no rush. We have plenty of time to figure things out."

Switching topics, Lance offered, "Would you care for some afternoon tea?"

Lucia shook her head, her stomach still feeling the weight of the massive bowl of medicine she had just consumed. "No, thank you. I don't feel like drinking anything else for now."

Lance seemed to embody a sense of tradition even in his daily habits. "The evil dragon really does have a sense of ritual," Lucia thought amusedly. "Who would have imagined such a legendary figure enjoying the leisure and elegance of afternoon tea? He seems more suited to adventures like abducting princesses or falling in love with them."

"Very well, then you're free to roam about. If you feel unwell, come find me in the courtyard," Lance instructed before departing.

Once alone, Lucia couldn't help but grin, feeling a sense of relief as she waddled over to where the turtle was resting. She felt more at ease with the turtle than with Lance.

"Turtle, do you know if there are any voles or mice on this island?" she asked, seeking companionship in her conversation with the turtle.

"Normally, where there are evil dragons, you won't find birds or other animals nearby," the turtle explained. "But Lance is different. He controls his instincts, so it's possible some smaller creatures might still be around. However, catching them won't alleviate your boredom."

"It's not about boredom. I need them to help me test some medicine," Lucia clarified.

The turtle sighed, "Thea, let me correct something I mentioned earlier. Most of the potions Lance makes are safe to drink. But you should be cautious with his new concoctions. He's still uncertain about their effects and potential side effects. Unfortunately, I met Lance too early when he was still learning and used me as his test subject. But you're luckier; the medicines you're given now are refined and safe. Just try to avoid any new ones he's developing."

Lucia's face fell with concern. "Turtle, if I refuse the new drug, won't he just turn to you for testing instead?"

The dilemma hung heavily in the air as they contemplated the moral implications of their predicaments under Lance's rule.