Chapter 106: Chapter 104: On the other side

Dragon milking is a dangerous and demanding procedure that should only be done by dragon handlers with extensive experience, as they are not traditionally kept creatures.

The first step is to slowly approach the dragon and ensure that it is calm and at ease. Once the dragon has been subdued, the milker must grasp its horns with care and place a sufficiently large pail beneath its chin.

To stimulate milk production, the milker must then lightly squeeze the dragon's neck, running their hands over it for a time. The neck of a dragon is lined with a series of oil secreting glands beneath their scales that release a greasy, foggy, amber liquid, which will run down the creature’s neck, dripping off of the scaled point of its chin.

Care must be taken not to irritate the dragon during the milking process, as they are notoriously unpredictable and extremely dangerous.

In the wild, this liquid is constantly secreted by the dragons as a protective mechanism for their thin, long, and thermally vulnerable necks. However, when a mother dragon lays a clutch of eggs, her body will begin to fill this otherwise plain, fatty liquid with nutritionally dense nutrients from her body, causing it to become a thick, off-white ‘milk’, with which she can feed her young during times of poor hunting.

The secretion collected in the pail can be utilized for various purposes, such as producing cheese or potions. It is exceptionally nutritious and sweet, and its consumption carries very powerful benefits.

There are very few farmers across the world who attempt this dangerous practice, creating an incredible spectrum of prices for even small amounts of the substance, as well as giving rise to a large counterfeit and black market.