Making sure to do it with both heads since the Zippleback has two brains, and sadly, having to feel the pain of one of its heads and practically its brother die before it does as well. "Should have gone down easily." I groan out.
"I still feel bad, though, knowing they have two brains, feeling your other head die can't be enjoyable. So I apologize for that." I mutter as I rub my shoulder and look down at the Zippleback, not proud that I'm dragon hunting, but still curious what I can learn from their biology.
I then get the body into my inventory and start my way back home so I can sit down and rest, so my shoulder can heal properly, as well as the new burns that are littering my body from its wonderful explosion.
—----------------------------
After a very long and grueling walk, I finally made it back to the cave. Promptly collapsing against where I usually sleep. "Nap time." I grumble as I pull the deer pelts out of my inventory and let myself drift off to lah lah land.
An unknown amount of time later I wake up in much better shape than I was when I went to sleep. Which could be said by looking at my body. Though probably not wise to do anything for at least another day so I can fully heal and have proper functions return to my body.
'I guess I can roll the gachas while I wait to get better.' I think as I open the Gacha tab to see the thirteen tickets I have which is a lot more than I remember. 'One ticket from the dragon root harvest. One from discovering how to make crude stone tools. And one from discovering basic bushcraft.' I think as I remember how I got the tickets with the other ten being from hunting dragons.
'Nice to know my progress hasn't been completely pointless.' I think with a grin as I look between the random roll and item roll. Wondering if I should do random, now that I have the tickets to afford at least a single attempt.
"Fuck it, mine as well right." I mutter as I press it and watch a giant wheel appear. One much larger than the item wheel to the point it dwarfs it to an immeasurable degree. The wheel took almost a full minute just for it to slow enough to see what I could possibly get. From a vial of super-soldier serum to the one ring to rule them all.
[Gacha]
Guardians Tail (Dark Souls)
"Didn't know today was the day I became a Belmont." I chuckle as I pull the whip out and gaze at it. The appearance is scarily like that of the game with it looking like a scorpion's tail. With the first couple segments being covered in sharp porcupine-like spines.
Though as I hold the tail I look up to see a notification from the system. Saying that the tail can only be used in more fantasy focused settings with How To Train Your Dragon barely meeting the requirements needed to use it.
'Good thing I drew this here then, and that I didn't get a shotgun.' As that would mean I wasted five tickets. Making me decide that it would probably be better to spend the rest on the Item Gacha that way I can be certain that the rest is usable.
[Gacha]
Snow Fox Pelt
Dragon-Proof Metal Harpoon
Kettle
Cast Iron Pot
Dragon Manual
Fur Gloves
Bolas x3
"At least we got something good out of this roll." I sigh as I instantly pull out the dragon manual and rummage through it. Easily finding where the Nadder is at with four pages dedicated to it alone.
"Will definitely make some things easier, though it doesn't exactly say how I should dissect one and prep the desired parts." I say with pursed lips trying to think if there is an easy way to figure this out, but it very much looking like there isn't one.
'Manual aside I guess I could use the snow fox pelt to make myself a pillow. I also got a better Harpoon which should help me with fishing to a degree.' I list as I go over the things I now need to work on and learn how to do.
"How the fuck do I use a whip." I mutter not having been nearly white or racist enough to adequately use one. 'Let's hopefully never go down that path though.' I joke as I put everything away.
'I won't be able to do anything arduous for at least two days. So tomorrow I'll work on the dragon root farm and make more salt. Maybe make some arrows if I feel ambitious.' I think as I let out a sigh and how it would be so much easier if I was in a village of other people to work with. Alas I was never lucky enough with such things.
The next day went by exactly as I thought it would with me simply boiling sea water and checking up on the freshly planted dragon root. Sadly even starting more batches of stone arrows since I can't make Nadder arrows just yet.
Such an ambitious day having quickly gone by with me now leaning against the cave wall and wondering if I should dissect the Nadder or the Zippleback first. Both having sat in my inventory for about a day and hopefully not starting the decomposing process.
The mental prayers that they haven't started rotting went through my mind for the rest of the night and even started again as I woke up the next day. With me finally healed enough to actually work on the carcasses now.
'Okay, I should probably start with the Nadder due to me having killed it first. As well as probably being less dangerous if I accidentally pop the chemical organ.' I debate as I grab a couple crude tools, really wishing I had proper metal and knew how to make a forge. But having to make due with stone for the time being.
A small walk through the cave leading me to a section I dug out for this specific purpose. Also being what I spent most of my time working on since I got here. 'First I have to bleed it, but no idea for how long. Then I believe I skin it. From there I'm completely lost.' I think as I pull out the Nadder carcass from my inventory.
"I pray I made this hole deep enough." I mutter having had to dig down since digging up isn't exactly that easy. After a bit of dragging the Nadder carcass I get it over to where I set up a very rudimentary pulley system, which I have no idea if it actually works or not.
'Hopefully random reels of people making stuff has blessed me.' I think as I tie a vine rope around the legs of the Nadder. Trying my best to make sure it doesn't get caught on anything I don't want it to and that it will hang correctly.
'It doesn't look like how I remember it in the movies. Especially the live action.' I think as I look at the crown, nape, and tail of the Nadder to see feathers which it very much shouldn't have if I remember correctly.
'It would make sense for some things to be different so they could actually work biologically.' I think as I finish tightening the rope and start the long process of pulling it up so I can hang and bleed it.
A couple minutes of hoisting later I finally have it up with there only being a couple inches of its face from the ground beneath it. 'The cave isn't big enough to do this with the Zippleback.' I groan as I then make a lot of bad looking jagged cuts on the Nadders neck to start bleeding it.
With buckets below it that way I can collect the blood and try to use it for things. 'Maybe Nadder blood can be used as a binder agent or something.' Now trying to figure out how to bleed the Zippleback and not liking the one idea I am getting.
'How the hell, do I field dress a fucking Zippleback.' Hating the fact I'm going to need to make this cave a lot bigger as a Zippleback is far from being the largest dragon. Especially with the Monstrous Nightmare being relatively the same size and length.
'I'll have to butcher it eventually, mine as well do it now no matter how poorly.' I think as I pull the Zippleback out of my inventory on the other side of the cave. While struggling to roll it on its side that way I can start to cut it open.
'Do I skin it first or do I try to bleed it.' Not knowing how I'm supposed to do this at all. 'I'm going to assume I bleed it like I'm doing to the Nadder but where will the blood go since there is no downward force to pull it out of the body.' I groan, and decide that I will figure it out when I get to it.
I push over the Zippleback and put on my hide gloves, preferring not to get an infection even though I'm immune to disease. More so just not wanting blood on my hands or crap if I accidentally cut into an intestine.
"Starting from a pre-existing opening should make this easier." I mutter, quickly realizing what that entails. 'I have to shove both my hands and one of my knives in its ass, don't I.' As the last bit of light dies from my eyes. Letting out a sigh and getting behind the Zippleback.
'All for the sake of knowledge and my prolonged existence.' I think as I take a deep breath and wrap some ripped cloth around my face to help with the smell. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to you." I say to the dead Zippleback having already killed it and now I must shove my hands in its ass.
'Let's try and preserve the hide. While trying not to cut into any organs either.' I think trying not to explode while doing this as I pull out my broken Dragon-Proof spear head. 'Today you will be known as the Shitsticker.' I think as I crouch down and start cutting around the cloaca
Then expanding the cut around the bottom before moving back up to help separate the hide from the membrane. While continuing to cut around the pelvis that way I can carefully set aside the reproductive organ. Before moving up to start working on the abdomen.
Shitsticker coming loose through the hide on a couple occasions on accident and almost cutting myself as I keep working down it and finally making my way to the center of the ribcage. With the tendons below the hide being much easier to cut than the scales on the Zippleback.
Though that can probably be said for almost every dragon. After that I start to cut a bit more towards the shoulder so I can try to remove the organs. After a bit I finish the cut which would probably classify more as the upper part of the front legs.
I then start to remove the organs within the body, stuffing them into my inventory one at a time as I remove them and leaving the interior of the Zippleback looking rather void. 'That was both easier and harder than I expected it to be.'
'I now just need to try and bleed it so I can finish skinning it.' I think while trying to figure out the next step now that I actually made it this far, and being so happy that I didn't accidentally cut into the intestines.
'Wait a second, don't I want the hide to be in one piece as much as possible.' I think as I look at the giant incision I sent from its lower body up to the shoulder. 'It's big enough where it shouldn't matter. Right?' I think as I start to try and remove more of the hide by separating membrane from the hide that way it comes out somewhat decent.
'I really hope I'm doing this correctly, because I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing right now.' I think as I look at the Zippleback and realize I may need to skin the stomach and the back separately because I am not able to hang it.
'Guess I'm coming out with three pieces, two underbelly and hopefully one big back piece.' I think as I let out a groan. Then moving to the sides where the scales start to change shades from the cream colored underbelly, to the darker splotched shades of green that compose its back.
The incision takes time for me to get it from where I started up to the neck as I then face the next problem. 'Do I try to skin the necks and heads or do I try to saw them off and do them separately.' I think not really knowing which to do and deciding to grab a flattish rock and smear one side in blood.
'This is the world's worst coin.' I think as I make the blood smeared side heads to skin the necks and the bare side to just cut them off and deal with them at a later date. Then flipping the rock to see it spin in the air as it drops to the ground, the bare side showing itself making me let out a sigh of relief.
'Thank the lord.' I think as I start another incision on the necks that way I can keep skinning for now and come back to removing the heads. After a good bit I finally removed the hide from its underbelly revealing fat covered meat under it and showing some of its musculature.
Surprising to nobody it has incredibly dense and corded pectoral muscles to let it fly. After admiring the sight for a bit I pick up my now blood and dirt smeared rock and flip it once more this time for the Zipplebacks tails.
The rock flips through the air and landing with the bare side down showing the smeared blood and dirt. Making me let out a groan and start another incision, to skin the tails starting with the cream colored underside.
After a bit I finished skinning the tail and now needing to figure out how to skin the back since if I flip it dirt and other things could get into the meat. 'I feel as though this is going to be a fuck it moment.' I stare at the Zippleback and let out a sigh as I flip it onto its stomach.
'This should be the easier part.' I think as I now start skinning its back with the beginning incisions and cuts already being made. Making it relatively easier to go along the body, with some parts just letting me pull the hide and not needing to cut all that much membrane if any at all.
'I would be correct it seems.' I think as I look at the bare Zippleback except its heads. Putting Shitsticker away and pulling out a stone cleaver I made. Now looking for a parting in the vertebra so I can cut through that rather than solid bone.
Which proved to be rather smart as I got to put the heads into my inventory along with the hides. leaving me with a rather weird looking scene before me. 'Okay, I've removed the organs and skinned it yet I still need to bleed it. Though I think it's doing that itself at the moment and just need to let it rest for a bit.' I think as I see blood ooze from under the Zippleback and all over the cave floor.
'What to work on in the meantime.' I think as I look around and see that I need to empty the bucket of Nadder blood into my inventory which I do rather quickly. 'I guess I could check on the Dragon Root farm before coming back.' I think checking over the cave to see if there is anything I may be forgetting to do but nothing truly coming to mind.
'To the Dragon Root farm it is.' I think as I walk out of the cave and outside and hear a sound I rather not. The sound of beating wings that seem to be growing louder by the moment.
'Fuck me man.' I think as I quickly pull out my bow and nock a Dragon Root arrow. Then seeing a Deadly Nadder land outside of the cave sniffing the air before slowly walking in. 'Fuck, Nadders were swapped to tracker class for a reason.' Realizing it probably smelled the overly heavy hint of blood coming from the cave and decided to see what it is.
'Damn it, that means this may keep happening.' I think as I draw the bowstring but the Nadders eyes snapping towards me. The moment I go to loose the arrow, with it thankfully hitting the Nadders side making it let out a screech.
My eyes wide and heart beating quickly knowing that Nadder was likely to use its magnesium blast or tail quills. The Nadder now struggling to walk as it falls to the ground, its eyes darting around and heavily dilated.
'I don't have enough room for another dragon at the moment. Even if I did, any more blood in the cave may draw more dragons and cause more problems.' I think as I let out a groan and tie a vine around the Nadders mouth keeping it closed. Then doing the same with the wings and legs to assure it can't get away if the Dragon Root wears off too fast.
Lastly I look at the tail and wrap lots and lots of vine around it to make sure none of the feathers can stand up and shoot towards me. 'I really just babyproofed a Nadder, never thought that would happen.' I think as I start dragging the Nadder very slowly due to its thrashing and already large size.
"Will you stop, I'm trying not to kill you damnit." I yell in annoyance and finally get a good bit away from my cave and find a relatively decently shrouded area. "I'm going to remove the vines now." I say as calmly as I can despite the fact I just yelled at the Nadder.
Firstly cutting off the vines on the legs and wings, deciding the rest can stay and could be easily removed by themselves. "I'll try and find some brush to cover you in for the time being so you don't get eaten." I mutter as I pull out a crap ton of sticks, vines, leaves, and dirt from my inventory.
Then arrange it around the Nadder to make it look like a small mound is covering the body and bushes covering anything that may stick out. With the largest bush being on its head. "You should be fine after a while. Now I pray that you don't come back to my cave." I say as I give the Nadder a small pat and run off leaving a very confused and drugged dragon behind me.
'If not for the fact any more blood would attract more attention I would have just killed them. But I really don't want dragons crawling into my home while I'm trying to sleep.' Wondering if I even left the Nadder in a good enough spot for it to have mattered.
'Too much effort for a damn lizard.' I think as I make it back to my cave and look around trying to figure out the best way to keep dragons from coming into my home. Yet the only thing that may work being Blue Oleander which I have a complete lack of.
'Covering my home in Oleander wouldn't be a bad idea for the future though.' I think as I mentally take note of that and decide that the Dragon Root farm is going to have to wait a bit. While I try to think up ways to keep dragons out.
'Maybe the best thing would just be to quickly skin and dress the dragons as I get them so that way I don't have to wait for them to bleed.' I think trying to see if I can just prevent the problem rather than needing to make solutions for it.
'I guess I should just pull that Nadder down to skin and dress it then.' I think as I go back into the hole and see a Terrible Terror munching on the Zippleback with a gleeful face, before turning to see me and stances up to look as scary as its little body can.
"Really man." I groan out as I walk towards the Terrible Terror making it snort out flames as I pull the kidney of the Zippleback from my inventory and throw it at the little guy. "Eat that before you go straight for the carcass. Now scram." I say as the Terror quickly grabs it and scurries away.
'Little shit was chewing on my Zippleback.' I think with a sigh as I get to the Nadder and realize I should probably defeather it first that way I'm not struggling to skin and dress it. "How the hell do you defeather an animal." I mutter wondering why life can't just be easy.
'I wish it was more accurate to the movies now instead of this shit.' I think as I start pulling out feathers individually from the Nadders crown and neck, putting each one in my inventory as I can probably do something with them.
With there occasionally being a feather quill that seems like those on its tail helping confirm that the tail "spikes" are actually feather quills which adds more questions for a later date. 'Maybe I can make a pillow from all these feathers.' I think now a little more excited at plucking the giant reptile.
After an untold amount of time later I finish plucking the Nadder from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. 'That was an ungodly amount of feathers, though thankfully they were mainly on the tail.' I think happily that I'm finally done with that step and see that the Zippleback is finally done bleeding as well.
'I should probably just throw it in my inventory for the time being, that way I can focus on the Nadder.' Wondering what other way I can defeather a Nadder that way I'm not spending what is probably a couple hours to remove each individual feather.
I then make my way to the Zippleback and drag it into my inventory to see the pool of blood beneath it. Which has mixed into the dirt making me purse my lips at how long it's going to take for that to fully go away.
'Later me issues.' As I go back to the Nadder and decide that I should probably separate the head like I did with the Zippleback. 'I just realized I should be sawing off the wings. I can't exactly skin them.' I think as I look at the Nadder and decide that I probably should.
I then pull out Shitsticker and start cutting down the membrane as close to the body as possible so that way skinning it later is easier. With it not taking me long to get to the bone of the wing. Then taking out a stone bone saw and going at it. With it taking a painfully long time to saw through the bone but eventually the wing comes off and goes into my inventory so I can start on the next.
'I don't like the look of a wingless Nadder.' I think as I look at its closed eyes, especially that of the red saggy skin around it, that kind of reminds me of a vulture's face. 'Now to dress and skin it.' I think as I pull Shitsticker back out and get behind the Nadder.
This time starting around the knees that way it is easier to cut the hide off around the legs before once more going around the cloaca and cutting upwards where I started. After a bit of fighting and mistakes I make it to the top properly on both sides and then return to the cloaca to start cutting down this time.
'This already seems easier and more efficient than the other way I did it.' I think as I pull on the hide I already detached and cut the membrane continuing to keep working down on both sides. After a while I get a good bit down to the abdomen and decide to start on the tail. That way I can properly detach the hide on all sides rather than its belly and sides.
After another fight with cutting upwards I get around the tail and start the much easier part of cutting down. To then finish with cutting all the hide down to the neck and then leave what is on the head untouched.
'That was significantly easier.' I think as I look at the Nadder with the main thing left to remove the organs. I then pull out the stone bone saw once more and start removing the head carefully so as not to make a mistake with the head coming off after a lot of struggle but ending up in my inventory nonetheless.
'Let's try and remove the excess fat around it. That way I can try and make tallow.' I think as I start scrapping off excess fat around the back, and putting it in my inventory. While thinking of a couple things I can use it for but not really knowing how to make it.
Then finally getting to the part of me removing the organs with it being almost exactly the same as I did with the Zippleback. The only real difference being that I skinned it first. With the organs being removed and leaving a rather well dressed and skinned Nadder before me.
I then put Shitsticker away and pulled out my stone bone saw once more, and starting by going down the center of the ribcage. 'Sternum that's what the name of it was.' I think randomly as I finish getting through the sternum and letting me see the entire inside of the Nadder.
'Now I clean it up on the inside before harvesting the meat and wash it out with some water.' I think as I open my inventory over the Nadders open insides and let fresh water just course down its body removing some of the blood and letting me clean up its insides.
'I'm going to have a lot of compost, and meat.' I think as I look at the Nadder and smile a little. Happy I'm finally done eating smoked, salted, and dried fish. After cleaning up the insides a good bit then standing back to look at my handiwork.
'Now do I get straight into getting the meat out or do I let the body cool more. Since it was in my inventory for those two days it may have already cooled enough.' I think but not knowing how to proceed exactly but deciding to go for it anyway.
Which leads to me simply removing as much meat as possible without having to use the bone saw if I could help it. With me ending up with a lot more meat than I truly expected. 'These bones still have some meat and fat on them so I should probably bury them that they can be stripped clean of everything.' I think as I lower the Nadder and put the skeleton in my inventory.
'I'm finished, now I just need to do the same with the Zippleback and I'm good for today.' I think as I walk outside of the cave to check the time to see that its past noon. No idea by how much but just knowing that it is.
'I may be able to finish the Zippleback.' I think as I walk back into the cave and into my butcher section to pull out the Zippleback and start removing as much meat and other things from it. Once again trying not to cut through any bones if possible.
'I'll still need to study the skeletons and organs later.' I think with a groan but ending up with more heaps of meat out of it all. As well as another skeleton for me to bury so I can properly collect the bones later.
"God, it smells like blood in here." I joke with a small chuckle while stretching my back out and putting my very, very, bloody gloves into my inventory for me to wash off later. 'Now what do I want to do, should I bury the skeletons or try and figure out how to properly make pelt out of dragon hide.' I think deciding one of those is significantly easier to figure out than the other.
Which then leads me to walking out of the cave and a relatively decent spot to go digging for these skeletons. Finding such a spot took longer than I expected but having gotten there eventually. Though the hole having taken up the rest of the day and a little more leaving me with only burying the Nadder and having to bury the Zippleback at a later date.
—----------------------------
{A/N Hello good people it is nice to see you all again. I know it was a week but it felt like two days ago I posted the last chapter. I would also like to quickly say that I'm sorry if this feels like filler and way too long and being unnecessarily detailed. That's just being how I write though.
With only about a thousand or so words being anything but working on how to butcher and skin a dragon. Which makes sense when you look at the title of the chapter. How To Butcher Your Dragon. Doesn't sound nearly as good as the name of the franchise yet here we are.
But for those that enjoyed my unneeded detail of how to skin, butcher, and prep a dragon I'm happy you enjoyed it. For those that didn't I'm sorry that you and I wasted your time. This is only really going to happen once that way I can go over the process. As any other time will just be I skinned and butcher it. Ta-da.
I also spent more time on how to make a Nadder and Zippleback seem more Biologically accurate than writing this chapter because autism has to autism. I also watched an egregious amount of youtube videos on how to field dress, skin, and butcher animals.
Which is something I also did for the old version. One day I may actually be able to put this knowledge to use though that is unlikely to happen anytime soon. I also laughed way too many times when google said Shitsticker when I was checking how this all sounded.
But I digress. I hope you all enjoyed it and the next chapter will be more focused on possible discoveries related to their biology rather than this. I will now leave Erik's status below as well as what he gained from this chapter's Gacha.
[Status]
Name: Erik
Age: 18
Title: Lumenweeps Champion
Tickets: 0
[Gacha]
Guardians Tail (Dark Souls)
Snow Fox Pelt
Dragon-Proof Metal Harpoon
Kettle
Cast Iron Pot
Dragon Manual
Fur Gloves
Bolas x3