‘Firecloud?’ ‘A restricted substance. Alchemists make it from the bile of fire-breathers,’ Eizaru explained. ‘The bile is smuggled into the East by Southern pirates, treated in some way, then stuffed into a ceramic orb with a dab of gunpowder. When the wick is lit, the orb explodes and releases a smoke as black and thick as tar. If a dragon breathes it in, it falls asleep for many days. The pirates can then sell its body parts.’
