The beast was in good shape, but regrettably enough, there was simply no way of making it spew its tales – how on earth it had found Ted, and especially why.
That would have been useful, magically speaking. Ted only knew he shared a connection with the animal that he had barely even interacted with. Whenever he felt good, the skin of the amphibian was shining with a healthy glow. Whenever his mood took a turn downwards, however, the salamander seemed ever so slightly sluggish, even though it was not the fastest animal at any time.
Ted stared at the beast for hours, enjoying its glistening skin and planning his next move in the warmth of the fireplace.
It turned out to be so that the superstitions about these creatures were based on some truth, at least. The salamander did not seem to be upset by the heat at all.
