m-s-c-s t1_j69ynhr wrote
Reply to comment by m-s-c-s in [WP] The dragon spoke, "Release my human, and we will leave you all in peace. Do not, and I will reduce your walls to rubble to rescue them myself." by quazerflame
The woman on the far left of the stage shifted slightly in her seat. Finally, she went to slap her hands on her knees as though to get up, thought better of it, and did a slightly more dignified stand from the chair.
Her jet black hair flowed behind her in a long ponytail, swinging softly from side to side as she daintily stepped through craters in the turf. She pulled idly at the sigil on her chain shirt, humming a soft lullaby from Arden.
Alder started at the gentle touch on his shoulder. "Euphemia Gregoria! How lovely to see you again."
She tittered softly, and there was a scent of mint on the air. "I'm having such a wonderful time trying to figure out these people. We were awful close to ending the war, but then this mess happens." She breathed a sigh and the air glittered and flashed in front of her. "These aren't the worst of the lot by a long stretch. I think we can settle this out. Further north, things get a little more dicey."
Alder snorted derisively. A whisker curled up, slightly singed.
"What's going on with these sailors? Why the stretched necks plan?"
"Oh, the usual small village politics. Mismanagement of this, fighting over that. The mayor figured they'd bring 'em out here, let the audience convict them, scare them a bit, see if they confess. The gallows don't even work. Watch." She jumped and grabbed a rope, and it pulled taut and then fell off the gallows limply to the floor. The sailors' faces crashed through anger, laughter, and then finally relief.
She settled back close to Alder. "Honestly, they were hoping to get them to confess to treason but I'm pretty sure they're on the up and up after standing at the gallows and holding true. A bit harsh though. It's true, they don't have a death penalty. They had to design these gallows from looking at a painting! Some influence from elsewhere is at hand. The sigil these people bear is a copy of one borne by a new king. It appears to be based on a real event. A battle."
That got his attention. A dragon downed was a rare thing, but a dragon downed on a field of combat? "Fighting for whom?"
"For them." She gestured expansively at the crowd. "But I haven't been able to find out why. The pair is very secretive."
"Ah. No wonder. I was frankly astonished Glassmaker let them paint him up like that. So a green and a blue. Do we know them?"
"No, but they know us. Keep your eyes wide open here Alder." She shifted her weight to her other leg and shouted up to the stage, "Satisfied Duncan?"
"Sir Duncan" he muttered. "Yes."
"Marvelous! Now, I believe we have a tea appointment tomorrow?"
Glassmaker gingerly slid his head down between them. "Indeed we do. I've invited some new guests as well! Do you know Cecil the Brave Alder?"
Alder's mouth dropped open. "Cecil... the brave? Wife's Petra?"
"THE SAME! They'll both be joining us." His grin looked all the more manic as another drop of blood fell from the gap in his smile.
m-s-c-s t1_j6ahfps wrote
Cecil paced for hours. Where were they? The ceremony should've been long done by now. He glanced nervously at the setting sun, scanning the horizon with all his might for a hint of the dragon.
Glassmaker thudded to a landing, rolling forward awkwardly and collapsing in a massive heap of guttering flame a few hundred paces from the castle. "GLASSMAKER! WHA---" Cecil was already sprinting when the sound of howls of indignation reached his ears.
"DON'T TICKLE ME UNDER THE WING WHILE I'M LANDING! I might've squished a cottage!" Alder lept deftly from the heap, while a strange woman Cecil didn't know rolled on the ground, totally doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her face. As she stood up, still chuckling, he saw her flick something away from her eye and slowly regain her composure.
"Ah if it isn't Cecil the Brave and the lovely Petra!" Alder strode towards them as Petra snorted back laughter.
"I don't think you're living that one down any time soon, dear."
"Allow me to introduce Euphemia Gregoria! Friend, colleague, and fellow tea guest!"
As she walked forward to shake their hands, Cecil noticed what looked like icicles hanging from her eyelashes. She quickly brushed them away. "Cold at altitude up there!"
Alder clapped her on the shoulder warmly. "Well, let's find some lodging. Glassmaker, tomorrow as the sun crests the treeline, edge of the woods? I'll bring the water and leaves, you bring the heat!" The dragon gave an approving poof of flame and hove into the air.
"Oh! Alder, what shall I bring to tea tomorrow?"
"You bring yourself Cecil, and Petra too of course!"
"We would nevershow up to such a grand invitation empty handed!" Petra's face furrowed into a worried frown.
Euphemia looked pensive for a moment, and then spoke with firm conviction. "Bring some limestone scrap if you can get it. It's basically dragon biscuits. It'll help his tooth come back in too."
"Like... the rock?"
"Exactly!"
Cecil led them back through the gates and on a grand tour of the village, with Petra pointing out all the important places. They took a brief detour to the mason to pick up several pounds of limestone scrap. They arrived at a small inn near the center of town. "This is where we part ways! See you midmorning!" Alder waved cheerfully, and Cecil watched his moustache bob away through the doors, Euphemia trailing behind floofing her long hair out of its ponytail.
"Cecil?" "Hmm?" "I never noticed it before, but Alder's breath. It's some spice I've never smelled before."
"Mmm. Yeah, come to think of it."
"Euphemia's smelled of mint."
"Mmm."
"Glassmaker's smelled of the same as Alder's."
"What, are you worried they had tea without us?" He bumped her gently with his hip.
She giggled softly and threaded her fingers between his. "No silly. I want to ask them how they did it! We've been using sage, but I want minty breath!"
He stopped at a stall nearby to buy a small bundle of mint. Petra used her free hand to work open the coin purse while he held it out. Why stop holding hands when we can work together?
They chewed their mint leaves, ambling on a leisurely stroll to their little cottage.
m-s-c-s t1_j6al8e9 wrote
Cecil was up with the sun. He couldn't help it, he was so excited. He gently lifted Petra's arm off his shoulders and retucked the blanket around her, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She stirred softly and smiled in her sleep.
Grabbing a spare hammer and chisel from his bench, he set to work on the soft limestone in the field, out of earshot of his sleeping wife. He hadn't carved in ages, but soon his hands found the familiar rhythm as he thought about the past few strange days.
He had known Alder for years, and had been devastated at his capture. The risk to his friend had been immense and he'd been terrified that the war would heat up and the ransomers would resort to more crude methods. They'd received their shared of locks of hair, but he'd heard of towns getting whole hands in a box. He shuddered to even think of it.
Something had changed five or six years ago, gradually growing more and more violent, but they had finally quieted down. So what was bothering him?
Distracted, he missed and chipped the wrong part of his little limestone sculpture, and left a long gouge along the top. Damn. He shaved it smooth again and refocused on the task at hand.
When Petra found him in the yard, he was carving the third and last large piece of stone. "Oh! It's been years since you carved! Are those the castles Glassmaker visited?"
"Two of them are. This third one is further north. They say there's a new king there."
She saw the look of worry flash across his face.
"My rock, I've heard... rumors. Rumors of huge battles with many dead, and no winners."
They sat in silence for several minutes.
"I've heard a rumor too." Cecil looked up. Petra took a short breath. "The rumor said that dragons were in the battle. I'm worried about Glassmaker. I'm worried about our home."
"Me too."
She sat next to him on the ground, and laced her fingers into his. "We'll ask them about it at tea. Let's start our walk."
He packed the castles carefully in straw in a sack. Petra held out a piece of jerky from a pouch on her belt. Hand in hand they started towards the edge of the woods.
m-s-c-s t1_j6at3c2 wrote
As they reached the edge of the trees, they could already hear Glassmaker struggling to contain his laughter as muffled jets of flame shot into the air, followed soon after by Alder starting another bawdy limerick.
"--and then the baker's wife says, that's not flour!"
A gout of flame roared out of Glassmaker 30 feet into the field, singing the tips of the grass and sending a family of rabbits scattering.
"Aim higher! Don't want to burn down the neighborhood old friend! Cecil! Petra! So glad you could join us! Oooh, what's in the sack?"
They looked at the blanket laid out with some fine bread, honey butter with sesame seeds, a flagon of wine, a snifter of whiskey, and a huge glass jug of water.
"Limestone! To help our growing boy's teeth come in bright and strong!" Petra cheerfully hummed a song her grandmother used to sing when she was making dinner. It was in the southern dialect that she didn't learn until she was older, and it seemed the words were ever changing, so all she could remember is the tune and the last few lines. She broke into song anyhow, making up some new words for the first half. "Castles for dragon's teeth, grinning he shines! Biscuits for fair friends, sharing their rhymes! Ice in the whiskey, fire in the wine, the drink may be risky, but brings with it time."
She smiled to herself and looked up to see everyone staring at her except Cecil, who was staring at them staring at her.
"Wh..." Euphemia's voice quavered. "Where did you hear that song?"
"Have... have I offended you? My grandmother used to sing it at dinner when I was a child. The start was always different, but the last few bars were always the same. I finally learned what they meant when I was older."
"No you've done nothing to offend us! It was beautiful Petra." Alder put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "This song is very old. There are few who know it. Where was your grandmother from?"
"Arden. Why?"
Cecil put a comforting arm around his wife's shoulders. "What's going on? What's so important about the song?"
The three exchanged glances.
"Petra, do you trust Cecil?"
"WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?!" She snapped back, fury flashing across her brow. Euphemia smiled gently. She cooled. "Of course. To the ends of time."
Suddenly Alder and Euphemia were gone, and in their place were two dragons, each double the size of Glassmaker.
They bowed gently. "My queen."
--and that friends, is where I'll pause for now.
Ilikefame2020 t1_j6b04yy wrote
Dude, you’re comedy is some of the funniest I’ve read in a while. Great response overall. Upvoted.
Zearkon t1_j6b0o09 wrote
If you keep going on a subreddit of your own let me know, I loved reading this!
Bryggyth t1_j6ba3ry wrote
That was a fantastically fun story, thank you for writing it! Definitely one of my favorites I’ve read on here, although I’ve always loved dragons haha.
That last part where we learn Alder and Euphemia are dragons makes the “A green and a blue” from earlier make a lot more sense. I take it the dragons in this world are divided up by color or something along those lines. Also explains why they were totally ok with causing a crash landing on a dragon!
LimeSkye t1_j6cacy2 wrote
Ack! You stopped! Nooooooo! More, please!
12pcMcNugget t1_j6bs87c wrote
Ahhhhhhh more
Lien417 t1_j6bx5u4 wrote
WAIT NO AAAAAA-
This is so great omg write more very please ;-;
Maglor_Nolatari t1_j6criuo wrote
Guess I'll have to save this for the future hope you'll write more.
InfernalInsanity t1_j6d61k1 wrote
More!
Jaynelovesherpetboy t1_j6dyhr5 wrote
If you turn this into a book. Let me know!
harpejjist t1_j6es8ad wrote
What? Pause? Noooo!
More please!
m-s-c-s t1_j6ft53v wrote
Working on it as we speak!
Kam_Solastor t1_j6gs9wq wrote
I really, really, really hope you end up continuing this. It was an amazing read! Thank you.
m-s-c-s t1_j6gvbj5 wrote
I'm at about 8000 words now give or take...
maskedCarson t1_j6mtp7f wrote
this was amazing wow,,, if you ever decide to write more id love to see it !
MajorHunter84 t1_j6av05q wrote
This was a very fun read! If you write more I’d love to read that too!
m-s-c-s t1_j6av4cz wrote
Ya know, I think I have a lot more of the story still in me! Where should I put it though? Just keep adding it to this thread?
MajorHunter84 t1_j6ax5r6 wrote
You could do that, some other authors on this sub post to their own sub when the story starts to get long though.
m-s-c-s t1_j6aymbm wrote
Ooooooooh, I like that idea. Thanks!
Inageby t1_j6an76y wrote
This whole thing is amazingly written and has fleshed out characters. I love it, sounds like a bards tale. Might I steal some of the ideas and use them in a d&d game?
flamelier t1_j6akv1x wrote
Plan to write any more?
m-s-c-s t1_j6alk7y wrote
Just posted!
MikeColorado t1_j6aarvd wrote
You know when it is that long and you don't even realize it, because the flow is so smooth. Well written, nice pacing, if this was a short story or a book, I am certain the only way I would put it down was when I reached the end.
MrRedoot55 t1_j6a9uui wrote
Good work.
m-s-c-s t1_j6aagfa wrote
Thank you! I'm kinda astonished how many people are sticking with me through this tale!
NotAMeatPopsicle t1_j6armoo wrote
Um, YEAH!! I mean, tea with a dragon? After that Rescue? This has a slight whimsy to it that’s not quite Monty Pythonesque, but not not Monty.
Awaiting your next installment like my paycheck.
Eletroboss t1_j6ah46o wrote
Dude/gender-neutral form of dude wrote a flippin' novel in the space of a few messages
m-s-c-s t1_j6aijms wrote
Hahaha! Dude in this case! I hope you're enjoying it as much as i'm enjoying writing it :)
StubbornKindness t1_j6akxpy wrote
It's fucking fantastic. Stick with it, take it easy, enjoy the compliments. And thanks for the enjoyment 😊
m-s-c-s t1_j6amia2 wrote
HAHA Thank you! I'm just having a blast!
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