m-s-c-s t1_j6al8e9 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
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!
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments