Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Volunteer Maiden is...

The Volunteer Maiden: A fairy tale for adults.

Elyra has spent her life toiling in servitude to a group of perverse noblemen. The moment she sees a chance to escape, she seizes it and never lets go. The only catch is, escape means pledging herself to a not-so-legendary dragon named Galvarys with a big mouth and a bigger ego.

A fun, lighthearted and slightly twisted take on the old cliches of dragons and maidens. Humor, heart, and an unexpected friendship for the ages.

A fantasy novel in progress by D. Wilder.

As the novel is still in progress, it can also be considered a rough draft. But hey, it's free! There are ten chapters posted so far, with many more to come. Join the adventure, because life's more fun with a dragon.

Chapter One



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Chapter One
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The setting sun bathed the dragon’s lands in brilliant orange fire. Galvarys relished the beautiful view as he soared above sun-painted pine forest towards the heart of the sunset itself. The further the sun sank, the deeper its radiance grew until it transmuted distant mountains and sprawling forests alike into gold. The last streamers of sunlight also cast the dragon in dazzling golden hues. Galvarys preferred his natural indigo scales, a majestic color suitable for a great dragon such as himself. The black markings across his wings and the ebony stripes across his limbs only added to his regal bearing. He was a magnificent creature. No wonder the Five Villages all gave him such lovely tributes.

The Five Villages spread throughout Galvarys’ lands offered the dragon gifts in exchange for peace, though that had not always been the case. For years they sent men to take his life and his home, and for years Galvarys slew them to the last man. These were his lands. These were the lands of dragons and all the dragon slayers in the world could not wrest them from his claws. Yet as Galvarys aged, he grew weary of warring with men and fighting for his life. Though they could not slay him, the blood the dragon slayers drew and the pain they caused gave him reason to reconsider his life.

In the end, the dragon forged a truce with the villages. He allowed them to dwell peacefully upon his lands in return for gifts and an end to people sticking sharp things in him. Accepting tribute and truce was not as fun as wreaking havoc and burning the countryside, but these days the dragon preferred to keep his blood inside his body. Perhaps that meant he was getting old.

Chapter Two



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Chapter Two
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Elyra stood in the cramped servant corridor, her mouth frozen around a bite of stolen food. For long moments she simply stood there, scarcely able to believe the words that filtered through that crack in the wall. Usually the conversations of nobility held little interest for her, aside from discerning how best to avoid being dragged unwillingly into their beds again. Yet tonight their conversation gave her hope. Tonight they spoke of a way out of this wretched place.

Tonight the nobles spoke of a dragon.

Chapter Three



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Chapter Three
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Elyra nudged a stone with her foot, scowling as it toppled down the steep, rocky hillside she’d just climbed. Stiff winds whipped her scarlet hair behind her head, her golden dress fluttered around her like the snapping banner that towered over the hill. Just how long was this supposed to take? Did the dragon know she was here? She couldn’t even ask the man who’d brought her. He’d fled with his carriage right after he made her unpack her own belongings. He was as cowardly and quick to be rid of her as the nobles themselves.

They’d never even let her say goodbye to everyone. No sooner had she presented her letter to the proper authorities than they were trying to shove her into a carriage. She barely even had time to collect her meager belongings, but she refused to leave without her artwork. When they finally gave her a chance to go and collect her things, the women’s quarters were empty. Elyra suspected they did not want her giving anyone else ideas. They’d probably tell the other women they’d sacrificed Elyra to the dragon for her misbehavior.

Chapter Four


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Chapter Four
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Galvarys picked his way down the rocky trail towards the meadow below Tribute Hill. He set his paws with care, mindful of loose rocks. It would not be the first time his paws slipped on the scree and he banged his jaw on the stone. When the dragon reached the bottom of the hill, he glanced at his new servant. She seemed more inclined to descend the larger outcrops with her belly against the rocks than she did to stick to the trail that wound around them.

“It is easier if you follow the trail.” The dragon flicked his tail against the ground, his spines tossed earth into the air.

“I like climbing these little cliffs,” the girl said, hopping down from the last one. She rubbed her hands against her increasingly dirty and torn golden dress. “I’ve never had a chance to climb rocks before. I like the way it leaves me feeling a little bruised.”

“You like to be bruised?” The dragon cocked his head, hissing. They’d sent him a damn masochist.

Chapter Five



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Chapter Five
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As far as Galvarys was concerned, not killing the girl for throwing a goblet at him was the greatest compliment the dragon could pay her. He already liked the girl a little. Her behavior reminded him of a female dragon he once knew. He liked female dragons. They were courageous, bold, looked beautiful, smelled delightful, and felt even better. This girl, well, she was courageous at least. The fact she dared to throw a goblet at him was so impressive that Galvarys didn’t even find it insulting. Not very insulting, anyway. Standing up to his charge was even more impressive.

If she truly wished to help him become a legend, he was happy to toss a bit of treasure her way. It seemed like suitable reward for ensuring his memory would echo through the ages. The dragon padded through his collection chamber towards the hallway at the back. The doorway there was not as large as the entry arch. Galvarys had to squeeze his wings tighter against himself than he did in his youth.

“This way, Girl.”

“I have a name, you know.”

Chapter Six



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Chapter Six
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Galvarys flew long after the moonlight fled the impending dawn. The darkness was a comfort to the dragon, an ebon cloak that helped shroud him from those who would shoot him from the skies. Despite his truce with the Five Villages, his enemies were many. No matter what kindness he might deign to show the villagers who dwelt upon his lands, men still tried to slay him. Some enemies were borne of his deeds. Others hated the very blood that flowed through his veins. There were always those who would never call a dragon friend. To them, dragons were nothing more than evil given flesh, worthy only of being purged from their world.
It was not Galvarys’ fault that he was bigger than they were, or that his hide was iron compared to their soft bodies. He had not deigned to be hatched with claws and teeth and spines, nor possessed of fire hotter than any they could hope to kindle. Galvarys was proud to be a dragon. He would not hesitate to use his natural gifts to defend his life and lands and take what was rightfully his.
Why waste his time bowing his head to the humans when they would seek to slay him anyway?

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Chapter Seven


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Chapter Seven
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Galvarys fought his smile the whole way to the Village of Rings. He did not like smiling so much. It was very unbecoming for a dragon. He was ferocious, furious, sly, witty, cunning. He was not a happy, joyful idiot. Yet the further they flew, the more joy Elyra exuded. The more exuberant his minion became, the harder it was for the dragon to avoid sharing her happiness. In the end he gave up his struggle and let the foolish grin mar his muzzle. The girl couldn’t see it anyway.
His minion prattled the entire trip. Galvarys did not mind, given that everything she said was about the beauty of flight. Touch the clouds this, reach the mountains that, how wondrous and amazing and so on. To Galvarys it was like seeing flight through new eyes. He had not lied when he told her he never took it for granted. But it had been a long time since he’d first met the sky.
Galvarys’ first flight was one of his favorite memories. Long before his own wings were strong enough to carry him, his mother took him flying. She cradled him against her chest plates, her forelegs wrapped around him. Her heartbeat was love, her warm grasp security. He remembered how as the world fell away, his joy grew and grew. He’d laughed and squealed and waved his little black-striped legs in the air. His mother laughed with him. It was not a memory he thought of often, but he cherished it nonetheless.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Chapter Eight



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Chapter Eight
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Though Elyra’s second flight on dragon back was just as joyful as the first, she was more than ready to be home by the time they reached Galvarys’ fortress. Hours spent riding upon a dragon’s back and walking city streets left her body aching in unfamiliar ways. She’d relished the ride but hoped her body would adjust quickly so she wouldn’t be so sore next time.
Galvarys swept in over the rotting wooden posts that marked where a wall once stood. He dropped crates and packs to the grass where they tumbled and rolled to a stop. Then the dragon touched down, trotted a few paces and dropped to his belly so Elyra could dismount. She swung her leg over, and hopped down onto the grassy expanse.
Elyra pressed her hands to the small of her back. “I hope you’re willing to let me ride you often.” She groaned as she arched her sore back. “My body needs to get used to it.”
“I see no reason to deny that request.” The dragon turned away from her, padding back to the boxes and packs. He sniffed and nudged the crates with his indigo snout. “Let us eat ham now.”

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Chapter Nine



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Chapter Nine
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Galvarys padded down the hallway with his minion coiled in his tail. The foul, sickly-sweet odor of rotting meat smothered the hall near the pantry. Galvarys scrunched his blue, pebbly-scaled nose. Perhaps he should throw out that deer carcass out before its rotten stench invaded any more of his home.
“It really stinks in this hallway,” Elyra said, lifting a hand from his tail to pinch her nose.
Galvarys snorted, flicking his central crest back. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Chapter Ten



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Chapter Ten
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Elyra paced the dragon’s treasure room the next morning, wringing her hands. Streamers of sunlight shone into the grand hall through broken windows set near the vaunted ceiling. Dust motes danced in the golden beams cascading between white pillars carved with vines. More light spilled into the room through the towering, rune-carved archway where the front gates once stood. Coins clinked underfoot as Elyra strode back and forth across the pathway through the middle of the dragon’s assorted treasure.
Elyra kicked aside a few coins and sent a shiny stone tumbling with them. At least some of the dragon’s treasure was valuable. Hell, there was more wealth in this room than she’d ever imagined. How much of it had the dragon stolen before his truce? For that matter, how long had the villages been sending him wooden plates and unwilling girls?
Elyra suspected it was Varm’s doing. Greedy bastard was probably keeping the valuable tributes for himself and substituting something worthless. He’d pay for that soon enough. Elyra would ensure it was Varm and his noble cohorts rather than the villagers who coughed up the coin for Galvarys. Assuming Galvarys didn’t just incinerate Varm on the spot when he learned of his treachery.