Fic: Copper Dagger
Aug. 7th, 2011 10:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meridian_roseTitle: Copper Dagger
Fandom: Original Fic
Rating: PG
Word Count:
Prompt: For the 30 days of fiction meme prompt #11 a dragon and a princess; also see notes, under the cut
Summary: Elspeth wanted a cat, but she's got a dragon. This is the least of her problems.
Warnings: None
Notes: I struggled with this prompt, trying to find a more original take on it. In the end I settled for this. It's half of the beginning of a children's story I began years back. The story comes from this generator - the whole site is a great resource – and the full outline from the generator is:
character is a....woman with no confidence and a fear of the dark. Their only goal in life is to be a general! But to do so, they must find the Copper Dagger.
Isn't it just their luck? The bad news is...The Evil Vampire Demon, who is inflicted with domineering life-partner -- has sworn to kill them and take the item.- What WILL they do?
In the first draft, Calico was a cat, but I've rewritten and tweaked the story so he's a dragon. I think Elspeth wanted a cat, but got a dragon instead – and she refused to change the name she'd chosen.
Elspeth watched the sun rising through the window. Only when it was fully above the horizon did she dare creep out of bed. She took up her hairbrush and began to pull at her tangled blonde locks, annoyed with herself, as she was every morning.
Elspeth had, she considered, been cursed by three terrible things. She mostly blamed them on her mother, the Queen, who had been MIA since Elspeth had turned two years old.
Elspeth remembered little of the woman who, rumour had it, had been a little too interested in the aquatic life of the many ponds and water features in the castle grounds. MIA was the term used by Colonel Montenegro, who got nervous and confused when anyone asked him too closely about the Queen. He talked vaguely about duty and defence and how some things were, in fact, better left not talked about.
If the kindly Colonel was vague sometimes, however, it was nothing compared to the King. He was not the wisest of kings, nor the most generous, but he was not the cruellest of kings, nor the most terrible, so the people tended to count their blessings and hope he didn’t get any more ideas like the one about sheep counting that had left everyone cleaning sheep poo out of their kitchens for weeks afterwards.
“S’up, sunshine?” came a voice.
Elspeth spun, alarmed. Calico was sat on the windowsill, preening. Calico liked to preen more than anything else in the world. His scales glistened in the morning sunshine.
“It’s not polite to address a princess as 's’up' nor as 'sunshine',” she scolded. Calico gazed at her and then they both laughed.
“So, what are we doing today?” Calico asked. He spread his wings and glided over to the bed. He began to dig his claws into the large purple pillows, barbed tail flicking around in delight.
“Same thing we do every day,” Elspeth said sadly. “Read, walk in the grounds, eat, sleep.”
Calico paused, stretched, and yawned. He opened his mouth so wide that Elspeth could almost see right down his throat. “Sounds like a dream life to me. Except the reading. I have problems turning the pages. Being read to, that's the ticket.”
Elspeth didn't know where tickets came into it, but she ignored him, shaking her head sadly in her despair. She loved reading, but sometimes she wanted to do something else.
“It’s because I’m cursed that I never leave the castle grounds,” she said melodramatically.
Calico made a rude sounding noise. “Curse-smurse,” he said. "You're not cursed and we both know it. I'm a dragon. We have a nose for that kind of thing."
Elspeth's brow crinkled. "You'd smell it?" she asked, puzzled.
Calico sat, tucking his tail around his body. "Um, yes. I'd smell it," he said, without conviction.
"What would it smell like?"
They both considered this for a moment.
"Like bad eggs," Calico said at last. "Yeah. Bad eggs and sheep poo."
Elspbeth was going to look up 'curses: smell of' in the library later, because she was certain Calico was making things up again. Dragons hated to be seen as stupid, and would rather lie than have to admit they didn't know something.
Fandom: Original Fic
Rating: PG
Word Count:
Prompt: For the 30 days of fiction meme prompt #11 a dragon and a princess; also see notes, under the cut
Summary: Elspeth wanted a cat, but she's got a dragon. This is the least of her problems.
Warnings: None
Notes: I struggled with this prompt, trying to find a more original take on it. In the end I settled for this. It's half of the beginning of a children's story I began years back. The story comes from this generator - the whole site is a great resource – and the full outline from the generator is:
character is a....woman with no confidence and a fear of the dark. Their only goal in life is to be a general! But to do so, they must find the Copper Dagger.
Isn't it just their luck? The bad news is...The Evil Vampire Demon, who is inflicted with domineering life-partner -- has sworn to kill them and take the item.- What WILL they do?
In the first draft, Calico was a cat, but I've rewritten and tweaked the story so he's a dragon. I think Elspeth wanted a cat, but got a dragon instead – and she refused to change the name she'd chosen.
Elspeth watched the sun rising through the window. Only when it was fully above the horizon did she dare creep out of bed. She took up her hairbrush and began to pull at her tangled blonde locks, annoyed with herself, as she was every morning.
Elspeth had, she considered, been cursed by three terrible things. She mostly blamed them on her mother, the Queen, who had been MIA since Elspeth had turned two years old.
Elspeth remembered little of the woman who, rumour had it, had been a little too interested in the aquatic life of the many ponds and water features in the castle grounds. MIA was the term used by Colonel Montenegro, who got nervous and confused when anyone asked him too closely about the Queen. He talked vaguely about duty and defence and how some things were, in fact, better left not talked about.
If the kindly Colonel was vague sometimes, however, it was nothing compared to the King. He was not the wisest of kings, nor the most generous, but he was not the cruellest of kings, nor the most terrible, so the people tended to count their blessings and hope he didn’t get any more ideas like the one about sheep counting that had left everyone cleaning sheep poo out of their kitchens for weeks afterwards.
“S’up, sunshine?” came a voice.
Elspeth spun, alarmed. Calico was sat on the windowsill, preening. Calico liked to preen more than anything else in the world. His scales glistened in the morning sunshine.
“It’s not polite to address a princess as 's’up' nor as 'sunshine',” she scolded. Calico gazed at her and then they both laughed.
“So, what are we doing today?” Calico asked. He spread his wings and glided over to the bed. He began to dig his claws into the large purple pillows, barbed tail flicking around in delight.
“Same thing we do every day,” Elspeth said sadly. “Read, walk in the grounds, eat, sleep.”
Calico paused, stretched, and yawned. He opened his mouth so wide that Elspeth could almost see right down his throat. “Sounds like a dream life to me. Except the reading. I have problems turning the pages. Being read to, that's the ticket.”
Elspeth didn't know where tickets came into it, but she ignored him, shaking her head sadly in her despair. She loved reading, but sometimes she wanted to do something else.
“It’s because I’m cursed that I never leave the castle grounds,” she said melodramatically.
Calico made a rude sounding noise. “Curse-smurse,” he said. "You're not cursed and we both know it. I'm a dragon. We have a nose for that kind of thing."
Elspeth's brow crinkled. "You'd smell it?" she asked, puzzled.
Calico sat, tucking his tail around his body. "Um, yes. I'd smell it," he said, without conviction.
"What would it smell like?"
They both considered this for a moment.
"Like bad eggs," Calico said at last. "Yeah. Bad eggs and sheep poo."
Elspbeth was going to look up 'curses: smell of' in the library later, because she was certain Calico was making things up again. Dragons hated to be seen as stupid, and would rather lie than have to admit they didn't know something.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 12:15 pm (UTC)Calico is so cute and Elspeth is so serious and sensible. They make a nice couple. :D
And the story is just beginning. There are so many hints at things that could be important - about the Queen and the King, about curses and fears. It'll be very interesting to read more. :D
BTW the fantasy idea generator - LOL. :D
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 04:00 pm (UTC)Forgotten - that sucks. I hate when that happens to me. Every time I promise myself that the next time I will write it down immediately but when this next time comes I always think "Hell, how will I ever forget something like this?" and then... and it happens over and over again. D:
Hope you'll remember. :D
Or if you have to plan something new I hope it'll be even better. :D
BTW where's the dagger comes in? o_O
And that Evil Vampire Demon - do you have something planned for him?
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 04:07 pm (UTC)The document properties tell me I started this piece in September 2007! So it's not surprising I've forgotten the detail...I never got as far as the Vampire Demon part. Just about the curses, and the father-figure Colonel who'll probably feature in the next part..I think I had it in mind that Elspeth would go on a quest to find the Dagger and become the General.......
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 04:23 pm (UTC)Why the dagger btw? Well I know it was the prompt but anyway. Is it magical? Can it be used to defeat the Vampire Demon? Or is it the quest itself that matters? Every one who wishes to become a general/hero should complete a quest...
Why would Elspeth want to become the General to begin with? Has it something to do with the Colonel or the curses?
Oops. Here we go. Questions... Again. O_O I'm sorry! ^_^
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 04:35 pm (UTC)I just don't know the answers - yet :D Though absolutely it's the quest itself that is always important, not the object. I think there's a prophecy about the person who will be the General.
In the original notes Elspeth was older, but I've made her younger to fit the overall tone - I'm thinking she's eight. Too young to be a General yet. I'll have to think on this a bit.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 04:41 pm (UTC)I think.
I would love to read about an eight year old girl-General. I love kick-ass girls :D I'll flail all over it! :D
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 06:34 pm (UTC)Sounds like there are some interesting issues with her parents, too - the queen is MIA, not dead, after all.
Poor Elspeth, stuck in the castle - she's clearly all ready for an adventure :D
Elspbeth was going to look up 'curses: smell of' in the library later LOL, looking up 'curses: smell of' - I love it :D
no subject
Date: 2011-08-07 07:16 pm (UTC)Well there's issues...but she will have to leave the castle soon. Even if it does have a fantastic library :D
no subject
Date: 2011-08-09 08:30 pm (UTC)I love the interplay between Elspeth and Calico, and the fact that even though she got a dragon, she still gave him a cat's name.
I could picture them, in her bedroom, having this conversation - I love the clarity of your writing and your descriptions.
The description of the king cracked me up.
Thanks for sharing this.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-09 09:02 pm (UTC)Calico morphed nicely into a dragon - and lovely as kitties can be, a dragon is a much more suitable pet for this world.
Thank you. I really appreciate when people take the time to read and comment on original fic. To create readable, enjoyable, fanfic is one thing. To craft something wholly original is a different kind of challenge, and I always appreciate support and concrit :D