#dragonsong bedelia

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: draft 2 update: 03/04

previous word count: 51,126

current word count: 51,537 (411 words added)

notes: small update today, plus some planning/scene shuffling work. i'm sick and my brain got tired, so i'm quitting while i'm ahead.

snippet: (tw death mention, specifically murder)

“How could you have known?” said Robin quietly behind her. Isi swallowed. “I would like to think I have always known better than violence.” She had been given clear orders, and Bedelia had been lunging for Robin when Isi had killed her. There were a million explanations she might use to justify what she had done. None of them sufficed. She had found it in her to disobey her orders when it came to sparing Enya. Bedelia would have been no threat if Isi had not attacked first. She had found the compassion to hold back, but she had found it too late.

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: draft 2 update: 06/01

previous word count: 0

current word count: 8,383

notes: the draft is officially begun and i made a lot of progress! i expect this will get weirder as i divert more and more from draft 1, but hey, we like an easy start. (and there were definitely things that changed!)

[edit: if you thought this word count said 6598 earlier... i got inspired and did more writing hehe]

snippet:

Every movement of her armour echoed off the stone. Isi hoped the dragon would not be alerted to her presence too soon… but then again, it had likely already been disturbed by the quake. And taking her armour off would be an even worse idea. That thought was only further validated when the tunnel opened out into a larger cave, and they caught their first glimpse of the dragon. A small crack in the stone high above them offered just enough light to see the creature. Pale pink, significantly larger than any creature Isi had ever seen… and asleep, it seemed, curled up in a nest of sorts against the far wall. Its scaly sides rose and fell, slowly but rhythmically. Isi paused; the dragon seemed to be no threat right at that moment, so she could take her time. A sweet smell lingered in the cave. The dragon’s nest seemed to be the source: plants and flowers of all colours and sorts stuck out of it, flattened under the dragon’s weight. “It’s beautiful,” breathed Robin behind her. Isi took a deep, slow breath. “It is.” Truly, she had never seen anything like it. And she had orders to kill it.

TAGLIST

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia @wickerring @wizardfromthesea @diphthongsfordays @e-lisard @enchanted-lightning-aes @emscribblings @teardropsandtherain @lowslore @fablewritten @copper-dragon-in-disguise @dirtybarkshark

[akindofmagictoo]

DRAGONSONG: character(s) introduction: the dragons!

if you've read my other intro posts, you know that previously our main dragons were Enya and Fintan, and also Bedelia. if you saw this post, you know i named the rest of them :D

(psst, if you haven't read my other intro posts, you might consider checking out this masterpost with lots of handy links 👀 [eyes emoji])

but for now... drumroll please... DRAGONS! (with varying degrees of information)

Adar has rusty orange scales and a name that means "fire" in Hebrew.

Hagan has dark green scales. he's the youngest except for Enya, but by a lot; he's a little under 200, so the equivalent of a teenage boy (and yes this translates to his character in some ways). as the second youngest, he was friends with Enya. his name means "little fire" in Irish.

Ignatius has medium blue scales and a name that means "fiery" in Latin. are you sensing a theme? good. it's deliberate.

Electra has pale green scales; her name means "shining" or "light" in Greek.

Oriane has medium pink scales and a name that means "sunrise" in French.

Tanwen's name means "holy fire" in Welsh. her scales are golden! she was close friends with Bedelia.

and finally, Vesta is the oldest and largest apart from Fintan, but she's still younger than the barrier spell. she has pale orange scales, and is named for the Roman goddess of the hearth.

some other reminders

Enya is a Celtic name meaning "fire", and Bedelia is a Celtic goddess of fire. Fintan's name means "white fire" in Irish. see aforementioned theme.

dragons' scales get lighter as they age. Fintan's are nearly white. Enya's, by contrast, are dark red.

thus far, Vesta, Tanwen and Hagan have appeared on the page in the outline for an actually significant amount of time. we shall see about the rest, though they will all appear! this is, after all, all the dragons there are.

TAGLIST

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia @wickerring @wizardfromthesea @diphthongsfordays @e-lisard @enchanted-lightning-aes @emscribblings @teardropsandtherain @lowslore @fablewritten @copper-dragon-in-disguise @dirtybarkshark

[akindofmagictoo]

Gallimimus, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops for the ask game!

-@dragon-swords-prophecies

hi Copper <3

Gallimimus - share a happy or lighthearted scene

here is Cole accidentally going full Dad Mode (Dragonsong draft 1)

“There are certainly mages who do bad things,” said Cole softly. “But I don’t believe you are one of them. Evil people don’t worry that they might be evil.” SB snorted. “I mean… I’m a mage, and not an entirely terrible person. Though I’m no saint. I’ve been a right dick to Robin, haven’t I?” “You have,” said Sierra, before Isi could answer. SB looked offended, then realised he’d said it first. Isi had to smile. “Excuse me?” said Cole. “I’m sure I taught you better than that.” Another silence fell as Cole seemed to realise what he’d just said. SB burst into teary laughter. The sound that came from Robin’s mouth was half-laugh, half-sob. Sierra giggled and Ebele covered her mouth with both hands. Cole’s laugh was deep and warm, even choked with tears. Laughter didn’t seem entirely appropriate… except Isi couldn’t stop herself. She laughed too, from deep within her. Her side ached, but she didn’t want to stop. It might not have been dragonsong, but Isi wished she could live in the feeling forever. Confused and messy and sad as it was, there was joy there, and it was beautiful.

Stegosaurus - share a humorous scene (Dragonsong draft 1)

When she finished, a small garden of flowers surrounded the mended tear, pink and blue and yellow. She smiled. It might be small and simple, but it was beautiful. And that was enough. “Shit!” Robin’s voice carried clearly from the next room. “Shitshitshit.” Isi sprang to her feet and stuck her head around the corner. A curtain was on fire. Orange flames danced towards the ceiling, creeping up the fabric even as she watched. Robin had fallen to the floor, his cane out of reach. Sierra, eyes wide, echoed his earlier sentiment. “What do we do?” “Get them off the wall,” said Isi, the words dredged up from some lesson as a trainee knight. “Then get some water.” For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then Sierra ran for the kitchen and Robin gestured frantically towards the curtains. The fabric floated down to an open space of floor. Sierra barely even made it back into the room with the jug of water. SB flung a hand out and the water rose from it, spinning and twisting through the air. The magic on Robin’s hands glowed brighter as he reached towards the water too. The two collected it into a spinning ball of water above the curtains. Then they let it go. Water splattered across the room. A drop hit Isi in the eye and she instinctively closed them. Then her mind caught up—what if the fire wasn’t out?—and she opened her eyes again. Smoke rose from the blackened, soaked curtain, but the fire was out. “Shit,” said Robin again for good measure. Isi let go a breath. “Robin, are you alright?” “I am fine. I think the curtain is less fine.” “I didn’t ask about the curtain.” She offered him a hand up. “What happened?” Robin accepted the hand up with a grunt of pain. “Tried some fire spells, which is something I haven’t done much of. Started out alright, but I stood up for too long and my leg had some objections.” He grabbed the table for support and lowered himself into a chair. “And it turns out that when your hands are on fire, you should not use a curtain to catch you. Sorry.”

Triceratops - share a scene where one character is protecting or caring for another (Dragonsong draft 1)

“Isi! Watch out!” The dragon’s head turned towards Robin, but it made no move to hurt either of them. So what did she—oh. Her sword spun through the air, end over end. Purple sparks danced around it. Magic. Magic which had no place with a knight and her squire. Almost of its own accord, her hand shot up and grabbed the hilt, and she scrambled to her feet. The dragon lunged for Robin, and Isi lunged for the dragon. The softer underbelly was no harder than leather armour. Even at an awkward angle, Isi’s sword punched through skin and muscle, past bone, and into the dragon’s heart.

thanks for the ask!

dinosaur ask game is here!

[akindofmagictoo]

Dragonsong now officially has a grand total of 10 dragons! previously we had Enya, Fintan and Bedelia. now we also have Electra, Oriane, Tanwen, Vesta, Adar, Hagan and Ignatius :)

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

one more for now from @ashen-crest :D

my words are angry/anger, cool, steam, smile

angry + steam smoke (Dragonsong draft 1) (Bedelia is Enya’s mother)

Isi swallowed. “I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely truthful with you. I know what happened to Bedelia, and I didn’t tell you.” She hesitated. Saying it would make it irreparably true. When she spoke again, her voice came out barely a whisper. “Bedelia is dead. By my hand.” She hadn’t stayed her hand when she should have. She’d listened to her orders, not to her compassion. Coils of smoke rose from Fintan’s nostrils, and a rumbling growl began at the back of his throat. Isi squared her shoulders. Fintan was right to be angry; she would face whatever he did, knowing she had at least been honest.

cool (Dragonsong draft 1)

“Oh, fuck, you’re bleeding. What did they do?” Sierra tore a strip off her sleeve, rolled it up, and pressed it firmly against Isi’s side. Black spots danced at the edges of Isi’s vision. She tipped her head back against the bars and closed her eyes. “Use the bedsheets,” said Ebele. “I’ll get mine,” Robin said. Metal rattled. Presumably he was getting up. The rational part of her knew that pressure on the wound would keep her from bleeding out. That part of her was being overruled by the part of her that was focused on the pain. She wasn’t very sure what happened next. She felt a cool gust of air on her midriff, someone’s hands. Cool water, a vicious stinging, more cloth. More pressure on the wound.

smile (Dragonsong draft 1)

“The problem is getting into the castle,” said Isi. “Without being noticed, that is.” “Sewers?” [Jasper said] Sierra wrinkled her nose. “Mm-mm.” “Let him speak,” said Isi, prodding one of Sierra’s upturned feet. Another faint smile touched Jasper’s face. “I only know a little about them, but I know a former castle knight who might be able to help us.” “A friend of yours?” said Isi. Jasper’s smile broadened to a full grin, wider than Isi had ever seen. The expression made him look ten years younger all at once. “My husband.”

i shall tag @mr-writes @sleepyowlwrites @zmwrites @vellichor-virgo and @diphthongsfordays! your words, should you choose to accept them, are glow, gleam, glitter, glare

[akindofmagictoo]

five fluffy facts tag game

this comes from @the-orangeauthor! thanks! 

rules: list five or more cute or wholesome facts about your WIP, either events that happen or worldbuilding details or the like! then tag some people you’d like to see do the tag game, too!

this edition will be Fun Dragonsong Worldbuilding Facts

1. messages are sent cross-continent by birds; most towns have a birdhouse, where they live while not taking messages. pre-barrier spell mages were in charge of sending birds to individual houses. now they’re just sent from birdhouse to birdhouse, and mail can be collected from there. 

2. some days when Isi is off-duty she works with trainee knights, helping them learn to fight. usually they’ve learned the basics, so Isi’s job tends to be more drilling. 

3. my dragons don’t collect shiny things. they collect nice-smelling flowers and plants and the like. a dragon’s nest is a colourful and aromatic place. they do like the sound metal makes, but they tend to gravitate towards flora. 

4. baby dragons are brighter, bolder colours. as they age, they fade. Fintan is so old it is nearly impossible to tell what colour he once was. Enya is dark red; her mother Bedelia is pink. 

5. female dragons have frills (like a frill-necked lizard). they can be used to scare off potential threats and protect babies, and might be used for flirting/romance as well. 

I will tag @diphthongsfordays @zmlorenz @pepperdee and @vellichor-virgo to share some fun facts about your WIPs! it is also an open tag to anyone who sees this and wants to join in :D 

[akindofmagictoo]

Chicken noodle soup and Broccoli Cheddar Soup for the ask game!

hello anon!

Chicken Noodle Soup: your favourite hurt/comfort scene

I love hurt/comfort! I'm working on some Sierra/Holly backstory that's basically nothing but that. have an excerpt :)

And then finally, finally, the tunnel opened up and spilled them both out into the daylight. Sierra just made it past the remaining trickle of sewage before she collapsed onto the grass. Holly dropped to her hands and knees, breathing heavily. Tears stung her eyes. They had made it out, and they seemed to be alone. And Sierra… shit. Sierra wasn’t moving from where she’d fallen. Holly’s next breath came out as a sob. Dammit, Sierra. Not now. Not now.

She crawled towards her companion, her hands sliding in the wet grass. Sierra didn’t resist when Holly rolled her over. Her head lolled sideways; her face was clammy and greyish, her eyelids half-closed.

“Sierra!”

No response.

“Sierra!”

Silence.

A sob burst from Holly’s throat. Come on. Not now. They were so close to freedom, real freedom, and this was a poor way to repay Sierra for her lock picking talents. It was Sierra who had broken them out, who had chosen to bring Holly with her. Holly could not let her die here. Especially not after she’d dragged her this far.

She reached for Sierra’s throat, fumbling for a pulse. For an agonising moment, nothing but silence there, too. Then a single throb beneath her fingers. She held still, hardly daring to breathe. Silently begging Sierra to stay with her, hoping that what she’d felt hadn’t been a fluke, a trick of her own imagination.

Another pulse. Sierra’s heart was still beating, if slowly. Which meant there was still something she could do.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup: what was your inspiration for this WIP?

gonna answer this for Dragonsong: I was half asleep, and my sister was (for reasons that are confusing) joked I looked like a dragon in a cave. now, for context, I have several teddy bears by my bed. without opening my eyes, I patted around til I found one — not, and this is crucial, the stuffed dragon. when questioned, I pointed out the bear I had picked out was yellowish, the closest thing to gold. as I said, the dragon "is not gold. he's treasure."

and then I got onto a mother dragon protecting her baby, and that sparked Bedelia and Enya, followed by Isi and Robin and the inciting incident.

soup store asks are here!

[akindofmagictoo]

MEET MY WIP!

TITLE: Dragonsong

STATUS: completed draft 1 (80.3k words; 20 chapters); writing draft 2

GENRE: fantasy; adventure; minimal romance (established between side characters) 

SYNOPSIS: 

Isi wanted to be a knight since she was seven years old.

At twenty-two, she has everything she wanted. But accidentally acquiring a very illegal baby dragon throws that all into jeopardy. With no other choices, she quits her job and leaves the place she calls home.

On the road with her young squire, Robin, she learns that things are not as she thought. Poverty and famine run rampant through the land outside the king’s citadel. Dragons were banished from the land long ago, and with them gone, magic is fading too. The land is suffering for it, and Isi starts to question everything she thought she knew about mages and the system she served for so long.

Suddenly, Isi’s quest to take a baby dragon home has become something much larger than her. If it fails, Isi and those who dare to join her will be guilty of treason. But if she doesn’t act, who will?

Someone has to bring back the dragonsong.

POV: third person limited, one viewpoint (Isi’s POV) 

You’ll enjoy this if you love… 

dragons and knights (but with some trope subversions)

baby dragon

tall buff badass female characters

characters becoming less lawful as they learn how the laws are corrupt

illegal magic and the fight to make things better

visible side effects of magic, good and bad 

internal moral conflict 

disabled characters and characters of colour 

CHARACTERS (will update this as I post their intros) 

human characters (main)

Isadora (Isi) • Robin • Sierra • Holly • S.B. • Ebele • Cole 

human characters (minor) 

Brendon • Jasper  

dragons

Enya • Fintan • (Bedelia) • the rest of the dragons

general introduction post 1

general introduction post 2

TAGS 

[wip dragonsong] for all content 

[wip dragons] contains some older posts about it. I tried to update most of the posts, but Tumblr wouldn’t let me do all of them

[dragonsong world] for worldbuilding stuff (most of it anyway) 

[dragonsong world intro] for formal worldbuilding introduction posts (such as the dragons and the magic system!) 

[dragonsong character intro] for introduction posts about each character

[dragonsong + first name] for posts about any character 

[dragonsong excerpt] for excerpts 

IMAGE DETAILS

the lovely header in this post was created by @ellatholmes​ ❤️ 

ID: a header-style image of the word DRAGONSONG in all caps. it’s stylised to look like metal, and includes details like a sword in the upright part of the D, and a cane handle in the hook of the G. the Os also have dragony decoration. / end ID. 

TAGLIST (send me an ask to be added or removed!) 

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter​ @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @writeremma @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @talesfromgringolandia @wickerring @wizardfromthesea @diphthongsfordays​ @e-lisard @enchanted-lightning-aes​ @emscribblings​ @teardropsandtherain​ @lowslore​​ @fablewritten​ @copper-dragon-in-disguise @reneesbooks @dirtybarkshark 

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

from my beloved @vellichor-virgo :D 

my words are nestle, scoff, mouth, hear 

nestle nest (Dragonsong) (Bedelia!!) 

The tunnel opened out into a larger cave, and they caught their first glimpse of the dragon. Pale pink, bigger than any creature Isi had ever seen… and asleep, curled up in a nest of sorts against the far wall. Its scaly sides rose and fell, slowly but rhythmically. 

Isi paused, taking a moment to marvel at the creature’s sheer size. A sweet smell lingered in the cave; another glance at the dragon told her its nest might be the source. Plants and flowers of all colours and sorts stuck out of it, flattened under the dragon’s weight. 

“It’s beautiful,” breathed Robin behind her. 

scoff (Dragonsong) 

They continued in silence only for a few more minutes. Isi glanced around the next corner only to find several more knights coming their way. She pulled her head back as quickly as she dared and readied her sword. Behind her, others did the same. 

She held up a hand, paused a beat, and stepped out into the open. 

“There you are,” said the one in the lead. 

Isi squared her shoulders. “I don’t want to fight you, but I will if I have to.” 

“You think we’re just going to let you pass?” 

“I am no threat. I wish simply to speak to the king.” 

The knight scoffed and lunged at her, sword ready. She stepped to the side. Too slow. The blade seared along her thigh, leaving a burning line in its wake. Not deep, but painful. She advanced past the knight—Sierra or someone else would deal with them. She could deal with one of their companions. 

mouth (Dragonsong backstory) (tw implied romance) (ah i love my boys) 

By now, the sun had dipped below the horizon altogether, and the blue tones of dusk had claimed the small training ground. Henry sighed. Jasper had a point, but he hated feeling so helpless. Still, perhaps for the time being he was a little short on options. “Maybe I need to follow you around, so you can be my bodyguard.” The suggestion sounded ridiculous as soon as it left his mouth, but a small part of him rather liked the sound of spending more time with Jasper. A chance to get to know him better, perhaps, when he could actually hold a coherent conversation. 

hear (Hurricane) (also love my girls. Aella you dork.) 

Three tentacles surfaced and Aella shouted, “Fire!” 

The Hurricane bucked as the first two cannons fired together. One of the tentacles reached out towards them. Aella prodded it with her pole. It recoiled, but another tentacle wrapped around the pole and jerked it from her hands so fast it burned the skin of her palms. 

“Hey!” She winced and stepped back from the rail. 

“Don’t think it can hear you, Aella,” said Elizabeth. 

Aella shrugged. “Don’t think it cares, either, but I do.” There was a spare pole lying by the mast, which she went to grab, but then thought better of it and scampered up the stairs to the helm instead. “Ma, do we need to keep signalling the gun crew?” 

tagging @zmlorenz @diphthongsfordays @teriwrites @chayscribbles and anyone else who wants to play! no pressure, of course. your words are feet, feel, free, fear 

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

I have been tagged by @rosiewritesandrambles! thank you! 

my words are smoke, tart, crunch, fossil 

smoke (Hurricane) 

It took Cai only a few minutes to set the powder and the charge. She wasn’t the Master Gunner for nothing, after all. The other three took cover behind whatever they could find. Cai joined Tempest behind a support pillar, counting under her breath. “One, two, three…” 

She counted “eight” just as a loud crack sounded somewhere above them. Tempest flinched, hoping the deck wasn’t about to collapse on them. That had never been the plan. 

“Nine…” continued Cai. “Ten.” 

The gunpowder went off with a mighty concussion. Tempest’s vision went white and for a second she worried she’d been blinded, again, but soon the smoke cleared and she could see once more. Her ears rang. 

“That should distract them,” said Marisa with satisfaction. 

tart 

crunch (Hurricane) (hey, two Cai excerpts! nice!) 

As she’d promised, Tempest sat by Theo while Aria slept. There wasn’t much to see or do, which she supposed was a good thing. Aria had fallen onto her bedroll two hours ago and not moved since. 

Tiny waves beat at the beach. A small stick floated in, then was pulled back by the undertow. A returning wave brought it a little closer, beginning the cycle once again. Their attempts to catch Anvindr felt similarly useless. They’d been so close to catching him, less than a day behind him, and he’d slipped away again. The bastard. 

A footstep crunched on the sand nearby. Tempest lifted her eyes from the stick to see Cai. “If you were going to say I told you so, I think I know that already.” 

Cai said nothing. 

Tempest put her head in one hand. “I can’t turn back now, Cai. I won’t.” 

“I wasn’t going to ask you to,” said Cai quietly. “No one would.” 

fossil 

bonus smoke (Dragonsong) 

Isi swallowed. “I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely truthful with you. I know what happened to Bedelia, and I didn’t tell you.” She hesitated. Saying it would make it irreparably true. When she spoke again, her voice came out barely a whisper. “Bedelia is dead. By my hand.” She hadn’t stayed her hand when she should have. She’d listened to her orders, not to her compassion. 

Coils of smoke rose from Fintan’s nostrils, and a rumbling growl began at the back of his throat. Isi squared her shoulders. Fintan was right to be angry; she would face whatever he did, knowing she had at least been honest. 

“Why?” The ground shook again. 

bonus crunch (Dragonsong) (... whoops) 

When he swung at her again, she retreated. One step, then two, keeping half an eye on the broken bit of ground. He wasn’t quite there; they both had long arms. She backed up another step. 

His boot came down with a grating crunch. A small chunk of stone fell away underneath, spinning out into nothingness. His gaze dropped to his feet. His eyes widened. One arm flailed. 

The stonework crumbled and he dropped. The wind snatched his gasp away. Isi clapped her free hand over her mouth. No. No. That wasn’t what she’d meant to do. She’d just meant to throw him off [his rhythm], not send him falling to his— 

I will tag @zmlorenz @ashen-crest @bloodywriter and anyone else who wants to play! your words are distant, dare, dry, drip 

[akindofmagictoo]

last line tag x heads up seven up

thank you @rhikasa for the last line tag and @talesofsorrowandofruin for the heads up seven up! 

while I take a break from writing (I’ve written 2.7k already today, wow), here are my last seven sentences (with one redacted) from Dragonsong chapter 18! Isi is just pulling herself out of her darkest hour :)) 

She had not been the one to imprison the dragons. She had not been the one who neglected the people she was meant to protect. 

[...] 

She had not been the one who really started this fight. But she could be the one to end it. She might have killed Bedelia, but then she had saved Enya. That moment had been the beginning of the end. And here, now, would be the end. 

I will tag @ashen-crest @aphaimaniis @ziyin @diphthongsfordays @josephinegerardywriter @mel-writes-with-her-dragons and @ninazeniks to share a last line or seven sentences, whichever you prefer! 

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

I’m a bit behind on tag games but I am getting there! I promise. here is one from @zmlorenz — thank you very much!

my words are bare, burn, blur, blue, brown 

bare (Dragonsong) (sads) 

Isi swallowed. “I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely truthful with you, Fintan. I know what happened to Bedelia, and I didn’t tell you.” She hesitated. Saying it would make it irreparably true. When she spoke again, her voice came out barely a whisper. “Bedelia is dead. By my hand.” She hadn’t stayed her hand when she should have. She’d listened to her orders, not to her compassion. 

burn (Dragonsong) (this scene was a bit tricky, but very fun. describing magic is fun if difficult to pin down) 

A few months ago she would have asked him a thousand questions first, made sure she knew what she was getting herself into. Would have made sure she knew it was safe. But her curiosity overwhelmed that instinct, and she trusted Fintan. She knelt and placed a hand gently on Fintan’s nose. 

It was nothing like what she had felt with Enya. The magic here was chaos, and it was everywhere. It felt like the ocean current, the undertow that came after a wave, but warm. No, not warm. Hot. Almost a fire swirling through the air around her, not burning her but threatening to sweep her off her feet. All that kept her grounded was her hand on Fintan’s scales. 

blur (Dragonsong) 

The third growled and charged towards Robin. Robin’s next shot missed, and he cried out, “Isi!” 

Isi dived sideways, slamming bodily into the wolf and knocking it off course. The world dissolved briefly into a blur of claws and ground as she rolled with the wolf. Then she was on her back, staring up at the starry sky, and all in one piece. She rolled to her feet. 

The wolf looked equally disoriented. Before it could rise, Isi drove her sword firmly between its ribs. The light faded from its eyes. 

blue (Dragonsong) 

Robin said nothing; Isi had no idea if he’d really heard anything they’d said. But after a moment he unwrapped his arms from around himself and made the upwards fire gesture he’d used earlier. The fire turned bright blue and danced higher into the sky. SB grinned. 

Robin swallowed and tried to smile, though it came out more as a grimace. Tears still glistened in his eyes. 

As the fire faded back to orange, Isi stood up. “Get some sleep, Robin. It’s been a long day. I’ll take first watch.” 

Robin mumbled something that might have been “thank you”. 

brown (Dragonsong) 

Unlike Henry, Ella wasn’t fully dressed in civilian clothes. The shirt and pants she wore looked like uniform to Isi, but instead of chainmail and plate armour she wore a firm brown leather bodice under her cloak. A sword hung at one hip and a quiver of arrows at the other. 

Ella appeared to notice the direction of her gaze. “What are you looking at?” 

“Other archers I know carry quivers over their backs,” said Isi. “Yours is on your hip.” 

Ella smiled. “I prefer to leave my shoulder in its socket where it belongs. It often has other ideas.” 

“I see.” 

“Well, hopefully you don’t.” She shrugged. “But enough about me. How have you been?” 

I will tag @ellatholmes @rosiewritesandrambles and @ashen-crest to find street, sear, see, strand 

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

another! *smashes glass on the ground Thor-style* 

this one is from @zmlorenz, because of course it is. 

my words are dawn, tie, meet, hand 

(ps if you tagged me in a last line or similar tag recently: I’m getting to it. I’ll fill them once I write something new.) 

dawn (Hurricane) 

“Most of you know what you’re doing,” Tempest said. Recognition dawned on a few faces, though some were still confused. No matter. She’d explain later. “I want most of you here. Aria and Vic, keep a lookout on the cape. Sequoia, you’re coming with me. Marisa, Cai?” 

“Yes?” said Marisa, echoed by Cai. 

Tempest let a smile spread over her face. “How do you feel about setting the Marquess on fire?” 

tie (Dragonsong) (Isi no...) 

Isi let out a long slow breath, trying not to let it sound like a sigh. “The law is clear. Neil, you must return whatever you still have. Then you’ll come with me. Althea, I’ll see you are compensated for the rest.” 

Althea frowned, but said nothing. She probably didn’t like it, any more than Isi, that Neil would have to spend time in prison for his crime. But Isi’s hands were tied. Althea had reported a theft, and this was the consequence. The law had to apply equally to all. 

meet (Dragonsong) (this is... awkward for Isi lol) 

“We…” Robin began, then trailed off. “We were searching for somewhere to bring Enya to.” 

Enya chirped happily from Robin’s shoulder. 

Fintan drew his head back and growled. He sounded angry. Isi’s grip tightened on Robin’s arm. 

But Enya answered, in a higher-pitched roar but a roar nonetheless. Robin looked over at Isi with a small smile. They must be speaking some kind of dragon language. Fintan’s roar was loud enough that Isi felt it in her bones, but she stood as still as she could, waiting to see what Fintan might say to them next. 

Finally, Fintan spoke to Isi once more. “How did you meet Enya?” 

Isi hesitated. 

hand (Dragonsong) (oo very important lil excerpt!) 

Fintan said, “I suppose the king reached an agreement with them. Garian and Lissa wouldn’t have done it without another choice.” After a long pause, he continued, “Garian… just before the spell closed, he promised you would come. A knight with the skill to slay a dragon, but compassion enough to stay her hand. The most powerful mage that remains on the continent, the intersection of Garian and Lissa’s bloodlines. He promised they would free us for good. That must be the two of you.” 

“You’re kidding,” said Robin. “How can that be me? I’m… I’m nobody. There must be more powerful mages somewhere. And why should it matter who I’m descended from?” 

“But have I named your companion correctly?” 

Isi swallowed. “I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely truthful with you, Fintan. I know what happened to Bedelia, and I didn’t tell you.” She hesitated. Saying it would make it irreparably true. When she spoke again, her voice came out barely a whisper. “Bedelia is dead. By my hand.” She hadn’t stayed her hand when she should have. She’d listened to her orders, not to her compassion. 

I shall tag @vellichor-virgo @ashen-crest and @sleepyowlwrites! your words are... heck where am I up to in my alphabet... march, neat(en), over, press

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

another open tag from @zmlorenz. I do fill tags from other people sometimes, I promise. 

my words are big, run, sun, honest 

big (Dragonsong) 

“I think so,” said Robin. “They didn’t talk that much about the specifics, but it sounds like it. If we’re going to bring this thing down, we need it. And Ebele and Cole. The more mages, the better. This thing is big.” 

“Big is quite a tame descriptor,” said SB. “Personally, I would go for fucking huge.” 

run (Dragonsong) 

They walked in silence. Neil had clearly given up trying to justify his crime, or avoid his fate. He made no effort to run from Isi or try to break her grip. She briefly wondered what she’d do if he did try to run. Would she let him go? Should she let him go? If he spent time in prison, even a week or less, who would feed his family? 

sun (Dragonsong) 

“Plus, I only have a fifty percent success rate at knights taking me on. Can’t be bothered with that.” 

Isi laughed, but it came out almost as a sob. “Well. It seems I can’t stop you.” 

“Nope!” said Robin with a sunny smile. “I’m coming. So what’s the plan?” 

honest (Dragonsong) 

Isi swallowed. “I’m afraid I wasn’t entirely truthful with you, Fintan. I know what happened to Bedelia, and I didn’t tell you.” She hesitated. Saying it would make it irreparably true. When she spoke again, her voice came out barely a whisper. “Bedelia is dead. By my hand.” She hadn’t stayed her hand when she should have. She’d listened to her orders, not to her compassion. 

Coils of smoke rose from Fintan’s nostrils, and a rumbling growl began at the back of his throat. Isi squared her shoulders. Fintan was right to be angry; she would face whatever he did, knowing she had at least been honest. 

short excerpts for this one. I will leave an open tag! your words are alone, angry, audible, align 

[akindofmagictoo]

manuscript search tag game

I was tagged by @ambsthom! thank you! 

my words are name, person, offence, grave 

name (Dragonsong) 

“She says she was with Bedelia, her mother, in a cave near here, and you found her there.” 

“We did,” said Isi. There was a glaring piece of information missing, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it. And oh, Enya’s mother had a name. That felt like something she ought to have known. Her stomach twisted. She changed tack. “You can’t see us, can you?” 

person (Dragonsong) 

Taking Enya home, she had tried to be a good knight and a good person, look after the little dragon and still follow all her obligations. But good knight and good person were rapidly becoming less compatible. The choice had been presented. All that remained to her was to choose. 

offence (Dragonsong) 

“You know other mages?” Robin’s eyes lit up with curiosity. 

“Hm.” SB grimaced. “I knew other mages. They left one night and didn’t come back. Said it’d be better for all of us. Maybe they’re still out there. Maybe they’re dead. I don’t care.” 

Isi suspected that last part might be a lie, but challenging it would gain her nothing. 

“Oh,” said Robin. “Wish I could’ve met them. I don’t know any older mages, it’s always been just me and my magic.”

“I am an older mage,” said SB, mimicking offence. 

grave uuhhh you get gravel instead bc I only have grave once in both WIPs and it’s a spoiler. this is from Dragonsong. 

Ahead of them lay a large white rock that seemed to gleam silver in the weak sunlight. It was rather irregular in shape, though, with what looked like spines protruding from the top. 

Isi stopped, gravel sliding under her boots. “Is that—”

“I think so,” said Robin in a hushed voice. 

I will tag @writingbyjillian @ellatholmes and anyone who wants to play! your words are grave, kneel, leaf, brick