#linygae

[griseldabanks]

Linygae (LIN-uh-guy):

Made specifically for a relationship: You're going to get tired of hearing me say this, but when you're writing a dragon rider story, every character is made for a relationship. Legacy and Linygae, however, I want to work as a particularly good team, because together they are the leaders of the Ambassadors. When necessary, they can divide and conquer, Legacy taking the humans in hand and Linygae dealing with the dragons. They're so effective because they trust each other implicitly, and are both equally assertive and confident that their way of doing things is the right way.

I would run away if I met her irl: My fascination with dragons would not be enough to overcome my natural fear of Linygae. Not least because she would probably want to kill me, and quickly try to do so. And succeed, most likely.

Meh, no strong feelings: This is something I really want to change in this draft. Thus far, Linygae has never really stood out to me as much more than an extension of Legacy, and that's not fair to Linygae. She deserves to have her own, individual storyline as well. I want there to be people out there who would say Linygae is their favorite dragon. I'm hoping I can start Feeling Things for her once I flesh out their backstory a bit more, because I've always wanted Linygae to be the one to save Legacy, in contrast to most of the others, where the humans are the ones who save the dragons. This also makes Legacy and Linygae foils/parallels of the other female duo in the Ambassadors' number, but we'll get to that another day.

Free space: Once Shard and Shynael join the Ambassadors, different ones teach them different things, according to their experience. Legacy and Linygae teach them to focus on and strengthen the magical bond between human and dragon. That's something I definitely want to hold onto in this second draft, because it's so interesting to me that the ones who teach Shard and Shynael how to work seamlessly together like two bodies with one mind...end up being the antagonists. The main theme of this story can be boiled down to "love conquers hate," and perhaps the most prominent way I want to show that is through Shard and Shynael's bond (both the magical one and them just being best friends). And yet, the ones who demonstrate for them just how important that bond is are the ones they end up opposing, because Legacy and Linygae can't see past their hate enough to care how many innocent people lose their lives. Usually, with a story that has the protagonists' greatest strength be their love, you pair that up with an antagonist who doesn't understand or who underestimates the power of love. But all of the characters in this story you could point to as antagonists understand love very well. That's why they're doing what they're doing.

[griseldabanks]

“So if Glaive and Gyvael are teaching us how to fight,” Shard said, “and Vesper and Vannasai are giving us flight lessons....”

“Our lessons will be about your soul-bond,” Legacy said, retying the bit of string holding her long black hair out of her face.

“Soul-bond?”

“My mother told me about that!” Shynael piped up eagerly. “That's the magical bond you make when you choose a mate, right?”

Linygae trilled softly, looking down at the smaller dragon with amusement. “Yes, but that's not the kind we're talking about.”

“It is similar, though,” Legacy said, crossing her arms comfortably over her chest and leaning against her dragon's shoulder. “The soul-bond between a human and a dragon is a magical bond that makes the two almost a single entity—not to be entered into lightly, not easily broken without...dire consequences. And just as between two mates, we cannot have more than one soul-bond at a time. Which is why none of us,” she swept a finger in a big loop to include all of the Ambassadors, even the ones not currently present, “can have a mate.”

Shard was sure his cheeks were as red as Linygae's scales, and he would have been more than happy to drop the subject, but Shynael was curious as always.

“We can't have a mate? But my mother told me that's what I would do one day, when I'm fully grown—leave the nest and find a mate. She said that's the way of things.”

“She was right,” Linygae said, humor still lingering in her voice, “for an ordinary dragon. But we Ambassadors are not ordinary dragons—or humans.” Her amber-colored eyes slid over to glance at Shard. “Was there not a moment when you accepted Shard into your soul? When you chose him for your own?”

Shard looked up at his dragon, remembering when he first held Shynael's egg in his arms, staring between it and the enormous body of the dragon who had ripped through the village. The desperation in her eyes as they met his, as he reached out a hand towards the egg...and then a moment of clarity, of peace, as if she knew somehow that he would never harm her son.

He wondered if that was the moment his soul had become bonded with Shynael's, that moment when he had chosen to cup the fragile egg in his arms and take it to safety, rather than dashing it against the ground like so many others would have. Or maybe the moment had been when he'd first seen the baby dragon struggling out of the eggshell, eyes bright and heart beating with life. Or maybe it was the moment he'd decided, once and for all, that he would protect the life that had been entrusted to him.

Shynael cocked his head to one side and looked at Shard thoughtfully. “I...almost forgot,” he said slowly, “but...I think I heard you. In my egg. I heard you talking, Shard. I don't think I could understand you yet, but...you said something, right up next to the egg, and it was like...I woke up. That's when I started to hatch, I think. Like I was trying to get out and see you.”

“Oh,” Shard breathed. “I'd forgotten all about that. People were starting to gather, and I was afraid they'd see your egg and take it from me. So I hurried into the chapel, and...I don't know why, but I said, 'Don't worry. I'll keep you safe.' I didn't know you could hear me....”

They looked at each other for a long moment and smiled. In that moment, Shard could feel the soul-bond between them without a doubt. It was like reaching out into the darkness, and another hand slid into his. The hand of a little boy with black hair and golden eyes, looking up at him with Shynael's toothy grin.

Then he blinked, and he was looking at his dragon once again.

The Chesterton Challenge: Day 20

Welcome to Day 20 of the Chesterton Challenge! If you haven’t already, make sure to explore the creations linked in the notes of yesterday’s post.

Today’s Optional Prompt is: Spirit

Because yesterday was Pentecost, but I didn't think of this word's Chestertonian prompt potential until today. There's the Holy Spirit, the spirit of each individual person, ghostly spirits, being in good/bad/holiday/etc spirits. If you want, there's even the alcohol kind of spirits (very Chestertonian). Pick whichever definition you like to inspire your creative works.

Whatever you create, make sure to show us or tell us about it by reblogging or replying to this post. (Don’t forget: anyone is allowed to join in the fun at any point during the Challenge.)

Now go forth and create!

[novelmonger]

Okay, boys, sorry it's been a while, but I've been sick and didn't feel much like reading Dragon Champion. But what did you think of chapter 2?

Shynael: >:C

Shard: He's still upset. I thought it was kind of interesting to learn a bit more about dragon society in this world, though.

Shynael: No it wasn't! It was all wrong! All his stupid parents could talk about was how proud they were of him eating his brother! I don't care if this is a different world; that's not okay!

Shard: *sigh* You're right, Shynael, you're right.

Shynael: Also dragons don't have two hearts. And female dragons aren't mostly greens.

Shard: Vannasai is a green.

Shynael: Yeeeaaahhh, but Linygae and my mother were reds. And Gyvael was a purple.

Shard: True. But you know, all the talk of Auron being grey, which is unusual...it made me think of you.

Shynael: What?! What about me could possibly make you think of that...that-that slimy cannibal--

Shard: Easy, easy, I just meant...you know, you're a black. There aren't a whole lot of black dragons around, so you're...remarkable.

Shynael: Hmph. Not the same.

[griseldabanks]

Yeah, okay, let's do this. Send me as many numbers as you like about any of these characters from my original writing:

The Ambassadors

Advent

Andrael

Father Mark

Glaive

Gyvael

Legacy

Linygae

Shard

Shynael

Vannasai

Vesper

The Arcblade

Aiden Averrod

Bertrand Thrisk

Charity Piper

Cidnaythius Dorreva

Dennick Wade

Lasheanaille Nathorane

The Four

Avadris

Farawin

Hayram

Larrace

Riata

Timor

unnamed "superpowered siblings" story

Dr. Clementine

Dr. Kartal

Grace

Jack

Rebecca

Sophie

Edgy/misc OC ask meme ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Send me a number and an OC, and I'll answer.

What memory would your OC rather just forget?

What's something about your OC that people wouldn't expect just from looking at them?

What is your OC's fatal flaw? Are they aware of this flaw?

When scared, does your OC fight, flee, freeze or fawn?

How far is your OC willing to go to get what they want?

How easily could your OC be convinced to do something that goes against their moral compass?

What's one way your OC has changed since you first came up with them?

Would your OC ostensibly be able to get away with murder?

Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

What's an AU that would be interesting to explore with your OC?

What is your OC's weapon of choice? Have they ever actually used it?

Is your OC self-destructive? In what ways?

If you met your OC, would the two of you get along?

How does your OC want to be seen by other characters?

Does your OC have a faceclaim? If so, who?

What is your OC's pain tolerance like?

What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

Is your OC more cold and detached or up close and personal?

How does your OC behave when enraged?

Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

Does your OC have any illnesses or disorders? How do they handle it?

What character alignment would you consider your OC to be?

What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

What is an alternative life path your OC might have gone down? How different would their life be if they'd made those decisions?

What is your favorite thing about your OC?

[griseldabanks]

Shard finished off his goblet of wine and set it down next to his empty plate on the floor beside him. He and Vesper had taken their evening meal up to the higher tier of rooms, sitting on the edge of the balcony that ran around the entire circle. From there, they could watch the colors change in the sky through the leaves of the enormous tree that held the Ambassadors' home, as well as watch for their dragons when they returned from the hunt.

“Advent said something today I didn't understand,” he remarked, kicking his legs over the side of the balcony so they dangled freely in the air.

“Don't pay him any mind,” Vesper said softly, still nibbling on her piece of bread. She pulled her grey cloak closer about herself, as if the air had suddenly grown chill. Shard half-expected her to pull up the hood and shuffle away, as she'd been wont to do when he first joined the Ambassadors, but she stayed put.

“Don't worry; it didn't bother me,” Shard said, waving his hand dismissively. “It's just...we had a sparring match today, and...well, he won.” He shrugged; that was hardly a surprise. He had a feeling even the timid, gentle Vesper could best him in a swordfight. “But then he said, 'I guess color doesn't count for everything.'”

“Oh.” Vesper relaxed a little, pushing the remains of her meal aside and brushing crumbs off her lap. “He was referring to the color theory.”

“Color theory?”

“Yes. You know how some of us humans would say red hair means you have a fiery temper? Or blonde hair means you are vain? Well, the dragons have something similar, but about the color of their scales. Red dragons are supposed to be the strongest, blue dragons are the fastest, and so on. Every color has a meaning.”

“I see.” Shard leaned back on his hands and grinned over at her. “And what about green dragons?”

Rosy patches bloomed in Vesper's cheeks, more than the reddish light of the setting sun could account for. Turning her head aside and tucking a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear, she murmured, “Kindness. But it's all nonsense!” she hastily added. “Just superstition. There's no way the color of your scales could determine your personality.”

“Of course. But let me see if I can guess what purple dragons are known for.” Shard thought for a moment, imagining Glaive and his huge purple dragon who taught him and Shynael how to fight. Not to mention all the long conversations they had after lessons were done. “Hmm...wisdom.”

Vesper's eyes flew open in shock. “How did you know?”

Shard laughed. “Maybe there's something to the superstition after all. But go on—tell me what black dragons are known for.”

Subdued once more, Vesper looked away. “Maybe...it would be better if you forgot about the color theory.”

Shard leaned forward, all levity forgotten. “What is it? Go ahead, you can tell me. I promise I won't be offended.”

Vesper turned her head back in his direction, but she just stared at her hands in her lap. “Black dragons are very rare...as you saw when we went to the Dragon Assembly. But...the first time we went to meet the Dragon King, Linygae told us. Black dragons are thought to be the most....”

Her voice died away, but Shard wasn't about to let this go. “The most what?”

The whisper was soft, but he heard it clearly in the still air. “Vicious.”

Now it was Shard's turn to stare at his hands in his lap. He almost thought he could see blood on them again. Thick, red liquid pouring over his skin, getting into every last crack and crevice, so deep it was impossible to wash out....

Shard closed his hands into fists, and when he blinked, there was no more blood dripping from his fingers. “Is that why you were so nervous around us when we first came here?” he asked softly.

“I'm nervous around everybody.” Her smaller hand reached over and found his, slipping between his fingers and holding on, despite the blood that stained him even though it wasn't really there anymore. “Don't worry about it, Shard. The color theory can't be true—I know it because neither you nor Shynael is vicious at all.”

He squeezed her hand and looked up at her with a sad smile. “Well, it's right about one thing. You are very kind.”

The Chesterton Challenge: Day 11

Welcome to Day 11 of the Chesterton Challenge! Don’t forget to check out all the creations shared in the notes of yesterday’s post (or to share some if you’re finishing up an entry).

Today’s Optional Prompt is: Color

Reading Chesterton's work makes it clear that he loves his color words--he clearly had an artist's eye. Today's prompt is a great excuse to make colorful artwork, write color-filled poems or descriptive prose--whatever you like!

Whatever you create, make sure to show us or tell us about it by reblogging or replying to this post. (Don’t forget: anyone is allowed to join in the fun at any point during the Challenge.)

Now go forth and create!

[griseldabanks]

Please send me an ask with a character of mine you'd like to know more about!

I'd like to do this with some characters from my original writing, but since I haven't posted much about them here, I'll give you a list of names, and when I fill out the bingo will also include a bit of explanation of who they are and what their story's about:

The Ambassadors

Advent

Andrael

Father Mark

Glaive

Gyvael

Legacy

Linygae

Shard

Shynael

Vannasai

Vesper

The Arcblade

Aiden Averrod

Bertrand Thrisk

Charity Piper

Cidnaythius Dorreva

Dennick Wade

Lasheanaille Nathorane

The Four

Avadris

Farawin

Hayram

Larrace

Riata

Timor

unnamed "superpowered siblings" story

Dr. Clementine

Grace

Jack

Rebecca

Sophie

I made an OC bingo because I wasn't satisfied with any of the ones I'd found. Use for characters in your original fiction, or OCs in fanfics!