The Epic Conclusion is Finally Here!

THE LEGEND OF OESCIENNE

THE RECKONING

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THE RECKONING Cover Reveal and Prologue!

Hello everyone!  Earlier this week, I sent out my May newsletter which included the cover reveal and prologue for The Legend of Oescienne - The Reckoning!  In case you missed it, here they are!  The projected release date is June 16th, so mark your calendars and here's to hoping this final project stays on schedule!  And now, I present to you, the prologue for the final chapter in the Legend of Oescienne series.  Happy reading!

THE LEGEND OF OESCIENNE

THE RECKONING

-Prologue-

The Birth of a Leader

 Copyright (c) 2018 by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

A

 cold breeze whispered across the vast tundra, ruffling the short, tough grass that grew there.  With the frigid sea and even colder mountains to the north and west, the gusts that danced across the Great Red Tundra of Ghorium made even the summer months almost unbearable.  And it was that relentless wind that now battered at the minds and nerves of the company of warriors who tried so desperately to capture what few precious moments of rest they could.  At some point in the night, however, exhaustion had finally won out.  Only a few hours stretched before dawn, and the war encampment was silent, not a single living thing stirring.  All, that is, except for the young soldier.

He lay there, listening to the low wailing of the wind as the stench of burning bodies and the freshly spilled blood of the battlefield stung his nose.  Not even the persistent cold had dampened the horrible smell, and it clung to him as assuredly as the red lichens clung to the broken rocks scattered across the plain.  Something else, however, had woken him from his fitful sleep, but he could not tell what.  A stray gust howling down the shallow river bed?  The sudden snort from one of his comrades fighting against dark dreams?  Or maybe a tundra predator, slinking through the night searching for an easy meal.  That last thought had him shivering.  The animals that dwelled in this part of the world were dangerous, no matter their size.  Yet, with plenty of fallen allies and enemies nearby, it made no sense for a predator to be hunting for live food.

The young man shifted, knowing these weren’t the reasons for his restlessness.  He had realized early on that his motive for traveling to Ghorium to fight the evil brewing there went beyond the typical duty any normal soldier was called to perform.  True enough, he had ventured east with his friends and allies to do his part in wiping the Tyrant and his accursed soldiers from the face of Ethöes.  But now that he had endured the horror of the battlefield, watched those same friends die beneath the enemy’s power and wrath, there was only one thing left he could do, if he wanted a chance for even the slightest glimmer of hope.

His was an important mission, one he had made in his heart mere hours ago.  One he could share with only a scant few he had sworn to secrecy.  A call to duty that required him to rise early and sneak away before his remaining friends realized he was gone. With swift efficiency, the warrior climbed to his feet and made ready for his task.  The sun was still hours from rising, but he used his instincts to guide the way as he tread quietly over the soggy, semi-frozen landscape of the northern wastes of Ghorium, trying desperately to block out the soft moans of the dying men, dragons, and beasts scattered for miles around him.  The haunting images lingering from the previous days rose up to torment him as he made his way ever northward.  With a shudder that rattled his teeth, he shook off the worst of them, playing his plan over and over again in his mind.  He had to succeed.  He must.  If not, then all would most definitely be lost.  After all, his plan wasn’t a complex one.  He just needed to buy them time.  Just a little more time …

Somewhere across the distance, a man screamed.  A final lament to Ethöes to spare him the pain of his passing?  A plea to give him a little more courage, a little more strength, so that perhaps he might rise at dawn to fight again?  Or perhaps just another tired soldier haunted by his own demons.  Whatever it had been, the spine-tingling screech stopped the young man short, his heart thundering in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his blood.  After several seconds, his feet fell into a quick pace once more, his body crouched low.

The dim light of several small fires, some kindled by the soldiers to keep warm, others the evidence of the Morli attack from the evening before, acted as beacons leading the way to the outer wall of Vruuthŭn, the black city where the enemy waited.  Vengeance and the driving need to help the people of Ethöes pushed him, where fear and fatigue would have caused another to give in.  With a single-minded focus, he climbed over one berm after another.

Finally, he reached his first destination: a larger pocket in the otherwise monotonous landscape.  Here, several of the men, fellow allies fighting for his cause, slept.  They all wore stained and tattered uniforms, some of them too old and gray to wage war, others younger than himself.  But they were here, along with countless others like them.  Fighting to defend their freedom, the freedom of Ethöes, even if they ought to be home in their cabins smoking a pipe by the fire with their grandchildren, or out pulling harmless, midnight pranks on their neighbors.  These men rested fitfully, their bodies tired but their minds always waiting for the next attack.

As he studied them, the soldier’s eyes fell upon a young man about his own age and height.  Perhaps it was the fact he lay curled up near the center of the group that caught his attention, or maybe it was that even in the dim light of predawn, he could see that this young man resembled him.  For several seconds, he studied the sleeping warrior, noting his dark blond hair and strong features.  He was perhaps a few inches taller than himself and a bit broader in the shoulders.  When they were both awake, standing side by side, people believed them to be brothers.  A smile curled at the corner of the soldier’s mouth as memories of their youth played through his mind.  The two of them had grown up in the same province, though they had come from very different families.  That fact hadn’t kept them from getting into mischief together, however.

Sighing against the remorse that threatened to push aside his determination, the soldier pressed his hand to his own chest, splaying his fingers.  The young man asleep on the cold ground below him was dressed in the simple rags of a stable hand, while he wore the fine clothing of a prince.

But war has made us equals, he thought.  Though I have always believed it, and so have you, war has so bitterly made it fact.  For no man, prince or peasant, can escape death, my friend.

A soft exhalation of breath snapped the restless soldier’s attention back to the present.  One of his comrades had awoken, his dark eyes trained on the young man standing over him.  He nodded once to the warrior, and the man silently roused five others.  The rest of them, including the sleeping figure in the middle of the group, were left undisturbed.  Seven fighters ghosted away from their makeshift camp and headed toward the base of the city a few miles away.  As they marched, the men gathered more willing fighters, those who woke to find the small party pressing forward with purpose, their own spirits inspired by the sight of the young warrior clad in armor emblazoned with the royal crest of Oescienne.  He could not turn them away, not when he sensed in them the same driving need to destroy the demon king who wished to enslave them.  This was it, he knew in his heart.  This was their final stand, and they would take it alone if they had to.  If they were lucky, if Ethöes smiled down upon them, their attack would come as a surprise, and they would gain the advantage while the rest of the army slept.

The sun peeked above the horizon in the east, a brilliant eye of red, its light a burning condemnation; an omen for what they were about to face.  At some point along their short journey, someone offered horses.  The young soldier took the reins and mounted blindly, his mind focused on one thing and one thing only.  He must destroy Cierryon, the monster who had killed his king.

The frozen fortress loomed in the distance, an impenetrable castle set high atop a mountain and guarded by a city full of enemy soldiers and Morli dragons.  He knew the odds were against them, but he was so very tired.  Tired of the pain.  Tired of the ache in his chest.  Tired of being surrounded by death and hopelessness.  He could endure it no longer.  So, he had decided to face this enemy on his own, with only those he trusted most by his side and those ready to scream their final battle cry.  As the rest of his army slept on, their dreams as black as his own, he guided his horse swiftly and silently across the barren landscape, the frozen mountains rising like the demonic visage of the god Ciarrohn in the distance.

Without warning, the scene shifted, and the young soldier was falling.  He braced for impact, wondering how he had been unseated from his horse, but the ground never came up to meet him.  Instead, he plummeted through a black void, and in a fierce moment of fear, he wondered if he’d been struck by an arrow shot from one of the Tyrant’s men.  Was this death, then?  He had so desperately hoped death meant the end of agony and fear, but the terror was just as strong now as it had been earlier.

Flashes of memory bombarded him as he fell, memories of the several bloody battles he’d fought so far.  Visions of his friends dying beside him, struck down by sword, spear, and axe, or incinerated by a blast of fire from one of the hideous Morli dragons overhead.  The Korli dragons on his side fought fiercely, but they were no match for the numerous Morli.  He screamed against the horror of it all, wondering what he had done in his mortal life to deserve such a tormented afterlife.

His body twisted in the void, and new memories flickered before him, only, these recollections hadn’t happened to him yet, had they?  Familiar, so very familiar, but so distant they seemed to be the afterthoughts of dreams from long ago.  His head filled with the sounds of metal clashing upon metal, the screams of men and horses and dragons.  He spun around and around and around, lost in this place that did not exist, until finally he caught a petrifying glance of the wicked, shadowy face of his enemy just as a searing pain sliced down the side of his face and neck.

[[[

Far away in Lidien, in a manor house nestled in the hills above the city, the Tanaan dragon Kehllor woke gasping for breath, only to curse when his head came into contact with a stone wall.  Growling, he lashed his tail in frustration, then gave a great sigh of relief.  Good.  Despite the slight headache his thrashing had caused, it had only been another dream.  There was no great battlefield littered with corpses, no relentless, ice-laced wind barraging his senses, no terrifying monsters manifesting around him.  While he waited for his blood to cool and his pulse to slow, Kehllor puzzled over the nightmare that had torn him so rudely from his rest.  He had no idea where the dream had come from, but it wasn’t a new one.  Well, that wasn’t entirely correct.  The scenes in this one differed from the others, but the theme had been a recurring one over the past several nights.  But why he would walk in that world as something other than a dragon was beyond him.  Pushing a blast of hot air through his nostrils, he tilted his head as he considered it.  The others in the dream, the ones that looked a lot like elves, seemed familiar somehow, but like the memories that haunted his sleep, he could not place them. 

A new sound, this one real and not imagined, disrupted his thoughts.  It was a soft rapping of knuckles against a wooden door.

“Master Kehllor?” a timid female voice inquired.  “Are you well?”

Ah, yes.  The dragon blinked rapidly, the sharp edges of the nightmare growing dull as his surroundings took shape.  A spacious, sparsely decorated study rose up around him.  There was a desk, large enough to accommodate a dragon, a small fireplace in one corner and bookshelves lining the walls on one side.  The space was comfortable and welcoming, despite the fact it did not belong to him.  This was the home of the dragon Raejaaxorix, and he had recently become its new tenant.  And clearly, he had fallen asleep in the study late the night before instead of making his way to the much more appropriate sleeping chamber.  That explained why he’d smacked his head against the wall in his haste to escape the dream.

“Master Kehllor?” the woman asked once again.

“I’m f-fine,” he managed, his voice a bit raspy.

“I heard sounds of distress,” the housemaid announced, her muffled words growing louder.

Kehllor gritted his teeth.  How embarrassing.  Hopefully, the woman hadn’t been too disturbed by his night terrors.  She had lived in this house with Jaax before him, after all, so surely she was used to dragonish ways.

Clearing his throat, Kehllor responded, “I’m well, Neira.  I have bad dreams from time to time.  Nothing to concern yourself with.”

There was a long silence, then what sounded like a huff of breath.  “Very well.  If you insist.”  The shuffle of the Nesnan woman’s footsteps heading back down the hall brought Kehllor some relief.  He wasn’t much one for holding long, or even short, conversations.  And the last thing he wanted after waking up from such a disturbing dream was to take part in a heart-to-heart with the overly-concerned housekeeper.

Kehllor struggled to shake the last vestiges of the dream from his mind.  The memory of it had faded, but the sense of unease clinging to his scales lingered.  Only time would take care of that, Kehllor thought, so he sat up and stretched his muscles, sore from spending the previous day checking the borders of Lidien with a few other dragons active in the Coalition.  It was now his duty to ensure the Crimson King’s soldiers stayed beyond the city’s magical boundaries.  They had moved in close, frighteningly so, but as far as Kehllor could tell, the ancient magic keeping their enemies at bay held, and no one had breached the walls.  He only hoped those boundaries remained strong.  Yet as much as he wished for the Tyrant’s loyal servants to disperse and be on their way, he secretly thanked Ethöes every day they continued to prod at the enchantment surrounding the city.  The longer they stayed distracted by Lidien’s power, the more time Jaax, Jahrra, and Ellyesce had to get as far away as they could.

Kehllor furrowed his brow as he counted back the days since his friends had fled the city.  One, maybe closer to two, months ago.  Surely they were in Nimbronia by now.  Had the trip been an easy one?  Or had some of the Tyrant’s soldiers slipped away to pursue them?  Kehllor could not know for sure.  If they could just reach the city of the Creecemind dragons before the Crimson King’s army caught up with them, then they would be safe once again.  At least for the time being.

The sweet melody of a songbird drew the golden dragon’s attention away from his reverie, and he glanced toward one of the study’s windows.  The diamond-paned panel was cracked open and through it he spotted the small creature, a heartsong sparrow, singing its hymn to the waking world.  Despite his troubled thoughts, Kehllor couldn’t help a reptilian smile.  He hoped the bird’s presence was a good omen.

The feathered creature finished one more chorus, then with a chirp, it leapt from the redwood branch it had been resting on and flitted off into the forest surrounding the hill.  Kehllor peered beyond the treetops and caught a glimpse of the great bay, the distant peninsula growing less gray as the morning’s sunlight flooded the world.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out through his nose, Kehllor stood and exited the study as quietly as he could.  If he remembered correctly, the Coalition would be meeting later in the morning, and his presence would be expected.  The Coalition of Ethöes had been convening more often of late, and although he loathed being around so many arguing and angry people, he understood the necessity for their frequent gatherings.  Jaax, their previous leader, had given up his position in order to flee the City of Light with Jahrra, the human girl foretold by the Oracles.  And they had not gone without a nice dose of controversy.  Before leaving Lidien, a rumor claiming Jaax to be a liar and his ward to be a fraud had spread like wildfire through the city.  And Shiroxx, the very dragon who had fostered Kehllor for so long, had played the lead role in stirring the pot.

Kehllor’s upper lip curled in disgust.  He knew the red Tanaan dragon was somehow responsible for spreading the lies, but he couldn’t prove it.  Besides, before leaving for Nimbronia, Jaax had dismissed her from the Coalition.  Unfortunately, he hadn’t dismissed her co-conspirator, Rohdann.  Although not as ruthless as Shiroxx, the black Tanaan dragon was her puppet.  He would do anything she asked, and he had a knack for turning suspicion away from himself.

The savory scent of cinnamon and butter distracted Kehllor enough to forget about Shiroxx and Rohdann and all his other worries for the time being.  He stepped out into the hallway and headed for the common room.  A fire burned brightly in the great hearth, and soft morning sunlight spilled in through the south-facing windows.  The common room was quite large, providing plenty of space for a dragon and his company.  Long tapestries, thick carpets, and stuffed furniture for the non-dragon guests decorated the space tastefully, complimenting the green-flecked flagstone floor and granite walls.  Kehllor took a moment to appreciate his current position in life.  For so many years, he had been under the thumb of Shiroxx, owing everything to her simply because he had not known any better.  He couldn’t remember much of his past before the red dragon found him wandering the desert region of the south.  Some traumatic experience had erased it from his mind, and if not for Shiroxx’s kindness, he’d have no life at all.

No, he corrected himself bitterly, it wasn’t out of kindness that Shiroxx found me and took me under her wing.  I’ve been nothing but an instrument to her.  A tool to be used to get what she wants.

It had taken Jahrra’s patient persistence to teach him that not everyone was his enemy and that there were such things as real friends to be had.  Despite all he had gained and learned in the past year, however, he couldn’t help but wonder where he had come from and what his life had been like before forgetting it all.  The dream, still lingering in the recesses of his mind, pushed its way forward once more.  He wanted to forget it, for it only made him anxious, yet he was also determined to puzzle it out.  Where had he been in that strange nightmare?  And why had he witnessed events from another’s eyes?  And what had been that terrifying presence he and his companions had been so determined to defeat?  Perhaps it was a vision of the past, or more likely, the future.  Could he be some sort of seer and not even know it?  And if that was the vision of the future, whose eyes had he been seeing this future through?

A cold dread filled his stomach as a new revelation occurred to him.  The demon in the dream.  Could it be the enemy that the Coalition, that Jaax and Jahrra, wished to defeat?  A terrifying visage of the Crimson King, perhaps.  Or more precisely, the demon-god who possessed the Tyrant’s body.  Why on Ethöes would Kehllor be dreaming about a battle with Ciarrohn?

With a shudder, the golden dragon cast the disturbing thought aside.  He would eat whatever wonderful breakfast Neira was preparing, then he’d venture into the city to listen to another long session of Nesnan and Resai diplomats bickering with one another.  The very thought made his back teeth ache.  He grew weary of staying put and doing nothing, but Jaax was counting on him to lead the Coalition.

“But we are getting nowhere,” he whispered aloud to no one.

Kehllor went over the past several Coalition meetings in his head, sifting through the information pouring from a variety of sources outside of Felldreim.  Checking the borders for weaknesses took off some of the edge, but as the dreams grew more vivid and more frequent, and as more evidence of the Tyrant’s growing power leaked in, Kehllor was beginning to feel trapped.  He was aware of the armies being forged throughout Ethöes, troops of soldiers and farmers and merchants alike, willing to fight against the evil growing in the east when the time came.  Anyone and everyone ready to defend the last threads of freedom the world possessed.  He also had an idea of their numbers, and those weren’t too impressive.  And there was no guarantee Jaax and Jahrra would convince the Creecemind to join their cause.  Without the ice dragons of the north, the Coalition and her allies stood no chance against the Crimson King’s army and his Morli dragons.

Kehllor ruminated over breakfast, then all the way to Essyel Hall in the heart of the city.  By the time he reached his place at the head of the massive meeting room, an idea had begun prickling at the back of his mind.  It was almost ludicrous, but the longer the Coalition’s new leader considered it, the more appealing it seemed.  He had spent much of his life in the southern part of the continent and had come to know the people who lived there.  People the rest of the world ignored.  But maybe, just maybe, these people understood the threat Cierryon posed as well.  And just like that, a plan blossomed to life.

“This could be the answer to our troubles,” he whispered under his breath as the great hall filled with boisterous Coalition members, “especially if it works.”

~ The epic conclusion arrives this June! ~

NEW Legend of Oescienne - The Reckoning Snippet!

Howdy eager readers!  I know many of you have been waiting patiently for the release of the fifth and final book in the Legend of Oescienne series.  I have a date in mind, but I'm still keeping hush-hush about it until I get all my files back from my fabulous Beta Readers and my marvelous editor.  Once I get a chance to look at their suggestions, I might be able to lock in on that release date with more confidence.  Until then, I have another snippet for you!  Now, if you are signed up for my newsletter, then you should have received this sneak peek last week, but in case you missed it, here you go!  This is a scene featuring dialogue between our two main characters, Jaax and Jahrra, and I feel it sets the tone for a good portion of the book.  Enjoy and feel free to leave a comment telling me what you think!

- J.E. Johnson

The Legend of Oescienne

The Reckoning

Copyright (c) 2018 by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

Snippet from:

Chapter Five

Rest, Revelry, and Rumination

As the evening stretched on, and as the elves began weaving their tales, Jahrra found their camaraderie did nothing to take the edge off her own restlessness.  After only two stories were shared, she stood up and moved to stand casually near the edge of the great circle of light cast by the bonfire.  When the third storyteller reached the exciting part of his tale, she slipped deeper into the darkness and headed toward the river’s edge.  A large rock ledge stretched out from the tall bank of the Hrwyndess and hung over the rushing water some thirty feet below.  She stepped out onto the slab of stone and turned her face upward.  Closing her eyes, Jahrra breathed in the rich, cool air and let the light of the silvery moon bathe her face.  What she wouldn’t give to take all her racing thoughts and shove them into a box where they couldn’t escape, if only for a few minutes.

A soft rustle broke into Jahrra’s moment of solitude, but she did not jump.  Instinct, or maybe just years of experience, told her who approached.

“You are missing some very good stories,” Jaax drawled from behind her.

Jahrra turned and gave him a half smile, not putting much effort into it.  So much for avoiding her friends for the rest of the night.  The fire some fifty yards away had grown larger, she noticed, taller than the dragon cast in shadow standing so close by.  Ale and more food was being passed around as well, and where she had left Dervit, some of the younger Hrunahn warriors had moved in.  From what she could tell, it was the limbit who was weaving the tales at this point, not the elves.  The upward curve to the corner of her mouth was more genuine this time, though her moment of joy did not last.

Jahrra turned back to face the rushing river below, not in the mood to take part in the merriment.  “I’ve heard all of Dervit’s tall tales before,” she replied.

Jaax arched a brow, attention narrowing in on his ward.  “Even the one about the piglet stuck in the fence?”

If the Tanaan dragon had hoped to cheer her up with his light tone, he was mistaken.  Jahrra continued to stand there on the ledge of granite, arms crossed, the heel of one boot propped up against a small boulder.  He knew when to leave her alone, and when she needed someone’s quiet presence.  In this case, it was the latter, though Jaax wasn’t too keen on remaining silent and Jahrra would never admit she needed him.

“You seemed rather withdrawn during dinner.  Care to talk about it?”

Jahrra shook her head, the river below mimicking her current mood.  Now he wanted to talk?  Despite her obvious desire to be left alone, Jaax wasn’t about to give up so easily.

“Jahrra,” he pressed, tone harder than before, “talk to me.  In a matter of weeks we’ll be in Dhonoara, preparing for war.  If anything is bothering you, now is the time to broach the subject.”

All he got in return was a derisive snort.  As if she didn’t already know all of this.  When he drew breath to speak again, Jahrra turned to look at him, the barest hint of desperation and fear dominating her expression.  The dragon went utterly still, his eyes holding hers.  He would not look away, not until she spoke her mind.  She needed to say whatever it was that bothered her, but whatever it was needed to be removed the way a thorn must be drawn from the skin.

“I can’t celebrate with you and Ellyesce and Dervit.  I can’t sit by that fire and laugh and joke and tell stories with the elves of Hrunah.  I don’t know how any of you can.”

There, she’d said it.  It hadn’t been about Ellyesce’s secrets earlier, and it hadn’t been about Jaax’s continued insistence on keeping her in the dark.  Those had only been catalysts to her fear; excuses for her to purge her soul of the dark emotions lingering there.  Only, her argument with Jaax and Ellyesce hadn’t assuaged her restlessness.  Not at all.

Jaax lifted his head, all humor gone from his face.  When he spoke, his voice was pitched low, but a gentle patience suffused his words.  “You cannot celebrate because you are having a hard time envisioning a future that will bring happiness.”

Jahrra whipped her head back around, then bent to pick up a stone.  She drew her arm back and launched it into the turbulent water below.

“We are walking directly into war, Jaax.  Death is almost guaranteed, especially for us.”  She indicated herself and her dragon guardian with a wave of her hand.  “The Crimson King will know of me by now, and he’ll know you travel with me.  I’m guessing he’ll know who Ellyesce is as well and Dervit ...” she trailed off, took a shuddering breath, then pressed on, “Dervit has been incredibly lucky so far.  All of us have been.  I don’t know how much longer our luck can hold out.”

Jaax hummed low in his throat, but said nothing.

“I don’t mean to sound cynical, and I hate that I’m fixated on what could go wrong, but the closer we get to whatever destiny Ethoes has planned for me, the more it grates at my nerves.”

“Jahrra, you have every right to feel that way.  And even though your destiny seems to have been preordained, you still have a say in which choices you will make each day.”

Jahrra sighed, then fell into a crouch, arms wrapped around her knees.  She wanted so badly to cry, to purge herself of the fear, pain, and anxiety, but she fought against that weakness.  Her next words were so quiet, Jaax would have missed them over the rush of the river and the boisterous laughter of their elvin friends had he not possessed the sharper senses of a dragon.

“I don’t want to die,” she murmured.

Fear and fury and wrath wrapped their steely bands around Jaax’s heart at the tone in her voice.

“Don’t worry, Jahrra,” he vowed, moving closer to her.  “I won’t let you die.”

When he was near enough for Jahrra to reach out and touch his shoulder, Jaax settled down upon the ground, his clawed fingers curling around the edge of the steep riverbank.  The moonlight shone down through the gap in the trees, staining the world in shades of cool white and shadow.

“Can you make that same promise about yourself?” she finally asked.  “About Dervit and Ellyesce, too?”

Jaax shook his head ruefully.  “No, I cannot.  But I will promise to do everything in my power to defend you and our friends.  You have my word on that.”

She turned her head, blond hair slipping from her shoulder, the pale moonlight above turning her eyes to silver.

“And you have my word that I will do the same.”

As the revelry carried on behind them, Jaax and Jahrra sat in companionable silence, each lost in their own thoughts as the peace of the night wrapped around them, sealing their words together like an ancient vow neither time nor distance could ever break.

FIVE DAYS OF DRAGON INTERVIEWS, DAY 3 - AN INTERVIEW WITH ALEXIA PURDY!

Hello Eager Readers!  For the next five days, I'll be sharing a post a day written by one of the authors featured in the PLAGUE OF DRAGONS anthology (Now Available!).  Today's feature author is ALEXIA PURDY!

Do you have a favorite dragon from legend, literature or film?

There are two. One is the dragon from The Neverending Story. I always loved the concept of a “luck” dragon and I think I based Catori around this. Though her life has been kind of rough up until this point, she is a catalyst of sorts for those around her, and I think that as time goes on, this will stand out more. The second dragon I admired was the one from the movie Reign of Fire. It scared me and became truly a post-apocalyptic scenario that could frighten anyone about dragons. I loved the way people dealt with the mythical creature and how they survived its wrath. It made more “real world” to me.

Will there be a sequel to Lucidium?

Yes. Lucidium is part one of the story, and I have plans to continue the series in the near future. I don’t have a title for part 2, but I plan to extend part 1 into a novel-length adventure if possible and then put out book 2 of the series. We’ll see how it goes.

Dragons are inherently magical; they cannot exist in nature. That being said, did you give any consideration to natural or physical limitations when you were dreaming up your dragons? Why or why not?

I did make my dragons smaller than the usual sized dragons you see in the movies. Mine was more the size of Falkor in The Neverending Story for the one reason that I don’t believe that a person can truly shift their body into a much larger mass than their body. I didn’t want them the exact same size, but not gigantic like one would think of when thinking of dragons. Though several times larger than a person, they aren’t that much bigger than an elephant. I think keeping them smaller makes sense and works in my story better than making them huge.

* * *

Thank you for the interview, Alexia!  You can find out more about Alexia Purdy on her website: http://www.alexiapurdybooks.com/

FIVE DAYS OF DRAGON INTERVIEWS, DAY 2 - AN INTERVIEW WITH JASON LAVELLE!

Hello Eager Readers!  For the next five days, I'll be sharing a post a day written by one of the authors featured in the PLAGUE OF DRAGONS anthology (Now Available!).  Today's feature author is JASON LAVELLE!

Dragons are inherently magical; they cannot exist in nature. That being said, did you give any consideration to natural or physical limitations when you were dreaming up your dragons? Why or why not?

I think the idea has always been that because dragons are magical, they cannot exist in nature, that they can’t be real. That seems like a reasonable, adult idea, but I challenge you with this question: Is there anything that exists in nature, that lives either among us or in some faraway place that isn’t powered by some kind of ‘magic’?

Are there any plants or creatures on this earth that were not created by ‘magic’?

You yourself, humanity, are we not the product of some kind of ‘divine magic’ or science that cannot be explained?

Everything on our planet, and in fact, life itself is magical, and I’m not talking about some hippy-dippy bologna, I’m talking about the very mechanics of how life works – we know a heart pumps blood, we know a lung draws air, we know a brain sends and interprets electrical impulses that control everything from motor functions to our thoughts and memories, but what actually breathes ‘life’ into life? It’s magic! Something we will never understand but that exists nonetheless.

So, do dragons exist? I have no idea! Could they exist? Of course! Just because something is ‘magical,’ and we haven’t seen it yet, doesn’t mean it isn’t still out there, waiting to be discovered… or perhaps, avoiding discovery.

The dragons in my story are not so different from us, they have hopes and fears, they experience pain and they feel joy. In their human forms they have the same physical limitations as we do, and while in dragon form, they have a completely different set of physiological traits. Even when writing in a fantasy world, I try to give my characters the dignity and respect they deserve by not only endowing them with gifts, but with limitations as well. No animal is perfect, not even a dragon, and they must live within their limitations to survive. What happens when two different, intelligent creatures, such as humans and dragons are thrust together? You’ll have to read A Cold Fire to find out.

How many average-sized adult sheep do you think the dragons in your story would have to consume per day?

Everything has to eat to survive. Humans are omnivores, we eat a bit of everything. Some creatures eat only plants, and plants consume nutrients and sunlight. There are bacteria on this planet that consume things that we wouldn’t normally even think of as food, such as atmospheric gases, and even electricity. So it would follow that dragons have to eat too. My dragons eat like a human would, consuming meats, fruits and vegetables – on a little bit larger scale. While the average human needs about 1,800 calories a day to survive, one of my dragons needs closer to 130,000, or roughly two adult sheep.

The dragons in your story are shapeshifters. In many shapeshifter stories, people lose their humanity while in their animal forms; werewolf tales are a well-known example of this. Do your dragons retain all aspects of their humanity when in dragon form?

Regardless of their physical form, whether it is the cold-blooded reptilian dragon, or the warm-blooded human, my shapeshifters remain intelligent and reasonable, capable of complex thought and careful decision making. Whether or not they will use those skills, well, that’s a different story.

Are you fond of films like Dragonslayer that depict dragons as mindless, violent animals, or do you prefer your dragons with a bit more intelligence and, perhaps, kindness?

My favorite dragon movie is Reign Of Fire, a post-apocalyptic story where the dragons are the tormentors and human-kind has been hunted to near extinction. The movie stars some very kick-ass fire-breathing dragons, Christian Bale (before he lost it) and a buff, tattooed Matthew McConaughey.

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Thank you for the interview, Jason!  You can find out more about Jason LaVelle on his website:http://darkhorsestudios3.wixsite.com/lavelle

Jahrra's Journal: What I Discovered Today

The latest entry from Jahrra's Journal . . .

Dear Journal,

Today I learned mathematics with Master Hroombra.  I hate mathematics!  I thought it was going to be another boring lesson, but when Master Hroombra left me to add the numbers on my own I noticed a pile of paper in the great big fireplace.  I crawled closer and peeked in, hoping to see what the notes said, but the markings on the paper were so strange!  I picked up the one closest to me and tried to read it, but whoever wrote it used marks not at all like the ones Master Hroombra has taught me to read.  I know I should have put it back, but I kept it, tucking it away to put into my journal later.  Someday I’m going to figure out what it says, but for now, I’ll just look at the marks.  They are pretty in an odd way.

- Jahrra

The paper I found in Master Hroombra's fireplace.

Jahrra's Journal: The Truth of the Tanaan

It's a short one this week, but hopefully it will give you a little taste for what's to come . . .

Dear Journal,

I found out the most amazing thing today! You know how I learned about dragons yesterday and how I was going to tell you about the Tanaan? Well, you won’t believe this, but the Tanaan dragons used to be human! Master Hroombra told me all about them today: how they were cursed long ago by the Crimson King and that is the reason why humans aren’t in Ethöes anymore. I wanted him to tell me more. Why were they cursed? Did he know any Tanaan dragons? But he told me I was too young to know such things. He always tells me that! Oh! I’ve got to go, I heard Pada come in and I hear Nida coming up the stairs to get me for dinner.

-Jahrra

Jahrra's Journal: A Lesson on Dragons

In this small segment of Jahrra's Journal, Jahrra has just learned about Korli dragons from Hroombra, her reptilian mentor.  Hopefully she is able to paint a better picture of what this particular kruel (or species) of dragons looks like.  Enjoy!

Dear Journal,

I learned all about dragons today!  I had no idea there were so many different kinds.  But I'll tell you about my favorite: the Korli.  Master Hroombra is a Korli dragon.  I used to think he had so many wrinkles because he was old, but he says it is a, what was the word?  Characteristic of his race.  That means it is something all Korli dragons share, but he did say he had more wrinkles than most.

Korli dragons come in all the colors of blue and gray, from nearly black to nearly white.  Master Hroombra is a medium-dark gray blue.  Some of their bottom teeth stick out of their mouths, making them look frightening.  But Master Hroombra has never frightened me!

Korli dragons were in charge of watching over the humans.  Master Hroombra says that long ago humans lived in Ethöes.  I asked him what they were like and he said they were very similar to Nesnan elves, only they didn't live nearly as long and they weren't as strong or magical like the elves were.

I thought it would be an awful thing to be human, but he only said that sometimes being strong and living for a long time wasn't always such a good thing.  I still think it wouldn't be such a good thing to be human, but he just smiled like he always does.

It is late and Nida will be wondering about the candlelight coming from my room.  I'll tell you more tomorrow, dear Journal, and then I'll tell you about my second favorite dragon, the Tanaan!

-Jahrra

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Visit The Legend of Oescienne page on this blog for more about the book series.

In and Out of Character: Interview with Jaax from the Legend of Oescienne Series

1. Let’s start out with an easy question: since today is National Appreciate a Dragon Day, can you tell us why we should take a moment to appreciate your kind?

A very good question, and I have a very good answer: when human beings flourished in Ethöes, it was the responsibility of the dragons to tutor them and guide them to become a more learned race.  Dragons have always played an important role in this world, and I hope my kind will have the chance to make a difference once again and purge Ciarrohn and his ilk from the world.

2. Can you share one thing you regret and tell us why?

A tough question, but the one thing that comes to mind is the time I’ve spent with Jahrra so far.  I regret staying away as long as I did when she was very young.  It has caused a great chasm between us, one I hope we are finally beginning to mend.  If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have made more time to visit her and get to know her.

3. Do you have any heroes?

A few.  Traagien of course, for his bravery and perseverance in destroying Ciarrohn once before.  Most Tanaan dragons look up to Traagien since our race was modeled after him, when the Crimson King set a curse upon our kind.  I guess those humans who had been cursed to be dragons for the rest of their lives found some solace in resembling the single dragon who had defeated Ciarrohn before.  I guess it’s our way of holding onto hope.

Another hero of mine is Hroombra of course.   Without his patient guidance I would have been lost several times over.  Besides, he helped me to understand Jahrra more than I would have been able to accomplish on my own.

4. In The Awakening, we learn that you head the Coalition for Ethöes, an elite group of dragons and other beings that make it their goal to plan and prepare for the day they’ll be needed to help restore the world to how it was  before the Crimson King gained power.  Have you always wanted to be a leader, or was it something that fell into your lap?

I was never expected to be much of a leader, but life seldom paves an easy path for those who walk it.  Fortunately, when I realized that my role in restoring Ethöes would be greater than I had first thought, I had someone to help guide me along the way.  Although I don’t feel absolutely sure of where I’m heading, I at least feel a little more confident in my chosen path.

5. In the first chapter of The Finding, we learn that you have been searching for the promised human child for centuries.  Can you describe what it was like when you first realized your search was over?

Exhilarating, terrifying and miraculous, all wrapped into a single emotion.  I can’t really describe it.  I had been searching for Jahrra for so long that I had started simply going through the motions; arriving at a location after learning a human child had possibly been found and not even bothering to give the infant a second glance.  But for some reason, Jahrra was different.  Although I had a hard time believing it, there was something about her aura, a life force too powerful to be contained in such a young infant.  It felt like my scales were standing on end for a good week after deciding she was the one.

6. In The Beginning, you arrive in Oescienne just after Jahrra has won a prestigious horse race.  It was clear that you were very angry with her for lying to her mentor, Hroombra, but did you feel any pride at all?

I’ll admit it, I was extremely angry with her, but it wasn’t truly her fault.  If I remember correctly, the reason I had rushed to Oescienne was because of some worrying information I’d received from other members of the Coalition, information that suggested she might be in trouble.  To arrive at the Castle Guard Ruin and learn no one knew where she was was tantamount to a lance being driven through my heart.  My anger at her was a result of her terrifying us all to death.  But I had also never been more proud.  Unfortunately, my fear and anger burned too fiercely to let any of that pride show.

7. Jaax, you are really good at putting on a harsh face and hiding your emotions.  How have you become so good at this talent and are there ever times where you feel that your mask is slipping off?

Years and years of practice.  In my line of work, one cannot afford to betray a stray emotion.  If the enemy can read you, then you might as well just tell them what your weaknesses and strengths are.  I fear that perhaps over the centuries I have become too good at being harsh and cold at times, but if that’s what it takes to keep Jahrra and the Coalition safe and to meet our end goal, then I will continue to do.

Have I ever felt the mask slipping?  Yes, but usually only when I’ve gotten into another, let’s say heated discussion, with Jahrra.

8. At the end of the third book, we learn that you and Jahrra must once again flee from a place that has become a home for the both of you.  Can you give us any clues as to where you are heading and what we might expect from you and your ward in the next book?

Of course, I cannot predict the future.  You would have to ask a Mystic for that.  What I can promise is that we will head further north, into the mountains, our final destination being Nimbronia, the great frozen city of the Creecemind dragons.  And although I can’t tell you exactly what to expect, I can promise there is a very high possibility of several more arguments arising between Jahrra and I.  Fortunately, we’ll have Ellyesce to help act as a mediator.

9.  And finally, if you and Jahrra manage to defeat the Crimson King, do you think the remaining Tanaan dragons will become human once again?

That is a hard question to answer, because I fear I don’t have the expertise or knowledge to answer it properly.  I hope that is what will happen, but I cannot say for certain.  Ciarrohn wields dark magic, and with curses formed from such magic, one can never know how the curse will be broken or if it can be broken at all.  I only hope that Ethöes will keep her promise, as she has with Jahrra and that when this is all over, the Tanaan prince of Oescienne will be restored and Ciarrohn’s evil will be purged from our world forever.

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If you would like to read Jaax and Jahrra’s story, you can get the Legend of Oescienne books from amazon.com in paperback and ebook format, and from barnesandnoble.com in ebook format.

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If you have an ereader other than a Kindle or a Nook, you’re in luck!  The Finding (Book One) is currently FREE from smashwords.com and is offered in many different electronic formats for the ereader of your choice.  It is also FREE for the Nook on barnesandnoble.com

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Thank you for reading this interview with Raejaaxorix, a character from the Legend of Oescienne series!  If you would like to read more interviews of the other characters from these books, send me an email at jejoescienne@yahoo.com