It's been a bit since I posted chapter 2 of my WIP on the Dragon Islands. A lot has happened since then. I've been going back and forth on the form this work is going to ultimately take. First, I thought it would be a single volume of short stories dealing with the history of the Dragon Islands, the world Eric and the Deliverers visit in book 3 of the Deliverers Series. Then, I thought that perhaps they would be more than short stories--perhaps novel published individually. There could be five, one for each of the five islands. That sounded like a pretty good idea.
So, I shifted focus to the name of the series. I started out with Tales of the Dragon Islands. As I began work on the first book, I decided that Dragon Island Legends sounded better. Okay, I had the series name all squared away. All I had to do was continue the first book and then start on the second. I was thinking of publishing one or two a year for a couple of years starting in 2026. Sounds pretty ambitious, right?
Yeah, maybe a bit too ambitious. At least the timeline. It might take longer to write, design, and produce five 200+ page novels in two and a half years. Besides, as I've been writing book one, I have come to the realization that it might only be 100 to 140 pages or so. That's not a novel, that's...a novella. Hmmm. I'd never considered writing one of those. Now I'm thinking the best way to go would be writing five novellas, each about one of the five islands. Some might be 140 to 150 pages, a couple might be 80 to 100.
Anyhow, I've come up with a title for the first story. I like Fire & Ice with a subtitle of A Dragon Islands Legend. I might need to rethink that last part--I could keep the series name of Dragon Islands Legends. We shall see. In the meantime, this introduction has rambled on a bit. If you're still reading, here's Chapter 3 of Fire & Ice.
Chapter 3
Madame Fru stared at the closed door for a long moment after the children had left, then walked around to the front of the desk. She adjusted the light of her lantern, lowering it until the room was in near darkness. Closing her eyes, she took several slow, deep breaths. Clearing her mind, she sent out her thoughts in a silent call.
In the semi-darkness, a cloud
shimmered before her. She opened her eyes slowly as the form took shape. With a
golden flash, the cloud assumed the form of a beautiful woman. She wore a crimson robe with a black
sash. Light shone from her golden skin.
Madame Fru bowed her head. “Oh most blessed mother, thank you for hearing my call.”
The golden lady smiled a benevolent smile and said, “Daughter, what troubles thee?’
“Two of the orphans from the northern Jongchin coast. They are unusually difficult to keep under control. They seem to fancy themselves Denchi, and continually slip out at night to climb about on rooftops, looking for mischief. It has been quite vexing.”
The golden lady chuckled gently. “Ah, my dear Frushella. They are children. Getting into mischief is what children do best.”
Madame Fru nodded. “Truly, but these two, I fear, are headed for turbulent waters. There is great sadness in the girl, and the boy…” The mistress of the orphanage sighed. “The boy has much anger within him. He is like a cask of vinegar left too long in the hot sun. I fear he will explode and set off something terrible.”
Ben approached the door to Madame Fru’s office. He was intending to ask about joining the Denchi one more time but heard voices as he approached. Carefully opening the door a crack, he peeked inside. There he saw Madame Fru and a strange golden woman deep in conversation. Neither seemed to have noticed him.
The golden lady frowned. “You could be right. I see two paths for him. One misstep could send him careening to disaster. You did well to call me. We must keep an even closer eye on him. In the morning, send him to the palace. It is time he learned the way of the Dragon.”
“It
shall be as you say, my lady. However, I doubt he will go anywhere willingly
without the girl. Their shared experience has made them almost like siblings.
The bond between them is strong.”
Again, the golden lady frowned. “This could be problematical. It will be harder for him thus. One who follows the ways of the Dragon should have no such ties. Still, he is young and things change over time. Yes, Frushella, send the girl along as well. We shall cross the bridge when we reach it. No sense in looking too far ahead, eh?”
Madame Fru bowed low. “It shall be as my lady requests.”
Nodding, the lady smiled. Then she frowned. “A time of great unrest is upon us. There has been a disturbance at the harbor. Two northern merchants were killed in the waterfront. To have northern merchants visiting to trade is rare, but much more common since the peace agreement. They were found dead in an alley with chirrel darts in their necks. Of course they had died instantly, so there was no chance to learn anything from them. It is most troublesome. Only one group uses chirrel darts. Unless they are brought to account, the new peace we have worked so hard to build will be in jeopardy.”
Madame Fru frowned. “So, the Denchi Assassins were behind the killings. What were they doing, and how did they come to be here in Dragon Home?”
“At the moment, that is unclear. The Denchi do not kill unless they have been hired to do so. Who hired them and why they would target northern merchants are questions to which we must find answers.”
“I pray that you do, my lady,” Madame Fru said. “And I pray that these tidings will not result in harm to the Islands.”
“I sincerely hope not,” the lady replied, “But now I must go. Take the children tomorrow morning.”
The golden cloud reappeared and enveloped her. Then with a flash, she was gone, leaving the old woman alone in the semi-darkness of her office once more.
Ben closed the door quietly and scurried upstairs.