Here be Dragons. Day 15. A snippet of a happy dragon from Serving the Serpent.

Welcome to Day 15 of Here be Dragons.

With my new book Serving the Serpent out on Monday you only have a couple of days to get your 20% early bird discount, so if I were you I’d click the cover to order it now.

You can read Chapter 1 of Serving the Serpent up on the my books link.

Despite the fact so many dragon legends are filled with dangers to humans there are times when the dragons aren’t so very dangerous. Sometimes other thoughts are more important to them.

Here is a little snippet to show a happier dragon from my story.

“Now, boy,” Heren said. “Take up the shovel, and where I have marked the floor of the cave and scoured the surface, you dig.”
The lad wore a wide smile as he picked up the shovel and it certainly seemed as though his mood had lifted from the last few weeks when he’d spent so much time glowering and reading the old book. Leif stood spade in hand peering at the spot they’d discovered with the hollow echo beneath yesterday. He shoved hard with his foot on the top of the spade and thrust it through the roughened surface of the rocks with a ringing clang.
Heren smiled in satisfaction at the youth’s enthusiasm and nodded to the rhythm of Leif’s spade as the lad flung rubble and rocks to the side of the cave. Soon a sheen of sweat broke on Leif’s pink forehead.
Pausing briefly, Leif gave another grin. “Hot,” he said and tugged off the sweater he wore, the T-shirt too, and, bare-chested, back to work he went.
Heren gave his tail a swish. He hummed, and in unison with the Derskijoar’s shovel, he lifted his great feet too, his movements matching Leif’s and making the cave rumble. The rocks Leif dumped on the spoil pile changed color, grew darker, damper, with bigger pieces among the gravel. Encouraged by this, Heren sat back on his hindquarters at the entrance of the cave and clapped, but soon the lad would need help, and a break. The Derskijoar’s pale body was streaked with sweat and rock dust.
Heren leaned down and peered into the hole Leif had made, not too deep. He smiled. “I think we’re ready for some blasting now,” he said. “Stop shoveling and go sit outside for a rest. Don’t come back in until I call, boy.”
“Whooo,” Leif said and wiped his brow with his arm. “Thanks. It’s hard work. The pieces are so jammed together.”
He nodded. “I know. You have my thanks, and once I’ve stirred things around a little, you’ll find it easier.” He glanced to the cave mouth. “I’ll improve the access in here too,” he said. “Go rest.”
The lad ambled out with the shovel still in his hand.
“Take the bags, boy,” Heren called. “I don’t want things incinerated.”
Wide-eyed, Leif looked back. “No flaming, my lord, please. If you begin, you may not stop.”
“Rubbish. I’m perfectly capable of control.”

Thanks for reading.

Daisy Banks

Here be Dragons. Day 10. What do dragons like? And a personal comment.

 

Some events must be marked.

Vive La France.

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Day 10 of Here be Dragons.

What is it that Dragons like? As I’ve been looking into dragons so much recently and of course, while I wrote my dragon story, several things that dragons enjoy became clear. At least for Northern dragons I’m not quite so sure of the Eastern sort.
Northern dragons it would seem like meat. The devour sheep and shepherds, cattle and drovers, whole villages and towns, and most of all beautiful girls. They eat offered girls, ones who they stumble upon, and especially they like the taste of a ripe princess.
The earliest reference to this goes back to ancient Egypt, where Seth in the disguise of a dragon that looked just like a huge Nile crocodile, was set on gnawing his way through a lovely virgin princess. The spark of life Horus, in the guise of a huge falcon, prevented evil Seth from eating the wench. The crocodile god slithered off suffering from battle wounds and Horus tenderly embraced the grateful maiden. This kicked off a set of legends that romped on for the next millennium.
Along with woeful maidens, dragons like gold and jewels. Almost all the Northern dragon legends have a reference to gems and treasure. Dragons are hoarders and stockpile their plunder. They hide their loot away in their home roost or lair. They lounge on it; sleep curled up in it, and guard it jealously.

There is more than just this appetite lead gluttony. Dragons are thinkers who ponder the mysteries of the world. They are poets and dreamers. Their life span is beyond human imagining and they live for eons, unless they meet a determined warrior. I have to say it is this element of dragons I love best. The idea a creature could live so long and learn so much always makes me sigh. Of course there are drawbacks to such an extended existence but the lordly dragon overcomes them.

Many of the dragons of legend are male. There is not so much known of female dragons and when I wrote Serving the Serpent I wondered what things a dragoness might yearn for, desire, or be interested in. I had great fun trying out ideas as answers to that question.

Some of the answers I found might surprise you.

Serving the Serpent is availble for pre-order if you click the cover.

Tomorrow I’ll be writing for Sexy Snippets Sunday from my story in Sexy to Go 10. You’ll find more dragons here on Monday.

Thanks for reading.

Daisy Banks.

Here be Dragons. Day 1.

Here be Dragons.

Welcome to the first in my series of dragon posts. I hope these will help get you in the mood for the release of my new book, Serving the Serpent, published by Liquid Silver Books on the 23rd of November.

You will find dragon posts here each day this month except Thursdays when I have guest bloggers from the Paranormal Romance Tour and Sundays when I participate in Sexy Snippets. Saying that, Serving the Serpent is a sweet story suitable for all those young at heart.

My fascination with dragons goes back a long way. I think it began as I read Norse myths and legends as a child. The dragon motif seemed ever present and I always found it beautiful. I’ll be using some of those images in the blogs as they go on this month.
Seemingly, or at least as far as is presently known, the term ‘Here be Dragons’ was first used in the late medieval period. If you know of an earlier use of that specific term than 1503 please let me know. The words were accompanied by a little sketch of a serpent or sea monster as the phrase was used on early maps to denote places of danger. Some say the term refers to actual beasts, others say it was a general warning of places where difficulties could be expected for the adventuring crews who sailed and mapped the globe.

 

I find old maps like the one in the image fascinating. The cartographers in the past made exquisite creations to depict the world and of course, they only had the sea captain’s descriptions to work with.

Strangely enough modern sightings of flying dragons are not as rare as you might think. In the USA and in South America reports of gigantic winged creatures have been made in the modern era. In Wales in the early 1980s a rash of unexplained sheep deaths were blamed by some on a local serpent with a taste for lamb.
In the next few days I’ll be looking deeper into dragon myth, dragon lore and its international occurrences.
Do call back tomorrow to find out about the earliest known representations of dragons.

Available for pre order with a 20% discount as of today.

Click the cover to pre order your copy.

Chapter One of Serving the Serpent is up on the ‘My Books page’ for you to read. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know.

Thanks for reading.
Daisy Banks

Image attributions.

Dragon
Image ID : 23104292 
Image Type : Stock Vector 
Copyright : dvarg

Map
Image ID : 18731216 
Image Type : Stock Photo 
Copyright : Andrey Armyagov