Stellar

I don't know if there is any precedent for wyverns acting differently than dragons towards humans. One thing is for certain; they are generally regarded as smaller, and usually lacking the front limbs. Fire or poison breath is optional, depending on the author.

This particular dragon isn't that safe to scratch along the belly unless you are eager to risk your hands! Think of a cat, only one with jaws enough to remove offending limb instead of just giving a scratch. Thank you! I am glad you are enjoying Spirit of Fire.

Cassie, thanks for the shout-out. ❤️

Oh, I think we indeed do know of two that fit the description Having said that, I'm not sure I'd call what Torsten discovered this chapter a 'prophecy' so much as just as crucial secret known only to the seers. However, it must be noted that the prophecy and this new information are not necessarily mutually exclusive. They very well COULD be, but have you considered the possibility of the prophecy coming true AND the war ending through Araziah and Torsten's efforts? There are many possibilities! Don't discount anything! Glad to see you enjoyed the ancient history lesson. The feel of it should be quite stylised and metaphorical, as it is a mythical retelling at this point.

Awesome, thanks for saying so! I aim to keep people thinking, and in suspense.

Well, it's certainly possible for dragons to masquerade as people, as we well know, but who says said earth dragon will be willing? Thank you so much for commenting on each chapter! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

Thanks for commenting and I'm glad you have been enjoying it!

Agent Crawley was using dragon blood to 'power up' the glove weapon he created. As you have surmised (and would subsequently see) your comments are completely relevant to why Sebby was there!

Chapter 14 is available!

The first thing I noticed when I woke up, was that I was lying on my back. Unusual because I normally slept on my side or my front. Face-up felt weird and a little uncomfortable; unnatural and difficult to get to sleep. Not today, though. The second thing was the realisation that I wasn't alone, and the memory of why. Pressed against my side, right arm draped over my chest, right leg drawn up and across my middle, his head on my shoulder in the crook of the neck, Sebby was cuddled as

Hah, well, you know I wouldn't exactly call Crawley a hero by any stretch of the imagination. For his character, I'd describe him as possibly being an amalgam of various film noir detectives with their overdone cynicism and associated vices and flaws, along with more modern stereotyped video-game throwbacks -- take elements of Tex Murphy and Max Payne for example, with their bleak but often darkly humorous outlooks. Still, the most pointed sources of Crawley's characterisation come from a sort of combination of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett; two masterful authors, and creators of many bizarre and memorable fictional personalities. They are Dirk Gently, the titular character from Adams' two related novels, who is also a PI with connections to the occult -- and Crowley (the naming similarity is NO coincidence!), from Good Omens, who is a literal demon that's been wasting time on Earth since the early days and is more interested in enjoying himself than spreading evil and bringing about the end times. Combine Dirk's jadedness and quirks of personality with Crowley's love of sunglasses, predilection for driving a Bentley (or since it's the USA, a Cadillac), and his fine cheekbones, add a pinch of Stellar's inventiveness, marinade in whiskey and cigarettes for at least three hours, and you get ... Agent Crawley! The voluminous Trenchcoat of Many Pockets is just standard business dress for our intractable agent. The things stocked inside it come from many sources -- gadgets borrowed from the Order, S&W ammunition, cigarette packets, money, hip flasks, sunglasses, pens, paper, notebooks, a cellphone, draconic baubles for special missions, Infinity-Gauntlet dragon-slaying gloves -- and are all necessary tools of the trade. He wouldn't be without his jacket, just like he wouldn't be without his fedora or his Colt Diamondback. Crawley is a man of particular tastes, and nobody can instruct him otherwise.

Perhaps I need to leave a warning somewhere that my writing tends towards complex nuanced storytelling that may take a while to fully make sense. With regard to 'good' and 'bad', I'm of the firm belief that, whilst there may be some characters who can easily be classified as such, the majority will be some intermediate shade of grey, with corresponding flaws and foibles based upon their motivations and intentions. In any case, I'm glad the re-reading helped you clarify! There's plenty left to come after this (six more, at the time of this writing) with new chapters in production, and if you should misunderstand anything, or if the detail is confusing, please remember you can ask any questions in the comments here, or in the Spirit of Fire discussion thread on my forum if you choose. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Thank you! I love that you found it so compelling. The following chapters are under production, hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next one.

Ah, Crawley, ever the trenchcoat-wearing PI. His cynicism goes with that territory, though when it comes to dragons? He has never been a fan, and has quite a list of disparaging terms for them. Even Sebby's charm can't make a dent in that. Thank you! I aim to entertain.

Thank you so much for your compliments and taking the time to comment! I'm thrilled you are enjoying Spirit of Fire.

Thanks! We'll never know exactly what would have happened had Theo stayed around, except that, according to Araziah, it couldn't have ended well for Torsten. While you can certainly see that there might be something like a love triangle developing, your supposition is a good one. Do the two dragons mutually feel this way about the most salient point of that triangle -- Torsten? It's clear there is a mutual attraction between him and the air dragon, but the relationship with Araziah is a little more ... indistinct. What's going to happen there?!? And, yes, Sebby is a nonagenarian, though, you must realise that while 90+ years old may be a lot for a human, he's still a young dragon. Settling down and mating most probably hadn't entered his mind before his encounter with Torsten.

Chapter 13 is done.

She was waiting. Gun raised and trained on the door, Natalia crouched, ready. Her arms were steadied on the nightstand's edge, the furniture moved next to the bed for cover. Her knuckles were white, and she was afraid, but she stayed focused, her attention not leaving the door for a second. Around the handle, a faint circle was beginning to glow yellow. It was changing colour; orange, then brighter, to a red, the circumference beginning to char black. Something was heating it, fr

Thanks! Glad you're enjoying it! Sorry to say, but the Dagenith won't be making an appearance in Mirrorvale any time soon. It's a bit far from home for them, and I don't think they have a lot of experience dealing with dragons

Unfortunately, Theo is, in fact, properly dead. His spirit has returned to nature and become one with the element that birthed him. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news! Though I will say that I understand your disappointment; Theo was a sympathetic character, whereas Sebby is still probably too new to have much of a concrete opinion on and Araziah? Well, I don't deny it -- he isn't meant to be easily likeable. I don't know if I'd call him a douche so much as an ass, and not the fun kind In time though, perhaps you'll see him differently? Maybe. You'll have to let me know!

The volcanic devastation on Hawaii is fairly impressive but one must not forget that it's an island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Now that's a lot of water. Next chapter, you will discover Natalia's fate.

Araziah's motives may become a little more explicit in the next chapter. More to come on that! Water is a powerful influence and its magic has some unique properties that the other elements do not. The Tempest is, without doubt, a force to be reckoned with.

Sebby did say he was tracking Araziah to stop an alliance with the Conclave, previous chapter. It's a safe bet his presence at the Barents-Whitehouse building was not coincidence. Though, he does seem quite interested in Darren's blood. Hmmm. In this instance, 'cousins' is not a reference to the earth type, as they are not about to help the Conclave destroy the world -- the Spirit of Earth was a reluctant party to the original banishment after all -- so they aren't about to rejoin the whole messy conflict without a very good reason. Instead, 'cousins' here refers to his and Nero's blood cousins; the literal children of a parent's sibling. Why this involvement might be risky, I leave to your imagination.

"Me?" I was slipping again, falling behind in the race I'd been running with reality. The goal of understanding what was going on seemed to keep moving ahead, always that little bit faster than I could chase it. "How? Why?! What is this ... place?" The glow faded from Triskeleth's eyes, and she blinked once, before drawing in a deep breath. "I had imagined many possibilities, but I will admit this one did not enter my consideration. Come closer, Torsten. Sit with me. I will tell you what I c

Here's Chapter 12. Ugh, I'm sorry it took so long!