Short Stories
The Wyvern and the Dragon
Crunchy with Chocolate
WolfSinger Publications 10/04/2021
It has been said that one should never meddle in the affairs of dragons—for you are crunchy and taste good with chocolate.
Come enter the dragon’s lair and roll the dice. Within these pages you will still meet some of the biggest, baddest predators ever—but if you are lucky, you will also discover some that have a sweeter side.
Meet a dragon with a soft spot for hard luck cases and another who is a hopeless romantic.
Enjoy a musical battle between a dragon and the specter of one of the greatest guitarists to ever play.
Meet a dragon in trouble with other magical creatures because he enjoys hanging out with human children.
Join a mother and daughter and their teams of dragons on a dangerous cross-country race.
Reconnect with an imaginary friend – who is not so imaginary and escape the isolation of the pandemic.
And more…
So enter in BUT tread carefully—remember you are crunchy and taste good with chocolate.
Featuring stories by:
Beth W. Patterson, Miriam Thor, Joyce Frohn, Cara Brezina. Allison Rott, Rose Strickman, Mary Jo Rabe, Gustasp Irani, Birgit K. Gaiser, Gwen C. Katz, Gerri Leen, Austin Roberts, Annie Percik, L.H. Davis III, Gregg Chamberlain, Barbara G. Tarn, Sally Jo, Fred Phillips, Mabel Ginest, Karen G. McCullough, Mark Bruce, Claire Davon, Kevin David Anderson, S.H. Mansouri, Samuel Poots, Ken Goldman, Jean Martin
Excerpt
The dragon soared over the ship, its scales glinting green in the sunlight.
Corsud surfaced to breathe, pausing for a moment on top of the waves, and watching the drama. Terrified humans ran along the deck of the craft, pointing to the sky. The dragon belched a gout of flame, leaving smoke trails in its wake. It wheeled on its tail and came back. If there had been any hope it was simply passing by, that was dispelled by the turn.
Corsud’s grey hide was drab. Like him, it paled in comparison to his larger cousins. Even if the emerald dragon spotted him, Corsud doubted he would care.
That was how it went with his bigger kin. Wyverns did not need their corresponding element to be whole as the dragons did, but neither did they gleam like the bigger beasts.
Corsud ducked under the water before the dragon could detect him. The dolphin pod that was nearby swarmed the area, chittering to one another. The sailors had been feeding them morsels their entire journey, causing both the pod and Corsud to follow.
Now the ship was doomed.
None of the local sea animals had the ability to take on the scaly, four-legged, fire breathing beast. He had two legs to the dragon’s four, and a fish tail where the dragon had a huge, barbed thing. He could barely fly on his meager wings. In addition, he could not be out of his element for long. It was absurd to think he could fight such a monster. He would be defeated in no time.
The dragon shot past, flame drifting behind him as he flew. He turned as soon as he passed and came back. He repeated this, each time the arc growing smaller. On the dragon’s next pass it would be close enough to set the masts on fire.
His powerlessness beat at him. He was only one wyvern and could not rescue an entire boat. Perhaps he could get a few to safety, but even that was questionable. More likely they would go into the sea and drown or be eaten by sharks.
The dolphin pod was nowhere in sight. He couldn’t blame them. He should do the same, but something kept him there. These sailors had been kind to him when nobody else had. He was an unneeded wyvern, with no clutch, and no friends to call his own. It was hopeless—but he was the only thing standing between the men and disaster. He was a lone wyvern, and would not be missed if he failed.