When I woke up this morning, it was plainly evident to me that something wasn't right. Whereas I woke up yesterday feeling rather spry, today I felt like I'd been hit by a couple skiers, a sumo wrestler, a forklift, and maybe a couple of birds.
In other words, today was the day when coming off that prednisone started not only to look like a bad idea, but it started to feel like one, too.
It could have something to do with the forecast, which says we're supposed to get smacked with a thunderstorm at some point in the near future. Without the prednisone, I am now at the mercy of the weather.
I have to live like this for two weeks now. The doctor has gone on vacation next week, so this means I will be swallowing a lot of ibuprofen in the next little while.
So, every little sneeze, cough, and twitch of the weather in the next little while is going to set my internal alarms off. Everything depends now on what the atmosphere decides to do now. Let's hope to hell it'll be sunny for the next two weeks (fat chance.)
Oh, I did get a review on Writing.com for that story I posted (link to follow) and it was from some person who apparently considered themselves an expert on dragons. They were furious that I had peasants going after a dragon, attempting to kill it. Here's the real review below, and I apologize ahead of time for my blatant rudeness.
LINK TO STORY: http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1442960>
While this was well written, the story itself seemed totally improbable.
NOTE FROM ME: Wizards and dragons and you're calling this improbable?
You have a LARGE dragon, that breathes fire, and is covered in armored scales, and flies, and the sorecerer is on the dragon's side.
Soooooo what is such a creature going to fear from any number of peasants? And if it felt somehow threatened from peasants, it could simply fly away.
NOTE FROM ME: It could, but what if this is the dragon's territory and it doesn't want to fly away? Maybe she has a nest nearby.
And I think the dragon has every right to fear the peasants as peasants in past stories have usually been the ones to kill off the dragon, at least in the stories I read.
If this were "real life" such a creature would be an omnipotent 'god' that could exterminate all of mankind on a whim if it wished. This is why dragons in real medieval dragonslaying art are seldom larger than a goat. Why? People back then had enough sense to know that no man or even saint could kill a dragon much larger than that. In fact, medieval people were terrified that the enormous Seraph-dragons would be released from heaven to devour the wicked on judgement day, as sculpted on most medieval churches. They certainly didn't believe dragons were extinct, they dreaded the day they would be released by God to punish the wicked.
NOTE FROM ME: This particular dragon was just described as large. I never said how big large was. Large could be the size of a cottage. Large could be the size of a terrier.
This dragon also wanted nothing more than to live in peace and quiet, to eat its fill when it wanted and where it wanted without being oppressed. Any being deserves that sort of respect.
So good old St. George killed a goat-sized dragon? Why, then are most dragons so damn big in the stories?
And by the way, this story wasn't set on Earth (though I didn't really say that, but whatever) so medieval means something entirely different to these people.
The idea of a bunch of peasants off to slay a large fire breathing, scale-covered, flying dragon is completely ludicrous, as is virtually every dragonslayer story, if one simply looks at the capabilities of such a creature in a realistic, intelligent manner.
NOTE FROM ME: Have you ever noticed how many peasants were in that mob? No, neither did I, because you don't know how many there were. It could have been ten. Could have been 70. In any case, determined humans who want to kill such a being will do so, regardless of numbers.
And if you're looking at the capabilities of this dragon in a realistic sense then you're looking a wee bit too hard at this story. DRAGON. NOT REAL. FICTION.
The idea of this story was not to focus on the dragon, or the peasants, or the wizard. It was a focus on how this dragon's ancestors had been friends with the humans, who had used it for flight and other things. But when the humans had figured out how to do it for themselves they no longer required the dragons. They started encroaching on their territory, taking the land for themselves. They pushed the dragons back and back until they were killed or starved or whatever. Now at this point, there is only one female left.
The dragon has done what any carnivorous beast would do when their home has been taken over-they hunt in the same area as before. They take what they can get. This one took sheep and other livestock in a desperate attempt to feed herself. As was to be expected, the humans got mad. Forgetting all the times that the dragons had helped them and been their friends, forgetting that she was the last one, they went after her with pitchforks.
The wizard is the one being who stands up to the villagers and he dies in the attempt, but before he dies he seals that last dragon into a pendant and curses the magic to drain slowly out of the land until the people learn to handle their natural gifts with care and appreciation.
Make your dragon the size of a goat, and without wings, and just maybe the bunch of peasants would work up the courage to try and kill it, though they probably pray for a saint to come instead...
NOTE FROM ME: Work up the courage? A human mob bent on destruction is lacking in many things-brains and individuality for a start-but one thing they are not lacking in is courage. They are drunk on it, besotted with it. Personally, I think it's what makes them most dangerous.
And if they're praying for a saint, they should go for GEORGE. Because he slayed a dragon, and he was one guy. Chew on that for awhile.
Ta,
Bec
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