I've always loved dragons, ever since I first picked up a copy of Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey. At some point I started to develop my own idea of what dragons are - less lizard and more air elemental, great spirits of magic and mystery. These dragons are hoarders, true, but also curators and archivists; their collections are specific and lovingly tended. They are shapeshifters, and choose to be somewhat humanoid in their dealings with humans, as that is more convenient for whatever meddling they want to get up to. They bring magic into the world by their very existence (in much the same way that good stories do).
Of course, dragons are their own mythology, and they are regarded differently throughout the world. In western folklore they are often seen as terrible beasts who steal virgins and burn crops and eat livestock. In eastern folklore they are more likely to be friendly or helpful spirits. In either case they come into the epic tale, bringing a might and magesty that you don't find with pixies or dryads or even unicorns, for the most part. Dragons have bigger tails, erm, tales. The Aurelian is a creature of epic battles, mischief, and an age of history beyond human scope... and yet she dips a wing into this handful of pages about Rukmini, who wants nothing more than a peaceful life as a librarian and researcher.
Stories, like dragons, can shift their shapes unexpectedly. But as humans, especially as authors, we also have choices in how we shape our own stories, whether we tell them as epic adventures or quiet reflections. We may not always control the narrative, but we can choose our focus, and sometimes the details we latch onto make all the difference between tragedy or comedy, laughter or tears, loss or learning. May you curate your library brilliantly, whatever shape your stories take.
Interesting! Thanks, Rachel!
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1 comment:
Great story! I want more of them in that world you've built.
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