I had the pleasure of illustrating a scene from @parttime-creative's novel with her characters Xiadia, Thearis, her dragon Bateia, and a resident lake serpent! I love painting dragons and scenery so I had a blaaast. Close ups Here. And read an exclusive excerpt from this scene of the book under the cut!
Of Gods and Lesbians: Serpents Rest
Written by @parttime-creative
The dragon was still happily splashing about when Xiadia noticed something. The lake looked strangely familiar. The way the shore was curved. The trees looming over the dark water, the ripples traveling over the now disturbed surface. It gave her a sense of dread. A feeling of déjà vu putting her on edge.
A distant memory awoke in her mind. Once, her tribe had rested at this particular shoreline, and what happened then was still sung about at campfires. A warning for future generations not to repeat the mistakes of the past - never to stop at ‘Serpent’s Rest’.
She felt her beast awaken, filling her veins with sizzling electricity. The shackles binding her to the tree trunk dug into her wrists, as she strained against her chains. She heard the wood behind her groan, but her chains didn’t move an inch.
The human was still wringing out her clothes, reprimanding the giant lizard with a voice Xiadia would only ever use with a toddler. The two of them didn’t notice the shadow below the lake’s surface coming closer. Xiadia called out, but her voice was still hoarse from the night before. She yanked on her chains. The shadow behind them stopped and then broke through the water's surface.
Her chains dug deeper into the tree and wooden splitters chipped off its trunk the moment the serpent's giant head rose above the dragon; its iridescent scales reflecting the evening sun in all the colors of the rainbow. Water fell from its open maw and drenched the girl once again. She exchanged glances with her dragon. They looked so sure, so full of themselves.
Xiadia saw how the dragonrider reached for her spear, watched how the dragon turned her head towards the serpent and called out as she saw fire collecting in its throat.
The lake was then engulfed in hot steam as the fire was immediately extinguished by a jet of water from the serpent's maw, which had more pressure than any waterfall Xiadia had ever seen. The last thing Xiadia saw was how the water hit the girl, catapulting her into the lake, her gleaming armor immediately pulling her under - and then Xiadia’s beast took over.
The wood burst fully when the serpent wrapped itself around the helpless dragon's body, torturing it with jet after jet of lake water. The dragon’s wings, which had been its biggest advantage over any earthbound creature, now turned into its downfall. The serpent had wrapped itself around them, giving the dragon no chance to take flight. Instead it fought desperately for dominance. The serpent tried to pull the dragon's head below water again and again. The dragon could only try to wiggle itself free to no avail, frantically trying to stay afloat. Time and time again, it summoned its fire, but every spark died quickly, to yet another jet of water.
Xiadia screamed. She screamed with the fury of a hunter who’s prey had just been stolen by another, and her beast screamed with her. When the tree behind her fell, her chains fell with it and Xiadia burst into a sprint. Her beast carried her across the lake. Forming steps of ice beneath her feet. On the way, her hands found the collar of the girl, pulling her above the surface. Her cold hands still wrapped tightly around the shaft of her spear, as if it was the only thing that would save her from the inevitable fate of drowning. Hot steam rose from the golden tip, evidence of the burning hot metal.
But Xiadia did not care.
Xiadia’s beast did not care.
All she cared about was the dragon.
This was her hunt.
Her prey.
Her kill.
And she would not let some run-of-the-mill snake steal it from her.
Her beast propelled her upwards. Her hands let go of the girl, who dropped onto the serpent’s back. The moment her feet touched the slippery scales, her spear sunk deep into the serpent’s body, its blazing metal melting the wet scales in a cloud of hot steam. The monster cried out, and its head turned towards the girl, razor teeth bared. Xiadia could hear the gurgling in its throat but before another jet of water could hit the girl, she too fell onto the serpent. Her palms pressed against its wet scales and her beast roared.
She felt her strength dwindling, as her beast sucked the life out of her hands in a sparkling display of powerful lightning.
The serpent screeched as the electricity shot through its body. And then it moved, loosening its grip on the dragon, who managed to finally wrestle free its wings. The leathery membraned wings stretched out and splashed onto the water, keeping dragon, rider, serpent and Xiadia afloat at last.
The girl shouted something, but Xiadia couldn’t understand it over the serpents roar as another jet of water hit her. She felt her body flying through the air, hitting the water like a marble floor. Air exploded out of her lungs and it was only due to her beast running wild, that she didn’t lose consciousness. The beast’s wrath immediately turned her pain into burning fuel, and the water catapulted her back onto the dragon. The red scales were slippery, but this time she managed to hold onto the girl’s spear, still buried deep in the serpent’s side as another jet of water hit them.
The hate, the disgust, the loathing dripped from the girl's voice and yet her hand held out her short sword for Xiadia to take. The querisari felt her face stretch into a grin. Her beast was laughing as she took the sword. It was nothing more than a toothpick for her, and yet she could feel the heat of the golden blade. Another jet of water hit them, and Xiadia stabbed the sword into the scales just in time before being blown off.
The girl said something, her face a mixture of utter panic and determination. Xiadia bared her teeth, a low growl in her throat. The girl shrunk several inches, yet she still held eye contact, her hand outstretched. Xiadia’s beast hesitated for just a moment, enough to catch the words the human said.
“Do it like you did it last time, ramhead.”
And Xiadia jumped.
It went in like butter.
The serpent roared.
Xiadia laughed.
Her beast growled in triumph.
From scaley curve to curve, wrapped around the dragon’s neck, and finally onto its head. With every jump, jolts of electricity shot through the serpent. From the dragon's snout, Xiadia called out while her beast roared inside her veins. The dragon hissed in unison with Xiadias call and the serpent opened its maw once again.
This time, however, it had learned its lesson. Instead of water Xiadia saw rows and rows of teeth shooting towards her. Only thanks to her beast’s reflexes she managed to evade the rows of certain death and plunge the embersteel sword into the serpent's gums. The monster screamed and Xiadia took her chance. Her beast dove into her veins and out of her fingertips. With it, came the power of a thunderstorm. A massive bolt of lightning hit the serpent's throat. Its scream was swallowed by the sizzling of burning meat, and the smell hit Xiadias nose like a brick wall.
For several long moments the lake was painted in flashing lights of blues and violets, a thunderstorm of colors, before her beast suddenly left her veins.
Xiadia could feel her grip on the sword slipping, and she fell only moments before the serpent's eyes rolled back.
Her body met the dragon’s and all she could mutter was “You’re next”, before the wave of exhaustion hit her like the serpent's water jets.
Every trace of her beast was gone, and her mortality took over once again. She didn’t even hear the serpent’s head hitting the water before the world around her went dark.
