Friday, June 19, 2015

Friday Snippet - Steampunk Short

And it's Friday again!  Here's a snippet from something I'm working on. 

First draft.  Please don't copy or re-post.

Mary is aboard a steamboat.  In this world, people use dragonets to create steampower.  This snippet is related to the one from last Friday.


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A rowboat carrying three people angled toward the Celeste from the east bank.  As she watched, someone held up a sign and started shouting.  She could make out the words, Save the Dragons!, on the sign.  Mary held her breath as the steamboat rolled on, causing the small rowboat to tip dangerously in its wash.

“Fools,” she heard behind her, and turned to see Court standing nearby.  He glanced at her.  “Do they think the dragonets stand a chance in the wild, what with the direhawks from England taking over the wilderness cliffs where they breed?  There are fewer wild dragonets every year.  Letting Thia and Thalia go would be like giving them a death sentence.”

“Thia and Thalia?”

Court gave her a speculative look, then said, “Would you like to see?”

He led her down to the hurricane deck and amidships, where he opened a door into the interior of the steamship.  The engine room was noisy, and they had to nearly shout at each other to be heard.  The big walking beam engine dominated the space.  He led her to a quieter room, with glass observation windows. 
Mary looked through the windows and saw another man with a wizard’s mark standing in a room that contained two large boilers.  Two dragonets the size of small dogs zipped around the space and danced around the man like an orchestrated dance troupe. 

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