Cages and Caverns 14
By DrakeZephyr -- Report
In a way, a relatively abrupt end. but for now anyway, an end to this story chain.
Something new and cute next month, quite a different vibe but hopefully to your liking
(I've also been made aware Jason's friend's name, may bet mixed up between chapters, not sure how I let that through, but... yeah)
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Posted by Kasra 4 days ago Report
And so it wraps. A measure of stability has been reached and, of course, Afriera still refuses to release Rolf from her service. He has definitely had an effect on her, she never would have even given a second thought to keeping William otherwise.
Afriera has probably also had an effect on Rolf, of course, but that's something closer to giving him ulcers.
It's been a heck of a journey. Great work on this series, and I'm looking forward to the next.
Posted by DrakeZephyr 4 days ago Report
Glad it's been enjoyed. I'm hoping the next will be interesting. It's a little differently toned than some others, kinda chasing a new, possibly brief obsession. Not 100% sure how long it'll be
Posted by MMPluc 4 days ago Report
I mean, my thought is being friendly is the way to go. Less issue with dragon slayers unless they are of the religious kind. Then there is nothing to sway them. Plenty more meat on cows and other creatures and much less complaints from such, than eating humans all the time. At least that is the way I see the dergs I play as or write of.
Posted by DrakeZephyr 4 days ago Report
To be fair to Afriera, she has hang-ups about being raised by humans, and is something of denial about her role in their world. So she channels that dysfunction into a complex about being dominant over them. It's not exactly a healthy mindset she has, but it's what she's grown into
Posted by magicboy13 4 days ago Report
And so the end has finally come. Abrupt it was... you even made it feel more so because of that short time skip towards the end.
I guess the guy who came for Afriera at the very end isn't just related to a previous servant she'd eaten but also the one she ate while she and Rolf was walking in the forest? A fitting end for him. What was he expecting to happen, facing a giant, man-eating dragon alone with a simple dagger? At the very least, her stomach got another human to digest right when she was hoping for one of her... clients... to seek full retention.
Anyway, the open-ended conclusion was nice and clean. Rolf and Afriera's relationship had developed greatly from how it was at the start. Now she's aiming to win him over like the rest of her admirers. There's still a hint of danger in the long run, either from being discovered by or eating the wrong person or from the unnamed dragonslayer learning about the digestive demise of his majordomo.
Overall the story was great from start to finish. I got thrown off a little by the manor lord's sudden death and the resulting shift in the story's tone, but even when things came back to have some degree of predictability, Rolf's remaining a "normie" much like the characters in your other stories combined with your writing style kept me engaged. I'll enjoy rereading this every so often, just as I do with your other works. :3
Also... she's a red dragon!? Damn, I love red dragons. :3 Such a classic color. Are her eyes green too? It'd be another classic pairing.
Posted by DrakeZephyr 4 days ago Report
I feel like I normally assign a colour of scales early, then forget to mention it ever again until, I realise I haven't given them a full description for a while.
The manor lord aspect was very much meant to be a sudden, shocking change of tone as a catalyst for her growing as a dragon.
I will likely try to return to them when I feel a bit more motivation and direction. The whole, section in this town was a little faster than I'd planned but, I was flagging a bit on this one.
Admittedly, for every character who is as, admiring of dragons as many readers, I find more amusement in the main lead being decidedly not interested, because it allows for some contrast and banter
Posted by magicboy13 4 days ago Report
Heh, just keep writing what you like to write!
The stuff I've written and posted on here are mainly for indulgence, though I also find amusement in exploring the reactions of bystanders/friends of characters who either admire the dragons from the start or unlock said admiration through some random encounter... especially if said dragon still eats people but keeps one specific person "off the plate" so to speak.
We all have our thing. :P