by Jess C Scott
Praise for Jess C Scott
“[Please] keep up the good work . . . the world can certainly use some more authentic, original work like yours, rather than the same old re-packaged mass-market pulp.”
— TGirl Revelations / Bibrary.com, October 2010
***
“Ever since I came across Jess C Scott’s teenage blog novel, EyeLeash, I’ve known that some very talented writers will emerge from the epublishing revolution.”
— Joseph Grinton / October 2011
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PIETY
www.jesscscott.com
Copyright © 1995-2011 by Jess C Scott.
Cover design by Jess C Scott
Cover art by Fotosearch
https://www.fotosearch.com/CSP325/k3254724/
All rights reserved.
First Edition: October 2011
Summary: A 1000-word dragon-themed mini poetry collection by author/artist/non-conformist, Jess C Scott. “Piety” is the prototype for her London Underground Trilogy (forthcoming dragon-themed urban fantasy series; 2012).
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Author’s Note:
I own the website, www.dragonsinn.net — the following poems are in tribute to The Dragon (a symbol of excellence, and so much more).
These poems (and other excerpts by a bunch of talented poets/writers!) are available on my website @ https://dragonsinn.net/poetry.htm
-- Jess C Scott / jessINK
Table of Contents
+ Mini Poetry Collection +
Autumn
Red Dragon
Ravenous Appetite
Battle
Guardians
Dragons of Ice
Sleeping Dragon
Death Dragoness
Piety
The Steeple
[Haiku: The Dragon Set]
[Haiku: The Dragon Set .02]
+ [Guest Post: Blending Fantasy and Sci-Fi] +
PIETY
Mini Collection (Dragon Poems)
Autumn
Red and golden leaves
Swirl, caught in a dance as the
Dragon unfurls. An
essence of light and candor,
unbound by earthen
ashes as he rises to
the topmost branches
before he leaves and
all the trees will be
but
bare.
* * *
Red Dragon
Hue of life’s blood; the
Passion and fury beneath
Like molten lava.
* * *
Ravenous Appetite
A dragon, unfed,
Thrashing about in a rot
Iron cage. Unleashed.
* * *
Battle
Sky-high, blood and bone
The shred of wings - a fallen
Scream that marks the end.
* * *
Guardians
There was once a time when
They ruled our Earth
All the land was owned by them
The mighty beasts of Dragons.
Rulers of the seas and oceans
Kings of the Sky and Sun;
Queens of the Stars and Moon
They were the Guardians of the Earth.
Then came Man
Demanding and commanding
Driving them from all their dwellings
Into dark caverns to lie in.
The Dragons took flight as freedom was theirs
Where to, no one knows—but
Don’t the Sun and Moon still rise?
Don’t the waves still wash upon the shore?
If they had left our Earth for good
There’d be no sunlight
There’d be no rain:
Nothing would live again.
Until the day they decide to wake
To leave all Earth in the hands of
Man, always will the Dragons be
The Guardians of The Earth.
~ 1999 / first decent dragon poem / 12+ years old.
* * *
Dragons of Ice
The Moon becomes a
Silver sphere,
reflections in the water:
just as clear.
It’s snowing…
but time is
Frozen
Winds are howling
but silence rests
Unbroken.
A sudden
Surge revives;
its vibes know boundless
Power.
A solitary stare: he
Knows you’re there.
Stances are fixated
Yet souls intently move.
Affirmation
and honour is yours thereafter—
The dragon beckons:
The kinship is awoken.
* * *
Sleeping Dragon
To an eyeless mind -
a pile of dusty bones
To human carrion
a rotting carcass
A figure cast in stone
to desensitized bodies
A whimsical relic
to lost, wearied souls.
Lying undisturbed -
as peoples toss and turn
Soundly in wait
as cities crumble
The dragon sleeps
while worlds wage war
And awakes refreshed
when strife and pestilence
are no more.
* * *
Death Dragoness
Let her come to you...
The end is naught
But the real beginning
resist
and your soul will know
Unrest
let her find you
and you both will soar
beyond the deepest nights
beyond unconquered depths.
She’s pain and joy
intertwined
tears and dreams
personified
She’s never spoken
and yet you’ve known her—
who can understand
the meaning of her being?
Whosoever unlocks the
mystery
has sealed the fate of
forbidden
certainty
hence
proceed
and fly away!
Your heart’s yearnings
to be fulfilled;
Your spirit’s cries
to rest in sanctity.
* * *
Piety
Piety was inspired by a painting of a knight kneeling before a green dragon.
“Piety” | Artwork by Jan Patrik Krasny.
=====
The prince was deep in the heart of the endless forest.
He knew the dragon was near.
“She glows like a green crystal,” the town’s ma
gi told him.
“Get her before she gets you.”
The prince was ready with his quiver of deadly, mercurial arrows.
Mercury meant instant death to a forest dragon.
He couldn’t waste a single arrow—
and then he realized
that the forest had gone deadly quiet
and even the air was still with the chill of Death.
A warmth on the back of his neck
and there she was
with clear amber eyes
her whole body glowing:
the spirit and lifeblood of the forest itself.
The prince could release the arrow
straight into her eye
But Why?
And she toyed with his conscience
testing simultaneously, her own patience
The prince relented
Threw his bow and arrows upon the ground
Side by side
They were safe and sound
The townspeople took the prince for dead
When he never returned with the dragon’s head
When with her, he stayed
She thought he’d be too afraid
But he loved her too much instead.
# # # # #
The Steeple
This short piece was inspired by “Dark Spire”
Artwork by I-NetGraFX.
Written in Dec 2007.
=====
Perched high, drops of mercury fell upon her glistening back. All of life had come to a standstill, all of life was crowded onto a single point.
One claw teetered over the edge, right wing held out for some balance. She saw him, circling mid-air, silvery-black in the distance.
The city was depending on them. Here they were, leaving.
Let’s go, he cried out to her.
With a last look at the city they had spent the last 16 winters in, she took off into the starless, midnight amber sky.
Stay safe, she silently wished.
With them, Hope was gone.
# # # # #
[Haiku: The Dragon Set]
Author’s Note: I like to write haikus in sets, if I can. This came out a bit “weirder” than expected, but hey, I don’t dictate to the Muse...
1. Chemical Brothers
Of the same flesh and
blood. Immortality
is their Destiny.
2. Superlative
The day I flew with
The dragon was the day I
Became Excellence.
3. White Claw
A pint of dragon’s
blood and a claw - if you can
get them: Youth is Yours.
4. Here We Go
Dive from a hundred
Feet, from heaven to the ground
in Less than Zero.
5. How Does It Feel?
To be perceived to
Not exist, by humans that
Must at least taste good...
6. Tea With The Black Dragon
Is the answer in
the tea leaves, or the eyes of
Your draconic host?
7. The Dragon as Venus
The cool, seductive
Icy gaze belies the heart’s
Ferocious fire.
8. The Tattooed Girl
Kimono slipping
off her white shoulders to bare
her dragon backpiece.
9. -Love-
Physical distance
Is nothing a wide wingspan
Couldn’t overcome.
10. The End of the Millenium
The first crack appears,
He will soon have his first breath
Of shocking fresh air.
~ © Jess C Scott . Dec 12 07
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[Haiku: The Dragon Set .02]
Note: Deep Purple and NEW ORDER influenced!
1. Green Dragon:
Guarding your forests,
Waiting, observing, taking
Down lurking hunters.
2. Mist Dragon
Seeing all, drifting
Unseen, silent as air - she
Knows the world’s secrets.
3. Fireball
Unless you want to
Be snuffed out like a candle
flame - don’t anger him.
4. The Midgard Serpent
Devours itself,
In an eternal cycle
Of self-renewal.
5. Courtesan
Oh, she’ll have her way
With you, have you for dinner,
Then spit your bones out.
6. Smoke on the Water
A thin trail of grey
Smoke lingers above the lake,
As he star-gazes.
7. Crystal
Scales glistening like
Crystal; multi-shaded hues
Like a prism beam.
8. YinYang
A purple scent that’s
Made of 2 parts heart’s blood, and
2 parts dragon’s blood.
9. Regret
She has no regrets
Living her life of combat,
Valor, and hoarding.
10. Viking Longship
From yonder o’er
The high seas, fast encroaching:
Here Come The Dragons.
~ © Jess C Scott . Dec 12 08
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[BLENDING FANTASY AND SCI-FI]
The following guest post was originally published on 7 Dec 2010, courtesy of Jackie @ Literary Escapism.
Jackie: Today, I am excited to welcome Jess C Scott, author of the fabulously new fantasy novel, The Other Side of Life, the first book in a new cyberpunk elven trilogy.
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Blending Fantasy and Sci-Fi
Jess: My upcoming publication is an urban fantasy project titled, The Other Side of Life [Book #1 in the (Cyberpunk) Elven Trilogy].
It can be classified as:
Urban Fantasy / Cyberpunk / Elf Punk / YA with adult crossover appeal
It also includes a love story (which takes some time to build up; the characters “get to know each other” first), action/adventure, and a touch of philosophy.
Most of my work tends to blend and/or cross several genres. My first book was a blog/IM novel, a coming-of-age story set in the digital era (formatting the book was a nightmare!). My second book is a multiple-genre-crossing erotic short story collection. My third novel is part of a contemporary YA “seven deadly sins” series featuring a diverse range of cultural influences.
This latest project is no exception. While it is challenging to combine both fantasy and science fiction—which annoys some of the hardcore fans of each respective genre, in its classic, “undiluted” form—it is the adaptability of speculative fiction (which covers both fantasy and sci-fi) that I find really appealing. The genre allows for lots of imagination, relevance, and (perhaps demands for) clarity in both thought and language, to be able to present whole new worlds and ideas, to readers.
Cyberpunk is a derivative of science fiction. While my novel isn’t hardcore sci-fi, I invested quite a lot of time into capturing the soul/attitude of cyberpunk. This includes the aspects of counterculture and rebellion, the whole part about cyberpunk being “high tech and low life,” and the impact (usually negative) of technology upon humanity (and social interactions, by extension). George Orwell’s 1984 was a big inspiration.
As for fantasy, I’ve always been drawn to elves and dragons (I own the huge 11-year-old dragon website, https://dragonsinn.net). They both contain a timeless and majestic quality; they are the epitome of fantastical creatures which blend beauty, intelligence, and power. I thought it’d be a nice combination—to bring together the more ethereal and refined qualities of the fantas
y genre, with the tough realness and edginess and “now-ness” of cyberpunk. You’d get a sophisticated type of hybrid genre, if the elements were mixed correctly.
I might anger some folks, with my unrestricted merging and “cross-pollination” of genres. But I’d rather do that, than be accused of reusing/recycling/rehashing things that have already been done before.
After all, defying mainstream formulas seems quite typical of (cyber)punk.
SHORT SUMMARY:
A thieving duo’s world turns upside down when an Elven rogue uncovers the heinous dealings of a megacorporation.
EXCERPT:
Social status. Nin reacted with vehemence, to the words. A strict adherence to the laws of hierarchy didn’t seem to work for humans or elves. It always resulted in a stratified society marked by inequality, by differences among people that were regarded as being in a “higher” or “lower” class.
Nin dreamed of a utopia, where happiness was more important than financial gain, where both the human and Elven races took responsibility for their actions, and practiced peace and kindness because it was morally right, not because they were “following the rules.”
But he knew that was being too idealistic.
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About the author:
Jess is an author/artist/non-conformist, and an English/Business graduate of Adams State College.
About Piety, she says, “I’ve always liked the fantasy genre (dragons and elves, in particular). I like working in a range of other genres too, though I always focus on the storyline and characters. I favor substance over current fads and marketing hype.”
Jess is currently completing her cyberpunk elven trilogy. She enjoys the speed and efficiency of indie publishing, and thanks you for your support of indie authors.
Other titles by Jess C Scott:
EyeLeash: A Blog Novel (teenage memoir/sexting)
Porcelain (portfolio of written + illustrative work)
1: The Intern (Book 1 [Lust] in the Sins07 Series)
Fashion Icon (special edition)
4:Play (anthology)
AFF (Asian Factual Fiction)
Primal Scream (anthology)
The Devilin Fey | SVEN | Kylie (Naked Heat anthology)
The Other Side of Life
(cyberpunk elves trilogy; 2012)
London Underground Trilogy
(urban fantasy / dragon series; 2012)
And more on jessINK.
Connect with Jess Online:
Website: https://www.jessINK.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/jessINKbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jesscscott
E-mail: [email protected]
