Friday 18 January 2013

SFFS


Another part of chapter 2 from my novel Firstborn. And before you ask; yes I did just kill my main character in the second chapter of the first book of a 13 book series. Just sayin'.

Enjoy


The air in front of me popped and a Lizardman materialized out of thin air: this one was clearly different from the others. Its hide was a different shade of gray, lighter and milkier and its eyes shone yellow and were shaped like a cat’s, rather than a reptile’s. Its joints were more slender and its muscles more wiry, perfect for speed attacks. Its tail, which, according to the few depictions I’ve read, Lizardmen used as a sort of counter-balance to aid them walk on their hind legs, was shorter and stouter, as if its owner had evolved beyond the purpose of needing a tail. Its long snout was considerably shorter, as was its neck. But the real danger was the claws; the unusually straight, sharp claws it bore on each hand were serrated on one side.
 To my knowledge, none ever had serrated claws, or indeed any of the features that this particular specimen bore which, I realized with morbid horror, were self-inflicted. The monster’s crocodile smile widened and it dawned on me that this monster, unlike its primal brethren, was intelligent.
Then with a blur it plunged one clawed hand into my chest.
As I fell onto my knees and onto the ground, I thought, Did that giant gecko just chuckle at me?

16 comments:

  1. Great descriptions. Don't worry about killing off characters, especially in a sci-fi or fantasy story where one can find ways to bring them back. ;-)

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  2. Oh, sh!t, that's creepy. And awesome. I love, love, love the details and I was totally sucked into this snippet. I loved these lizardmen from the start, but an intelligent one? You've got me hanging on.

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    1. Thanks. Much appreciated. Nothing like a smart lizard to make you shake in your boots

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  3. I'm at Chapter 14...I won't say any more. :D

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    1. No spoilers!! You should be getting to the juicy parts soon

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  4. Death never kept a good character down.

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  5. Ooops. Lost your main character at this stage? Carelessness, I call it. I like the description of the lizardman - this is evolution at work. Great sequence.

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    1. I prefer to call it 'make Erik suffer for Ryan's amesement'

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  6. I love the last line - Giant Gecko indeed.

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  7. Well, that was unexpected! What a great build-up. I was NOT expecting that intelligence. GREAT!

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    1. Yeah. Smart lizard = fun times. Amusement for Ryan

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  8. That's gonna take more than a band-aid to fix... :(

    Great description of the giant gecko. And you have me hooked to find out what happens next!

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