Today’s teaser is from Dragon Friend: Leonard the Great, Part One
By Roger Eschbacher
Darkness. Moisture. Dripping. Warmth. Stench. Overwhelming stench. These sensations washed over Leonard as he became aware of his surroundings. He was lying on something that felt warm and moist, not at all unpleasant to the touch. His eyes could barely make out the edges of a dimly lit cavern with the usual stone walls and stalactites thrusting down from the ceiling like dragon teeth. Water dripped somewhere into a large pool, drops falling and echoing through the chamber for a full five seconds before dying out. And that smell! His nose just couldn’t get used to it. It was almost as if the cavern had been filled with decaying bodies and then sealed tight for a thousand years.
What happened to me? thought Leonard as he rubbed his forehead. His head was still propped up on the supply sack that Glennys had used as a pillow.
The last thing he remembered was being pulled down into the sand by something strong and unseen. Hubert and Glennys had tried to pull him out but couldn’t. His face slipped beneath the surface of the sand and then he lost consciousness. And now, here he was in a very smelly place. Leonard pushed himself up onto his elbows, wincing at the painful throbbing coming from the harpy wounds. Glennys’s medicinal herbs and soothing oils had done their bit to dull the pain somewhat, but wounds that severe would take some time to heal. Leonard imagined he’d be wincing for a while.
“Ah, I see you are awake,” said a melodic voice. “That is a good thing.”
Leonard looked over the dimly lit cavern but couldn’t see who was talking or which direction the voice was coming from.
“Who’s there?” said Leonard.
“I am.”
“Well, who are you?” said Leonard.
The cavern was silent for a moment. “You know, I believe I used to have a name—a real and proper name—but it’s been so long since anyone’s used it that I’ve forgotten what it was. Now, isn’t that embarrassing? What is your name?”
“Leonard.”
“Oh, now that is a real and proper name. Leonard. I like it. It rolls off the tongues with ease,” said the voice.
“Thank you. Um, where are you?” said Leonard.
“I am here.”
“No, I mean specifically,” said Leonard.
“There is very little ‘specifically’ when it comes to me. I am all around you. I am here. O ho! I just remembered what I am called by those above. It’s not my proper name, but it will do.”
“What are you called?”
“The Eater of the Dead. You may call me Eater, for short.”
Leonard wasn’t too sure if he was happy having a conversation with a being called “The Eater of the Dead,” although he was starting to suspect that this title might have more than a little something to do with the horrible smell in the cavern.
“Eater, may I ask you what I hope you don’t think is a rude question?”
“Please do. This is the first conversation that I’ve had in a long, long time so I’m quite willing to answer any questions you might have,” said Eater.
“Well—and again, please don’t take this the wrong way—but why does it smell so dreadfully bad down here?”
“My cavern smells bad?”
“You can’t smell it?”
“No. I’m afraid I can’t. What does it smell like?”
“Well…like it’s full of dead bodies.”
Eater laughed, and the ground beneath Leonard shook. Eater’s laugh was one of those infectious laughs that Leonard had to join in on, even though he didn’t quite know what he was laughing about.
“What’s so funny?” laughed Leonard with a nervous note in his voice.
“Behold!”
And with that the walls of the cavern glowed a bright orange, and Leonard had his worst fears confirmed. Everywhere he looked were old dried-up carcasses, and stacks of bones and skulls piled so high that at some places they reached the ceiling of the cavern. Mixed in with the bones were various personal items. Bits of clothing, golden goblets, swords, shields, and spears—the kinds of things that grieving loved ones and loyal subjects might have placed in the arms of the freshly departed. All items appeared to be of ancient design and making.
Leonard picked up a small bracelet near his feet. It was a beautifully carved line of insects, connected head to tail, and he thought that, even though it came from a dead person, it might make a fine gift for Glennys—if he ever got out.
“The reason it smells like it’s full of dead bodies is because it is full of dead bodies. That is not a bad smell to the Eater of the Dead, Leonard. That is a delicious smell!”
Dragon Friend: Leonard the Great, Book One
Dragon Friend is an epic YA Arthurian fantasy novel sure to delight readers with its unique blend of magic, dragons, and irreverent humor.
When the fate of Camelot rests in the hands of a lowly page, Leonard, he embarks on a daring quest to find the legendary wizard, Merlin, and rescue King Arthur from imprisonment. As he navigates a dangerous world of hungry monsters, wicked villains, and grumpy dragons, Leonard must use his wits to restore peace and honor to Camelot. Will he succeed? Read Dragon Friend to find out!
If you enjoyed The Princess Bride, The Sword in the Stone, and Excalibur, you’ll love Dragon Friend.
About the author
Roger Eschbacher lives in Los Angeles with his awesome family, a hilarious Border Terrier, and a grumpy Russian tortoise.
In addition to writing fantasy and sci-fi adventure novels, he writes TV animation for Warner Bros., Netflix, Cartoon Network, Hasbro Studios and more.
Roger’s YA space opera Ghost Star is a winner of the Kindle Scout competition and received a publishing contract from Amazon’s Kindle Press imprint.
Ghost Star and other books by Roger are listed on this page. Please buy lots and lots of them. 😊
Ways to learn more about Roger and his writing include:
