So, my Monthly Writing Prompt Challenge Story for September is now 12 days late. The reason for that is because it has ended up being over 20,000 words on it’s own, and since its the conclusion of last month’s story, this is actually a full on novel I am working with here. It’s taking a while to finish off. Fortunately it is basically done, but it really needs some editing. Even though I’ve already decided that I will revisit and expand this story after the monthly challenge is done, I can’t put it up in the state it is in.
I have decided that the best way to allow the story to be somewhat presentable whilst still delivering something good for everyone who has been following not just this story, but the whole 12 in 12 project, is to publish the chapters as I edit them. So with that, I present the beginning of my September Monthly Writing Prompt Story: Awaken. (Aka, Dragonslumber Part 2)
2026 Monthly Story Challenge #9
Dragonslumber Part 2 (Wordcount TBA)
By Jayde Holmes
Lacaan The Seventh
For years, Maake saw Lacaan and Omtaan dream of playing and working together. She never saw when those dreams changed from reflections of their lived reality to their deepest desires. The relationship between the two brothers had soured as they grew, and by the time Sereg died they hated each other.
As children they had discussed how they would run the empire just as their mothers had. They both claimed they’d do anything for the empire, and had made it a competition to see who could imagine the most terrible things they’d do for it. What little Maake knew of these boasts she approved of, though she wondered if things would have been different had they talked more about what the ‘good of the empire’ meant rather than what depraved things they were willing to do to for it.
Her concern was that there was one thing neither boy was willing to do for the empire.
Neither of them was willing to be a sleeping emperor.
Keep checking the website, and my Bluesky or Mastodon, because I’ll try and update every day until it is done.
If you are unfamiliar with Dragonslumber, it is a two part novel, that I wrote as part of a monthly reading challenge. First part is here. The challenge was supposed to help me write flash fiction, but worldbuilding is fun, so here we are. I’d like to apologise for letting this get so out of control and late, and I just hope that it is worth it. I’ve been having lot of fun writing this story, and I’m grateful for everyone who has been reading along.
As I said, I am going to revisit this novel after I’m done with the challenge, so feedback is welcome. What part of this story or world would you like to see expanded on? As happy as I am with how Dragonslumber has turned out, there is only so much that can be done in two months.
Thank you everyone who has been following along with these stories this year. I hope you have a lot of fun finishing Dragonslumber.
– Jayde
Jayde Holmes 