Beneath Ceaseless Skies #394, November 2, 2023

“The Dying Lover of Nogorod” by R. K. Duncan

“Something That Has Never Touched the Ground” by Marilyn Hope

Reviewed by Mina

“The Dying Lover of Nogorod” by R. K. Duncan reads like a legend or a ballad, with echoes of Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed that it weaves poetry seamlessly into the narrative. Basalt is a master wizard who is supposed to call and slay a dragon to earn wealth and marriage. For years, he refuses to ride the winds in search of a dragon to kill. Another wizard, Osprey, is obsessed with him. But Basalt is kind in his strength and cannot love such a cruel man. Secretly, Basalt is in love with one of the dragons whose name he has learned. Furious at being rejected, Osprey steals the name of the dragon and flies out in his bone chariot to slay it. Basalt gives chase: he must stop Osprey and he wishes to give the dragon a different choice. Such is this tale about dragons in the wind who take form only when summoned by name. Dragon hunting is likened to whale hunting but, unlike whales, dragons fight back.

“Something That Has Never Touched the Ground” by Marilyn Hope is achingly sad. The podcast was so well read, I burned my porridge whilst listening to it. The structure is that of an arrow being let loose and it is a beautifully crafted tale. Rang climbs high to set Sunder free. Sunder can invoke plants and, in his happiness with Rang, the land becomes fertile. Rang “believes in a corporeal actualization of paradise, a faith that guides his thoughts and conduct.” But the king, wanting Sunder’s power for himself, murders his family and forces marriage on him. Rang has two powers: he cannot weep but he can make it rain, and his arrows fly straight and true. I dare you not to get misty-eyed at the last line. The ending reminded me of Amy Lane’s Immortal but that is good company to be keeping.