Scaling the Stars: The Dragon of Lancaster
"You've learned the ground without falling, which leaves the sky. Every baby bird leaves their nest one day."
Scaling the Stars: The Dragon of Lancaster is a story about change. Madison Cantrell, a young trans woman living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, found little solace in the world around her. Fantasy films and their resulting daydreams saw her through the endless grind of dead-end work. One ordinary night, however, she learned of possibilities awaiting those that would embrace them. Is this new life the one Madison always wished for? Friendship, magic, survival and more unfold in a two-part fantasy series that follows Madison through her travels across Nereva and beyond.
This story began as a writing exercise inspired by Dave the Commoner. I intended to develop my skills of improvisation and normalize the simple act of putting words to paper. This work quickly took on a life of its own, becoming a project of much greater scope. The content on this page is considered the first draft of the story; the final version will be available upon completion.
To the brightest star in the night sky, the wildest heart I've ever known, the bearer of my own: this story is for you.
Chapter 1: A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Chapter 2: The New Abnormal
Chapter 3: String Theory
Chapter 4: A Student of Magic
Chapter 5: Different
Chapter 6: Perspective
Chapter 7: Possibility, Impossibility
Chapter 8: An Ideal World
Chapter 9: Gentle Souls
Chapter 10: Keepsakes
Chapter 11: Survivors
Chapter 12: The Road Less Traveled
Chapter 13: The Late Wheel
Chapter 14: Water
Chapter 15: From a Seedling to a Star
Chapter 16: Constellations
Chapter 17: Enigma
Chapter 18: Choice
Chapter 19: Freeboard
Chapter 20: Provenance
Chapter 21: The Word
Chapter 22: Fortitude
Chapter 23: A Frequent Haunt
Chapter 24: Life Debt
Chapter 25: Nerevan Values
Chapter 26: A Starry Night's Dream
Chapter 27: Drops of Rain
Chapter 28: Dreams
Chapter 29: Energy
Chapter 30: Turning the Tide
Chapter 31: Pattern Recognition
Chapter 32: Intrinsic
Chapter 33: Different
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