The Cock of the South By C.S. Boyack
C. S. Boyack has a new book out called “The Cock of the South”. This is his first attempt at writing fantasy. It involves a group of conquered peoples banding together to ensure they have a place in the world. It is set in a Greco-Roman environment, rife with everything fans of those stories might expect.
Here is a little teaser. Cobby is the main character, and a Southern Dwarf.
I used a lot of fairytale structure in this story. This scene is the start of magical gifts from friends. Cobby just rescued a rooster from a tar pit. At least he thinks it’s a rooster. Someone just called to him from the twilight forest.
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Cobby slowly scanned the woods, but saw no one. “Is this your rooster?”
“Over here, in the crotch of the tree,” she said, “and it’s not my rooster.”
It was a fairy, no bigger than Cobby’s hand. She wore a blue gauze dress that left nothing to the imagination, and calf high sandals like his.
Cobby looked away.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like my dress?”
“I can see right through it.”
“Most boys like that best.”
Cobby looked again, she had the same dark complexion he did, with black hair. She was voluptuous, and possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
She turned around so he could see her wings and said, “Comfortable now?”
She had four clear wings on her back, like a dragonfly, but shorter and wider, like a bee perhaps.
“No,” he said.
“I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my day, but this is one for the campfire,” she said. “Strangers have been pouring into the marsh as the forests are all burned. We have many dwarves, but I’ve never seen any of them help a creature like him before.”
She stepped into the dying light as the first stars made their appearance. “I’m Iris, and who, Master Dwarf, are you?”
“C-Cobby.”
“That’s it, just Cobby?”
“Yes.”
“We like to know who’s tromping around in the marsh.”
“Would you like your chicken back?”
“He’s no chicken, he’s a cockatrice.”
Cobby dropped the bird’s neck and held his hand toward Iris. “Cover your eyes, my lady, he’ll turn us both to stone.”
Iris fell on her branch and laughed, a breathy sort of laugh that sounded like wind through autumn leaves. She made an adorable little snort at the end. “And how’s he going to do that, Master Cobby?”
“By gazing at us. Run away, fly away.”
Iris laughed again, harder this time. “I suppose you read that somewhere.”
“Yes.”
“Master Cobby, he cannot stare at us and turn us to stone. There are many kinds of wyrms in this marsh, and like all wyrms it’s his breath that kills.”
Cobby slid away from the cockatrice and backed toward Iris.
“What are you afraid of? He owes you a debt. Besides, he’s just a baby. Pit fighters call a similar rooster a stag. He won’t develop a breath weapon until he’s older. He hatched in a sand bar not far from here this spring.”
The cockatrice stepped forward and shook. Bits of tar splattered along the ground. He flapped his wings and crowed defiantly.
The tail was not matted rooster feathers at all, but that of a dragon. The tar covered wings were leathery and featherless, with a clawed finger at the crook. His head and neck were covered with ginger hackles that blended into the black feathers of his breast. A row of spines, like an iguana’s ran down his neck all the way to the tip of his tail. The crowning touch was a blood red comb and wattles like an actual rooster’s.
“No breath weapon you say. Is he good eating?”
Iris laughed once more, “You’re certainly a dwarf, Master Cobby. The Gods would be angry if you killed him. I can sense him, and he is loyal to you. I’m afraid you’ve made a new friend. A formidable friend once he grows up.”
“What was he doing on that dead beast?”
“Feeding. The goat attracts beetles, flies, maggots. He was hungry. They aren’t chickens, and are alone the second they hatch. The first year can be hard on them.”
“So what am I supposed to do with him?”
“Have you never owned a dog or cat?”
“No. My mother had cats.”
“Try that for a start,” she flew over, reached up, and scratched the cockatrice under the chin. “See, he likes it.”
Cobby timidly copied her.
“What you did was a noble act, even if you didn’t intend it. It’s deserving of a reward, and reminds me of something from long ago. I’d like you to have it, come with me.”
“I need to get this wood back to Uncle,” Cobby said.
“It isn’t far. Many years ago the road ran along the other side of the tar pit. There’s something hidden in the old campsite litter that you should see. Take it or leave it, and you can return to your uncle.”
***
You can follow Craig at the following places:
His blog, Entertaining Stories. http://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com
On Twitter. https://twitter.com/Virgilante
You can pick up a copy of The Cock of the South at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P4H37WC
Legends of Windemere 
Admittedly the title is a bit of a turnoff, and that’s coming from me, but the synopsis is intriguing. Thanks for sharing the snippet. The writing is quite good. Fairy is adorable. Definitely something fantasy fans will enjoy. Adding it to my to-read list for 2015!
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You’re welcome. Have to admit that the title made me chuckle.
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I prefer more subtle references but I’m sure for the overall story it makes sense. I’ll have to read the whole thing to complete my opinion. haha.
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I’m glad you liked Iris. Let’s build from there. The title is explained within the story, but think rooster, from an older time.
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That was my thought, so I’m not judging too early. Going to have to read the rest of it:)
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Thank you, and your comment gave me a chuckle too. I needed one today.
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I’m glad. My daily goal is to make people laugh. I write comedic fantasy too, so I’m not too thrown off by the rooster’s influence on the novel. For some reason it makes me think of LFG and the rabbit in that . . . not sure why. Haha.
Anyway, I host an author’s team for light and comedic fantasy writers if you’re interested in joining. It’s called the League of Comedy Fantasists.
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Sounds interesting. Where can I learn more? I don’t know that my effort qualifies at comedy, but you never know.
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Here is the link: http://litchicblog.wordpress.com/the-league-of-comedy-fantasists/
If you think yours falls under light or comedic fantasy, you are welcome to join. If you don’t think your writing fits, that’s okay too. Let me know what you think:)
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I’ll check it out in the next few days.
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The title seems a little vulgar, but the book is sooooo worth a read. I think it’s in my top 10 favorite of 2014.
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That title is certainly getting a reaction. C.S. did a great job with it.
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Thank you so much, Charles. This kind of support really helps.
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Glad to lend a hand.
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Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
Hey, gang. Charles adopted one of my excerpts and posted it on his blog. Please check it out, and consider following Charles. He’s an interesting guy, and very supportive of indie authors.
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Interesting (channeling Arte Johnson): Very interesting. I was planning to get this one anyway but now I’m probably going to have to make it sooner rather than later. Once I finish Panama that is. 🙂
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Thank you so much. I hope you’re enjoying Ethan & Coop.
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The little I’ve read so far has drawn me in; they haven’t gotten to Panama yet so I’m looking forward to more. I really loved the matter fact way he greeted the ghost in the opening lines. 😀
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I had to go and look up cockatrices. I vaguely remembered one being mentioned in a Lord Peter Wimsey detective thriller of all places, and Google came up with this gorgeous sentence from the bible, ‘They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper’. So, beware, Cobby!
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I stumbled across that during my research phase too. I love that someone dug that deep.
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This is neat, Charles. Thanks for sharing it.
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You’re welcome.
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Thanks for reading it, and following my blog.
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I loved this novel, absolutely loved it.
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