There be Dragons: 24 Short Stories of Danger, Adventure, & Discovery
The 2nd LegendFiction Anthology publishes the top 24 contest entries!
LegendFiction and Inkwells and Anvils proudly present an anthology of 24 dragon-themed tales, hatched from a contest where writers competed to craft their best in dragon lore.
From seasoned pros to passionate amateurs, these authors deliver tales that thrill, delight, and inspire adventure.
Dive into fairy tales, grimdark sagas, and wildly inventive stories-all united by themes of danger, adventure, and discovery. Whether you're a diehard fantasy fan or just love a good story, this collection features:
The top three contest finalists
Honorable mentions
Special contributions from community mentors
Settle in for a journey rife with dragons, fire, and surprising twists. Let these legends capture your imagination and ignite your sense of adventure.
May the lore be with you!
Grace Schroepfer • Gabriella Batel • Grace F. Hopkins • Elizabeth Fuselier • Josiah Heintzman • Henry Krekelberg • Olivia McCarthy • John McNichol • Maryam Morell • Mary Phelps • Octavia Smith • Ben Stapleton • Daniel Staudt • Fr. Cassidy Stinson • Melina Tomlinson • Hannah Warner • R. B. Wolf • Zephyr Thomas • Kathryn Zurmehly • Katy Campell • Mary Rose Kreger • Dominic de Souza • Catherine Stewart
Preface from the Founder
You know, I had a pretty good suspicion… something epic would chip through and break out of this dragon egg of an idea.
The idea was to run a contest, and then actually publish the finalists in a real-life anthology. We wanted to help authors be able to point at their bookshelves and dance like dervishes in the rain that they have a byline on an actual book.
So, LegendFiction partnered up with Inkwells and Anvils to host an online contest. We put out the news, and eight weeks later, announced three stellar winners, and a cast of amazing stories.
So prepare to be impressed.
Prepare to flit through these tales and catch something of the delight and energy and imagination of these legends.
And let’s be clear; some of them are professionals. Some of them are amateurs. But all of them are legends in the LegendFiction community - meaning, they are diehard writers, nerds, and deeply inspired by their faith.
Let’s also be clear: legends believe that fiction comes first, and it has to be a darn good story. That’s why this is faith-inspired fiction. It’s not shoehorning evangelism into adventures. We believe that we need more faith-inspired stories, not more stories about faith. That means gripping fiction you can’t put down because the writer works hard to do their job: capture your imagination and your attention.
Did they all achieve their goal? You decide. We think it’s close enough. And some of them definitely swung for the fences.
The contest rules were simple. The stories had to feature dragons in some way, preferably with themes of danger, adventure, and discovery.
After that, the sky was the limit. So you’ll find stories in here that are like fairy tales, some grimdark, some insanely inventive, and others you’ll wish were twice as long.
Settle in for a journey rife with dragons, fire, and surprising twists.
The finalists are printed first, followed by second and third place, and then come the honorable mentions. We wrap with stories by our partners and community mentors.
At the end, check out the list of authors and their bios. Visit their websites, subscribe to your favorites, follow them, and let them know what you loved about their story!
May the lore be with you!
Dominic de Souza
Founder
LegendFiction
A huge thank you to Catherine Stewart and Inkwells and Anvils for partnering with us over this contest and a ‘There Be Dragon’s contest season. We’re proud to partner with such an amazing community, and the authors who joined us. Catherine’s story wraps this volume, like the cherry on the cake.
Thank you to Zephyr Thomas for editing this book.
And thank you to the LegendFiction community who showed up, dived in, and created legends.
List of stories & Authors
Contest Finalists
1. Dragon’s Scale, Grace Schroepfer, First Place
2. Antivenom, Gabriella Batel, Second Place
3. The Yew, the Ewe, & the Dragon Blue, Grace F. Hopkins, Third Place
II Honorable Mentions
4. The City of Gold, Elizabeth Fuselier
5. The Prisoner of Rage, Josiah Heintzman
6. The Last Knight, Henry Krekelberg
7. The Unburned Oak, Olivia McCarthy
8. The One Queen, John McNichol
9. Prince of Chains, Stephen Moore
10. Dragonsight, Maryam Morell
11. Dragons & Dreams, Mary Phelps
12. The Dragon who Scaled, Octavia Smith
13. Mercy, Ben Stapleton
14. River Storm, Daniel Staudt
15. Steeple Chase, Fr. Cassidy Stinson
16. Gorge and the Dragon, Melina Tomlinson
17. The Son of the Stars: A Nearan Legend, Hannah Warner
18. Daughter of Morrow, R. B. Wolf
19. The Dragonfruit Express, Zephyr Thomas
20. Something of the Eternal, Kathryn Zurmehly
III Mentors & Contest Partners
21. Love is in the Air, Katy Campbell
22. Dawn of the Dragon, Mary Rose Kreger
23. Wingthane, Dominic de Souza
24. Dragons in the Rain, Catherine Stewart
Grab a copy, share it with a friend, and if you want to celebrate this epic anthology, we have merch too!
Now you can tell people you’re a published author. Because it’s true :)
What did you like most about writing your story? Drop a comment!
https://zmthomas.substack.com/p/the-dragonfruit-express
You can read my entry anytime you please!
This contest pushed my limits to the fullest, my first fully completed project! And it paid off.