A character in my book can turn into a dragon. This is a large part of the plot, and I’m looking for ways to convey power without over-the-top feats. The dragon is a standard 2 legs, 2 wings and fire-breathing. Any suggestions?
I mean, having a dragon in and of itself kind of already conveys power. Unless everyone else is super overpowered beyond dragons than having something that can fly and breathe fire is already pretty hecking powerful.
Here’s a sample: The dragon’s black wings hurled it into the sky, metallic screams echoing across the sea with each beat. The wings folded, and the dragon dove on the fleet. A single breath, and the serrated jaws brought forth a blinding river of light. Three ships caught fire in an instant, before exploding from the heat. Ashes and steam marked their graves, and the dragon rose again to attack.
How about by showing other characters reactions after the very first time it happens? By another coincidens my four gods can shapeshift but after the first time they have not much need for it anymore because it brought out the fear in humans and demons alike. Take Suzaku for example, even his brothers prefer him being in a good mood, since when he goes Phoenix Mode, an entire army would be dead in a matter of minutes.
I think whatever visual imagery you write, build up the mystique first. Think of Game of Thrones. Nobody saw the dragons straight away. Descriptions could be from accounts of people that claimed to have seen. That way you are not going to confuse flight of a dragon with the description. They need to be done separately. Layer it up so that once the reader actually sees one in their mind's eye they are thrilled. With my beasts, some are outright described as having ability and power (these are seen). Some not so much, but the most powerful beasts are only rumoured to exist (think of the dragons from GOT, although my 'alpha beasts' are not dragons). Only certain characters profess to have knowledge of them so there is a certain mystique. If or when they actually turn up they would need to be profoundly impressive. For example, taking down a powerful dragon. Not killing it but making it yield. I guess like a king or queen of beasts. So to sum up, it is definitely a hierarchical thing. Think of Aslan from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. He is definitely the one power but what if he met Godzilla... Just to add, I am thinking that power will come from dragons? If this is the case, create a hierarchy within the dragon world? In any case, whatever perceived power dynamics there are, they can always be shattered. I am thinking of Wylder vs Fury etc. Maybe show a journey from being the least to the most powerful.
But over-the-top is my specialty! Hm, one trick is to use environmental effects that imply power. For example, the dragon flaps its wings to fly and people nearby are knocked off their feet by the displaced air. Not on purpose, see, his wings are just that strong. Perhaps his body passively radiates heat so anyone who stands near him gets a feeling for how much energy he generates. Maybe if he's powering up for something extra spectacular, things start spontaneously catching fire around him. A favorite of mine is to have someone use powerful magic and others find that they can feel it as a pressure or static sensation in the surrounding atmosphere. It works especially well if this doesn't normally happen.
I like this! I’m thinking about having blinding explosions when the character transforms. Not strictly related, but I always loved how the Earthsea books described dragons as being very metallic soundwise. Like a machine instead of a living animal. Sorta like in my story.
