Russet Rain — Red Rooftop Dragon in a Rainy Hill Town

The story of Russet Rain

A fictional story inspired by the artwork.

The dragon likes the roof above the steepest lane because rain reaches it before it reaches the town square. From that spot it can see a whole slope of chimneys and windows. The tiles are warm at the beginning of a storm and slippery soon afterward. A groove in the ridge gives the dragon one dry place to rest its claws.

The design uses overlapping red and brown scales, swept golden horns and wings angled back along the slope of the roof. Wet terracotta repeats the warmer tones from the dragon's body. The light from the surrounding buildings stands out against cool rain, bringing a little depth to the narrow streets below.

In the story, the dragon comes here to listen to the town's rain channels fill. Each channel has a slightly different sound, and the one at the bottom of the lane has been silent for two storms. Tonight the dragon waits for the first hollow note from the lower gutter before leaving its post.

The illustration keeps the dragon close to the architecture so the texture of the scales and the shape of the tiles can be read together. The figure is still and alert above a town that is closing its shutters for the night. There is enough room in the background to imagine where the water is headed.

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