Amber Lattice — Autumn Orchard Dragon with Branchlike Horns

The story of Amber Lattice

A fictional story inspired by the artwork.

The orchard was planted along a low ridge, where the sun reaches the last row of trees a little before it reaches the gate. The dragon waits there at the end of harvest, when the picked fruit is already in baskets and a few late apples are still on the branches. From a stone at the edge of the path it can see over the fence without disturbing the trees.

The creature has warm amber scales, strong horns that fork like small branches, and a green gaze set against the orange palette. Golden wings frame its body and echo the color of the leaves. Scales and leaf shapes carry a similar rhythm without breaking up the clear silhouette of the dragon.

In the story, the guardian keeps watch until the first hard frost. On calm days it shifts from one low stone to another as the light moves. When the wind arrives, it opens its wings long enough to sweep fallen leaves from the narrow paths between the rows. That makes it easier for people carrying crates to see the uneven ground.

This illustration catches the dragon between those rounds. Leaves have gathered at the foot of its stone, and the creature has turned to look down the path. It seems at home in the orchard because its features share the shapes and colors found around it.

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