Plot

This is set in the times past where magic and the sword rule. A strange corruption has entered the minds of dragons, the ancient beasts and guardians of magic. Slowly they are being driven mad, causing them to become violent, irrational… some have even become mindless drones, lashing out at any that are nearby even each other. This caused an ancient guardian dragon of light known only as Ryuu to sacrifice his eternal light to awaken a light hidden in the hearts of others, giving them the ability to purify the tortured dragons. This ended his life… but he knew it may be the only way to save the dragons from the invisible force attacking his kind.

Some blame the dragons themselves for the corruption, some are simply jealous of their power and see this as an opportunity. Groups are forming now, some to try and save the dragons, others who say it would be best to destroy them now while they are weakened by the corruption before they destroy all. Even those who have suddenly gained the power to purify the dragons, as well as connect to a single individual dragon giving them telepathic communication to the dragon and sharing power between the two, are split between two groups. Those who use it to try to save the dragons as they should, and those who are afraid and say it is not their problem but the dragons so refuse to do anything…

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General Rules

1. Your characters aren't all powerful/all knowing
2. You control only YOUR character's actions/words.
3. No one liner posts... I'm not even requiring a paragraph people, two sentences... you can do it.
4. identify in character from out with some kind of parenthesis/bracket system.
5. Respect one another out of character, if you have a problem with someone or see another player making a mistake bring it to me via pm or im and I will handle it.
6. Send me the following, your characters name and if they are a purifier as well as their species (dragon/human/etc). Also specify if you want it public (easier for dragon characters to connect with purifiers but if you want only me to know that is fine)

Role Notes.
1. If you are a dragon, then the corruption will be affecting you/trying to drive you nuts. You can be resisting and not crazy yet but you will feel it and it will feel uncomfortable. Half dragons are affected but very, very, very minorly.

2. If you are one of the ‘purifiers’ you have the ability to connect and share power with one dragon/half dragon. This means you will get a limited power boost, not equal to a dragon but…. Whether magical or physical depends on what your natural abilities are. If you are a fighter you’ll probably get physically stronger, if you’re a mage you’ll probably get magically more powerful.

3. Purifiers can be anything but full blood dragons, Ryuu choose this as a safety measure against the corruptions.

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Characters

Already Paired Purifiers/Dragons:
Belinda-purifier, human
Yofune-Nushi- Paired with a purifier, Dragon, Appearence

Unpaired Purifiers/Dragons:
Ariana-Purifier, half dragon half human, Appearence-Slender build, silvery-green eyes, red hair so dark it looks black in most lights hanging in a braid down to her waist, darkly tanned skin. Wears simple, yet well-made leather armor, carries a well-made longsword at her waist.

Other:

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Start Post

Belinda stood on the crest of a large hill, a town behind her and a large valley as well as a forest before her. It was very general really, asides from the burned bones of various animals and people laying across the once beautiful meadow. The forest protector had lost its mind and was now just one angry dragon… causing her, a purifyer, to come here. Despite her name she appeared more male then female, between her loose man’s dress shirt in blue, black pants, hair and loose black jacket. Her hair was short and silver white, not quite reaching her shoulders and covering the left side of her face slightly.

She ran a hand through her hair with her right hand, her left touching the sword on her belt. She nodded to herself, glancing at the dragon next to her. Yofune… She suppressed a shudder but said nothing, simply gazing back to the treeline. There was no movement… but she knew the dragon was in there… somewhere….

Yofune-Nushi was rather small compared to most dragons. Though dragons did come in all shapes and sizes, he stood on four legs and was about one and half times bigger than a tiger. His long tail swayed behind him almost in a cat-like manner and the dragon did seem rather cattish. His skin, like any dragon was covered in hard scales, but only up close could one tell. For the most part he looked like a mutated tiger. With twin horns reaching upward from his head, his coloration orange with black stripes, he had a mane of flowy soft hair-like fur that flowed down his spine and to the end of his tail. All four feet ended in claws. Sharp and deadly. Cat like ears twitched slightly. Catching sounds here and there as he looked at Belinda with those feline-esque dragon eyes of his.

Truely he was one of a kind. With a mighty roar he could call forth storms and ride upon lightning and wind. Having no wings did not mean he could not fly like most wingless beasts. Such a pity. No maiden's left for me to feast upon. His words were in her mind and he glanced at that burnt village just to make sure she got his meaning. After a moment that tongue, forked but rough like a cat's peeked out from his muzzle and he licked her hand, the one that touched her sword. Though, there are no maiden's left anywhere that could satisfy my craving the way I know you could.

As he spoke she suppressed a sigh, her hand furthest from him curling into a fist and small sparks of electricity briefly crossing over it. She stayed silent, however, and kept her eyes on the tree line. She was use to such remarks… unfortunately she had not realized she was a purifier or that she was being bound to him or she would have run… dragons were bad enough but this one….he made her miss the one that burned her family alive…

She shuddered as he licked her hand but didn‘t look at him… merely half growling before responding to him telepathically. “To bad the only thing I’d put in your” She paused and drew out the word in a sarcastic tone, “Haaaandsome muzzle is my sword… Now we have work to do. Purifying… not killing…” She added quietly to make it clear what was needed there. The forest guardian was the kind of dragon that did more good then harm…. When it wasn’t nuttier then a fruit cake anyway….

"I'm hungry." He licked her hand again, smirking the way only a dragon creature can. With a light huff he moved towards the forest, that long tail swishing slowly and cat-like behind him. "Come along then, my sweet Belldandy. Work waits for no man..or..maiden." He didn't even glance back to see if she followed, he knew she would. Yofune-Nushi sniffed the air a bit, hoping to catch that other dragon's scent. A guardian dragon, one that usually didn't slaughter people or eat maidens.

Yofune much preferred the nutty version of said dragon. "Do you think it'll have some spare maidens I can nibble?"

Bells simply shuddered at the lick and said nothing, the scars that were half hidden under her hair and jacket seeming to tingle with remembered pain. She would not allow him to get her, fear would not defeat her… she would never be a weak little girl again. She simply followed, letting him lead her for now and hoping he would smell the dragon. As a purifier she had gained the ability to sense dragons but she still had no control over it really…

His sweet…? Oh shut up… was her instant response to him calling her his sweet bell dandy, continuing to walk behind him a moment. His second question she answered with half a smile, a darkly humored one at that. “A whole one no… but I suppose he might have parts if you’re lucky….” She responded, her eyes searching the forest. Murmuring a soft spell she transformed her eyes to that of a cats, preparing for the dark of the forests…

Ariana slipped silently through the woods, the training from her human mother serving her well. There was a pull on her very core, something she had to do, and now knew how. Her silver-green eyes scanned the forest, the silence speaking more to her than the usual sounds of a forest would have. She drew a sort of invisibility around her, pulling on the magics her father had taught her, blending herself with her surroundings.

"Parts are better than none at all, I suppose. Oh how I do miss the taste of wholesome young and pure maidens." His voice light in her mind as he mused softly. He stopped moving once they had gone deeper into the forest. One forepaw raised in mid step as he raised his head somewhat and inhaled deeply. That nose twitched and he sneezed. He shook his head and made a "Harumph" sound, shaking that head again before turning slightly and continuing into the forest.

Bells sighed as he spoke, simply muttering to herself something about a ‘leeching lizard’ but nothing more. Even she, however, couldn’t help but half laugh at the sneeze. [I] “bless you….” [/b] she muttered absently, saying nothing else as she followed after him. She was searching the shadows mainly now, her hand on her sword out of habit as there were often dangerous things here… though the dragon might have killed them all by now… Sighing and shaking her head she shivered, uncertain.

Ariana slipped between two trees and froze, catching sight of the striped dragon and woman. Another dragon, one who's not mad? And the woman, could she be someone else who could help the dragons? She waited for them to pass, not quite wanting to draw attention to herself, just in case that wasn't the case.

Yofune-Nushi stopped in his tracks. A smirk on his face, a smirk that only a beasty with a muzzle could make. That head up, those ears laid flat against his skull. The other female might be cloaked and hidden but he was a dragon he could smell her and the magic she used. That tail swished very slowly behind him as he turned slowly, crouching down. The cat-dragon looked very much like a tiger that was ready to pounce it's prey. A low growl emitted from his throat and he licked his jaws. It was "A maiden. I smell a maiden." The words where whispered eagerly in Belinda's mind though he knew she would object to him eating the female he had scented.

But Yofune did not, nor would not, wait for confirmation or any words from Belinda. He moved. Like a streak of lighting, he was quick. Bounding towards those two trees the hidden woman had stopped between and lithely pouncing. If his judgement were correct, he would tackle the girl down. Landing on her rather harmlessly with his front paws on her shoulders. The claws sheathed in his paws like a big cat's. His back feet would be touching the ground on the outside of her legs. That mix of feline and dragon would lower his head and growl very closely to the woman's face.

Belinda had just long enough to sense they were not alone when suddenly Yofune-nushi was speaking…. And then bounding. ”Yofune!!!! Get off her…..” She said icily as she chased after the dragon, faster for his bonding but still far too slow . Her magic was causing her eyes glowing fiercely that same vivid blue that now sent light playing off the trees. She didn’t think he’d go against her and try to eat her… but she’d risk her life to do what she could if he did… even if every pain he felt she would feel just as bad….

Ariana took the fall well, managing to not land on a root or stump. She dropped the cloaking, glaring at the dragon on top of her. "Get off," she growled, her eyes flashing anger. "I'd rather not hurt one of the few sane dragons left."

Yofune-Nushi made a snicker, or rather a sound that could be a snicker. "She called me sane." He spoke those words in Belinda's mind with amusement. Suddenly serious he added. "She could be dangerous. I'm protecting you from her. We don't know who she is or where she came from or..." He paused, lowering that face of his until his nose was nearly on the female's cheek. He sniffed and snuffled at her before that rough, forked feline tongue poked out to lick her cheek. That tongue back in his mouth quickly he raised his head, turning it to look at Belinda."She's not entirely human." That fact made him even more reluctant to release the female from being pinned beneath him.

The tip of his long tail had curled around one of her ankles. He was prepared, if she tried anything while he had her pinned he would fight back. Though hopefully she was smart enough not to provoke him. He would wait and see what Belinda wanted to do with this..person before he moved off of her.

((I think her internet died on her again. It happens a lot))

((Wait, she's back))

well I suppose that’s one sign she’s not a good judge of character isn’t it…” was her remark about sanity as Yofune spoke, watching him a moment. Seeing he wasn’t trying to eat the girl she relaxed a little but she still wasn’t entirely sure she trusted the dragon. She said nothing of that, however, but instead simply replied “You of all people should know I don’t’ need protecting….”

Walking closer she spoke aloud, the glow leaving her eyes. “he seems to want to know who you are….” She said mildly, the cold air she often had returning now that she didn’t feel she needs to protect anyone. Bells was always cold around strangers… always afraid of showing weakness through being too friendly… why…well… that was a product of the past as so much of her was…

She shifted her glare from the dragon to the woman. "I go by Ariana." She turned back to the dragon. "Now, if you would please get off me, I'm not here to hurt either of you. I'm trying to fix something here." Her voice betrayed her anger, growing harsher and slightly hissing by the last sentence. "Ask better questions if you want other answers."

"Telling me a name is not telling me who you are." His words were in Belinda's mind, she would rely the question for him. The dragon sighed a bit, shifting slightly but not making any move to unpin the girl beneath him. A flicker of annoyance passing through his eyes. "Honestly, how do you put up with a lack of intelligence in your own kind?" Those words were directed to Belinda and only for her mind, no one elses. Those claws were very slowly pushing their way out of his paws. He was growing impatient.

Ariana… interesting…it didn’t’ tell her near as much as she would like however… she’d rather hoped that Ariana here would say more… Shrugging it off, however, she said nothing, glancing at the dragon and wondering how he would behave. Would he let her up? Or would she have to intervene a little more… forcefully?

As the dragon spoke to her she suppressed a sigh, seeing a butt of heads in the works here…. Biting her lip she glanced down, her pale hair hiding her face. “A name is a vague thing to give… I suppose he’s more interested in why you are here….” She said with a shrug, though inwardly she added a little more for the sake of Yofune. “Something she may be more likely to tell us if you’d get off of her…..” Two stubborn souls fighting for dominance …. And she, Belinda, was supposed to play mediator?

Ariana looked at first the woman, then the dragon. "I would imagine you could figure it out, seeing as I could tell that you weren't affected by the madness," she said, her voice calm again. "And I've come here to help the native dragon. Now will you let me up?" She gave them a slightly strained smile, forcing herself to not go for her sword.

"She isn't human." He growled softly. "And just because she knows I'm no effected does not mean that she does not mean ill will toward us." He shifted again on that female, not yet ready to release her. That tail that had curled around her ankle uncurled from it, the long appendage moving up her leg, tip first, while the rest of it's length followed like a great serpent moving itself. That tail traveled up to her waist and paused there. The tip very lightly tapping against her midriff, there was no doubt in his mind that her weapons were useless against his dragon scales, though he did wonder why she hadn't tried for one yet.

Maybe she wasn't here to fight them Or maybe she was trying to decive them. "She could be tricksy." It was clear he was not moving from this female yet. "Ask her...ask her what blood runs through her veins." Depending on her answer determined if he would release her or not.

Belinda sighed and shook her head, looking at the dragon. “That is ENOUGH! Just get of off her…. If she is tricky we will find out won’t we? Tired of this she decided it was time he simply get up. She didn’t care what blood ran through the others veins… she also didn’t see how it was any of his business. She was starting to think maybe he really was just trying to get a bite out of the other girl after all. Walking to Yofune she tugged at one horn pointedly as if to emphasize …

Ariana raised her eyebrow. "I take it he won't get up?"

He shook his head when Belinda tugged his horn, though he didn't shake it hard. Not wanting to cause her to fall over or anything like that. "By the black moon, child, just ask the question." He snorted and growled lightly, making a "Humph" noise as he pressed down just a bit harder on Ariana's shoulders. Not really painfully so and those claws that were still slowly unsheathing had yet to fully expose themselves. "We've things to do and your wasting time. If she is tricksy we won't find until it's too late and by then she might've killed us both."

Yofune-Nushi knew what this female beneath him was. He wanted to hear the words from her own lips. Wanted to hear the tone of which she said them and see if she tried to hide her blood from him. Something that was as much a part of her as the nose on her face. And something he could smell as it did help make up her personal scent...and every creature had a personal scent. Even that dragon they were tracking..Yofune-Nushi had all but forgotten that beast.

He really shouldn‘t have refered to her as child… it simply annoyed her further. “No.. apparently your blood line is more important to him then the dragon that actually would kill us…” She said simply, looking at Yofune a moment longer with a puzzled and annoyed expression. No matter what he said she knew this had nothing to do with the dragon or protecting to her… accordingly she was done with it. The dragon’s pride was of no interest of hers and bonded as they were, she had enough. “you’re asking about her blood when you can probably smell it… and I’m wasting time… ?I’m off to work Yo-chan….Do the same or not it‘s up to you…”

With that she turned, dismissing him now until he was done playing games with a girl who showed no violence. Closing her eyes she let her senses spread, reaching out for the feeling of insanity that made the hair on the back of her neck rise. Though she could not control it well she was tired of his endless pride and useless questions. Nodding as she picked something up to the southeast she then just started…walking.

"My bloodline?" Ariana asked, looking straight into the dragon's face. "I'm half dragon. You could smell it, I know." Her voice was surprised at first, then level, calm. No hint of pride or shame was in it. "It lets me do some things that others can't. You could have asked that in the first place."

((I have to go pass out now, I might be back tomorrow.))