Starting Date and Time: Crimsia 30th, 290 DM

Starting Location: Pyresia

CS URLs: Drachiathorix and Baofeng Lingzhu

The summer sun was low in the darkening sky, wavering in the tropical heat over the gem-studded Ash Peak, the immense center of the City of Wyrms. The streets and arches tumbling down the black pitted stone were glittering in the red light, sparkling and magical where the huge geodes and veins of gems peaked out from their fastness in the ground.

It was the time of year for the Artisan's Festivus, and the streets where awhirl with musicians and performers. Originally the event was a way for the talented dwarfen craftsmen to display the pinnacles of their skill at a grand bazaar, but over the centuries had grown into a massive weeklong party with plays and concerts held in every one of the cities huge amphitheaters and gilded odium.

The city was packed as people of every race flooded in to join the celebration, and even the dragons descended from their high balconies to watch, wandering through the wide boulevards either in Visadon (true form) or in their humanoid shapes. At a time like this it seemed that there was still magic in the world.

As the sun dipped lower, the current out in the harbour began to glow a pale green, the phosphorescent algae lighting up in the darkness, turning the shapes of ships on the water into dark silhouettes. Wild and untameable, the verdant greenery of the jungle crept along the spaces between buildings, clinging to the dwarven-carved shop fronts and along the terracotta shingles angled to protect openings from the rain that came in off the sea.

Drachiathoryx walked along the lava-lit street, her tail curled up in a question-mark shape behind her as her fiery eyes glittering with the excitement. She hadn't been back in the city for long, only arriving yesterday after rushing home. Her wings were still sore from the exertion, but it was well worth it! Her scales glittered in the light as she stood in the street watching fiddlers compete with each other on a wooden stage. Even the rickshaws were having a hard time getting through, hauled by bulging-armed creatures like minotaurs and orcs. There weren't many horses in Pyresia, mostly because hoofstock tended to go to the dragons.

A slender human fiddler in colourful motley grinned down at the crimson half-breed, waggling his eyebrows flirtatiously. Chuckling, Drache let him pull her up on the stage and did her best to dance when he put his bow back to his strings and began a lively jig. She wasn't much of a dancer, but her black handkerchief dress swirled around her legs and tail and she flipped her wings, bouncing around, spinning and laughing heartily. People below were looking up with interest, either because they'd realized she wasn't wearing anything under her dress or they simply hadn't seen a half-dragon before, and Drache just kept going, enjoying the attention, loving the way it all left her breathless and exhilarated.

A yawn, a stretch, and waking up to the sounds of celebrations all very loud outside. Baofeng shifted and let his legs fall off the bed as he stared out the window. It wasn’t very often he afforded himself some time to relax and have fun, but he had arrived in the city a day early, so he had partook in some of the celebrations the night before. He rubbed his head for a moment before pulling on a pair of pants that had been made for him due to the needing room for his tail. With heavy steps he went descended to the common’s room where there was still drinking and singing taking place in the merriment of the festival.

It was time for him to go about collecting the needed goods for the rest of the season, which would mainly consist of food needed to make sure his students didn’t starve, and a few new blankets to replace ones that did not survive the between seasons. Baofeng was a simple being with not many wants or needs and tried to keep his life rather easy going with the only things weighing heavily on his shoulders would be the thoughts that many others shared. He found that by tossing away the idea of fineries, and social ranking he achieved more for himself on a spiritual and emotional level allowing him time to consider the secrets of the world and himself.

The crowded streets didn’t bother Baofeng in the least bit as he moved easily between people his broad shoulders carving a small path through the crowd. Stopping he heard the sound of a fiddle playing accompanied with clapping and the sound of dancing. His head lifted and suddenly he was stunned. HIs eyes staring at one of h te most beautiful creatures he had ever laid his eyes on. She was a burning red, and moved not gracefully, but with abandon and without shame. Which to Baofeng only made her more attractive.

Without even thinking he moved closer to the stage moving people out of his way as he got closer for a better view of the red hybrid. Stopping at the edge of the stage he stared up at her watching as the black and white squares danced in front of him spinning, his tail swaying back and forth as he smiled inwardly at her.

The music would last for days, so there never really came a point when the tune slowed or stopped, a cue for Drache to stop. But there did come a point when her breath was dry in her throat and her heart was pounding that she knew it was time to think about getting off the ride. A single sour note drew her attention back to the fiddler, who had missed his note on purpose and was looking at her with intent. One of her brows twitched up questioningly, slowing the steps of her clawed feet across the wooden stage. The musician tilted his head towards the crowd and Drache looked over, spotting a scaled face that was at least a head over most of the rest of the crowd. The frills on the side of her face fluffed out with interest, her pupils widening as she took in the tall half-breed. It had been so long since she had seen one of her kind.

With a grin at the musicians, she bowed and took her leave, hopping down off the stage and disappearing amongst so many other bodies for a moment before she managed to weave her way through. When she finally approached Baofeng she seemed cautious, her tail twitching back and forth almost nervously, as if she half-expected him to bristle and challenge her. She noticed that he didn't have wings, she noticed that he looked strong and fit. She noticed that her mouth watered a little.

"Hello stranger," she said in Draconic, a puff of smoke threading excitedly through her teeth. "My name is Drachiathoryx. And you are...?" Her voice was low, smooth but with a bit of a purr.

He watched as she danced and then sighed as she disappeared from the stage. He was hoping to have gotten a chance to talk to her, and now he felt he wasn’t going to get one as she disappeared into the crowd. Then all at once she was in front of him and he blinked rapidly at her, staring down at her smaller frame as he drank in every curve and scale that made up this beautiful half dragon before him. He didn’t notice she was talking right away, but he was listening.

After a moment of remembering exactly what she said he put his right fist into his left palm. “I am Baofeng, it is a pleasure to meet you Drachiathoryx.” his body went into a bow before he stood up. HE felt a little embarrassed being so formal, but it was the way he was raised. “Are you going to be in the city for long?” Though it was a terrible question since he would be leaving that evening with his students and the goods.

The half-Ixen's interest couldn't have been more obvious, or more genuine. Her molten amber eyes traced Baofeng up and down, watching the way his larger frame bent smoothly into a bow that she did not return but observed with a little smile of amusement. Her tail weaved slowly back and forth behind her, and without asking for his permission she slipped her arm in Baofeng's and moved beside him, guiding the other hybrid away from the crowd so that they could talk, delighting in the way their scales brushed together.

"The pleasure's all mine," she assured him, her smile turning a bit impish before she answered his question. "I suppose that depends on your definition of 'long'," she replied vaguely, mentally preparing to cancel all of her plans if it meant getting to know this one better. "I live here most of the time, when I'm not traveling. And yourself? I thought I knew most of the half-dragons in the city but I definitely would have remembered..." she took a breath, and let it out with her next words, her tone smooth and seductive, "...someone like you."

She was the smaller of the pair, though neither of them were small, but she lead Baofeng to one of the stone railings that overlooked not just the street below but also a large swath of the sloping city down to the harbour. The sun had set, though the sky was still a fading riot of colour, orange and red where the ocean below was blue and green.

"I want to know all about you." There was eagerness in her eyes and the set of her ear-frills, the way she leaned towards him even though she had relinquished his arm by now.

The sudden physical contact had completely thrown Baofeng off, and he stumbled along with her. Drache would be able to feel the powerful muscles of Baofeng’s arms go tense as he was slightly uncomfortable. As they neared the bridge he gave a nervous chuckle while looking down at her as they reached the railings making him become more comfortable now that he wasn’t being ushered around through the crowds while spending time with this new half dragon he had just met. He let out a snort and looked over the city then takes a deep breath the fins on the sides of his own head giving a flick as well.

“I am… From Pyresia. I live.” He looked out beyond the city and pointed at a cliffside with a tiny speck of a building far off in the distance. “There. That is my school where I teach martial arts. I am actually only in the city for the day as I will be retrieving my students and some supplies for the rest of the season.” He looks back to Drache and moves his arm slightly his palm accidentally groped her, which caused him to quickly yank his arm to his side. “Apologies. That was an accident.”

Watching the stiff, uncomfortable way that Baofeng moved piqued Drache's curiosity, and she wondered if his nervousness was because he hadn't met another half-dragon before, or if it was something about herself that made him so tense. Eyeing his blue scales, her gaze skating along his bare chest, she knew that he wasn't a half-Ixen. Her scales were always feverish with warmth but his were not. Nor were they corpse-cold like a frost-drake's should be. That narrowed things down somewhat. Not that she would have cared.

Drache gave a slow shimmy, straightening her dress as her snout turned, following the point of Boafeng's clawed fingertip to the north of the city. In the failing light she could just make out the tiny building. It wouldn't have taken her long to get there what with her resplendant wings hanging loose and shifting behind her back, but the walk was many hours through the jungle-drenched mountains, at least.

Taking advantage of his opening, the female half-dragon sidled in close, her shapely leg pressed against the half-Shochra. It was this movement partly that lead to the grazing of his hand across her chest, and a tiny noise of excitement escaping her nostrils as she let out a smokey breath. "Of course it was...but I don't mind."

"Just for one day?" That didn't give her much time. A look of deep disappointment flicked across her features and she sighed. "Students?" That made him sound so responsible. "What style is it that you teach?" Starting at his forearm, she finger-walked her claws up his arm to his shoulder, blazing a trail of heat along his scales.

Becoming even more embarassed he shifted slightly against her, and then her claws walked up his arm and he shivered then stiffened visibly slowly pulling back some. “I um.. Leiji style.” He turned towards Drache staring down at her and taking in a deep breath his muscles tensing slightly as he licked the inside of his teeth pondering on what to say to her. His hands suddenly cupped her face and kissed her as only half dragons could, and let it linger for a moment his eyes closing as he did before pulling back.

He continued to stare at her before speaking up. “You are more than welcome to come to the school if you would like… Perhaps to see what i teach.” He let out a deep breath after having gotten everything he wanted to say out before she could respond to his sudden show of affection.

The red dragoness had never heard of Leiji style before. For the most part, the commitment of time and dedication to an art like mastering a martial skill was too much responsibility, too boring, too "not fun". Distantly, she respected those that found value in it and recognized it as a worthy pursuit, just not for her. She'd much rather pursue Boafeng himself. Him and his rippling pectorals and his long tail and the tough spikes arranged fetchingly down his back.

Drache was about to say something along those lines when the large hybrid male swept in and pressed his fang-filled mouth to hers, earning a purring chirp of eager surprise from the smaller half-breed. Her arm was already resting high on his shoulder and she quickly lifted the other to match it, pressing her generous bust and her flat belly tight against Baofeng's muscled frame. Drache's wings lifted and trembled slightly, the leathery membranes fluttering as she moaned into Boafeng's mouth, trying to tease his tongue with hers. Being in his arms, even for just a moment, felt so right. Shifting her weight to one foot, she even lifted a long leg, her inner thigh sliding up the outside of his hip...

And then he was pulling back and babbling rapidly, leaving Drache feeling bereft, her growl of disappointment matching a pout on her scaled face. She was almost angry, suspecting him of deliberately teasing her, but when he abruptly changed the subject to something mundane, the seductive female realized that Baofeng was simply inexperienced and nervous. It would have been horribly disappointing to someone as debaucherous as Drache, if it wasn't so deliciously adorable.

Trying her best to suppress the fierce flame of desire in her belly, Drache tucked her wings back against her spine and leaned back against the piller, her whole body sinuous and her eyes searching Baofeng eaerly. "Is that how you invite everyone to your school, or am I just special?" She asked, her voice smooth and teasing. Her flared nostriles let out a faint wisp of smokey breath as Drache attempted to collect herself, and when she spoke again she was less salacious and more polite.

"I would love to see it, truly. I'm afraid I would be a terrible student, and I'm not much of a fighter to begin with, but it's nice to be near someone who is a hybrid like me. I haven't met many other half-dragons, and certainly none as handsome as you." She winked at him then, her serpentine tail coiling loosely around his ankle.