Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Captain My Captain on 10-12-2013, 05:14:56</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>10-12-2013, 05:14:56</strong>
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				In the depths of the world are shadows and figures all intertwined together in an artful reminder of all that had come before and would remain hidden or forgotten until hands of man would dig and bring it all to light.&nbsp; Studies had brought so much history to light and all things would gradually be explored. These were simply just unspoken truths within human society.<br><br>He himself had yet to be placed into the depths of soil and hidden beneath fields of sand or flowers. Instead above him were stones stacked together in broad arches and packed mass for shelter lain long ago by men. A comfort and security from ages prior left behind to aide him in his task. The castle itself lay nestled high above in the Carpathian mountains. Vines had long since taken the castle walls and within the courtyard trees had worked to take over. It was obvious the place had come into disrepair, but its state of being didn't matter so much to one of its two sole inhabitants.<br><br>Early morning dew had collected enough to drop and echo, fractal images from stained glass danced along the cold floor as the sun rose higher to pierce the fog with its light, and finally he gave a lazy stretch.<br><br>First one claw followed by another. Four strong feet finding themselves as he balanced on his limbs he raised his golden head to gaze about the room. Slipping through wide arches and out via broken wall he made his way down along the mountainside to the lake. Too early yet for the fishermen to come and try their hand at fate so he could manage an early morning drink. Amber eyes looked at his own reflection in the lake and studied the image of his own golden scales shining back at him and reminding him of the job waiting back in the castle.<br><br>With a yawn he reluctantly made his way back up and crawled into the depths of the building. Drapery and old furniture remained, but most of it so brittle from the many years which had passed since the last human had lain hands on any part of the area. With fortune the humans in the village below had left him alone and as such he let them live just as well. <br><br>He had checked on his charge and found it well before wandering up into the main hall. Settled in a throne was the second inhabitant of the castle- an old skeleton draped in faded cloth. His nose touched a hand gently as his heart ached. This beautiful man was one he missed so dearly. It had been unnatural for a dragon to attach so to a human, but this hadn't been someone simple. Thus the relationship wasn't simple.<br><br>Like a cat he curled around the platform the throne sat upon and he dozed in the sunlight filling the room. This was the life he had come to. Nothing beyond this mountain was in his knowledge and frankly he was perfectly settled to that existence. Though with a sigh he realized that might not be entirely true. Life was tedious and boring. He had nothing else to learn here and no form of companionship past the local fauna to help bide his time. It had been told to him that he could leave when the person destined to claim the treasure came, but it had been far too long. Obviously no one was coming. However he was loyal and would remain as such.<br><br>Sitting in the rafters above he heard the chirping of a bird and smiled to himself, thinking of walking alongside his friend as he rode his horse and the young lad had begun to sing. Above many things dragons love song and he found himself idling the old mid-tongue from the many ages before.<br><br><em>Bryd one brere, brid, brid one brere,<br>Kynd is come of love, love to crave<br>Blythful biryd, on me thu rewe<br>Or greyth, lef, greith thu me my grave.<br><br>Hic am so blithe, so bryhit, brid on brere,<br>Quan I se that hende in halle:<br>Yhe is whit of lime, loveli, trewe<br>Yhe is fayr and flur of alle.<br><br>Mikte ic hire at wille haven,<br>Stedefast of love, loveli, trewe,<br>Of mi sorwe yhe may me saven<br>Ioye and blisse were were me newe.</em><br><br>The wind spoke through the cracks of the old castle of change coming and he disregarded its whispers. These had come many times before as he had observed changes from his perch, but none had mattered. He was here and here he would stay.<br><br><br><hr>[Author's note]<br>So the song is a medieval tune of love. Bird on a Briar. In our own words the lyrics are as follows-<br><br>Bird on a briar, bird, bird on a briar,<br>(Man)kind is come of love, love thus craves.<br>Blissful bird, have pity on me,<br>Or dig, love, dig thou for me my grave.<br><br>I am so blithe, so bright, bird on briar,<br>When I see that handmaid in the hall:<br>She is white of limb, lovely, true,<br>She is fair and flower of all.<br><br>Might I her at my will have,<br>Steadfast of love, lovely, true,<br>From my sorrow she may me save<br>Joy and bliss would wear me new
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				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>10-12-2013, 13:42:22</strong>
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				“Elena, where do you go?” the question was posed with some curiosity at the young woman who was busy packing into an overlarge backpack. Her actions were done without haste and each item was carefully examined before being packed away. Camera, flashlight, warm down jacket with a hood, some other items of clothing and a stack of food that was mostly canned and packed in bags. “I will go up the mountains mama” she replied after packing in a notepad and bundle of pens. <br>“The mountains Elena?” Ana sounded shocked, and with good reason-no one ventured into the mountains willingly and the fact that her daughter seemed willing…<br>Sending her away to school had not helped her daughter at all! Ana decided right then and there, but Elena’s father was a pushover and with three other girls in the household and no boy it was decided that out of them the most academic was Elena, curious Elena who loved to write stories.<br>It was only inevitable that she went to journalism school, and just as inevitable that she came back home to the mountains.<br>It was always the way…you might think you have left home, but somewhere deep inside there was always the push to come back. Elena convinced herself anyway that that certainly would not be the case for her.<br><br>“Why the mountains?” Ana could clearly not let this go and so Elena had to pause and turned to face her mother squarely. “You have only just gotten home, why are you quick to leave again? Your sisters are coming to visit”<br>Ana-Maria, Ioana and Nicoleta were Elena’s older sisters and each were married with a child and another on the way for one of them-a fate that Elena decided at twenty-two she was not ready for, much as she was not ready for most traditions played out by her people. No, she wanted the adventure and after many years of constant wishing, of planning…<br>Well, she could delay it no longer.<br>The mountains beckoned to her as much as it had been when she was a child. It was more than that however…it was the legends that had been borne down from generation to generation that beckoned, the Legend of the dragon.<br><br><em>Rain. It came down in cold grey sheets outside the window, thundering dully against the roof, in an endless deluge of sorrow. A hand pressed against the icy glass of the window, and blue eyes stared at the droplets of water, soft fingertips traced them with a child's innocent curiosity. Pink lips pressed against the window's icy glass to leave a breathy kiss of moisture. Delighted, the girl gave a few more gentle puffs of air onto the plane of glass, before drawing freely little animals and hearts in the moisture. Her smile fell as she watched the moisture vanish as it grew accustomed to the iciness of the glass.&nbsp; Like any child, she logically reasoned that in order for her designs to endure she needed a bigger surface; so she took a great deep breath and puffed it all out against the glass and with a fairy's light touch drew more frosty animals on the window's glass. Those designs vanished too. The girl huffed in annoyance, planning to turn her back from the window when <strong>it</strong> caught her eye.<br>Against the backdrop of rain <strong>it</strong> gleamed like gold, <strong>it</strong> could have been as bright as the sun. Elena’s breath caught in her throat as she stared. Not a bird, certainly no ordinary creature she’d ever seen in her life. It was a glimpse but it was enough. <br>“Mama” she whispered her voice soon lost in her throat.<br>The magnificent creature, the Balaur was soon lost from sight and no one was the wiser but Elena Matei.</em><br><br>She had never forgotten it, but as she had grown older she decided it might have been something from her overactive imagination for even then she was her happiest being creative, of ‘pretending,’ her parents certainly did not believe, neither did her sister’s when she told them. In the end Elena understood that there were just some things no one would ever understand. <br>“I am not leaving tonight mama, but I will leave first light, the sooner I get started out, the better.” Elena explained. “I just want to do a bit of hiking that is all. Do not worry so much.” Elena decided she was better off not telling Ana the full truth. What her mother did not know could not hurt her after all. That was the end of the matter according to Elena who didn’t have to pretend to enjoy the company of her family. Maybe she was being silly chasing after legends, or maybe she was not but Elena could never forget the gleam of flashing gold she could swear she had glimpsed when she was but a child.<br><br>The house was quiet when she got up the next morning, not only quiet but dark with just a hint of burgeoning daylight, the perfect time to start out on her ‘hiking’ trip. It was with some trepidation that Elena started out armed with a compass and a map-she knew where she wanted to go, she just needed to make sure she got there safely!<br>For her walking trip she was wearing badly scuffed hiking boots, blue jeans, a red-and-brown-checkered blouse, and a brown corduroy jacket. The jacket was one of her favorites, worn so often that the cords were threadbare in places, the cuffs were frayed, and the inner-arm creases in the sleeves appeared to be permanent. She would have to take it off sooner or later when she started getting warm on her hike. <br>She cut a lonely figure on the off beaten track that morning, a small figure easily underestimated because of her height: five-two and a hundred and two pounds, not physically imposing, certainly not intimidating, but likewise she was shapely but not a blonde doll. She was blonde, however, and the particular shade of her hair was what caught a man’s eye whether he was seeing her for the first time or the hundredth.&nbsp; Even in bright sunshine her hair recalled moonlight. That ethereally pale and radiant hair, coupled with the bluest of eyes romantic novelists might label sapphire, her delicate features, slender shoulders, tiny waist—all contributed to an impression of fragility that was misleading. <br><br><strong>Huff huff huff.</strong> Every so often Elena found herself stopping along the way to catch her breath, but she could not stop completely, not yet, not tell she was close enough to her destination. She wasn’t sure how long it was supposed to take-no one had ventured out this way after all, but she hoped she would be close enough. <br><br>“If this is to end in fire<br>Then we should all burn together<br>Watch the flames climb high into the night<br>Calling out father, oh, stand by and we will<br>Watch the flames burn auburn on<br>The mountain side…”<br><br>Elena’s voice rung breathless and sweet in still air as she sung-it seemed like the most appropriate way to break the silence of the forests, and the most appropriate way to end a day long hike when she saw it.<br><br>The castle.<br><br>She had made it!
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				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>11-12-2013, 03:38:31</strong>
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				Once more he had fallen into a doze with his breath mingling in the wind. Softly still the bird was twittering twittering and on and on until at last the sounds mixed into what seemed to be almost words. Then his cow like ears flicked upward through the frills along his skull. The sounds reaching him were in fact words of some kind. Newer than ones he had learned to entertain his companion ages before.<br><br>The long neck rose as he looked about the room before closing his eyes and simply listening. A softer voice which resonated as female, he believed, and an odd scent on the breeze. Perhaps humans simply held new aromas now. Lady Guinevere had been particularly fond of scented oils though he hadn't been so keen. It appeared that some things simply didn't change.<br><br>Moving slowly he crept along the ruins until he found the courtyard. By now the woman had come close to the old building and he could study her from the barracks of the walls. Somewhere within the depths of the old castle he could hear a faint ringing. The old dragon's heart beat hard as he thoughts on its meaning.<br><br><em>The treasure would ring were the one to claim it present. This woman?</em> He studied her, watching how she moved and pondering if she were worth it. No human needed to be here. The urge to devour her overwhelmed him and he rose on the castle wall with his wings outstretched and caught the sun's light with his scales. Each scale was as a golden coin and bounced the light in a thousand reflections across any opposing surface with such blinding radiance as can hardly be described.<br><br>The woman, small as any human would be before him, was no threat to him and his home. Amber eyes focused on her as a predator's he opened his mouth to let the smoke roll out in acrid black. An old heat from burned out stars simmering in his gut.<br><br>"You hath come here for what purpose, woman? This holy ground on which you tread serves not to grace the likes of you!" His words seemed to project from the mind as a sword and pierced into flesh with his anger and doubt. No humans were worth trusting beyond the one. This female would be another burglar. A foolish thief who had aimed too close to the sun and should only fall as once did young Icarus.<br><br>Many men had come and gone in search of this most sacred treasure and each had met a fate most unpleasant. Hurled to the rocks of the gorge below or devoured by the beast in his cavernous gluttony each man had come to an end and not one had been worthy.<br><br>Yet still the incessant ringing! He would ignore it for now lest his judgement be clouded. For now he towered over her from his perch, the protective bird over his nest, and awaited her pleas for her life. They had all begged when it was their own foolishness what had brought them to this point of despair. It was natural for the sniveling race of man to cower before him and thus he had been chosen for this lonely task. Here he would remain. This woman was just another flicker of a day and would be gone so quickly he'd scarce have time to commit her to memory.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>11-12-2013, 11:08:00</strong>
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				For a moment Elena would stand there on that very last rock staring up at the castle in all its glory. Amazingly enough it did not seem as ramshackle or trodden down as she thought it might be. Her heart beat faster in her chest, as a child she had always dreamt of finding her way to the castle-it called to the romantic in her that imagined a million and one different histories that resided in those walls, of queens and kings, and princess’ locked in towers and more tellingly the Balaur, the dragon that was supposed to have lived within the halls of the castle. It had teased Elena’s imagination for years on end. <br><br>Now she was here.<br><br>All she needed was her camera; she wasted no time in pulling it out of her backpack and setting it up, though she had been eager to bring her more professional camera, the item itself weighed quite heavily, so Elena had to settle on her much smaller digital camera to fulfill her needs. <br><strong>Click. Click. Click. </strong><br>The way the late afternoon sun shone on the brick walls made an interesting picture for Elena, as much as the creeping greenery dotting along the walls. It was a perfect mess.<br><strong>Click. Click. Click.</strong><br>Elena left her bag where it was and had begun to draw closer to the walls, but she knew she shouldn’t be over taking pictures for she still had inside to document. It was just the incentive Elena needed to pause in her enthusiastic photo taking.<br>She still had to go inside.<br>“Yes!”<br>A fist pump in the air later Elena turned to grab her bag, but not before the glint of gold caught her eye.<br><br>“What the hell” shading her eyes from the glare of the sun, she looked back at the castle walls and was stunned by the sight that greeted her.<br><br>“Oh. My. God” she whispered before her thoughts were filled with the most piercing of sounds. Elena screamed lightly clasping her hands against her ears though the sound did not come from mouths. <br><strong>"You hath come here for what purpose, woman? This holy ground on which you tread serves not to grace the likes of you!</strong><br>Elena however could not answer, at least not yet! Not with her ringing ears and trembling body at war with her. She had never felt such base fear as she did now, it was worse than the feeling she got from being on a rookie’s assignment in Syria. <br>This was beyond her understanding even though she had searched for it for so long.<br><br>“P-please…” the word came whisper soft from the now cowering Elena. “P-please, I mean no harm.” How terrified she felt as much as she felt stupid. Was she actually answering back to a Balaur? Really and truly?<br>A glance at the beautiful golden creature.<br>Yes. Indeed she was.<br>What if he breathed fire on her? Was that possible? What if he ate her? That seemed more then possible! What if he carried her off in his overlarge talons to drop her so she free-fell towards the earth? Doubly possible.<br><em>You have to run Elena, you have to!</em> her thoughts pushed at her though she remained standing exactly where she was. Trying to convince herself that if the Balaur had wanted, he could have already carted her off and the fact that he (she was assuming it was a he simply by the voice) seemed to be waiting for her to respond.<br>Even though she was still quite terrified and her heart was pounding something terrible she summoned enough courage to face what was supposed to be childhood legend.<br><br>"I saw you" she blurted out, still frozen with her camera held in one hand. "I saw you when I was but a child...I think I was the only one who saw you, and I thought...I thought you were magnificent as much as I thought you weren't real." she stared and stared.<br>"By God you really are real." she began to laugh.<br>"You really are!"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>11-12-2013, 21:18:39</strong>
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				The object in her hand had stopped making its odd sounds and she had almost let it go to cover her ears as that pitiful sound left her mouth. Her fear struck him hard and he reveled in the thrill of power as she merely trembled. Humans were weak and always would be. They needed guidance through life and so creatures such as he felt pity for them. However pity is easily broken as man's cruelty reveals itself.<br><br>Yet somehow the woman seemed to work at pulling herself together. Standing there breathing before she looked up at him. Just moments ago she had uttered little mewls of please and assurance she was harmless. Now she seemed to be more aware of herself. Despite how easily he could end her life she wasn't actually begging nor was she running. Brave and steady.<br><br>He marveled briefly at how calm she had become. The blonde hair was radiant in the sun and her fair skin reminded him of his friend's dearest mate. The woman had been fair and kind. Despite the tenderness of her form the woman's mind had been a weapon. She had been sharp-witted and even more sharp-tongued. The comparison made him hesitant for a moment and this gave her enough time to respond.<br><br>"I saw you. I saw you when I was but a child...I think I was the only one who saw you, and I thought...I thought you were magnificent as much as I thought you weren't real." She had stared at him and for a moment he stared back, intrigued by the woman as she tried to explain herself, and then she burst out "By God you really are real. You really are!"<br><br>The woman was laughing and he was thrown off by this. It was very well difficult to be a large and intimidating dragon when a human is standing there laughing at you. For a moment he shifted his weight from one clawed foot to the other before sighing and easing. This human was harmless and he simply couldn't remain fierce as she laughed.<br><br>Smoke and fire had built up from his rage and he leaned his head back to eject fire up at the sky. After a few moments he was no longer smoking and settled on his perch to look down at her.<br><br>"Then you are from the village below." He stated simply as he looked down to the village far down at the base of the mountain. She had trekked the whole way just to confirm his existence? "You humans take on such peculiar quests. Thus your lives are so incredibly short. Perhaps our own would be thus were we not so cautious."<br><br>He slid down from the wall onto the grass before her, eyes studying her as he stretched and allowed his tail to curl. The woman was encircled by this dragon. Were she to move forward she would meet his body, but to move back would mean climbing over the large trunk of a tail.<br><br>Being closer to her now he sniffed and caught her odd scent again while curiously studying her clothes. Was she wearing pants? He had heard that some women were so bold, but to disgrace men this way! Yet it mattered little to a dragon. He simply understood that this was a statement of her inability to find a mate. It was sad to him, too, as she would produce lovely young.<br><br>The dragon didn't realize he was staring as he kept watching her. It was just odd to see someone after so long and hear words again only to find how different humans were.<br><br>"You have come to only ascertain the knowledge of my existence. Such a thing is important to thee? Why for, woman?" He scrutinized her, cocking his head slightly to show his doubt. Though she seemed harmless she was still a human. Humans couldn't be trusted. Not even with their own species could one man find faith in another. It was simply not done.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>12-12-2013, 00:58:00</strong>
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				<em>He could still hurt you Elena,</em> her thoughts whispered while she stood there braying like a mad woman. She was mad, standing there and facing a dragon. <em>Who would have thought?</em><br>Elena was however startled right out of it when the Dragon took the opportunity to produce the fire spoken of in legend. It was a spray of heat and smoke, and though it did not seem directed at her, Elena could feel its heat.<br>The young woman was therefore quiet once more and so it was the Dragon who presumed to break the silence.<br><br>"Yes I am," she found herself replying as the dragon began to move. "From the village I mean."<br>Wait, why would he move? He was so much better off by staying exactly where he was, and it was so much better for Elena anyway. She was not sure how much longer she could hold onto her sanity without screaming!<br>The Dragon however seemed more inclined to 'examine' her as much she had examined him. It was the weirdest situation to be in, truly.<br>The worst of it was where he put himself-she might have seemed calm now, but by God how her heart raced, how it took ever ounce of her willpower not to bolt.<br>It would be too late now anyway, she had lost her chance.<br><br><em>Oh my lord,</em> He had ensured that her movement was hampered by encircling her with his body-if she wanted to run she wouldn't be able to do that very easily. Elena swallowed tightly against the lump in her throat. Close that they were now, her scent seemed that much stronger, an irritating but poignant blend of wildflowers and fresh rain. Close that they were now Elena could see the depths of ages in the Dragon's amber eyes. He had lived many years, had seen many things. <br>Was she the first in a long time to catch sight of him? <br><br><strong>"You have come to only ascertain the knowledge of my existence. Such a thing is important to thee? Why for, woman?" </strong><br><br>"You don't know do you?" Elena stared at him, trying not to concentrate so much on the feeling of entrapment. "People...don't believe in you anymore" it was blunt but she decided to get straight to the point. "You are thought to be a myth, passed down as a story from parent to child for many, many years. You are not supposed to be real."<br>Would he understand that? She was sure he would, he didn't seem like a stupid Dragon! "But you are real...and so this will turn everything in on its head. You are the Big Foot no one has ever been able to find, and the Loch Ness Monster. This is amazing!" the enthusiasm bled from her voice. "You are Tolkien's Smaug" giggles bubbled up into her throat. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>12-12-2013, 16:03:38</strong>
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				There had been several beats of silence between them before finally she worked to answer him. The woman seemed almost hesitant as she formed her words and he craned closer to her while trying to pay attention. Her scent was intoxicating and all he wanted was to bury into it.<br><br><br>"You don't know do you? People...don't believe in you anymore. You are thought to be a myth, passed down as a story from parent to child for many, many years. You are not supposed to be real." Her words were very frank and forward, leaving him a little stunned.<br><br>They didn't believe in him any more? He was just a myth? There were so many dragons, how could they possibly just be a myth?! Unless... unless there weren't many dragons. It had been some time, perhaps they had started to die out or those abysmal knights had gleaned the linings of noble purses for coin in their conquests. The thought made his chest ache and he looked away quickly, eyes searching the skyline for something that wouldn't be there. The dragon's breathing had quickened as, somehow, the thought that his kind could almost be non-existent had never crossed his mind.<br><br>The woman continued to speak, however, and he blinked in confusion. Turning to look at her again he cocked his head to one side. What on earth was she saying now? He tried to analyze her words and translate them in his mind, but they didn't make sense.<br><br>"Big foot? Monster in the Loch of Ness? Tolkien's Smaug?" He then turned his head to the other side and gave a little snort. "i do not understand these terms, but your purpose here seems congenial. Tread lightly, woman, for you hath my trust only now. It is something best to hold." He removed himself from her only to light in the air and land upon the wall again, scanning the area.<br><br>"You are here to prove my existence then, is that it? Pray you, child, should your prove my being and others come to kill me? To what pleasure will that end bring you? Man is fickle and quick to change. I do not want more here. You are enough."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>13-12-2013, 03:14:28</strong>
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				Maybe she should not have been so blunt, maybe she should have chosen her words wisely-but she really wasn't thinking clearly anyway, she was still filled with excitement and terror, with those two combined Elena's head was a mess of thoughts. It did not off course prevent her from seeing a nameless look that passed in his amber eyes as she made the truth known to him. What were his thoughts? Was it of other Dragons? She wondered how many there had been and if there were any existence besides this creature.<br>She had to shake her head somewhat to clear her thoughts and focus on the Dragon once more. It was clear he had no idea what she was talking about, well, that would make sense would it not Elena? It must have been eons since anyone has seen him.<br><em>Has he been alone all this time?</em><br>Something inside her felt some sympathy for the golden Dragon-any other would have gone mad to live for so long and see no one, no nothing of the time that had passed.<br>He really had no idea.<br><br>"I'm sorry, I should not have been too hasty in my delivery" she said after a moment. It was clear he had no idea what she was talking about. Pop culture references clearly wasn't advisable in this case! Elena watched as the Dragon moved himself and took flight to the wall. The young woman breathed a sigh of relief that she had her 'freedom' again. Without having been able to move anywhere, he might have decided so quickly to snap her up and eat her.<br>Elena shuddered.<br><br><strong>"You are here to prove my existence then, is that it? Pray you, child, should your prove my being and others come to kill me? To what pleasure will that end bring you? Man is fickle and quick to change. I do not want more here. You are enough."</strong><br><br>When Elena had decided to come up here she hadn't expected much out of her adventure, she was sure that what she had seen when she was younger was nothing more then the figment of imagination, like Alice in Wonderland's dream. The Dragon was real and she hadn't planned for what she would do on this discovery. What had crossed her mind briefly was...writing an article that proved his existence, to provide pictures of her jaunt and show the world that the legend was real. The journalism world would really open up to her, they'd ask for her, they would <strong>want</strong> her. She trembled with excitement. This would be her time to shine.<br><br><em>At the risk of what though Elena?</em> she asked herself as she looked upon the Dragon. <em>What would happen afterwards when it was all proven?</em> Elena's mood took an immediate nosedive.<br><em>Experiments</em><br><em>Research</em><br><em>Tourist traps</em><br>People would want to see him and the mountains, the previously pristine, untouched mountains of her birth would be trampled by those curious about her discovery. The Dragon would be as trampled as the mountains she treasured.<br><br>"Well shit" she muttered, as her conscience interfered. How could she do this without risk?<br><em>I can't</em> Elena realised, her disappointment growing to the size of Australia.<br><br>"I was proving it to myself. I didn't necessarily come up here to prove it to anyone else. At least I know I'm not mad" she found herself saying, her disappointment growing into two continents. "May I explore inside? At least before the sun come down."<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>13-12-2013, 22:22:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The young woman seemed apologetic in how she had broken the news to him. It was strange to find such a tenderness in a stranger, but he did appreciate the gesture. His heart, though sort with sorrow, was lightened just enough. Though, as he looked down at her, it seemed her own heart was confused.<br><br>No doubt she had wanted to reveal him, but for the better she had thought against that desire. A pure soul. Inside the building he could hear in the deep the faint ringing of his charge. His head lifted and his muscles tensed as all at once he realized what the sound was.<br><br>Amber eyes flicked to her and he studied the human before him. She was asking something. What was it?<br><br>"May I explore inside? At least before the sun comes down."<br><br>Her question was so genuine and sincere. He weighed his choices, but still the ringing in only his ear. It seemed fate had made the choice for him. He slipped down into the courtyard before moving to one of the many archways. His large head peered out from it as he blinked at her.<br><br>"Well human, come along. No doubt you shall have many a question and I will not have all the day for answering them all. You want to use the light, yes? Then quick on your feet!" He almost teased, eyes softer as he slipped through the large doors of the castle. The first room was a grand hall with old rotted carpets and many statues. Art long since faded hung on the walls and light filtered in through small circular windows higher on the wall.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>13-12-2013, 22:52:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Your chances are ruined Elena</em> her thoughts interfered, making her shake her head. <em>There will be other opportunities to shine with other things later on. This does not have to be it. This...could be my secret.</em><br>Yes. It could be her secret and hers alone. Still it didn't quite ease her heart but she did prevent herself from feeling resentful about the situation!<br>After asking about exploring inside, she wondered if it was wrong of her to ask. It could not be right? She planned nothing untoward, she just wanted to see the inside of it. After seeing this place from afar for so long, it would seem a pity not to.<br><br><strong>"Well human, come along. No doubt you shall have many a question and I will not have all the day for answering them all. You want to use the light, yes? Then quick on your feet!"</strong><br><br>The moment the Dragon gave his agreement was the moment Elena released the pent up breath she had been holding. She could go inside? Brilliant! Before she followed within, Elena raced back to the rock where she had her backpack and grabbed it before turning to run inwards. There would be plenty of photos to take inside and at least one of the Dragon.<br><em>Just one.</em> she convinced herself. She did not plan to use for anything but her own personal record.<br><br>"Just to let you know..." she said puffing her way inside. "My name is Elena...do you have a name Dragon?" she asked of him before her attention was caught. "Woah" Elena whispered and turned around on the spot, bringing her camera up automatically to take some pictures. Surely that would be okay...<br><strong>Click. Click. Click</strong><br>"This is amazing...I can't believe there are statues still standing, and the art work on the wall..." she was clearly speaking more to herself at the moment.<br>"How long has this castle been standing? Who did it belong to?"<br><strong>Click</strong><br>Yes. She had even taken a photo of the carpet!
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>18-12-2013, 03:44:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It hadn't taken her very long at all to pursue him into the building. The woman's footsteps were soft behind him and her scent mixed interestingly with the old room. It seemed to brighten the atmosphere and he paused a moment to turn and watch her.<br><br>"Just to let you know... My name is Elena... do you have a name Dragon?" She asked while catching her breath and holding the strange device in her hand. As she spun round and made the thing click she seemed enraptured with all the world around her. It was somehow charming to watch her in all the excitement.<br><br>"This is amazing... I can't believe there are statues still standing, and the artwork on the wall... How long has this castle been standing? Who did it belong to?"<br><br>All of her questions were perfectly fair, he felt, and he had to admit that joining in conversation would be enlightening. She had asked three questions and so three he would ask in return.<br><br>"The name given me in my tongue is far too difficult for you, however the name my master adorned me with is Aurelio." It was odd to say his own name again and for a moment he listened to its sound echo from the walls. The echos reminded him of the master and made his heart ache. "This castle has been standing for almost two thousand years if I have judged the sun and planet's travels correctly. Many masters have tended to this stronghold, but it has been some time since the last had come to deliver stone..."<br><br>It had been centuries since he had last seen a human in these walls and to watch her move was remarkable. She seemed natural here and he began to formulate a plan. There were desires here and he would manipulate things to his will.<br><br>"It belonged to the people of the realm. All within the kingdom would share in the wealth of this society." He looked down to her and extended his claw to gently tap the camera. "What is this clicking thing? You point it everywhere. What are your people like now? Why are you wearing pants?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>19-12-2013, 01:22:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elena couldn't help her curiosity, the questions needed to be asked-who knew when she would have the opportunity to come here again. Though Elena certainly did not want it to be the last time. She felt like a child in a candy store! <br><strong>Click. Click. Click</strong><br>How in the world was she supposed to keep this to herself when she wanted nothing more then to publish? To give her proof, to write up her experience.<br><em>Easy. Just keep it to yourself Elena, those pictures are yours and yours alone. At least no one can take that away!</em> She thought to herself in an effort to make herself feel just a little better about the circumstances.<br><br>What was he saying now? Having been lost in thought, she just barely heard his response and realised that he was replying to her questions. <br>"Aurelio. It is a pleasure to meet you" she said politely. Now that there was a name to the Dragon it seemed to humanize him just a little more, Aurelio was worth more then tourist traps.<br>"Which master gave you that name?" she asked in return, being slightly more specific yes and expecting a reply when he was done replying to questions already asked of him.<br><br>Her eyes widened like saucers as she turned on the spot to look around her more carefully. "Two thousand years...that's unbelievable" she breathed uncertainly. "For that long and no one has come up at all...that is remarkable" and indeed it was, how could this place have been avoided for so long? Surely someone before her would have been just as curious about this castle and decided to look at it for themselves. It was amazing to think that maybe the legend had been alive for that long, past on and on with no deviations. <br>"Remarkable, absolutely remarkable" she murmured, more to herself then to him.<br><br>She might have asked more questions, indeed, she had plenty more to ask and plenty more places to explore but before she could do either it was Aurelio's turn to ask her. She smiled holding it up. "This is a camera" she said, it takes pictures. "Much like painting...but it is quicker and easier. Here, I'll show you..." she turned the camera so he could see the screen rather then the lens and showed him the last picture she took-the art work on the wall. "See...we can make memories using this." she explained.<br><br>"It is my job you see, to write and take pictures and show it to people-sometimes for a price because I need to earn a living too. Speaking of people, I could safely say I suppose that we're very different from what you are used to. There is equality between men and women, all are entitled to an education, and all are able to work in professions and trades. At least in some countries that is the case-for others it is a bit different." she smiled wryly. <br>"In a way we are able to fly as well...but we use what we call planes, they are like...big birds I suppose and people sit inside." Elena began to laugh quietly. "Aurelio, there is so much about our current world that is different...it would take ages to speak of it all. But one thing I can say...wearing pants is a fashion now. These are called jeans and most young women wear it. They can be a lot more comfortable, and certainly easier to walk in. I might have been flat on my face on that trail if I'd been wearing a dress."<br><br>Now, where else could she go?<br>"Aurelio, can I go explore other parts of the castle? Please" she gave him a winning smile. "I promise we can talk more"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>22-12-2013, 05:00:13</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The young woman was so filled with questions, he noted, but finally she did answer his own. As she turned the camera to him he shifted as it froze time in its little box and paced his two front legs.<br><br>"It freezes the world! To make memories by trapping time in this magic camera box... men have become magicians!" He swished his tail much as a curios cat might and continued to study the camera as she spoke on.<br><br>She went on to explain the changes of the world. They had created memory traps called cameras, women were equal to men, and they flew in giant birds called planes. For a few beats he thought on it before giving a sound. He remembered those!<br><br>"These planes make a great deal of sound, yes? I recall them flying past the mountains many times. They would sometimes drop things in the distance. The earth shook and trees burned. It seemed a terrible thing that men would craft these destroyers. It seems, however, that there is more to them than simply the ability to destroy."<br><br>"We may proceed, Elena. I shall speak with you as we walk." He assented to her request and moved onward to a long hall. There were various off-shoots to other large rooms and smaller doors to guest chambers and meeting rooms. Aurelio noted them with his eyes as he began to speak. "My name was given me by my late master, Galahad." He spoke he name with a slight lowering of his head as for a moment the pain rose again. Loneliness.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>23-12-2013, 11:25:36</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Elena laughed quietly, but it was an amused laugh certainly not directed at his wonder but the excitement she heard briefly in Aurelio’s tone. “Yes, I suppose they have” she acknowledged with a little smile. “They are trying to improve things day by day to make those planes bigger and better and to fit more people in. So yes, they’re not just their for destruction” she wondered at that point what part of ‘history’ he was speaking of that planes had flown over these mountains and dropped ‘things.’ She could not cast her mind back on any such occasion, maybe it was test weaponry.<br><em>In any case, it isn’t as important right now.</em> Elena told herself to get her back on track; there was a castle to explore!<br><br>Something in Aurelio’s tone however when he mentioned his master caught Elena in her tracks-she stopped to look at the Dragon-noted the slight drop of his great big head. The name might have caught her attention first at any other time, but it was the wistfulness in the dragon that gave her pause.<br><br>“You have been on your own for a long time, haven’t you Aurelio?” it was more a rhetorical question then anything else. “Masters have come and gone and you still live.” The young woman was close enough now to pat the side of his face-he was in fact low enough for her to reach now.<br>“You haven’t missed out on much.” She added earnestly. “Have you never been able to leave?”<br><br><em>Where would he have gone Elena? How could he fly in plain sight of the humans you want to shield him from? </em>She asked herself.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Captain My Captain</strong> on <strong>25-12-2013, 18:06:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She had laughed, though softly, and the sound had been pleasing to his ears. Her confirmation that these planes of the air weren't just mechanisms for war was a comfort of sorts to the old dragon. Even more comforting though was the hand placed upon his face as she had stopped to look at him. Sorrow and concern registered in her expression and the sheer presence of the emotions was somehow stirring to the reptile.<br><br>"I have had but one true Master, Elena, but many men have come and gone in my existence. As to my remaining within these walls I have been charged with a duty that I shall uphold until all the days of glory come. When the singing chime reaches my ears and tells me that I may rest." He looked down to here with an aged wisdom and what could be a smile on his face. "I am old, Lady Elena, and have seen the passing of many years. Man was still in its infancy as I was a hatchling. Eden had been taken away and Hell born. So many mortals have plucked at fruit long forbidden and found its taste to be worthless. Here I have a beacon of faith to give unto humanity. Yet I must judge upon the person to whom it may so pass."<br><br>Settled with his patience he moved forward with long strides to the throne room. Here he moved and went to the throne where the old skeleton sat and nudged the hand gently. Deep rumblings similar to purrs emitted from the creature as it lay there waiting for praise from the bones. Like a cat his tail flicked to and fro, eyes wide as he chirped and waited patiently.<br><br>The throne room- to itself it was something like a cathedral. High vaulted ceilings with beyond beautiful stained glass windows (which were mostly intact) and rich carpet running through the center of the room. Many chairs lined the walls and lastly before the throne were the remnants of what seemed to be a table. By the throne on the steps was a worn slope, mostly due to Aurelio's laying there, and a large scale from his last shedding.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Dragon's Charge- Game between Captain my Captain and Purveyorofidentitiess</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Purveyorofidentitiess</strong> on <strong>27-12-2013, 12:44:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It had felt only natural to offer comfort where it was needed and it had appeared to Elena that Aurelio had needed some of it. She didn’t or couldn’t understand half the impact of living so very long and alone would have on somebody-and it was clear that it probably wasn’t at all very pleasant. It was like Aurelio was a prisoner of this castle-no freedom to fly free, and why? Because he was guarding some beacon of faith? What was it and how long still till he would have to wait? It seemed an awfully demanding request to place on anybody.<br><br>“What is it Aurelio?” she asked him. “Will you be expected to wait that long for that person? What if they never come?” Her question hung mid air when she was greeted by the sight of the room he led her into. Oh what a room it was-Elena turned around on the spot, her eyes wide with wonder. It was built like a cathedral with the most beautiful of stain glass windows and still standing wooden chairs carved so delicately. She looked down at her feet to find one long carpet rolled out from where she stood and onto where Aurelio now lay circled.<br><br>A throne.<br><br>Elena found herself walking towards him, her steps slow and measured. The throne was not empty as she expected but held a skeleton. With the way Aurelio was behaving, he was much like a big cat, was he purring? There was just something about it that made Elena smile. <br><br>"Is this your old master Aurelio?" Elena asks of him.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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