No rain, hail or thunder.
Just the dark abyss of the sky, the pinpricks of stars, and the moon far above.

That was it all to him.

Silence had the ruling hand here, with peace as it's queen.
Nothing.

Sitting there, unstirring from position, the dragon stared at the bright white orb that lit up the sky, a sparkle of geniune facination lingering in his golden-hued gaze.
Facination that betrayed his adult appearance, if delved deep enough.

Yet merely a shadow against the rest of the forest, attention fixated on his lone object of interest, he spread his magnificently feathered wings and rose from his perch.
Looking like he was to try and follow the moon, the creature vanished into the sky, twirling and vaulting in his dance-like flight.

But once again, his outline passed through the light, form dark against the silvery white.

As if he was trying to tell the world that he was still there.



.| Various Stats |.

Name: Ichiro Ryalon
Nicknames/Titles: Ichiro, Lord Ichiro
Age: 21, immortal
Gender: Male
Species: Sheriikain Rafetian Dragon
Height: 8'7" on two feet, 5'11" on four
Wingspan: 17'11" at full length
Element(s): Dark, Light, Lunar
Role: Performer (flutist, dancer)
Title: Failed Death Weapon #9999 ; "Finality
Affection?: ...you are everything to me.
Sibling(s): Deceased
Parents: Deceased
Personality:
Calm, withdrawn, focused, peaceful, wise, distant

A Story to Tell

My tale? Perhaps it would be of interest to you..

Firstly, you cannot consider me a "normal" dragon.
No, I am not a generalized dragon - I am of the race Draconis occidentialis lunae, literally translated as "Dragon of the Moon".
We are generally known as Sheriikain Rafetian Dragons, as the first part are derived from the island we originate from, the second being an elder word in dragon-tongue for "lunar", and the third being, well, obvious.

I presume that you have never heard of us or seen one of us before.. but that makes all too much sense, and it will to you too when I am through with my tale.

On the island of Sheriikai, close to the equator and somewhere in the sea between Shenkuu and Altador, we lived.
It is a very warm, humid climate there, with the jungles being thick and full of brush. Perhaps a small creature would scurry through the undergrowth, pausing to look up at you with dark eyes before continuing on its way.
We were a group of an average number, maybe eighty at the highest.
You see, we live an extremely long time.. in fact, none of us know exactly how long we live.
Being able to freeze appearances and retain your outward appearance is another thing we are capable of, so we've never really known how long we can stay here, because the oldest dragons may be disguised as the youngest!

Anyways, we were a peaceful, quiet group.
We never knew what lay beyond the shallows that surrounded our home, and everything we would ever need was in our reach already, so we would live away from the rest of the world.
Living off the moonlight that shone down upon our home in the night, and occasionally the fruits, berries and coconuts that grew all around, we lived a life of ecstasy, to say.
Never would we fight, nor hunt, as we saw no reason to.
We tended to the plants and the small animals that lived there, taking care of them and helping them grow with tender touches.

And when the full moon shone down, we would have a festival.

Picture it in your mind: bird-like dragons swooping, diving and vaulting all through the air, with music rising up from the ground to accompany the dance.
Emmerse your heart and soul in the beat and sway, and let yourself fall into rhythm.

That was how we respected our mother earth and father sky, by spreading wings and letting oneself into a ballad, or moving in a less lively fashion while playing an instrument that we would create from the reeds and wood.
Life was a peaceful, glorious thing.

I, myself, was raised as a musician, a flutist to be precise.
Music was my pleasure, and in the hours when I was not with the others, I was in the treetops, letting my tune reach the birds.
Though, as my twelfth and thirteenth years rolled by, I saw myself seeking the aerobatics of the sky-dancers.
For my work, I would flap and twirl, and for my play, I would let my canto whisper through the trees.
My part became an interesting one amid the group: if a dancer was injured or sickly, I could fill in, while I was normally with the musicians.

Everything was perfect in the three years that came, when I took both parts and did my best.

And yet, perfect days are like golden ages. They come and stay for some time, and then, they're gone on the wind.
That, I learned all too well.

It was a few days before the next full moon was to come out, and I was on nothing more then a glide. If I wasn't playing my music in my spare time, I was always flying, somewhere..
It's truly magnificent to feel the wind beneath your wings, it feels like.. endlessness, infinity, and it makes you want to scream with pleasure.

On that night -- we are nocturnal creatures, anyways -- I was above the shallows, perhaps ten or fifteen feet shy of the shore. The fish below could not hear those who glided gently above the surface, and it was a pleasure to watch them dart and swim about in their funny little ways..
With our owl-esqe wings, built for silence and manueverability, we could flap and flit all about, and make no noise with the feathers and muscles that would beat..

My path falling into an arch as I turned widely across the water, tail almost touching the surface, I swooped upwards, flexing my wings and spanning my flight feathers out, waiting for a breeze.
Reaching out for the lone one I found, I let myself float on it, and that weightless feeling came on as it carried me about..

I had seen nothing, looking only ahead as I rose above the ocean..
With a nova of pain detonating suddenly in my left wing, it was like slow motion, or almost.
Twirling around, realizing that something had hit me and stuck there, eyes catching on the midnight sky and luminescent moon before I felt the water impact my form.

It all went dark as pitch.

Next time I came to, the dusky evening sky, that familiar pale-rust color covering the horizon.. it was what I first saw.
I had ended up on a beach, seaweed tangled around my tail and body bruised, nicked and cut by the coral reefs.
Looking around to see if what had hit me was still embedded in my shoulders, I found some sort of dart, a long silver needle connected to a glass tube, faint remnants of liquid still clinging to the insides.

That marked the search for my home and what had become of it..
And it was three long years until I finally found out.
Nothing but ashes, skeletons and death awaited me there, and the past was gone.

I am still travelling the world in search of a true paradise to live in... maybe you'll see me on a moonlit night.

.| Likes & Dislikes |.

Likes:
-- Spring and Summer
-- Peace
-- The moon
-- Sleeping
-- Music

Dislikes:
-- Fall and Winter
-- Violence
-- The sun
-- Enclosed spaces
-- Mankind

.| Physiology Analysis |.

Ichiro's kind are quite different from other dragons, or generally anything that resembles them.
For one, he's not very big for a draconic creature -- on all fours, he's only about six feet at the head, and if he stands up on two, he just hits nine feet.
With his long tail stretched out, he is about fifteen feet in length, not including the silver spines that make his tail such a weapon.

Mostly, he is a tealish blue color all over, with a bright red underbelly and dark teal claws.
His scales have a rubbery, smooth feel to them, so fine that they resemble the skin of a dolphin or whale. Form generally very streamlined for flight and lithe movement, Ichiro and his kin have rather bird-like characteristics -- such as air sacs, hollow bones and a fairly high metabolism.
However, thanks to their abnormal way of getting nutrition, they survive with relative ease.

Another thing about them that has avian influence is their wings: Sheriikain Rafetian Dragons have large, feathery wings.
They have owl-like characteristics to them, allowing complete silence as they wheel and flit about in the air.
The most abnormal thing about their wings is the thick downy tuft between their wings -- they are "built-in lunar panels", as some have put it.
It's the truth: being a nocturnal species, they will lie in moonlight to get energy and nutrition, using a photosynthsis-like method to keep themselves alive.
However, they'll eat berries and plants if there is a lack of light, having sickly reactions to devouring meat.

When it comes to wings, Ichiro has rather abnormal coloration, with one being black, the other silvery white, and the down between being a pretty mottle of the ivory and ebony.
Amusingly enough, his eyes are actually quite normal for his kind -- golden with pure white pupils.
Lastly, multiple golden clamps are around his face, neck, wrists, ankles, wing joints and tail..
Though it's doubted that he'll ever speak of them.

.| Friends & Allies |.

Zankku... is strange. He was born in a lab, and seemingly, because of this and the fact that he dwells in shadow, so many exile and hate him. This, I do not truly understand.. he does not deserve it.. I want to help him..



Moon.. she.. she's like me.. a dragon who's life was changed by the avarice of humans. We've both experienced their cruelty and desire for the unknown..
She's my only friend during these neverending travels, these flights away from those we evade..
She means more to me.. more then anyone else that I've ever know.



.| Lone Affection |.



Right now, I just want to cry. For everything I've put you through.. for how many times I've scared you with my reckless behavior.. and for how much you mean to me.
Without you, I.. I wouldn't be here.
There's no words I can find to explain how I feel.



.| Marine's Artwork of Me |.

Not too much is here yet.. Marine is rather lazy.. so she doesn't get things done really quickly. But she puts whatever she can manage of me here. Like with the Fan Art section, drag the image to the address bar for full view..




.| Art from Others |.

I.. seem to be almost.. popular..? ..with artists. It seems that some like.. drawing me. I have collected that artwork here. Drag the image to the address bar for full view.









.| A Hoard of Treasures |.

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