story
Arion is a "bonfar", a myserious race of shape-shifter that is the magic behind the stories of "soul mates" and "love at first sight". As a deer, she meets her soulmate, and soonafter is compelled to rush to save him from danger before her abilities, duty, and code are fully explained to her. She takes on the form of a dragon, beginning a lifelong friendship, and partnership which makes her romantic emotional bond difficult to explore -- until she begins to discover what she is truly capable of.
when they come of age, they are given a sign, someone who needs them, and they bond for life to fill that need
young bold and stupid child is out in the forest playing, and stumbles over a huge sleeping bear. he runs as the bear wakes up, but he's chased. The girl sees him, declares he is her destiny. runs to him, talks to him in their mind's eye, declaring her love and dedication, he's terrified, says he doesn't need a girl, he needs something to protect him, something big... a dragon! She becomes a youthful small dragon, and a moment later fends off the bear with fire.
they "meet" properly, and he's amazed. She speaks to him, but she's actually a dragon. he takes her back to the village, astonishing people of the village.
characters
Doronos - the main character
Arion - the bonfar / dragon / mate
words
bonfar
(soul mate) ?
1: introduce the main character Doronus, and "Arion of the bonfar".
we meet our main character, Doronus out on a hunt with his father. Soon they spot a deer, and he gets it in his sights, his father talks him into position and then finally calls for him to shoot. He looks deeply into the deer's eyes and sees something. He can't shoot. The deer is in a flickery glow. He hears something like a song playing. His father encourages him, lightly chastises him, and then prepares to loose his own arrow. Doronus shakes out of locked eyes with the deer to see his father preparing to shoot. He tackles his father "Noo!!!" His father is shocked that he's been tackled, but annoyance quickly turns to fatherly love as they tustle about. Doronus turns back to the deer to see it has disappeared.
Somewhere else in the forest, a stone has started to glow brightly. When the deer arrives there are a couple other animals present (that wouldn't normally be friendly to each-other). The stone introduces himself directly to the deer as the old wise one, telling her that her name isi Arion. Explains the brief story of the bonfar. "shadows of legend. protectors, lovers, makers of heroes, never to be known." Explains that when they meet their soul-mate, whether man or beast, good or evil, they will know, and they must stay with this one for all it's life. The deer feels him again, deep in her bones, the one who looked at her in the forest. She becomes agitated, stomping about. The old one tries to quiet her. "i see. you have already met the one. you will go to him in time. for now there is much you must learn." she becomes more agitated, she sees red, the blood, then a terrible roar. "danger. must. go." Something is wrong. Without thinking she turns and begins to run through the forest, the old wise stone calling after to her, "wait, Arion. you must know what you are."
Arion is racing through the forest, violent imagery fighting for attention in her mind. Thrashing of branches, another terrible roar. She leaps over a log, turns around a huge tree, feels a wince in the leg which she realizes is not hers.
We see Doronus, falling over painfully onto the ground, hitting his head, his ankle partly twisted. But he has no choice, he has to get up, to run. He forces himself up, pulling himself around tree-trunks at a now painful and laborious pace. He knows the white bear is not far behind. He must find shelter. His eyesight starts to swim red, and he stumbles to the ground again. He drags himself along the ground to a tree-trunk, painfully pulling his bow and quiver around, pulling out an arrow to find it broken, before pulling another. He goes quiet, aiming out into the forest, he can hear rustling far in the distance. He's talking to himself bravely, preparing to meet his end. The bear is visible now in the distance, coming for him, his fur stained with blood. Blood Doronus knows is the blood of his father. His father who told him to run, tried to delay the bear so he could escape. He begins to see the light, hear the singing. "It's the spirit again. No. I am not ready to die yet. I will avenge you father."
"calm you. coming near. i am bonfar." the voice of the spirit is a song of thought, dancing with light. he feels images moving quickly, branches rushing by his face, yet he is sitting quiet in the forest, watching the white bear slowly approach. "be not afraid. with you. I am bonfar." A calm rushes over him, even as the bear is now close enough he can see the hunger in his eyes, the flicker of white teeth as it lets out a low-snarl. Doronus raises his bow. His body is shaking, but the melody in his head steadies his hand. He looses an arrow, it hits the bear in his left shoulder. Doronus hears a small grunt, but the great beast seems to hardly notice, even as the arrow shakes about, sticking from it's body. It's close now, only thirty feet, and he can hear the heavy slow thump of footfalls as the bear patiently lumbers towards its prey.
"I am here." Suddenly, the song in his head quiets, and he sees the nimble deer dart into view. The deer hasn't noticed her yet. Why is she here? What good will a deer do against a winter bear? Go run. Be away from here. "To you I am coming. I am bonfar." A moment later she's close enough for the great bear to see her. He stops momentarily. He's a wise old winter bear, and he know he cannot catch a deer. Still, the sight of such a tasty meal unafraid of him gives him pause.
Doronus is perplexed at the sight. A deer rushing in from the forest, almost as if to rescue him. He chuckles as tears seep from his eyes. It's all too much for him to take. The winter-bear catching he and his father offguard, his father standing his ground, telling him to run. The painful cries behind him, drowning out the sound of his footfall as he ran. The wincing in his head and ankle, the singing and voices in his head, and now a deer, prancing out of the forest to confront a bear. "Am I mad?" He looked to the sky. "Gods, are you mocking me? I don't need a deer. I need a shield and a sword. No, I need an army of ten men, and a wall for them to hide behind. Do not mock me on this of my final days. Send me a powerful dragon, or leave me in peace to die the death of a reckless hunter." The bear had lost interest in the deer and was approaching him again, seemingly signaling that the gods had decided to take him up on his offer.
"I am your need. Your need I shall be. I am bonfar." It was the blasted dillusions in his head, taunting him again. Couldn't he just die in peace? He looked down for an arrow, drew up his bow, hoping to at least take one eye from the beast for what it did to his father. He looked back up, drawing the bow, holding it steady as the bear came close enough to saturate the air around him with the smell of rank fur and fresh blood. He held his bow, hoping that by waiting until the last moment, his arrow would strike true. Finally, he closed his eyes, and let the arrow loose.
For a moment the world was silent. He heard only a whisper of the arrow fletching dragging by the bow as it sailed from his fingers. He heard one grand thump of the bear's paw, which must have only been inches from him. Even as he braced for impact, anticipating razor sharp claws to cut through him, he imagined the arrow piercing the skull of the great beast. A last pointless heroic feat before his end. The moment was calm, and he was without fear. Then came a terrible cry, and a ripping tearing sound, like the guts of ten men had been torn open in agony. He didn't think himself capable of such a dramatic end. He was merely glad he felt no pain. Then a crackle, and hot, burning hot, and felt a thump riddle through the ground. Something nudged one of his feet and it startled him. Was that it? Was he now dead?
He opened his eyes, and to his surprise, as blurry as it was through clenched tear-filled eyes, the forest remained. He blinked once, then again, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Bright fearsome beautful eyes looked down on him, flickering with chrimson and yellow like the sun made small. Around them, glimmers of light reflected from dark shiny surfaces. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a fearsome form yet he was unafraid. A dragon. Was this the creature that would welcome him into the afterlife?
As shock and adrenalin faded, the acrid smell of fresh guts hit his nose like a hammer. It was so strong he buried his face in the fabric of his jacket. Time came back to him quickly, as he realized it was from the winter bear, tossed lifeless on the ground a few feet away, his core torn open, blood still pouring from the wound. Hardly any white was visible, all the bear's fur having been painted red with blood and somehow singed black. What creature could perform such a feat, any why would it? A sound came from the staring eyes, and a puff of light illuminated it's head for a moment. It was a dragon! Smaller than any he'd ever heard of, but a dragon all the same. He tried to recoil closer to the tree, the immobile trunk offering him no more cover than before. "The gods do have a sense of humor, saved from a bear to be roasted by a dragon." The head of the beast cocked sideways, as if understanding his words but not his meaning. It made no move against him.
He slumped over, giving in to the pounding in his head, the overwhelming stench in the air, his inevitable fate. Yet deep beneath he hear it. He heard the lyrical song of the deer. It was difficult to hear through the pain, but he heard it. Was she near? She must get away. Then the piercing dragon eyes lowered. He could hear clacking sounds from the scales as the dragon lie down in front of him, peaceful.
"She is safe. She is me. I am bonfar." Where had the voice come from? The question would go unanswered as his mind faded and the world drifted away to unconsciousness.
2: next morning, proper introductions, back to the village, fanfare
3:
fast-forward to him as a new adult. he's the only one of his kind, riding a large dragon. she's his best friend, his partner, his dragon. his father tells him it's time for him to leave the village, find his destiny - that he was meant for greater things.
he packs up and leaves, a short while later, he saves a small carriage from bandits and meets his first pretty girl. he gets a crush on her. he wants to follow the carriage. the dragon is jealous, warns him that this was not the destiny he was meant for. there must be people to protect, tyrants to slay. he's starstruck and wants to follow the caravan.
... some more hilarity ensues...
eventually she challenges him, "i am your bonfar, the match of your soul. What is it about this girl that gives you something i do not give you?" ... uhm, she's a girl? she had spent so long as a dragon, she almost forgot who she was. "well, I can be a girl." she tries to shift, but it's been so long she forgot how. he loses patience with her games, and walks off. she pushes hard, and starts to feel the shift. "wait, wait! I can be a girl!" She scampers after him while pushing and pushing and finally shifts, into a simple but pretty girl -- naked and the size of a dragon, knocking him over. "oops"
"xxx stop kidding around." when he gets to his feet, he sees her and his words stop short. "you're..." he looks her over, astonished at her giant naked form. she's waiting for him to be impressed, and tries to put words in his mouth, "beautiful. stunning. beautifully stunning." she, finally looks down and realizes she's not wearing any clothes, "oops, naked." she "shifts" herself a cover-up. "sorry. better?"
"you're giant!" she looks at herself and admits, well yes. adopting the lifecycle of a dragon has made her a bit bigger than the average human woman, but he needed be so superficial, she is his bonfar!"
something awkward happens, she kind of overpowers him in an uncomfortable way, and he declares fervently that he doesn't need a giant girl, he needs a dragon. he storms off. she turns back to a dragon.
that night, he wanders upon the camp where the girl is, as if by happenstance. they invite him to stay, which he does. the male leader of the caravan talks "man-to-man" about the beautiful women he has with him, how they could use some protection, and insinuates that a brave dragon-rider that was to watch over him would deserve the attention of whichever woman he wanted, even more than one perhaps. the new adult is a bit embarassed, but does have his eye on a girl.
eventually he's off alone and charming the girl. she's heard of the boy with the dragon, but he's no boy. (well, boys grow up you know) she's sort of low-brow and starts to get in his pants immediately with crude language and tactics. still, he's never been with a girl, and it starts to work. his dragon watches on, jealous, annoyed. she is clearly experienced, a bit of an expert. gives him a starter treat.
the next day the dragon goes off, trying to politely explain that this is a caravan of owned women. he responds with chilvary, wanting to save them. finally the dragon gets exasperated of hinting, and blurts out that the girl is a harlot. she sleeps with many men. this causes another little rift/fight between them.
he returns to the caravan at mid-day, and one of their carriages has a broken wheel. they ask him if he can watch over them while their liege is out looking for the right wood to carve a replacement section. a couple bats of the eye, a little flirting, and he's again a puppy dog eating from the pretty girls trough. This time his favorite girl and another. They don't even wait until they drag him into privacy before they start "handling" him, teasing him, and half-disrobing. His dragon is exasperated a the display.
Just as he disappears into a tent, the dragon becomes aware of some men approaching her. She is in no danger, and makes a laughing show of letting them try to "capture" her. They rope her down with a sword to her neck, and she just keeps watching her man, bothered by the two girls throwing themselves at him, occasionally repeating something she hears them say far away in mocking tone. When he returns, they declare they've taken his dragon hostage, and she just tosses them to the ground, snaps the ropes, and trots away with her man chastising him for "leaving her alone", how she "could have been harmed".. (yes, you looked to be in grave danger)
that night, they have a fire, which she stokes with her flame breath, and she challenges that he should be with someone better. he protests, mostly thinking of the sex. the dragon challenges "what is so alluring about this girl." listing off a bunch of fine qualities he should be proud of. she eventually pushes him into sort of admitting it's the sex. She chastises him for jumping on anything that moved, which he denies, which she asserts, which he denies.
"really? let's see then." she pushes and transforms into the giant stunning girl. She mockingly yet effectively repeats some of the harlot come-ons she over-heard. Her body is too proper and beautiful to fit with the sexy suggestions, so he's able to resist at first. She quickly notices, and makes some "corrections", notably enhancing her bust-size. (quoting "I can see you're the kind of man that likes em big enough to handle." adding "think you can handle these?") he immediately shifts his tone, and she moves in, starting to handle him in a continued effective yet mocking imitation of what she had seen, played out with giant proportions. (pulling a giant tit off his face for a moment, "if this is the way to your heart, i think i might have an unfair advantage")
she pleasures him, offers herself to him, while periodically poking fun at him.
when she finishes him, she keeps poking fun. (you know, if i'd known you were just looking for 'these', we could have been rolling in the sack years ago and i wouldn't be this big) he's simultaneously satisfied, embarrassed, and confused. asks her to turn back into a dragon so "nobody sees her like that". she grumbles as she complies.
the next day the caravan is gone. he takes to the skies, and his dragon chastises for continuing to chase the girls. ("seriously? you could be righting wrongs with your personal dragon by day, and curling up on my body by night, and instead you're chasing a dirty camp of women for hire?") he defends his 'girl', while in his mind admitting he's a bit confused.
they find the camp, and it looks over-run by bandits. they swoop in, and he charges in to rescue them, only to find them frolicking and sexing the men. The camp leader intercepts his mis-guided heroics, apologizes for the mis-understanding with his dragon, and suggests he certainly came by for some companionship. his girl is busy, but another is a real expert, can show him how the world really works. he tries to decline, but the woman is not only aggressive, she really is as good as he says. soon she has him not only intimate with her, but begging her for it.
later that night, he sulks into his camp. the dragon is silent, dejected. he tries to rile her up, but she's just beaten. after several jabs, she unwraps her emotional wound. "i thought it was XXX, yet another flashed her self at you and in you went, out you came. i'm better off staying a dragon."
he is embarassed at his own behavior, and sulks himself. he think of how much he cares for her, feels bad that he hurt her. that night he dreams the dream of bonfar. revealing it's secrets to him, acting out a bit of fantasy, and igniting his desire for her.
he wakes confused. in the morning the dragon asks to go away from this place, and he quickly complies. they fly and fly, and find a more worthy cause to intervene with. (long battle/save scene, including a beautiful maiden who he's kind to who turns out to be a princess.) she invites him to stay at her castle. his dragon partner cracks some jokes, but none about girls. she even mentions how exceptional the princess is.
he sleeps in the castle, the princess comes to him to talk at an inappropriate hour, but then must go before anyone finds her. When he sleeps, he thinks of his dragon bonfar.
the next day the dragon is being treated equally well, fed a feast, honored by the king and townsfolk. He offers them both a knightship, protecting their realm. He can't get any private time with his dragon. The princess is flirting, and the dragon sees it. resigns that this is probably better for him.
the princess comes to him, tries to approach the boundary of intimacy, knowing she can't cross it. He's polite but eventually stops her. He's doing it because of the dragon, but she thinks he's just being honorable.
The next day he seeks out his dragon, they fly and fly together. At dusk, they stop in an open field, and the dragon compliments him on finding a much better destiny. He questions it. Are they supposed to just resign to stay here and get fat and happy, living a kings life from having saved one princess and a few soldiers? A glimmer lights up in the dragon's eye. She says they can roam far and he can still come back to the princess. He struggles to approach the difficult topic. "by day they can roam far and wide, but by night. by night ..."
"i can be your giant harlot mistress? i think you're dreams are getting the better of you. i'm bonded to you in love, not dilusional. no, i'm staying a dragon."
he turns, walking towards the forest, saddened. he talks under his breath, "and what if i was bonded to you in love? what if I had the dream of the bonfar? what then?"
in his minds eye he sees her, "then you could hear me in your mind's eye, and i could be what you need of me." he feels a hand on his shoulder, turns, and she's human sized. They embrace. They declare their love. They kiss.
Mid-way into some intimacy, he stops her. "We are very far from home without supplies, you are no longer the dragon, what will we do?"
"Silly. I am your bonfar, I can still be the dragon for you." She kisses him and he kisses back. He breaks the intimacy again, eliciting a bit of an impatient huff out of her. "is this really an appropriate time for all these questions?"
"If you can still be the dragon, does that mean you can..?" he doesn't know how to ask, she doesn't follow his meaning. "does that mean you can..?" she is waiting with baited breath until her face turns playfully disappointed.
"Be your bit-titted harlot sex slave? Yes my shallow adolescent love master." She shifts herself to look like a more beautiful version of the busty harlot crush, keeping the dragon's signature hair streak. (she re-plays some of the harlot's cheap but effective sexy come-ons, but he stops her.)
"No no, that's not what I meant. Does that mean you can still be a girl, like you were before?" As soon as he asked it, he felt embarrassed for saying it. "I mean not all the time of course, but maybe just..." A look of registration finally dawned on her face, and she began to smile.
"Ohh, THAT girl. You want to know if I can be your bit-