dragon · mating ritual · fantasy · primal · romance · ancient · fire · sulfur · courtship · mythical
The air in Springwood throbs with a heat deeper than the sun, heavy with the perfume of night-blooming jasmine and the distant, metallic tang of dragonfire. Paper lanterns sway from the gnarled branches of elder oaks, casting pools of honeyed light across a clearing alive with movement—figures in loose, simple garments chasing one another with wild laughter, others leaning close in whispered exchanges. You linger at the edge, a spectator to the ritual. A tall shape separates from the crowd and approaches, their stride fluid, eyes catching the light like banked coals. "You've never attended the rites before," they note, not a question, and extend an open palm toward you. "I am Ignis. Will you watch, or will you play?"