In the light of the full moon, two shadowy figures were spotted darting from rooftop to rooftop in the city's Japantown district. One was a towering draconic male who leapt and glided with improbable grace for his size, making nary a sound as he went. The other was a female of indeterminate species, much shorter, yet possessing strength far beyond her stature. Their names were Ryukishi, or Ryu for short, a self-proclaimed vigilante and member of the Dracarii race, and his partner Reiko, a Kobold with an expansive mind.

Once known as the Masked Dragon, Ryu used his extensive knowledge of martial arts and espionage to battle the world's corrupt and depraved. He also possessed the power to manipulate darkness and shadow, known as the Shadow Arts, to create powerful illusions and terrorize his foes. One day, that power was stripped from him after he failed to train others in the Arts, which he agreed to do in exchange for being custodian of them. He retained all of his other knowledge, though, and combining it with his innate physical prowess still made him quite formidable.

Wandering the world alone for a time, Ryu eventually came to the aid of a young Kobold woman named Reiko Ferrera, and she allowed him to stay the night to recover from his injuries. Fortunately for Ryu, that night turned into weeks, then months, and the two wound up becoming roommates and friends with benefits. After escaping unaided from one of Ryu's shibari traps, Reiko impressed him enough to agree to some more in-depth training. Delighted, she revealed the high-tech arsenal she'd been working on for years, hidden in her machine shop. To his surprise, some of her inventions had similar effects as the shadowy powers he once possessed, albeit temporarily. It seemed that the Masked Dragon had a chance to make a comeback.

In full costume, the pair returned to one of Ryu's old haunts, an area that was run by a particularly ruthless group of smugglers known as the Crimson Cartel. In the past, Ryu was able to cripple the cartel at every turn using the Shadow Arts, but now that he was out of the picture, they were reorganized and stronger than before. They were more brazen now, too, operating in plain sight with a flaming brazier that burned endlessly outside of their headquarters to symbolize their unending might and ambition. On this night, Ryukishi gave his disciple a simple task: Vandalize the brazier, extinguish its flame, and escape undetected, sending a message to the Cartel that they would immediately recognize. Under the Masked Dragon's watchful eye, Reiko gazed down at the target from her vantage point and drew her blade, preparing to dance with the devil...

drew this phenomenal picture that's probably going to be my featured one forever ♥