[Music not mine]

Aureus

"Thank you for your time, gracious and most honorable Camel Spider. I shall forever look back on this moment and-"

"I said leave, you idiot," growled the lead SandWing, his cold brown eyes glaring down at the small RainWing in front of him.

The rather ugly dragon turn a sandy yellowish green, a horrible sight to see on him. Aureus flinched at the onslaught of his eyes, raising a talon to rub them.

Roadrunner stood next to him, letting out a yawn. Eve looked back to her son, growling slightly, the bracelets that hung along her tail made a small 'jingle' noise.

Aureus tried to stand taller, not wanting to get snapped at. He held his wings tightly to his sides, puffing his chest out slightly, wanting to impress his parents. His mother's cold eyes looked at him as she glanced back, a shiver running down his spine.

Eve seemed to be more angrier then usual nowadays, quietly growling to them it seemed like.

'Road said that's how she acted when she had me... don't tell me she's having ANOTHER one!'

The thought of a small baby dragonet didn't sit well with him. They were weird, all bug eyed and babbling every moment of their little baby life.

He crinkled his snout, not liking the thought of sharing more attention. Sharing and having to put up with Roadrunner is enough for maybe ten dragonets.

The two brothers weren't jealous so to say, but was more... defensive then most. He shook his head to clear the thought, noticing the RainWing had finally left.

"One more, then we're done," stated Spider, holding his body still, his eyes glaring intimately as a SeaWing came into the large room. Tall golden SandWing sculptures stood on pedestals near the wall. Their obsidian jeweled eyes staring at the dragon in front of them. The lights were low, casting an ominous feelings throughout the room. The once yellow rug was stained red and dark blue from the previous dragons who stood before them.

The family stood in the back of the room, on a small flight of steps, there parents sat up front on cushions. Aureus and Roadrunner stood back, sitting on plush animal pelts to soften their rears and talons.

The SeaWing was odd looking. She has a long, hooked snout, yellow stripe on it. She had large gross bugged eyes and tiny horns and ears, seeming to emphasize on how gnarly and gross she looked.

Her frame was small and wide, to where he was scared that if she turn he would be hit by her tail.

By those moons her eyes! They were such a hideous shade of green and blue, to where he felt like he would get sick from just seeing them.

Aureus couldn't even start with her voice either. To him, it sounded like pig squeals and emu cries horribly blended together.

"Camel Spider, Eve, good to see you two again on this fine day, eh?" she said. Ears back, Aureus noticing her right eye drifting in a random direction. Moons could she more more hideous?

"Seatoad, why are you here? Shouldn't you be out there in the Kingdom of the Sea with Queen Leviathan's counsel?" asked Eve, who seemed a bit taken back by the ugly SeaWing.

Aureus wasn't blaming her, he was too; but just by looks alone. "I came here to work up another deal," explained the dragoness.

"My daughter won the Queen of SeaWing Moon last Crescent Night; and someone is following her around. She isn't sure who or what it is, but they've been leaving her notes and flowers. Just this morning, we received large pieces of jewelry,"

Spider snorted, looking down at her.

"Why should we help you, you insufferable dust cloud," growled the gang leader. Seatoad looked at them with her good eye.

"I can give you access to Queen Leviathan's treasury, I'm the head of it, and I can easily slip some from there to you." She explained.

Spider stood still for a moment, as though thinking it over.

"Fine, I'll get in contact with a nearby assassin. Centipede, I think his name is. You give us the money before hand; and I'll send him out for ya' to stake out and take care of whoever it is." He stated.

Aureus looked to his dad as though he was crazy. Suddenly, Seatoad let out a gasp, "Oh my! Are those your dragonets? My goodness, they look just like you two!"

The SeaWing came over to him, making his recoil slightly. Eve smiled and looked to the hideous dragon, the young SandWing was taken back. Why in the world would she let this creature come up and touch him?

Eve smiled, and gave a small chuckle, "Aureus, you seem so taken back! Roadrunner, straighten up this instance."

Roadrunner growled and stood taller, his ears back as he glared at his mother.

Aureus leaned out of the SeaWing's touch, looking to his parents for help. Seatoad grabbed his face, pinching his cheeks between her claws.

"Aww! Look at you and you little baby face. My, you look like a little version of your mother!" She laughed, a sound that he immediately disliked.

"Me and your mother were in the same winglet when we attended Jade Mountain Academy. Team Copper for the win!" She cheered softly. Eve nodded, agreeing with her.

"It is also where I met your father. He was in the Gold Winglet." She explained. Seatoad let out a snort of laughter, "Remember how I would always back you two up so you could go on your little dates? Headmistress Arrowhead was always on your tails, but I made sure you two were safe and sound."

Aureus looked at his parents with confusion, they had attended Jade Mountain? He had heard of the famous school that had been founded over 400 years ago. If he remembered right, by the Dragonets of Destiny had made the school and help taught there.

"What are their names?" Seatoad asked, looking to her old friends.

"Roadrunner is the one not paying attention, and the smaller one is Aureus." Spider answered, before growling to Roadrunner.

Roadrunner growled back, but took his rightful position. After a while of them seeming to catch up with one another, did the SeaWing finally leave. Aureus couldn't be happier, getting rid of her and her hideous-ness.

~~~

The day seemed to drag on and on, until finally night came. When the young SandWing thought it was safe, he tiptoed out of the hideout, holding his wings close to him as he went out into the surprisingly crowded night.

There were a few drunks, a few dragonesses trying to get wondering eyes drawn to them, and few shady NightWings offering others different strange smelling herbs and drinks.

Moons he hated being in this part of town. It was filled with filth. He hated being out; but the more he stayed away from what he loved, the more reckless his ears and mind became.

As he walked down the street, a large IceWing looked to him, confusion in her glittering icy blue eyes. She had a small stick in her talon which she put to her mouth and seem to inhale something.

"I would ask why a kid your age is out, but judging by that look in your eye, I'll have to decline. Guards are already on my tail, last I need is more trouble." She said in a nonchalant manner.

Aureus looked at her with disgust. "Moons! I'm not here for anything, I'm just trying to get to the plaza, not find lot lizards like you!" He growled at her, huffing at her as he went on.

The IceWing shrugged her shoulders, not seeming to take it all very offensively, and went back to her weird stick inhaling thing.

Aureus shook his head, trying to get what the ice dragon said out of his head, a shivering going down his spine.

It was absolutely disgusting! He may be a young gangster, but he would never do that! He was a gangster of class, not some pervert for moon's sake.

Avoiding a few more shady alleyways, he eventually came to where he wanted to be. The plaza. Just as he thought, it was occupied with musicians, singing gently to the passing dragons.

"Remember me... remember me," sang one softly as she strummed her guitar.

"Un poco loco!" One sang louder, getting a few dragons looking over to him as he went at a slightly faster pace with his own guitar.

"Just know you're not alone, 'cuse I'm gonna make this place you're home." Another spoke more then sang, gently playing their tambourine.

Aureus smiled at the melodious sounds around him, humming happily at a few of them as he walked back them. One sound came to interest however.

It was another guitar, but this one was much more clean sounding. He looked to see which one it belong to, and much to his surprise, there sat the dragon in an unlit corner.

He came over, making out the shiny scales of pale silver and purple.

"If I die young, bury me in satin, lay me down on a, bed of roses," sang a soft voice. Just as he suspected, it was the IceWing from the festival. He tapped on the ground, and the slight vibrations made her look up.

He noted her shiny river blue eyes, a small ring of pale icy blue around the edges of them.

He gave a small wave to her, before reaching into a bag under his wing. He pulled out a small scroll and writing stick. He quickly scribbled on it, before giving it to her.

Hi, I'm Aureus, we met at the festival?

She looked up at him, before writing her own message.

Yes, I remember. It is nice to meet you, Aureus. My name is Ivory.

Do you usually come here?

Every night, have to earn my money someway or another, right?

But, don't you get tired of singing and playing your music?

I'll keep playing until I can finally hear it for myself

I remember you told me you couldn't hear. How did you learn to play your guitar or sing?

Vibrations. My father taught me how sing by putting my talons to his throat letting me feel the vibrations. I eventually learned how to, and now do it for a living.

Aureus had to admit, that took some dedication! Ivory began to twist a small knob near the top, holding it to her ears and strum the strings. She gave as smile as Aureus' ears perked up at the beautiful sound.

She took out another case and opened it, revealing a smaller guitar. She took it into her talons, before gently handing it over to him.

She did a few talon gestures, before writing on the paper.

I can teach you how to play, it's really fun once you get the hang of it.

The SandWing smile widen and nodded to her. Ivory looked down, placing her right claws on the neck of the instrument, holding a few strings in place.

Aureus copied her actions, watching with round and curious eyes.

Ivory began to strum in a steady beat.

"There will come a soldier, you carries a mighty sword, he will tare your city down, o lei o lai o Lord,"

Aureus looked at her carefully timed movements, before trying to copy.

"There will come a poet, whose weapon is his word. He will slay you with his tongue, o lei o lai o Lord,"

He soon picked up her beat, trying to watch both Ivory and the guitar.

"There will come a ruler, whose brows laid in thorn. Smeared with oil, like David's boy, o lie o lai o Lord,"

Her moments gained speed as she started to play quicker and quicker, unable for him to follow with his eyes. She soon finished up, and looked to him.

She let out a strange sounding laugh and a hard to understand noise. She took the paper.

It'll take time, but you'll get better. It's getting late, I'm sure your parents are worried about you.

Aureus frowned and nodded, a feeling of dread suddenly crawling down his spine.

He gave a small goodbye to the IceWing, before heading back the dark and dangerous way home.

"Mom and dad can't know about this. If they did, who know what could happen."