Aureus

Aureus looked down at his talons, nervously picking at his claws. The air felt too thick to breathe in comfortably, and he swore the gold statues were looking at him instead of Ivory in the Meeting Room.

The low lighting made it even more uncomfortable, like it was the last minute until the assassin came out to get you. Slit your throat and leave you to bleed out on the ground. The SandWing flinched, his mind thinking about dark blue blood instead of the normal red.

He felt his heart thump loudly in his chest as he sat on his animal pelt behind his father. His dark hazel eyes zoned in on the calm pale purple and silver IceWing.

"What's your name?" growled Spider, his eyes narrowed to the musician. Ivory didn't say anything, and it was obvious to Aureus why. His parents didn't know she was a deaf.

It was silent for what felt like minutes, before Spider growled again. "I asked you a question, IceWing," he snarled slightly.

Ivory didn't speak a word, her river blue icy eyes held confusion. She rose her right talon ready to sign, but was cut off by Aureus. The SandWing was quickly signing 'Don't do it'.

Ivory lowered her talon, trying to figure out what was happening.

'Think, Aurues, think! You need to get her out of here- but HOW?' the SandWing looked around the room, trying to figure out a good distraction. Bodyguards stood by the doorway, blocking it, and there were no windows beside the one behind him and his family. What could be their escape route?

Spider went to raise his talon, readying his claws to snap. A sudden idea ran through Aureus' mind.

Quickly, Aureus uncurled his tail, and stabbed Roadrunner, who was next to him, even though he was sick.

The chubby SandWing roared out in pain, a blast of fire escaping his mouth from surprise. Almost like a domino effect, the fire hit the back of their mother's horns, surprising her. She uncurled her tail, but as she jumped around to defend herself from her 'attacker', her barb piercing Spider's wing. The bodyguards hurried to them, ready to fight off any camouflaged RainWing assassin.

Ivory looked a bit surprised herself; but with the small window of time, Aureus took action. He ran over to the IceWing and gripped her talon, dragging her out of the Meeting Room.

Ivory stumbled behind him, but after a moment, she darted down the hallways with him. The sound of angry roars began to ring in his ears as they ran. He could feel the musician's cold scales against his tail barb as she stayed close behind him.

He could feel how hard his heart was thumping in his chest as adrenaline ran though him. The thoughts of what could happen to Ivory helped keep him in reality. They ran past hitmen and thugs, other dragons watching them with confused looks.

Every talonstep felt lighter then the last as they surged forward. The air whipped past their ears, but to Ivory, it seemed like it wasn't real. To which, Aureus understood, the IceWing being deaf and all.

Sickly looking dragons watched them dash out of the exit, but the ones who tried to take action ended with horrible, bone chilling coughing fits as their welts throbbed.

Aureus shot his wings open the moment they got out, Ivory watching him and copying him. The heir looked to the musician, as he began to beat his wings. The frosted purple dragoness hopped into the air with him, her guitar casings being show as she began to hover.

Aureus just flew, he didn't care where he was going, but he knew he had to get them out of there.

'Father will never forgive me for that...' mid thought, a sudden realization came to his mind...

'Wait... why do I care on what the dragon has to say? Clearly he doesn't view me as an actual son, just competition for his throne,'

Aureus faltered for a moment in the middle of a flap, but he did look back. He didn't see anyone chasing them, another realization coming to him as well.

'They didn't send anyone to come get us... or are they just so caught up with their worry for mom and dad? ... Road too I guess,'

Ivory's eyes looked to him, like asking a silent explanation. Aureus wasn't sure how to sign 'Don't worry, you and I both just narrowly avoided death, hurray!' or 'My dad may now have interest in killing you and me both, so that should be fun'.

He didn't dwell long on the thought however, realizing he subconsciously headed to the plaza.

He landed on the ground better then he could ever had with a fully conscious mindset. The thump of Ivory landing next to him made him look to her.

Ivory was the first to try and start the conversation.

'What in the world happened back there?' she asked, her river blue eyes holding a confused glint in them.

'Ivory, I'm so sorry, that dragon back there was my father,' he signed, though it was a bit sloppy due to adrenaline.

The IceWing looked at him before signing something he wasn't familiar with. She put her talon to the side of her head, her claws touching her as her talon straighten out more flat.

Aureus looked at her slightly confused, Ivory catching his unknowing look. "I know," she said in her normal zombie like tone. Aureus gave a sigh, his wings drooping a bit.

"Moons, what now? This can't be it... Ivory, we got to go, you're not sa-"

The IceWing rose her talon, before doing a few talon gestures. They were all new, but some were a bit familiar.

'... ... ... I will... ... ... IceWing... ... ..., Aureus'

The young SandWing tried his best to understand what the other was saying. Something to do with IceWings, and he only took a guess to Snowfox Springs.

Aureus had to think slowly, recalling their lessons of sign language. He carefully made a few signs, only hopping he got his message across.

'Are you leaving?' He asked. Ivory nodded.

"You said that dragon was your father. I don't want to get you in trouble ever again. I'll be going North, to Ursa Port. Family is there. We will be safe. It is no longer safe for me to be here. I don't want to get you hurt. This is goodbye, Aureus."

Ivory looked up, before she got into the normal take off pose. Aureus quickly jumped, and grabbed her talons.

"Ivory, wait!" The commotion made other dragons look to them, a few shopkeepers looking out as well to see what had caught other's attentions.

Aureus didn't care though, he didn't care for them or their wondering minds. He wasn't going to lose his only friend because of his parents.

"Ivory, please... please don't leave. I can't lose you..." a curious set of MudWings looked to them, the largest put his wing out to stopped.

Ivory looked at him with a confused gaze. She took her talon, trying to tell him something.

'Aureus, I can't read lips all that well,' she explained. The SandWing stood for a moment, before taking his talons trying to talk to her.

'Please'
"Please,"

A pair of curious RainWings looked over, their scales tracing over with bright colors like yellow and light purples.

'Don't leave'
"Don't leave,"

A SandWing merchant looked out, seeing the different gazes towards the pair. Aureus gently set his talons over his chest, right on his heart.

'My heart'
"Me,"

Ivory looked at him slightly shocked, but shook her head. 'I can't stay. I'm sorry, Aureus, but...................'

The rapid signing made it a bit difficult, and Aureus wasn't sure what she said. She looked around, noticing the stares, she began to slightly pick at her clawtips.

She suddenly turned to him, giving a small wave, beginning to beat her wings in a harsh manner, making her stumble in the air. Aureus spread his wings open, ready to take off after her, before a voice could be heard.

"Moons, what did you do to her?"

The SandWing whipped around, seeing the pinkish hued sandy scales of Adobe. Aureus looked around nervously, if he was here, does that mean....?

Adobe shook his head, seeing the slightly panicked look one the pale yellow heir. "It's just me, don't worry," stated the other, coming over to him, looking around.

Aureus finally noticed how big the actual crowd was, and a sound of Adobe's wings snapping open made a few turn and hurry away. The smaller of the two looked up to the second-in-command, his dark eyes holding a small worried shine.

"What happened back at the hideout?" he asked, his ears going down as Adobe suddenly had a small glare on his face.

"Spider is not happy with you, and neither is Eve and Roadrunner. I'd suggest you come home late, late tonight, gold dust." Aureus stayed quiet for a solid moment, before nodding.

That night, late into the moon-blasted early hours of the morning, Aureus waited at the plaze. He watched and listened to every musician that was there: The RainWings, the NightWings, the musical family of MudWings, even the rare SkyWing and SeaWing.

Yet, even now, on the brink of exhaustion, he didn't hear the beautiful sound of the polished wooden guitar. The same one that would be played by skillful, elegant pale silver talons, whose owner could not hear her own melody.

He stayed away from home, waiting and waiting each night for Ivory. He waited for her, until dawn light would begin to shine down onto the SandWing Kingdom, he forced himself to stay awake.

After a month, did he finally give up hope. He finally drug himself home, slipping past his parents and to his old room, crawling his tired legs to the bed, before passing out onto it.

The next morning afterwards, he was scolded profusely, and was even attacked by his brother, lucky enough to jump away just in time from his stinger.

A few weeks passed after he rejoined his family, but something about the air seemed off. Walking out of his room, a guard led him to the Meeting Room, only instead of a client, there in the middle of the room was Adobe.

Aureus' father stood on the steps, looking to his son as he entered the doorway. "Aureus, nice to know you could join us for this," he stated, before looking to Adobe, his dark, nearly black eyes holding a strange gaze in them.

"I would like you to meet your new bodyguard," he began, nodding to Adobe. The admin nodded back, and closed his wings, which had previously been covering a figure.

There, right beside his wing, stood a dragon the color of freshly fallen snow, whose scales reflected the low lighting off of them. A dragon whose eyes seemed to house an unwavering gaze.

"Hello, Master Aureus, my name is Hare."