A slender, very blonde, very pale man in a tailored black suit and protective sunglasses, carrying a briefcase, nodded a business-like greeting to the occupants of the dry, sunny courtyard of the Driolo former bonding complex-- currently a school for dragons and magically-gifted from other species. He looked like a lawyer, or a businessman, or perhaps an undertaker, and those who took the time to look at him more closely than a passing nod watched him pass with a frown of mild confusion.

The man continued further into the complex, as if here for a specific and important purpose, and quite as if he knew exactly where he was going. He continued doing nothing but nodding at people he passed as he entered the hallways, not saying a word nor smiling, nor removing his sunglasses. Perhaps because of his obvious sense of purpose, and his generally non-threatening appearance, it wasn't until it became obvious that he was headed for the rooms set aside for eggs and live-born young that someone actually thought to stop him.

Frux Ivou, a philosophy and literature teacher as well as reluctant amniomancer for the school, was that one. He approached in human form, frowning. "Excuse me, sir," he began, but the stranger lifted his glasses, revealing bright gold eyes, and put one finger to his mouth. Frux frowned further.

"I'm here to see Lirdunglu," the stranger said quietly. "Is he in?"

"Well, yes, but--"

"Thank you."

"Sir!" Frux said, a little more sharply, stepping in front of the stranger again. "If you could tell me what you need with him?"

"Shhh," the stranger said again. "I want to surprise him. You'll see."

Mildly annoyed, Frux gave up. "He's in there," he pointed irritably. "But keep it down, we have children here."

"Of course, of course."

With that, the suited man dropped his sunglasses back down again and stepped into the room Lirdungu had been assigned. He was the only one there, at the moment; his clutch-- or batch of toddling pups, whichever his mate had produced-- would have been in the larger room beyond, probably with said mate. Lirdunglu was in his own form: four-footed and horned; befeathered at his crest, wings, and tail; and befurred at the tips of his ears and tail, and heavily above each paw; with his complex coloring of aqua rune-like markings over starry black and blue. The half-daemon looked up with surprise as the stranger stepped inside. "Uh, hello," he began, "Can I help you?"

"Driolo Investigation Department," the black-suited man said, voice clipped and businesslike again, and he flashed open a wallet from the front of his jacket with, presumably, an ID inside. He'd flipped it closed too quickly to get a good look at it.

"Investigation?" Lirdunglu blinked.

"Yes, sir. If you would come with me, a moment, we just have a few questions for you."

"Is there a problem?"

"I just have a few questions," the blonde stranger repeated, and motioned towards the door out. "If you please?"

Disturbed and no little anxious, Lirdunglu went out into the hall obediently, where Frux stood with a disgruntled expression. When he turned back to face the newcomer, however, he'd removed his sunglasses, revealing his golden eyes-- the same, in fact, as his own-- and was smiling smugly. "Hello, Lir," he said, voice no longer authoritative and purposeful, but friendly and amused. "Fooled you, didn't I?"

Lirdunglu stared in surprise. "What? --Oh, no. Begug!" The realization hit him-- who else would make such an effort to surprise him, who had a penchant for disguise, and would make an effort to show off gold eyes?-- and he started to laugh.

Begug smiled more broadly. "In the flesh," he relied. "Well, several someone else's flesh, anyway."

"You were good!" Lirdunglu laughed. "Very good! I was sure you'd come to arrest me for something!"

"Why, thank you," Begug replied, still seeming quite pleased with himself.

"You know this fellow?" Frux interrupted irritably.

"Oh, of course!" Lirdunglu chuckled. "He's my brother, come to scare me out of a few years' life before getting to the more friendly part of the visit."

"Sorry to have caused you alarm," Begug added with a more friendly smile to the annoyed Light.

"Yes, well, next time I'll be paying more attention," Frux grumbled, and paced off.

"Come back inside," Lir suggested, grinning. "I take it you got my message?"

"I did! Congratulations!" Begug followed his brother back into the room, shifting back into himself-- bright pink and purple and all-- as he did so. Briefcase, sunglasses, and suit all rippled into fur, feathers, and fantastically patterned skin, just as the body that wore them grew and shifted with muted groans, pops, and grinds of parts readjusting.

Lirdunglu puffed up his feathers proudly. "Thanks."

"How many?"

"Er." Lir paused, and Begug glanced at him. "A lot."

"A lot?"

"Yeah."

"I'm guessing, then, that you aren't keeping them."

"Of course not," Lirdunglu sighed. "That's what dragons do, after all, especially when they have whole litters. I'm hoping to get to raise at least one, myself, but some are staying here at the school, some are getting adopted out, a bunch are even bonding."

"Impressive," Begug said. He'd always wondered what bonding would be like, though he didn't know that he ever wanted to find out first-hand, half "bonder daemon" or not.

"Would you like to see them?" Lir asked, obviously eager to do so. "They're all still in the egg, but...."

Begug chuckled. "Of course. Show away."

And as Lirdunglu lead the way into the next room-- which, as Begug had guessed, held the clutch-- Begug was busily thinking, hatching the inkling of a plan, himself, to at least keep him occupied until he was considered old enough for the Guard. Perhaps even pleasantly occupied.

Chapter Three

The Driolo School

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