Hello! First things first, this is an experiment. If you guys like this idea, please tell me, and I'll keep going.

I've wanted to write another fantasy-esque story for a while now, and I've been wanting to specifically do my dragon AU for ages. I hope you guys enjoy this!

WARNING: This story may not be suitable for all readers. This story includes:

-Strong/Adult Language

-Violence and usage of weapons

-Cartoon Mischeif

CHAPTER ONE: The Rogue Crow

Ninten considered himself one hell of a damn fine dragon breeder. Of course, being a confident young fellow, he considered himself one hell of a damn fine anything. But seeing as his name was renowned throughout the kingdom of Nowhere for his gift in all things Draconology, he stuck with that.

Despite having a reputation as a talented, intelligent Draconologist, Ninten's life was fairly peaceful. He lived in a small little podunk village; quite literally named Podunk. But ignoring the laziness of whoever founded and named the town, it was a lovely place to live. With tame winters and just-right summers, a fair sized but controlled population, and streets that hadn't seen crime in ages, Ninten figured his parents had struck gold when they decided to move here. But with both of his parents working overseas protecting the borders, he lived in the small house with his two younger sisters, who he served as the direct caretaker for. Seeing as he lived in such a tiny village tucked away just near a large mountain range, his fame was barely noticeable in his personal life. While Ninten absolutely loved the attention, he enjoyed the convenient peace as well. It gave him more time to be with his dragons.

On the surface, he was just a normal young fellow who had a gifted interest. He could just be mistaken for that particularly handsome dragon breeder living in the west end of the town. There was no doubt that he was a pretty creature, with his honey coloured doe eyes, his scruffy but sharp face, and his charming, doofy, heart melting smile. One look at his long, blueish black hair falling over his face, and one could easily be hooked. One could say that he was a bit conceited, but this could easily be looked over. Ninten was well known around the village for being an outgoing, endearing, and incredibly friendly person. Sure, he had a habit of talking a bit too much, but no one minded, as he always had interesting things to say, even if said things were often about himself. But as everyone does, Ninten certainly had his fair share of 'quirks'.

Dragons were not common in Podunk, or anywhere around it. Thus, Ninten was often the only link the citizens of Podunk had to the creatures. Ninten was classified as a few things. A breeder, a raiser, a rescuer, a researcher, and a whisperer of dragons. He didn't just study them; he had an odd, almost supernatural connection to them. Dragons seemed to be drawn to him naturally. He had the odd ability to command them without any training needed, even truly wild ones. Perhaps it was the way he looked, or something in his voice that entranced them. Perhaps it was the fact that he knew a small amount of common Psionic magic, but that had been proven to not affect dragons. It baffled almost everybody, including Ninten himself. However, he chose not to question his talent, and instead used it for his passion. His gift allowed him to build up quite the impressive collection, and had earned him the title of Podunk's only dragon keeper.

He had a wide array of species, ranging from common types all the way to priceless legends. Some he'd bred himself, some he'd found, and some he'd rescued. Ninten had pledged to never keep a dragon against its will, but to his surprise, none of them seemed to want to leave. This was, of course, helpful for keeping his collection large and plentiful. But even if every dragon in the flock were to take off, Ninten would still be one of the most famous Draconologists the kingdom had seen. This was because despite every species he had collected, he would always be in possession of two particular dragons that had once only been described in myths. A pair of littermates that displayed incredible traits.

Lucas and Claus, two smaller dragons, had the ability to use Psionics. The idea of non humans being able to use said abilities was previously unheard of, but somehow, these two brothers managed to. PSI required an incantation to be uttered in order for it to work, but seeing as dragons couldn't speak human tongue, this would seem impossible. But Ninten could feel the psychic auras, he'd seen them perform the spells. He could consider the two his most prized dragons, and his closest friends. He'd found Lucas and Claus alone in a forest years ago when he was just a child, and they stayed by his side ever since.

Ninten was right where he wanted to be. He had his sisters, he had his home, and of course, he had his dragons. Many had insisted that he take his talents elsewhere, to expand his knowledge and his reputation. While the idea seemed tempting, Ninten didn't want to leave anybody behind. For now, he was happy with staying in Podunk.

The only reason he would want to leave would be to search for his magnus opus; the dragon to complete his collection. This, being the dragon who towered over all; the Alpha, or more commonly named, the Dark Dragon. From limited knowledge, it was a shapeshifter who was able to take on several forms. Ninten knew that if he managed to find it, he'd be satisfied. But of course, there was no information on it, as the Dark Dragon hadn't been seen in years. Some figured it lived in the sky, some thought it may be underground. Not even Ninten had any reasonable explanation on where it was. But he knew that if anybody was going to find it, it would be him. All he needed was a clue.

But until that clue came, in Podunk he would stay.

The forest surrounding the small town was silent that night. It was warm out. The breeze was gentle. Plenty of creatures were awake within the endless crowd of pine trees, all hidden in plain sight. One in particular took advantage of the darkness, blending nicely with the black. A sleek, jet noir crow was settled upon a thin branch a fair distance above the ground. His sharp eyes focused on the town before him. Only a few street torches were still lit. He'd be hidden well. He tilted his head to the side; he saw no movement. He took a moment to lift his wing and preen a bit. If he was going to complete his goal, he might as well look his best. Once satisfied with his feather job, he reared back, planted his claws, and took off.

He made his way over the town, before letting himself fall near the ground. He landed lightly on the dirt road, ruffling his feathers to rid himself of the dirt that had settled on him. He looked around for any signs of movement, and upon seeing that there was no one, he dipped his head. A cloud of black smoke suddenly washed over the crow, as his feathers scattered and his small body was engulfed in the dark magic. As the display of dankness settled, replacing the crow was now a slender, crouched young man.

Propping himself up with his hands, he took another look around. He shook his head to get the remaining dust off of his face, before slowly and silently rising to his feet. The boy was graced with tanned skin and dark hair that was just as scruffy as one would expect. His purple eyes gleamed with the same spark as that of his previous avian form. Along the undersides of his arms and up his neck were the remaining feathers that didn't go away after the transformation. Still clad in dark clothing, he was still well hidden as he began to briskly jog his was through the roads. Each movement was nimble and graceful.

He glanced down at his palm, where he'd scribbled over it with a pen earlier.

'Fourth house from the forge. Huge array of stalls behind it.' He thought, relaying the instructions to find the right house.

It didn't take him long to find the small cottage, which sat in front of a huge stable. Victorious, he instantly ran to the stables. Upon listening closely, he could hear the shifting and quiet purrs of dragons.

'Bingo.' He thought as he searched for a way in.

He managed to find a space between two planks of wood, and quickly squeezed himself through. He stumbled into the musty warmth of the wooden structure. Upon looking around, his eyes widened. From the moon's light, he could see what looked like a million scales gleaming back at him. He was surrounded, from every corner, with dragons. The rumors had been right, he thought. This 'Ninten' kid really did have an impressive collection. He smiled in satisfaction, before toeing his way around one of the sleeping creatures. His heart pounded in his chest as he carefully made his way over one of the stalls, desperate not to make a sound. He knew that dragons had an incredible sense of hearing, and if he disturbed a fire breather or an ice shooter, he'd be done for.

As he quietly browsed the line of stalls, his eyes strained to try and spot what he was looking for. He only needed one. He squinted in a desperate attempt to see better. Deciding to take a chance, he held out a hand and murmured a silent spell.

"PK Fire..." He whispered. Instantly, a soft flame engulfed his palm, filling the room with a golden glow. He observed the sleeping animals around him. A few seemed to stir a bit, but to his relief, none of them woke up. He gasped silently, thinking to himself, 'Holy shit...they weren't kidding when they said he had rare ones...'

Around him, he saw dragons he'd only ever seen in books; some with unmatchable rarity. He couldn't help but feel jealous. However, his envy didn't last, as his eyes suddenly landed on a particular object. He dimmed the flame and quickly rushed towards it, crouching to get a better look.

'Perfect.' He thought. Before him, just beyond the fence and nestled in a shaped pile of hay, was an egg. It was pale red. A common egg, he thought. Probably a typical firebreather. But even such a common species could sell in an area where dragons were rare. Dousing the fire, He leaned forwards and prepared to make his heist. Pulse racing, he stuck both gloved hands through the fence, carefully making sure not to accidentally wake up the mother. Once his finger just barely touched the delicate surface, he internally celebrated his success.

His victory was short lived however, as he heard a sound. It was too natural and deliberate to be the wind. He sharply drew back his hands, instantly backing away and scanning the area around him. He held his breath as his eyes darted from place to place. Another sound, this time much clearer, echoed from a few paces away. He jumped, startled. He prayed that the darkness was enough to cloak him. Above him, he began to hear patting sounds. A bird, perhaps? He looked up, and once again saw nothing. As he slowly stood up, he realized that it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him; he was simply nervous.

That was, until an earsplitting shriek came from above, and he found himself being knocked to the ground by something heavy.

"Jesus...!" He gasped, feeling sharp points dig into his back. He began to squirm as panic washed over him. At this point, his cover was blown. He was being held down by a dragon, who proceeded to try and apprehend him. They began to wrestle, as he struggled to break away from it's claws. He was met with violent snarls and hisses. Deciding to take a desperate chance, he once again performed a spell, "P-PK Fire!"

As the plume of flames once again appeared, this time bursting from his hand in a fiery blaze, he swiped to try and scare off the dragon. The animal seemed completely unphased by the flames, which caught him off guard. He found himself being pinned down, face to face with the dragon.

He looked back up at piercing blue eyes, with pupils narrowed to slits. The yellow scaled dragon glared back down at him, its snout curling back into a low growl. It's hackles were raised; bright red fins flared around it's head and neck. Its tail thrashed from side to side with malice. Most threatening of all were its wings, which were lined with razor sharp, claw-like thorns.

The shapeshifter, completely frozen in shock, realized that if he didn't move soon, he would most likely suffer a long and painful death at the claws of this magnificent creature. So, he closed his eyes and prepared to shapeshift back into his crow body.

A few moments of silence. Nothing happened.

His eyes shot back open again, as he realized he was still a human. He tried a few more times, again, with no change. Confused and frightened, he realized something key upon patting his hand over his neck, which was bare.

"My stone! W-where'd it-?!" He cried, feeling around for the dark blue stone he always kept strung around his neck; the stone responsible for his powers.

He realized that just beside his attacker was another dragon. This one looked exactly the same, but it's accent scales were a blueish green. It sat still, tail curled over it's paws. From it's muzzle dangled a long line of string, with the turquoise stone hanging off the end of it. His eyes widened, as he once again began to struggle.

"H-hey! That's mine, give that back!" He begged. Despite his efforts, the dragon holding him down showed no signs of letting go. Both dragons looked incredibly amused. Frustrated, the shapeshifter changed his tone, "Tch tch! Hey, hello, little dragon! Can you give that back, please? Tch tch! That's mine, you know, and it's really, really important! C'mere, tch tch..."

To his relief, the dragon seemed to adhere to his commands, slowly padding forwards. But it suddenly lunged off course and left the ground, giving a purr of amusement as he flew off with the precious artifact.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, come on! This isn't funny!" The shapeshifter exclaimed, as he let his head fall back in irritation.

"I dunno, I've been laughing this entire time." Said a sudden voice.

The shapeshifter froze, immediately realizing that he'd been caught. He nervously tilted his head back to try and get an upside down view of whoever it was. All he saw was a silhouette. The airborne dragon gave another pleased chirp as it slowed down, and finally settled onto the shoulders of whoever stood there, obediently dropping the magical stone into their hand.

"Listen, I'm sorry for all this, but I need that back! I'll leave, hands empty, and we can just forget this happened, yeah?" The shapeshifter desperately said.

"Hmm..." A moment of silence, "Lucas, let the poor boy go. He's not food."

Instantly, the dragon pinning the shapeshifter to the ground leaped off of him, using his chest as a launchpad. It happily trotted towards its owner, weaving between his legs.

"A-ah, okay...thank you very much," The shapeshifter got to his feet, backing away, "Alright, now. Please give me back my stone."

He raised his hand, which still held the blossom of flames. Upon brightening it, he got his first look at his captor. The minute he saw the long black hair and the brown eyes, he knew who it was.

He sighed, "Ninten Trinh. Famous Draconologist. I've seen your face in books."

Ninten smirked, "Really! How flattering," He said, before leaning in to inspect the stone. He squinted, and looked back up, "Ah. Now we both know each other. Is this your name engraved into this pretty rock, Ness?"

"Yes, and it's not just any rock! It's a stone that holds incredibly powerful magic, and it's mine!" Ness stomped his foot, agitated.

Ninten shared a look with the dragon perched on his shoulders.

"And you want me to give it back?" He asked.

"That's what I've been repeating a million times over, yes." Ness muttered.

"Mmm." Ninten gave a hum of acknowledgement, "Why'd I catch you here in my stables, Ness?"

"W-what?"

"You ain't gettin' this back until you answer my question," Ninten replied, "Use your words, dollface. What were your plans?"

"Ugh, fine! I came to...uh..." Ness squirmed shamefully, "...To steal."

"Steal what?"

"An egg."

"Oh, that's low. That's rock bottom, even for a crow. That's your shift animal, yes? A crow? Shame on you, Ness," Ninten shook his head with the same smug grin, "To take a helpless baby from its mama."

"Okay, first of all, yes. I'm a crow." Ness confirmed, "And second of all. Duh! We steal, it's what we do! We're scavengers! That's kind of my deal, it's been my deal for years!"

"What a shame. What a cryin' shame." Ninten sighed, "I'm impressed you made it this far. Maybe with practice, you might actually be able to make it past these two little devils one day." He cooed, as he gestured to the pair of dragons surrounding him.

"Lemme guess. Alarm system?" Ness mumbled.

"Precisely. See," Ninten gestured to the red and yellow one, "They're both trained. Lucas here has razor sharp hearing. Strong, too. He's an Aphrodite dragon, but that doesn't mean he can't bite. And Claus, this little squirt up here, is fast. Like, really fast, and really swift. Betcha didn't even feel him snatch this necklace from you."

"Alright, it is not a necklace, it's a pendant. Big difference." Ness clarified, "And I have a hard time believing those two are Aphrodites. Aren't Aphrodite dragons supposed to be gentle? Herbivores? Hm?"

"Oh, sure. These two only attack when they need to. They're usually pretty sweet. Especially Lucas; he's a total lap dragon. If he can sit on you, he likes you." Ninten explained, watching as Lucas gently pawed his way towards Ness, weaving in between his legs in the same fashion. He snickered, "And by the looks of it, he already does. He loves birds, you know, especially crows. Chases 'em all day."

Ness watched as the young dragon brushed up against his legs, gazing up at him with big, loving eyes. He pouted.

"Yeah, don't act all sweet now. You tried to kill me a few seconds ago." He muttered. Lucas only gave a short sneeze in return.

"Aw. Lucas would never kill. He's too much of a softy for that. Now, Claus? Maybe." Ninten said, as Claus nuzzled his head against the side of Ninten's face. Ninten rolled his eyes playfully and scratched behind the hackle scales on his neck. A gentle purr emitted from Claus' throat. "Funny guy, always wants pets. Always wants attention. They're very good boys, you know."

"Unlikely, seeing as that one stole my pendant," Ness said, holding out his hand, "Which I still need back."

"If you think I'm just gonna hand this back over after you tried to rob me, then you must be even stupider than I thought." Ninten said, promptly putting the stone into his front shirt pocket. Claus swept his tail over top of the pocket, as if to shield it.

"What?!" Ness cried, "I can't transform without that!"

"Exactly! It's almost as if...you'd do just about anything to get it back, wouldn't you?"

Ness paused, narrowing his eyes.

"...You wouldn't." Ness murmured.

Ninten only raised an eyebrow in response.

Realizing that he was trapped, Ness sighed, letting his head hang. "Fine. Fine. What's your fee? You need me to go steal something for you? Money? You need some of my feathers? Those are good for potions."

"My fee is a simple one," Ninten explained, as he paced, "You've got yourself some basic knowledge on Draconology, yes?"

"If you consider 'complete expert' as 'basic', then yes. I know almost everything there is to know." Ness said.

"Perfect! You start tomorrow. Congratulations, angelface, you work for me now!" Ninten gleefully announced.

"You want me to work for you? In your stables?" Ness asked in disbelief, "For how long?"

"As long as I feel like it. It's been a while since I've had myself a coworker! I always ask my sisters to help, but they're too afraid of a few simple dragons. Now! To make sure you don't try to go all 'secret agent' again. Lucas! Tch tch!" Ninten knelt down as the golden scaled dragon chirped and trotted over to him. He stroked his hands down the sides of his muzzle. "I've got a special job for you. You're gonna make sure Nessie over here doesn't get away, alright? I can't keep an eye on this rock thing all night. Mama's gotta sleep."

Ness watched in secret fascination. Lucas seemed to understand exactly what Ninten was saying, as seconds later, Ness found himself once again knocked backwards onto the ground. Lucas curled up over top of him, burrowing into his neck, nickering happily. Ness glanced back up, shocked. Ninten laughed a bit.

"He really likes you!" Ninten said, as he began to circle the rows of stables, making calming gestures with his hands to settle the other awoken and on edge dragons, "Lucas will keep watch on you. You'll be sleeping here, okay? Don't worry, he's a cuddler."

"I-I can tell...!" Ness rasped, as Lucas continued to shift around to try and find a comfortable position. "You're saying I have to sleep in a stable hall? Like I'm some kind of animal?"

"I mean, you are a bird, Cupcake. That counts." Ninten said as he made his way towards the exit door.

"My name is Ness."

"Whatever you say. You have a nice night. Bein' a dragon breeder means gettin' sleep, so get some shut eye. I'm teachin' you how to groom tomorrow. Lucas, don't suffocate him, okay?"

Ness once again found himself alone, as Ninten promptly left the stalls. Lucas, who seemed to have completely forgotten the aggression from no more than a few minutes ago, continued the odd motion of rubbing the top of his head against Ness' neck, purring the entire time. Ness, who was just too shocked and dazed, at everything that had just happened, simply leaned back against a nearby wall and let the guard dragon do its thing. This was the first time he'd been caught in several years. He couldn't believe it. While he wanted to be upset, glaring blankly ahead of him, just thinking about Ninten and his infuriating smugness. But something inside of him pushed those thoughts away. He looked back down at Lucas, who was busy kneading biscuits at Ness' chest, gently pressing his paws into his skin. Lucas glanced up once again with his crystal blue eyes. Ness snickered a bit; he could see the tip of Lucas' tongue just barely poking out from between his teeth, unbeknownst to the dragon.

"You really are a lap dragon." Ness murmured as Lucas once again softly head-butted his neck, before resting his muzzle over Ness' chest and finally falling still. Ness tentatively raised a hand, before letting his fingers trace over the scales. The scales were thin; definitely not a dragon made for combat.

He sighed, letting his head fall back. He gazed up at the ceiling hopelessly. Ninten had him completely wrapped around his finger. He hated the fact that he'd been captured so easily. But perhaps working so closely with dragons wouldn't be so bad. But then again, it'd be by Ninten's side. He remembered hearing Ninten's name before several times. He never would've guess that the most renowned Draconologist in Nowhere would be some smug, catty little kid with an annoyingly attractive face. Ness rolled his eyes.

'Attractive.' He thought bitterly, catching his mistake, 'As if. What a priss.'

Ness fell asleep worrying about the safety of his shifting stone, but was still calmed by the weight and warmth of the creature asleep on top of him. Whatever the next day brought for him, he prayed Ninten would keep the obnoxious metre to a minimum.

"Rise and shine, angelface! Wake up! Bright eyes, bushy feathers! Let's go!"

Ness' eyes slowly fluttered open. The air above him felt cold. He lifted his head, just in time for something to be suddenly thrown at his face. Still half asleep, he glanced down in confusion at what looked like fabric. Upon groggily picking it up, he realized it was an apron. He looked up, his vision eventually clearing, and caught the eyes of Ninten, who already wore an apron. Ness looked around and saw bustling movement from the now awake reptiles. Most lively of all were Lucas and Claus, who excitedly crowded around Ness with happy yips. He took a moment to remember where he was, before clicking his teeth in frustration.

"You sound a little too chipper for someone who just woke up." Ness yawned, using one of the stall fences to hoist himself up.

"Oh, I woke up hours ago!" Ninten explained, as he grabbed Ness by the shoulders and began to brush stray bits of hay off of him. Ness, too tired and shocked to do anything, allowed himself to be fussed over.

"Hours ago? The sun's not even up yet." Ness muttered, lifting his arms and allowing Ninten to tie the apron into place for him.

"Yep!" Ninten cheerfully replied, "Now. Get your beak out of the gutter and listen close. If you really are so knowledgeable on dragons, then surely you know that if shed scales aren't removed, it could result in infection, right?"

"Well, duh. That's what preening's for." Said Ness.

"Good! Take this. Get to gettin'. This is where our little adventure begins." Ninten suddenly held up a young dragon, dropping it into Ness' arms. Ness not expecting it, scrambled to get a steady grip on it. He looked back at Ninten, who had already sat down with a smaller dragon already settled in his lap. The dragon curled up against Ninten was calm, as opposed to the one squirming in Ness' hands.

"You can't be serious." Ness mumbled as he flopped down cross legged. Might as well get the torture over with, he thought. He began to try and sort through the endless maze of scales on the small dragon he'd been given, but he found it difficult to keep it still. The dragon let out several discomforted squeaks. Ness glared down at it, then back up at Ninten, "Why doesn't it like me?"

"Oops, sorry. Stardust is a little jumpy," Ninten said, leaning over a bit, "Starry, you need to calm down. Can you settle? Don't worry, Ness is safe."

Ness watched in amazement as the dragon, apparently named "Stardust", gazed back at Ninten, blinked slowly, and went still. It circled itself a few times, before plopping down, allowing Ness to poke and prod at the scales. Ninten smiled, pleased, and went back to his work. Ness noticed that several other dragons of all sorts had crowded around Ninten, some snuggling up against him, some just laying in his general vicinity.

"...They really like you." Ness said, "Can they, like...understand you, or something? I didn't think dragons could understand any human language. Do they know Nowherian, or something?"

"I...actually don't know. Dragons are incredibly intelligent, but I didn't think they'd be able to understand entire human speech." Ninten explained, gripping a dull, faded scale layer between his fingers and twisting it off, "I've just...always been able to talk to them, I guess. They don't seem to understand when other people speak to them. It's just a gift I've always had."

"Neat." Ness admitted. He shuffled through each row of shimmery blue scales, flicking off any shed ones. This dragon was very young, he thought, observing the age plates behind the hackles. He recalled that only child and adolescent dragons shed because of their quickly changing bodies. He noticed that 'Stardust' was shivering slightly. One of her wings bared a long, faded white scar upon its tissue. "What happened to her wing?"

"Hm? Oh," Ninten perked, "Poor girl. Stardust got caught in a fishing trap, it tore right through the skin. She can fly, but only for a few seconds at a time. She was left so frightened all the time. She won't even go near water anymore, even though her species is native to oceans."

"That's why she's so shaky. That's sad." Ness said, "She seems gentle. She an Aphrodite?"

"Nope. Artemis." Ninten confirmed, "She's a Turquoise Sea-Surfer."

There were three classes dragons were sorted into. Artemis, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite. Artemis dragons were the myserious, quiet ones who were hard to see or hear. Hephaestus were dragons who were loud and easy to find, and attacked with intense rage and violence. Aphrodites were the gentle ones; usually herbivores, who never attacked unless provoked or trained to do so. Sea-Surfers, dragons who often populated the ocean waters and lived among the shadows of seaweed, were considered Artemis.

"I see," Ness said, "And what about those two little shits over there? Aphrodites, you said?"

Ness jerked his head towards Lucas and Claus, who each perched on a fence, muzzles buried in each other's scales as they groomed each other. Ninten laughed a bit.

"Yeah, both of 'em. Tazmilian Devils, they're called. I found those two when I was just a kid, and I've raised them ever since. Found 'em in a forest, surrounded by blood. I figured that the mother may have been snatched by hunters; the scales of a fully grown Devil can sell high. For jewelry, and the like. Fun fact, those two are the rarest ones here."

"...Really?" Ness raised a brow.

"Mmhmm. See, I've got dragons who can enter the spirit realm, some who can shoot rocks like bullets, et cetera. But those two can do something amazing," Ninten said, leaning forwards and hushing his voice, "You ever heard of a dragon that can perform PSI?"

Ness gasped as his eyes widened, "What? Of course I haven't, it's impossible! Dragons are smart, but they aren't human level smart!"

"Well, it's possible. Because those 'little shits' can do it. I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Are you sure they don't just conjure up the elements biologically, like other dragons?"

"Nope. Their magic comes straight from the mind. Watch," Ninten turned his head to face the twins, "Tch tch! Claus!"

The yellow and blue dragon raised its head curiously, tipping it to the side. Lucas also turned in response, pupils big, as if anticipating something.

"Claus, PK Freeze." Ninten commanded.

Claus simply gave a chitter in response, looking down at his paw. Ness stifled another gasp as a cloud of icy crystals began to encrust over his claws and up his arm. Lucas mewed excitedly upon witnessing the ice magic as his tail began to sweep from side to side. He swatted at Claus' arm, provoked by the shifting and sparkling ice. He gave a short wiggle of his haunches, before springing into Claus and knocking him off the post. The brothers instantly began to playfight. Ness couldn't help but snicker. Ninten spotted this, giving him a grin, and Ness quickly returned to his previously deadpan, uncaring demeanor.

"Whatever. PSI is already so common in humans, I don't suppose it's unreasonable to think a few dragons can use it too." He said.

"Weren't you the one who just exclaimed about how 'impossible' it was?" Ninten jeered.

"Watch it. Just because I can't shapeshift doesn't mean I can't bite."

"Of course; I'm a guy with an entire army of dragons who can respond to his every beck and call. I should be scared of a scrawny little kid."

Ness lifted his arm and inspected it, "...I'm not scrawny, I'm just...a little skinny, is all. Remember. Scavenger."

"So you eat, like, dead things?" Ninten asked. Ness opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it and averted his gaze. Ninten gasped and covered his mouth, "Are you serious?! That's so gross!"

"It was only once! I was starving, and there was this rabbit, and...well, what would you have done?" Ness shot back, "Survival is hard when you're like me."

"I didn't think there was a prejudice against shapeshifters." Ninten said.

"There isn't. Normally, I'd be able to just live like anybody else," Ness explained, "You don't get it."

"Go 'head and tell me, I won't snitch." Ninten promised.

Ness hesitated for a moment, pausing his work, before he gave a low sigh and shrugged a little.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." Ness muttered, "...I'm on the run. In hiding."

"From what?"

"Cops. Authorities in general. See, I..." Ness trailed off with a shameful expression, "I-I was a familiar. A witch's familiar."

"You're a familiar! Really?"

"Was. I took off." Ness said, "I hated it. So, I found a loophole in the pact, and I took flight."

"And that's bad?"

"It's considered a crime where I come from. I could get a life sentence if they were to find me," Ness sighed, "Not to mention, I have a habit of...well, stealing. I've never stolen anything big or important, I just take what I need."

"Like a helpless dragon egg." Ninten half teased, half accused.

"Oh, shut your mouth. Money is money," Ness spat, "Anyways, there. I'm a thief, a scammer, a squatter, apparently a kidnapper, and just a dirty, rotten, no good, bastard, son of a bitch. Happy?"

"Quite. That right there was hilarious, and I consider it an achievement that I got you to say it." Said Ninten. He reached over and gently picked up a different dragon, settling it on his lap and beginning the same process, "Funny, I thought it'd be a bit more shocking to know that I'm housing an apparent felon."

"'Housing?'" Ness repeated.

"Well, yeah. I'm not gonna make you sleep in the stables more than once, I'm not that mean." Ninten said, "Now that I think about it, while you're here, hows'about I help you clean yourself up a bit? Get all that soot off your face. Get'chu a haircut. Change that gloomy black clothing. And for god's sake, you need to eat something. We gotta get some meat on those bones."

Ness paused, shocked. He wasn't sure if he was being offered a home, or a prison. He hadn't been shown kindness like this in a long time.

"...Your serious?" He breathed, "...I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a roof over my head for once. Thanks, I guess."

"Don't mention it. You're a good boy, I know it. Deep down inside. Just need some good old character building, you goddamn delinquent. You don't have to stay here long, maybe a few weeks or so." Chirped Ninten. He patted his shirt pocket, "And don't worry about your magic rock, Cupcake. I'll keep it safe and sound."

"Ness." Hissed Ness, already annoyed by the nickname.

"What, a sugary, sweet lookin' delectable? I think I know what I said." Ninten smirked a bit, with a mischievous glint flashing in his eye.

Ness went completely still and struggled to try and say something, before quickly snapping to look away from him in a flustered sweat. He heard Ninten quietly snicker. As Ness proceeded to try and calm himself down and his heartbeat went back to it's normal pace, he tried to focus on all the thoughts running through his mind.

'Who does he think he is? Oh, sure. What an absolute charmer. What a ladies man. Or...a man's man, in my case. He better not think I'm gonna give in to that act of his. I'm a frightening, powerful, magic using, rogue shapeshifter. I'm not about to be roped in by some pretty boy.' Ness thought to himself, brow furrowed, 'If he calls me by a pet name one more time, I'm gonna turn him into the next paint job.'

"You doin' okay over there, dollface?" Ninten asked, noticing Ness' irritated looking expression.

"Oh, yeah, I'm good." Ness softly replied. 'Dammit! Okay, next time. He better watch his tongue.'

"If you say so. Don't forget the tail scales, those are important, sweet pea."

"Okay." Ness nodded. 'Fuck! Ness, stop looking into his stupid, dumb, soft, nice, annoyingly pretty brown eyes!'

Great. Not only was Ness trapped against his will, working for the world's most obnoxiously charming Draconologist, he was stuck living with him. He'd considered just forgetting about his pendant and taking off, but he knew that his energy would only last so long without it. His aura had latched on to the stone, and if he strayed too far away from it, he'd be left weak and possibly in fatal condition. So for now, he was stuck here. At this point, Ness had decided to simply accept his fate and let himself be used as a stable boy. Surely it was better than being locked up for eternity, or possibly, dying. Maybe. He wasn't sure.

And so began the eventual duo that was Ninten and Ness. The Dragon Whisperer, and his trusty sidekick, the Rogue Familiar.

So! There's the first experiment chapter. My first story focusing on Ninten, a character I've wanted to write for months. If you guys like this idea, please let me know! I probably won't post another chapter until I've worked on At Your Service a bit. Thank you for reading!

-Felix