This commission was drawn by vensart! I'll add a link to it in their gallery when they post it. It features the good boy Crimson in full curious-big pupils-pounce mode, who must have spotted something very interesting and exciting indeed! Heads up, incoming SkyWing :D

[quote]"Is that a recorder?"

The RainWing he'd pointed at flinched, her jaw frills splaying, entire body rippling from her 'resting' bluish-white color to yellow and then to pale green, a process that was [i]almost[/i] as fascinating as the narrow wooden tube poking from the carrying pouch tucked beneath her wing. Crimson perked his snout in its direction and bounded a couple of paces closer for a better look, only for the RainWing to retreat the same distance, end of their tail coiling up nervously. "W-what?"

Crimson forced himself to lower his wings and hide his teeth, but it was [i]hard![/i] He'd met hardly anyone from the rainforest dragon tribe--so far as he knew--and if they liked music enough to carry instruments with them, he had to know more! He knew his own tribe didn't have the friendliest reputation and when his wings snapped out excitedly it made him look [i]very[/i] big and possibly intimidating, regardless of how thin he actually was. [i]Slow down, take it easy,[/i] he said to himself. "That instrument in your pouch!" he said, gesturing towards it with a claw. "I haven't had a chance to hear any RainWing music. Do you play?"

Slowing down only lasted the first sentence, it seemed, before he rushed onward into a second question without even waiting for her response to the first. Her scales shifted to ribbons of purple and orange, and she almost reluctantly diverted her wide-eyed gaze from him to her pouch. "Do you mean... my blow-- blowpipe?"

He hadn't heard the term before, but he could plainly see the language of it being a [i]pipe[/i] that she'd [i]blow[/i] through to make sound, and wondered what sort of range and timbre it might have. "Really? I've never heard one of those before."

His open, friendly curiosity seemed to be calming her down; her scales settled on purple, then began to lighten towards their original blue-white, while her jaw frills lightened from orange to yellow. It was fascinating to watch, really--like her whole body was art! "It's not for music," she chuckled at last. "It's... a tool."

"Oh," he said, but any disappointed drooping of his ears and wingpoints was momentary. "What does your tribe make music with? I'd love to hear some."

When her expression shifted again it occurred to him that judging by her horns the RainWing was likely far older than him, despite being smaller--it was easy to forget around someone from one of the smaller tribes. "Well aren't you adorable. I've never been one for singing, but if you met one of our storytellers they'd be glad to share some of our traditions from someone outside the tribe. To hear the Queen talk sometimes, she thinks we have everything to learn from other tribes and nothing to teach!"

"I'd love to! Where could I find one?"

"Crimson!"

This time both he [i]and[/i] the RainWing flinched, her coloration flashing green again, but then his intimidating mother's roar would have that effect on just about [i]any[/i] dragon. Her stomping footsteps could be felt a moment later as she stalked over to them. "Cease pestering your elders and get to the takeoff point. We are on a schedule."

Leave it to mother to be so strictly regimented about the timetable for a flight that was essentially a vacation for the overworked general, but he couldn't imagine her acting any other way. "Yes mother," he said, though [i]now[/i] his disappointment was showing through.

"He was no trouble, ma'am," said the RainWing, her scales back to their 'normal' color once again, and she bobbed her head at him in a friendly way. "But if you start making any sort of music near the rainforest, my good dragonet, I suspect before long one of our storytellers will find you."

His eyes lit up at the idea, and his mother lifted a forepaw to press to her forehead. "You don't know what you've done. No one near the edge of the rainforest will get any sleep for a week if you encourage him further."

"You plainly haven't heard how loud the frogs can get at night," said the RainWing with a soft giggle.

"I don't mean the racket, though he [i]can[/i] sing at impressive volume for his size," mother growled. "I mean how his songs are so storm-riding [i]catchy.[/i] I let him sing [i]one[/i] flying-song to set the pace when we left the Sky Palace and it has been stuck in my head for a full day."

Crimson couldn't help but dissolve into laughter, beaming from her roundabout praise. "Then you just need to let me play something else to clear it away! I know lots of fliers."

"Your son sounds quite talented," offered the RainWing, the conversation having helped acclimate her to mother's gruff nature. "A shame you're flying on, as you've made me curious."

A stroke of inspiration struck him. "You could fly along for a little while to listen! Then mom gets something new to hear, and you can share the performance."

She sighed. "I suppose this is not a [i]stealthy[/i] journey. You may fly along for a short distance if you wish," she said, then drew her wings up formally. "I am Torch, and as you may have heard, this is my son Crimson." She didn't offer her rank, he noted, though he supposed they weren't on army business.

"My name's Magnolia. It's lovely to meet you two! The SkyWings flying over rarely stop here, and those who do aren't always very approachable, if you don't mind my saying." For a moment her scales shifted closer to SkyWing colors, going all red and orange before fading again.

"It is possible that recent events had made our tribe predisposed to tension and hostility," she conceded, turning to make for the edge of the town where there was more space to lift off. "And that old habits are reluctant to change."

Crimson fell in on her flank, precisely where a subordinate dragon would place himself... and then bounced a few paces forward, breaking formation as quickly as he'd unconsciously set it. "Just wait until you've heard enough songs. Then habit will have you singing along!"

Magnolia perked her snout up to gauge Torch's reaction to [i]that[/i] suggestion, as both of them plainly struggled to imagine the bulky battle-hardened SkyWing singing. But with how irresistible Crimson's charm could be... Who knew? She snorted a little smoke and tossed her head in amusement. That would be the day.[/quote]