Duendewood: Children of Ruin, part six

Their estate was walled, and while it wouldn't hold off any significant fighting force the stone was sufficient to deter any casual bandits. These, however, obviously weren't casual -- though they might not have been bandits, either. Bandits, in Jaques' admittedly limited experience, didn't usually teleport. 

More than that, though...  Jacques had taken after their mother in appearance, only showing silver scales on his shoulders and belly. Fully dressed, he looked completely human, which had eased his entry into court. Yvette shared his human bone structure, but had silver scales where full humans would have hair, including two small lines that could have been eyebrows and emphasized the silvery accents of her gray eyes. Julien had much the look of their father, fully silver-scaled and with a more draconic skull, visible claws, and heavy build. 

The group in front of the newly-closed gates were elvish, with three exceptions... and if those three weren't half-dragons, Jacques would swear off gambling forever. Their scales were golden rather than silver, so they weren't any sort of immediate kin, but beyond that...

An elderly human, robed and leaning subtly on his staff, shuffled forward. "Greetings to the Fontaine estate," he called. "Your father calls you to duty."

Jacques considered the man for a long moment.

"Sylvarin," said Yvette, suddenly. "Master Latosh?"

The old man smiled. "Yvette Fontaine. I haven't seen you since you were still setting tapestries on fire to avoid your lessons."

Jacques glanced at his sister in time to see her flush. Across from her, Julien had a look of slowly-dawning enlightenment. "Who've you brought with you?" he called down. 

"Friends, I hope," the wizard called back. 

Jacques sighed. "You'd best come inside, then," he said, and gestured for the guards to open the gates.