Chapter 2: Where the Dark Frolics

Ahh yes, the smell of your banana bread rising in the oven.

It was so gratifying for Ezra to just chill in the lounge with pets and friends alike at this moment. Asmus snuggled at his side while their friend was a simple lump of blankets on the floor as he stared intensely at the block tower. The evening sky turning a wonderful pink as the game time simply stretched on and on.

"We're growing old over here man. At this pace the round will end when the ice caps finish melting." Asmus commented as Cyril's arms slowly emerged from the cocoon before pausing and retreating back into the fluffy mass. "It's not that hard man."

Cyril snorted before tilting his head to the side, trying to figure out how to remove a block that simultaneously screwed his friends over and wouldn't immediately cause the tower to crumble. It wasn't as easy as believed.

"Hey, this game needs coordination, which he kinda lacks. Give him time love." Ezra snickered as Cyril stopped pushing at a block to glare intensely at him.

"I hate you and your stupid ability to just yoink a piece without moving the tower. It's inhuman and I loathe you for it."

"Aww you don't mean that Cy, besides, I can't help having magic fingers!" Waggling said fingers, Ezra smiled enthusiastically at his blank faced friend-all the more ready for the inevitable event.

Furrowing his brow, Cyril turned back to the tower and achingly continued to push the piece out of the tower. Asmus picked up the bottle of Smirnoff as their friend wailed at the sudden collapse of the tower. Pouring another shot, she sympathetically handed it over to their chocolate friend and watched how he just threw it back with such sadness.

"There there. You did your best dear." Shifting to pet his head and messing with the growing dreads, Asmus used her other hand to start collecting up the various pieces.

A chirp and the shuffling of blankets revealed a little scaly head poking up from Cyril's collar. Large eyes blinked lazily before climbing out of the cocoon and puttering over to the shot glass and attempted to take a lick before Cyril scooped them up and shoved them back into the blanket pile. Ezra jumped up to go check on the bread while the other two began reconstructing the tower.

"You can let them out you know. Char isn't going to like being cooped up for the whole night." He called back to the lounge. "They're probably going crazy not knowing what the hell is going on."

"Your funeral." Came the reply before a hiss rang out and a cat came streaking past the kitchen doorway.

"Dude your cat just shat herself!" Cyril commented unhelpfully as his pet began to stretch its wings, letting out a puff of smoke in pride of scaring off the furry beast.

Little shit.

"This is still heavenly." Cyril praised as he demolished his piece of bread as the three stared at the screen as the two giant monsters battled on screen.

"Of course it is, I made it." Ezra cleaned off his plate before handing it over to his bro to be put on the table. "I am a god in the kitchen."

"So humble." The redhead leaning against him laughed.

"You know it's true babe." Shushing could be heard as Cyril tried to listen to the badly edited news report playing on the screen.

Rolling her eyes, Asmus reached out an arm to scoop up the little dragon so she could pet it for a while. Ezra stuck his tongue out at his mesmerized friend before knocking startled them out of their happy mood. His dogs started barking aggressively before scratching at the back door.

"Should I let them in?" Asmus asked him while shifting her eyes to Cyril. "They may help to deter any asshole trying to start shit."

"Sure, you can hide Char while you're at it. Cyril, wanna help me check out who's there?"

"Yeah, lemme just-" His friend slipped a knife into his sleeve before getting up and shuffling behind him as they went to the front door.

Pattering feet were heard as Asmus let the dogs in and tried to get them to shut the hell up, it was around 11 at night after all. Which honestly didn't help with their nerves over who the hell was knocking on the door, since Ezra's family were out for the weekend and they didn't remember ordering anything. Since deliveries closed at 10pm on Fridays. Glancing back at his friend momentarily, Ezra tapped on the door.

"Hello? Who is it?" Nothing.

Peering through the peephole, he was faced with a familiar red cloak. Whether it was a good or bad thing was yet to be determined. Waving back at Cyril, he unlocked the door and opened it wide enough for one eye to peer at the figure on his doorstep.

"What happened to phones man?" He asked the cloaked figure with annoyance.

The figure simply tilted their hooded head before lifting up a flyer.

'GATHERINGS HAVE BECOME MANDATORY FOR MEMBERS LEVEL 4 AND UP.

IF UNABLE TO COME, PLEASE LET US KNOW VIA SCRYING ORB.

BUNKING IS PROHIBITED, NO PLUS ONES ALLOWED.

THOSE WHO DO NOT ADHERE TO THE ABOVE RULES WILL BE COLLECTED AND SUBSEQUENTLY PUNISHED IF NO VALID EXCUSE IS GIVEN.

NO PLUS ONES PERMITTED AFTER THE LAST DISASTER.

NONE.'

After reading the flyer Ezra passed it over to his friend while narrowing his eyes at the messenger. Quite ready to shoot them just to spite the Grand Master, because he's petty like that.

"Is this because that guy that lives in their basement gave me that skeleton for no reason?" Cyril asked his long haired friend while peering over his shoulder at the figure in confusion.

"Because it was one out of 13 and he said that it was absolutely cool and I didn't know you weren't supposed to feed him Liquid Life. It was an honest mistake. I apologised!"

The figure pointed him and shook its finger in an admonishing motion, clearly still upset at the events that followed that one encounter with the disaster human in front of it. Ezra pulled a face at the thought that they were still angry over that, especially since it wasn't like the guy was doing anything important since that encounter. Mistakes were made but the group probably benefitted from it. Though he still wonders how his friend even FOUND the basement in that maze of a place. It was admirable really.

Doesn't make the fact that the flyer was obviously made SPECIFICALLY for him due to their obsession with knowing his every move. Or maybe it was because the order's Elders were a bunch of old farts that tried to control every little thing. Or maybe it was just the fact that the seasons were changing and that brought shit that did nothing but bring trouble.

"…"

"I'm not going, I hardly see these two. I told them that I was free for the weekend." Ezra crossed his arms as Asmus walked up with the group of dogs.

Cyril immediately decided to take a step outside before the dogs saw him; they didn't have the best relationship. Which was incredibly unfair due to the fact that they loved Asmus at first glance, the redhead drew animals to her like flies to shit. No he wasn't jealous-he had a fire breathing fucking dragon! No need to be sad that Ezra's dogs obviously had a problem with him.

The boy immediately side-eyed the figure, realising that now they were just awkwardly standing next to each other while Asmus and Ezra blocked the dogs from going out the door to run off into the distance like the lunatics they were.

"Sooo, what's your name?" He tried to start a conversation, but the figure sidled away from him in visible discomfort, keeping all three in their line of sight. "I'm sorry I'll shut up." Cyril whispered before looking around awkwardly-wishing to be back with the dogs.

Asmus pursed her lips underneath her turtleneck at the display before deciding that it wasn't worth wasting time standing in the cold night for no reason.

"So what's happening?" She glanced at her boyfriend, Char curling around her neck.

"They want me at the gathering, even though they KNEW you two were coming over for the weekend." Was the terse response.

"Well, if you need to go, we'll still be her when you come back. It's no problem." She tried to smooth things over. "Cyril come here you're gonna freeze love."

Her friend immediately stepped forward at the out she gave him before realising that there wasn't really enough space for three in the doorway. As well as the face that he'd be out of easy stabbing distance if the figure decided to start shit for no reason.

"They said I could not leave until you agreed to come. It is of great importance." The figure spoke in a low tone, apprehension clear to all.

"You're shitting me right? I will literally kick your ass if you're fucking with me right now man. I told them I was busy!" Ezra hissed out in frustration, not even 48 hours with his buds after months of not seeing each other and he was being called back to the lair.

He really hated his luck sometimes.

The figure shifted in agitation, feeling the slight rise in temperature and at the display in front of them. It didn't help that the Strange One was still the closest of the three; they've heard stories of what had happened if exposed to his aura for too long. The only saving grace was that The Handler was there to keep things in order. Though Martin would have to buy some pizza as a thank you gift for them going through all this hassle. They could feel their lifespan shrinking the longer this encounter went on.

"Ez, it could be important. They may need you there for any reason. We aren't going anywhere, right Cy?" Asmus squeezed his arm to pacify her boyfriend, glancing over to Cyril for some help.

"Yeah! Besides, we can't really go with you and I'm pretty sure they don't want to see me again after last time. Better to just get shit over with so we can spend the rest of the weekend binging that game show." Came the response as their friend gave a small smile before glancing up towards the moon in awkwardness. It was extremely bright that night for some reason.

Ezra frowned some more, glancing around at everyone before angrily huffing out his frustration.

"Fine, this better be worth my time. 11 pm and you all are wanting to have a fucking get together like it's no big deal." He turned around to peck the redhead on the cheek.

"Don't worry about us; we've got a dragon and a ginger. All will fall before us!" Cyril said happily, shadow wavering slightly at the declaration.

Ezra smiled before reaching for his cloak on the hook beside the door before once more pecking Asmus on the cheek before giving his friend a squeeze. Turning to the Figure, he lifted his chin with a jerk.

"They said it was mandatory, fine. I'm not gonna let you stand here forever like an ass anyway. Just know I'm not up for any bullshit ok?"

Before they could reply, the figure gasped in shock before falling to their knees, head in hands as a wail started up. Alarmed, Cyril made an aborted movement to throw his knife into the dark and simply began to slowly slide into the shadows while on high alert. Char hissed before jumping onto the crouched figure, baring its teeth in the direction of the gate. Ezra immediately went to stand in front of his colleague, fists up and ready to block whatever caused the disruption. Asmus was the last to move. Smoothly she closed the door behind her as she crouched down to help the downed person, leaving offence to her two friends-the figure needed her help more right now anyway. The figure was regretting ever doing Martin this favour, nothing good ever came out of being around all three at once.

The gate creaked ominously as something lightly jumped to stand on it, tall and imposing with its face shaded by the moonlight shining behind it.

"Mon ami, ce n'est pas une façon de saluer un vieux copain, non?"

They should have become an accountant like their parents wanted.