Pepper was surprised when he returned home and discovered that Marcus and his friends were nowhere to be found. The only noise within the room was the tight jawed guttural growls of frustration coming from Wilson’s bedroom. But even those were dismal compared to the volume which he normally reached when playing TCG in his room.

  Holy crap… they finally left. Ha! Guess all it took was a stern talking to. He chuckled but then immediately pictured himself in a blue polo, coyote colored cargo shorts, and flip flops. The parental dad bod image caused his skin to crawl and he verbally cried out. “Ah… gross! I didn’t mean to turn into that.” He called out and then rubbed his face.

  His holodex buzzed and he looked down to see a notification that informed him his guitar delivery would arrive in a few hours. A quick flick of his finger to dismiss the notification and he then headed for the back door. The door closed behind him in a soft shutter, but his ears homed in on the sound of a truck engine. Pepper glanced over to the driveway and saw Marcus pull in.

  Pepper felt surprised to see that his roommate was actually by himself. He started to unlock the workshop door before he stepped inside he heard Amprage behind him.

  “Dad, can I play in the yard with Marcus’s familiar?”

  Pepper slow turned around and looked at his bonded. “Did you really just call me dad?”

  Amprage tilted his head in a common curious dog way. “Well, yeah. I’ve been doing it for some time now.”

  “You have?” His mind raced through his recent memories but he couldn’t recall hearing his familiar do such a thing. The act now paired with his recent thought of having a dad bod revived the cringe sensation he had been trying to erase. “Well… yeah I don’t care Amp. I’ve never stopped you from playing with other…”

  “Okay bye!” Amprage turned and bolted towards the copper snake familiar that was slithering through the yard. “I’m gonna tear you apart you stupid snake!”

  Rattler immediately picked up on the on-coming threat. “I’m a snake…”

  Good god those familiar runes sure have some weird databases with personalities in them. He thought while entering the workshop, he immediately turned on some music and began to prepare to start a new round of work on Mala. That was when he heard his roommates voice behind him ask.

  “Is that your bike out front that I saw?”

  Pepper didn’t turn around. “Yeah, went and picked it up. I used to bike all over town back home and wanted to get back into it. Found a store nearby another shop that I dipped into and… the rest is history.”

  “Nice… yeah… it looks pretty cool.” Pepper couldn’t help but notice the more solemn tone in Marcus’s voice. He turned around and couldn’t help but notice the sorrowful demeaner his roommate carried with him. The look a kid has when they don’t get their dream gift from Santa on Christmas day. A mood of regret when one’s parent tells you their disappointed in your performance.

  “Look, Pepper. I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I mean, well, on behalf of everyone.”

  Pepper turned around and faced his roommate. There was a heaviness on his heart, and he now felt bad for how he himself had acted in the early morning hours. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have lashed out at you, at least… not like that.”

  It was then that the thought of a previous conversation returned to him. “I guess I have been a little distant from everyone. What if we have that bonfire we talked about. Maybe we could all use a little time away from the digital devices and just spend time around the fire pit?”

  The joy appeared to return to Marcus as his eyes slowly lit up and he smiled. “Man, that sounds great. I’ll just let the one or two others know about it. I won’t make it a big thing or anything, besides… some of them are starting to get on my nerves.”

  “You think?” Pepper could help himself and blurted out his response.

  He was thankful that Marcus didn’t take offense to it and chuckled. “I know right. They keep asking me all these questions about crafting Golem’s and stuff that I don’t have any clue what the answers are. I just keep making stuff up as I go.”

  Pepper found himself simply staring at his roommate. The statement didn’t surprise him, but he merely found it baffling that Marcus had made it this far by just winging it the entire time. He couldn’t help but admit the fact though that with enough luck and a considerable amount of financial backing, you could compensate for a lack of skills and knowledge. But that would certainly run out sooner rather than later.

  “Well, hey… at least you got a shot at Regionals. Many never even make it this far, am I right?” He smiled.

  Marcus perked up and scratched his head with an animated expression. “Ha, I know right. Maybe one day I will be as knowledgeable as you, or maybe Squints.”

  Pepper chuckled. “Doubt it.”

  ***

  The rest of the afternoon he spent working on Mala. He had made considerable progress in sculping the main portions of the upper torso. The only thing he needed to do next was finish the head, connect the joint sockets on the shoulders and then start work on all the rune cards and his power core. He finally stopped when his holodex buzzed from a newly arriving message.

  [:::] Hey! I finally got permission for tonight. I’ll be there in about 30 mins. - Elowen [:::]

  Well, I guess I had better get cleaned up. He shut the lights off in the workshop and was thankful to see Marcus was already outside and getting everything prepped for the bonfire. “You need any help?” He asked.

  Marcus smiled and waved him off. “Naw man, if there is one thing I am good at, it’s starting fires. I got this all day son! Haha.”

  A fresh shower and a clean pair of jeans with a black hooded sweatshirt had Pepper feeling nice and relaxed after the long day. He knew that he could easily crawl into his bed and be out in minutes, but he actually wanted to make an effort to spend time with Marcus and the others. There was still a small feeling of regret with how he ripped into Marcus earlier and he wanted to make up for it.

  He walked into the laundry room and was grateful that two cans of Big D Energy were there. As his luck would have it, they just happened to be Mango flavor. He popped the tab and guzzled down the can as quickly as he could, just so he could get the awakening energy benefits he needed. His face contoured in utter cringe as he belched out the carbonation. It’s just so bad. He thought.

  His hand crushed the body of the can and he tossed it into the trashcan. A metallic clunk as the can impacted against the others already stacked up in the basket and Pepper grabbed a bottle of water and headed outside. He smiled as Amprage jogged up to him and gave him a warm greeting and followed him to the firepit.

  The fire was already off and going as the wood cracked and popped with life. A large exterior circle of chairs were set around the fire. Marcus had already got a country-pop playlist of music going and it perfectly set the vibe for the night.

  Pepper sat down and discovered his seat neighbor was none other than Braden. “It’s weird to see you awake for once and not passed out on the toilet.”

  Braden laughed. “Well this chair is certainly way more comfortable.”

  The two started to strike up a conversation and Pepper began to feel better about the entire situation. Pepper had come to discover that Braden had practically grown up with Marcus and the two went everywhere together. Pepper couldn’t help but think of Brent back home.

  He now felt guilty about the fact that his best friend had not come with him. The two had talked about it but Brent felt it was best to stay. Brent had been living with his aunt for practically his entire life, and couldn’t get himself to the point of leaving her.

  Pepper started to think harder about how a living situation with he and Brent would look like. He immediately replaced his mental image of Braden sleeping on the toilet with Brent. It immediately set in, and Pepper couldn’t help but chuckle, for that was exactly something Brent would do also. At the same time however, he knew exactly how over the top Brent could be, and Pepper knew he would never have a single inch of personal space or privacy.

  The thought quickly evaporated when he saw Tank and Elowen come walking down the driveway. Pepper stood up and started to walk over to greet his guest. He first paused to allow Tank to sniff his hand and hoped the guard dog would give him a welcomed pass. An internal sigh of relief as the large beast saw Amprage and took off to play with him and the other familiar in the yard.

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  Pepper watched as Elowen came to a stop. “Hey, happy you could make it.”

  She smiled and let out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, me too. The prison warden was served a nice steak and potatoes dinner. So he was a little more lenient towards the idea.” She stopped and checked the time, “I can hangout for another one hour and forty-nine minutes to be exact.”

  She pressed her lips together and widened her eyes. The over exaggerated expression that warned her father was still as overbearing as ever. “Well, I’m still happy you came. Would you like a drink or something?”

  Elowen reached behind her and retrieved a small metal can from what Pepper guessed was her back blue jeans pocket. “I’m good. I got my tea right here. Thanks though.” She finished with a warm smile.

  “Well, let me come introduce you to the group.”

  By the time Pepper turned around to walk her over to the circle, he found Marcus approaching. “Hey, I’m Marcus.”

  “Elowen.”

  “Well, it’s certainly nice to meet you. I think I have seen you running around the neighborhood. You know… I’m somewhat of a runner myself.”

  “Really?” Elowen asked.

  “Really?” Pepper echoed with an arched eyebrow. He had not once seen Marcus do any sort of exercise since they had lived together.

  “Well yeah, got to get all the different ways of cardio in.” Marcus then motioned with his head towards Pepper. “This guy is always busy in the shop working on his golem when I go for my runs. I also love to get some additional yoga in. A little high intensity training at night to wind now, if you get my drift.”

  Seriously Marcus… She just got here. Give her a minute to relax before you start hitting on her. Pepper thought to himself.

  “Well okay then. You certainly seem to have all… the bases covered for exercise.” Elowen said and let out a soft breath.”

  Marcus looked as if he was about to start in on the next statement, but Pepper cut him off. “So yeah, this is Marcus, and here let me introduce you to Braden. Braden, come meet Elowen.” The two walked past Marcus who quickly turned and followed after them. They arrived at the fire pit and the conversation started to liven up as the others took notice of Elowen.

  Terrible jokes and embarrassing stories filled the area and carried on for well over an hour. Pepper had stepped away to use the bathroom. To his surprise he caught Marcus in the hallway as he exited his bedroom.

  “My man, Elowen is seriously hot. Way to go snagging a local man.” Marcus gave his shoulder a firm pat of congratulations.

  “I didn’t snag a local. We’re just friends, heck we barely know each other. There’s nothing between us and I have a girlfriend, remember? One who is coming down here to visit soon. I wouldn’t do anything to risk that anyways.”

  “Oh, okay then. So… you’re cool if I move in then?”

  “Move in?”

  “Yeah… move in, shoot my shot with her.”

  Pepper could feel his jaw start to clench. The thought of how many women he had seen enter and leave Marcus’s room didn’t leave him feeling too comfortable with the idea. Though his friendship with Elowen was new, he felt it was a genuine one. One he wanted to preserve and didn’t want there to be anything else which could impact that.

  The last thing he wanted though was to be controlling like her father. The overbearing friend who left her in the same environment she was trying to get relief from. His head and heart were at war with one another, but he knew if he didn’t say something and fast, it would only make the situation worse.

  He instead tried to take a different approach. “I thought you and the other chick with the camera were really hitting it off. Things not work out there?”

  Marcus scrunched his face. “I dunno man… I’m kinda a free bird you know? I got to spread my wings and explore all there is to see… if you catch my drift.”

  Oh… I catch your drift alright. “Really? Man… she seemed to really be into you. I thought for sure you were going to bring her over to the campfire tonight.”

  A confused look came over Marcus’s face. “I thought you wanted the campfire to be a small gathering of just us. I didn’t know you were planning to invite Elowen over, otherwise I would have told the others things were cool.”

  “Things are cool man… I just, I dunno. I am just surprised you’d want to move on from the… the…” Pepper snapped his fingers and tried to recall the woman’s name.

  “Ana. No wait, Jenna. Or... was it, Bethany?” Marcus struggled and finally looked up. “Yeah, pretty sure it’s Bethany you’re thinking of.”

  “Either way… I mean. I dunno if Elowen is really looking for that, sort of thing. You know?”

  Marcus nodded and sighed. “Ahh… reading you loud and clear big guy.”

  Pepper was relieved but had no idea what exactly Marcus thought he had picked up on. “You are?”

  Marcus chuckled. “Yeah, no worries. Hands off. Promise.” He lifted his hands up as if he was surrendering and started to move towards the bathroom in the hallway. “Okay… I got to unload the tank before it bursts.”

  Pepper continued back outside and sat down next to Elowen. To his surprise he found Wilson sitting on the other side of her. A quick glance helped in believe she was happy and enjoying herself.

  Elowen turned to him with a smile on her face. “Wilson was just telling me about some type of ultra rare card you gave him.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, he was pretty amped about it.”

  “I’d say so, he showed it to me and said he takes it everywhere with him. Doesn’t want it to be out of his sights I guess.” Her smile remained and they locked eyes briefly. “That’s pretty cool Pepper. Or is it P-dub?”

  His chuckle turned to a laugh. “Yeah… P-Dub is what my best friend gave me and it’s continued to stay attached to me. Pep, Pepper, P-Dub… as long as you don’t call me Peepers.”

  She softly laughed and looked curious. “Where did that one come from?”

  “A guy I went to school with. Needless to say… he and I, didn’t really see eye to eye.”

  “Ahh one of those.”

  “You as well?”

  “Her name was Lucia. She stole my boyfriend.”

  Pepper didn’t know what to say, so he just said the only thing on his mind. “I’m sorry.”

  Elowen chuckled. “Don’t be. Turns out he was a piece of shit, so the two naturally were good for each other.”

  Pepper tuned in to some movement behind him. He turned around to see Tank running through the yard, heading for the driveway. A quick follow of the dog and Pepper then saw a dark figure approaching.

  He started to get to his feet when the familiar voice called out. “Elowen, you here?”

  Pepper could hear her disgusted sigh as she stood up. “Yes dad?”

  “It’s time to go.”

  Elowen started to walk over and Pepper slowly followed after her. He didn’t want to intrude into family business, but something seemed off. The two met up at the edge of the fires light and Pepper was just able to see the Colonel as he stepped forward.

  “But Dad, I still have…” Elowen paused and check the time. “There’s still like 20 mins before I need to head home.”

  “Things change. Say goodbye and load-up, the car is up at the sidewalk.”

  “Seriously dad? You couldn’t just message me, but you have to come escort me off my friend’s property?”

  Pepper couldn’t help but notice how Elowen challenged her dad, but she still maintained a level of respect that knew how to push back without it going overboard.

  “Look, I’ll explain later at home. For now, I just need you to get in the car so we can get home. It’s not safe here.”

  Pepper didn’t know why, but there was something about that last bit that dug into him. “Not safe? Mr. Gamble, I can assure you that me and my roommates are safe. I know you don’t know us very well, but we’ve been here for almost a month without any…”

  Pepper didn’t have a chance to finish as the Colonel lifted his hand up and intruded. “Enough.” He then looked back to Elowen, “Say goodnight and load up.”

  She turned but took Pepper by surprise as she walked up and wrapped her arms around him. A firm squeeze by a soft whisper in his ear. “Thank you so much for the invite. I really needed this and hope we can do it again.”

  She turned and walked off without another word. Tank trotted alongside her and the two were left standing there in the partial darkness. “You insult me like that in front of my daughter again and it will be the last time, you hear me son?” The Colonel said in a firm tone.

  Pepper shifted his weight. “I don’t know who you think you are Colonel, but not all of us have to follow your orders. Now I get it that you don’t know me and may not trust me, but nothing bad was happening here.”

  The Colonel huffed, “Yeah? We’ll see about that.” A quick shift to the side and the Colonel called out towards the darkened tree line at the edge of the property. “Rico! Sweep! Report.”

  Pepper turned around and was then stunned as he watched a dark figure appear from the tree line. It wasn’t until the large figure seemed to appear from the middle of the yard itself, that he was frozen in disbelief. The two figures quickly approached and Pepper’s gaze went directly at the two assault rifles they carried. Both figures were covered in camouflage paint and fatigues.

  The soldier who had been laying in the middle of the yard was wearing a large sniper suit. They now looked like a swamp creature standing before them as both soldier approached he and the Colonel. The rest of the group had cried out but now were all tuned in to every word that was being shared between the two groups.

  The soldier stood up and brought a salute up in recognition of the officer. “Colonel, were all good here. Nothing happened and no readings on any of our scanners.”

  Pepper snapped his head around, his anger had his blood boiling. “Really? You’re spying on us now? What else? You bug our house or something?”

  “Enough!” The Colonel snapped back. Amprage started to growl and Pepper reached his hand out to inform his companion everything was okay. “Thank you Sergeant, that will be all.” The two saluted and the soldiers walked off towards the street.

  Colonel Gamble then adjusted himself and leaned in close towards Pepper. “You ever heard of a Shadow Cast Demon?”

  Pepper wasn’t prepared for the question and it through him off. He tried to quickly search is memory bank, but that title was one he couldn’t seem to recall. “No.”

  “Exactly! You don’t have a damn clue kid. Tell me, you ever have a bounty on your head? Hmm? How about a bounty out on your family? How do you think you would feel, when you knew that all of hell itself was targeting you, searching for you. You have no idea the significance of the danger my daughter lives in every day. Maybe one day when you have a family you’ll understand, but until that day comes you better listen, and listen carefully. I will do whatever, and I mean what-ever it takes to keep her and my family safe.”

  “You may think that the Rift Wars are over but let me tell you one thing. The war is not over, and my men and I are fighting it every damn day. You may think you’re some big strong guy wielding your clay and stone golems, but you don’t know nothing about combat or warfare. So you sit here at your campfire, telling your stupid jokes and stories, but never forget… when the darkness comes and all of humanity is screaming out into the void, pleading for someone or something to come and save them. That savior will be us, not you.”

  The Colonel paused and the only sound that could be heard was the faint crackle of the flames behind them. Another shift in the Colonel’s weight and he spit off to the side. “So, you have fun at your little campfire, cooking your smores and drinking your soda pop.” The Colonel’s holodex buzzed and he quickly glanced at the message before he turned and departed without another word being shared.

  There was still an eerie silence as the few were closely gathered around. They started to slowly shift back towards the campfire. Pepper then felt a hand pat his shoulder and he turned to see Marcus. “On second thought, thanks for saving my hide… that is one father figure I would love to avoid pissing off.”