With their F-rank certification complete, Anna, Brock and Ryker finalized their admission to Meridian Academy, joining their monitaur and fire dragon pals. Naturally it was time to celebrate in Revera City.
The sun was setting in the horizon, the stoplight was red, Liv was changing the radio station while Ryker was driving.
"Why am I in the back?" Anna asked, her arms crossed.
"Because I claimed shotgun," Liv replied without looking back.
As soon as it turned green, Ryker stepped on it. These two had been bickering all day, and he couldn't wait for them to get a bit of alcohol to hopefully mellow them out.
It was proper to celebrate where they all first met, that is on the beach at the familiar bar where all their parents met. Approaching the parking lot, there were a few police cars and a fire truck, their sirens turned off.
"Kael's dad sure likes inviting a crowd," Ryker parked next to the firetruck.
He walked ahead of them, leaving the bickering girls with Brock who was trying to act as a peacemaker.
The scene was not what he expected. Cops were drinking at the bar as if they were on a break, the firefighters were barbecuing and the party was in full swing.
A big muscular arm wrapped around his neck, bringing him into a headlock. Ryker recognized the arm pit hairs anywhere.
"Ryker my boy! You actually did it! Congrats," the boomer-like minotaur said.
"Thanks Mr. Torvane."
He was trying to escape from the grasp of this friendly giant. A faint scent of booze emanated from him.
The minotaur's laughter rumbled through Ryker's skull, a sound as deep and gravelly as shifting boulders.
"Now that's enough dear," Rul's mother intervened, her muscles were equally impressive as her husband but she was much more gentle.
She had silver hair like her son, but tied in a braided bun. The shorter wife led her husband by the ear to the barbecue. Ryker overheard their conversation, something about him getting too excited.
A warm hand landed on Ryker's shoulder and a tall woman with green braids was standing behind him.
"Congratulations sweetie," Sarah said with a smile as warm as sunshine, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners, just like her daughter's.
She pulled him into a hug. A warmth similar to the sunshine on a bright day seeped into him, chasing away the coldness from the night.
"I don't know how you managed to get Anna into Meridian but I'll forever be in your debt," she let go.
Ryker didn't have the heart to tell her a psychopath did it for him.
"Mom!" a voice shouted from a few feet away.
It was Anna. Her face was a mix of embarrassment and affection, cheeks flushed a shade redder than tomatoes.
"What? I'm just thanking your hero," the older woman said with a wink, before going to the barbecue and taking a sausage off the grill.
The group met up with Rul and Kael and started to celebrate by dancing and drinking. Liv and Anna were arguing again on what kind of music the DJ should play next, Brock was arm wrestling with Rul. The music was blaring, the alcohol was flowing.
Rul's mother beat almost everyone in arm wrestling even her husband. The only one who managed to defeat her was Elara, the arachne examiner.
Apparently Brock had invited her but he seemed to be more focused on a cat-girl. He was determined to get a date with one of the six siblings. They were all cat-girls, each with a different color theme, from white to black to calico.
Seeing Liv and Anna playing some game about who knows Ryker best, he decided to walk to Elara to thank her again for passing them.
"Are golems usually this enamored with felines?" she said before Ryker even had the chance to speak. The arachne had an amused look on her face, watching Brock fumble with his words.
"I think it's only him," Ryker laughed.
"Thanks again for everything."
She waved a dismissive hand, "It was my pleasure. I'm a guild evaluator, it's my job."
The conversation turned awkward as Ryker wasn't sure what else to say but thankfully she started talking.
"I do admit that when I first got this assignment. I thought it was for a rich kid with daddy's money to get into Meridian. But then your file was empty," she looked at him, chuckling at his confused expression.
"I mean of course it wasn't empty. It had lots of information yet none of it. Just a vampire with ice magic. A dime a dozen."
Her words made him flinch.
"Well that's not exactly wrong I am a vampire with ice magic right?" he replied.
She took a sip from the colorful cocktail she was holding, "The guild isn't that incompetent Ryker. You're what we in the guild call a blank."
Elara stroke his arm gently, "A way for us to isolate ourselves from the coldwar."
A sigh escaped her lips and her four brown eyes were looking at a star in the sky, her white hair glimmering.
"The last blank we had caused the Crexia War a decade ago. Not a pleasant memory for me," She was distant for a bit, "I trust you won't cause mass casualty right?"
Before Ryker could even think of a response, she got up and left, but not before placing a friendly kiss on his cheek, leaving him stunned. The faint scent of night-blooming jasmine lingered on his skin.
He watched her walk away, her hips swaying with hypnotic grace. He had no idea what she meant by blank or that war. He had never heard of that war.
A vibration in his pocket took him away from his thoughts. He glanced at his phone. It was a message from Valerica. A chill that had nothing to do with ice magic snaked down his spine.
She had left him on read for a day now. He asked her to see if Liv and Maddie could also go to Meridian. Leaving them behind was impossible for him. To no one's surprise she left him on read.
He opened the new message.
"Sure."
Just one word.
And then another message followed.
"I've sent someone to keep you in line," he read out loud.
His throat felt dry and he bit his lip. He didn't want someone watching his move 24/7.
Turning around to try and find this mysterious person that was going to keep an eye on him, he scanned the beach, the bar, the parking lot.
Nothing.
He went to the bathroom, locked himself in a stall and splashed cold water on his face. The shock of it jolted him back to the present, a brief reprieve from the swirling vortex of uncertainty.
A hand grabbed his shoulder as he was about to leave the bathroom, he almost punched the person in the face but stopped.
"Geez Ryke, why are you so jumpy?" Kael, his fire dragon friend asked.