The Dragoso Series 3: Peace in Agony
Chapter 8

Halloween was upon them and oh was it an exciting day. Even at breakfast there were students dressed in costumes. Over the past few days decorations had been put up around the halls, everyone was in the Halloween spirit.

Trevor stood in his room, breakfast having been over. He adjusted the hat on his head and looked in the mirror. He put his hands on his hips and nodded. Willow chirped and flew from her perch on Trevor’s bed to his shoulder.

“And with that, I’m ready,” Trevor laughed and looked to David who was pulling his boots on.

“Me too!” David said and smiled.

“Awesome. Let’s go see if the girls are ready too.” Trevor said and David nodded, getting to his feet and following Trevor out into the hall and to Brenda and Aya’s room. Trevor knocked on the door and waited.

“Ow! Just a second! Aya move!” Brenda called out.

“You move! I was here first!” Aya snapped.

“You take forever!”

“Girls come on, we don’t have all day,” Trevor yelled to them with a smile on his face. The door opened and Brenda peeked out. She opened the door all the way and let her brothers in.

“Sorry, Trevor. Been bumping elbows trying to get ready,” Brenda explained. Aya was leaning towards the mirror applying makeup to her face.

“Oh boy, she’s getting to that stage, huh?” Trevor joked, crossing his arms.

“Shut up, Trevor!” Aya laughed, recapping the mascara she was putting on and turned to face her siblings. Brenda and Aya were in the main parts of their costumes, all that was left was the accessories.

“Hey, you’d be going through this stage if we weren’t dragons anyway. I’ve seen it before with Brenda, don’t forget. There’s nothing wrong with exploring what you like and don’t like.”

“Thanks, Trevor.” Aya pulled on the last of her costume pieces, as did Brenda, and they were ready to go.

The four siblings made their way down to the mess hall where already music was playing and a few people hanging around. Trevor recognized some of them as Kathey’s kids. Just like Kathey loved Halloween, so did her kids. Each of them were dressed up as an assassin from Assassin’s Creed. Trevor wasn’t sure they all even knew of the game series. Maybe Kathey suggested it and got them the costumes.

Speaking of Kathey, she was sitting at her usual table with Malice, Sylark, and Zoymey. Kathey was dressed as a biker, Malice a cowboy, Sylark had a kimono on and a bow hanging off his shoulder with a quiver of arrows, and Zoymey in some armor and a rather large axe leaning against the table beside him. They were talking amongst themselves.

“Well, not really much to do until everyone shows up. Didn’t the posters say there was some band coming too?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah, the M Drags or something like that,” Brenda said. Watching Aya and David head over to the snack area where Darkness was managing the food and drinks. The Shadow Dragon handed the two purple colored punch and smiled at them.

They sat at a table and spoke about random topics. At one point, five men dressed in red with black accents were setting up instruments on a platform they brought with them. This was most likely The M Drags. They looked like a rock band group, what caught Trevor’s eye was the fact all five members had black eyes like Darkness did.

They’re all Music Dragons, Kathey’s voice spoke in Trevor’s mind.

Really? Trevor asked.

Indeed. Music Dragons like to form bands and make it their hobby. The M Drags are the first ever Music Dragon band so they had free reign with the name and color scheme. They’ve met with my parents before, which means they have also met me. They’ve been wanting to play for the Academy for a while, I just had no creative way to bring them in.

Works for everyone, huh? How well known are they? Trevor looked over to Kathey who smiled.

Dragon raised dragons know about them. They’re quite popular, much like many other Music Dragon bands. Just wait until you hear them play.

Trevor watched the band set up, more students trickling in. Eventually the Exotics showed up, Vatuna and Ractor in their pirate costumes. Ferentar was dressed up as a monk, even carrying a staff with him. Comeli looked like Medusa.

“Hello everyone,” Vatuna greeted. Her eyes went wide upon spotting Willow. “Awwww, where did you get a phoenix?” she asked, reaching up to stroke the bird’s chest. “She’s beautiful.”

“Kathey owns her,” Trevor explained. Willow trilled beautifully and Vatuna swooned. Trevor couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face at Vatuna’s happiness. They were all momentarily distracted by the band testing their speakers and microphones.

“No way, the M Drags?” Comeli and Ferentar looked to each other, ecstatic about the information and they ran over to the band. Ractor rolled his eyes and laughed.

“You would think they’d read the posters saying they would be here,” Ractor chuckled. Brenda blushed a bit and Ractor nudged her with his elbow. “Let’s go rein them in before they talk their ears off.” he joked and Brenda nodded, following him over to Ferentar and Comeli. Aya and David went over to the snack station again, leaving Vatuna and Trevor alone.

“They mean the world to you, don’t they?” Vatuna asked, sitting in the chair next to Trevor. Trevor nodded, watching Brenda with Ractor.

“They’re all I have now. Our dad disappeared, we can’t see our mom, grandparents we know of have been gone, the rest of our family, cousins and all that are scattered. Dad’s side we know nothing about, being a Nixes Dragon and all.” Vatuna rested a hand on Trevor’s knee.

“Don’t worry, Trevor. You have them, and you have the team and your friends.” Trevor smiled and nodded.

“You’re right.” Trevor looked up when Brenda and Ractor returned with Ferentar and Comeli in tow. “You two have fun fangirling and fanboying over a Music Dragon band?” he teased. Vatuna punched his arm playfully.

“Be nice,” she scolded and Trevor laughed.

“Gooooooood evening Voutneth Academy and Happy Halloween!” the lead singer of the band spoke into the mic, quieting the room and drawing everyone’s attention. The sun was just starting to set so the hall was starting to get darker. “How is everyone today? Got a lot of crazy costumes going on here and I love it! You guys love this?” the singer asked his band and the others nodded. “Spook night is the best night in the year in my opinion. Who’s ready to get the party rolling?” Students cheered and the lead singer smiled. “Let’s start off with an old classic humans are so fond of.” The lead returned the mic to the stand and adjusted a few things to the guitar hanging from his neck before the first few notes of Thriller were strummed out and the rest of the band joined in.

The rest of the evening was filled with music, cheering and dancing students, and food constantly being made and brought out for snacks. Trevor spent a lot of time just watching Aya and David dance with Ferentar and Comeli. At one point, he, Brenda, Vatuna, and Ractor got onto the floor to dance as well, Willow sitting on Trevor’s chair while he danced. After dancing for a bit, Trevor made his way to the snack station for some water, panting as he stood drinking the cold liquid. His eyes scanned the entire hall, taking in everything and everyone going on. During his scan, he noticed something, or rather someone.

Standing in a corner, back to the corner itself was a man with red skin, black hair, horns, wings, a tail, and armor of some kind. Trevor didn’t see him enter the Mess Hall at all since he showed up hours earlier. Trevor looked around for Kathey, spotting her talking with Sonar.

Kathey. Trevor called out in his head, hoping to gain her attention. His eyes landed on the strange man again. Kathey!

What’s wrong? She finally answered.

Back corner, demon looking guy with the armor. Is he a student here? Trevor asked. He looked to Kathey again and watched her locate the stranger.

That’s not even a human. That’s a cambion, distract him somehow until we can get a bead on him. Kathey commanded and Trevor nodded, getting another cup and heading over to the demon, holding the untouched cup to him.

“Crazy event huh?” Trevor asked. The cambion looked over at Trevor and shrugged, taking the offered drink and sipping it.

“I suppose. Would never suspect dragons would like to party like this,” the cambion said. He looked to the orange liquid in the cup and swirled it around a bit. Trevor spotted Kathey and Sylark moving about inconspicuously through the crowds towards him and the demon.

“So what are you supposed to be dressed up as?” Trevor asked, attempting to distract him.

“Just a generic demon of sorts. I am not very good at coming up with costumes,” the cambion said. Out of nowhere, Sylark appeared and pinned the demon by his throat against the wall.

“Funny how you say that, and yet you are a child of an Incubus,” Sylark snarled. The demon struggled in Sylark’s hold, kicking his legs at him. “You could at least attempted to look a little more human.”

“Go to hell!” The cambion hissed. Kathey approached.

“What do you want?” she demanded.

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Gurk!” The demon choked as Sylark’s grip grew tighter. “M-Master Agony told me to infiltrate, said I was the first step to infiltrating the entire school.”

“What’s he planning?”

“I don’t know! Nobody knows, didn’t talk to any of us...he summoned up hundreds of us, demonic hounds, undead, cambions, and a bunch of other Underworld creatures. He has an army he’s waiting to launch. That’s all I know!” The cambion gripped Sylark’s arm as his airway was squeezed. Kathey stared at the demon before turning away. She started towards the exit to the Mess Hall when the doorway was suddenly blocked by dark magic.

“Dammit!” The music was suddenly cut off as the speakers shorted out and there’s a cackle that echoes through the room. An orb of black magic appeared in front of Kathey before exploding, revealing a black and red feathered Tenkkoa wearing a dark purple and red robe. He looked almost exactly like Severik, save for the clothes.

“Well well, Anna Dragon,” the Tenkkoa spoke.

“Agony...” Kathey growled, getting into a stance.

“You just had to ruin my plans, didn’t you?” Agony snarled. Kathey surged forward, dragon hands appearing and attempted to claw Agony, only to have her claws phase right through him. “Did you honestly think I would come here in the flesh? I’m not suicidal like a certain dead human. Cenod was a fool to enlist the Hunters. He failed me.”

“Oh like you won’t fail? You did once before!” Kathey retaliated.

“Bold of you to assume the Council is the same as it was five hundred years ago,” Agony threatened.

“Bold of you to think we won’t stop you,” Kathey retorted with a growl. Agony crossed his arms.

“If you’re so confident, then come fight me yourself. You already know where to replace me I assume, you won’t need him anymore.”

Agony held a hand out towards Sylark and the cambion and the demon suddenly burst into flames with a scream. In a matter of seconds he was nothing more than a pile of ash. Agony laughed and disappeared. The magic disappeared from the door and students murmured amongst themselves.

Trevor approached Kathey as her hands returned to human. “What was all that about?” Trevor asked.

“Agony is getting impatient and bold. He has an army of demonic creatures and innocent undead ready to attack at any moment. We’ll have to go to him,” Kathey said and looked to Trevor. “Get the team together, we have a war to prevent.”