Book 2 of Dan's Shoppe of Oddities is out on Amazon, please think about purchasing it, it helps me out alot. Link is above in the Author's note.

“Soooooo, Leon...” Krya drew out the words, they were currently making there way back to the transportation portal that would take them home, and they were not the only ones. The halls were jam-packed with people, and somehow, Leon didn't know how but these people didn't seem to realize that if traffic flowed in two directions then it was easier to have one going one direction on one side and another going the other on the opposite side.

This, this was what happened when you put too many people who were full of themselves in the same location. Everyone was pushing and shoving, and a great deal of people would likely get their toes stepped on and there poor royal feeling hurt.

“What a cluster fuck,” Leon growled, causing the small group of students in front of him to jump in fright.he ignored them. Opting instead to make use of his bulk and weight to clear a path right through the sea of people, it was there that he found an interesting sight. Another man was attempting to do the same but was having far more difficulty seeing as he was much smaller than Leon.

The group he was leading through comprised of four males, and six females. The thing that set them apart was the uniforms they wore. The robes they had, if they could be called that were simply cut, looking more like a tunic that reached mid-thigh than a robe they had a sache across the chest with a crest of an eagle holding a dead rabbit in its talons. Their hoods back he could see that they were much like everyone else here, young men and women around the age of 18, the strange thing, however, was how they were being treated, it was like they didn't exist, no one paid them any heed except to elbow there way through them.

But that was ultimately met with failure, seeing as the males had formed a sort of phalanx around the females, who were providing support for the males by holding them in position. It was all very well organized, Leon didn't know why, but he decided he liked this group, they stuck together, unlike the clique esq groups that ran the halls here they seemed to care about more than just their own person.

Like his group.

It was a little out of the way but it wasn't like it was too hard, so he angled his clearing path over to the small group of foreign students. They saw him coming before he even got halfway there, and the leader, a man who had the first stubble on his chin and long brown hair tied behind his head in a braided ponytail eyed him warily.

“Enchanters.” Krya offered as she saw the direction they were heading. “Most mages don't think they are actually mages, seeing as they don't have the ability to cast actual spells, but rather must put the spells into items and then they rely upon those items,” she said this in her usual monotone voice, belaying no emotion. “They are typically looked down on.”

“And what do you think?” he asked looking down at Krya who was now just slightly behind his right elbow so she could talk to him.

“Never underestimate your opponent, assume everyone is better than you, and if they are not then it will be a pleasant surprise,” she stated, and a wicked grin showed on his face in response. “I also think we need to talk.”

“About what?” he asked as he grabbed a man by the shoulder and bodily shoved him to the side and out of the way of his group, the man cried out in protest, but was quickly silenced with a single glare from Leon.

“About a certain maid,” Lira said, her expression dark, Krya nodded, the only change in her facial features was a crinkling of the brow, but the fact that it was there told him how upset she was.

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“Oh, Oh! Yes, let's talk about little Roey!” Fluffy said, bouncing up and down behind them. “She’s so cute! And brave! What a brave little deer!” both girls raised eyebrows at her, and she caught on quickly, “I mean, I am mad at you Leon!” she set her face in an angry little scowl, “I don't know why I am angry, I just know that I am!” she then looked to Lira and whispered conspiratorially ”why are we angry?” Leon tried not to laugh, he made a coughing sputtering sound in the back of his throat that got him two intentionally angry glares and one that was delayed by a few seconds.

“Ok, we will talk all you want once we get home,” he said.

“Yes,” Lira answered, “Yes we will.” Krya nodded in confirmation, only to have Fluffy cross her arms and agree, mirroring everything the other two women did. It didn't take long after that to close the distance to the small group of enchanters, and once they did Leon called out to the one in the lead.

“There is an abandoned classroom, three rooms down on this side of the hall, if we can make it there we can wait out the rush, should only take ten to fifteen minutes.” the leader eyed him wearily, the falcon on his shoulder, his familiar no doubt tilting its head to the side in a way only birds could pull off seemed to take him in with a keen sense of curiosity.

“Lead the way.” the leader called back over the din. Leon nodded and without saying another word he pushed through the crowd. Even though the classroom was only three doors down it still took a good five minutes to push their way through the crowd. Once in Leon shut the door and turned to look at the group, they were still in formation, but this time it was not the mass tide of noble men and women that they were wary against it was Leon and his group.

“Leon,” he said, holding out his hand to the foreign mage, who after a brief mental battle seemed to come to some sort of decision about him.

“Aaron,” the man said, grasping not Leon’s hand like he had expected but rather reaching past and grabbing his forearm. “You're an awfully big guy and you look to be in what you 20’s?” he looked at the robes Leon wore. “What's with the third year gitup?” he asked, not yet releasing Leon’s arm.

“I'm not a student here,” Leon said, flashing his white teeth in a smile that was half friendly half warning in a way that only Leon could pull off. He turned his arm sideways, also turning Aaron’s arm and displaying the branded Lion on the back of his hand. The group of enchanters gasped collectively. And Aaron pulled back and bowed to the three ladies low.

“Apologies, I didn't mean to shame you, I was unaware that he was a familiar, I should not have touched him.”

“None needed,” Lira said, and stepped forward placing a hand on Leon’s biceps. “Leon is as you can see not like most familiars,” Aaron raised his head and looked at her.

“He is yours?” he asked.

“Or I am his.” Lira shrugged, which made Aaron's eyes narrow in confusion.

“You don't mean that you and him...” he trailed off, looking between Lira and Leon.

“I mean that I am his, and he is mine, yes,” she said, and the enchanter’s eyes grew wider, some in the group mostly the women started whispering back and forth, hiding their words behind linen gloved hands, blushing.

“So, I will only give one warning,” Leon growled, “Do not attempt anything, I will not tolerate it, if you even so much as hint at it I will tear you limb for limb, there will not be enough pieces of you to identify.” his red eyes blazing with a fiery promise.

“Got ya,” Aaron said, raising his hands in surrender, “I have no right to judge, it is not my life, besides I doubt my fiance would be too happy if I started oogling too many other women,” he said with a laugh.

“Any,” a blonde called out to him her voice dangerous, “I would not like it if you oogled any other women.” he nodded and gestured over to her as if to say see? Leon smiled now, it was one that relaxed the room, seeing as the big demon man was no longer growling.

“And this is my Fiance, Krya, and her familiar Fluffy,” Lira said, and Krya nodded her head in a slight bow.

“Oh,” Aaron said, his eyes opening wider, “Oh, OH!” he exclaimed as he looked at the three women and Leon, a sly grin appeared on his face, and he winked at Leon and flashed him a thumbs up in approval, which promptly had him on the receiving end of the blonde’s fist to the back of his head. After his apparently mandatory beating, he stood back up and smiled at Leon, “Well then, Leon, as I said before I am Aaron, and this is my Fiance Tilly,” Tilly bowed low in a courtly manner.

“How do you do?” she said, and Lira and Krya mirrored her movements, after a second delay Fluffy attempted it, but seemed to give up halfway through the curtsey, opting to instead hop onto Leon’s back and wrap her arms and legs around him, rubbing her nose against his neck in a very wolfish show of affection. Which caused several of the enchanters to blush, and Aaron to flash him another approving smile, which got him another beating in the face.

“Here for the tournament?” Leon asked, looking at the poor pummeled mage as he struggled back to standing.

“Yesh we arsh.” He said, his voice harder to make out over the swelling. Lira pulled out her wand and cast a quick heal, wrapping the man in warm green light, quickly causing his face to reform in its normal shape. “Thank you,” he said bowing to her. “My fiance and I have been engaged since her birth, but I fear she doubts my loyalty.”

“I don't doubt it,” Tilly snapped at him. “I just know how you think, and I cannot allow such brazen thoughts to go unpunished.” Leon laid a sympathetic hand on Aaron’s shoulder. The two men close their eyes in silent comradery, they were now brothers in arms, forged together under the tyranny of women...