It’s a cloudy morning and the open sky is decorated by the flying kites led by the kids running cheerfully on the streets. Cicada chorus can be heard from the trees, its branches and leaves dancing along the calm summer breeze. A pink haired boy delves into the busy streets of the marketplace accompanied by his two familiars shuffling sluggishly behind him. The end of his black cloak touches the rough pavement as he walks. The people who pass by casts curious glances at them.

“It’s so hot… and I’m sweating buckets.” Dokyeom whines and adjusts the metal collar with a wing pendant attached to it on his neck. He blows air at his body, strong wind passes through the insides of his clothes which sway along the moving air, momentarily cooling his sweaty body.

“Ugh. It’s so heavy…” Hoshi jumps, adjusting the strap of the heavy bag on his shoulders. “It’s heavy ‘ya know?” He complained. His blue bangs are sticking to his forehead due to sweat. The collar with a star pendant on his neck is starting to itch.

“Shut up!” Woozi snaps at his noisy familiars effectively zipping their mouths shut. “Ahjussi, do you have ginseng?” The small guy asked the middle-aged vendor with a polite smile his angry veins still apparent on his face.

“Catch.” Woozi says as he passes a bottle of ginseng to each of them. They barely caught the bottle; they both have their hands full with the items their master just bought. “I’m done shopping, let’s get going.” He flips his cloak and heads to the exit.

On their way to the forest behind a school where they will build a camp, a mandarin orange rolls off the paper bag that Hoshi is carrying. “Ack!” The blue haired boy tries to follow it with his outstretched hand, his other arm occupied  hugging three paper bags tightly. He inadvertently kicks it away, he watched as the orange rolls down the road opposite to where they were headed. The rolling orange halts at someone’s foot, the owner of the foot picks it up and hands it to the panting familiar.

“Thank you, thank you!” He bows down twice in gratefulness at the tall boy and bows one more time as he bid goodbye to the tall boy and the other taller boy carrying plastic bags beside him.

“Where were you?” Dokyeom asked, engrossed organizing their camp. Woozi is sitting on a tree stump on the side, immersed skimming his spell book. The leaves of the book turn on its own accord, the pages flipping every second. They’re travelers on an expedition to learn and find hidden secrets and treasures of the world. This island is their second stop. Up to this date they have no luck in finding what they have been looking for.

“I was retrieving the orange and then… guess what?” Hoshi tries to build anticipation as he unmounts the things he was carrying on the mat set on the open space of the woods.

“What?”

“I met a dragon familiar. Oh gosh, oh gosh. I never met a dragon familiar.” He jogs on his place in excitement. “He seems so strong and noble,” he added, beaming with admiration. “His master seems weak though.” He muses while he arranges the ingredients for lunch. “But he’s kind enough to help me pick the orange so yeah.”

“How’d you know he’s a dragon familiar?” Dokyeom asks without looking back, busy setting the ridge tent on his own.

“Oh,” he waves his hand dismissively. “I always had a good eye. He was oozing with fiery aura. Fiery aura equals dragon.” He explained flamboyantly.

“Makes no sense to me.” His partner shrugs.

Woozi, who’s been eavesdropping on his familiars’ conversation, places his spell book on the ground with a thud and makes a beeline to his blue headed familiar and grabs him by his shoulders.

“Where is he?”

After eating the lunch Hoshi scrumptiously prepared, the three of them tracked down the dragon familiar with Woozi’s magic.

“Do you guys see anything?” Woozi asks; he can’t see anything from where he stood. His familiars are peeking over the wall adjacent to the apartment building they were spying on. “Hmm, I think they’re preparing a meal.” Dokyeom observed.

“Should we let them eat first?” Hoshi asked after they dropped on the floor.

“Why should we? Let’s stick to the plan.” He pushes Hoshi towards the apartment. Suddenly, the dog in the neighboring house barks aggressively at them, his two familiar jumps in fear and climbs on his small build. Their limbs are all over him hugging him tightly, leaving their master momentarily stunned. Woozi’s eyebrow twitches; signaling an upcoming storm.

◆◆◆◆◆◆

The walk to Wonwoo’s apartment from the marketplace was silent, it wasn’t awkward but it wasn’t comfortable either. The enchanter usually initiates conversations but he’s strangely quiet this time. The slightly smaller boy had forcefully taken him to the market to buy ingredients and to his home to teach him cook. Cooking is one of Mingyu’s fortes. He has always cooked for Seungkwan and his family.

The tall boy heaves a sigh as he places the groceries on the table. “Okay, let’s cook.”

Mingyu is mixing the ingredients he washed and neatly cut in the boiling pot. Wonwoo is setting the plates on the table. The taller guy thinks they look like a married couple preparing a meal. He immediately erases his thought when the boy walks toward him.

“I’ll help you.” Wonwoo peeks over Mingyu’s shoulder while rolling up his sleeves, ready to cook.

“I don’t need it. Just watch and learn, sit right there like a good boy.” He points at the table using the ladle.

“What? I’m the best cook in my family!”

“Right,” He tastes the stew he was cooking. “Best manipulator, more like.” He mumbles.

“I heard that!” He swats Mingyu’s hand and tries to take the ladle from him, trying to take over the kitchen staff.  The taller boy puts it away out of the enchanter’s reach. The electric stove abruptly turns off with a click. “Huh, did the power go off again?” Wonwoo questions as he tries to open the stove again.

“Seungkwan, I swear to God.” Mingyu groans in exasperation and drops the ladle inside the pot with a splatter, the pot starting to boil down.

Intense heat comes from Mingyu’s palm, making the contents of the pot start to boil.  “I’m only doing this today, okay?” He said, irritation shown on his face. The enchanter has suggested using his powers to resume cooking the hot pot.

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry up, I’m starving.” Wonwoo watches from behind as the taller boy finishes cooking their lunch. There’s a knock on the door. The enchanter hangs his clean apron on the hook of the kitchen cabinet and went to see who the visitor is. Hoping it’s a customer, he prepares his business smile. “Welcome!”

“Hello.” Hoshi waves his hand on the clueless boy. The lump on his head inflicted by his master—because of his tough love—stings a lot but he tries ignores it with a smile.

“Oh, it’s the guy from earlier. How did—”

“Yes,” Hoshi splashes sleeping powder on his face. Wonwoo immediately fell asleep, he caught him by his back and carried him piggyback. While hastily running towards where his master is, he hears someone shouts: “Hey! Where are you taking him?!” Hoshi looks back at the dragon familiar, who’s wearing an apron, run towards them.

“DK-DK takeover,” Dokyeom runs to them in aid. The brown haired familiar waves his hand like he’s throwing an invisible football on the air. Vicious gusts of air blows to the direction of Mingyu. Dust and dried leaves scatters on the air. Mingyu’s wings materialize as he sprang up, completely missing the attack. He follows the blue haired boy to the other side of the street. Hoshi hides behind his master’s back and places their hostage on the road.

“If you want your master to be safe, you have to be my familiar.” Woozi threatens, his hood covering half of his face.

“Yeah, you havta be his familiar.” Hoshi seconds, earning a glare from his master.

“Who are you people?” Silence. “He’s not my master and I’m not going to be your familiar.”

“I see. If you’re not gonna be mine then you’re better off dead.” He removes his hood and prepares for battle.

“Feisty, are we?” Mingyu simultaneously blast balls of fire to Dokyeom behind and in front of Woozi with his outstretched hands, they jump away to dodge it. Mingyu leaps to where the sleeping enchanter is. Using the smoke from the attack as an advantage he carries him and escapes.

“Drat! He flew away.” he spanked his blue haired familiar. “You idiot, why did you leave our hostage’s side?”

“Sorry, I’m scared of fire.” He bows his head.

“You should be more scared of me!” He flicks his forehead. “Aw.” Hoshi blinks in pain. “Anyway, let’s follow them, quick.” He grabbed Hoshi’s hand and flew with him. Dokyeom follows after them, whirling wind under his soles.

◆◆◆◆◆◆

They rest on the porch of Vernon’s seaside cottage, the adrenaline from flying still lightly pumping their hearts. Vernon offered Seungkwan if he wants some drinks, the latter asked for a lemonade. The dark haired boy went inside to make the drinks and decided to take out snacks on his way out. When he gets back outside, the blond boy is resting his head on the table, using his folded elbow as a pillow. “That was fun.” He says. Seungkwan sits properly