Compos Mentis

Draco Singi

I walk into the kitchen and lean against the doorway.

"So... what are we gonna eat? Since it seems like my culinary plans... well... went up in flames... Literally."

My partener fishes into his pocket for a moment before retrieving his phone and dialing in a number. "I'll order take out again. Sushi and bubble tea. Sound alright?" He asks turning towards me.

"You know me too well" I reply smugly, making my way over to the couch to take a seat.

While he orders the food I sit silently in the corner seat of our couch, playing with my thumbs. I smirk as a small flame emits from the palm of my hand, a small amount of smoke accumulates and wafts through the night air. The mass makes its way right into the face of my partner as he walks through the doorway into our living room.

"Are you setting fire to our shit again?" He asks looking over to me in a scolding manner.

"Unless the air counts as our shit, no." I answer, glancing over at him with a sly look in my eyes.

We both chuckle as he sits down on the opposite end of the couch and grabs a black leather bound tome from the coffee table. As he reads through the contents of his tome, I cup my hands and tend to a small flame. My eyes glow with joy as the flame dances in the pale palms of my hands. Neros notices the glow and looks up from his studying, hiding a slight smile behind the cover of his tome. There's a faint knock on the old wood of our front door. A look of confusion falls over my partner's face as we weren't expecting any visitors so late in the night and he had wrapped up the call only a few moments ago.

I smirk at him, trying to hide the fact that I'm slightly shaken. "Quick night at Oznah's?"

Neros stands from his seat and cautiously walk towards the door. The knocking staying faint though picking up pace as if in a panicked manner. He takes in a deep breath and quickly swings the door open, letting in a heavy burst of the cold autumn air. What was on the other side was a surprise to the both of us. Standing opposite to my friend was a Mrs.Pérez a hispanic woman old, frail, no taller than 5 feet. Her grandson Ramiro had bought stones and things of the like from our shop, sweet kid. She stared up at him holding a piece of paper with trembling hands.

In a nervous and weathered voice she asked us. "N-Neros and... Dra-Draco?"

The bags under her bloodshot eyes, the stutter in her voice. It was clear she hadn't been sleeping well for a quite some time. My partner doesn't waste a second as he immediately looks her dead in the eyes and asks.

"Why are you here?"

"I... there was... " she sighs "May I come in?"

No matter how bad he wanted to say no and get back to enjoying our night off, Neros always has had a soft spot of helping the elderlies. He steps to the side and guides her into our house and towards the couch. I snuff out my flame and look over at her, raising myself from the relaxed position I was in.

"So... Mrs.Pérez... What brings you here this late into the night? Shouldn't you be tending to Ramiro?" I ask, slightly concerned.

"He is with his mother... "

Neros chimes in asking again. "Why did you come here?"

She hesitates."El Diablo..."

Me and my partner look at each other for a moment before he finally speaks up.

"The Devil?"

"Sí sí. He's in my home. You must help me..."

My partner gives her a slight look of concern as he dreads to inform her that we don't deal with spirits strong enough to be described as satan himself, but I interrupt him mid sentence.

"What's in it for us? If we do this for you?"

She stutters and takes a deep breath as she pulls out a handful of mismatched bills I could make out a few hundreds and some twenties. My partner's eyes widen as do mine, we hadn't seen this much money at once since our work down in New Orleans. As I sit on the couch, still focused on the wad of cash, Neros regains his composure and sighs.

He begins to speak "I'm sor-"

Knowing well that we could use the money, I hop over the back of the couch and rush to his side. "Give us a minute. Neros..." I give him a stern look and turn him away from Mrs. Pérez.

"This is not what I want to with my night..." He says, quickly replying to my actions.

"May I remind you we're two months behind on rent and our dinky little rock and candle shop down stairs, no matter how nice it is to run, barely brings in enough for us to eat." But before he can respond I turn us back towards her and smile.

"We'd be glad to help." I say while accepting the cash from her frail little hands. I begin to count the cash and follow up with. "We just have to get ready, help yourself to a drink if you'd like. I'm pretty sure there's some sake in the fridge... on the other hand, maybe you shouldn't drink that..."

I head to my room as to get dressed, throwing on a white tee along with a pair of deep blue jeans. When I emerge back out into the hallway as adjust my hat, I notice Neros ready to head out with his traveling altar in hand. Right as I get my beanie perfectly set on my head I hear my friend faintly call:

"Oh, Pepper~~~"

Just then a gust of wind knocks my hat sideways as Neros' familiar flies to his shoulder. His familiar, a white owl with black spots, promptly named Pepper. He doesn't fancy me much and being honest the feeling is mutual. I reach up to readjust my hat, glaring at Peppers smug little feathered face.

"Can we not go out for once without the company of Little Bastard?"

"Don't be mad at me because I have a familiar and you don't."

"I'm not jealous of your crippled bird. I just don't like him."

With that remark Pepper snaps his beak and stares me down.

"I love you too dipshit." I reply in a snide tone.

Neros sighs and pets his familiar. "Alright children, let's go cleanse a house so I can get back to my studies."

And with that we walk out the door, followed by the old woman.

~END OF DRACO SINGI~