Oz woke up in bed. He was cold and every bone in his body was sore and exhausted. He felt himself gain consciousness, but didn't open his eyes. The peace he felt in his warm bed was a feeling he hadn't had for a while and he wanted to savor it.
Finally, Oz opened his eyes. He looked up right into a pair of green eyes looking down at him. Asmodeus.
"Az! Jesus you scared me. Give me some room!"
Oz sat up in his bed, pulling away from Asmodeus. "We were so worried about you master. You were gone almost all night and you were brought back by a gang of questionable characters."
"I was fine Azzie. They just pushed me around a bit. How about here? How was your night? Where's Amar?"
Right on cue, Amar stepped out of the kitchenette. "I'm right here moon witch. Just making you some snacks." Amar set a tray down in front of Oz. "Wow! I didn't know you could cook!" Oz said in surprise. "Well, I've been fending for myself for a while. It's a necessary survival skill." Amar replied. "Now, since we got some food in you, tell us what happened."
Oz sighed. "It's a long story."
Asmodeus grabbed Oz's hand. "We have the time."
And so Oz told them what happened in detail.
—~—~—~—~—~—~—~—~
Asmodeus looked confused. Amar looked smug and disappointed.
"I didn't think that shadow children were enemies." Oz said.
"Not everyone is like me." That made Oz a little sad. The people Amar claimed to be friends with could actually hurt them and even kidnap them.
"Well," Asmodeus said standing. "We need to train you. Since many other people have been able to get one over on you, we have to hone every one of your skills."
"Oh!" Oz said. "I know you said don't do it alone, but I did the army summon. Sorry."
"I knew you would." Asmodeus sighed, but the sound was more friendly than it used to be. "I guess we'll have to hone that skill too. Rest up, and we will begin training tomorrow."