To beat the Heat
The Summer was in full force in the wonderous world of Lorstar. Blinding sunlight shined on the land, inflicting blistering heat. In the country of Vorika, summers were always a bit hotter than in many other places, but this one was proving to be particularly strong.
On the Awemellow Islands, Skydan’s treehouse stood strong and defiant in the hot weather. Inside, he and his lover, Varoura, lay down in bed without any blankets. Dragonman, unlike dragons, were capable of sweating, and Skydan’s scales were beginning to moisten. Suddenly, the radio went off, playing music that quickly woke him up. The heat hit the Sky Blue Warrior like a meteor crashing to the planet’s surface.
“Ugh…Kludd…It’s so hot…” he moaned as he stretched his body. His movement stirred Varoura and she also woke up. The purple dragonman girl gave a long groan and sat up.
“This summer is officially, completely out of control,” she sighed. “For once I miss the chilling winds of winter.” She fluffed her waist length brown hair and looked at Skydan with a smile as he lay down beside her. “I don’t know about you, Skydan, but I could really use some relief from this sweltering heat right now.” Skydan returned her smile and sat up as well. He shook his head, waving his long purple hair and wiping the sweat from his forehead.
“I suggest we head to Ruleroar, love. The Skyhoods are probably having a rough time, too,” he said.
“I’m with you on that idea,” Varoura replied. “Let’s go!” Hand in hand, the dragonman couple got out of bed. After morning routines, they headed down the spiral staircase of their treehouse and headed out the door. They flew north, onward to the city of Ruleroar where their friends the Skyhoods were.
After 15 minutes of flying through the hot weather, the city was in their sights. The massive gates to Ruleroar were cracked open just enough for two people to fly through. Skydan and Varoura soared through them and headed for the usual meeting spot of their friends. The golden fountain in the southwest nature park.
Sure enough, the Skyhoods were already there. Kayo, Raveesha, Laylee, and Zondike all appeared overheated, unamused, and exhausted. Zondike in particular looked overwhelmed by the scorching heat. The Wildfire was leaning over the golden fountain, staring at the water.
Skydan and Varoura landed in front of them all and smiled. Raveesha, who was lying on her stomach on the grass, looked up at them with a scowl.
“About time you guys got here,” she huffed.
“Sorry, Veev. Quite the hot day today, huh?” Skydan said with a chuckle.
“Obviously,” Raveesha groaned, rolling on her side. “Mother nature is a merciless stitch today.”
“Si. It feels like I’m gonna melt into molten rock,” Zondike sighed, leaning closer towards the fountain’s water. “I’m so desperate to cool off I can dunk my head into this fountain.”
“Eww! No way!” Laylee exclaimed, balling her fists in a slight recoil. “Who knows what filthy bacterial contaminants lie in that unfiltered water!”
“It’s tempting,” Zondike sighed a bit more loudly.
“Calm down, guys,” Kayo said in his usual calm, stern tone. “Complaining like this doesn’t do any good. It’s highly childish and irritating.”
“You’re the one who’s an ice elemental!” Raveesha snapped. “Why don’t you stop acting so frozen for a change? I know you handle the heat worse than most.” Kayo closed his eyes and crossed his arms as he leaned back on the bench he sat on.
“It’s called being mature,” he replied.
“Everybody calm down,” Varoura said, still maintaining a positive attitude. The Lovely stepped forward and the friends all looked at her. “I have an idea. Why don’t we go to a nice, shaded area and get some nice relaxation?”
“We’re gonna need more than that, Varoura,” Laylee said.
“You’re right,” Skydan said, turning everyone’s attention to him. “I know exactly what we all need to beat this heat,” he said with confidence.
“What’s that, amigo?” Zondike asked. Skydan smiled with anticipation as he revealed his idea.
“Nothing satisfies the taste buds and body more than a cup of smooth, cold, creamy Vorik yogurt. Let’s head to the nearest stand and buy all we can handle.” Laylee and Zondike’s eyes lit up with excitement while Raveesha and Kayo maintained their calm.
“That’s a splendid idea!” Laylee exclaimed. “Come on, guys! Let’s get some sweet, delectable dairy treats!”
“Vamos!” Zondike cheered, jumping from his depressing spot and running towards Skydan. Raveesha grunted and stood up, shaking her wings and enlarging them.
“All right. I guess my stomach could use some refrigeration,” she said. Kayo simply stood up and followed his friends. With Skydan leading them, the Skyhoods flew off to find the closest yogurt bar.
Every yogurt bar the Skyhoods spotted seemed to have lines too long to wait in the blistering heat. Every line brought their spirits down a bit.
“Should’ve known our idea would be stolen by everyone else,” Raveesha grumbled.
“It wasn’t stolen. They simply had the same-.” Kayo started.
“We get it!” Zondike snapped. “Come on, guys! Let’s just find some damn shade! I’m sweating like a hippo right now!” As Zondike ranted, Skydan miraculously spotted another yogurt bar with a line of only five people.
“Ahah!” he exclaimed. “We’re in for a cold, creamy treat, guys! Follow me!” The Skyhoods looked down at where Skydan was landing and saw they truly were in luck.
“Finally! About time!” Raveesha said in a grouchy huff.
“Hooray! I am so getting a strawberry banana cup!” Laylee cheered with much joy. The Skyhoods all landed right behind the back of the line, startling some of the people waiting. Skydan, in front of his friends, simply gave them a friendly smile, and they turned back around.
“This shouldn’t take long,” Skydan reassured his friends. He looked closely at the line in front of him. “Yeah, this line should clear in a matter of…” he suddenly paused and lost his smile. Varoura quickly noticed and tapped his shoulder.
“What’s wrong, Skydan?” she asked. The blue dragonman gave an irritated expression without looking at his lover. He pointed to the second person in line.
“Hate to rain on the parade, but we might have trouble,” he whispered. The Skyhoods looked at the second person waiting in line and immediately recognized the pale green dragonman with wavy light purple hair. Unfortunately, when they noticed him, he noticed them. It was Dazarth. The loudmouth bully that loved to pester them. The green dragonman teen gave them an arrogant smile and chuckle.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Skydorks,” he greeted them in a sneering, taunting tone.
“Oh great. Megaphone boy,” Raveesha grunted.
“What an irksome individual he is,” Laylee pouted. Skydan sighed, and shook his head at Dazarth.
“No nonsense teasing please, Dazarth. We’re just waiting in line for some heat beating yogurt snacks,” he said.
“Hah!” Dazarth laughed rather loudly. “Too bad for you losers, my friends and I plan on cleaning out this popsicle stand.” Skydan and his friends fell silent and took a closer look at the other people in line. To their dismay, they realized the other four people in line for the yogurt were in fact friends of Dazarth. The tall, muscular black dragonman named Shayce stood in front of his boyfriend, an ice dragonman named Frozis. Frozis turned and gave the Skyhoods an arrogant smirk while his lover simply stared with a blank expression. The two fire dragonman girls behind them were Emlyra and Ashriss. Emlyra glared at them with irritated eyes while Ashriss looked bored and unamused.
“Oh great. A bunch of his no-good cronies,” Raveesha grumbled through clenched teeth.
“I don’t like the way they’re staring at us,” Laylee stammered as she backed away. While his friends appeared deterred by the mob of bullies, Skydan stood his ground, stomping a step forward to show he was not intimidated.
“You think you can just get away with buying every solitary drop of yogurt in that stand?” he snapped. “This heat shall be conquered by us. You will let us have our share!” Invertedly feeling the blood of his parents taking over, Skydan’s tone seemed overly brave and heroic for such a miniscule event. Dazarth and his friends responded by laughing at him.
“Man, what a loser!” Frozis chuckled at his silent, composed boyfriend, Shayce. Dazarth shook his head and suddenly pulled out a bag of large coins. The silva made jingling noises like bells. Skydan and his friends widened their eyes and stiffened their stances, guessing what was next to come. Frozis stared at Skydan with his arrogant grin.
“You got a problem with us taking the goods, Skydorks?” the ice elemental asked with a sneer.
“Your greed won’t be satisfied. We’ll stop you,” Skydan stated, sounding less heroic than before. Frozis laughed and took a step forward, his burly boyfriend mimicking his stance.
“Well in that case,” the ice dragonman said with a smug, haughty smile. “We’ll just have to kludd you pop suckers up!” Laylee flinched at the foul language.
“Eww! Do you kiss your man with those lips?” she shrieked.
Dazarth raised his hand and pointed at the Skyhoods with a sinister, troublemaking grin, giving his allies an unmistakable signal.
“Keep’em busy, guys! I’ve got dairy to purchase!” he bellowed. In an instant, Dazarth’s friends lunged towards the Skyhoods like lions pouncing on their prey. A massive brawl between the two sides broke out. Though they did not use even half their full strength, the fight was quite a spectacle for those in the vicinity. Kayo faced the nearly equally stone cold composed Shayce, his ice and his lightning clashing in flurries of slush and sparks. Raveesha and Laylee took on Emlyra and Ashriss in a catfight of grappling, kicks, and claws. Zondike went up against Frozis, who taunted the Latino fire elemental with a constant grin and chuckle.
“Oh no!” Skydan exclaimed. He and Varoura watched helplessly as their friends tussled with the bullies. They both looked back, but it was already too late. Dazarth was at the counter with his large bag of silva. The nonchalant stand keeper gave the green dragonman a bored look.
“Can I help you?” the worker asked without much emotion. His mood suddenly intensified when Dazarth threw the bag of money on the counter.
“Give me everything your pathetic stand has in stock! On the double!” he demanded in another yell. The once disinterested yogurt clerk had greedy sparkles in his eyes as he stared at the massive bag of shiny currency.
“Coming right up, rich boy!” he cheered before fleeing through the door of the bar. Skydan and Varoura looked at each other, visibly stressed by their lateness. Then, they heard their friends’ cries behind them. Turning around, they saw them still preoccupied with their determined opponents. Dazarth’s friends were relentlessly harassing them with multiple attacks. Elements flashed, sloshed, sparked, glimmered, and erupted left and right. Skydan’s face fell into an irritated, impatient scowl.
“All right. Enough of this bohitch,” he snapped with an irritated growl. Varoura scowled alongside him, equally tired of the fight. The couple enlarged their wings and took flight over the scuffle. Varoura dove into the brawl between Raveesha, Laylee, Emlyra, and Ashriss. Dashing headfirst into the brawl, she enshrouded her body in a haze of poison and collided with them in a stinging, blinding blast. Emryla and Ashriss were blown backwards and landed hard on their backs. Laylee and Raveesha simply slid back, keeping their footing.
“Whoa! Watch it Varoura!” Laylee cried.
“Yeah! Don’t misaim that iron head of yours!” Raveesha snapped.
Skydan enveloped himself in fire and dove into the other brawlers like a comet. As Shayce and Frozis fought against his friends, he collided with them and pushed them away.
“Ah! What the kludd?!” Frozis cursed as Skydan struck him. Zondike and Kayo were left silent and stunned by the sudden intervention of their best friend. Frozis and Shayce were both driven to the ground, landing on top of each other in a heap. Skydan cooled his flaming attack and landed in front of his friends and Dazarth’s cronies. He was about to speak, when Dazarth’s voice suddenly bellowed behind him.
“Creamy delight jackpot!!” the loud dragonman shouted. Everyone turned and saw him standing among seven boxes of sealed packs of yogurt. In an instant, his friends flew away from the battlefield and they snatched boxes of the dairy treats.
“No!” Zondike cried. Dazarth gave the Skyhoods a taunting grin and grabbed a box as well. He flew off, giving the Skyhoods the offense crossed fingers gesture as he escaped with his prize.
“So long, Skydorks! Sorry, but we rented out the pool, so you losers aren’t invited! Ha!” With that final taunt, the bullies flew off with all the delicious, creamy treats, leaving the Skyhoods empty handed and still suffering from the heat.
“No fair!” Laylee cried, stomping her foot and clenching her fists in a feminine fit.
“You lowlife shasters really think you can take every last drop of cow juice?!” Raveesha bellowed.
“Raveesha, stop,” Kayo said in a firm tone. “They’re gone. They can’t hear you.”
“I don’t give a damn!” Raveesha snapped. “They flopped us over. They’re not getting away with this!”
“I’m with that!” Zondike said with a small burst of fire puffing from his mouth. “I’m sick of those malos matones getting what they don’t deserve!” Skydan noticed something about his friends. Their rage and desire to get back at Dazarth and his friends were distracting them from the heat. Despite the sweat running from their faces, the weather did not seem to affect them thanks to their newfound emotions. This was a good sign. However, when he looked at Kayo and noticed his impatience, he dreaded the mature ice dragonman’s response to their behavior.
“Desires for revenge only corrupt an individual’s mind,” Kayo said to them in his usual strict, composed tone. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes as they looked at him. “The most reasonable thing to do is find another way to find relief from this heat.” Skydan sighed and slapped his palm on his face. To his dismay, the Skyhoods were reminded of the blazing hot weather, and they all sighed heavily and slumped their shoulders, wings, and tails.
“Thanks a lot, Kayo. Now I’m back to boiling,” Laylee said with a weak huff.
“Way to go to remind us, ice boy,” Raveesha grunted. Skydan was not happy to see his friends feeling down again. Searching for an idea to reignite their strength, a thought came to mind.
“Say guys,” he said with a smile. “Didn’t Dazarth say he was going to the pool? Why don’t we go to the pool, too. That should cool us down.” The friends started to show signs of encouragement again. Laylee regained her smile and gave an excited feminine cheer.
“That’s a great idea, Skydan!” she said with a thrilled giggle. “Forget Dazarth! Let’s go for a dip in the city pool!”
“¡Sí! ¡Vamos a hacerlo!” Zondike exclaimed with a raised fist. With that, the Skyhoods flew off to prepare for their new quest to beat the heat. Varoura, however, did not appear all that thrilled. Skydan was puzzled by her lack of joy.
“What’s the matter, love?” he asked her. Varoura sighed and rolled her eyes.
“Do we really have to take an hour-long round trip back home to grab our swimsuits, Skydan?” she complained. Surprisingly, Skydan gave a thrilled smile and patted Varoura on the shoulder to reassure her.
“Don’t worry, Varoura. I was prepared for just such a summer occasion,” he stated in a confident tone. Skydan pulled his magic sack out of his vest and pressed the gem on it. The bag enlarged and he began to rummage through it. He peeked inside, smiled, and to Varoura’s surprise and delight, he pulled out two of their swimsuits. A black bikini for her and a fire patterned pair of swim trunks for him. Varoura’s blue eyes widened and brought her hands to her cheeks as her smile blossomed wide.
“Oh boy!” she cheered. “You really packed our swimsuits in your magic sack in case we would want to go for a swim?” Skydan smiled and gave his lover a flirtatious wink.
“Poté den xéreis, Varoura,” he said in a cool, charming voice. “You never know when the summer might strike. Gotta have your swimming attire ready.”
“You are so cute when you act sexy,” Varoura said as she took her swimsuit from Skydan. He gave a slightly irritated stare, but still smiled.
“Act sexy?” he said, but quickly dropped the thought. “OK. Let’s just get to the pool.”
“Which pool?” Varoura asked.
“I assume the pool in the southwest district near Drakadyo academy,” Skydan replied. “That’s where we always go.”
“What if Dazarth is there?” Varorua asked as they flew off.
“He won’t be,” Skydan reassured her. “Dazarth is rich as kludd. He’d never waste his money at a second-class pool.” Varoura smiled, giving a small twirl in the air.
“I’m ready to beat the heat,” she cheered, clutching her black bikini in her claws. Skydan flew ahead of her, eager to get some good cooling down at his favorite pool.
About fifteen minutes went by as Skydan and Varoura waited in front of the pool entrance. The pool was surrounded by a wooden fence so they could not see what was occurring there. Everything sounded pleasantly lively, though. A lot of splashing and friendly chattering. They did not pay much mind to it, though. They kept their focus on waiting for their friends to arrive. Sure enough, Laylee came first, dressed in a thin, dark red dress to cover up her swimsuit underneath. She wore a pair of bright red sandals and sunglasses on her forehead.
“You look ready for a refreshing dip, Laylee,” Skydan said. Laylee landed in front of him and gave an excited grin.
“You bet!” she cheered. The friends heard more flying their way and saw Zondike and Raveesha approaching. Zondike wore a pair of dark blue swim trunks along with his signature muscle vest while Raveesha wore a loose purple tank top and shorts over her swimsuit.
“¡Fiesta de piscina!” Zondike cheered as he landed. “Party at the pool!”
“Awesome!” Laylee cheered.
“Hold the excitement when big brother frostbite gets here,” Raveesha said with crossed arms. They looked up and heard another dragonman flying towards them. Sure enough, there was Kayo. He was dressed in a floral pattern t-shirt vest and dark blue swim trunks with diamond patterns. His friends couldn’t help but smile at his extravagant tropical shirt.
“Aloha, Kayo!” Skydan cheered with a chuckle.
“Nice top, island boy,” Raveesha teased. “Didn’t think that style was your thing.”
“It’s not. It’s just for the occasion,” Kayo said with a bit of sternness. “Enough. Let’s head in.”
“Pool time!” Laylee cheered, running towards the entrance. The stone building had an open double door leading to the lobby. Skydan, Varoura, and Zondike ran to catch up with Laylee while Raveesha and Kayo followed behind.
“Last one in is a rotten-,” Zondike began to say, when he and his friends suddenly stopped in their tracks. Skydan slammed into Zondike and Raveesha nearly collided with Laylee.
“Ouch!” Skydan exclaimed. “What’s the holdup, Zondike?”
“Look,” Zondike said in a dreaded tone, pointing to a sign pinned on the desk inside. The friends leaned in to read the sign. In dark black ink written on the paper, the words spelled out a message that made the heat of anger rise in the Skyhoods again.
“POOL RENTED OUT FOR THE DAY. PLEASE COME BACK TOMORROW.”
“What in the ever-lugging kludd?!” Raveesha roared.
“What’s with our miserable luck on this hot summer day?!” Laylee cried. Zondike let out an angry howl and lurched his back up as he grabbed his head in frustration. Skydan managed to keep his cool as he looked closer at the sign.
“Sorry, Sky Blue Warrior. Pool’s closed today for a private party.” Skydan looked up and saw it was the entrance manager of the pool that spoke. The young worker shrugged and gave an apologetic grin.
“That’s weird,” Skydan replied. “Who would bother to rent out an ordinary pool like this?” The worker shook his head and pointed at the back of the building him with his thumb.
“Whoever they were, they sure were loud and obnoxious,” he replied. “Especially the green scaled guy. Quite the vocal cords down his throat.” Skydan clenched his teeth in a flash of nervousness and shock. He looked behind him and saw his friends heard every word.
“¡Ni hablar! No way!” Zondike shrieked, exhaling another small plume of fire.
“That’s gotta be Dazarth. That punk!” Raveesha snapped, slamming her fist into her palm.
“This was unfair before! Now it’s ridiculous!” Laylee cried with a stiffened, agitated pose. Kayo shook his head and rolled his eyes at his friends’ tantrums.
“Cool it, guys. You’re acting like children expressing such needless anger,” he stated.
“Cool it? Cool it?!” Raveesha roared, curling her claws in frustrated half-clenches. “We want to cool it, but this heat is messing with our minds!”
“Listen, friends,” Varoura said in a calmer voice, trying to regain order. “Why don’t we take some deep breaths and-.”
“I gotta see this for myself,” Zondike insisted. He ran to the side of the pool where the wooden fence was and leaped up to peek over it. Laylee and Raveesha did the same. Skydan sighed and he and Varoura reluctantly followed them.
“I really don’t think this is helping,” Varoura protested as she leaned over the fence. The sight before the friends, needless to say, did not help to cool their boiling minds and bodies. Dazarth and the friends who were just with him taking all the treats from the yogurt bar were enjoying the fun of the pool. Dazarth was playfully splashing around with Frozis and Shayce in the pool. Emryla was sitting at the foot of the pool enjoying a pack of yogurt while Ashriss slept on a fold up pool chair, snoring loudly as smoke flowed out of her nose.
The Skyhoods were visibly displeased by the sight of their most infuriating bully enjoying the pool with his no-good cronies.
“Hey, Em! Toss me a yogurt!” the loud dragonman shouted.
“Coming right up, pal!” Emryla replied. She got up from the side of the pool and ran over to three coolers near some chairs with towels on them. Opening the cooler, she pulled out a packet of cool, smooth, creamy yogurt. “Heads up!” she yelled before tossing the treat to Dazarth. The throw was too strong, however, and Dazarth had to leap high with a flap of his wings to catch the yogurt. He splashed into the water back-first, but the packet was untouched. Frozis laughed as he got to his feet again. Dazarth shook his head to fling around his long, wet hair. Then, he noticed the Skyhoods staring down at him. He instantly gave them another teasing grin.
“Oh, hello dorks!” he laughed with his usual loud tone. “What’s wrong? Want to take a dip? Well, you can’t! This is my pool, stitches!”
“This is not your pool! It’s open for everyone!” Zondike protested.
“Not today it’s not, loser!” Dazarth bellowed with a wide smile. While most of the Skyhoods leaned on the edge of the fence, Kayo stood behind them watching, displeased by their behavior.
“Please get off the fence, everyone,” he said in a sterner tone than usual. “All of you are acting like children.” His friends did not listen to his order. They continued staring at Dazarth over the fence.
“I really feel this is an injustice, Dazarth,” Skydan said with an angry frown. “Why didn’t you rent out the pool to the eastern rich area of the city?” As he spoke, Dazarth suddenly flung his yogurt at him. Skydan immediately pushed away from the fence to dodge the flying dairy treat. A loud, wet splat was heard behind him. When he and his friends looked, they saw the yogurt had hit Kayo. The mature ice dragonman had used his wing to block the gooey snack.
“Ohhh! Damn!” Raveesha exclaimed with an amused smile. Skydan blinked, then crossed his arms.
“Hmm. Maybe I shouldn’t have dodged that,” he mused. Dazarth’s laughter roared from the pool along with his equally obnoxious friends.
“Get out of our turf, Skydorks! Haha!” the Loud bellowed with extreme haughtiness. The Skyhoods slipped off the fence and gave each other unamused looks.
“So much for the pool,” Raveesha grunted.
“Now what do we do?” Varoura wondered, shrugging her shoulders.
“I can’t believe I dressed up in my swimsuit for nothing,” Laylee sighed. “Then again, I’m not much of a fan of that pool anyway. It’s not like you can swim in that shallow water.”
“I suggest we go to Divine Coast, then,” Kayo stated. “Honestly, we should have thought of that from the start. The beach is a good place at find relief from the summer heat.” As he spoke, he turned around to walk away. However, his friends were hesitant and stayed in place. The Frozen looked back and gave them an impatient glare. “What is it?” he asked. The group looked back at the pool where they continued to hear Dazarth and his friends enjoying themselves. Zondike gave an irritated, unsatisfied scowl.
“I just don’t want Dazarth to get away with all this bullying,” he stated with an infuriated growl. “He and his cronies don’t deserve all this luxury.”
“I’m with you, Zondike,” Laylee agreed. “He’s done nothing but make this hot day worse.” Kayo shook his head and intensified the seriousness in his expression.
“If you’re suggesting we find some ludicrous way to get back at him-.” he began.
“Great idea!” Raveesha exclaimed, swinging her fist to the side. “Get brainstorming, people! We gotta find a way to-.”
“No. That would be immature and-,” Kayo began again, but before he could finish, yet another packet of yogurt flew towards him. This time, however, he did not notice it in time to block it with his wing. The creamy treat splattered on his face. Skydan and Varoura both erupted in laughter. Zondike and Laylee both smiled while Raveesha raised an eyebrow in amusement. Dazarth could be heard loudly chatting with his friends on the other side of the fence. Kayo wiped the yogurt off his face, his expression now showing genuine annoyance.
“You know, I think it might be a good idea, Kayo,” Skydan said after recovering from his brief laughter. “Think of it as a bully getting his just desserts.” Varoura laughed harder at that comment.
“Yeah, and while we’re at it, we can snatch some of that yogurt for ourselves,” she suggested after her laughing.
The friends all turned to Kayo, anticipating an answer. The ice dragonman gave a long sigh, exhaling a small whiff of frosty vapor.
“Very well,” he said in a calm, disappointed breath. “Do what you wish.” The Skyhoods cheered with excitement. The time for payback was at hand. Dazarth would not get away with ruining their efforts to beat the heat. Karma was going to fly his way, and the Skyhoods were going to create it.
“So, what’s the plan, payback seekers?” Raveesha asked. Laylee smiled and brought her fists up to her chin in a thrilled, feminine gesture.
“I think this calls for a brainstorming huddle, friends,” she stated with a smile. “Come on, guys. Let’s get thinking.”
“You got it, Laylee,” Skydan said. The six friends sat together at the benches near the pool to discuss their plan to get back at Dazarth.
Sadly, after ten minutes went by, all they managed to do was go back and forth with random ideas. Most of them were rather outlandish and exaggerated. Skydan gave a nervous smile as he watched his friends chatter on about ideas and why they would not work.
“I don’t understand why we can’t just scorch their butts and kick them out. That’d be the easiest and simplest solution,” Raveesha argued.
“You know we’d get in immense trouble for instigating a confrontation in the city,” Laylee protested. “I am not willing to be mentally whipped by my mother over some petty reprisal.”
“Say what, Laylee?” Zondike asked, confused by her vocabulary.
“Never mind,” Laylee sighed. “I’m just saying we need a more well thought out plan that will ensure vigilant implementation.”
“I believe you mean for it to go flawlessly?” Skydan asked. “I do believe we need more complex plans than simply fighting them again, catapulting them with tomato sauce, and infesting the pool with goldfish.”
“What’s not complex and smart about the tomato sauce drenching?” Zondike asked in a disappointed sigh.
“That’s something they’d do in cartoons,” Raveesha stated, rolling her eyes.
“So is merely starting another fight with them,” Kayo said. “Seriously, this is all a waster of time, guys. We should just head to the beach to maintain what little maturity we have left today.”
“You know, it would be nice if you could help us instead of giving the cold shoulder,” Skydan said with a slight smile. “We’re sorry, Kayo, but this heat is making it hard for us to cool our thoughts.” Varoura giggled at her lover’s puns, but sighed a heavy huff and flopped on her back. She lay down on the grass, appearing exhausted and defeated.
“I really hate to say it, but sitting around here arguing isn’t really helping, guys,” she said. “The heat is getting to me again. My scales are burning like flesh without sunscreen.”
“That makes two of us, Varoura,” Laylee sighed, fanning her face with her hand. “I’m boiling like a cauldron of a sorcerer’s brew.” Zondike growled and leaned back on the bench he sat on, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
“Why do dragonman even sweat like this? We’re covered in scales, aren’t we? How exactly does that work?” he wondered.
“Not important,” Raveesha snapped.
“Enough,” Kayo suddenly said. He flapped his wings towards his friends, creating a mist of icy air that soothed his friends temporarily.
“Nice, Kayo,” Skydan said appreciatively. “Thanks for the gust.” Kayo softened his expression, expressing sympathy for his friends. He got up from the grass and turned towards the sky.
“You know, it’s unbearable heat like this that makes me miss the balancing bliss of winter,” he said in a peaceful tone. “The crystalizing snow on Mount Commonet, the white clouds that shroud the sky with a pure essence, and the chilled winds that offer comfort in times of heated rage.” Kayo’s poetry appeared to soothe the Skyhoods’ tension. They all smiled in admiration for their mature big brother figure.
“Yeah. I guess winter isn’t that bad if you live in a place like this,” Zondike admitted.
“True,” Skydan agreed. “The crystal snow, thick white clouds…” suddenly he paused, and his expression changed to an intrigued, wide-eyed gaze of ingenuity. His friends noticed and became highly curious. “Wait a minute,” he said in a slow, deliberate manner. He stood up, lowered his head, and touched his chin as if thinking really hard. His friends were full of anticipation. “Crystals, thick white clouds, chilled winds…” he pondered.
“Your point?” Raveesha asked. Skydan blinked a few times. Then his eyes widened and he snapped his fingers. He looked at his friends with an expression of deep anticipation.
“Guys, what do you get when you cross a crystal of massive frosty chaos potential and a massive pool of water warmed up from the hot weather and hot bodied hot heads?” he asked in an enthusiastic tone. To his disappointment, his friends were silent after his question. Anyone could hear a cricket chirping in that quiet. Laylee looked at her friends, then raised her hand and smiled.
“I know,” she said with a slightly mischievous smile. “An inconceivably disordered detonation of chilled vapor.” Raveesha groaned and face palmed.
“Dammit, Laylee! Your smarty-pants talk is not helping!” she protested.
“What exactly does that mean?” Zondike asked.
“I’m glad you asked,” Laylee replied with a wide, excited smile. “You see-.”
“Hold it, Laylee!” Skydan suddenly interrupted, giving a mischievous grin. “I think it would be best if they saw it for themselves.”
“Oh, that’s a splendid idea, Skydan,” Laylee beamed with glee.
“I can’t wait to see everyone’s faces,” Varoura said, giving Skydan a hug from behind and resting her head on his shoulder. “They’ll be speechless with amazement.” Skydan chuckled and playfully nudged Varoura’s cheek with his own.
“You sure are smart, sweetheart,” he cooed. Zondike and Raveesha looked at each other in bafflement. What could their friends be talking about? What kind of plan was this to teach Dazarth and his cronies a lesson? Zondike simply shrugged, deciding it was not worth trying to get an answer out of them.
“OK. So, what’s next, amigo?” he asked Skydan. The Sky Blue Warrior turned around and pointed towards a nearby shopping center.
“Next stop, the alchemy shop!” he cheered. “Follow me, Skyhoods!” He and Varoura broke from their cuddle, enlarged their wings, and flew off. Kayo and Laylee quickly followed them. Zondike and Raveesha looked at each other in confusion briefly before doing the same.
“Any idea what will happen?” Zondike asked her.
“How the kludd should I know?” Raveesha replied with an irritated scowl. “I don’t speak smarty-pants.” With the sun continuing to blaze mercilessly on them, the Skyhoods flew off to the nearest alchemy shop.
Though it was only a five-minute flight, the breezes of flying brought some relief from the heat. The extra exercise was not helping, though. By the time they landed, the Skyhoods were breathing a bit heavily and feeling moist from sweat.
“Ugh! I feel sticky,” Laylee sighed after landing.
“Hang in there, Laylee,” Skydan said. “There should be air conditioning inside.” The Skyhoods had landed in front of an alchemy shop they were well aware of. “Palace of Chants” was well known for its diverse ingredients and openness to all social classes. The affordable prices were also well praised, but the downside was a lack of more powerful substances. Laylee gave a doubtful expression.
“Are you sure this place has all the ingredients our concoction requires, Skydan,” she asked.
“Trust me, Laylee,” Skydan reassured her. “I read it in one of my books.”
“An alchemy book I presume,” Kayo commented.
“What can I say? I’m a bookworm,” Skydan chuckled.
“What now?” Raveesha asked slightly impatiently.
“Just grab what I ask for,” Skydan replied. “Come on. Let’s go inside.” With that, the Skyhoods entered the potion crafting store. A bell chimed with every opening of the door. The interior was entirely dark wood. Purple, symmetrically patterned Vorik rugs covered the floors. On one side was the sales desk and on the other were the alchemy tables. On the front wall were carefully labeled, alphabetically organized alchemy ingredients on shelves and in drawers. Some ingredients were kept closer to the labs. The most striking feature of the shop was the crystal chandelier. Varoura marveled at its glass jewels dangling from its lights.
“I love alchemy,” she casually commented. Skydan quickly made his way to the closest alchemy table and wiped residue off it with his gloved hands. He took a deep breath and smiled, ready for some precise crafting. He grabbed a basin, mixer, and pestle for mixing. “OK, guys. Follow my instructions and we’ll craft a gold-tier alchemy masterpiece to wreck Dazarth’s pool party.” His tone had more enthusiasm than usual, much to Laylee and Varoura’s enjoyment. Kayo, Zondike, and Raveesha were much less thrilled for this task.
“What do you need, Skydan?” Varoura asked her lover with a smile. Without looking away from the alchemy station, Skydan held up his hand and spoke to his friends.
“I need two samples of frost needles, a basin of purple permafrost essence, an ice wraith spine, a jar of gel solidifier, a fusion serum, and a glass of icy cold water.” Laylee and Varoura immediately moved towards the ingredients.
“Coming right up, Skydan,” Laylee cheered. Kayo casually walked towards the drawers and shelves while Raveesha and Zondike remained stunned and still. Zondike blinked and gave Skydan a withering smile.
“Ahh…Skydan? Could you repeat those last…five ingredients?” he asked in a hesitant tone. Raveesha face palmed and groaned.
“All right, all right. I’ll write down a list. Just please make it quick,” Skydan said, grabbing a piece of paper and pen from the shelf and beginning to write.
“Bossy boy,” Raveesha grouched.
“At least he said please,” Zondike shrugged. Skydan finished writing and handed the list to him without turning away from the table. Looking at the list did not reassure Zondike and Raveesha.
“Any idea what any of these look like?” Zondike asked her.
“How should I know?” Raveesha snapped. “I’m a blacksmith, not an alchemist.”
“Just get over here and help, you guys!” Laylee said testily as she rummaged through the ingredients. “Honestly, you guys need to study potion crafting more.” Zondike lost his smile and narrowed his eyes.
“Very well, miss perfect,” he muttered. Raveesha shook her head and headed over to the ingredient shelves and drawers as well.
What followed was a highly entertaining yet chaotic back and forth of instructions, corrections, pacing around the store, and shifting through shelves and drawers. Skydan rarely took his eyes off the potion he was crafting. Zondike placed an icy, light blue tooth beside his workstation.
“No, no, Zondike. An ice wraith spine. This is an ice goling tooth,” the busy Sky Blue Warrior said as he stirred the liquifying ingredients in a small basin. Zondike growled in frustration and placed his hands on his hips.
“They all look too similar to me,” he argued.
“Ask Laylee for help,” Skydan said. Zondike chuckled sarcastically and pointed towards the back of the store.
“That won’t be easy, amigo,” he sighed. “Our lady friends are getting into another fun little squabble.” His tone was teasing and mischievous as he glanced at Laylee and Raveesha, who were bickering as they searched through the ingredients.
“No Raveesha! Gosh! Can’t you recognize a simple vial of fusion serum? What if one hit you across the face?” Laylee bickered as she searched through a couple shelves.
“How am I supposed to know? This damn store is disorganized as kludd! Where are the fs even supposed to be?” Raveesha growled as she also searched.
“Ugh! You are so rude!” Laylee snapped. “The shopkeeper will hear you. How dare you insult this store! You just rush too much! Pay closer attention!”
“Pay attention? I’ll die of boredom if I pay more attention to your brain babbling.”
“You just can’t comprehend my remarkable level of intellect.”
“Are you saying I’m dumb, pink prissy puff?”
“No, but I am smarter than your shady head!”
“Dammit, Laylee! Kiss my tail!”
As the two girls relentlessly bickered, Varoura watched on, looking quite irritated with a heavy frown and angry eyes. As her female friends got into a growling and glaring match, she grabbed a powerful mint from a drawer and held it between them. With a tight squeeze, the mint’s pungent aroma exploded in the arguing dragonman girls’ faces. Laylee let out a shriek and held her nose.
“Kludd!” Raveesha cursed, backing away. “What the hell, star dazzle?!” Varoura clapped her hands to get their attention fully.
“Chop, chop, girls. Get back to work. Skydan only needs the fusion serum and then it’ll be complete,” she ordered.
“OK, Varoura,” Laylee sighed, feeling a tad more confident after her fight with Raveesha. “I’m doing my best, but I can’t seem to find…” Before she could finish her sentence, Kayo walked past them carrying a vile of glowing, slightly transparent, golden liquid.
“I got it,” he said to them as he passed by. All three of the girls stared in silence with tight lips and wide eyes, embarrassed by their behavior and wasted effort to find the final ingredient. Kayo walked over to Skydan and casually handed him the vial.
“Thanks, Kayo. This should do the trick,” Skydan said without taking his eyes off his experiment.
In the large basin, all the ingredients were mixed into a mess of ice-cold materials. Though it was well stirred, all of them were noticeable in the concoction. Skydan slowly held the vial over the experiment. He tipped it ever so slightly, eyeing it with great care. His friends remained silent and full of anticipation, careful not to disturb his concentration. Finally, a single drop of the fusion serum landed in the basin. On the instant, a large puff of white steam exploded, nearly blowing Skydan back and startling his friends.
“Holy high sky!” Raveesha shouted. “What was that boom cloud?”
“It’s done!” Skydan exclaimed, raising his fists in excitement. The friends looked down at his alchemy concoction. They were in awe to see the potion he was crafting was now light blue and shiny like snow. A frosty vapor emitted from the mysterious substance. It glowed with unusual potency. The glow reflected off Skydan’s eyes. “Amazing,” he awed at his creation.
“Amazing, indeed,” Laylee said in a soft, mystified tone.
“Yeah, it’s pretty and all, but what do we do with it?” Raveesha asked impatiently. Skydan grinned and gave a small, mischievous chuckle. He grabbed an empty bomb bottle from the counter and gently poured his potion into it.
“We’re going to throw this into the pool,” Skydan explained. They’ll be totally flabbergasted by the blast, and the aftermath will leave them shaking with more than shock.”
“Oh yay!” Laylee cheered with a joyful bounce.
“Blast? Shaking? Will you guys tell us what that potion will do already?” Zondike demanded.
“First we have to pay for all the ingredients we used,” Skydan said. “Let’s go to the counter.”
“Oh, come on! We?” Raveesha snapped. “This was your idea, Skydan.”
“Don’t be so grouchy, Veev,” Varoura said. “Come on. Let’s dig into our wallets.”
After paying for the alchemy ingredients and use of the lab, the Skyhoods exited the shop with their new, volatile potion.
“So, what is that glowing abomination anyway?” Raveesha asked. Skydan faced his friends with a smile and held up the fragile, glowing, blue potion.
“It’s called arctic flash,” he explained, trying to sound dramatic. “Just add water, and boom!” He flung his wings out to signify an explosion. “Instant cloud cover, and freezing cold ice water!” All the friends, minus Kayo, were visibly pleased and thrilled by the explanation of the potion’s effects.
“Brillante!” Zondike cheered with a raised fist and small jump. “You’re a genius, Skydan! That is sure to wreck Dazarth’s unfair pool party!”
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Varoura said, eagerly running off to begin her flight. “Let’s go!” With their new weapon of mischief in their possession, the Skyhoods flew off back to the pool to ruin Dazarth’s unfair pool party.
The heat was as stifling as ever during their flight through the city. Though it was only a few minutes, by the time they arrived at the pool, the Skyhoods were panting from the heat.
“Can we please go to the beach after we’re done with this?” Laylee asked with a heavy sigh. “The heat isn’t getting any less unbearable.”
“We will, Laylee,” Skydan assured her. They all stood in front of the fence surrounding the pool. Unsurprisingly, the obnoxious noises of Dazarth and his rude friends were still audible behind it. Skydan gave an infuriated frown and clenched his fist. “I can handle his childish bullying, but he went too far this time,” he stated.
“I still think this petty payback is extremely juvenile,” Kayo commented in a bitter tone.
“Well, at least it distracted us from this merciless fire storm of a hot day,” Zondike said. “I still have my swimsuit on. I plan on going to the beach once we get back at Dazarth.”
“And snatch some of his yogurt stash,” Skydan added. “No way is he getting away with hogging it all for himself and his belligerent friends”
“Yes! Let’s do it!” Varoura cheered. “So, who wants to drop the cold vapor bomb?” The Skyhoods looked at each other, then they all turned towards Skydan. The Sky Blue Warrior simply smiled and held up the bottle that contained his volatile alchemy creation.
“If you insist, guys,” he chuckled. “If I can handle saving the world with you guys, I can handle this.”
“Just make it quick,” Raveesha demanded. “This cover top is too loose and I feel pathetic without my armor.”
“Trust me, Veev,” Skydan reassured. He enlarged his wings and gave them a strong flap, lifting himself off the ground. “We’ll be at Divine Coast faster than you can say opa.” He hovered in place, then flew over the fence.
“Ohh! Watch guys! Watch!” Laylee exclaimed, running towards the fence. The Skyhoods all rushed to the barrier and leaped up to peek over the edge.
Dazarth and his friends were still carrying on as usual. Everyone except Ashriss was fooling around in the pool, who was still asleep on the fold-out pool recliner. Next to the slumbering dragonman girl was a cooler filled with yogurt packs. More than enough for the Skyhoods. Varoura licked her lips at the sight of the contained dairy treats.
“Just one slurp…” she whispered.
Dazarth and his friends were so preoccupied with their pool roughhousing they failed to notice Skydan hovering above them. Dazarth was wrestling with Shayce while Emryla and Frozis cheered.
“Show him why you’re my man, Shayce!” Frozis shouted as his boyfriend held Dazarth in a full nelson. Dazarth laughed as he thrashed around, then stepped on Shayce’s foot, causing the burly black dragonman to release him.
“Hah! You’ll have to do better than that, big boy! Dazarth jeered with a nasty smirk. Above them, Skydan’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. This was his chance. The center of the pool was wide open. On reflex, the Sky Blue Warrior dropped his powerful icy potion.
The vial seemed to fall in slow motion before the Skyhoods’ eyes. In a matter of seconds, the glittering bottle hit the water and shattered, spilling the potion inside the warm water of the pool. What followed could only be described as extraordinary and chaotic.
An explosion of thick, frosty vapor erupted from the water like a geyser. The cloud shrouded the whole area in freezing cold mist. Skydan’s friends gasped in amazement while Dazarth and his friends shouted in shock and dismay.
“WHAT THE KLUDD?!!” Dazarth’s voice blasted with rageful surprise so loud the Skyhoods’ ears rang. In a flash, Skydan swept down, grabbed the cooler with the yogurt, and soared over the fence with a single stroke of his wings.
He landed behind his friends, who were still aweing at the spectacle of his potion’s explosive reaction.
“Great Victoria’s stockings!” Raveesha exclaimed with a surprisingly pleased smile.
“See? I told you it would be cool!” Laylee cheered with a few confident head tilts.
“¡Fantástico!!” Zondike exclaimed with a victorious fist pump. Kayo simply stared with a slight show of intrigue.
“Quite the reaction,” he commented in his usual casual, cold tone. Varoura turned and saw Skydan holding the cooler of yogurt. She leaped down and ran up to him.
“You did it, Skydan!” she cheered with glee.
“Oh, it’s not done yet,” he said, shaking his head. “Get back up there or you’ll miss the best part.”
“The best part?” Varoura puzzled.
“Look!” Laylee said, pointing down at the pool. Varoura quickly leaped back up to hang over the fence. The chilled vapor was starting to thin out, and Dazarth’s friends’ shouts became clearer.
“What the kludd was that?!” Frozis yelled. “Y-y-yikes!! F-f-freezing!!”
“C-c-cold!” Emryla bellowed through chattering teeth. Finally, the mist cleared enough to see what became of the bullies. The Skyhoods were amazed to see the pool was now filled to the brim with chunks of ice. Dazarth, Shayce, Frozis, and Emryla were all standing in the iciest, coldest pool anyone could imagine. Zondike and Raveesha desperately tried to hold back their laughter. Laylee let out a small giggle while Kayo narrowed his eyes in interest. Varoura’s mouth hung open in a large smile of amazement.
In the pool, Dazarth shivered hard, his teeth chattering in a mad pace. All his friends curled up from the frozen temperatures.
“Wh-wh-what in the h-h-hell spawns of hell just happened?!” he screamed in rage.
“I d-d-d-don’t know!” Shayce cried.
“Ashriss! Fire up the heat! Hurry!” Emryla screamed. To her and the others’ dismay, Ashriss had slept through the entire event. She continued snoring with smoke rising from her nostrils. Irritated silence fell among the frozen pool. Unamused, angry expressions spread across Dazarth’s cohorts.
“Dammit,” he cursed. Suddenly, he heard a noise coming from the fence. He turned, but there was nothing there. The defeated bully groaned in annoyance as he tried to push himself out of the icy pool.
The Skyhoods flew south towards the exit to the city, everyone but Kayo laughing from the hilarious payback prank they pulled.
“Did you hear that vocal cord stringer scream?” Raveesha roared through her heavy laughter.
“He had no idea what hit him!” Zondike howled, clutching his stomach from his rampant laugh.
“That was funnier than a prank reality show,” Varoura said, being much calmer than the others. “I can’t believe that girl Ashriss didn’t wake up.”
“Seriously,” Kayo huffed in a cold, unamused tone. “That woman needs to get the sparks in her brain rewired. Anyone would have jumped a mile after that explosion.”
“Pathetic juvenile delinquents,” Laylee stated with feminine poise. “We sure showed them.” Skydan was pleased his friends were so happy. He knew from seeing them all so pleased with their actions that pranking Dazarth truly helped them beat the heat. It was now time to truly defeat the raging hot weather, though.
“Enough chit-chat, guys,” he said. “Time to head to the beach.”
“Right!” Varoura cheered with a nod. “And now we’ve got plenty of refreshing yogurt, too!”
“Yeah!!” Zondike, Laylee, and Raveesha all cheered in unison. Kayo gave an approving expression and nod. Skydan looked back at his friends as he flew in the lead.
Soon, they all flew one by one out the cracked open city doors. With nothing but an open sky ahead, they soared to Divine Coast to enjoy some time at the beach.
Meanwhile, Dazarth and his friends trudged through the city shivering with their tails between their legs. The bullies felt utterly defeated and humiliated.
“I need a hot bath,” Emryla grumbled.
“And I need warm soup,” Shayce sighed through gnashing teeth.
“I may be an ice elemental, but this is ridiculous,” Frozis complained with a disdainful frown. “I wanted relief from the heat, but not like this.” As his friends complained and muttered with disgust and disappointment, Dazarth’s rage got worse. His friends’ words were fueling the bright blue fire of his disdain over their humiliation.
“You guys need to toughen up,” Ashriss said in a much more casual tone. “I’m sure chills from an icy spell are better than this annoying heat.”
“You’re one to talk!” Dazarth snapped, stomping his foot in agitation and pointing at her. “You slept through the whole kludding thing! You didn’t get frostbitten between your legs!” Ashriss simply yawned in response.
“Guess it just wasn’t exciting enough for me,” she shrugged. “Besides, it’s not that hot out here.” Dazarth and his friends narrowed their eyes and fell silent with fed-up looks. A chirping bird momentarily sounded in the quiet. Then, all four of the bullies pushed Ashriss down and said in unison,
“Go back to sleep, Ashriss!”
At Divine Coast, the Skyhoods were thoroughly enjoying the beach. It felt good to enjoy the summer fun in their swimsuits. Kayo and Zondike hit a beach ball around in the shallow water, Raveesha dug a hole that filled with seawater, and Laylee was collecting seashells and making accessories out of them. Skydan and Varoura sat in the sun on beach blankets while enjoying the yogurt they swiped. Skydan ate a spoonful of strawberry banana flavored yogurt and licked his lips in tasty satisfaction.
“Delicious,” he commented. “This is just what we needed on a day like today.”
“You said it, Skydan,” Varoura cooed. “We have truly beaten the heat.”
Zondike and Kayo hit their beach ball high back and forth, trying to prevent it from hitting the ground. Kayo suddenly struck the ball too hard and Zondike had to leap high with a strong wing flap to strike it. This caused a large splash that soaked Kayo. Zondike laughed at the comical moment while his calm, cold friend simply sighed and shook his head.
“Come on, Kayo. Quit the cold expression and enjoy some fun,” Zondike said as he grabbed the beach ball.
“I still think our petty payback on Dazarth was a bit immature,” Kayo stated, whipping his hair to dry off.
“The only thing immature around here is your tropical island patterned shirt,” Raveesha teased as she continued digging her hole in the sand. Kayo’s eyes narrowed and he rolled his eyes.
“It was the only beach shirt I had,” he said nonchalantly. Skydan and Varoura chuckled at their friends’ little conversation.
“You know, it really does suit you, Kayo,” Skydan said sarcastically. “Really fits your personality.” Everybody but Kayo laughed at that comical comment. The Sky-Blue Warrior sighed and leaned back. He looked up at the blue sky and stared at the nearly full guardian planet.
“That trick you pulled was ingenious, Skydan,” Varoura said in a flirtatious tone. “I feel Dazarth and his friends will be stuck with a bad case of the chills for hours.” Skydan chuckled and blushed at his lover’s compliment and funny remark.
“I admit it was fun to get mischievous for once,” he sighed. “But I really don’t think I’ll pull a stunt like that again for a really long time.” As he spoke, Laylee approached him from behind with a tiny, spiky crown made of several seashells. She placed the oceanic headdress and her friend’s head and smiled wide.
“I crown thee, king of summer,” she said with a feminine titter. Skydan chuckled and touched the improvised crown.
“Thanks. I needed this, Laylee,” he said. Laylee nodded and went back to collecting her ocean treasures. Varoura giggled and snuggled up to Skydan’s side, resting her shoulder on his.
“You are so much fun, Sky-Blue Warrior,” she sighed softly. Skydan felt the warm, fuzzy sensation of love overcome him. No beach, cold dairy treats, or icy potion could cool that down. Giving into the emotions, he wrapped his arm around his lover and held her close.
“Efcharistó, Varoura,” he sighed. Soothed by the aura of the beach and embrace of his lover, the Sky-Blue Warrior rejoiced in watching his friends enjoy the hot summer day. They have truly beaten the heat.