No Longer

Tilting Scales

**Era Damon White

The opening of Nighthowlers and Orchids was announced as a resounding success, and every person he spoke with had positive things to say. Most planned on coming back soon, and also spreading the word about the club and what it offered.

Heir Hollybrook had been true to his word, bringing him around and introducing him to a great many people. A lot of them seemed surprised by his age and species class, which appeared as wizard to them. He was also quite sure his patrons thought he was operating under an alias, as none had made inquiries about his adoptive mother. It wasn't just that though. What was probably the biggest shock to them was never having heard of Era before.

As he was taken around, he'd been as polite and charismatic as he knew how, charming everyone he met with and greeting each species properly. He was definitely looking forward to all the information he'd be able to gather from this crowd. They'd also apparently gotten quite the profit form the club, and the servers had recieved good tips, but he didn't so much care about that. He was really in this for the future information he'd recieve.

Pyre had been the only snake with him during the opening, but he'd been asleep the entire time and thus blessedly silent for once. Era had been pleased when there were no fights in the club, and even more so by how many different species had shown up. There had even been a few he couldn't recognize, but he'd found the answers along with proper greeting techniques easily enough in Heir Hollybrook's mind.

He'd remained in the main area of the club until the last guests had left at 11:30 am. They'd rented some of the private rooms, and Era was pretty sure very person who'd stayed over was intending to come back, especially after ordering breakfast cooked by some of the best chefs in the world. Era had hired professional chefs as well, so his people had been supported throughout the long night.

With a quiet sigh, Era cuddled the book he held closer to him and tucked his chin over the top. He didn't entirely know what his next step was going to be, but couldn't wait to find out.

Now, however, he was content to sit in his library, surrounded by books and with a tray of snacks beside him. All four snakes were currently on him, Pyre had decided not to remain a tatto and was securely wrapped around Era in warm coils. The other three were quietly resting as tattoos.

He was relatively sure his next step was going to be learning to brew potions, and he found himself quite anxious to start. He really looked forward to attempting the more interesting and difficult ones that he'd found in his reading, but knew that he'd need to get the basics down first. His skills weren't built up to mastery level potions yet, but that was okay. He'd get there.

Languorously, he stroked Pyre's warm scales with his fingers, feeling soother by the presence of his familiar. He calmly accepted the he loved the snake, and shifted his book so he could softly kiss the thyrnim's large diamond shaped head. Briefly, he contemplated his going to school, but as it was still a ways off, he saw no reason to worry over it now.

**Lord Voldemort/third person objective

As the child of magic idly pet his snake, things were far more active elsewhere. Voldemort, for that was his name now he was not a lonely, scared little boy by the name of Tom Riddle, was very busy. Very busy indeed. He'd been subsisting through the possession of other creatures, mainly snakes, as he fought to regain even some semblance of power. It was not going well, as each animal died within the first few days of his possession.

The main problem with this sort of possession is that the different species do not mesh well together, so it takes the energy of the animal to make up for the gaph in compatibility. Magic takes more easily from living bodies than essences you see, as the lines of power are both clearer and stronger when physically present.