Deimos clicked at him and Icelus scrambled away from the stairs, looking over sheepishly. His eldest brother woke and glowered at him in warning. The flick at the end of his tail motioned a silent come command.

Icelus obediently returned, settling down in the nest of warm, soft blankets. He picked up the ropey one he’d held earlier and pulled it around himself, nuzzling into it.

“Where do we go when the bell rings?” Moros asked, looking around. “One of the doors?”

“We were fed last night without a bell,” Deimos pointed out. “I don’t think we need to. Just do as they say. Stay away from the doors.”

“I could eat everything over again right now,” Moros sighed, looping his arms over Perses’s back and nestling his chin down.

Icelus’ stomach was a little upset after all the new things he’d eaten last night, but he wouldn’t tell Deimos. His big brother fussed over him too much. Instead, he looked around the house again, taking in all the doors and lack of trees. He wondered where they caught their fish.

His eye caught on Pom’s still form, breathing slowly like he was sleeping. One of Pom’s yellow eyes, a different yellow than theirs, watched them placidly from where he laid by the foyer, still in only the way an ambush predator could be.

Icelus blinked, just as still, staring back at him.

The massive dragon shifted, moving so his arms were folded under his great head. “You kids ready to wake up, or do you want to sleep some more? You had a big day yesterday.”

His brothers stilled in the way they did when startled, but Moros recovered quickly.

“The bell hasn’t rung yet,” he informed Pom.

Pom’s tail flicked. “We’re not really big on alarm clocks here. We can get you one if you kids want it though?”

“Alarms are different,” Moros said matter-of-factly. Perses yawned wide beside him. “Bells tell us what to do. Alarms mean we did something bad.”

“Hm, we don’t have things like that here,” Pom said, after a long moment. “We have a fire alarm, and if that goes off you go out into the yard in case one of Dio’s projects is about to destroy the house. But we don’t do bells like what you said.” He scratched his spiked cheek. “I think Dad had some bells we hung on the door at Christmas, but those were just decoration.”

“How do you know what to do, then?” Moros asked. “Like when it’s okay to be awake, or when to go to the enclosures, or when it’s okay to eat, or when to get out of the water?”

“Lamy wakes up with the sun, so she’s usually in the kitchen first,” Pom rumbled. “If she’s not, we usually just eat whatever’s in the fridge.”

“I saw the sun wake up,” Icelus whispered.

Pom’s smile looked just like Perses’s, all craggy and sharp toothed. “The sunrise? It’s pretty, isn’t it.”

Icelus nodded quickly. “Can I see it again tomorrow? I’ll be good.”

“Yeah, the sun rises every day. I’ll ask Dio if he fixed the roof wards, then we can climb up there to see the sunset too!”

“The roof?” Icelus echoed.

“Can you show us where we are allowed?” Deimos added. “So we know where our boundaries are?”

Pom’s attention shifted to Deimos. “Yeah, a house tour’s a good idea. After breakfast though. You kids hungry?”

“Yes,” Moros answered quickly.

“Let’s go see what Lamy’s making then. I know she said it would be extra yummy for you kids.”  Like a continent shifting, the dragon slowly got his limbs under him, and sat upright.

Moros climbed over Perses, earning him a groan as knees dug into ribs and a hand pushed Perses’ face down into the blankets. Perses huffed after his little brother as Moros just snickered and stretched out beside them.