*Merna* I dropped off at my mother's place first so if asked I would not have to lie, I had gone to see my mother. In the back of my mind, I had a funny feeling that Chaos would not allow me to zap around the universe and realms alone. When the topic first came up, Chaos fought me on every angle that I approached. Then he agreed with me! That was suspicious to me, him agreeing with me after fighting tooth and nail. The only thing that made sense to me, he was going to let me go … he needed the army! But he was going to send a small party after me. I giggled internally as I landed in Chaos’ terrain. If he was going to send anyone after me … I was going to make it so frustrating, they would be pulling out their hair. I was not the greatest, in my opinion, I still have a lot to learn, but that did not mean I could not be a pain in the arse. I chose six different locations that had nothing to do with my search. They were locations that I had visited throughout my time gallivanting around the universe. Each time I made a pit stop, I would conceal my energy signature in the hopes of throwing off the trackers. If there was one thing I remembered from being with Pierre, the prey is always caught by simple little things that they should not have done. Wandering the streets, Pierre taught me how to spot dangers and how to better protect myself from predators. Teaching me the simple things they look for in prey. Taking everything I knew I placed into practice, I didn’t have anyone to protect me. Even though Chaos stressed the fact that I did not understand the dangers of his world, I knew better than many! The first prison was easy to find. I spent time studying this section, I had to make sure that there were no traps. After finding nothing that would cause me any harm I went to work. Nearing the entrance of the prison I was met with a hostile individual. I have to say this individual had impeccable hearing since I made sure not to make a sound. Our sight was locked, neither one understanding the other. In the beginning, I was having an issue identifying the species of the male. He seemed more giant than anything, but I have learned never to judge at first sight. Reading his mind, it was all scrambled as he was trying to figure me out as well. The male started to speak in a language that I had a hard time understanding. I tried my hardest to figure out what he was saying. Since he had been here for so long, I could not even pick up on a picture in his mind to translate what he was trying to say or ask me. “He is of old blood, and he is asking to know who you are?” Kudeiya said from behind me. I jumped and spun around, “What the HELL!” I had figured that I would have finished at least two possible three prisons before I was found. ‘Why the hell did Chaos send Kudiya?’Kudiya was howling with laughter, “You look like you are in need of assistance!” He strolled towards me with another male close behind. “I told your father I work alone!” I brought my attention back to the prisoner, “I would have figured out what he was saying after I listened to him speaking for a bit.” “From our perspective …” The unknown male began, “that eternal dragon was going to rip your throat clean wide open!” Kudiya strolled over to the entranceway and started to speak. After he had finished the prisoner started to talk. I directed my attention towards the unknown male. He reminded me of a very hairy biker that could snap me in half. “You would be?” I inquired who he was. With a bow, “how rude … you may call me Dath my consort!” I smiled at Dath, “Dath, please call me Merna! I haven’t been officially given the title!” I said to him politely. Snapping his fingers, “over here!” Kudiya’s eyes were glued to me. “I am going to kick your ass!” I hissed at Kudiya. Snapping at me, “my father is not here to protect you!” “Funny you say that!” I started with a snarl, “your sisters are not here to protect you!” Dath stepped in between the both of us, “as much as I would love to see Merna’s fighting skills, we have an assignment to finish!” I set my sight on Kudiya, “ladies first!” Looking at me, “he wants to know how you are able to get them out when they have been trying and haven’t been successful.” Kudiya gave me a sneer telling me that I would not be able to perform the task. I tilted my head still fired up over my verbal diarrhoea episode with Kudiya. “Obviously, if they had gotten out, I wouldn't be here now would I!” I inhaled as I strolled over to the lock. Moving my hand close to the lock I could feel the electricity. Sparks were jumping from it to my hand. Laughter erupted from the male and the other prisoners that were in the prison cell. The male prisoner at the door spoke to Kudiya which made him laugh, “he just said you look like an infectious fly-bitten harpy … I think I agree!” Kudiya continued to laugh and point at me. I did not need to know what they were saying, to know they were sending more insults my way. Still, I motioned my fingers a millimetre at a time.I forced a smile on my face, “Keep on laughing you nipple suckling wyrmling!” From the depths of the cell, I heard “Vayai mutu!” The tone was deep and rough. All of the laughter had stopped. Sounds of feet shuffling around, coming closer to me! He reached an arm out of the bars and grabbed a hold of my shirt, bringing me closer, he started to smell me. Glaring into his eyes, my mind started to show me a picture of who this individual was and who he is now. It began off slow, with pictures of him fighting in a battle. His family and the land that he acquired. The language that he spoke was of a dead language but he had some knowledge about human borns. Which meant that he was sent here as the human borns were starting to become steady on their feet and way of life. “You were placed in here because you believed that the human born had the right to be free of slavery and should be taught the skills that you knew of.” My mind was beginning to spin as I was gathering information. “You decided to take a human born as your mate. She gave birth to three daughters and eight sons.” I placed my hand on his wrist, lifting it upwards, and stepping back. He let go of my shirt, ‘Who are you? “Yar ni?” I smiled at him, “Nan uruvakkiyavan Pirapancam!” ‘I am the creation of Pirapancam!’ I looked at the lock that was keeping the door from opening, ‘I would like to get to work if you do not mind.’ “Ninkal kavalaippatavillai enral nan velaikkuc cella virumpukiren.” The male sniffed the area again, ‘firebird!’ “neruppu paravai!” Though I could still hear whispers, I was not bothered as I restarted what I had been doing beforehand. The process was agonizingly slow. What felt like an hour of work, was truly a fraction of the time. Beads of sweat were rolling down my forehead. At one point it felt like someone had wiped the sweat off of my face to stop it rolling in my eye. My breathing was starting to become laboured as I was nearing the end of my work. The energy painfully licked at my hand. Lighting started to travel up my arm. The crackling and pop echoed all around me. I still would not give in! There was a click followed by metal hitting the hard rock that I stood on. One of the prisoners pushed on the door. For a few minutes, the prisoners did not move. Until the male that spoke to me dared to put his foot out of the cell. There was a mixture of joy and anger when all twenty-three prisoners stood outside of their enclosure. Since I was not about to fully communicate with all of them, Kudiya told them what was going on. ‘Do you understand what Llavaracan said?’ “Llavaracan connatu purikirata?” The male spoke to me.‘No, it is a dead language to me!’ I responded to his question “Illai, itu enakku iranta moli!” “Ninkal ennai eppati purintu kolla mutiyum?” He once again spoke to me. ‘How can you understand me?’ I smiled, ‘I heard your voices!’ “un kural ketten!” I rubbed my arm which had been the target of the energy. Though I was tired, I wanted to see if touching the male’s hand would make communication easier. I started to show the male pictures in his mind of what I had seen, ‘I can hear all of their voices. They are asking for revenge, justice and to be freed.’ The male's eyes widened as far as they could go, ‘You!’ I gave the male a shy grin, ‘yes I can communicate like this. For the longest time this is how mother and I used to speak.’ I kept my hand where it was, ‘since there are many languages spoken and I have little knowledge, this is the preferred way of talking!’ The male seemed perplexed, ‘Why didn’t your mother come to get us?’ I shook my head, ‘Mother doesn’t know the location of where the prisons are. The location moves and is never in one spot for a long time. It was even difficult for me to get here. I am better acquitted for tasks like this!’ He thought about his next thought, ‘How many have you found?’ I shook my head back and forth, ‘not enough! You are the first place I have found since I have left Chaos …’ ‘Chaos!’ His voice rumbled in my mind. ‘Yes! Since I began this journey I have managed to open ten prison cells. There are still several more that I have to find. Many more to come!’ The male was judging my statue now, ‘You are kind of … small for this task do not you think? Is there not a male that can do this task?’ I crossed my arms in front of my chest, and raised one brow, ‘if there was one, do you not think they would have been here a long time ago?’ “onru iruntiruntal, avarkal ninta kalattirke munpu inku iruntirupparkal enru ninkal ninaikkavillaiya. The male started to laugh, reaching out and touching my arm, ‘I guess so!’ I stuck my hand out in a greeting, “my name is Merna!”“Brother!” The male pointed towards himself, as he gripped my arm at the elbow. I once again touched my brother's hand, ‘I will give you the same offer as I did the others. You can join Pirepancam. She will shelter you from her siblings. Or … you could join Chaos! The war is brewing again and I know he could use all the heads available.’ Brother spoke to the others. As his words sunk in, some appeared apprehensive not agreeing with what he had to say. After a bit of deliberation among the group. I was told that four of the males did not want to fight. They were simple farmers who had no issues with human borns and because of their mind thoughts, they were punished. They were not willing to get involved in a dispute again. I nodded once to the four males with a smile. I placed my hand on Brother’s hand again, ‘I will open a portal that will take them straight to my creator.’ Brother had told the four individuals what was going to happen, again they did not seem to trust what was going to happen. I opened the portal and waited for one of them to take the chance and go through the portal. After no movement, I linked my mother letting her know what was going on. “Pirapancam!” Kudiya said once my mother made her presence known by walking into the doorway. She gave him a dirty glare, “Kudiya, do not act as if I am a myth and you are just realizing that I am real!” Finally, it was my turn to laugh. “Merna!” She tried to scold me. “Eh, stupid is as stupid does!” I shrugged my shoulders trying to act all innocent. Pirapancam motioned with her arms for the males to follow her. Without a second thought, the individuals did as they were bidded. Once the portal was closed Kudiya glared at me, “now what?” “I am going to open a doorway to your fathers land!” I did as I said, “there is a doorway there that has a direct link to where your father is. He informed me that once I have had enough time to get to work he would reopen an old doorway that used to be there. So much easier that way!” Was I a little sassy … you bet your last dollar I was. *Steve* I achieved the goal that the Master had set out. There had been twenty-three of us sent to mine gold. During the dig, there had been fourteen fatalities, and only two new heads were added to the dig. When the guards were not around the workers complained about the working conditions. “Do you wish to be shovelling shit?” I shouted at them, “I would rather be here working my ass off than being in the sludge clearing out the waste.” I stopped for only a second to glare at everyone before getting back to work. At the end of every shift, we would hand in everything that we collected. It would be weighed and jotted down. I stood at the beginning of the line, the guards studying our buckets. From each bucket, the guards took a handful of the workers' gold and placed it in mine. “Next time you want to complain about the work , remember this!” The head of the guards yelled. It was my turn to get the gold weighed in. “Since you like working so much,” The guard that weighed the goal handed me back the bucket, “you can get back to work!” I was fuming, I should have just kept my mouth shut. Then I thought of the upside, this means I will be able to get back to my love, my princess, the one I do not think I could live without … things will move a lot faster. “Right away sir!” I took the bucket by the handle and strolled back to where I had been working. ‘I made a promise that I would be the fastest and strongest worker there is. So I could get back as soon as possible. And I plan on not disappointing my princess.’ Quickly I realized that I could work without a break, the guards did not care. We were told that we had to dig one million worth of gold each. And that is what I did! The old me would have been a team player and I would have aimed to make sure that everyone met the goal at the same time. The new me has changed! I for once was thinking about myself. When I reached my goal the guards snickered and asked if I was in a rush to get back to digging up fecal matter. I smiled knowing that they were poking at me, “I only do what the Master orders me to do!” As I stood in front of the Master I waited with my head lowered to find out when my next shift would be. “It is reported that you worked shift after shift to reach my demand, is that true worker?” The Master’s tone was low and fighting. Answering rate away, “Yes Master!”“Do you wish to go back to digging shit?” He questioned me. “I will do whatever you, the Master, orders me to do!” I kept my head lowered as I answered the question. “You will be working in the farms until told otherwise. My daughter … She is waiting for you! GO!” The Master's tone was low, though I thought there was a hint that he knew the true nature of our relationship. “If you break my daughter's bleeding heart, I will rip you apart! Not as your master but as a father that loves his offspring!” He growled, “That is my baby girl that you have been entrusted to take care of!” Fear is the only thing I felt at this moment … he knows! Again I replied promptly, “Right away Master!” I did not know what else I was to say. But I was sure if it was possible I would shit and piss myself right now!