*Master* I glared at the human-born Steve. He had caked on dirt from the mines. I disapproved of this species that my daughter claimed to be her mate. I would have rather Anatu choose a mate that was better than this waste of space. Yet the report that the guards gave me was impressive. Anatu was attached to this human-born. Secretly I was hoping that tragedy would strike this human born down. Anatu would of course be heartbroken at the beginning, but she would mend from it in a millennia or so years. I snarled down at him, already regretting my decision! I promised that I would keep her siblings away from her mate. That is when Anatu suggested sending Steve to work on the farms. It was grilling work, yet the reports I get about this human born, tell me that it is a suitable position. And my little princess seemed to be pleased with my final word. Keeping to her word, Merna was getting me an army to go to war with my siblings. The assassinations have increased since Merna had left. I have lost three hunters, six serfs, five pleasures, nineteen mages, and fifteen kin from this domain. There have also been reports that over two hundred and twenty-nine human borns have gone missing without a trace. All of this since my spies returned to my lands. Everything in my body told me that those human borns would have had magical properties that my siblings would have wanted for themselves. Strolling into my throne room, Ashur made sure that the area was clear of ears and eyes. I huffed out in frustration! “Has there been any word from Kudiya?” Ashur asked me when the last mage left the location. “Only what the new recruit has said. Merna and your brother find the prisons. Merna does her work, then they drop the recruits at the assigned portal to get here. From there I have no idea where they will be next.” I huffed out again, missing my little mate. “One thing is clear, your brother has not done anything to Merna. I received one message from Dath, stating that those two fight often. Many times Kudiya has tried to insert himself and tried to tell Merna what to do. Each time Merna does what she does best … what she wants to do!” “I think we got it wrong, we should worry about Kudiya’s safety and not Merna!” Ashur started to bellow out with laughter, “She is perfect!” My son regained his composure. “How many new recruits do we have?” Smiling, “Four million!” I informed him of the last count, “and growing!” Ashur whistles, “she doesn’t waste time does she!” “No!” I sat back in my seat unable to concentrate on the paperwork. I did not realize how much work Merna did while she was here until I had to take over my tasks again. “She doesn’t belong here!” I started to go into deep thought again.Ashur appeared perplexed, “What do you mean father?” He placed his arms in front of himself and crossed, “she belongs to us!” I informed Ashur of the information I had collected, “Merna was not fated to be here! Now I have to decide if I will keep her here or send her back.” “Fated to be here or not, Merna was fated to be with us!” Ashur locked his eyes on me, “Did she not eat? It was of her own choosing, we did not push it on her!” The conversation was dead serious, “It was of her own choosing … I just have this nagging feeling that she doesn’t belong here … she does not belong there either!” Ashur was smiling now, “if it were any other human born we would not have been attracted at all to her. Mate or not, if she was weak like the others, we would have casted her away! It is Merna’s will power that brought us together.” I sighed, “I can’t help but think that …” I paused for a second, “if there was another force that pushed the mate bond on us … that Merna is not meant to be here!” Starting, “Let’s say for a second she is not meant to be here, and another force was pushing Merna and us together …” Ashur’s hands were on the table. “Everything she does is of her own free will … besides are you going to let Merna go … so that our kin can nab her!” A rumble of humour came from my chest, “I have a feeling they wouldn’t be able to handle Merna.” Ashur let out a huff of frustration, “I have never come across a female or male that interested me enough to mark and keep for myself.” Rubbing his hands on his head, “Fate or not … Merna has to stay!” I studied my son carefully. He was speaking from his emotional perspective, “We have to do what is right for Merna and our kingdoms!” “Could we not ask her to stay? We can talk with her once she gets back and ask her to stay!” He shouted in frustration. There were no words spoken for a while, both of us in deep thought. “Merna is one of us, unknown at the beginning but is knowledge that we have now.” I paused to make sure Ashur was following me. “We will have to tell Merna everything … we can not mark her until she has given herself to us … the law demands it!” Ashur was filled with determination, “I already know she feels the bond … she may not realize it but she does!” He hit his chest, “beside she wouldn’t expect anything weaker than us … we are black dragons! The strongest in all the realms!” “Of course!” I grinned at my son, yet I could not shake the feeling that Merna didn’t belong here!*Pierre* The Master's temper is growing destructive, as everyone is creeping around hoping to not be the target of his wrath. The pleasures only came out of their domain when they had been called for. They had been told not to be a distraction, if they were found in the halls fraternizing with the males, they would lose their heads. The serfs made it so that they were not seen as they scurried around like little scared mice. Sadragon took it upon himself to train me harder than ever before. He would not speak of the past but only mentioned how I was not ready to go up against an eternal. The grim appearance that the seasoned hunters and mages told me, that the war that was heating up would be something I had never dealt with nor read about in history books. Along with training harder, Ashur and a new recruit joined in the sessions. They were just as powerful as Ashur, even Sadragon was no match for them. The whole time Sadragon was in the pit, I watched how the opponent moved. When Sadragon had been taken out of the ring I stood up and headed toward the ring. Ashur was laughing, “if Sadragon can’t keep up with our elites, what makes you think you can, human born?” I smirked at Ashur who I found I respected a great deal. “Back to the insults I see!” I narrowed my eyes on Ashur. The elite that was standing in the pit spoke up, “Come on Ashur, let's have a bit of fun! If this creature wishes for pain, who am I to deny his wishes!” He roared with laughter. I was in the ring facing my opponent. With the amount of observation that I had, I waited for the behemoth to make the first move. I was able to dodge it and land a punch to the side of his ribcage. Dodge, strictly that was my strategy until I found the opportune point to go for the kill. My competitor switched up his strategy landing his fist into the side of my head. I stumbled falling on my ass as everyone roared with laughter. Getting back onto my feet, I needed a new strategy. Matching energy and stride was not going to work. I was going to stick with dodging but I was going to use less boxing manoeuvres. I focused a great deal of attention on the position of my feet, allowing myself to swiftly move around my challenger. This strategy was good, but not enough. I had to up my skill level. The intensity of the fight was coming to a high. I did not need to be stronger, I just needed to know how to outsmart my rival. The opportunity that I had been waiting for, my kill move, presented itself. He was off balance, not by much but enough for me to swoop in and place him in a choke hold. In nine seconds my competitor was slumped over and falling out of my grip.Hassun and Wematin were the first to stand up and applaud me. “This is why I told you to keep an eye on this one!” Wematin was speaking to Ashur. My opponent glared at me, “was this human born once a Sparta … he fights like one?” He strolled over to me, “or maybe he has a dragon’s heart … red dragon … it has to be!” He shook my hand giving me the respect I had earned. “Your convictions have merit Wematin!” Ashur gave me the respect I had earned, “Sadragon, you must be very proud of your mate! He has done something even you have yet to accomplish!” In just one statement Ashur has managed to insult and praise my mate. I could not tell if I wanted to defend or accept what he had said. Smiling at me, “fate has indeed given me a rare gift!” Sadragon chose the high road for us and took the compliment that was given my way. My opponent of a behemoth brought his attention to Ashur, “I am taking this hunter to the next battle we are in! I do not accept anything but the best!” He declared. ‘This is a great honour to be seen by the Original bloodline. Except his offer to stand with him in battle!’ Sadragon whispered with joy in my mind. ‘I will go to the battlefield with you by my side and no other way!’ I replied stubbornly! It was Ashur that made the final remark, “my father has already placed him with the assassins, he will not see the battlegrounds. But this one will cause a great deal of trouble for our enemies!” He would not say anything more on the topic as he glanced at me once with a toothy grin, turning away he left. “What do you think that means?” I asked Sadragon. “I know how the Master thinks … he is sending you on an almost impossible mission … the chances of you returning is fifty- fifty!” There was a mixture of worry and pride. “Word would have gotten back to the Master. He will give you the assignments that many would parish in seconds. You just defeated an elite … if I were to guess, you are going to be sent after one of the Masters kin. Something only the elites could manage!” “Shit!” I whispered. My opponent was difficult to begin with, as much as I love a challenge, even I was questioning my skills now. ‘Promise me … if the Master sends you after one of his kin … proceed with caution and not arrogance!’ There was worry in his tone. Even he knew the trial I would most definitely be going up against.