Merna We entered the grand hall, and I tightened my hand over the Master's arm, which caused him to glance down at me. There were a lot of bodies in this location. The Master moved forward as my feet halted. I have few fears, I battled the majority of my fears in my teen years. The only ones I could not get over were large crowds, anyone touching me and heights. Arachnids were a dislike more than a fear. I will go out of my way not to be around them. There had to be at least two hundred and forty or fifty heads here. “We have to go in!” The Master bent down to whisper in my ear. I opened my mind and allowed my energy to flow into his arm. ‘Do we?’ I knew the Master had heard me when I saw a smirk on his face, ‘yes little hybrid we have to enter the lion's den.’ He spoke back to me through my mind. ‘What were the stipulations, I mean how long do we have to be here?’ I whined. ‘I have a really bad feeling about this place. Everything here is not right! What is presented is not what it really is!’ I heard laughter in my head, ‘compose yourself little hybrid, or my siblings will smell your fear.’ I heard a growl, ‘my siblings simply have to see you and we can get out of here. Not to appease to your displeasure, if it were any other time I would have enjoyed watching you wiggle like a worm in discomfort. Alas, I have no intention of being here any longer than necessary!’ We took one step closer to the lion's den, ‘what do you mean by what is presented is not real?’ I relaxed knowing this would be brief. I allowed the Master to lead us to a group of several females. ‘Oh great clucking hens!’I thought a little too loud. ‘Mind your thoughts Merna, they are my sisters.’ I smirked, ‘but I am not wrong!’ The Master was unable to reply to my snarky comment, “big brother how good of you to show up with the … human born!” Her eyes had landed on me and was eye fucking me like she had not been laid in over fifty centuries. All of them studied me from head to the hem of the skirt. One of the sisters started to speak. “I can see you brought your sense of style with you? One would think with all the gold you have you would dress your pet accordingly.”‘I like this outfit! There is nothing wrong with it, it is elegant yet simple. And sense of style, what is she talking about?’ I snapped back in response. ‘Control your thoughts little hybrid, one of them might be able to read your mind!’ I was warned. I glanced up at the Master, ‘challenge accepted!’ I allowed my eyes to wander as the group of siblings chatted. It was easy to tell the difference in ranks here. The serfs had little to no clothing on. Mages regardless of species had a red cloak on. Those that came from wealth were decorated in gems and the finest of cloth. The more gems and finer detail, the wealthier the individual was. “Human born, do you like what you see?” One of the female siblings asked me. ‘This is all but an illusion to show off the power that they want others to see here!’ I smiled sweetly hoping my thoughts did not portray on my face. “Merna, my name is Merna and it is lovely!” I continued to smile as I gripped tighter to the Master’s arm, ‘everything here is a lie! Only the clothing or lack thereof is real! They are using up more energy to portray this sense of power but they are weak!’ “Why do you not wander around and see if there is anything else you would like!” The same woman suggested to me. I studied this group further in more detail. Each of them had power but it did not appear to me that it was of their own. ‘They have to feed to keep their power up.’ I paused for a second. “I think I will allow my eyes to do the walking!” I told the group politely. ‘Your siblings are no more powerful than a human born! How they made it this far in existence astounds me!’ There was a broad grin crossing the Master's face, I knew he had heard me. “There are plenty of gardens for one like yourself to admire!” One of the brothers commented. Trying to appeal to the female's desire to be around beauty and nature. “Do you like stories?” I asked the group. “We do not have time for stories, my pet!” The Master announced. “Oh big brother, let your pet tell us her story.” She giggled and encouraged me to continue speaking. I waited for every one of them to have their attention on me. “There is a fox and a scorpion both needing to cross the river. The scorpio asks the fox for a ride, saying it can’t swim. Of course the fox refuses saying you will sting me. The scorpion tells the fox that it would never do that, it would kill them both. The fox thinks about it and allows the scorpio to get on its back. The fox was nearing the bend when the scorpion raised its stinger and hit the fox. Before the venom took effect the fox asked the scorpion why he poisoned him knowing that they both would drown. The scorpion replied it is in my nature!” The group glanced back and forth while they tried to understand the meaning behind the choice of story I told them. It was a story that had been told from one generation to the next. Warning individuals that the nature of one can never be changed, they are what they are. In my mind I could hear the Master chuckling, ‘I’m the scorpion and you are the fox!’ ‘Be careful scorpion, the fox is a predator as well!’ I mind-linked him back. ‘The fox can turn around and bite and I do bite!’ “What made you choose that story, little human born?” One of the brothers had asked that had not spoken yet. “I like the meaning behind the tale! One always has to be weary of their surroundings. No one can change the true nature of an animal. You can try to negotiate, domesticate but eventually their nature will show and you could be killed in the process!” “Do tell me, little human brn, what is your nature?” He asked me. “Why of course just like you, a killer! Every creature that is created is a killer. What defines us apart is by our actions!” I said in a calm tone. The group of siblings started to laugh even the Master chuckled. "We are nowhere close to human borns, they are below us!" The male again spoke, “It is a joke for you to think you are no killer!” He stated. “The eyes only see what the illusion wants us to see. Those that look find the truth!” I felt the Master’s muscle slightly tense under my touch. The group continued to laugh louder, “what illusion would there be?” “The mind is a powerful tool, you will see only what you want to see. Anything else you disregard. The illusion is what you make things to be, your reality! Your reality though may not be the truth. And if you do not seek to look for the truth. You will continue to live in a world of illusion and lies. Hence you will fall prey to the scorpion!” The eldest sister glared at me while her eyes shifted in colour, “a philosopher!” “Self educator!” I corrected her. Again I felt the Master’s muscle tense under my touch. A male serf brought a plate of sweets and offered it to the Master. He waved his hands and dismissed the male. He then stood in front of me offering food to me. I kept my sight located on the eldest sister. “Thank you for the offer but I had a large glass of water before I came here, I am doing fine!” I made sure to keep the tone of my voice pleasant enough not to offend, yet making it clear that I would not be partaking in any offering of food. ‘Oh little fox little fox do be careful!’ The Master's voice was in my mind. ‘It was better than what I was going to say.’ I glanced from the Master to his siblings. I hit a nerve and it was not the Master. I glanced up at the Master, ‘have all of your siblings seen me?’ The Master’s eyes glazed over, ‘Yes!’ ‘Can we please leave?’ I tilted my head to the side just a bit so that I could see the reactions of his siblings. The Master smirked, ‘What will you give me?’ It was clear that his siblings could tell we were having a private conversation. The eldest sister stood up, “I thought you said that the hybrid has not eaten a thing you had offered … brother?” Her tone was crossed. I smirked, ‘I could tell you siblings another s.t.o.r.y!’ I started to giggle knowing the last thing he wanted to hear was another story being told to this group. “You have seen Merna, offered her food, now we are going!” The Master informed his siblings. "The bid is over!" “You are a boring big brother! Could you not use your power to force your hybrid to eat?” One of his sisters spoke up with a whine. “That goes against the law of natural order, free will, it is a thing!” I glared at the female who was speaking. “It is easier to … trick humans when they do not understand what is going on!” I might have said a bit too much, revealing more than should have but their reaction was worth it. If looks could kill I would have been set on fire and slowly burning alive. She leaned forward, “Well you were not that smart, you are trapped with my bro.th.er!” I wiggled my head from side to side, “I was bored and needed a challenge!” I might have slightly lied. I didn’t fully know that the land was owned by an ancient entity that is probably older than our solar system or creation together … but they did not need to know that. And besides I kind of enjoy the challenge the Master presents me. The goal is the same, my freedom, but I always enjoy the challenge of getting what I want. And these asshats just rub me the wrong way. Fight or flight, I will always pick fights! “So you think you ... human borns can do whatever you want without a single ounce of accountability?” Again she spoke to me. I felt the Master tense again under my touch, I was starting to realize this was where I had to choose my words wisely.I glared up at the Master, “no different than you have to be held accountable for your actions!” I turned my head back to the group with an evil smile on my face. “Which means you have no power over me, as far as it stands. As long as I work with the natural law and order, none of you can harm me nor force me to do anything … free will!” “That will be enough, my little pet!” The Master had a bubble of laughter in his tone. “Big brother … How much have you told this human?” She snapped at the Master. “Little sister, I do not answer to you or any of you!” He snarled at his siblings. “Have you had enough time here?” He asked me. “We could have left the second we showed up here! This is not the first time I have been here!” I replied to the Master with a sweet smile. With a snap of a finger, we were back in the Masters domain, at the same location we had left from. “You forgot one thing, little hybrid!” He was smiling down at me while I released my arm. I thought about things for a second, “I do not think I have, but if I am wrong what is it?” “I make the rules here and they are to be followed. The laws are more complicated than you make it out to be.” “True! There is one catch though, even if you are bound by the laws that have been in place. From what I have seen, I know there are more grey areas than there are laws.” I studied his face for a while. Both of us are in deep thought. ‘Also another observation, your siblings do not follow those laws, which means what happens to them next is of their own doing!’ The Master studied me, “what did you see?” Opening my mouth, I paused for a second, “if I am correct … your siblings force the food down the throat of who is collected!” I thought about what I saw, “I do not have proof it is just what I saw in my mind.” The Master started to think, “I believe you will have no issues being my consort. There are only grey areas. It is a matter of who is stronger and who is your ally. And trust me little hybrid, you are going to want me as your ally. Accept the year vow!” He had his beefy arms folded in front of his body. Matching his body stance, “I have a couple of demands!” He started to laugh at my requirements, “I am the one who makes the deals, not you! It is up to you to accept the offer or not!” I motioned my head from side to side, “Then what is the point of the deal? To give me a sense of hope?” “To make things more interesting!” He took one step closer to me. I placed my hands on my hips, “What is more interesting than negotiating so that we both get what we want?” “I always get what I want!” He pointed out what he had said several times in the past. I pointed out my observation, “You keep on saying that yet I do not see any proof!” “Look around you little hybrid, everything here is the proof!” He motioned his arms outwards to the location we were standing at. I gave a sarcastic laugh, “Yet here I stand proof that you do not!” I took a step towards him, craning my head backwards to look up. It was a mistake on my part to walk into him. There was not enough room for an arm to go between the both of us. The second I did so, something started to poke me. ‘No … no … that is not what I think it is!’ I thought to myself while I shook my head back and forth, “No!” Smirking down at me, “Yes!” He started to laugh. I did the thing every little girl does best, I ran away from a situation, avoiding everything that was happening. I weaved out of the way and started to speed walk toward my chamber as my face started to go red. Game score, ‘two goes to the Master, zero for me!’ As I turned down the hall I could hear the Master roaring with laughter as his feet stomped behind me. The guards looked at me with a puzzled glare until they saw my red face, the Master following me close behind, listening to the frightening sounds of their Master laughing as he followed me. Halting at the chamber door, I pointed my finger at him as if he were in the room with me, “No… not happening!” “Yes!” He had a lot of humour in his tone. “Maybe not tonight, maybe not tomorrow but you will beg me soon!” Opening the door, “Not tonight, not ever!” I declared as I closed the door to my chamber as quickly as I could. ‘Keep your head out of the gutter and on to the prize! My freedom!’ “Challenge accepted!” He half yelled and half laughed at the implications. He pounded on the door, letting me know where he was.