The Palace was outrageously large with an uncountable number of towers and wings all surrounding the large base structure, which was a four story building with rows of windows and balconies. The whole building was crafted of the same quartz like stone that Vairem was famous for. The wall around the city was also crafted of it, and in the sun both shone magnificently. People had gotten lost in the palace, that's how large it was. There were even rumors that there are forgotten treasures throughout the palace.

  Getting past the guards and then pleasantries with several Nobel's took as much time as the walk to the palace had. Needless to say King Roark – a man of average size with thick wavy blonde hair and beard, both neatly groomed, a set of long k-nines that showed out is upper lip and intense cat like eyes – was not a happy man when Shade and Lucas finally showed up in his meeting chambers.

  "Well, its about time!" He snapped, throwing his arms dramatically in the air.

  "You are the one who is continually reminding me to mind my manners when I'm here." Shade said with a raised eyebrow. "or perhaps I should have just snarled at all the people who found it necessary to approach us on the way here?"

  King Roark glared at Shade. Shade was much older than the king. Roark was the younger brother of the child king who ruled at the end of the war nearly 50 years ago. He was about 45 years old and, when last Shade bothered to ask, he had five bastard sons, one bastard daughter, and now- with his new Queen- he had one legitimate heir.

  Roark may be the king, but Shade was more dominant. Their race may have evolved into a monarch system but the base instinct was still to bend to the will of the more dominant male. For someone so close to unhinged as Shade, it was very difficult to act submissive to the king.

  "You should not be speaking to the King in such a manner." Huffed one of the king's advisors. Shade didn't even bother acknowledging the man.

  "You will have to forgive my poor manners dear advisors." Shade said dangerously polite, a sneer on his face and his dominance rising steadily "But I just spent three weeks defending your privileged behinds from deadly desert monster and have had about three hours sleep. I get cranky." His dominance now so pliable that the aura made all the men in the room flinch. Shade's dominance was not something easily ignored. "Now," he said, lowering his dominance "What is it you needed from me- sir?"

  Glaring one last time at Shade, and giving his advisors a cautionary glance, warning them not to antagonize Shade unnecessarily, he sat behind his desk. He held out a hand toward some comfortable looking sofas, offering them to sit as well.

  The advisors and Lucas hastened to take a seat, but Shade stayed standing. The others looked nervous, afraid another power struggle would take place. Nothing happened. The king decided to ignore Shades insult and went ahead with what was on his mind.

  "I need you to go to Stine." He said simply.

  Shade blinked in genuine surprise. "Stine?" He asked. "What for?" Shade, a man usually sent out to deal with dangerous animals, couldn't see what he would be needed for in the small rural town of Stine, in the southern country of Breastor Pass.

  "Yes," said the king, resting his bearded chin on his folded hands "Stine. Something has happened that is unprecedented, and potentially life altering."

  "How so?" Asked Lucas.

  "Tor'Nac here," King Roark said gesturing to one of his advisors. Again, Shade did not bother looking at the man. "just received word from New Birth, this years awakening has produced two New Bloods."

  "What's New Birth?" Asked Lucas.

  "Its where the Searx live, in the Stames mountains." Shade explained. Lucas seemed to understand. Shade turned back to the king. "You can not be telling me that you are sending me to babysit a couple New Bloods?" Shade was furious! What was wrong with sending the usual envoy?

  "Well, yes." Said Roark eyeing Shade warily. "The circumstances are some what different this year..."

  "Is there a New Blood that needs terrifying?" Shade asked with a humorless laugh. " Because that's pretty much all that's going to happen if you send me. I've come across New Bloods before. They freeze up around me. I don't exactly have the gentlest of auras."

  "Ah, Shade kind of has a point." stated Lucas, clearly worried for the mental health of the New Bloods.

  "Yes, others have advised me to send another as well.." Said the king, a glance at his advisors told Shade that they had been discussing just that before he and Lucas had arrived. " But rumors coming from the countryside have me worried for their safety."

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  "What rumors?" Shade asked, a knowing feeling burning in his stomach.

  "There seems to be evidence that our old enemy may be coming back to the surface... People saying that they've seen ferals roaming through out of the way forests, and of family members disappearing. Not to mention the numerus reports of missing livestock..."

  "That is how things got started last time..." Shade growled, his mind spinning to the past.

  "If it is the Accursed King then I can guess that he would love nothing more than having some New Bloods on his side." He gave Shade a meaningful look "especially if one of them was a Daemona."

  "What? There has never been a New Blooded Daemona."

  "Till now apparently. The Searx guide for new blood Daemon sent us a letter before departing for Stine. He says that there is one hyperactive male and, a young Daemona. Apparently this female is a strange one too..."

  "Strange how?" Shade asked, still unsure whether to believe this supposed report.

  "Apparently she made friends with the enormous dragon that oversees the process." Stated the king.

  "She befriended a Dragon?"

  "A very large one. I've been told that it could swallow a horse whole."

  "I've heard of the dragon." Shade said thoughtfully. "Its so big its had to hollow out a mountain as a cave to sleep in... It eats whoever dose not survive the Awakening." Shade turned to the king, somewhat suspicious that he may have been playing some very unfunny joke on him. Not likely, but then again, what the king was describing wasn't likely either. "So this female didn't come out crying and seek comfort in the arms of the new Daemon male? She emerged with a smile and a new dragon friend?" Outrageous!

  "According to the letter we were sent she even received the dragon's name." Roark glanced down at a paper on his desk, the letter, Shade assumed "Thane, she called him. And at one point, when the last Awakened exited the cave on the other side, this Thane came to check on her before going back to sleep. Scared the rest half to death."

  "This sounds like some sort of joke..." Said Lucas glancing between Shade and his father.

  "I would agree if I actually thought the Searx had a sense of humor... They are a very up tight bunch from all the accounts I've heard." Said Shade still looking very thoughtful. "No it definitely isn't a joke. There is a slim chance they are mistaken however..." Shade trailed off.

  "However its very unlikely." Finished the King "Yes. That's why you are being sent. To Affirm that what the Searx claim is true and escort these New Bloods back to Vairem. If the Accursed king is regaining his might, and he is after New Bloods, than we have to be assured of their safety. If that man ever learned that there was a New Blood Daemona..."

  Shade visible paled. Yes, that would be bad... very very bad.

  "I get that its unheard of for there to be a New Blooded Daemona " Said Lucas "But why would that make her anymore valuable than a New blood Daemon?"

  "Well aside from the fact that the life span of a female is longer, for obvious reason, their blood is also more valuable than a males in the gene pool."

  Indeed, even though no Daemon, male or female, ever died of old age, the females lasted longer. And that was for one very big reason: they didn't fight like the males. Nature, being ever the mastermind of the world, made it so the birth rate of males and females was way off. There would only be one Daemona for every twenty males. In the Daemon world, women were the most precious things and were protected ferociously. Crimes against them were punished most severely. It would be devastating if the Accused king got his filthy hands on this new Daemona.

  "So, will you go?" Asked the king. Shade knew he was showing respect by asking rather than ordering.

  Shade bowed his head slightly, conceding to the king, even if only a little. Shade heard many poorly concealed sighs and had to suppress an actual smile. "Yes, I will go."

  "Fantastic!" Said the king happily, standing and clapping his hands together in relief. " In fact, take Lucas along with you."

  "Me!?" Exclaimed Lucas, standing with the others. He rarely left Vairem, and never on any sort of mission, let alone one that might lead to a run in with potential Farrells.

  "Yes, you." Grumbled King Roark. "I'm tired of you lazing about the palace womanizing and drinking like you haven't a care in the world. The work will do you good. Anyway, you had a point," He said shooting Shade a glance "Shade Blade Breaker isn't really the first face a young New blood should come in contact with. You'll be able to smooth things over. You may be a lay-about" he said grudgingly gesturing for everyone to leave his study, "But at least you are a people person. If you ever put forth any effort you may even make a good politician."

  "I feel as if you have left something out." Said Shade. "Why me? There are plenty of qualified Clansmen that would love the honor of such a mission, not to mention the ability to be the first to make contact with a Daemona."

  Shade watched as the king hesitated, his advisors exited the room, one after the other. "To be honest, the Searx have requested an experienced, non-sexually motivated, warrior to collect the women..."

  "What? Why?" Asked Lucas seeming to feel that the 'Sexually motivated' part some how referred to him personally.

  "They fear that if anything 'untoward' happens to her, and every effort to keep her safe wasn't taken, their dragon won't be pleased. They fear that if he wakes up and finds her in harms way then he would break out of the mountain and eat the lot of them..."

  "Ouch..."

  "Dragon's aren't known for their calm demeanors, that's for sure."

  Shade was a pretty good example of that. No, the Searx were right. If, for some unfathomable reason, this dragon has made a bond with this Daemona and he did learn that she was harmed... A dragon that big could do more than just devastate a small Searx village. Chances are that once he was done there, the beast would carve a path of death all the way to Vairem, and the people who had been entrusted with the girl's safety.

  "When do we leave." Sighed Shade. So much for getting in a few days rest...

  "Tomorrow. If you both fly fast you should make it to Stine around the same time they do."