"Where are your chambers? Would you like to change before meeting the dragons?" Lord Azaesel asked as they trotted down the marble staircase.

"It's not necessary," Sephira answered lightly, noticing his pause as if he was suspicious. She turned her eyes to him and sighed. "If you insist, my Lord." She amended her answer in a silky voice that seemed to satisfy him. She led him to her chamber and worried for a moment that Craven and Rauka would be there. She wondered again if she'd be able to kill him within the castle without then having to fight off his dragons. Being dragonless herself, for the moment, she decided to get close to the Nimbi Lord and gather more information about him before making her move.

"Stay here while I change... my Lord." Sephira commanded before she murmured his title and he had his eyebrow arched. She closed the door in his face and cringed as she felt like she needed to collapse against the back of the door in defeat. It had been a long time since she had to speak with nobility and she had forgotten all her manners since she had become nothing but a reckless warrior on a doomed mission. Her father was the one who taught her and her brother how to speak politely to royalty and other leaders, but her mother never heeded any of the rules and it seemed Sephira had ignored most of the rules for most of her life. She was used to being equal or higher in rank than most others, but she knew the humans especially had strict formalities that could cause both a move up and a move down in rank if not followed. She realized she hadn't been following them very conscientiously.

She searched wildly for the other set of armor and considered for a brief moment putting on her casual clothes, but the thought of having to hide her tattoos all day made her think better of it. She merely changed out of her bloody tunic and pants and replaced them with the other tunic and set of pants she had Gia provide her with. She kept her weapons on her and wiped the blood from her mask and chest plate quickly. She also cleaned her swords to prevent them from rusting in her sheathes.

"I thought I'd die of old age waiting for you!" Azaesel complained, making Sephira laugh a ringing laugh.

"You don't look like you've aged a day, my Lord." She told him with an adoring tone that she hoped didn't sound too artificial. He broke into a smile at her compliment, before bidding her to follow him to the Dragon-lair.

The Lieutenants arguing in the hallway died down as Azaesel came into view with Sephira walking beside him. He seemed to not notice the bloody mess of bodies that Sephira had left behind as they walked by the scene of Sephira's outburst. Maids and lesser soldiers were cleaning and removing the bodies on stretchers. Some of them froze at the alarming sight of Azaesel and the maids seemed to follow him with their eyes full of what Sephira thought might be adoration. She glanced out the windows separated by columns to see that Corsan had taken Sephira's Centri along with Vervit's and he had Craven and Rauka in the ranks of turned Nimbi following along with his drills.

The Lieutenants and Captains were scrambling to make up for the loss of the ten Officers including Sephira. Azaesel seemed out of place as he entered the pungent-smelling Dragon-lair. It was dim like the dragons liked and there was hay on the floor as Sephira stepped onto the bottom of the impossibly tall tower. All around the inside of the tower were what looked like nests upon nests filled with scaley dragons, ranging in color from a washed out sandy beige to a deep coppery bronze. They moved through the main tower into another adjoining expansive room and Sephira's gaze fell on an opulently dressed man who was directing several stable boys from the center of the dragon-sized stable.

"Lord Azaesel!" He said, dropping to kneel on one knee at the sight of them. The boys did the same and Azaesel seemed used to the reception and gave a quick wave for them to get up. The stable boys ran out of the room, a response Sephira often saw when her or her mother entered a foreigner's stables. The Dragon Master stood up and waited for Azaesel to speak.

"Bring out all the dragons that are without a rider." He said. The Dragon Master wasted no time in getting several other men nearby to help open the heavy iron gates that held dragons in large stalls in the large room and Azaesel led Sephira through the large room out into the bright mid-morning sun. She watched as the Dragon Master used a weapon to prod the dragons towards Sephira and Azaesel. The dragons had their wings bound together so they were unable to stretch their wings down to the side to take off or fly. Sephira was glad she had a mask to hide her disgust with how they kept these poor creatures. She could tell the animal was young by its lanky proportions. When the sad-looking dragon's yellow eyes landed on Sephira she was only thinking of removing the chains from his wings. The dragon rushed out of the barn and Azaesel looked like he was prepared to protect Sephira and pull her aside, but the dragon stopped before her and put his head at her feet. She stroked her hand over his pale gold scaled eye ridge and his eyes closed in happiness. She looked up past him when another dragon was putting up a fight. Azaesel was watching her closely as she strode past the dragon she had surely impressed to face the loud fighting dragon.

"Come out." She called to the bright gold male dragon that looked like an adolescent. His sounds ceased as his blue eyes caught Sephira's and she felt her mind reach out to him to tell him she'd free him from his bonds if he joined her. She stepped out of the way and he shoved the Dragon master's weapon out of the way as he made a break for it out into the sunlight. The stable boys and Dragon master were distracted with staring at Sephira so she decided to look through the remaining stalls herself. She felt the most distress from a female dragon on the end.

"I want this one as well." Sephira demanded. The Dragon master's eyes went to Azaesel.

"You heard her! Take this one out as well!" He growled, making them jump into action. Sephira was surprised how easily she gained the last dragon's allegiance. The female's red eyes seemed to whirl with love for Sephira at first sight of her. The dragon was malnourished and Sephira could see scars covering her neck and snout as if she had been whipped. She was a pale gold, but Sephira guessed her color was pale because she was the age to go into heat.

"How do I remove their bondage?" Sephira directed her question at no one in particular and the stable boy fumbled with a tool that had been hung by the entrance. He seemed scared to go near the female dragon that bristled at the boy's presence and she roared at the Dragon master, making Sephira smile under her mask and run her hand gently along her neck. Sephira felt impatience in her movements and held out her hand to take the tool from the boy. She felt relief spread over her as the chains were released from the dragon's neck and wings and she was able to draw herself up to her full height.

"Are you sure? He looks like he's going to bolt." The Dragon master said as he held the tools and the larger gold male.

"He'll come back." Sephira laughed.

"Do as she says." Azaesel insisted. Sephira gave a nod and all three dragons took off at an astonishing speed.

"What are you doing?!" One of the Captains asked at the sight of the 'escaping' dragons. He caught sight of Azaesel and then his panicked eyes looked to Sephira in confusion. "I'm sorry, my Lord, I didn't know you were here." He said in wavering voice as he bowed and then stood straight with a salute.

"Would you like to go for a ride?" Azaesel asked Sephira with excitement in his voice as he ignored the Captain and one of Azaesel's dragons landed a few yards behind him. Sephira felt excitement rise in her. She missed riding her dragon so much.

"Yes!" She said looking up as she called the strongest of her three 'impressed' dragons. Azaesel held his hand out to Sephira as if she were going to get on his dragon, but her gold male dragon landed heavily in front of her and she leaped onto his wing and climbed to his back. Azaesel climbed to his dragon's waiting saddle and was surprised when Sephira's dragon took off at full speed with her in no saddle.

She didn't have to work very hard to modify the way the dragon flew in order to make up for the lack of a saddle, but she was more interested in seeing how these dragons thought and if they were able to connect psychically to the extent that the others could. She had left Azaesel behind as she closed her eyes and connected with her dragon's mind. His eyes darted to the different herd animals as he struggled to focus on his rider's commands and he was breathing hard like he hadn't gotten enough exercise and his muscles were weak from not being used. She was kicked out of his thoughts when Azaesel's dragon approached and her dragon wavered in the air as she left his mind. She kept him flying straight and her other two dragons fell in below him. She worried she was too obvious that she had ridden a dragon before and directing the three dragons at once was not as taxing as she expected it might be. The dragons were very obedient, but she could tell they would be hard to trance with since their thoughts were chaotic and their attention spans were short. Even as a small kit, Caius' attention span and intelligence was better than these adolescent dragons.

"You seem disappointed." Azaesel commented, watching her body language with adept accuracy as she dismounted her dragon and she could tell he had muscle pain from the short flight.

"Disappointed?" Sephira asked, trying to disguise the fact that he was right. "Who would be disappointed to ride a dragon?" She challenged. "I only wish I could stay airborne every second of every day for the rest of my life!" She announced, with strong sincerity in her voice. "But my dragons are young and thin. They will need better care if they are going to serve me in battle." Sephira said in concern.

"I will have the Dragon Master provide them with the best accommodations and sustenance." He told Sephira in a comforting voice, uncharacteristic of the yellow-eyed Lord.

*

Azaesel kept Sephira by his side for the day and he seemed to have a masculine urge to impress her. She accompanied him down to where Corsan was still drilling her Centri and they seemed to perk up at the sight of her. She gave Rauka and Craven a wave, but as Craven stepped out of line, Azaesel seemed to measure him up as he blocked his path towards Sephira.

"My Lord..." Sephira started as she focused hard on turning Craven and Rauka's eyes yellow and practically coughed at the effort of doing it quickly. "These orcs are my personal guard." She explained, trying not to let her voice go high and weak as she felt worry rise in her about Azaesel hurting her mate. She swallowed as she tried to compose herself.

"Turned Nimbi as your guards?" Azaesel asked, turning away from Craven to look at her. Rauka was standing beside her and Craven noticed her eyes were alarmingly yellow.

"I don't need a guard who is able to be paid off or who will feel an urge to violate me." Sephira said sharply, making Azaesel look taken aback for a moment. "They are more obedient and... I also... like how they look." Sephira admitted with a naughty smile, running her hand along the contour of Craven's muscular upper arm. Azaesel looked interested as he turned back to Craven's eyes which were level with his own.

"Well, let's see how good your guards are, then." He said to her dismay. Sephira could see the look in Craven's eyes that he would enjoy trying to spar with the Great Azaesel.

"I suppose... it couldn't hurt to spar with no weapons." She pouted, seeing the smile in Craven's eyes that mirrored the look on Azaesel's face.

"You think they can protect you from a subject of the Lightning Clan?" Captain Beyor asked, sounding skeptical.

"That's right." Azaesel's eyebrows furrowed, making Sephira's heart beat fast in her chest as she found her and her companions completely surrounded by enemies and their cover about to be blown. "Turned Nimbi are not able to raise a hand towards any of the other soldiers or their superiors."

"Mine can." Sephira blurted out, trying to sound confident and nonchalant about it and failing. She was panicking with how badly it could end if she slipped up on her spell and Craven's mask got knocked off or something. "They will fight, if I tell them to fight. They only obey me." Sephira bragged, trying to distract Azaesel with a challenge, rather than letting them stare at her mate to analyze him for too long.

"We'll see about that."

It worked and they faced each other with all eyes on them. Sephira furtively squeezed Rauka's hand as she stood with the orc behind her and tried not to let worry show in her eyes as she looked on with fear. She could barely keep her breathing steady as she sat on the side.

Craven cautiously let Azaesel attack first and he avoided the punch and started to pull Azaesel's arm to propel his body to the ground, but with speed like a Duvendis, Azaesel aimed a rib-cracking knee to Craven's side. Craven doubled over and Sephira tried not to gasp or react and found that in an effort to do that, she had stopped breathing altogether. Azaesel threw a kick to knock Craven out, but Craven dodged and threw a surprising punch, trying to catch Azaesel in the side of the head. Azaesel barely caught Craven's arm and Sephira could hear the force of it loudly from where she sat. Craven used a technique Sephira had shown him and he leaped up behind Azaesel, using his shoulder before slamming a knee in his back to knock him to the ground. The rageful look on Azaesel's face made Sephira want to cry as she watched the technique fail when Azaesel was able to twist around and aim a kick to the side of Craven's head.

The sound of the strike made Sephira notice that the entire Nimbi legion present was dead silent. Craven recovered well from the strike probably thanks to his mask and was able to block Azaesel's next two strikes. It was after Azaesel used another bout of Duvendis-reminiscent speed to knock Craven to the ground that Sephira got up. With only seconds before Azaesel's fist was to slam into Craven's face, Sephira began to clap. If it hadn't been so quiet in the courtyard, the sound may not have stopped the fight. Craven had gripped his dagger and he let go furtively as Azaesel turned to the dark elf. She walked slowly as she clapped and her choice prompted the other Officers, Lieutenants, and Captains as well as the many recruits to join her in applause.

Azaesel looked back at Craven before standing up. Craven noticed he didn't offer a hand to his fallen sparring partner, which was a custom the orcs had borrowed from humans.

"Congratulations, my Lord. Your fighting skills are impressive." Sephira told him, the coolness of her voice even surprising herself. Azaesel smiled at her compliment and she couldn't help her eyes flashing to Craven still laying on the ground. He got up by himself, and Sephira tried not to look too interested in his well being so she turned her eyes back to Azaesel with effort.

*

When she was able to go back to her room at sundown, Craven and Rauka followed her and she ripped off her mask and flew into Craven's chest as she could no longer hold in the tears. He pulled off his mask as tears streamed down her face and she shook in his arms.

"Don't get killed. I can't lose you." Sephira said into Craven's chest with her voice squeaking uncharacteristically. He could feel her breathing was uneven and both him and Rauka were surprised after she had acted unaffected so well in the presence of the others.

"I won't die, Sephira. I'll be fine." He insisted, ignoring the sharp ache of his broken ribs and the sting of the bruise on the side of his face. She looked up with pain on her face and she turned his head with her hand on his jaw to inspect his bruise. "The bastard can move like a Duvendis." He growled, turning the bruised side of his face away from her view. He turned and paced back towards the bed where he sat down to think. His hand went to his ribs, as if holding them would stop any of the pain. Sephira strode to her blood-soaked tunic and dug around in the pockets. She had a small quartz crystal on a chain that she brought over to where Craven sat.

"Don't move." She grumbled as she pressed it lightly to his ribs and murmured a spell in Elvish. To Rauka, it brought back memories of Dawn healing Craven after getting struck by lightning and she began to worry that Azaesel could have power like the druid who shot the lightning. How could they beat a foe that not only moved as fast as their fastest fighter, but was as strong as their strongest fighter as well? And with seven gorram dragons... Rauka thought to herself.

Sephira took a shower to calm herself down while Craven let himself sleep on the bed and Rauka stood guard outside the door. Rauka was relieved when Gia arrived in tandem with one of Azaesel's servants that had an invitation for Sephira to join him for their evening meal. Gia told the other servant that she would inform Officer Sephim when she was ready because she knew the Officer didn't like to be bothered.

Sephira heard the knock on the door from the bathing chamber and she ignored it while she let the water pour down on her. She knew Rauka would keep them from coming in per her orders and she guessed it was the chamber maid and she could come back later. She let the pitter patter of the water relax her before she turned off the rain shower with a deep breath. She left the bathing chamber while she dried her hair and her eyes went to Craven where he had laid back on the bed and had fallen asleep with his legs still in a sitting position over the edge. She let her eyes explore the attractive planes of his handsome face and she wanted to feel the warmth of his skin as she stood naked with the white towel pressed around the ends of her wet hair. She was still upset about his broken ribs and the bruise on the face she loved. She wondered if he'd be able to stand to be her guard without being in too much pain.

His eyes opened and she realized she was still naked as she was staring down at him in worry. His eyebrows raised and a smile spread across his face which made her smile slightly back. He couldn't help it when his body gave away the dirty thoughts her naked body caused him to have and he saw her eyes dart to his penis before he could press it down with his hand. The dark look she got in her eyes made it worse and he could tell her thoughts were just as dirty as his as she bit her lip. Another knock at the door made them both jump.

"Hang on a minute." She called as she quickly grabbed her undergarments and pants before slipping on her tunic. She looked down at her tattoos with a hiss of frustration. Craven got up and went to the bathing chamber, but brought his mask with him just in case. He put cool water on his face as he tried to calm himself down.

"Stay there." She murmured to Craven, peeking around the wall to see him standing there looking sexy as can be with a frustrated look on his handsome face. He frowned and nodded to her as she left to get the door with tattooless arms.

"Officer Sephim." He heard Gia's nervous voice as he pictured her starstruck at the sight of Sephira's clean face with her high cheekbones and defined jawline. The way her eyebrows arched when she was annoyed... He shook his head, realizing his problem wasn't going to go away if he indulged these thoughts.

"What is it?" her impatient voice didn't make it easier for him to not picture her sexy eyes and arched, unamused eyebrows.

"Lord Azaesel has requested you join him for dinner in his quarters this evening." She stuttered, making Craven stare at his own angry face in the mirror.

"Alright." She said sounding like she had to force out the answer and it was anything but 'alright'. "I need you to wash my clothes and I'll have you fetch food for my guards before you do that?" Sephira seemed to ask.

"Yes, Ma-Officer." Gia said readily.

"Hang on!" Sephira hissed, causing Gia's foot steps to stop. "I'm not sure where his quarters are. Can you send someone that knows? Or do you know?" Craven could tell from her questions, she was nervous. She didn't sound as put together as she tended to sound in front of the soldiers. He wondered if this was how she sounded with her own servants in her home and if her tough side was only for the soldiers that followed her.

Craven couldn't hear what Gia said, but he heard her footsteps disappear quickly down the hall. He wondered if he'd be able to hear Sephira's if she had followed her, but then he heard the door close and he looked up to see Sephira in the opening into the bathing chamber.

She could tell he heard, and despite Gia walking as fast as humanly possible to get a servant to show her the way to Azaesel's quarters, she decided to give in and embrace Craven for as long as she could. He embraced her, despite the pain in his side and the blood still rushing to his manhood that pressed pleasurably against her, making his heartrate quicken.

"I love you. I wish I could stay here." She whispered in anguish, before he kissed her gently on her soft lips.

"I love you, too. Be careful, Baby." He breathed, with eyes closed as he put his lips and nose close enough to feel the warmth of her smooth neck. A knock at the door made her body evaporate from his touch, leaving him aching inside... and not just from his ribs.

*

Sephira left and the chamber maid placed food on the table before disappearing with Sephira's bloody clothes.

"Rauka..." Craven said, feeling embarrassment rise in him as he moved to stand in the opening between the bathing chamber and the sleeping chamber with his penis still painfully hard. He still pressed it down to keep it from being as brazen as the gorram thing wanted to be. "I..." he couldn't find the words to tell her he needed to deal with it. He swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably.

"Craven, you're a male. It's fine. I can wait outside if you'd like." She said with sympathy and understanding in her kind eyes and a comforting smile on her face. He rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.

"Thanks..." he answered in a low voice as she replaced her mask over her face and closed the door behind her. He turned back to the cold stone bathing chamber and sighed as he let his manhood stand up by removing his hand. He pulled the corset at the crotch of his pants and silently cursed the undergarments he had under the tight pants that he yanked down to get his bare hand on his thick erection. He didn't have to try too hard to picture Sephira standing over him naked, but he did have to try hard to keep his strange noises quiet that he uttered as he pleasured himself erotically.

*

Sephira still felt like her heart rate was too high and she was still warm between her legs. Leaving Craven had caused an awful ache in her that she had begun to expect and she could tell there was annoyance in her features as she dealt with the pain in heart as well. Part of her was glad she hadn't brought either of the orcs to have to stand in the corner and watch her eat. She adjusted her pure white tunic and her brown pants at the same time she looked down to make sure her cloaking spell was still fully effective. The boy servant that led her to Azaesel's quarters had blond hair and skin like an Undine. He wore a gold collar around his young neck and his little outfit was relatively simple white fabric similar to her tunic.

When they came to one of the highest floors of the castle after a long climb up many stairs, Sephira was glad her heart was no longer beating for Craven and only beating to take blood to and from her muscles. The boy bowed deeply after the golden masked guards opened the double doors, letting candlelight fall into the hall. Sephira forgot to bow as she moved to stand in the opulent room before her.

"Sephim." Azaesel breathed at the sight of her golden hair and spotless gold-toned skin. He hadn't yet laid eyes on her bare face and his spell seemed to have quadrupled in strength as it reverberated back at him. Sephira noticed he seemed unaware of it.

The muscles in her slender arms stood out uniquely and her hands, though feminine, were worn with use. She knew the tunic hugged her figure in a flattering way and she had designed it that way, but she hadn't realized the white fabric they'd use to make it would cause her nipples stand out.

The room was lit so brightly it could've been day in the dining room she entered. "The rumors about your breath-taking beauty are definitely true." Azaesel spoke up as she stepped onto the rectangular rug that laid under the long wooden table surrounded by eight or ten chairs. He wore a white tunic similar to the one Captain Kenai had and he had some tight black pants that made his manhood more noticeable to Sephira as she tried hard not to let her eyes wander down his body. He seemed to notice the effort it took her to not stare between his legs and she was annoyed when she felt like her nipples were standing out with the mere thought of it.

"You're not so bad yourself, my Lord Azaesel." She said with a pointy-toothed smile as she caught his eyes in her gaze, which served to get them off her breasts.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, pulling out a chair for her beside where he would sit at the head of the table. She didn't answer. She just sat and watched him clap twice before sitting. She thought the demanding clap spoiled the mood but since she wasn't interested in pursuing him more than necessary to keep him under his own spell, she didn't care too much. As the young servant boys started bringing platters of food, she was disappointed her chair didn't have arms on it like she was used to. She kept trying to put her arm up to have it drop in thin air.

After a long dinner, where Sephira had focused on eating like an Undine, the way her father taught her for dinners with the Lord Sith, Azaesel started telling her about a banquet.

"Several other members of the Grigori,... the Grey Council, " He clarified, seeming to struggle to spit out his words as Sephira licked the whipped cream desert from her thumb while she leaned closer to him with her elbows on the table and her silver eyes hooded. "A few members are going to be at this large banquet here in the castle. It would be... an honor if you'd join me as my ... date." He said with a sharp-toothed, slightly uncertain grin.

"Hmm." She mumbled, accidently making a sexy noise as she found herself enjoying the opulent human desert more than she expected. "Why would you invite a lowly Officer to be by your side for this formal occasion?" She questioned, with a sincere serious tone, that made him lose his goofy grin.

"There is nothing lowly about you!" he sat up straight, daring to reach over to her to move a strand of her blond hair from her face. "I will see to changing your rank and perhaps we can have new armor made to suit you..." He mused, his gold eyes seeming to go far away in thought. Sephira watched him as she absent-mindedly ate the dregs of her light desert and his eyes seemed to return to her, making her forehead wrinkle as her eyebrows twisted. "Your quarters aren't suitable for a dragon rider! Especially not someone as talented as you... To have three dragons with no ledge!" He enunciated, making her smirk. "Were you waiting for someone to notice?!" He accused.

"I'm a soldier, Azaesel. I'm happy to have a bed to sleep in!" She pointed out, thinking of how many times she had found herself sleeping on the sand with pain through her back from the stiff position. He looked taken aback.

"A creature as beautiful and talented as you should never be without a bed." He insisted. "I don't know why it took those idiots so long to discover your potential."

"Captain Kenai is responsible for providing me with better chambers than the other Officers and clothes to wear besides my uniform. The others would have me in a room fit for a maid if it was up to them." She joked, making Azaesel look offended at the thought of her spending her nights in the dark chamber in the bowels of the castle like a common kitchen maid.

"Do you have no belongings?" he asked suddenly with concern.

"I have my horse and my guards' horses, but most of my belongings were lost in Hessia." Sephira lied convincingly enough.

"You have no clothes other than these and your armour?"

"I guess... that's correct." She shrugged, feeling unconcerned about it.

"If you agree to come to this banquet with me, I would be happy to have a dress made worthy of your beauty."

"I suppose, I could go with you." She said, like she was giving in to a convincing offer. His excitement for a banquet reminded her, oddly, of Sorin's excitement as a boy about a ball they were allowed to attend in Undine territory. she remembered both Undine and Duvendis wore extravagant masks and sparkling dresses and shining dress suits. The look in Azaesel's eyes was young and she found herself intrigued by it. She didn't feel like she wanted to kill someone with that look in their eyes, but she thought for a moment she could control someone with eyes like those.

*

Rauka was outside the door when she arrived late in the night, and she let Sephira know that they had just switched. Sephira put her hand on Rauka's shoulder as a gesture of thanks and her grip on her spell wavered as she felt exhaustion come over her. Rauka saw her tattoos flash back to her pale skin and for a minute, the look of the decorated warrior in a plain white tunic with no weapons on her was a shock to her.

Craven had taken off his armor and just flopped into bed when the door opened and he thought it was Rauka for a second until gentle hands ran over his face. He opened his eyes to see her longing expression before she kissed him and he pulled her body close to him into the bed. She was relieved to run her hands over her mate, but when she felt him flinch as she tightened her grip on him, she let go with her heart beating hard. He concealed his pain on his face completely, but he could tell she noticed his involuntary reaction when she touched his ribs. He placed her hand back on him and kissed her again, but she stubbornly took her hands away because she couldn't stand the idea of hurting him for her own pleasure.