Indys shook the dirt from her armor, and sheathed her sword. Gingerly pulling off a gauntlet, she lightly touched her face to gauge how bad the bleeding was. She winced as she touched her lip and forehead; both wounds hurt, but they had stopped bleeding for the most part.

"Maybe you should practice saying yield? The art of submission is a tough one to master." Suggested Niko half-jokingly.

"Maybe I should just practice more so I can kick his ass someday."

Niko crinkled his face. "He's over eight hundred years old, Indys. He's pretty much seen it all. No one can beat him with a sword; he's the best there is."

Indys spat once again, wondering just how many more times blood was going to refill in her mouth. "Yeah, well fuck that. He's never seen a female with the Draca before, and he's making it very clear that he doesn't like it."

    "Yeah? Ignore the old prick then. Stop letting him bait you into these ass kickings. All you're doing is giving him more reason to not respect you, or what you can do."

She winced once again, this time from the truth of Niko's words. She knew he was right, but damn! Gillilion was such an intolerable ass maggot!

General Gillilion, or "Gili", of House Wrent was one of two surviving Alabastar Dracgons conceived at the Rebirth. Of the two, Gili was the only one still serving the Queens. Jase of House Throes had deserted his post during Queen Elena's reign; Lesna's great-great-granddaughter. The circumstances behind his drastic decision was a mystery to all except the Queens. Quite possibly, Gili was privy to the information, but he had offered no insight to any of the other Braid Dracgons; they also knew better than to question him. His rage was something none of his peers desired to behold, and so they let his silence loom as enduring as himself.

Rumored sightings of Jase were investigated whenever the Dracgons received word, but after almost four centuries spent in hiding, Jase had become adept at eluding the Queen's gaze. As the years passed the sightings got to be fewer and further between, new reports were met with a scoff and an eye roll from whoever they were passed on to. The only way any knew Jase to still be alive was the fact that the Power of the Draca had not been passed on to another member of House Throes. Jase was still out there, doing what only the Known knew! Jase's leaving had cost House Throes their lands, their titles, and all revenues.

As further punishment, whenever a member of the House came of age, they were sent away to learn the art of spinning spells before being sent south to man the borders with a Dracgon Braid. A once mighty, wealthy, and respected House had been so far reduced in station that they were regarded as little more than indentured soldiers; sentenced to pay for the betrayal committed by their blood until such a time as the Queen released them. Life was much harder in the south. The fighting was more frequent, death was much more likely, and to have the surname of Throes was no longer privilege and source of pride. Truth be known, members of House Throes would probably kill Jase themselves if they could only get their hands on him.

Thoughts of the traitorous Jase eased some of the anger she felt towards Gili. At least Gili was still loyal to the throne, ass maggot and all. Indys looked around the training yard as she walked with Niko towards the base of the mountain, the entrance to the Queen's Keep. The yard was empty of all but themselves.

The practice yard was on the east side of the keep, housed within the giant shadow of Lesna's Wall. The training yard was just south of the fifty foot high wall, the shadow cast by the structure made evening practices the norm, with the shade keeping the temperature bearable. Gili, of course, had maliciously scheduled this practice session just after lunch. Indys was not only bruised and bloody, but also hot and sweaty, making her mood that much worse.

Indys walked gingerly, her body sore, and Niko subtly slowed his gait so that she could keep up a bit easier. Captain Niko Adze was a handsome man, nearly as tall as Gili, and just as well built. His ebony black hair flowed down to the middle of his back, the sides pulled back behind the ears and held by a black leather tie. His eyes were as black as his hair; they were unnatural looking to begin with, but made even more so with the Alabastar tinted skin that made him somewhat paler than most others. His features were sharp, and pleasing to the ladies, she presumed. Indys was not interested in him herself, he was her Captain after all. He wore his House colors of black and white: black boots and trousers, with a long-sleeved white button up tunic. On the shirt was a coiled, embroidered dragon with a long, black braided ponytail that flew freely behind it. Other than the different colored hair, it was the same dragon pose on all the garb worn by the nobles blessed with the Draca, the ability to transform into an Alabastar dragon, to fight and kill for the Alabastar Queen Reyna.

Those eleven nobles with the Draca now were the Queen's Reign, the name bestowed them by Queen Lesna. Members of the Queen's Reign were heroes throughout the land and held in high regard throughout the entire realm. Being a Reign, whilst a high honor, was more about war and fighting than the glamour of court, and that was the way Indys preferred it. Let the rest of the family rule the lands, collect the taxes, go to the fancy feasts, and spin the spells. She was the family's honor, strength, and glory. The Draca prolonged life as well, and no one knew how only that the those possessing its power had outlived the Queens; unless they were killed in battle, that is. Indys was the fifth Dracgon born of House Anlace, and first female bestowed with the Draca... To the chagrin of both her family and the other Houses.

Tye was the first Draca born to Indys's House, and was one of the best that her noble lineage had produced. He fought in both the Vampire Wars and the Werewolf Wars, and lived to be three hundred and two years old before being killed in Mount Shade whilst investigating a Vampire sighting. Upon his death, the Power of the Draca was passed on to his middle son Arn, who perished along the southern border at the age of one hundred sixty seven years. Once he passed, the Power went to his twenty-fifth son Dan, who also died along the southern border. Next came Niz, who was the thirteenth son of Dan, and served for one hundred thirty years before one day suddenly disappearing. Not long after, the Draca suddenly present within Indys, signifying Niz's death beyond any reasonable doubt.

Indys had been shocked when she had woken up and found that her black hair, which had only been streaked with red, had suddenly turned a flaming shade of the color; signifying that she was now the Anlace Alabastar Dragon. It had been such a source of shock because the Draca jumped family lineage. In most instances, the Draca would manifest within a son of the previous Dracgon... But not this time, this time it came to her, Niz's great-great niece.

It had enraged all fourteen of Niz's sons. Only on two other occasions had the Draca changed lineage, and to the dismay of them all, there was nothing to be done about it. The Draca chose whom it deemed worthy, and remained until the death of the chosen. Indys had just turned twenty one when the Draca chose her, and was now almost a year into the training required for being part of the Queen's Reigns. Although she'd never admit it and give anyone else satisfaction, she had wondered herself many times why the Draca had chosen her.

The Draca touched members of all the noble Houses, each of which was represented by a color. Depending on the amount of Draca in each House member. The color of their hair would be either light or sparse to signify a low amount, or vivid and almost encompassing to signify a high one. The Draca gave each House member magic, and someone whose hair was almost completely the House color would be more powerful than a relative whose hair was just streaked with said color.

Indys, before she was chosen, had only been able to claim three large streaks of red within her black tresses before becoming the Alabastar Dracgon. Now, she was a fiery redhead; the Draca coursing within her veins gave her not only strength and stamina, but also heightened her senses far beyond that of any normal Human. Most importantly, becoming the Alabastar Dracgon of her family had gotten her out of spinner's school.

Spinner's school, or more formally known as Wreaker's Academy was where all noble House members with enough Draca were sent to learn how to "spin", enchantment, and powerful spells of magic. This training took years to master, and once one had completed the schooling, they would become part of the Queen's army, to be used as she saw fit. Serving the Queen within this capacity often brought more honor to ones House, with many a mage listed in the analogues of history for their part fighting the Vampires and Werewolves.

Confusingly, as of late, more and more nobles were being born with very little Draca. The power had diminished to the point where they could only perform only the most basic of spells. The progression of its loss had dissolved to the point that the academy was now turning nobles away; saying that their Draca was too low for them to be schooled in the art of magic. Indys was grateful beyond measure that she no longer had to train there. She could never really get her tongue around all of the incantations, struggled to deliver the words correctly at the precise moment that her hands were spinning the spells. Her inability to fully retain and properly perform was much to the dismay of all her instructors, along with bringing shame to her House because of those failures. Yeah, even an ass kicking from Gili was definitely better than the boring, stuffy lectures and the nonstop study and practice of spinning spells. Maybe that was why the Draca had chosen her? It almost seemed as if somehow the Draca understood just how inept she was at spell spinning and had subsequently taken pity on her.

Indys took a deep breath of the fresh, mountain air. Despite the pain she was feeling, she still took delight in where she now found herself. The trees, winds, mountains, streams, and everything in between made her feel both free and alive.

They pair walked in the combined shadows cast by Lesna's Wall and the great mountain keep known as Queen's Lance; the place of the Reckoning, the Rebirth, and enduring home of the Alabastar Throne. Since the Rebirth, Queen's Lance had become the capital city of man. It was the center of trade, the heart of the in-lands, and the home of the Queen. Queen's Lance was the crown jewel of man's comeback from the very threshold extinction. The location had once been home to the demented Dragon King known as Grimore, but Queen Elena had somehow managed to set up her kingdom right beneath the creature's snout.

Secretly, she and the nobles of her day had burrowed deep into the mountain, unbeknownst to Grimore. She and her people discovered the mountain had been carved out already by only the Known knew who. The insides of the majestic mountain housed underground keep and castle. It was heated by underground vented lava, and fresh water flowed through it freely; making its way through the intricate stone waterways. The genius, mysterious craftsmen who had inhabited the mountain before Queen Elena's discovery had somehow fabricated a way to utilize the numerous mountain lakes and melting ice caps for survival with minimal effort. The craftsmen had done masterful work; carving out the marble and stone with exquisite detail, and extravagant decoration. Historians concurred that it was highly likely they wanted to live in hiding beneath the mountain, yet still celebrate and boast of the advancements of their now lost society.

To hear the stories, only Grimore had lived in the mountain before Queen Lesna and the nobles took it from him. Back in those days, the halls had been empty, and the keep unmanned. Much had changed over time, and now the entire place was an anthill full of bustling activity. The 'Lance' was home to the Queen's army in addition to serving as the seat of government. All laws came from this mountain, and it was the promised safe haven that was open to all men. If the Dragons, Vampires, or Werewolves ever attacked in force it was to be the place of refuge for all to retreat to. The Lance was a place protected by the Queen herself, and for a populace that once lived in constant fear, it stood as a monument to all men that they had adapted and overcame. It reminded each individual that Known still protected and loved his creation, man, and cherished the souls that dwelled within them.

Indys had her helm in hand as she walked through the large, arched opening. She still looked at the stone work and marveled at it each time she entered the Lance. The large archway was made of white stones that were not a part of the mountain. The stones were worked into the mountain and looked to belong there, seamlessly attached, but their pearly white sheen stood out from the regular grey stones that made up most of the hidden city. The white stones had been brought from across the seas and blended into the mountain keep, creating a large entrance on both the east and west sides of it. Each entrance had the sun beating off of it at various times throughout the day, and the foreign stone would then absorb the light and reflect it back in a beautiful array of colors and light. No two set of eyes saw the light reflected the same way, so each traveler that entered was treated to their own little show. It still robbed Indys of breath each time that she walked through those arches. The stone mastery the ancients had possessed was something to be marveled and cherished, they had taken the secrets of this mountain, its engineering, and its purpose to their graves long before her people arrived.

So many of the city's secrets remained hidden to the Humans it hosted. Yes, they had studied and learned how to work some of the mechanization's, such as the large doors on each side of the mountain, or the internal heating system. But for every mystery they solved, numerous others remained unanswered. They knew how fresh water from the lakes all over the mountain were circumvented and distributed throughout the city within. They had solved the riddle of the vented heat being piped into the city from deep within the mountains core, that kept them warm through the winter months. They'd even discovered how to also vent the cold lake waters to keep them cool throughout the summer. Man, with his sciences and intelligence, was able to puzzle out some of the Lance's inner workings... But the mystical traits of the mountain remained undiscovered, unclaimed, and... Uncontrolled.

Indys and Niko continued the western gate, entering a small courtyard that spider-webbed off into the numerous thin streets of the Queen's Lance. The narrow streets were lined with the pale pallor of the Alabastar city. It hadn't always been that way, lit by the sheen of its buildings. The mountain's builders had used an intricate system of sunlight, mirrors, and torches that originally provided light to the occupants within, but that had all changed with the Rebirth. The exotic stone buildings were now infused with Alabastar, which in turn made each building its own beacon of light and energy. Thus, the original lighting system was no longer needed, for the Alabastar made it obsolete. There was no scientific reasoning for this, no man-made explanation, only Queen Lesna saying it was a blessing from the Known. She stated that it had been granted to man in return for their faithfulness in driving out the Dragons, Vampires, and Werewolves. Her people, in their devotion to her, took it by faith that the Alabastar walls were a gift from the Known. Throughout the years, they learned exactly what that Alabastar blessing meant to their survival and continual thriving.

First and foremost it brought year-round crops! Somehow the Alabastar provided sun-like light that allowed all crops to prosper, and soil never needing to be fallow. Man had hauled in tons of soil to place on the flat roof tops, converting most to luscious rooftop gardens. Inside the mountain, Human life flourished, and no one went hungry within the sanctuary provided by Queen's Lance.

Once the Dragon King had fallen, his mountain domain became the capital city to man and the hub of all trade. The Lance was only for Humans, and droves of them from far and wide migrated here start life anew. Humans were finally freed of the monsters that had preyed on them for so long, and soon the fear that used to terrorize the hearts of their ancestors was simply legend. It was here, that the Human race had risen from its own ashes; rebuilding towns, societies, and creating new cultures from within the Alabastar fortress. The never-ending supply of food the keep offered was almost nothing compared to the protections that were discovered years later during during the miraculous reign of Queen Lesna.

It happened shortly after the start of the Vampire Wars. The First Braid, led then by Captain Gillilion, had captured a Vampire not far from the capital, and were bringing him to the Queen's Lance for interrogation. They had the monster shackled and caged as they entered the mountain keep. The Vampire had begun to fight against his bonds while screaming in a tongue that no Human recognized. The First Braid kept him secured as the made their way deeper into the recesses of their mountain.

The Vampire had fought them even more as they proceeded further and further, and it was long before suddenly the Vampire began to wail as if it was suffering indescribable pain. The bone chilling sound abruptly ceased mere moments later, as he exploded into white flame that melted both the metal shackles and the cage. All that remained were the Alabastar shards of the Vampire and the molten metal that had once been its bonds. After that, numerous Vampires were captured and brought to the Lance, all under the supervision of Gillilion himself.

Each time a Vampire was led into the Lance, the same scene played out, with only the Alabastar shard remaining after the creature had been led to its doom. Queen's Lance was the ultimate sanctuary for man, no Vampire could survive inside of the keep... The mountain had spoken and wouldn't allow it.

Knowing the keep was actively protecting her people, Queen Lesna then ordered that a Werewolf was to be captured and brought to the Lance. Gillilion had been tasked with this edict as well and led the First Braid in the hunt for their quarry. The Werewolf entered the mountain in "human" form, as the Braid led him deeper into the keep, his form shifted from "human" to Werewolf. The beast snarled and howled as Gili forced him in further and further, steadily becoming more and more feral. The beast got so out of control, so much so that the First Braid themselves had to transform into Dracgon form just to contain him. The mutt was putting up a spirited, vicious fight when the mountain interceded on behalf of man once again.

Alabastar lightning had come from the walls of the buildings to strike the beast down and leave only the smoldering Alabastar shards as the only evidence of his existence. The Lance had proven itself to be the bane to the Werewolves as well. Two of mankind's most lethal predators could not survive inside the keep... Mankind could survive and rule the planet once more!

At least, that was the Queen's promise to her people. All of the Queens made the same promise, and no Queen since Lesna said differently. All of the descendants of Queen Lesna had lived the proclamation: The planet belonged to mankind, and mankind only.

Queen's Lance was the second largest known mountain. It sat at the base of the Water Mountains peninsula, in the shadows of the peninsula's largest mountain, which was named Wanderers Mount, located just north of the Human paradise. To the west were high cliffs and Lesna's wall. The Great Deeps were eastward, butting up to the Lance and providing additional protection. This was the location of the seaside city of Port Lance which had been erected along the side of Lesna's mountain. This seaside city was the capital of all commerce, and the largest seaport on Nazra.

Miles upon miles of docks littered the base of the two mountains. Numerous herbs, spices, textiles, crops, weaponry, and technologies came to port here; all beneath the watchful eyes of the Queens. Since defeating the Vampires, Lesna had made building a strong navy and planet exploration two of her top priorities. She had wanted to know just how vast the planet Nazra was. It was here at the Lance that mankind grew from the brink of oblivion, and here that the greatest of man's power was seated; surrounded by mountains, cliffs, and water. The Lance was a nearly impregnable fortress - built to withstand any war, and any length of time.

The Capital City was the desired choice for men and women to live early after the Vampire Wars, under the protection of the Queen and her Reigns. The city itself was a melting pot of tribes, towns, cities, and cultures all brought together beneath the persecution bestowed upon them by the Vampires, Werewolves and Dragons. In the early days of Human migration to the Lance, when the city was in its infancy, the keep had filled to the brim and the people whom there was no room for were encamped at the base of the Lance's southern side. This encampment led to the founding of the City of Grace, which was now the Nazra's richest and largest city.

The City of Grace wasn't quite within the boundaries of paradise; it was here that men came to attempt to put themselves in the Queen's good graces, a place where the rich grew richer by controlling trade through the ports. The power that came from absolute control of trade led to the rich being responsible for making policies and laws, that ultimately benefited them more than their fellow man after a length of time.

Whilst the great city sat at the feet of the Queen, men and women aliked jockeyed for power, privilege, and favoritism from the Queen and her court. Commerce, business, and discovery thrived within the city, sheltered under the protection of the Queen. It was those very few, very Human things that occur that the Queen could not protect man from that began to eat at the city like a festering wound. Deep beneath the city's idyllic exterior were dark currents of greed, lust, and debauchery that were once nonexistent during the reign of terror man had lived under for so long. Now, absent that fear, what was once a relatively safe society had to deal with darker, and darker undertones. The Queen couldn't protect man from that which looked back at him in the mirror...

Indys shook her head to try and shake the gloomy thoughts from her mind, Niko picked up on it. "Still trying to shake out the cobwebs?" He asked.

"Yeah, something like that." She played along.

"Well, don't worry about that drivel Gili is spitting out his gums. I've seen how hard you train and fight, I have no problem with you watching my back." He gave her a little smile, and a downcast look. "You I have no worries about, Ezra on the other hand..." He didn't finish his sentence, as if putting his thoughts about the other trainee into words would bring about the fruition of his fears.

Indys met his eyes briefly and smiled back, grateful for the compliment, doubly so for the confidence that he held in her; but also knowing that Niko was in a bad spot. He was the Captain of the greenest Braid there was. Not only did he have to deal with the Draca choosing her, and Gili's dumb ass, he had to deal with Ezra, the Draca of House Cleave, and his... Problems.