Mark sighed. Today was the first of many last times he was in for in the next few weeks. The last pre-operation briefing in the Familia-Unit. His police-career was ending before it had actually begun. The day after his birthday when he wanted to join his unit, John had called him to his office and told him he was now officially listed as external employee. As such he was to be excluded from any potentially dangerous task besides those specifically assigned to. That in mind he had spent the last few weeks as a glorified secretary with VIP status. In other words, bored to death.

He had tried to argue Jordan Teine's decision, but to no avail. Mark had to stomach that he was now subject to a king. Just like in medieval times king told one to jump and the subject was to ask how high. Mark wanted to vomit. Being treated like some frail princess or royal treasure did not fit into his life plan. His own decisions and ideas were overthrown and trampled into nothingness. If eternity was to be like this Mark would reject with thanks if he was left a choice. Not that it was likely Jordan Teine would give him any. The young phoenix knew he was a far too good asset to let him do as he pleased. If not for Lisa, Joline and Jenny, who was even more upset regarding her father’s intrusions than he was, he would have tried to run away or end his life. A melodramatic thought as Lisa had chided him when he told her.

But being pressed into service like this was nothing but slavery. After this last case he would be forced to study in law-school and groomed to be Jordan's assistant and successor as the council's inquisitor. Being a white phoenix, he could always tell whether one was lying to him as a passive ability, which he couldn't even turn off at this point of time. It also hindered himself from lying, which could be unfortunate. He had to resort to measures like not telling the whole truth or leaving a different interpretation open to the listener. That was but a nuisance.

What really made him weigh his every word carefully was his effect on other people. Simply asking drastically increased the possibility of telling more than the person wanted to tell. Using his mind's pressure could force people to virtually everything, to sell of their own mother. He hated this ability. If your thoughts were not free of charge, what was left to protect?

This ability made him worse than a monster. It made him a weapon ready to be used. And he was in the hands of Jordan Teine a sly and arrogant tyrant, who didn't give a damn about free will and self-determination. This briefing felt like his first step towards the scaffold.

His colleagues were already treating him differently. Like some rich man's son who could possibly decide their future. Laughable. He couldn't even decide his own, much less other people's future.

Lisa who presided the meeting went to the dashboard and began to explain the situation they were facing. Nothing new to Mark since he had been the one to do background-research and compose the dashboard. They were heading to university, as Jordan Teine had hinted.

A young girl had been turned into a serene and then somehow drowned, a feat that should have been impossible since sirens breathed water like fishes whilst in touch with it. But poor Melanie Nereida had drowned all the same. That was reason enough for the Familia-Unit to investigate. The magical ring at her finger and the message written in dragon-blood next to the body made the case top-priority. It said 'Nothing but the first.' Not really reassuring. More like the beginning of a series. Lisa pointed at the picture of the seventeen-year-old smiling face and Mark that for him one was one too many. Talking to her crying to her clueless, crying parents, using his best semblance of a lie to protect them from knowledge, to perilous to be told, had been the hardest thing he had ever done. He knew if he was to find this monster first, he would have to use an inhuman effort to keep himself from burning it to ashes. An ire his phoenix-side and human-side shared. Whilst he was no fan of vigilantism and didn't see himself fit to judge, cases like this made it damn hard.

Whilst his colleagues, ex-colleagues, were doing the normal police-investigation-stuff, he and some kids of the dragon-clan were to investigate undercover. A 26 years-old crown-prince, who didn't participate in the briefing due to 'important clan-busyness'. Mark didn't know whether he was saddled with a fool or if this Morgan Drake was as useful as his title, the black prince, suggested. Lisa didn't seem all too pleased when she heard his name. Something about a dangerous juggernaut. Well, that seemed at least better than a coward.

He was to use the underground railway to get to the university. An idea he found absolutely famous, but his colleagues thought it would draw too much attention if he were to be let off by some chauffeur since he still wasn't allowed to drive on his own. That was a point he couldn't really argue, but it didn't help him, though. Luckily, he did not have to do it alone. His partner would meet him at the station. Better a stranger than no-one to rely to.

The last question was asked and the operation officially began. Mark was brought to the designated underground-station and went downstairs towards the neon-lit underground area.

At first everything felt normal, besides the rising fear in his chest as he approached an underground area. This fear was the reason he didn't stop his steps until it was too late. His eyes burned like fire the very moment he went in to the solely neon-lit area. To him the neon-lights flickered like stroboscope light.

His eyes couldn't adjust to it his brain switched to overload and Mark felt nauseous. He stood there in the entrance unable to move like a deer in the light of a nearing car. People he couldn't see ran into him cursing him, telling him to go out of the way but he simply couldn't a migraine build up sending additional flickers into his narrowing range of view. He was helpless as a child cowering down trying to hide his eyes from the notorious light hurting his innermost. Disturbing his spatial perception and balance. Agony and no way out. His phoenix-side crumbling in pain. His human-side nearly disappeared due to the merging. Nigh complete. As his eyes had finally transformed into those of a bird of prey.

After a time that felt like a life to him someone started to tug his arm. A voice calling out his name. Getting him to his feet out of the neon-lit underground into the sunlight of the staircase.

The moment the natural light touched him the torture was over. Still a little nauseous Mark looked for his saviour. A young, handsome man stood beside him, wearing a worried expression in his black slitted eyes that were framed with thin lines of black scales. Dragon, his phoenix-side told him. It seemed his partner had saved him. Morgan Drake the black prince.

'They told me your eyes were still unchanged. Idiots. Sending a phoenix-chick underground into the neon-light. What did they expect when they send you into an area you can't see in. It's not like birds-of-prey use their noses to orientate. They should have known that the light cycle of those neon-lights is too slow to keep up with your vision. Vampires use dungeons build like this station to torture phoenixes quite effectively.' the dragon-prince grumbled silently. He seemed worried and angry about what had happened to Mark. 'I am Morgan Drake by the way. Or Morgan Long. It's all the same to me. Just don't call me Morgan Long-Drake, which is my actual surname but resembles Long-Drink far too much. But just call me Morgan. You are Mark Stern, I assume. I guess Jordan Teine will force you to either give up on your surname or go with Mark Stern-Teine... not much better than my long-drink of a surname, is it?' he asked smilingly.

Mark's attitude towards Morgan changed significantly. He felt that this prince in front of him had the makings of a real friend. His first in this chaotic clan-world.

Feeling much better he grinned and held out his hand. 'Call me Mark. And YES, I am the very same unfortunate chick you have assumed I am. I didn't even know it was dangerous for me being in neon-light. Do you know why it is this way? It was actually a real torture right now. I guess people thought I was either insane or on drugs. I assure you I am neither.'

'I know. It is something about the rate of pictures your eyes are sending to your brain. The neon-light can't keep up with this frequency. If you want to know more about the anatomy of bird-eyes, especially those of birds-of-prey we can have lunch together with Rhiannon. She is one of ours and studying in vet-school, their cafeteria is much better than ours by the way.' Morgan extended a tempting offer to Mark. Being able to simply chat with anyone besides his stepmother felt like heaven.

'I would love to. And even if I am sounding childish right now... I hope I do not offend you, but please let us be friends.... that sounded even more desperate than in my head... but here I am at your mercy... unable to lie or take my words back... and talking waaayyyy too much.' Mark chuckled and face-palmed himself embarrassed by his own words.

'Well even if I have yet to meet a phoenix of the Teine clan who is not some arrogant wrench, I feel you are different. So, no problem. I would actually be pleased to have a friend this honest, but I have to warn you, if you want me you will have to deal with Rhiannon, too. She is able to lie but refrains from it completely...as far as I can say. Her truths are brutal. But she is the most wonderful woman I've ever met... and now I am talking way too much, your ability is quite disturbing, indeed, mister lie-detector. But fear not, I do not hold it against you. It is a good opportunity to train myself in watching my mouth.' the dragon-prince grinned and patted the young phoenix on his shoulder.

'But now as bad as it is we have to find a way to transport you to university. If Rhiannon was here, we could simply fly over, but I suck at invisibility-magic, so we have to do with that stinking train. Do you think it would be possible to use it if you are blindfolded and I play the guide-dog?' he asked suddenly dead-serious and worried.

'I guess. Let's do it I trust you.' Mark decided and took his dark scarf up to cover his eyes.

It did indeed work. Morgan was much better than any guide-dog could ever be, since he kept on sending his perception to Mark having a hand on his shoulder at all times. The dragon-eye-view how Mark had dubbed it was really different from the human-view he was still used to and even from his new bird-of-prey-eyes. Everything was like filmed with a high-definition camera on a permanent zoom. It was actually nearly as nauseating as the stroboscope-light but he quickly got used to it and got to relax quite a bit. It occurred to him that he did actually trusted Morgan to the fullest even if they had just met. They pleasantly chattered all the way.

When they arrived at the university-campus Morgan led him to the registration-office and actually signed up as his mentor until he was acclimatised. They were in the same semester since the university counted his semesters in criminology as equivalent to the first two of studying in law-school two more semesters for his time in police-academy and his brilliant entry exam. He actually studied for it far than he had wanted to, due to his pure boredom.

He looked at Morgan who guided him to their room and thought that the boring days were over as long as he stayed near this dragon. With or without a case. A grin spread over both of their faces.