“Dreams of old wounds. Like a lovely photo album soaked in blackened blood.”

(«^») Iris Exurrana

???/???/???/??? ??? ???

I was in bed. I slept for around 24 hours, like usual. I was only 13, but I was on my way to becoming a women even at such a young age. Although maybe I still needed experience to actually be considered a woman. And that would take time.

I looked around at my room. It was made up of white gold highlights, and pristine white walls. I was tired. My body felt sluggish and slow to respond. Today was a special day. Usually I spent eight hours a day training with Chance and Sanguina. My only sisters.

Slowly I got up, and walked over to my walk in closet, and pulled out a nice black dress, stockings, a corset, a bra, underwear, and some feminine dress shoes. I knew mother would be mad at me if I didn't wear proper attire, but high heels were too much for me. So I settled for the black dress shoes that weren't unlike a maid’s.

Although as rich as we were, we didn't have servants. A lot of the boys and Sanguina always pestered mother for servants saying “It's only right for the Queen’s family to have servants" but she was always against it.

Mother always seemed so distant. So close yet so far. She didn't play with us, or spend time with us. She was always in her work chambers busying herself. Many of the boys tried assassinating her out of greed, but mother never tried them for treason.

I walked over to the mirror and combed my hair. It was long, almost reaching my feet. I was 4’9" at the time, but I was outgrowing my clothes quickly. As an archdragon my infernal blood gave me traits based off of the seven deadly sins. I didn't have an affinity for emotions or signs of the apocalypse though. Apparently my sins were lust and wrath. I laughed as I thought about it. With hair blacker than The Void and striking neon blue eyes that seemed to pierce the soul itself, and a body quickly growing curves seemingly out of nowhere it certainly looked true, but it didn't feel that way. I never had the fire of the sin of wrath, and my sex drive was non-existent even for a hormonal teenage archdragon. In fact I rarely felt anything but calm. Much like mother.

Two knocks on my door startled me, “Yes..? Come in…” My voice was also slow and seemingly unresponsive.

In walked an older girl. With shoulder length white hair, and eyes the same as mine. She had a thick, silky white tail, white horns, and white scales covering her chest, the back of her hands, and the sides of her neck. Exactly the same as mine, except mine were black. “Goodmorning, Little One.” She gave me a bright smile.

“Goodmorning, Chance…”

“How are you today?”

“Tired…” I averted my gaze.

“You're always tired. Are you… scared about the ceremony?”

I looked back at her, then looked back at the wall.

“You can't hide it from me Iris. I know you like the back of my hand.” She came to my side and leaned in, “Don't worry. I'm scared too. The boys might try something again.” She whispered into my ear. I gave her an anxious look, “That's what you're worried about, isn't it?” I nodded my head slowly. “Mother will be fine. She's Queen because of strength, not blood.” She gave me another smile. “It's almost time. Let's go.”

(«^»)

8E/438Y/12M/35D 8:57 AM

I woke up in a cold sweat, chills running down my spine. “Just a dream, Iris… just a dream…” I pulled the blankets tighter around me only to realize they made the cold sweat worse. Aurora had her back to me. I woke up facing her. I stared at Aurora for a second before quietly slipping away and taking a bath. I felt hot and cold at the same time, and so did the water. The steaming water stung the wounds I had from the night before.

But the pain was welcome.

My mind felt hazy, and the sting of fresh wounds helped snap me back to reality. I grit my teeth as the pain coursed through my body, particularly my shoulder. The soap didn't help either. Or well, maybe it did. After an hour in the bath I slowly got out.

Reluctantly.

Its warmth was soothing. Alluring. Something I wanted to die in the hands of. By the cycle what am I thinking?! When that feeling crept into my mind, I hurried out of the bath, shaken by own thoughts.

Still wet, I put on my casual clothes. Simple dress shoes, and black formal attire. A black feminine coat, a white undercoat, a black tie, and a black skirt. Not so casual now that I think about it, but it's what I was used to. I calmly walked into the lounge where Azrael, Yalina, Tael, and the dealer were sitting. The latter two were chained of course. With anti-magic shackles that Yalina always kept on her just in case.

But Yalina didn't spare them the hospitality. They all sat quietly listening to the news sipping tea.

“Goodmorning, Iris!” Yalina called out to me cheerfully as I walked down the stairs.

“Morning…” I took a quick, deep breath to collect myself.

Yalina cast me a worried look, but didn't press it, “Apparently Raisa has been moved to The Fortress of Oblivion.”

I sighed, “Wonderful. What's the plan now?”

“Break her out, obviously.” Azrael said calmly after sipping her tea with her eyes closed.

“How?”

Azrael looked at me, one eye open, “You're the Matron. You're the head of the family, the mastermind. How do you think we should break her out?”

“I don't suppose we have information on her transport?” I sighed as I looked at Yalina.

“She's being transported by a dreadnought. She's not the only one, though. The Fortress of Oblivion makes regular check ups on prisons around the world and gathers the most dangerous people to keep in the fortress.”

“I need information on the dreadnought.”

“Here. I hear this information was hard to come by. Use it well.”

Yalina handed me several rolls of paper. “I see. It seems to be a standard ship, just made out of enhanced materials. Also fitted with various internal prison features. Cells, blocks, tightly manned checkpoints, guards absolutely fucking everywhere. It says here they make daily checks on guards, guards don't know their postings until their postings change, guards are monitored just as tightly as the prisoners, and there are absolutely no blind spots in the camera system. If anything is out of place they immediately go into lockdown. The entire ship and everything in it is built out of Goddess Steel. The ship has three floors, the deck, below deck, and the final one is where they keep the prisoners.”

“No way in or out…” Aurora’s soft voice filled my head from the stairs.

“False.” I immediately countered her statement, “There is always a way in and out.”

“I know your first plan was to go in as guards, but even your judgement isn't poor enough to think that'll work. Daily checkups on the guards, close monitoring, the postings. Your second plan was to go in stealthily, but even you don't have the skills to go unseen when there are eyes literally always on you. We can't break in from the outside either, the deck will be full of guards and the ship is so damage resistant poking a hole in it is something only the insane would try.”

“I wasn't finished.” I snapped at her. “Look here. There's bio-degradeable pods that shoot waste into the ocean. They roll out of the ship whenever they're full. During the day they fill up through trash chutes, toilets, drains, etc. Behind the walls of the lower floor. They're also overflow safe so the piping runs all around the ship into other pods.”

Aurora smiled at me. “You're just full of surprises aren't you.”