Horcus' Lair, Kozantei, Fourth Quadrant, Andromeda Galaxy.

Amaryah

The woman's net pad pinged, and she looked away from the scene before her, sadistic smile fading as she registered the caller. She made a disgusted sound, her lips twisting into disappointment. She snapped her fingers and answered her phone, her forced polite voice at odds with the expression contorting her face.

"Yes Sir, right away."

The cleanser had frozen at her finger snap but held Mya firmly to the ground. When the call ended, she looked back at Mya who lay beneath the cleanser whose wheezing breath still filled the room.

"Mark the bitch, so she won't forget me." She turned and stomped from the room, having to answer to whoever it was that held her leash. The cleanser growled, the sound vibrating Mya's chest as she struggled against its grip.

Claws dug into her face and she bucked, her wild screams filling the room. The sound of a wounded animal. The cleanser pushed a mild poison into her skin, ensuring that it would scar and that the healing would be long and difficult. Her eye slowly lost its color becoming a stark silver white long after it had finally healed. Her sight forever altered. When it left the room, Mya lay on the ground, her face a bloody mess oozing a foul-smelling thick liquid that mixed with her blood.

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Mya shuddered in the darkness that held her, her skin crawling with the pain that had clasped her at the sight of the memories. She screamed into the void that held her and pushed her power about her. The energy flew from her with a loud boom. The darkness cracked, like an egg that was about to bring forth life. Red light streamed into the darkness that encased Mya, bathing her in its glow. She shuddered again at the vastness of the power she'd expelled. How was she capable of such cataclysmic energy when the supreme had called her weak? She looked around her, her eyes slowly beginning to focus.

The skies were red with white flashes of light dancing behind the clouds of the skies creating a dramatic display. It looked as if the skies were bathed in blood. Wind whipped around her but seemed to veer away from touching her, she did not feel its contact on her skin but could see the skeletal branches of trees bowing to it. There was no sign of life around her, no sound of it either, there was only the howling. Her feet carried her forward, eyes trained on the empty branches of the dancing trees. She stumbled over something and fell to her knees. Looking back to see what had tripped her, she saw the hollow eyes of a skull staring it her, its grin fixed and seemingly amused at the horror that began to grow within her.

The wind howled louder, as if sensing her presence, as if protesting its inability to strip the flesh from her bones with its strength. Looking about her, she saw mountains of skulls, skeletons and bodies rotting in the elements upon a hard dirt ground. She covered her mouth, her mind already noting that there should be a scent associated with such an occurrence. All around her was death, her breathing increased. She felt as if the winds were pressing in on her, the souls of all the dead slithering about her now, watching her as if she were to blame. She was to blame, her mind screamed at her. She felt it within her, this was her fault. You caused this; you did this... you...you...you. The dead whispered.

When Mya woke, she was lying on the ground outside the cave, Artemisia pacing about her, tail twitching in worry. She hastily got to her feet, dusting away dirt from her suit. What the fuck was that? She thought, but even as she asked the question she knew.

The Horcus had punished her for her lie and had forced out her deepest fears. Mya's heart sped at the thought, all those dead, because of her... her mother gone because of her. She shook herself and made to grab her bag from the ground when the Horcus morphed before her. A shadowy form of a woman now, but the deep voice remained unchanged.

"You are a curiosity, child," she said, her voice rubbed against Mya's bones. "Very interesting... your gift." The Horcus' shadowed eyes pierced Mya's. "Beware of the elder."

She vanished, and a pulse of power enveloped Mya but quickly dissipated. Her right arm tingled and as she peered at it, red scaled beasts formed, all four of them writhing around her forearm. Their mouths open as if ravenously hungry, teeth sharp and threatening. The beasts were similar to the Chinese dragons of old, she'd seen them in her training area on earth. They were different though, having more horns and claws, somehow otherworldly in their appearance and infinitely more dangerous looking. She was mesmerized by them, they moved around her arm, their dance becoming lazy until it stopped altogether, marking her with a band of fierce dragon-snake beasts. She'd received her marking. She had passed her trials.

Mya sighed as she settled into her bubbling bathing pool. She could almost imagine the dirt sluicing off under the attention of the warm liquid. This was her first moment alone since her return, which had been a few hours prior. Everyone had frozen when she arrived at the compound on the back her of her giant kyeet, Artemisia. She hadn't bothered to wait for her hovercraft to pick her up at the entrance. Artemisia wouldn't have fit into the vehicle anyway.

Nezerra had been the first to squeal loudly and run up to her, well, as close as Artemisia would allow her. She had to climb down and playfully nudge Art with a calm down before anyone could get close to her. Nezerra pressed brows with her and squealed again, loudly, causing Mya to wince when she saw the tattoo marking Mya as a warrior. Those around her congratulated her, and to Mya's disappointment Zogan was not in the crowd. Nezerra, sensing her distress led her away quickly, Artemisia followed silently. Nezerra explained that Zogan was at the Elder's Sanctuary trying to coordinate the upcoming stealth mission. Mya tried to clamp down on the sadness she felt, what he was doing was necessary, she didn't want to be a too needy did she?

Mara had nodded to her with slightly up tilted lips when she saw the marking on her exposed arm, and her eyes had widened in alarm at the silent kyeet beside her.

"You've tamed a fyre kyeet?" she asked, voice a little awed, "Why am I not surprised?" Mara blew out a small stream of steam, "You humans do not seem to follow the natural flow of predator and prey."

Mya grinned at the almost compliment, they seemed to be coming more and more from Mara, a most unexpected source. "I call her Artemisia, she found me in the forest; saved my life really."

"Fyre kyeet are the most elusive and dangerous, they hardly choose companions..." offered Nezerra, who looked back at Art her eyes alight with disquiet and some fear, "They are fierce and very possessive."

"I've definitely figured out the possessive and fierce part," shrugged Mya, "She's mine."

Art let out a smoky snort and lay down next to Mya as if in agreement. Nezerra and Mara shook their heads, sending their locs flying, uneasy human like expressions playing across their faces.

When Mya had entered her rooms, Art slowly stalked around its perimeter and promptly settled herself onto the bed in the center of the room with a huff, claiming ownership. She'd been bathed by Mya and some cleaning helpers from the palace, it had been a task to say the least. She wasn't sure if her new companion had forgiven her for the offense just yet.

Mya got out of the pool and dried herself, slipping on silky open toed slippers and a soft grey tunic with fitted matching pants she left her rooms. She was glad to be home again, her mind stumbled on the word home. But it was, wasn't it?

She wanted to see the moons, the suns had set a few minutes ago and the gardens had become her favorite place to view the skies. She headed there now. The moons were all out in full force. The Xentos had a monopoly of the sky, its big round silver body right over head. The other six where in differing phases with their light not as bright as Xentos.

A gentle cooling breeze rustled her wild red curls, which had grown and were now way below her shoulder blades – almost brushing her lower back. She sat on a beautifully crafted stone bench that was always warm from the hard work of the suns during the day. Sighing she looked up and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply.

She felt him before she heard him. A warm presence, one that soothed her aching heart, a small smile played across her lips, but she kept her eyes closed.

"You are almost too beautiful to look at." Zogan's voice warmed her insides.

Her cheeks dimpled, "Then why are you looking at me?"

"I said almost." He answered, his voice low, gentle. He kissed her lips softly, kneeling before her.

Her eyes were still closed as he peppered her face with gentle kisses, over her closed eyelids, nose tip and her scars, causing her breath to catch. He kissed her mouth again slowly, savoring her taste. She opened for him, kissing him deeply, pouring all her emotion into it, letting him know how much she missed him and all the other things that she couldn't bring herself to say. She finally opened her eyes, his slitted eyes glowed in the dark, his black scales glittered below Xentos' light. His eyes fixed onto hers, devouring her. She smiled and his lips twitched in response.

"Hello there." She said softly, his face inches from hers. He pulled back staying on his knees before her.

"You are a warrior." His face split into a toothy grin when she pulled up her sleeve and showed off her beasts. "The fabled Rukuiro beasts," He gazed down at them, "They haven't been seen in the forests in a long time, our people see them as signs of great change - perhaps this was given as a sign of many changes to come."

"They remind me of mythical creatures from earth, beautiful but powerful," Mya paused, "if change is really on the way, I am happy to be here to experience it with you."

Zogan looked at her for long time, "I don't know what I have done in past lives or current to deserve you, but you are incredible."

"I know..." she said flipping her hair over her shoulder, "did you doubt me?" she joked, but his face grew serious.

"Never." He grasped her hands between his and his tongue flicked out; it no longer surprised Mya by its appearance.

"What's wrong?"

His tongue flicked out again and he shook his head imitating an action he'd seen her do countless times, "Mya I love you."

She tensed, looking over him once more. He was before her on bended knee with her hands caught between his. 'Okayyyy.' She thought, but he couldn't know about old earth engagements, could he?

"And I love you Zogan ... wh-" she began but he shushed her. Shushed her! Her mouth fell open.

"You are brave, strong, wise and so much more," he paused, head tilting as he looked at her, trying to read her expression. "You are my equal in every way, willing to sacrifice so much for our world, our quarter, for our people." He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small pyramid. "You are everything that they want in a queen but most importantly you are everything that I need in a mate."

He opened the case and inside a glittering black rough-cut ring sat, winking up at her. She gasped, her mouth starting to dry out from being opened for such a long time.

"Will you become my mate? My equal? My everything?" He held the ring before her. Mya forgot to breathe for a moment, she had not been expecting this, not at all. She sat staring down at the box and up at him. Eyes flitting from one to the other and Zogan looked at her in silence. His pupils narrowed as the silence stretched on, "Mya? Are you alright?"

She nodded, "Mhmm."

"Is that an answer?" he asked softly, unsure now. She nodded again unable to speak; her heart hammered in her chest.

What the hell? Was this really happening?

Happiness bubbled into her, her heart filled to the brim and then some. She wanted to scream and that was the signal that made it through to her muscles.

A loud scream sounded from her lips as Zogan placed the ring onto her right fourth finger. His ears twitched, her high sounds hurt his ears, but he laughed loudly as Mya grasped him and pulled him down towards her, bouncing in her seat. She hugged his face to her chest and his arms encircled her waist.

"Where did you learn about proposing?" she asked finally letting him up but still keeping her arms securely around his neck causing him to hunch over even though he was kneeling.

He smiled slyly, "Ma'loupe told me all about your planet's mating customs."

Mya laughed, giddy from her happiness and she kissed him again. He'd taken the time to learn about her home world from her guide. Albeit it was the old customs, Mya didn't even know if engagements were still a thing on earth. She felt as if she were floating, her cloud of happiness holding one spot of darkness as she once again wished that her mother were with her, in her new home experiencing all the things that she was. Her smile dimmed a bit at the thought. Zogan stood lifting her into his arms, she snuggled into him, trying to steal his warmth. He kissed her on her forehead and started toward his rooms, his long stride gobbling up the pathways beneath them in his haste.

"You won't be sleeping tonight." His voice was almost guttural as he inhaled her scent.

She shivered, still feeling a hint of sadness, a hint of something not being quite right. She remembered the visions the Horcus had given her. It had all been her fault, she'd been the one to cause the death of all she'd grown to love. Did that include her new home? The Horcus' warning played through her mind then, Beware of the elder. Which elder? When?