10,773 words.

Thank you to @Ninou0718 for the character of Leiane!

Thank you to @PandasRulez54 for the character of Zoe!

Thank you to @AraceliLinnaea for the characters of Araceli and Atarah!

(Don't worry, you'll see your characters in part 2 as well)

I'm actually a Cali baby, so this story was fun to write!

Week 1

Sophie tapped her foot, glaring at the mass of scales sleeping on the side of her house.

The dragon she saved a while ago was propped up against it, soundly sleeping and enjoying the Saturday sun in Inalia. Sophie had been in Inalia for two weeks, working on recovering and trying to think of a plan to get the Neverseen out of her city.

And the giant lizard refused to leave her alone.

"What do you want?" Sophie snapped at it. The dragon lazily opened its eyes, huffing at her.

"You're free, you don't need to stay here." Sophie argued, taking a step closer to it.

The dragon snapped its eyes open and snarled, glaring at her.

Cautiously, Sophie stepped back.

But then she realized why the dragon didn't want her any closer. Because, deep in his ruby-red eyes, she saw fear. Fear of what had happened to him and if it could happen again. He followed her because she may have been the only symbol of safety in his entire life.

"Do you have a family?" Sophie asked quietly. She knew the dragon wouldn't respond, but she asked anyway, maybe just asking herself.

Sophie bit her lip, looking around.

Maybe if she could find its herd, she could get it home-

"No, no." Sophie grumbled to herself. The dragon opened one eye, clearly annoyed at her for ruining her nap.

"I have enough things to worry about as it is." Sophie sighed, throwing her hands in the air.

Lilac skipped out of the Morretti Villa, spying Sophie glaring at the lazy dragon.

"Lia?" Lilac called out. Sophie turned to her sister, dragging a hand down her face.

"Is he still here?" Lilac asked, skipping over and staring at the dragon.

"No matter what I do, he won't budge. He only ever leaves for food, but he is always back the next morning," Sophie crossed her arms, "But, if anyone just," Sophie took a step towards the dragon, the reptile snapping up and snarling at her.

"He does that. He won't let anyone near him." Sophie sighed. Lilac held Sophie's hand, her moonlark plush dangling in her other hand.

"I think it's scared Lia." Lilac breathed. Sophie followed Lilac's gaze, where her eyes traced over the healing raw flesh where the chains dug into his skin. His jaw was still covered in long scratches and searing burns from the muzzle he was wearing.

Sophie bit her lip, even as Lilac looked up at her.

"I want to help it, Amalia," Lilac whispered.

"No," Sophie looked at her sister, clearly divided about the issue, "We have to stay on the down-low until the Neverseen is out of Inalia. We can't just-" Sophie made the mistake of looking at Lilac.

Her eyes were big, lip puckered out, holding her plushie with both hands in front of her chest.

"Stop," Sophie croaked.

Lilac's eyes got bigger.

"No... it won't work." Sophie said quietly, every bone in her body feeling the power of Lilac's babydoll eyes.

Lilac gently held Sophie's hand, and Sophie knew it was over.

"Fuckin-Fine!" Sophie gave up. Lilac cheered, giggling happily as she gazed at the dragon.

"The Neverseen is convinced no one is inhabiting the Villa, so there won't be too many patrols around here. But," Sophie sighed, looking at her sister, "What should we do Lilac? He won't let anyone near him." Sophie grumbled. Lilac put her hands on her hips, swallowing.

"We'll figure it out," Lilac assured.

Sophie turned away, but she glanced over her shoulder.

The dragon's massive body moved up and down in slow movements, focusing solely on keeping him alive. He can't keep hunting like this, not in his condition. And he goes hunting in another week if Sophie counted correctly.

"Let's leave him be, Lilac." Sophie whispered.

The two sisters returned to their home.

Week 2

He was hungry, starving, even. Sophie knew that.

And she hated it when she quietly tiptoed outside of the Villa's backdoor, her family eating inside.

And she hated it when she took the massive slab of meat from the kitchens with her, groaning under its weight.

She saw the dragon perk up under moonlight; the only way Sophie seeing him was his blood-red eyes glowing dully and the moonlight glinting on his sleek scales.

Sophie said nothing as she threw the meat in front of the dragon, it didn't snarl at her or snap at her, just stared at her.

Sophie wiped her hands on her pants, scowling at the raw meat juice.

The dragon didn't move, simply stared at her and the meat with predatory intent.

"Don't let it go to your head." Was all Sophie said as she went back inside.

Week 5

Sophie watched from a distance as the Neverseen roamed through her Villa, leaning against a rickety farm cart.

"Someone tipped them off that I am still alive," Sophie whispered to Alexios. They both wore ratted cloaks, watching from a distance, pretending to be farmers loading their cart of grain.

It was a mix of Neverseen lead mercenaries and former Esposita soldiers, all under the Lord Regent's lead. Sophie has been in Inalia for a month now, two months since she was taken to the Neverseen base. She still has no idea who the Neverseen Lord Regent is though, she hasn't heard any gossip or rumors.

"One of your neighbors?" Alexios whispered.

"No, most of our neighbors moved out or died in the Fall of Inalia. Most of the houses are empty. And even then, the closest neighbor I have is down the street entirely. There is no way they could have seen Lilac or I enter or leave the house."

The Neverseen filed out, "Nothing here boys, let's head back." The captain asserted over the team. They all filed out of the Morretti villa, passing by Alexios and Sophie while doing so. Sophie and Alexios moved their bags of grain, which were actually bags of ammo and illegal funds for the Undergrounds. It was one of the first alliances Sophie hatched. She knew the Inalian crime rings would persevere, even though the Neverseen. Right now, they were just doing jobs for the Undergrounds to help with Sophie's stealth skills, since she was really rusty, and just to buy them time.

They've done little to no Assassin recruiting; they needed to stay below ground more than anything.

"Lilac and I are going to stay at the Guildhall for a few days, just to make sure we shake off any unwanted eyes."

"We noticed a few Neverseen scouts around the Guildhall, it isn't safe either. We are going to have to find another place for a while." Alexios whispered.

"Ugh, great." Sophie muttered.

They dragged the illegal load to the drop-off spot and left in a hurry.

"What about the boutique?" Sophie asked.

"It's been abandoned for a few years now. But we still get a few Neverseen spies sniffing around looking for us."

"Even after six years?" Sophie gaped.

Alexios shrugged, "You know as well as I, the Morretti name is important. They need to completely get us out of the way. We are a symbol of rebellion."

Sophie smiled to herself, "Well, we are going to be a bit more than a symbol."

Alexios smiled back to her, "We are going to be the rebellion."

Mansi paced around Sophie, glancing back at Alvar. Sophie brushed out her shoulder-length hair, pulling it up into a small ponytail. They were all setting up the campsite around the small lake tucked into the Inalian mountain range, just outside Inalia. It wasn't ideal, but they would be out of the eyes of the Neverseen.

"Maybe I could flirt with him in a way that keeps him on his toes. That way he is constantly thinking about me so he knows how to respond?" Mansi proposed. Sophie shrugged, "You should just, I don't know, ask him on a date?"

Mansi glared at Sophie, "You know nothing about the complexities of the romantic tango, Morretti."

Sophie blinked, "The romantic... what?"

But Mansi was reeling on again, "Or maybe I should play hard to get? Or maybe-" Sophie started to tune Mansi's babbling out, instead focusing on everyone setting up camp.

Alvar was next to Ruy, chopping wood. Ruy has been quiet since he arrived, and Sophie hasn't let him out of her sight. Sophie knows he willingly came with them; she knew he denounced the Neverseen. But that doesn't erase everything that he did under their orders. Ruy was her enemy, and now? She didn't know what he was.

They said they were friends, but things were still tense.

"Gather round, guys, we need to talk this through." Sophie called out. Sophie pulled out her notebook and scribbled parchments.

"So, the Lord Regent has three different branches that he uses to hold control over Inalia. The Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. They surprisingly go in reverse order, however, when it comes to strength. The Alphas are the everyday street enforcers, the ones who are like the police officers and also are the tax collectors. They constantly abuse their power. Got bunch of brainless Neverseen jocks who need a job? They become Alphas." Sophie explained. Alexios came forward, tapping his finger on the various lawmaker buildings, former Senate and law buildings of Inalia. "The Betas are the lawmakers and politicians, and run the various Neverseen operations, keeping it all off the radar of the other species and make sure the other Vatarian cities are unable to help us. They have more brainpower then your average Alpha and are smart fuckers." Alexios explained.

"Finally, the Omegas." Sophie took a deep breath, "These guys are the Neverseen's executioners."

Everyone stiffened, except Ruy, who shrugged.

"That is a bit dramatic." He shrugged. Sophie glared at him from the corner of her eye.

"Really? Why's that? This is all the information we got straight from the Undergrounds." Sophie snapped. Ruy rolled his eyes, pushing past Nour and Maha to get to the outstretched roll of paper, his arms propping him up as he looked it over. Not only is he Neverseen scum, but he is also an ass. Great.

Sophie ignored the flutter in her stomach when she glanced at his serious face as he scanned over the documents and the way the fluttering only hastened when she glanced at the muscles propping him over the table. He wore a tight white shirt, stolen from the Neverseen most likely or borrowed from Alvar.

Oh my gods, absolutely not, stop it, oh my gods- SHE WAS ACTING LIKE BIANA FOR FUCKS SAKE.

"While the Alphas and Betas are easy to come across, the Omegas are more like soldiers. Not like Alphas, because Alphas are exactly what you say they are. Dumb Neverseen recruits who need a place, everyday enforcers. But Omegas? Damn, how do I explain them..." His eyes widened.

"Blondie, when you were talking to us about your human stuff, remember those Peace Keepers in the Hunger Games stories? Those books you were dorking over?"

Sophie blinked, "You... were listening to me? Talk about human stuff?"

Ruy rolled his eyes again, "Yes, I was. The Omegas are like those sickos."

Sophie's mind recovered from its stutter. They had very little time to listen to Sophie babble about her human experiences, even though her friends asked about it. And the elves, the ones she spent almost four years of her life, never really asked in the first place.

"They were in the Neverseen from youth, trained to listen to every single order. They have no conscience anymore, no free will. And the little sanity they have left, it is often spent using their job to satisfy their sadistic needs due to their broken minds. As such, there are very few of them. I would guess around 200 in Inalia, since it has been occupied for so long."

Ruy looked at Sophie, "They are conditioned and broken soldiers, not executioners."

Sophie clenched her jaw, "Well, according to the innocent people they have executed, my people, I feel the name I gave them is just."

Ruy didn't even hesitate, "For four years you served the Council and Black Swan. Should I call you an Emissary? Or maybe even a Councilwoman?" Sophie didn't miss the deepening of his voice, the annoyance bubbling through. Her eyes glinted gold at him, and the veins in his biceps visibly showed themselves this time as he gripped the table harder.

The Inner Circle was acutely aware of Sophie and Ruy staring daggers at each other, and Alvar cleared his throat.

"So, what's the plan for each of these guys?" He asked, awkwardly shuffling.

"We need to take each one out at a time. Alphas, Betas, then Omegas. But I'm guessing once the Betas are gone, the Lord Regent will take the hint and pack up." Alexios explained.

"Each one of us have specific skills that are better used for certain groups than others." Alexios turned to Mansi, "Mansi, with your powerful and controlled fire, you can take out the Alphas fairly well. I can use my Flasher abilities and tank fighting style to help blind and disarm them. You and I will be the ones taking them down. We will be hitting their various places of interest, their barracks, and their patrols." Alexios finished. Mansi nodded, not a shred of fear in her eyes.

Sophie turned to Maha, "This is going to be your first mission with the Assassins, are you going to be okay?"

Maha shuffled, "I've never really been a fighter, but I promise I will try."

Sophie nodded, "Maha, Nour, and Alvar will be the ones taking down the Betas. Nour will be disguising himself and Maha, and they will infiltrate the various Beta law buildings over the course of a week. You will be sabotaging them to the point of no return. Turn them against each other, expose secrets they have. Everything." Sophie turned to Alvar, "Alvar, you are going to be their back up. You are a skilled sniper, so you will be at various different vantage points and be guiding them through the buildings through a mindscape I'm going to open between all of you. You will warn them of any guards you see through your scope or any suspicious behavior that might put them in danger."

Sophie took a deep breath, resisting the urge to look at Ruy, "Clearly, the Omegas need more analysis before we take action. But as I said before, the Lord Regent will most likely start to leave once the Betas come under fire."

"Ruy and I will be available for any backup you may need." Sophie finished.

"When will this all be happening?" Nour asked.

"We are going to start the attack on the Alphas next week, then the Betas the week after that." Alexios answered.

"Most of the time, Ruy and I are going to be keeping an eye on everything and working at home base. We are going to keep a specific eye on the Omegas and make sure they stay out of our way." Sophie explained.

They went over the fine details for a few more minutes before gathering everything up.

"Why didn't you assign me to a mission?" Ruy asked Sophie, approaching her in private. Sophie didn't bother looking over her shoulder as she set up her tent, biting her tongue in order not to scream, "BECAUSE I DON'T TRUST YOU."

"The people I assigned are what works best for each mission, you and I don't really fit in anywhere. Besides, I haven't really seen your skillset yet."

"Yes, you have." Ruy countered.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't seen your skillset when it wasn't aimed at me." Sophie hissed.

Ruy tensed but didn't fight back.

"You and I should do scouting and figure out what we are going to do about the Omegas." Ruy proposed.

"Don't you think I have tried? Both my efforts and the Undergrounds are working our asses off to find any weakness we can exploit." Sophie retorted.

"That is because you haven't been looking in the right places." Ruy countered. Sophie faltered, finally looking at Ruy.

"You told me you've never been stationed in Inalia?"

"I haven't, I was stationed in the Neverseen bases and operations meant towards the elves. But," Ruy bit his cheek, "I had a friend from when I was a kid. His name was Jericho. He was one of the kids trained to become an Omega. He explained to me that the Omegas are a tight-knit community, and they have to hide out their bases. Jericho was scared when he first started his Omega training and asked me to visit him at his base." Ruy glanced over his shoulder as if someone would be stalking him, "The Omega Neverseen bases and training facilities are located in the Forbidden Cities. And since all of the Omegas are so close together, we could go to Jericho's base and probably hear something about the Omegas stationed in Inalia." Ruy explained. Sophie swatted away the few hairs in her face, her suspicion ticking.

"Why would you betray your friend and bring us to an Omega base?" Sophie asked. Ruy looked aside but quietly muttered, "Jericho hasn't been the same since he became an Omega. And this information is too good to pass up."

Sophie just thought about it, her fingers clenching around her tent poles. The Inner Circle wouldn't be happy about this, Sophie just came home a month ago, and they would be scared about losing her again, especially Alexios. Plus, she knew they were all as suspicious of Ruy as she was.

But... the Omegas could pose a real problem, and learning about the Omegas could be the very key to winning back Inalia. Sophie was really on the fence.