Chapter 6

GALLAIS'S LODGE

Tesand lowered the portable sensor device and turned to Aikiro and Yuri who stood by the doors onto the balcony looking through the glass out onto the city of Sparta. "Well, unless they have developed something our instruments can't detect, which based on what we've seen so far is entirely possible, the rooms are clean of anything we can pick up."

Aikiro nodded slowly. "They were able to intercept our communications somehow. And we did not detect their shrouded ships until they wanted us too. They have obviously developed new technology from the Mindvoice ship that we do not have." She spoke calmly. "I suggest we do not underestimate what they are capable of."

Tesand met her eyes. "I agree. I'll set up the psychic dampeners and activate the sensor jammers." He spoke as he headed into the adjoining room.

Yuri watched him for a moment and then turned to look at her mother with a grin. "He is very protective of you mother." She spoke.

Aikiro met her daughter's eyes and nodded slowly with her own smile. "Yes he is. In twenty-five years Yuri, he has shown me more attention than you father did in over fourteen thousand. I have grown to enjoy his company and his attentions far more than he realizes." Aikiro smirked. "Far more than I have allowed him to see anyway, something I must learn to show to him. Besides, he is far more skilled in our bed and he has tasted my blood many more times than your father ever did. He feasts on me like it is his last meal at times." Aikiro smiled at the memories. "He has encouraged my more suppressed tendencies to come out. Much the same as Robert has with you Yuri. It has allowed me to be more open minded towards many things ... and not just sexually."

"That is something that many have noticed mother." Yuri spoke softly. "Though to be honest, I am surprised you allow that pureblood female in your bed. That is something that I have never understood or expected from you."

Aikiro chuckled softly. "Toria Dellion you mean? Well, never let it be said I am against experimentation and surprisingly she is quite skilled in that regard. That was my idea as well, not Tesand's in case you were wondering. You should try it sometime. I was pleasantly astonished myself."

Yuri shook her head quickly. "Robert is more than I need." She replied. "That has never interested me to be honest."

"It does require a certain taste I suppose." Aikiro spoke.

Yuri nodded and moved to open the balcony doors, the smell of flowers and pine trees filtering into the room. They stepped onto the balcony and looked out over the city, hundreds of men, women and children moving about the streets below, either shopping or sitting at the cafés that dotted the stretch of esplanade they could see.

Yuri shook her head. "Sparta?" She spoke softly. "After all the times through the years that we tried to destroy this city by brute force or subterfuge and still it stands. This cursed place just will not die."

"Much like the bloodline of Leonidas it seems." Aikiro spoke coming up next to her by the railing.

"What do you think of his reaction?" Yuri asked as she looked at her. "Were you able to sense anything from him?"

Aikiro shook her head. "His Mindvoice shields are equal in power to my own, as are those of his son." She replied. "His son will one day equal or surpass him in abilities if what I sensed in him was accurate. He is also very perceptive as well. He knows he can't match me in terms of abilities, at least not now. Like his father, his strength right now lies towards using his Mindvoice skills to augment his physical abilities, which are already very considerable if my judgment is correct. That is why he said what he did on the airfield. He was very correct in reminding me that we would not last more than an hour if we had concealed motives or were to attempt something nefarious. I could have probed Isabella perhaps but as I said she has become more powerful than we had first anticipated, much like you have daughter. She would not have been able to stop an intrusion but she would have detected it easily enough."

Yuri nodded slowly. "It seems bonding with a dragon has its disadvantages as well." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"It creates Mindvoice shields that are naturally more potent than normal." Yuri answered. "I believe that to be the reason why we cannot penetrate Carisia and Anthar's shields. I did not believe Vavant's bloodline had any skill in this regard."

Aikiro nodded. "Yes, singly they were both quite commanding, together however it would be suicide to try such a thing." She answered. "I would need at least a week of total uninterrupted exploration with both of them sedated to figure out a way past the defenses they have in place. I had Vavant's father tested several years after Robert disposed of Vavant. He was unaware of it of course, but the potential in him was there had your father chosen to utilize such things. Of course he did not, and while those we have trained in such ways are more than in the past, their numbers do not equal what is within the Union. Leonidas, his Queens and their First Oracle have been actively training those who show great potential within Mindvoice. Vavant no doubt passed these skills to Carisia within her blood. When coupled with your blood she is exceedingly more powerful than we first thought, even more so since she bonded with Anthar."

"Thast will keep her on a short leash." Yuri spoke cruelly. "He is a vile brute but he is very proficient in making sure she is never very far from him. And I believe she is afraid of him in some fashion."

"Afraid of him?" Aikiro asked surprised. "She could snap him into pieces before he knew what hit him if it is as I believe. The Immortals who I had train her went far beyond what my original intent was to be. Why would she be afraid of him?"

Yuri shrugged her shoulders. "Some sort of inbred female intuition perhaps, only made more effective by Dante's influence over her. Perhaps there is also some inbred weakness, from Vavant's side of the family no doubt. It is no matter, Thast will go wherever she goes and she hates that."

Aikiro chuckled. "You enjoy torturing her don't you Yuri?" She looked out over the city. "I admit, I was confused as to why Robert gave her his name as you have with your own children, but then I saw the larger picture when you promised her hand to Thast. It was a shrewd political move on both your parts."

"That was entirely Robert's idea." Yuri replied. "I was livid with him until he explained to me his reasoning."

Aikiro nodded her head. "Speaking of which, I don't want the others going very far." Aikiro spoke. "They may have given us free reign to go where we will in this city, but that is a ruse. We will be watched yes, but he wants us to do something stupid I believe, and that we cannot afford."

"It will look odd if we confine everyone to their rooms and this establishment mother." Yuri spoke looking at her. "Then it will appear we are plotting something. We do not want to draw too much attention to ourselves by remaining locked up. They will assume that our information is false and try even harder to discredit it. We should let the others explore to a degree. They might be able to offhandedly gather important intelligence as well. You and I are known ... they are not."

Aikiro met her eyes and nodded. "Then they go all together." She said. "We are among our enemies here and I want no one left to fend for themselves. There are enough places just that we can see from here that will fit all of them. At least for now."

They turned when the chime on the main door buzzed. Yuri looked at her mother before moving across the expanse of the large room and going to the door. She passed her hand over the scanner and it slid aside to reveal the older Lycavorian woman and a single Spartan soldier holding two small metal cases.

"Yes." Yuri spoke trying to keep her voice neutral.

Gallais stared at the Yuri for a long moment then motioned with her hand to the single soldier standing next to her. "King Leonidas asked that I make sure you were given some of the brochures of Sparta our city and this." She said holding out the small stack of credit chips.

Yuri took the stack and looked at her. "What is this?"

Gallais smiled at her. "Ten thousand credit Riyal payment chips." She spoke allowing her naturally affable nature to come out now. "Everything within Sparta is reasonably priced and those chips should last a few days. My lodge here doesn't have a restaurant inside, so you will have to move to my establishment next door or go among the streets until you find something you like to eat."

"This is your establishment?" Aikiro asked from behind Yuri.

Gallais nodded. "Yes, mine and my mate's."

"We have our own credit chips." Yuri spoke turning to look at her mother quickly and then back to Gallais.

Gallais nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm sure you do. However High Coven credit chips are practically worthless in the Lycavorian Union, and King Leonidas said this will save possible confrontations that could come about if you begin flashing High Coven credits in Sparta."

Aikiro stepped forward. "He told us there would be no such issues." She spoke.

Gallais nodded. "Yes he did, however the King can not be in all places all of the time, as much as he likes to think he can. He can not control young Spartans who have had too much Spartan Wine after a long day of training and who might let their mouths overload their brains. You will find the vast majority of the people in our city are very friendly and open. Just do not advertise you are from the High Coven for there is still bad blood among others."

"You are protecting us?" Yuri asked.

Gallais shook her head with a smile. "Not at all Princess Yuri, I'm protecting my people. I would prefer not to have a friend of mine or a young Spartan soldier and his friends put on trial for killing one of your people in a drunken fight." Gallais turned and held out her hand for one of the cases the soldier held. He set it in her arms and opened it and Gallais turned back to Yuri.

Aligned in the case were four cylinders of cloned blood; that much Yuri could tell right away.

"I assume you brought your own." Gallais spoke. "However, we do not stock supplies of fresh blood in Sparta. This is what we use for our vampire friends and family. Queen Anja developed it originally and it has been improved over the years. It is preferred among those who need it now. It is readily available and if you run out or get low I can provide you with more." She closed the case and gave it back to the soldier who then placed them on the floor to the right of the door. Gallais turned to back to look at Yuri and Aikiro. "There are two excellent cafés just down the street within walking distance. If you prefer something larger, my establishment is next door as I said. It is called Gallais's Retreat. You will find yourselves welcome there and all the food is made fresh and it is of a wide variety. The King's family is frequent visitors."

"You speak as if you know King Leonidas quite well madam." Aikiro asked stepping closer now.

Gallais nodded. "Yes I do. My son is Star Colonel Isra of Mjolnir's Hand." She replied. "They have had some rather interesting adventures together."

"Chetak's son?" Yuri asked.

Gallais met her eyes sternly. "I see you are well prepared when it comes to knowing who your potential enemies are Princess Yuri." She said. "Yes, Isra is Chetak's youngest son; however my former mate's name is now used as one of the vilest curses in our language. I would recommend you do not mention his name in public. You will find you don't like the reaction you get."

"I understand your son is mated to Tarifa and Aihola." Yuri said ignoring her warning. "Your own Netnews channels are very informative."

Gallais nodded once more. "Yes, I'm sure they are. And yes he is. Please, enjoy your stay in Sparta. If I can be of any service to you don't hesitate to contact me. My COM channel is on the brochures."

Gallais turned quickly and exited the room after the soldier and Yuri waited until the door slid shut and locked before turning back to face her mother.

Aikiro smiled. "How convenient that the establishment he reserves for us is owned by the mother of one of his senior dragon riders." She said. "Everything she told us is the truth. Her shields are rudimentary and I was able to probe her surface thoughts."

"So she doesn't work for this Armetus?" Yuri asked.

Aikiro shook her head. "Unlikely. She is a simple woman."

Yuri lifted the case that held the cloned blood and set it on the table, opening it and removing one of the containers. "I will have this examined before we destroy it." She spoke. "I would not put it past Martin Leonidas to try to poison us."

Aikiro nodded and looked at her. "Yuri, Leonidas's son Androcles, his dragon spoke of something called a Talon Guardian. He referred to himself and his dragon using this term. What is that?"

Yuri turned and looked at her shaking her head. "I don't know. I've never heard the term before."

"Well it elicited a very profound reaction in our dragons." Aikiro said. "See if Vollenth or one of the others knows what it means."

Yuri nodded. "I will contact him now." She said.

Aikiro shook her head. "No, ask him in person. Tesand may have found nothing our instruments can detect, but like Leonidas, I don't trust him anymore than he trusts us."

Yuri nodded. "Of course." She spoke.

"Once you have done that have everyone meet downstairs and we will decide who will go where and to what establishment. This Gallais's Retreat is probably not someplace you or I should go, but it might be fine for the younger ones." Aikiro spoke. "Being on this planet has suddenly made me very hungry."

Yuri nodded. "It was like that for me as well when I was here. I was told it has something to do with the nitrogen in the atmosphere. How soon do you think he will inform us of his decision?"

Aikiro smiled. "Yuri, his decision has already been made." She said. "He cares deeply for the dragons and the dragons alone. He has already decided that they will train them. And that is why Vollenth needs to be on his best behavior. No more incidents like when we arrived. Leonidas's son was right, if things get out of hand we will all die on this planet. I don't know for sure, but I sense there are far more of these so called Bonded Pairs here on Earth then we have been lead to believe. We need to tread carefully until we know we will be staying and then we can begin to implement our separate tasks."

Yuri nodded. "I will let everyone know." She said. "We'll meet you downstairs in an hour."

[Did you see her Carisia my sister?] Anthar exclaimed loudly within Mindvoice. [She was beautiful! Her scales were so smooth and she is so muscular! And the way she handled Vollenth? That was priceless!]

Carisia chuckled out loud as she moved along Anthar's own muscled side, slowly using the rough sided brush to run along his sides and back where the saddled covered his scales. The brush removed the dried and dead scales that the harshly made saddles killed whenever he wore it. Anthar, Deneth, Marux, Naruth, Seyra and Vollenth occupied the immense dragon stable in the rear of the lodge they were staying at. It had two dozen separate pens inside the warmth of the building, with fresh hay and an abundance of water from the small man made stream that flowed through the center of the stable. There were several large containers along the sides of the stable that were refrigeration units of sorts and each one of them was stocked to overflowing with large slabs of beef.

[I saw her Anthar!] Carisia answered with a smile. [Was she just how you pictured her in your dreams?]

Anthar turned his large head and looked at her diminutive form as she brushed him intently. [Forgive me Carisia.]

Carisia stopped brushing his cerise colored scales and met his magenta eyes. [Forgive you for what?]

[I have been talking of her for over an hour.] Anthar replied. He blinked several times. [Was he how you have pictured him?]

[Who?] Carisia asked.

[Blue eyes.]

Carisia couldn't meet her bond mate's eyes and she lowered her head embarrassed by her reaction as she remembered it. [His ... his eyes were so much brighter Anthar. And he was larger than I imagined. Taller and broader.]

[He trembled with power Carisia. She did as well.] Anthar spoke. [And everyone is taller than you sister.] He replied jokingly as he moved his head back and nudged her in the shoulder gently.

Carisia laughed as she relaxed more. [Thank you so much for reminding me brother.]

The stable was empty of people except for Narice with Deneth at the far end. None of the other dragons particularly like Anthar, and they always made it a point to remain away from him whenever they could. Well except for Deneth who was just plain introverted. Anthar had grown to accept it for what it was. Naruth, Seyra and Marux would never be like him and they sat in a small circle with Vollenth. They had grown nearly as twisted as Dante, Javier and Lucia in their actions, and Vollenth was just plain insane as far as Anthar was concerned. Deneth seemed to be the only normal one among the group outside of him, but he was very private and kept to himself. Vollenth had once attempted to assert his dominance over Deneth and they had witnessed just how strong Deneth was then. He had thoroughly beaten Vollenth down, which only served to cause a deep divide between them. It was only made worse when the following year Vollenth had attempted the same thing with Anthar. The result was the same ... a vicious fight between two dragons that Anthar won handily due to his strength, size and own Mindvoice abilities. Vollenth was able to dominate Marux and the others easily, to include the rest of the forty-three dragons within their small group, but Deneth and Anthar remained outside of his influence and that had always bothered him greatly.

Dante, Javier and Lucia did not treat their bond mates as Carisia did him. They left it to others to care for their dragons, while Carisia spent hours brushing his scales as she did now, even filing his talons when they became too long. She had no misgivings about checking his teeth and attempting to find ways to maintain his health and even try and get him different kinds of food. He had seen Narice doing many of the same things with Deneth, but because they hardly ever spoke to anyone, Anthar did not know if that signified they were more like him and Carisia or more like Vollenth and Yuri.

Anthar had seen dragons in the sky above them that were too numerous to count as they were coming here. It was a sight he was not used too and he found it awe inspiring. The men and women who called this place home did not shy away from him and the others as they did on Usu'Ozeib or Nuwaroa, many of them not even pausing in what they were doing as the six dragons passed them by. As they were escorted here, walking among the busy streets, he even saw dozens of dragons moving about the streets. Most of them appeared to be remaining close to certain men or women; obviously their Bonded Pairs but they walked the walkways and paths freely and no one questioned them.

[How long do we wait Carisia?] Anthar asked.

Carisia continued to brush him but looked at where Vollenth and the others sat. [We will wait until we find out what King Leonidas's decision is.] She replied. [If he refuses then we will act before we leave. If he agrees ... then we can act when we are being trained. We must be very careful Anthar.]

[Yes I know.] He answered. [Do you think they will allow us to go out among the city?]

[I hope so.] Carisia answered. [It is so much brighter here. Did you see the people on the streets? Laughing and children playing? It was incredible.]

[Do not forget the dragons in the sky.] Anthar spoke. [I never believed I would see so many. So many colors and different breeds.]

[I know. It's incredible.] Carisia said.

[Carisia ... do you think... ] Anthar's eyes focused on his bonded sister.

[I don't know Anthar.] Carisia spoke lowering the brush and moving to where he lowered his head close to her. She reached up and stroked his scales along his eye socket as she knew he liked so much. [If it is possible ... we will discover this. I give you my word.]

[Happiness and peace are not easy to discover are they sister?] He asked.

Carisia shook her head with a smile. [No they are not.]

[We will succeed Carisia. We will succeed and we will find what we seek.] Anthar said confidently.

Carisia met his eyes and for the first time since they had hatched their plan she smiled just as confidently. [Yes we will Anthar. Yes we will. You have to remain here for now, but I will try and bring something back for you.]

[I understand.] He replied. [Be cautious out there sister.]

SPARTAN SECURE SENATE CHAMBERS

SPARTA

"Ok ... I'm open to comments and ideas." Martin spoke as he sipped the large mug of Aricia's coffee. "Let's hear them."

The Secure Senate Chambers, or SSC as it was called by the Durcunusaan, was nothing more than a large lounge with an enormous table and perhaps forty chairs at the table and along the walls. It was very similar to the room in Eden City's Command center. Completely secure against electronic and psychic intrusion. The Durcunusaan joked that it was so secure only the gods had keys to get into it. In this room Martin expected everyone to be themselves. There was no formality in the least. All rank was left outside and those who were allowed into this room were considered the foremost family and friends of the Royal family as well as the movers and shakers of the Union. A much larger room had been built into the Senate Chambers on Apo Prime and of the trillions of sentient lifeforms that called the Lycavorian Union home, less than a quarter of one percent of that population would ever see the inside of one of these three rooms in the Union.

"Take the dragons they came here with and send the rest of them packing." The male voice spoke.

The two dozen heads, male and female, turned to look at Vonis where he leaned against the wall.

Star Colonel Vonis, son of the now dead Veldruk and Aikiro and half brother to Isabella. An imposing figure for a pureblood vampire, much larger than his father ever was, and a man who for the last twenty-five years had worked tirelessly in the field of protecting this Union he had come to love and call home. A trained assassin and high level Intelligence Agent of the Venorik Elghinn, the High Coven's dreaded intelligence service, Vonis was a man who knew death intimately. A man who had come into the Lycavorian Union those twenty-five years ago bent on killing Isabella and destroying the peace and serenity that every vampire that called the Union home had gained. He was a man who had taken an elf female to be his sexual plaything while he was on Elear attempting to complete these missions. He was also a man who had fallen head over heels in love with the dark haired, blue eyed elven female who had given him so much and asked for nothing in return.

Vonis remembered that day as if it was yesterday. Standing next to King Leonidas and turning to see Va'nimia standing by the ramp of a STRIKER. Tears clouded her eyes as he was about to be turned over to Yuri and his mother and would no doubt be executed for his actions. Executed for discovering he had a heart and that heart had been possessed by the elven beauty. Vonis remembered the King's words to him that day vividly.

[All you need do is turn and grasp the future Vonis.] Martin's voice burst into his head and his wide eyes turned back to him in shock. He had brushed aside his Mindvoice Shields as if they weren't even there. [I have lived my life by one primary rule Vonis. Never fear the unknown, for it could bring wonders you can not imagine. You took the first step when you discovered Va'nimia, now embrace the unknown and move forward. You will not be questioned or harassed in any way. On that you have my word as King. You can have a future with a woman who loves you Vonis. A woman you love as well if only you will allow what I can smell you feel for her to come out.]

[I will be hunted. I will never be at peace.] Vonis spoke tentatively.

[You let me worry about that. She carries your son you know.] Martin lifted his hand. [And she asked me to give you this.]

Vonis looked down and saw the necklace he had given to her those long weeks ago. He lifted it from Martin's hand as Yuri looked on in confusion. She could feel the tremors within Mindvoice, but the shields guarding that conversation were more powerful than any she had felt except for her mother.

[Your decision right now will not affect just one life, but three lives. Do you love her enough to reach past what you fear? You are Isabella's sister ... and she was right when she told me you are not like your father and Yuri. Prove to me Bella is right about that Vonis and I will protect you myself if I have too.]

[And you will want nothing in return?]

Martin smiled at him. [I have Isabella's love. Whatever information you have in your head Vonis is not more important to me than that.]

Vonis had done just that.

He had grabbed at the unknown and held on tight, never once looking back. It had not been easy at first he admitted to himself. Isabella's guidance and support and Va'nimia's unwavering love for him had been all he needed to get past what he had lived nearly fifteen hundred years believing. The birth of their first child had been the catalyst for Vonis slamming that door shut and forever sealing that part of his life away. Never to be reopened again. He loved Va'nimia just as much, if not more now, than he did back then. She had given him five beautiful children over the course of the years, two proud sons and three equally proud and exceptionally beautiful daughters.

Five years after that fateful day, Vonis had walked into Armetus's office and asked for a job. Martin Leonidas had kept his word to him, and never once in that five year period had Vonis been detained or questioned about anything in regard to the High Coven. That had sealed Vonis ultimate loyalty to him and the Union for all time.

Martin chuckled from his chair and leaned back. "Let it rip Vonis." He spoke.

"They can not be trusted in anything they do or say." Vonis pushed off the wall and moved closer to the table. "I know that more than anyone in this room. Take the dragons they have come here with, they were citizens of the Union before being torn from us by my mother and her henchmen. Take them back now and tell my mother and Yuri to go suck a very large Kremchak viper egg!"

That brought laughter from everyone in the room for it was well known the Kremchak Viper was almost as poisonous as a Rock Spider, and the eggs were coated with a viscous fluid that was considered just as lethal.

"As much as I would enjoy doing just what Vonis suggests ... that is not something we can do now." Arzoal's soft voice filled the room from the where she was in the Dragon Cave on the island of Sardinia.

It was a unique technological development that Avi, the Mindvoice ship's avatar, had designed and implemented for them on Elear, Earth and Apo Prime. There were dozens of extremely powerful Mindvoice generators scattered all over the City Ship that were sitting idle and unused. These generators, when tuned correctly were actually able to turn Arzoal's thoughts into words and almost exactly match how her voice sounded when she spoke within someone's mind.

Andro nodded from where he sat next to Moneus and Isra. "The Elder Mother is correct. These dragons have bonded to those who ride them. We can't separate them now. It would be like taking a beloved sibling from them."

"They are bonded that deeply with these dragons?" Dilios asked from his chair between Tarifa and Aihola.

Martin nodded. "Arzoal, Andro and I have been feeling the tremors within Mindvoice ever since they arrived. These are not simple and random pairings. They have bonded to the dragons, perhaps not on as large a scale as our own Bonded Pairs, but it is not something that has been forced."

"What about the intelligence they gave us?" Deia asked. She and Vonis had remained out of the initial meeting and monitored the entire affair from a heavily fortified and hidden room within the base in case it had been some sort of elaborate attempt to assassinate Martin and the others. "Armetus ... can it be vetted?"

Armetus looked at Martin. "I've already put out word to our people and agents in The Wilds Martin." He answered. "Confirming the movement of these ships should be easy enough. Confirming the actual existence of these Kavalian forces and their intent is another matter. I'm assuming we don't want to contact them and ask them if they plan to invade the Union, so other means need to be employed."