Cracks began to steadily slip across the formerly flawless surface of the ebony egg. Almost immediately a odorless black smoke began to flow out the cracks, seeping into the air and staining it with shadows. As the egg continued to crack, pieces falling away to reveal more and more of the darkness and smoke until the egg lay fragmented and in pieces, the billowing smoke obscuring all sight as it filled the room, blocking out the glimmering rune and gems of the room.<br/><br/>Empty.<br/><br/>The broken remnants of the egg was all that was left of sixteen years of effort. Had the teachers tampered with her egg behind her back? it was possible. truly it was also possible that the egg itself was nothing more than the cruelest of ruses...an empty vessel given to her from the very start. a rotten, unfertilized egg designed to drive an emotional dagger past the armor she had built up over all these years.<br/>Mocking laughter began to fall from the lips of the other students, many of whom waved a hand over the smoke, as if it was leaving a bad smell. "I suppose jokes about her being the kings rotten egg had far more credit to them than they were given." a familiar, feminen voice chided her from somewhere in the spectator stands, while the forms of the other dragons lowered themselves, disinterested in the proceedings.<br/><br/>The sense of relief from the two teachers behind her was almost palpable, eaching relaxing and giving a sigh while the king up and left the room. Finally, it seemed...she had failed him, and he had lost interest in his favorite pet. they-just as much as she- knew the price of failure when you were a slave. The ever present figure of the kings executioner was quick to take up his axe and stalk towards her kneeling figure. He, like her and all the teachers...had been waiting for this moment. here, at her lowest point she would be taken...not without a fight, of course...<br/><br/>It was then that a deep, deep, throaty growl was felt through the stony floor...the deep bass of the sound sending vibrations through the ground that could be felt as well as heard...causing the hair on flesh to rise.<br/>All at once two huge flaming ruby orbs appeared before her kneeling form, quite literally blinking into view with a soft scraping sound. The eyes themselves were as large as she was tall, her own figure reflected back to her from within the core of the black, slitted pupil and surrounded by the ring of fire of it's iris.<br/>The rumbling continued as the eyes rose up slowly, towering over her as a hot gust of moist air blew over her form! her hair moved as if caught in a powerful wind with reddish cinders flickering past her. Then, there was a reversal of force, an inhale as the being wreathed in the black smoke took in her scent.<br/><br/>Jagged cracks seemed to form from the darkness before her, each glowing with the color of molten rock. Only as the darkness before her continued to fracture did it become apparent that it was a colossal grimace. Like a forge being stoked to life, further cracks in the darkness began to appear and with each gradual flaming glow more of the beast's gargantuan frame came to view.<br/>Rivulets of molten lava glowed balefully between each of the thick, heavy looking jet black scales that covered the monsters form. A heavy, powerful looking jaw lay shut below the beasts prideful ruby eyes while a glowing crown of black horns curled and stretched up and behind the dragon's huge skull. Polished obsidian, bone, hardened magma, and heavy scale clad muscle all combined to create the dragons huge form. Covered in a natural armor as thick as a castle wall the beast shifted slowly, stretching a pair of gargantuan black leather wings. The visible veins within the leather and scale glowed darkly, casting light on the natural rubies that encrusted the dragon's joints.<br/><br/>The being before her was without a doubt, an elder dragon. A pure blooded breed that had not been seen in this room since its conception in a time long forgotten. Taking up nearly the entirety of the room, the calm and reserved behavior exhibited by the other dragons became understandable. The other dragons were not sleepy, nor were they bored...<br/><br/>They were submissive. desperate to not gain attention from the regal monster in the center of the room.<br/><br/>From behind the dragon its massive tail shifted slightly into view as it continued to growl. The movement caused one of her fellow graduates to loose thier bladder,soiling thier dress clothes. The beast's tail was as heavily armored as it's chest, with heavy bone and blackened rock fusing together organically to create a natural weapon reminiscent of a long spiked mace that spanned most the dragon's tail. The tail shifted again, this time in an almost irritated manner before the dragon's heavy jaws slid open before Noxaura's kneeling form.<br/>Scales and stone cracked the marbled floor beneath its jaw, giving her a view of the dark and expansive interior of the dragons mouth. A heavy looking tongue flattened slightly as a baleful glow eminated from the beast's throat. Almost in sync with the growing glow the birthmark on her form began to throb. Then, the dragon exhaled onto her.<br/><br/>The heart of the dragons breath was visable only to her. A burst of brilliant ruby energy washed over her form, the heat akin to bathing herself in fire. Outside the heart of his breath however, was a wash of midnight black flame! Screams of terror filled the room as magic wards of protection popped like wet bubbles...all of these sounds were mute to her however, infact all her senses were overwhelmed by the breath of the creature all around her. Everything that was not a natural part of her vaporized off her form. Scars etched into her flesh with salt and piercings marking her as property all vanished into smoke, vaporized. Even the collar around her neck could not face the undivided focus of his flames. Glowing red hot for a brief moment the stone at its core cracked, and a muffled shriek sounded from the cursed item before it was gone like all the other imperfections.<br/><br/>When the dragon's jaws shit with a heavy sound, she had been reborn. Like a pheonix from flames, she was laid bare and new. the magic long restrained flowing back into her with the first breath taken after the dragon's breath engulfed her. Now she lay at the center of the cracked floor, the force of her dragons breath enough to shake the floor and break it as well as burn....but to her, it was a clensing beyond any bath.<br/>Then, a single clawed arm rose and moved past her, breaking the stone under the beast's weight as it moved over her, the creatures regal head stretching over her as smoke continued to flow from its volcanic jaws. Then a heavy deep masculine voice filled her mind as well as her ears...sounding as if someone was rolling rocks against one another.<br/><br/><b><i>I HEAR YOU.</i></b>