She had given Rose, who was unconscious, to Ayu, and put both into a safe room in her quarters, while the dragon was rampaging.<br/>Returning upon the scene of madness, Serafima coldly watched the gory scene. She did not want to expend her last powers, in case she needed them.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~I'll just let Cor-nuts deal with him.~</span>She turned around to leave, as the battle took a sudden end. Shaking her head she watched as the commander was shreddered to pieces. Another big headed Vampire who did not take care of their own blood rush and got careless...  however ..<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Killing a puppet wont do major harm to the puppeteer. There are enough puppets.~</span>sighed the Norva. She turned and left the scene, to take care of Rose as there was nothing to see here anymore. The hatchling might kill one or two of them, but in the end he was of no use to her.<br/>However she would soon find out that she had been wrong!<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">- A few days later -</div><br/><br/>The Norva hunter looked frowningly at the caged dragon boy. Due to her being up for some days straight, her powers had not fully recovered, and she was still recuperating. The decision was something she had expected - nobody of the vampires would be willing to risk their lives, while nobody of the Norva had enough interest besides maybe in his blood.<br/>The huntress had not especially liked Cornutz, however, due to the dragon hurting Rose, she would normally be one of the bleeding out faction... however.. she was not!<br/>But jumping into the pitfire called attention was not her style as well.  A feeling told her, that this stage play they performed today was only the first part of the game.<br/>And, honestly she did not want to stay to see the second part.<br/>This time, the Blood suckers had gathered up to kill and bleed another child. Serafima would not take part in this, but she was not saint enough, to save somebody that damaged something of hers.<br/>Plus, her sixth sense told her  - that she needed to leave as soon as possible.<br/><br/>Gritting her teeth she weighed the pros and cons of saving the bastard, but then she stood up and shaking her head, turned around to leave. Everyone else in the room looked perplexedly in her direction, for the 'best part' of the night was yet to start!<br/><br/>One of the council members even tried to hold her back.<span style="color: #000000">"Warrior, what about the bleeding? Dont you want your share?"</span>Everyone had witnessed her druggie antics and now it was as if the world turned around.<br/><br/>Turning back and taking a long look straight back at everyone in the room, Serafimas eyes flashed in a cold blooded light, and everyone fell silent. One moment of silence passed, then another.<br/>The Norva looked straight at the Dragon boys eyes for some seconds, silently and calmly. There might be flickering pity for a few moments within her calm green eyes, but who knew what that stoneface was thinking? Then, as if she had said her goodbyes, she said articulately to the others in the room.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF4040"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Not. Interested."</span></span><br/><br/>A shocked and confused murmur passed around the room, but the Norva did not even take note of it as she passed towards the automatic doors.<br/><br/>But it seemed, she was still a moment too late - a click signified, that the doors were locked by now. Cursing inwardly, Serafima regretted taking too long to decide. As they said, if you are too slow, others will decide for you!<br/>The lights in the room darkened and the red robed council member held up a magical sphere orb - a device to project not only appearance, but also a part of magic powers of the speaker - and a hologram sprung up in the now darkened room.<br/><br/>Blood red and black, etheral and everlasting beauty.<br/>Coldness masked under fiery lust.<br/>A world of blood and shadows beneath her feet.<br/>A dress matching her hair and eyes - the blood moon color of red.<br/><div class="inline-attachment">
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</div><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 120%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #000000"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Blood Queen! Hail the Blood Queen!" </span></span></span>everyone in the room gasped and fell onto one knee. Almost everyone. Gritting her teeth, Serafima was the only one who turned around just to lean on the closed doors with crossed arms before her chest.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~No wonder I had that bad gut feeling...~ </span>the hunter could only shake her head slowly, and be taken for a ride what was to come. But she would not bow to this woman. At least not willingly.<br/><br/><span style="font-size: 130%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-style: italic">"My children.." </span></span></span><br/>the voice boomed even through the hologram, and a powerful pressure descended on the room, making the vampires only bow even deeper.<br/>It hit the norva hard - her vampire blood boiled as it wanted to submit to this power, almost bursting her veins, however she still stood tall, focussing her eyes hatefully on the woman in the middle.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~What a reunion.. how many years has it been?~ </span>she endured the pain, with a face of frozen emotions and boiling eyes.<br/>Only an attentive observer would have noticed the trickle of blood slowly running down from both of her ears - a gift from resisting the initial submissive bow to her<span style="font-style: italic"> creator mother</span><br/>The Queens eyes glowed in a fiery light, as she continued.<br/><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #FF0000">"As everyone knows, we had a passing Commander on this ship. So this time I personally have come to commission another commander!" </span></span></span><br/><br/>everyone gasped in surprise - for this was an utmost honor! - while Serafima wanted to bang her body against the door so that she could leave, because she knew of the trouble that would follow.<br/>A light from the sphere fell upon her body, and everyone turned around another time, like the puppets they were. Strung along in her mothers clutches.<br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;">"Serafima Za'Urden!"</span></span></span><br/>the voice boomed, and everyone, resisting or not, fell onto their knees again.<br/><br/>There was a large shocked murmurs of protest, but the vampires were all prostrated before the Queens Avatar, powerless!<br/>How would it be in her presence? Would the ones murmuring protests have died on the spot?<br/>The Norva swayed, her knees buckled, but she barely kept her balance, gritting her jaws, her whole body tensed. Another trickle of blood ran down her chin. The pressure loosened for a little, and everyone looked up, to see in horror, that the Blood Hunter was the only one that was still standing and not bowing before the Queen! What disrespect! Audacity!<br/>Moreover, the following scene shocked the noble vampires even more!<br/>Gathering her magic power and revolving it in her body for a while to resist the pressure, Serafima spit a mouthful of blood out, and then pressed through gritted teeth:<br/><span style="color: #FF4040">"No way."</span><br/>Utter silence! Absolute silence in shock and maybe awe of this suicidal Norva in front of the Blood Queen!<br/>Everyone forgot that the dragon would die today for a moment, because they expected the Blood Huntress to die first!<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 130%; line-height: 116%;">"AHAHAHAHHAHA~"</span></span></span><br/><br/>Booming laughter of the Queen Zarathustra echoed and let all Vampires fall to their knees again, the ones who were not fast enough spitting mouthfuls of blood.<br/>Serafima had braced herself, and her blood shot eyes trickled in a stream of red, bloody tears from enduring the pressure on her body and mind. The wave smacked her against the door, but she still stood.<br/>She would have been a goner, if this was a direct confrontation, however this was only a hologram!<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #FF0000">"I like that! "</span></span></span>the Blood Queen smiled mishievously after releasing the wave of power.<span style="color: #FF0000"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;">"Not bad, not bad, you got a tiny bit stronger..."</span></span></span>She finally released the pressure in the room, letting all the Vampires stretch their bones and muscles slowly. Two of the four Dhampire Soldiers  though, were lying dead next to the dragons cage -  their eyeballs, eardrums and brains had burst from the mental magic pressure of the Blood Queens projections power, raining a shower of blood and gore onto the dragon.<br/><br/><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #FF0000">"So, you dont want to be commander of a fleet?"</span></span></span>an evil smirk was framing her face, as she asked rhetorically. If anyone would dare to look closer at the Blood queen, they might notice some slight similiarities between the two talking women... but who would dare to look close at a being whose<span style="font-style: italic">projection</span>could kill somebody? And who would dare to compare a spawn of Norva with the utmost respected Blood Queen!<br/>The Queen waved her hand dismissingly, as if swatting a fly:<br/><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #FF0000">"Well, then let Wilkes be commander again!"</span></span><br/>A devilish grin framed her face as she continued:<br/><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #FF0000"> "Ah...  take care of the dragon, my dear Serafima ~ I know you like rare magical creatures! Its a gift from me to you...Or from me to myself? Since you are <span style="font-style: italic">my</span> property... Ahahahahaha....~"</span></span>the projection faded, but some of the unprepared Vampires had to gulp down another mouthful of their blood.<br/>After another flicker, the projection stopped and the spirit orb shattered.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Mother loves to torture people through her powers... as usual~ </span>the norva sneered, as she was once again the focus of attention.<br/>Her clothes were black - otherwise everyone would have seen that she was drenched in her own blood and perspiration. She could not hide the bloody lines all over her face and the burst veins in her eyes, so she simply steadied herself again, stabilizing her numb body, even though her head was dizzy.<br/><br/>The key of rumors would be not the dragon but herself. And that would bring her in grave danger... not from the ones in those rooms, but from powers on Zarathustras level.<span style="font-style: italic">~That devious woman knew that, and did it all on purpose..~ </span>the blood huntress thought resignedly.<br/>So much for being low key.. Her ears still ringing, she motioned the half alive Dhampires - the survivors from the four initially guarding the cage, to bring it over.<br/>Then, she blatantly sat down in Cortez vacant position, and placed her feet on the table.<br/><span style="color: #FF4040">"Questions? ... ask at your own risk. After I leave this room, everything just mentioned will be forgotten. This is <span style="font-style: italic">her</span> will."</span><br/>The red robed Vampire sucked a small breath in - she had recieved the exact same instruction through a close servant of the Blood Queen, together with the orb.<br/>Then she nodded slowly, to indicate that it was true.<span style="color: #000000">"Yes. This is indeed <span style="font-style: italic">her</span> will. Nothing is to be disclosed. But how ..?" </span><br/>Waiting for the officers to calm down, the Norva was contemplating, if she had been tested on how important the dragon was to her, or if his blood had made her addicted yet today... probably both.<br/>That tiny bit of pressure was just a childsplay to hers truly...To be a powerful being of trillions of years... once again the Blood Huntress felt a mountain as tall as the universe before her.<br/>It was truly amusing, how Queen Zarathustra looked at everyone of this caliber here as her puppets, pets and playthings.<br/><br/>If a pet did something novel it was endearing!<br/>If it was boring - crush it!<br/>If it struggled -  How fun! Torture it more!<br/><br/>...<br/><br/>Her canines elongated subconsciously, and she released a murderous aura, just thinking about how<span style="font-style: italic">amused</span>the Blood Queen was by her. She had probably made that womans boring day interesting!<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~What a cursed fate we have..~</span>The Norva took a long glance at the dragon boy, - at least<span style="font-style: italic">his</span>chains were visible ones. The dragon was the most free of everyone in this room. How ironic!<br/>But she had to make the best of the situation...<br/>It could not be said who would win at the end.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Just you wait, Blood Queen, just you wait...you gave me a powerful weapon yourself, dont regret it!~</span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br/><br/><div style="background-color:#aaaaaa; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="color: #000000"><div style="text-align: center;">- Previous night -</div></span><br/><br/><span style="color: #000000">As so often, Serafima was experimenting with blood incantations in her laboratory. Rose seemed to be stabilized for now, but it would be questionable, if she would recover completely or not. Her own blood was poison as well! The Blood link diminished the potency, but ...<br/>Absentmindedly, the hunter took out the fresh dragon blood vial, and swirled it around. In the artifical moonlight, shining from one of the windows of her laboratory, some blue and golden runes swirled around the vial. <br/>For any other eyes, this blood would be red, or blue, if the dragon died, however, in the eyes of the Norva tracker, runes and incantations were plastered all over each drop. It was similar but differend to her own '<span style="font-style: italic">blood glow</span>', as she called it. While her own was silver and red , due to the vampiric and norne magic in her veins, the golden and blue indicated ice and dragon magic - at least for her eyes. <br/>A sudden idea stirred her mind, and she dripped some drops of her and the dragons blood in a small bottle, then closed and shook it a little ...<br/>As it mixed, suddenly a gust of hot and cold air erupted out of the vial, cracking it and evaporating through the cracks - leaving a powerful incantation in the air, that spurred and then burst like fireworks. <br/>Raisin both her eyebrows, Serafima invoked her blood magic, controlling it, and absorbing a decent amount of power!<br/>-  but soon enough she sighed as she could not activate the other part. </span><br/><span style="color: #FF4040"><span style="font-style: italic">"A synthesis of opposite powers...what an incentive.." </span></span><span style="color: #000000">she murmured, as she stared down at the now calm and cool liquid in the cracked vial...</span><span style="color: #FF4040"> <span style="font-style: italic">"I'd love to test this more.."</span></span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">***</div></div>