<div style="background-color:#000000; border:1px solid black; margin:10px 10px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #00BF00">In a Galaxy far, far .. and a little bit further away...</span></span><br/><br/>There lived a mystic race, well, a tribe that got written as the Norne into the history books, later on.  <br/>Legend said,<br/><span style="color: #0080FF"><span style="font-style: italic"> 'If you meet the Norne, you can change your own fate'</span>.</span> <br/>But you had to travel far into the nothingness to ever meet one of them. <br/>The Norne were not immortal, they did not have strong bodies. They lived detached from life and deathly matters, or the mundane world. Possessing high intelligence and magic abilities, they were later labelled as a pre-race of the elves.<br/>And, truly, they did have a long lifespan, the almond eyes, lean statures and pointed ears as the elves had.<br/>Their eyes though, were sparkled with the colors of the stars. Their hair was a glistening dark of the night, while their skin had the creamy color of a yellow moon. <br/>Their voices held a magic lullaby, as ancient and melodic as the universe.<br/>Living a long life, they did not seem to care about their survival, and they could not really touch upon their own fates.<br/>One day, however, a warship full of Vampiric race, stumbled upon the Norne tribe, while being stranded hopelessly outside their usual perimeter.  None of the tracking or space locking devices worked.<br/><br/>The Vampires were thirsty, and eager to eat their new prey, but the Norne leader warned, devoid of any emotion: <br/><span style="font-style: italic">"If you ingest blood from us, you will seal your own fate." </span><br/>Not believing him, the Vampires killed half of the Norne tribe, and feasted upon them.<br/>Soon, they realized, however, that the words of the elder seemed to hold some truth. Even if they did draw Norne blood and drank it, filling up their stomaches, it was cold blood, ashen blood, silver blood, filled with magic that repelled them, devoid of any nutrients for the blood-suckers. <br/>Some of the Vampires even fell into eternal sleep as an aftereffect. <br/><br/>The Vampiress commander gritted her teeth, as she did not see any other way out besides calling a temporary truce. <br/><span style="color: #0080FF"><span style="font-style: italic">"As long as you give us protection, we will see to your fate being good and your race prospering. Only in swearing a blood oath with a member of the Norne, will you be able to unfold our bloods magic and digest it."</span></span><br/>Thats how the Norne started to be Vampiric shamans. This race was almost wiped out, and always stayed in the shadows, so most of history books never even mentioned them. <br/><br/>Until the first interstellar war, where their crossbreeds - the Norva - entered the picture. <br/>At first Norva were overlooked as well, but, with centuries passing their precognition, magical abilities, and tracking abilities skyrocketed. They were not as strong in raw power and endurance as Dhampirs, the human-vampire crossbreeds. But they excelled in agility and magic, having a natural boon in both of their parental races.<br/>Of course, the best belonged only to the first generation Norva -  After being discovered by the Vampires and crossbred again and again to get more scouts and pre-cognitive soldiers, Norva's bloodlines weakened and the imbalance toward Vamprism was overbearing. Light-weakness, bloodthirst appeared as well as the pale skintone, making the third and fourth generation no different from Vampiric elves, with low Nornic abilities.<br/>Thats why Norva first generation were too rare to be even showcased. Even second or third generations were like hot buns sold out in winter. <br/>Kidnapping , trafficking, horrendous sums of ressources or money. Only the most privileged Vampires knew what a Norva could do. <br/><br/>Ironically, the Norne detested their own spawns. While detest was a new emotion for them, their first propecy for the Norva included themselves:<br/><span style="color: #BF0000"><span style="font-style: italic"><div style="text-align: center;">"A symbiosis of snake and dragon, emerges!<br/>When the snake bites its own tail, <br/>The circle will be completed. <br/>A new generation dyed in blood, washing away the shine of the old. <br/>Nature knows no mercy... <br/>Stars fall to nothingness...<br/>Madness thrives, where the opposite powers cannot be balanced.<br/>Only burned by fire and frozen by ice can fate be reversed."</div></span></span><br/><br/>having their own downfall before their eyes, Norne turned their otherworldy eyes to the mundane world, and their powers to control fate dimmed, leaving them vulnerable to Vampires again.<br/> Lots of the Norva got caught because of Norne trying to change their own fate.<br/>But it did not stop them from perishing -  Norne could never change fate for themselves.<br/>They were no more masters, but slaves of their own prophecies!<br/><br/>An age of blood emerged with the second and third interstellar magic wars...<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><div style="text-align: center;">***</div></span><br/><br/>About 500 years later...<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">***</div><br/>Dressed in a simple black overall, her golden-crimson hair - often stated as "blood moon hair" - gently swiveled and trailed down her back, as Serafima walked down the hangar to her scouting starship. Her eyes, in the changing color of alexandrite gemstone - from emerald green to ruby red at times - scanned the perimeter like an x-ray, as she  walked.  A stubborn chin line and a straight nose framed the exotic face, having both the elegance of a vampire and the elven traits.  A smile might have given the face a charming allure, but the usually stone faced woman was even slightly frowning today. Still, her team did not take it to heart, as she only slightly nodded. <br/><br/>"Any news from the Red Requiem?" <br/>Serafimas' voice trailed off in a melodic hum, contradicting the worry and tension that she felt inwardly. <br/>"No, Sera, none." <br/><br/>Alfred, the oldest mechanic shook his head. He had a son on that Destroyer, and even if he was 'just a measly human worker' in some of the Vampires eyes, Serafima did not mark any of the racial differences  - <br/>In her eyes, ability and intelligence was what mattered. And Alfred could make her little Shadow - as she called her ship - maneuver like a colibri flapping her wings in front of a flower bud, or a Falcon catching its prey while almost crashing into the ground.  <br/>The only time she felt free. Stroking with fingers along the wing of the craft as she entered it, she sighed contendly. <br/><br/>"I am going out. In case something is up." <br/>"Ay ay."<br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><div style="text-align: center;">----</div></span><br/><br/>Radiant fireworks flashed across Serafimas eyes - but they were not real fireworks, they were the aftermaths of the explosion.<br/>She saw the Requiem going down, and could only watch as she had not even brought any Ammo, to get more velocity and speed on her scouter.<br/>Serafimas canines flashed as she bit her lip, but she was not feeling any pain. <br/><span style="font-style: italic">~If I ever see them, I will track them down, and char them alive. And if this is the last that I do. ~</span><br/>Coldness flashed in her eyes, as she turned away from the aftermath. Her blood connection to Lyciel was gone. Her cousin was dead.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><div style="text-align: center;">***</div></span></div><br/><br/><br/>Hacking the cameras with her portable intercom watch was too easy, and Serafima coldly watched the boring talks. But the important part was yet to come, so she only mildly paid attention, until a command was issued.<br/><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #80BFFF"> "Send in Serafima Za'Urden"</span></span><br/><br/><br/>Lazily, swinging her legs down from the table, ignoring the jealous and aggrieved looks from the other Hunters, she made her way to the conference room, still listening to the conversation.<br/><br/><span style="color: #80BFFF"><span style="font-style: italic"><br/>"You are going to give those to her! She has served under my command for a hundred years! Five times she has been captured by the Drow! She is reckless! Insubordinate! And...."<br/><br/><br/>"And she has nearly always escaped without your assistance...but most importantly, no matter how she is gone, she has never come back empty handed... unlike you" Cortez corrected him. "And that is why, I am going to be overseeing the command of your ship... I personally will be leading this expedition, and you will be re-assigned to terrestrial portals," he informed him.</span></span><br/><br/>Serafima tilted her head a little, as an amused half smile flashed on her face.<br/>It was quite the feat, how Wilkes got manhandled by Cortez. In any case, they both were not really worth her time pondering if she liked them or not, even if they seemed quite hot and bothered about her now.<br/>And she was dead sure that this play was staged and puppeteed by hers truly. Mother. Or Misstress Syraphelia Za'shura. Blood Queen Zarathustra.. Or... other names she took through the years, when she got tired of her old ones.<br/><br/>The Norva woman shrugged and entered, but as she passed through the automatic doors, her whole body and facial muscles underwent a change, like a water ripple, and now a mask of military order, and an icy gaze masked her eyes.<br/><br/>She caught the vials thrown by Cor-something obediently, playing his little doggy, while they twirled in one of her hands, so fast they were almost levitating, as they reflected an eerie sapphire glow. It would have been easier for her to use her blood powers to make the blood fly to her - or smash back to break his nose, for example.<br/><br/><span style="color: #80BFFF"><span style="font-style: italic">"I know you are a Norva, I know you do not need blood to live... but heed my instructions carefully...</span></span><br/><br/>His words barely reached her ears and she was suppressing a cold sneer, as she played with the vials.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Dumbass, am I a vampire? And even if I was, am I any kind of<span style="font-weight: bold"> random</span> vampire? A stupid Bloodsucker?  I'm the cursed daughter of the Blood Queen Zarathustra... and the cursed spawn of Niriel, the last Norne..  I know these vials are fishy. More traps for my mother to control me with and turn me into another valuable puppet of hers like my brothers. ~  </span><br/><br/>Her own inner monologue overlapped with and got underlined with the eerie voice of Corvaz, as she almost sighed. What a waste, she couldnt do much with dead blood, besides training her magic skills and incantations a little.<span style="font-style: italic">~Might as well sell it and leave just a drop for tracking.~</span>A genius idea hit her as she nodded solemnly to Cornatz last words.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Darn, if I am getting high on drugged dragon blood, it wont definitely be a live one, not a dead one.~</span>She made a note to herself as she squinted her alexandrite, almond eyes, exiting the commanders conference room.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~ They smell tasty though...those bastards... ~ </span>she peered at the vials, then stashed them away. What Vampires would want so badly, she only needed for research or magical purposes. Thanks to her useless and hateful Fathers abilities, who tracked her down every time she tried to escape her mothers clutches, she saw blood as nothing more than a tasty snack now and then.<br/><br/>A low sigh escaped her, as she thought that she had to play a dragon blood druggie from now on to be clear of suspicion.<span style="font-style: italic">How humiliating.</span><br/>However, her reason to track any spawn of that damned dragon, was a heavier one. Drugs? She almost laughed out loud. What were drugs besides playthings for the weak-willed.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Little cousin.</span>.. interrupting the sentimental thoughts, she turned away, hardening her gaze<span style="font-style: italic">-they will burn for this.</span>.<br/>If she was ever to be free from all her chains of blood... then a storm could start.<br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold">*** </span></div><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">One year and a bit later</span><br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold">***</span></div><br/>The blood drop in her hand resonated oh so slightly, but steadily as she dropped the necklace, more like a choker to her, inside her overall.<br/>A track. And not a faint trace, but something bigger. Not bad. Serafima showed a vicious sneer, as she armed herself,  stuck some silver needles inside her sleeves.<br/><br/>Of course, arms were not allowed - but would anyone be able to even get close enough to check<span style="font-style: italic">her</span>arms?<br/><br/>Serafima possessed an arsenal of lock picking, hacking and weaponry mini tools on her body. Just because they would take away any kind of weapons or bags, it did not mean she would not possess any other means to arm herself. Her energy daggers neatly folded themselves into her leather overall pockets, be it leg or sleeves. She was like a card magician - only her 'cards' were a little more deadly.<br/><br/>Following the resonances of the blue stone drop, she wandered through the halls, and around the people, seemingly aimless and unnoticed, like a shadow.<br/>A hooded cape was hiding her waist long hair and flight goggles masked her eyes. The usual city wear, just to stay inconspicious among the multiple races. Plus, lots of people wore their flight gear outside.<br/>It would be trickier to stay unnoticed inside though.<br/><br/>With Serafimas tall stature and demeanor she might pass barely for a male, and a Vampire, so entering one of the Blood entertainment clubs inside the perimeter, was easy. Guided by the drop on her chest, as it emitted a faint heat under her magic incantations.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~Thats as far as it goes.~</span>she thought to herself and stopped her exhausted powers.<span style="font-style: italic">~Now its up to my instincts.~</span><br/><br/>Just, as she entered, flashing by some of the guards in a niffy, and nestled herself in a dark corner at the bar, the stage lit up, and helped to hide her arrival from the other guests.<br/>A melody lulled the Bloodsuckers into a trance, while a half naked youth was teasing them with his aegyo.<br/>Serafima was given a nice timeframe to scan the complete room, without any disturbances thanks to that.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~What a nice little distraction to help me...~</span>she thought, slightly amused, but her eyes were still cold and concentrated, as she searched. Her senses were flooded by the different smells of blood inside, fake blood, fae blood, human blood, elven blood - even vampire blood seemed to be on the menu. But her senses did not catch onto a special smell - until she suddenly stopped, electrified.<br/>Her smaragd eyes focussed on the blood trickle, being quickly covered by a white hand. Then they spun to another drop on the chin of a vampiress.<br/>A slight incantation, and a small drop from the Vampiress flew towards her, unnoticed by most, dropping on her finger.<br/>Without fear, she infused magic into it, and smeared it on her bottom lip.<br/>Serafima was confident to suppress the rush that followed, but probably not for too long, so she did not taste it directly with her lips, only inhaling small quantities of this poison as she tried to tune into the link, not quite sure, if the white haired boy on stage was really a Worp Dragon.<br/>She instinctively sensed a pair of dark Drow eyes, lunging upon her, just as a slight connection with the blood drop stabilized.<br/>Drow confusing magic hit her, probingly, but she could only shrug innerly, as she pretended to sway. He put up his guards too late, as she did not drop down. She would have had more problems if he threw a dagger or something...<br/>With that swaying motion, a small needle shot out of her sleeve, numbed the Drow, as Serafima stealthily caught the guy, just before he keeled over, dragging him inside, behind the stage.<br/>Sighing, she pulled out the needle, and then painfully mind-screened him, unfurling most of his dirty secrets in order to get some useful information on the guy happily playing outside. Drow had quite the good magic resistance, so she stopped after a while, and his muffled screams of agony stopped as well.<br/>"Nothing useful."<br/>Serafima cleanly ended his sorry life with one of her daggers. No blood spilled, as the special energy-coating on the dagger cauterized the wound if she switched it on.<br/><span style="font-style: italic">~What a disgusting smell.~ </span>Drow blood really was not up her alley. Still,<span style="font-style: italic">dead and charred</span>drow blood was not too bad. Drow and her were not really on good terms. Especially the Drow serving her father.<span style="font-style: italic">~che.~</span>She dropped the body.<br/><br/>Having a breather to herself, Serafima sat in the dim, dark room, pondering for the first time what to do, after following her trail of revenge and instinct - she had no confirmation besides her sense of smell that this was really a Worp dragon.<br/>What is more - and here she contemplated more to herself -<br/>even if she brought Commander Cornanwhatever his dragon, it was<span style="font-style: italic">her</span>that had to raise that beast in the end.<br/>And, all the more, she wanted to<span style="font-style: italic">skin it alive</span>and not to<span style="font-style: italic">raise</span>it.<br/><br/>Conflicted, she kicked the corpse to the center of the room, venting a little.<br/>Just as the drow flopped down with a soft thud, the white haired - suspected -dragon boy stumbled inside.<br/><br/><a href="http://i.imgur.com/CYv1TOK.jpg"><img alt="Image" src="http://i.imgur.com/CYv1TOK.jpg" style="max-width:700px; max-height; 700px;"/></a><br/>Serafima sat motionless on the sofa, as he did not seem to take note of her dark figure, more shocked by the carcass lying inside the room.<br/>Strangely, she was calm as she studied that specimen, without the usual hate for them.<br/>Still, a little killing intent seemed to seep out of her, as her eyes suddenly changed color to ruby red and started to glow!