Two days later, James found himself kneeling behind a boulder at the north side of the canyon. The vines that once came down were barely more than black stains against the canyon wall. The queen was still hovering over the area, snuffling the area with a nose that wasn't there. It was clear she was looking for the energy.

"What do you want to do with her?" Amber asked.

James rubbed his chin as he watched the queen move around. She hadn't created very many monsters since the energy was cut off, maybe twelve in total, compared to the hundreds she made before. If not thousands. "I think we leave her."

Zenaria frowned next to him. "You're worried about the cultivators losing their Qi?"

"No," he said honestly. "I'm worried that our children won't have any souls to harvest once they start growing up."

Realization dawned on both of the ladies. Amber was the first to nod in agreement. "It make me happy you are thinking that far ahead. Now I want you to put one in me."

Smacking her arm, Zenaria sighed. "Ignore her, James. She's just upset that you'd rather have me than her."

Holding up his hands, he silenced the fight that was brewing. "That's enough. We've decided to leave the queen. The rent and nest are dead, and no one will be able to kill the queen apart from us. What I want to know is how she is creating the monsters."

"Don't see any of your people's energy inside her?" Amber asked.

"I don't." Peering at the blob of flesh, James focused on his Violet eye. Scanning the creature, he found where the energy used to be housed, but it was bone dry. Somehow, she was still creating monsters.

"Maybe she is using Qi," Zenaria suggested.

James wanted to shrug. He honestly didn't know how she was doing it. Did she have her own energy source that he couldn't see? He could feel the Qi, or Aether, as the west would call it. The air practically boiled with energy that would keep nearly anyone away less they destroy their cultivation.

"We should head back," Amber said, breaking his train of thought.

Glancing over his shoulder at the dark path that awaited them, he nodded. "You're right for once."

"For once?" she growled.

"It finally happened," Zenaria said whimsically. "I never thought this day would happen."

James snorted a laugh. "Well, we kept holding out hope, even though it was getting harder each day."

"I prayed every day," Zenaria added. "I prayed that my sister would have her moment."

Amber's growl increased in volume. "I'll kill you both!"

"Moments passed," James teased. "She's back to talking nonsense. Oh well, time to start praying again."

"Damn," Zenaria muttered. "If this is her first time being right, then that means she hasn't been right in bed." Rubbing James's arm, she sniffled. "You poor thing. I'll take care of you."

Lunging across James, Amber tackled Zenaria. The kitsune started to laugh, rolling with the attack. James shook his head, laughing while walking away. Over his shoulder, he watched Amber tickle Zenaria's sides, earning squeals of laughter that started to draw the queen's attention.

"Might want to move," he called out. "Don't know how fast she can move."

"She?" Amber questioned loudly. "Zenaria loves being pinned down. She won't run."

Zenaria cut off her laughter. "Oh shit, the queen is coming!"

Amber jumped up and rushed over to him, leaving Zenaria behind. "Let's go, Master!"

For her part, Zenaria rolled to her feet and scrambled to catch up. Running past them, she took the lead, making him chuckle. With one last glance at the queen, James found that she was barely moving. It was likely she didn't have the energy to move very quickly.

Kicking into a run, James hurried after Zenaria, bringing Amber with him. They had a lot of ground to cover before they reached their camp.

***

Coral rubbed the pink fur on her arm nervously as she thought about meeting Venice, just so the stupid tiger could brag about her achievements. The walk was the worst part. Apparently, the rent had been destroyed, and Venice didn't have any reinforcements.

Sighing, Coral drew the attention of the five men with her. Glancing over her shoulder, she tried to ignore their concerned looks as she kept nervously rubbing her arm. It was an old habit that she had never been able to break.

Venice didn't like her because Coral was one of the youngest members of The Pact, and had risen in power quickly. She didn't want as much power as she had, but one fight with the monsters led to another, and she was desperate to survive each time. The next thing she knew, she had a squad of her own and was stationed in Norn, not too far from the South Asia Rent. It wasn't a bad station, but twice a month, she had to clear out the tunnels, and that only pushed her closer to Venice. The stupid tiger was pulled from the frontlines a year ago for getting her people killed for being too aggressive.

"Ma'am, you are doing it again," one of her men whispered.

Letting her arm go, she grabbed her spear instead. The comfortable feeling of the metal in her hands was perfect for showing her strength and resolve. It also hid her nerves every time she had a bad feeling about her future. There was only a few minutes of walking before they would round the last corner and reach the rent, and likely find Venice waiting for them. With any luck, she was beaten down and bleeding and Coral could smile again.

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"I heard she threw away her soldiers again," someone whispered.

"Doesn't surprise me. She's hot shit after killing so many Valiants in her prime."

Coral didn't comment. Even though she didn't think highly of Venice, she didn't want to badmouth her without her being present.

Tuning out her team, she rounded the last corner and froze. Sitting where the entrance to the rent was supposed to be was a solid brick built structure with a large door that was slowly opening. The bad feeling she had going into the day grew that much more and she gulped when a snow white dragon head poked out of the doorway.

"So, you've actually come."

The dragon's voice filled her head, making her wince and step back.

Laughing, the dragon stepped out of the building, followed by a red dragon, and nearly a dozen more. All fully grown. With a glance into the structure, she felt dread when she found even more dragons waiting inside a vast open room.

"You have made a terrible mistake, coming here," the dragon stated. "But I will not be the one to kill you, child. That will be for my master to decide."

"I-I thought the dragons were all dead," Coral said, projecting false confidence into her voice.

"Not at all, child. Just waiting for our true master to retrieve us. And you should know that he is angry. Very angry."

"H-he," she stammered.

Chuckling, the white dragon used her claw to motion to the other dragons. Within seconds her small group was surrounded and there was no longer any way to escape. Valiants and monsters they could fight. Dragons on the other hand were creatures of myth and legend. They could lay waste to entire countries without taking damage. Nothing had been able to kill them.

"He'll be here any minute. Just sit tight, little animal? What are you exactly?" the dragon asked.

Coral glanced back at her slender tail that seemed to coil on its own. She had nearly normal human ears, and she knew others thought she was quite pretty, but she had never met another like her before. "I'm not sure."

"Doesn't matter. He's nearly here."

***

James slowed to a walk as he reached the new fort. Priest was waiting outside for him, his arms crossed and a grim expression in place.

"Did someone die?" James joked as he stopped.

"The Pact is here."

Growls rose in the girls' chests as they prepared to march past Priest and into the fort. James barely stopped them before asking, "have they hurt anyone?"

"No," Priest answered. "Mother has them contained at the moment. Their leader seems terrified of dragons."

James felt the anger in his chest building as he walked past Priest. He wanted answers from The Pact members, and now as the perfect time. He only needed to control Amber and Zenaria so they didn't kill all of them.

Dragons parted for him as he started to release his hold on his soul. Pressure rolled off him, distorting the air and even the girls were forced back as he stormed out the back door.

Mother stood strong as the rest of the dragons back up a step from his entrance. Standing in the middle of the ring of dragons were six Pact members. Their leader appeared to be a young woman with pink fur covering nearly all of her body. Unlike Venice, she barely wore any armor, and would likely be faster than her counterpart. The other five men were a mix of elves, and two beast demi-humans. He didn't care to look over their features as he marched up to the pink furred woman.

"Have you come to kill me?" James demanded.

The woman had wide eyes as her spear trembled in her hands. "I-I was supposed t-to pick up Venice."

Snorting a laugh, James used his thumb to gesture over his shoulder. "You might be able to find her corpse a few hundred miles from here."

"Y-you're the Valiant…"

"I am." Letting more of his soul out, he forced the woman and men back. Amber and Zenaria stepped up to his side, their Soul Weapons out as they continued to growl.

"Your kind killed our family!" Amber snapped. "I hope you are ready to pay for that!"

James panned his gaze over the dragons. "Don't interfere. This fight is for my family to handle."

Coral gestured to her men to split up. Despite her trembling hands, she said, "I have to put you down. You're a threat to the world. With your death, it'll begin to heal."

James didn't know what twisted doctrine she was under, but she was far from the truth. Pulling his ebony sword from his storage, he coated it in violet flames. "I wield my family's ashes with honor. They will help me break you."

"Y-you can't hurt us!"

Lifting his hand, James found the shields on their souls and snapped his fingers. Six echoing shatters filled the air as their defenses broke. Zenaria shifted to her Phantom Form and attached herself to two of them before dashing in. Amber morphed her legs and kept her claws summoned. Dropping onto all fours, she attached herself to the other three and charged.

Stepping forward, James cocked his head at the pink lady. "You will not be walking away from here. If you want me to make this quick, you will answer my questions."

Narrowing her eyes, she activated a skill that sent a shockwave of red energy through the area. Amber and Zenaria were blown to the side, where they rolled a dozen times each before striking the side walls. Their foes jumped into action, chasing them down.

Reaching out faster than the woman could react, James grabbed the collar of her leather vest and spun. Letting go, he hurled her through the fort, shattering walls and tossing her into the canyon. Racing after her, he left his girls to handle the five others. Mother would help if needed.

***

Amber wiped the blood from her lip and snarled at the three men advancing on her. Their four pronged spears were lowered, and shields raised, just like the bastards that had taken her family from her. She was not the same as before. She was stronger, faster, and had plenty of skills to help her take down the bastards. Although she wouldn't be able to use her Aura of a Thousand Kisses.

Dropping onto all fours, she blurred forward, slashing through the leg of the left most man, severing the limb while spreading flames up his body. Screams of pain filled the air before two spears were thrust at her. Beams of red light brushed her side and back, sizzling the flesh before she activated Thousand Cuts and raced back in.

Swinging herself around, she used her hand to direct her approach. Claws tore into stone as she threw herself at the injured man. He was an elf she thought, but it didn't matter. Just as she reached him, two barriers appeared around him, and she slammed into them shoulder first, destroying one and cracking the second.

"She shouldn't be this strong!" one of them shouted.

Laughing, Amber didn't slow as she sped past and circled around them. Crescents of red energy struck at her sides and back, barely missing as she leapt and rolled. Chips of stone bounced off her face and arms as she raced back toward the injured man.

"She's going after him again!"

"I have her!" A beast demi-human stepped into her path, and Amber grinned wickedly.

At the last moment, she threw herself at the lone man and dragged her claws across his stomach, parting the metal armor. Another dozen wounds opened up all over his body, ripping him apart before the others could throw up barriers.

Blood dripped from her nose and cheeks as she raced past and slid to a stop. "You're going to die here. Your leader will be broken and bled out slowly. James will keep her alive long enough to get answers."

"Shut up!" the demi-human shouted. Thrusting his spear forward, he spun it into a slash that scent a crescent of energy at her. Bringing his shield around, he summoned two walls around Amber, keeping her in place.

Rolling her eyes, Amber Soul Shifted and walked through the barriers, and dodged the crescent. Walking up to the injured man, she grabbed his soul and lifted it from his body. The elf's blood curdling scream made the demi-human shiver and nearly drop his weapon. Dragging her free hand through the soul, she shredded it before absorbing its power. Reappearing, she breathed in the last fragments before grinning. "How will you fight me now, little man?"

Roaring in challenge, the man stabbed at her. Spinning to the side, Amber dodged and turned off Thousand Cuts. Slashing through his side, she parted the metal and spilled his blood as she cut out a rib. Screaming in pain, he sent a pulse of energy from his body that launched Amber away.

Hitting the ground hard, she rolled with the attack and came back for another attack. Amber only hoped that Zenaria was having as much fun as she was.

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