"Our planet is dying along with its people. Our vertiliy and fertility is decreasing." Heechul said to the leaders of the Galaxy Peace Allegiance, "We're in desperate need of help, but the elves are refusing to come to our aid." Wei Ying, the High Warlord/ emperor consort of the planet Coaster Z– the Zerg planet– glanced at the dragon with a look of apathy. The other members of the Alliance as well as a few advisors, elders, and planetary leaders watched the dragon pleaded for help each with different expressions. "What would you have us do?" The High Warlord asked, "the elves may not be part of GPA, but they're still entitled to keep their magic to themselves." Lyfe was one out of few planets that happened to be the only planet in its solar system. There was no other planet neighboring it. It was rich in precious minerals and was considered a paradise to all, and thus was envied by many. It was an autonomous world, governed by a king instead of an emperor–that was usually the sole ruler of all planets in a solar system– and Lyfe had never been a part of the GPA. This wasn't the first time the dragons had their eyes on such mineral rich planet. Many years in the past, the dragons had been amazingly arrogant up until the very last possible moment, certain they could save themselves, heal their current planet, and do it all without any help from those they termed 'Weak'. However, when all of their efforts proved fruitless and the whole of the planet only contained not more than ten thousand remaining individuals– all from different clans, having different religions and ethnicities– the leader finally knew they had to ask for help, and the GPA had done their path. Had helped them first time. Found a planet, similar to Lyfe, rich in minerals, that housed the angelic race. The leader of the race– once an elder of GPA– had agreed to let the dragons share their planet, since there weren't much of them left. They gave them a province and promised to give more if the dragons' number rose. But that hadn't been enough. The dragons had set their greedy eyes on the other parts of the planet, and didn't rest until they had taken the whole planet as their own, killing a number of the planet's native inhabitants. And yet it hadn't been enough, now they had almost killed the planet. The unfortunate thing was that this wasn't the first planet the dragons had killed due their greediness. It was a mistake none of the GPA members wanted to make a second time. All of them were equally accountable for what happened to the angelic race. "Yes, but I do not need their magic. All I want is access to mine in their planet. Just a little from their fertile minerals laying uselessly under the Tree of life could revive our magic, our fertility and our barren lands." Someone snickered. "Dragons and their greediness. You know how sacred the Tree of Life is to the elves, and anything below it." "And as you know, we helped you filthy creatures over two centuries ago. Which because of, the angelic race had been drove out of their native lands, now scattered around the universe. Driving them away hadn't been enough– You ignorant dragons didn't follow the protocol, and exhausted all the natural resources in your now planet." Wei Ying spoke, voice rising with each word. "I strongly believe, your greediness will be the end of your race." Most nodded in agreement and understanding. The Dragons were not a universally liked breed. "Do not insult me and my race!"Heechul slammed his hand on the table, before taking deep breaths when the leaders pinned his black scaled hand with an unimpressed look. Heechul, sighed, with a brief flick of his forked tongue against his bottom lip, he shifted his scaled finger and tongue back into their human form and turned his chair to face the rest of the Galactic Imperials, leaders and those who had the ambition to become such. "This isn't about greediness. It's about survival." He needed his head calm if he ever had a chance to convince them. "The last time you tried to survive you wiped out half of a planet and took over their lands. Remind me why said land is dying?" "That was my father's doing, he did what he had to do for our race." "Have you ever wondered why every planet you chose, turned it's back on you?" Wei Ying asked, his experience thoughtful."Think, you people regarded your human born dragons as pariahs, maybe your gods are angry and thus punishing you for that?" It was said the dragons considered any dragon born as a human a disgrace to their race. And most human born dragons were fertile, regardless of gender, their bodies adapt to that of their mates in order for them to all get pregnant and have children. But the dragons preferred to mate with those that could shift. Most importantly they were one hell race of homophobics. "I cannot control everything about my people." Heechul let out another sigh, willing himself to look as pitiful as he could manage."Please, i beg you. You have to save us!" Heechul pleaded, visibly trembling."We cannot survive if you don't help us. We need your help. Please help us. Please!" "What do want us to do?" Someone asked after a moment. "Convince the elves to let us mine," "You know they would not." Wei Ying pointed out. " Dragons weren't the only ones that had wanted a mining spot from the elves for centuries. But no one had ever been able to convince them otherwise. Not even us Zerg that are their allies." "Then they should let us share their planet. That way their abundant magic can heal us, we wouldn't need to mine." "And wipe half of them out they way you did with their brethren?" It was said, the angelic and elven race were related at some point. Thus their similarities in several aspect. "No now I have control over my people, they would have to be content with what they get. No one would exterminate the Elves, you have my word." "Your desperation really makes you delusional, if you think your words hold any insurance." Wei Ying tapped his insectoid fingers on the table, antennas twitching. Heechul glanced up when his personal guard walked into the back of the room. Minseok inclined his head, letting Heechul know everything was ready and in place. He gave the merest hint of a nod in acknowledgment to his brother in law. It seemed he would have to use his last card.  Turning, Heechul glanced at the rest of the room. "Alright, then you must all know something." He began "As you all know the elven king had a son" It wasn't a secret. The news of the elven king giving birth to a child, after centuries of tries was widely known across the Galaxy. But only a handful knew what what the child looked like. "What about him?" He met Minseok gaze and signaled him to begin. Heechul continued speaking, watching the dragon, a warrior of his clan, pass out folders to everyone in attendance. From the frown on Minseok's face Heechul knew his brother in-law was against his method, but he couldn't do anything about it. His duty to his race made it so. "In this packet is the information we have received about a particular breed of elves. Our researchers have been studying the history of such breed. We all know elves have a genetic variation that gave them their expected gifts of being able to talk with nature and animals, that of being able to heal others and super strength. But this one is different, it was said that they have reverse ability from other elves." "What the hell are you trying to say Heechul?" A voice spoke up from the back of the room, the tone low and laced with anger and annoyance.
Heechul knew who spoke, knew what planet the male came from… knew he didn't want to piss the guy off, because the male would be crazy enough to try and kill Heechul—right here, in front of everyone. He was none other than Lan Zhan– Wei Ying's mate, and emperor of Coaster Z along with its neighboring planets. He was usually quiet, and let his mate do the talking, only involving himself when things weren't going the way he wanted. Zerg were warrior race and it could be said that they, craved battle and bloodshed. Fighting was what they did, who they were. Yet despite their battle-ready natures, Zerg didn’t conquer or kill blindly. In fact, they were one of the few races trusted to police the galaxy. "I'm saying the boy is born a dark soul." Heechul grit his teeth against something he hated to admit. "One so powerful and so special we haven't been able to get record on him." "And how did you come to aquire this knowledge?" Lan Zhan asked. "I have my resources." "A dark soul was responsible for The War. The destruction caused, the lives lost, all of it can be laid at his feet!” "And do you perhaps forgot, who the main source of destruction was?" The War was a thousand seasons past. The dark soul, mated to the dragon king that was said to fall in love at first sight. Usual dragons didn't have kings, but once a millennial one that had all the dragons magic was born. It was said that, the dragon kings were able to change shape and colour of their scales, to match any clan. And that gave them the right over all the dragons. They were simply refer to as Golden/Rainbow dragons. No knew how it happened, but the dragon king was assassinated by his own people. Which promoted the dark elf to lose his mind and went on mindless killing. He had caused destructions to the entire galaxy and elfin race had stood with him, before he finally ended his own life to join his mate. No one had been able to defeat him. He was too strong. “I remember my history well, and I know that dragons were just as responsible for the devastation wrought." Not long after his death, a blind magi seer had foretold the born of another dark soul, this one with eyes and hair the colour of azure, beside him was a Hora companion. He would bring the destruction of a specific race unlike how it had happened in the past. However the exact race wasn't known and that had left all races on the edge. Though some didn't take it seriously, not more than a pass time story, but many of planets leaders did. The particular prophecy had put the lives of Horas in danger, to the point of extinction. Heechul waited for the gasps and cries of shock, outrage, and dismay to die down before he continued. "Our best chance is to completely kill off this infant, along with Elfin royal family. To he sure they wouldn't birth another." he advised. Letting a dark soul live was like having a gun to their heads in a child's hand. He was certain the leaders would make the wise decision and when they did he would take this opportunity to himself. Kill the royals and have take the planet for his people. It was like killing two birds with a stone. And that sorcerer had assured him it would work. Heads nodded in complete agreement and he got ready to hand out assignments and lay out the details. Without a sound—with no noticeable movement at all—Lan Zhan from the back of the room appeared to stand in front of Heechul, covered head to toe in all white. Heechul tried not to gasp when he took in the man's large frame– that could rival a dragon's– and hard, cold, emotionless eyes. The disgust in Heechul's voice as he described the child wounded Lan Zhan, lighting a flame of anger that burned through his veins. Standing his ground, Heechul tilted his head and tried to seem much more confident and laid back."So you want our help to dispose the elves?" the large, scary Zerg asked in a low voice, his tone menacing, though everyone could hear his question. "Even commit infanticide?" All occupants in the room froze, no one breathed, no one spoke as they all awaited Heechul's response.
With a cold, calculating smile Heechul replied. "It is the only way to ensure our survival. When a dark soul is born with the gift of magic, it is warped. The magic within them becomes corrupted, tainted. No good comes from any dark soul born with magic." Lan Zhan gritted his teeth, breathing deeply to keep from lashing out with claw or word. When he spoke he attempted to infuse his voice with calm, but knew his fury still bled through. "You will not have our hands in this. And i will make sure to warn the Elves." Did Heechul not realize his words, his condemnation of Eunhyuk's son, pushed him dangerously close to the edge of savagery? "Nothing you say can change the fate the creature was born to, the fate its very nature demands. Dark souls are bloodthirsty, to a certain point it is unreasonable." "He's just a boy and could learn to suppress it with proper training. Dark souls are not demons to be destroyed, just different. With proper training even a blood-thirsty nature could be moderated." Lan Zhan argued. Heechul chuckled darkly. He ignored the speculative looks from the other members of the room. Everyone knew the story of the connection between the Elves and the Zerg. They were allies. But Heechul's position as spokesperson of the GPA and the unease and prejudice that most had for dark soul protected him in his current campaign against the boy. Only Lan Zhan's arrogant belief he could protect the elves stopped him from killing Heechul where he stood, and while grateful for it, Heechul also flicked his gaze toward Minseok, sighing in relief when he saw the other man brandish the weapon in his hand. Lan Zhan's time would come, Heechul would see to it, but not before he made Lan Zhan feel helpless while Heechul took out the entire elfin Royal family, and over their planet. "And know this, anyone that dared join in to harm the elves is my enemy form today, and need I remind you, no one wants me as their enemy." Lan Zhan said, jerking his head toward his mate. The High Warlord pushed from his seat and came to stand next to his husband. "My husband has spoken." Wei Ying said, looking at each person in the room, his message clear. With one last glance at Heechul they left the room, and made for their hovercraft, their guards trailing after them. No one spoke for a long time, all having a conflicted expression. It was obvious, they were torn between wanting to join hands with him, and at same time not daring to go against the Zerg emperor. From the looks in on their faces, Heechul knew it would be difficult to convince them. Yet he still tried. Heechul spend quite some time trying to convince and make them see reason why the dark soul shouldn't be left untouched. But in the end only four planet leaders sided with him. Dure, Nero, Haba, and Mona17. It seemed Lan Zhan had more influence than Heechul gave him credit for. But Heechul had a plan, he wouldn't attack now when he knew the elves would be ready. He would attack when they least expected. After coming to a beneficial agreement, he rose to his feet and made for the door, Minseok right behind him.
  *** Six years later.

 

The tree Eunhyuk hid behind exploded. He flinched, hunching his shoulders to shield his fragile burden. Splinters lodged in his exposed skin, thankfully leaving the boy unharmed. His energy flagged, but if he pushed himself a little harder he could reach the field where the rest of his knights awaited with the escape pod. Lan Zhan and his mate had been right. They had warned Eunhyuk about the dragons six years ago when his boy was just a few months old. The Zerg had suspected the dragons might not attack at that time, they were likely to wait until when Eunhyuk had let his guard down. And that was exactly what happened. Since the moment Lan Zhan and his mate came to warn him, DongHae–  Eunhyuk's consort had made the right preparations and the palace and every port station had never been left without at least a few hundred guards. And were heavily monitored Until today, a sacred day. A day they choose to celebrate their fertility God Sadok. It was expected to give the guards a break for a few hours. But the particular hours hadn't been decided, till noon. Which left Eunhyuk to believe there was probably a traitor in his court. A traitor that had probably notified the dragons and used an intelligent artifact to suppress the elves magic. Sealing the elves magic meant the dragons sealing their own ability to change shape, while in Lyfe. Now was not the time to ponder over it. He had to get his boy to safety. Panting heavily, he pushed off the tree and ran as fast as he could. If not for the fragile treasure in his arms, Eunhyuk would have taken to the trees where, he’d make better time. Not that speed mattered. Instead, he relied on his battle-honed reflexes to keep him ahead of his persistent pursuers. He ducked and spun left, the next stunner blast missing him as his keen hearing saved him once again. Had his bodyguards all fallen to the dragons? He heard people following him but couldn’t risk stopping to verify whether the pursuers were his elven knights or dragons. The boy he clutched to his chest had been silent since Eunhyuk picked him up. Something unusual for Sehun. Had the boy died, making his precipitous escape unnecessary? They had been in the middle of celebration when the emergency bell was rang, that indicated the city– and palace were under attack. Even though the dragons were there for his son, the brutes had not been able to touch Sehun. Too scared to touch a dark soul in fear of some sort of dark curse would befall them. The dragons had it all wrong. Sehun was a dark soul, true, but just not as they thought him to be. Their hesitation had allowed Eunhyuk to hastily radioed his knights, and had them ready a pod at the edge of the forest, knowing the craft station would be swarming with dragons. His mate had urged him to escape with their son, while he stayed to fight with the dragon leader. For a human, DongHae was strong, and could hold his own, but probably not against dragons. Eunhyuk feared for his beloved. But getting their son to safely was more important. Even if they both died, Sehun had to survive and liberate their people, that he was certain the dragons would enslave. He remembered the happiness of giving birth to Sehun. The boy’s unusual gaze had caught and held his. Brilliant, beautiful blue eyes– that matched his thick blue hair– were each red-ringed, that indicated he was a dark soul. Another feature that indicated that, was his dark nails, as though a fine nail polish had been recently applied and would never come off no matter how one tried. Like his human sire the child was smooth-skinned, but lighter than Eunhyuk had expected. Other than the child’s skin tone, the babe’s more prominent features were all elfin. The pointed ears, and the slightly tilted angle of his elfin-shaped eyes, his blue hair and eyes, the ridges down the bridge of his nose, favored Eunhyuk's side of the family. Crowned by brilliant hues found only in nature. The inherent power of an alpha emanated from his son, which pleased Eunhyuk mightily, but he also sensed something else within the boy, something unexpected. Surprised, he glanced at his mate, stating proudly, “He is a bearer despite being an Alpha.” There weren’t any female in Lyfe. Their world was made up entirely of male organisms. There were bearers like Eunhyuk, those with the ability to carry a child, and there were the Alphas, those with the more dominant role, like his mate DongHae. Yet surprisingly Sehun was both, An Alpha and a bearer. Eunhyuk had heard dark soul males possessed more alpha attributes than the rest of the elven race. But it was a surprise to know despite that, their boy was a bearer like him. This meant, Sehun could choose to breed or be bred. DongHae's response was a grin. "He is wondrous. He would be loved." In his arms, the boy watched him intently with those unusual eyes. And that was when Eunhyuk knew he would do anything for his son. Like what he was doing right now. The fact that the dragons used stunners said they wished only to stop him. If they’d wanted him dead they would have reverted to blades or rau guns. But if they did manage to incapacitate him, the child would surely die, and that, Eunhyuk refused to allow. The road that lead to the edge of the forest was not much far. More knights awaited him there with the pod that would take Sehun to safety. Glancing at his son, Eunhyuk let relief wash over him when the boy met his gaze. Sehun was frighten, but he refused to make things difficult for his father. "You're going to be alright." He assured his boy. Eunhyuk often ducked for cover or changed his path, zig-zagging through the forest in order to keep from being shot by his pursuers. His knights were close! Relieved, he realized they had taken to the upper branches where the dragons could not follow. Unlike Eunhyuk, whose burden kept him on the ground, they were able t