The hall was crowded, people rushing in and out the armory.  Some had already took a stand at the dock, in case anything might come through. The ship shook slightly, with another cannon being fired at them. Sehun knew the temporary shields wouldn't hold for long. He needed to get to the control to activate the ship's built in weapons and more stronger shields. Reaching his destination, he took his seat, hands flying on the panel with precision. Not wasting a second, he aimed and fired, taking down one ship in an instant while the other three continued to attack unrelenting. Now with the proper shield, Black Pearl merely shook from the attack. He aimed for the second ship, but unfortunately it wasn't as successful, the smaller ship dodged, causing the cannon to hit an asteroid, creating one beautiful fireworks in space. It would have been something Sehun would admire had the situation been different. "They're changing tactics." Baekhyun had to shout, beside him. It was too load, with the booming sound of cannonballs. Sehun had noticed it too. "We'll have to change ours as well." Saying so he controlled the acids cannon, beneath the ship. This time he was certain his opponents wouldn't be able to dodge. Just as he was about to fire, shouts came from behind. Sehun quickly turned to see dragon soldiers appearing in pairs amidst the crew. What the ? How did they get on the ship? Were they using a teleporting device? He shared a look with Baekhyun, that also had a frown. "Some black dragons have the ability to teleport and even carry a passenger with them" Hoseok sent into his mind. That made sense. No wonder the dragons number was multiplying faster than Sehun could track. A brutal battle was already happening and his crew were at a disadvantage. Those soldiers didn't seem to be ordinary. They were highly skilled, like the assassins he had fought in Coaster Z  .  "Baekhyun take control." He shot to his feet, and lunged into the chaos. Grabbing the nearest dragon by the neck, Sehun out his soul before the other could even blink or understand what was happening. Another came at him, Sehun kicked him onto the floor. Bending over, he grabbed his neck, and crushed his windpipe while away his soul as well. It would be easier to take them down in numbers, with a stretch of his hands like he did back in Nero, however he wasn't sure if his crew would be implicated. Better to be safe than sorry. He didn't give himself a moment to breath, as he went on, taking down as many as he could until he lost count of the souls he had consumed and was almost drunk on the energy. It was then he felt the first different soul energy of a person's death. However he couldn't tell if it was one of his crew or the enemy and he didn't have the opportunity to stop and check, nevertheless he still welcomed the additional fuel. Not far from him, Sehun saw, Lan Zhan, Wei Ying and Irene– her symbiote fighting a group of six. They were doing well, next to them was Jungkook and Zitao, with Zach giving them assistance. Where the hell was Lyla? It was so unlike her not to be here. Maybe she was staying with her cubs, to protect them. Lyla wasn't the only absent. There was no sign of the park brothers that were usually fighting alongside Jungkook. Jimin was locked. Right. He reminded himself and Chanyeol was probably with his brother. Why would he help Sehun when he had put his brother behind bars? Stop thinking and focus. His darkness sent. Let me enjoy my meal. Shut up. Sehun sent back. Reaching for his next target, Sehun heard a desperate call from his sister through Hoseok that had him pausing in an instant. It sounded urgent. Wendy wouldn't call him unless something was beyond her. The eggs– A sudden gasp left his mouth that was accompanied by pain coursing through his chest. Looking down, a blade was sticking out from the middle of his chest, barely missing his heart by sheer luck. What the ? How was anyone able to hurt him? Shouldn't the dragon tattoo prevent it? Did something happen to it? Heart racing, he pulled his shirt open, to check the bonding mark linking him to Kai. It was there alright, but barely visible, which explained how someone was able to hurt him without the tattoo acting up. He could guess why it was that way. The distance between him and Kai was immeasurable. The only way to make the dragon tattoo functional no matter the distant between them was for Sehun to complete the bond and make it whole. He had learned that much on his own. Swirling he yanked the blade out with one hand, while grabbing the dragon with the other. A red dragon. But not one he had ever seen before. The dragon trembled in fear. "You shouldn't have come if you're afraid to meet you end." Sehun growled the words, blood soaking his clothes, but he didn't have time to care about that. the dragon's soul began healing his wound, however it wasn't enough. Which was unusual. He shouldn't need a soul to heal, when he had already consumed countless. He seem to be needing more souls, but didn't have the time get them. When he felt he could breath again, Sehun made for his study as fast as he could. Where his sister, Hyunjin and the eggs were. There were four of his crew members, guarding the way leading to his study, doing their best to stop anyone hostile from passing through. The door was swung open, and it was a mess inside. He was sure no dragon got past him and his crew. Then how? He got his answer soon enough. Chanyeol was there in half octopus form, fighting the culprit. Someone Sehun never expected to be, that he had to do a double take to believe his eyes. What the hell was happening? Donghae's eyes were blank, no pupil, just pure whiteness, like he was suffering from a none curable blindness. However his actions indicated he could see just fine. Two daggers in both hands as he slashed the octopus, yet despite missing appendages Chanyeol was fighting persistently. Allowing himself to do something he had neglected, or more like too afraid to, Sehun send his awareness in search of a human soul. Nothing. Oh Gods. Jimin had been right. That wasn't Sehun's father, but something sinister created. If only Sehun heeded his warning. Now he understood everything had been according to Heechul's plans. A blazing pain filled his chest. And Sehun felt blood seeping out his chest, where his wound had began to heal. They wound had reopen. Something was definitely was wrong. He wasn't healing like he was supposed to, not just that but he could feel his vitality leaving his body, making him dizzy. It only meant one thing. That blade he had been stabbed with wasn't ordinary. It was probably spelled or poisoned. Either option was bad. A groan had him looking down, Hyunjin was convulsing in pain. One look was enough to tell Sehun, the boy, had been poisoned with wolfsbane. Next to Hyunjin, was an unconscious Wendy. Heart almost leaving his chest, Sehun bent over and checked her pulse, relived when he felt she was alive. However barely. He wanted to heal them, take away their pain, but in his current state, it would be extremely difficult or down right impossible. "No!" Chanyeol's frantic shout had him snapping his head. The octopus had lost all his appendages and was temporary rendered immobile.  While Donghae– whatever the that thing was, had reached the eggs, taking one– the magenta– into his hand. no. Jumping to his feet, Sehun moved forward, he raised a hand to away the thing's soul. Not even a fragment of soul was in the thing. This was no living thing. He called for his teleporting blade and it appeared instantly, he charged. "What? You're gonna kill your daddy?" A distorted voice came from the thing. Sehun realized someone was speaking through the thing. Heechul. "You're not my father." He spat, halting in tracks. "Ouch." The thing said, it mouth twisting into a sneer. "Coward, come over and face me Heechul. You bastard. Stop hiding behind that thing." Sehun pressed a hand to his chest, where the blood wouldn't stop gushing. He was getting weaker. But he would be damned if he let Heechul harm his babe. "Hmm, why would I waste my time when you are going to give me what I want without moving a finger." It shrugged. "I would never give you anything." Sehun spat, coughing a mouthful of blood in the process. "Don't be so sure or yourself. Unless you want lose your precious eggs." His father's replica poked the egg with the blade and Sehun's heart stopped for a moment. "No stop." He inched forward, frantically. "Nu-uh you stay put." He waved the blade in front of his– its face. Sehun had no choice but to comply."You sure know how to deceive. Drake" he said with more sadness than anger. He couldn't believe this dragon was related to Kai. They were nothing alike. Where Kai was kind and loving, Heechul was vicious and cruelly rotten to the core. "Well I am trying. I know you couldn't resist this face." The thing stabbed the dagger at its chin, a streak of blood ran down its neck. "Sick bastard. Using my dead father's face like that." He coughed another mouthful of blood. At this rate he was going to collapse before they get to somewhere. "If I say your parents are alive will you believe me?" The thing grinned. "Stop spurting nonsense and put my egg down." He wouldn't let the bastard use his parents to manipulate him again. He readied himself to attack for real, but was once again stopped.  "You might be fast dark soul, but I assure you I will break this egg before you kill my puppet golem." To emphasize his point, the puppet pressed the tip of the blade against the egg. "Now be nice to hand over the bracelet." Oh so this was what it was about. The damned bracelet. "Bracelet? What are you taking about?" It was getting difficult to breath. Hang in there Sehun. He told himself. Don't dare collapse now. "The one you stole form me in Nero?" The thing tilted its head. "I didn't do such thing." He denied, despite knowing it was unwise to do that with his babe at Heechul's mercy. Heechul didn't speak, his response was to raise the egg higher and Sehun could tell he was going to drop it. "Gods no, please stop." Sehun yelled, body shaking, whether from his weaken state or fear of losing his child, he didn't know. "That's your grandchild you're trying to kill. You sick son of ." "Is it now?" The thing grinned, looking up from the egg. "Oh forgive me for not realizing." He laughed. "Now give me what I want. I won't ask again." Knowing he had lost the battle, with as much strength as he could muster, Sehun hurried to where he had hidden the bracelet and took it out. "Ah that seem to refresh your memory." The puppet extended a hand and Sehun hesitated for the briefest moment before tossing it over.  "Now let my egg go." He did that literally, if not for Chanyeol that was laying close by and quickly caught it, the egg would have shattered, killing his baby. "Son of a ." Sehun rushed over, and took the egg from Chanyeol's hand. "Thank you." He told the barely conscious male, that was beginning to regrow his tentacles. Looking down, Sehun's  heart stopped for real when he saw a huge crack on the egg. From the crack, a slimy substance was seeping out. "No, no please no." He hugged the egg to his chest as though that would repair the damage.  If only he hadn't sent Kai away, his mate would have been able to heal their child. If only he had completed their bonding, Kai would be able to feel Sehun's call no matter how far away he was.  Now he didn't even know where the general was. Probably million light years away. Sehun regretted many things, but the one that stood out the most was his reluctance to complete his bond with Kai. Kai please, I need you. He sent despite knowing it was futile. While he had his attention elsewhere, the golem made a run for it. Sehun didn't bother with it. He needed to save his egg, or the boy wouldn't make it. His chest throbbed, causing him to cough a significant amount of blood. Kai please. Was the last prayer he sent before losing conscious, holding tightly onto his son, whose life was hanging on the line.
**** Standing in front the window, Kai looked down at the dragons going about their things, in both human and dragon forms. The blue clan were like a pack of wolves. They prefer to live together in a community than live separately from their kind. It was no wonder their estate was huge, that Kai couldn't see an end to it. After rescuing the king's mate, they hadn't been able to take Eunhyuk like they had planned to. Ironically the elfin king was the one that spoiled their plans. It would have been an easy task. Quietly take care of the few guards stationed at door, get him and leave without alerting anyone. However, unfortunately, Heechul got to Eunhyuk before Kai did. And now it wouldn't be easy to get him out. Heechul would definitely triple the security. It would be tight. It was no surprise why Eunhyuk suddenly decided to venture out. It was clear he had felt the bond between him and his mate after many years. Kai should have rescued Eunhyuk first before going after Donghae. That was a miscalculation on his part. If not for that he would have been able to see Sehun's genuine happiness when Kai presented his fathers. Don't think about Sehun. He told himself. He had been wanting to contact Sehun, to check on him and the eggs. That fake Donghae being on Sehun's ship, was making Kai feel uneasy. He had a gut feeling something bad was definitely brewing, however since his dragon didn't alert him, he knew Sehun could handle it. Sehun could take care of himself. He had been doing so long before Kai was even born. Still Kai was worried and eager to get back to his mate. He didn't know how long he could hold on without Sehun. And when Kai brought Sehun's real Dad to his ship, Sehun would let him stay right? They were waiting for midnight to leave the planet. Junmyeon had made arrangements for them. His brother's men would be the ones guarding the port by midnight. That way they would be able to leave the planet without security search. Junmyeon had promised to look out for Eunhyuk, and would inform Kai the moment a chance to get him out arise. He was grateful to his mom for helping Eunhyuk even though that would put her in danger. This was the first brave act he had seen from her, and Kai was proud of his mom. He hoped to all there was, Heechul woul