"Are you here to beg for your life?" Zac asked with a smile.

"So you know who I am?" Seren asked.

"It's not hard to piece together; Devin has your whole eyes and nose situation," Zac smirked.

Trigger had a complicated expression as he looked at Seren. From what his mother told him, this woman was essentially his cousin, and he was helping Zac try to kill her. Seren saw the look on Kenji's face and smiled.

"You look very much like your mother." She turned her attention back towards Zac.

"And yes, I am here to beg for my life." She began to chuckle.

"Not confident you can stop us?" Zac smirked.

"If this was 24 hours ago, I would be perfectly content. However, after experiencing that report and seeing the individuals you brought with you… well. We are not currently ready to deal with the full force of Firmatha Sanguar." She shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

"How do you know about Firmatha Sanguar?" Zac asked.

"I am a Dyrithon. Our clan amasses and safeguards all the information and secrets of the world to protect humanity. How could we not know about Firmatha Sanguar?" She asked.

"Fair enough… So where is your husband? Is he not here to beg for your life as well?" Zac responded.

"He knows nothing about Firmatha Sanguar, and even if he did, I doubt his pride will allow him to beg for such a thing." Seren rolled her eyes.

"He doesn't know?" Kenji was confused.

"He doesn't know about Firmatha Sanguar, and he doesn't know we're having this conversation. He would offer nothing of value to it anyway." Seren sighed.

"Doesn't seem like there's much love between you two," Zac said as his eyes narrowed.

If they didn't care for each other, then the revenge he had planned would mean nothing. However, this could just be a ploy by Seren to make him balk at his choice of revenge. It didn't matter; if that was the case, he would just have to go for something more extreme. If this woman wasn't what he cared for, he'd just burn it all to the ground. Seren saw the sinister smile on Zac's face, and a shiver ran down her spine.

"He loves me a great deal… to a fault if I'm honest." She sighed.

"Is that so? You don't seem to be fond of him." Zac picked up.

"I'm as fond as one can be of someone you've been entangled with for 25+ years."

"Hmm…" Zac wasn't fully buying what she was saying.

"He wasn't my first choice for a mate. I was far more inclined towards his brother, Drakhalon." Zac raised an eyebrow as he listened to her. He didn't fully understand why she was telling him this at the moment, but it couldn't hurt to get to hear her confessions.

"What stopped you?" Zac asked.

"Even though he was slated to be our leader, Drakhalon was a warrior at heart. He wanted nothing more than to be at the front leading the charge." She began to explain.

"Wouldn't that make you a perfect match? Mom said you aren't much of a fighter, but your mind for strategy was second to none." Kenji added on.

"She said that? Heh, well, she is correct, but the Murmus are a warrior clan. They wanted to maintain the strength of their bloodline. So they chose my cousin instead, who was a much better combatant than I was. Neither Drakhalon nor I was too satisfied with the decision, but there's not much to be done."

"So you're saying your true love is your dead brother-in-law? How dramatic…" Zac asked. He was growing more impatient by the second.

"Information is the most powerful thing in the world. I am here to provide you with information that will help exact a more perfect revenge without the need to take my life." She smiled at Zac.

"So far this information is worthless for what I want to do."

"Well, let me present some more. I have plenty of information for you, the first being, we have Roratha in custody." She smiled at Kenji, who immediately frowned.

"What?! How?" Kenji growled at Seren.

"Selistar, Gladiolus, and Fenrir, with the help of my husband and several elders, managed to subdue her," Seren responded, showing an image of Roratha unconscious and suspended in a spatial orb surrounded by several elders who were maintaining that orb.

"We have to keep her in a state of constant sedation; otherwise, she attempts to take her own life to protect you," Seren said.

"And my father?" Kenji asked.

Seren nodded as she changed the scene to show a man, tightly bound by layers of restraints, in a metal chair. His eyes and mouth were covered, and several Theronites stood guard over him.

"He is being held in a cell reserved for our most dangerous criminals." Seren sighed.

Zac scoffed. This made things complicated. Devin had finished bringing the Adders into the fold faster than expected. Devin, Léonie, and Stefan working together was also more dangerous than he had anticipated, especially if they could take Roratha alive when she was actively trying to take her own life. This also put Kenji in a difficult position.

"Are you saying you want to trade their lives for yours?" Kenji asked.

"I'm not that stupid. They aren't Lord Cefketa's parents, and at best it would buy me time. No, I'm just showing my willingness to share information." Seren corrected.

Zac nodded his head. This didn't change much in his plans, but it did change how he would approach things. He looked at Seren, not understanding what was going through her mind.

"While the information is appreciated, all it does is guarantee that I won't make you suffer when I kill you." Zac smiled.

"Oh… well, that's deeply appreciative. But again, I'm willing to offer you a more complete revenge." Seren said with a smile.

Zac stared at her smile and his eyes widened picking up what was beneath that gaze. He tilted his head in shock.

"You want me to kill your husband." Zac blurted out.

"What?!" Kenji was shocked.

He understood that Seren wasn't satisfied with Aron as her partner, but she wanted to trade the leader of Heka's life for her own.

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"You are quite sharp, but I suppose that should be expected. Since his inception as the Leader of Heka, he has bastardized our calling to support his crumbling ego and to feed his inferiority complex. What happened to your wife and child is a direct result of that. I've tried to steer him away from such foolishness but have had little success lately. Your spar with Selistar and refusal of the nanites truly shook the reason from him."

"And?" Zac asked.

"And what I offer is information that will completely shatter his world, and at the height of his despair you can kill him." Seren had an unwavering smile.

"You see, that's the problem… I don't want him dead. If he's dead, he can't suffer. To me, it looks like you just want to use me to take control for yourself." Zac smiled.

"I'm afraid that's not the case. The next in line would be Selistar, and I can promise you that boy has a mind of his own."

"Is that right?"

"It is so. I can promise you what I have to offer will give you immense satisfaction. The look on his face will provide you with the sweetest dreams for the remainder of your very long life." Seren smiled.

Zac stood in silence for an uncomfortable period as he ran through the entire scenario in his mind. He couldn't figure out exactly what she had to offer that could possibly achieve what she was claiming. He looked over at Kenji and then said,

"Let's go, kid." Zac then turned around, not wanting to hear anything else this woman had to say. He would not have his focus stolen from him when he was so close to his goal. There was also the fact that she knew of Firmathar, which meant there may be a spy within Firmatha Sanguar. More than likely human. He had just made himself the representative of the humans within Firmatha Sanguar, and it already looked like he'd have to do some housecleaning.

"Selistar isn't his son…" Seren's voice echoed into Zac's and Kenji's ears as they were just feet away from the door.

"What?" Both Zac and Kenji turned around, shocked by what they just heard.

"You heard me… Selistar isn't Aron's son."

"He's Drakhalon's son? Does Aron know? Of course, he doesn't… he… hehehe." Zac smiled at Seren. She didn't say a word; she only smiled at Zac. A silent chuckle exploded into boisterous laughter. Zac could barely contain himself.

"Seren, Seren… You are truly a vicious woman. I like it." Zac's eyes widened as he started to play the scene in his mind. Aron, the cause of all his troubles, watched his whole world, everything he believed in, crumbling into dust. Just the thought brought him immense joy. The only problem was

"Wouldn't killing him…"

"Bring him relief? No… He wouldn't want death until he had killed me and Selistar. That's how deep his inferiority complex goes." Seren assured him.

"We'll see… If things don't go the way I want them, I'll be taking your life as planned." Zac maliciously smiled.

"I'd expected nothing less. I will assist by ensuring no harm will befall Roratha and her husband."

"Make sure nothing happens to the Tiny Tots, and how about giving us your exact location?" Zac commanded.

"You really care about those kids, don't you? No need to worry, they're perfectly fine even without my help; you've trained them well. As far as giving you our location. I want my husband dead, but I'm not a traitor. Besides, I'm sure you have ways to find us on your own." Seren smiled as Zac raised his hands in defeat.

"You are willing to go this far to kill your husband? Do you hate him that much?" Kenji asked.

"I don't hate or love that man. But I despise his incompetence. The only reason he is in the position he is in is because of some misbegotten hope he can reach even 30% of the greatness of his brother's potential and the fact that I am by his side. But even I can not…" She shook her head in disappointment.

"Doesn't matter. All that matters is him not being an asset to humanity, but a cancer. And he needs to be cut." Seren said in no uncertain terms.

"One last question… Who or what protects Heka that makes Firmatha Sanguar hesitant to attack you directly?" Zac asked.

Seren's eyes widened at Zac's words, although she shouldn't be too surprised. If she could gather information on them, she should expect that they would have done the same. It would make even more sense if they experienced the creature themselves.

"We… We don't know what they are. As far as we can tell, they have been present since Heka's inception. They come and go whenever they please. According to the Dyrithon elders, the last time he appeared to us was to give us the prophecy of "The Coming Storm," the prophecy of Auranthos' Threnos, almost 400 years ago". She answered a bit apprehensively.

That mysterious being came and went as it pleased; it was all but forgotten by the Persequions, but it was a figure deeply engraved in the minds of all Dyrithon children. The silent guardian of the Persequions, some believed it to be Heka themselves.

"We call them 'The Wanderer'. If you ask me, It may be another Dragon. But not one as powerful as your mother; otherwise, it would not have taken her invasion so silently." Seren thought out loud. There were many inconsistencies. If this figure protected them against Firmatha Sanguar, where was it when their core members were decimated by the Great Devour? Did the Great Devour choose not to completely destroy them because of its presence? She had many questions and no hope of any real answers.

She saw that Zac was satisfied with her answer and then asked her own question.

"When should I expect your arrival?" Seren asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Five days…" Zac answered without hesitation.

When Seren heard that, her heart sank into her gut. She was lucky to be present when this report happened. Otherwise, she would not have been able to contact Zac in time. Five days. He had declared her death by the end of winter; it hadn't even been a full month since that declaration. Truly a terrifying creature. She then turned her attention towards Kenji. She saw the look of determination in his eyes; she inevitably smiled; she had seen that same look on Roratha's face recently.

He was prepared to go to any length to save his parents, and he had the power of a dragon backing that determination. She was truly blessed to get out ahead of the fury that these two would bring. But there was still much she would have to do. Too many unexpected things have happened up till now.

"I'm sure you understand I'll have to eliminate your informants?" Zac asked.

"Do what you must. They knew the risks, and I assure you, I and a few Dyrithon Elders are the only ones with information about Firmatha Singaur." Seren nodded.

"You should let them know…" Kenji, spoke up this time.

Both Seren and Zac looked at Kenji in confusion.

"What? Let them know that it exists. They'll find out when we arrive there anyway. You'll also need to share this report. It's too hard to cover up. Also, while they are scrambling with this new information, it will leave them less time to worry about us." Kenji shrugged his shoulders.

"And what exactly will you have me say?"

"Simple… This attack was retaliation against Heka implanting spies within our ranks." Kenji responded.

"I see, not only will it be a distraction, but it will make them hesitant in regarding Lord Cefketa's affairs."

"It will also cause inter-strife. There's no doubt there will be plenty that will see this as the "Coming Storm." Kenji smiled.

Seren burst into laughter once again. The boy had a sharp mind. His mother was intelligent, but she never had a mind for schemes; she looked at Zac.

"It must be your influence."

Zac shrugged his shoulders in response. Seren took a deep breath and gave Kenji's suggestion some thought. If she rode this off as retaliation, it would play out more or less the way Kenji had assumed.

"There would be internal bickering; this would be seen as The Coming Storm, and the only viable candidate for Auranthos' Threnos was Kenji, Mythara, Aiono, Trigger, or whatever he was calling himself. A human with the heart of a dragon…" Seren's thoughts soared as all the possibilities played out. Selistar was one of the few who supported Kenji's as Auranthos' Threnos. If things went the way she wanted, they'd be about to strip Aron of some of his influence overnight. She sighed and nodded her head.

"I'll do as you have suggested. I guess I'll see you in five days." Seren then ended their communication. Kenji looked at Zac, who was standing there motionless.

"Will we really be attacking in five days?" Kenji asked.

"No…" Zac said. Kenji nodded his head in understanding; he thought that five days was a bit unrealistic.

"We attack in three," Zac smirked as he walked out the door, readying the group to head home.

Seren stared at the blank screen in silence. She was alone in the main base's control room, having already removed everyone before she started the conversation with Zac and Kenji. She was processing everything that had happened. The conversation went well but didn't guarantee her life.

She would keep her word, given to the two of them, but that did not mean she would be foolish enough not to prepare for what may come. She opened her eyes, letting out a deep breath. Touching the interface in front of her, she said,

"Gather all available elders; we need to have an emergency meeting ASAP." She reported.

"What's wrong, love?" Aron's voice was the first to respond.

"The base that was attacked—I had a conversation with its attackers. We need to prepare for a large-scale battle as soon as possible." Seren explained.

"Understood, everyone gather in the meeting room immediately. Seren, how long do we have to prepare?" Aron responded.

Seren closed her eyes as she processed everything she had experienced with Zac and Kenji. They were sharp, untrusting, and would not bend to anything that wasn't favorable to them. She would have to assume that everything they said was half-truth. Five days… Five days…

"Two days…" She said with a smile.

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