"This is it, Asha." The orange-haired woman delicately removed the decorative cuffs on her horns, along with the blade on her tail. "Better impress your audience."

"You wish for me to transform?"

Almeidrea smirked, finally unfastening the collar around her neck. "Not just transform, use your artes. Show off every element and make me look good, got it?"

Asha nodded. "Yes, My Lord."

She couldn't help but look around at the empty place full of armor, weaponry, practice targets, and supplies. Dohalim had made what used to be a colosseum into a training ground for guardsmen to practice. The captain herself, Kisara, frequented it often. But just past the reception was an open arena for any and all to duke it out. It was currently full of zeugles the other Lords brought to face Almeidrea's hybrid. There were wolves and boars, and even a polycephus belonging to Ganabelt.

"Now, go on. I'll be watching with the other Lords."

Almeidrea left her to join her fellow Renans. Taking a deep breath, Asha moved past the reception, calmly entering the arena. High, stone walls contained them. The zeugles watched the hybrid intently, snarling and growling. Asha looked up at the viewing platform overlooking the area. Dohalim, Kelzalik, Balseph, Ganabelt, and after a moment, Almeidrea joined them. They were all present.

The Lord of Wind started laughing. "Show them your true self, Asha! Fight and win!"

The command from her master awakened the obedient instincts drilled into her body. Her form started to shift and grow, purple scales replacing her skin. As the transformation slowed, her new appearance was observed by the others. She was roughly the height of the polycephus, but her body was built like a snake. She was on all fours, and her black hair formed a mane around her neck and trailed down her spine. A wolfish face bared sharpened teeth. Her horns had grown out, and pointed ears pinned back against her head. Her eyes, one green, one red, glared at the foes, the pupils thin like a snake's.

She caught the shocked expressions on the Lords' faces before letting out a shrill roar. The other zeugles were on alert now, acting in a threatening manner. The wolves started circling, as did the two-headed beast. A couple of boars started charging her. The draconic hybrid harnessed her astral energy and stomped her hands on the ground. From her claws, ice shot forward and encased the feet of the boars. They squealed with alarm, and Asha swiftly moved in to claw them to shreds. A few wolves jumped onto her to bite down on her, causing her to hiss. Reaching around her slender, wiry body, she bit into a wolf and threw it off. The other two were just out of reach, so using an arte, she summoned vines from the ground that snatched the small beasts and flung them.

Quite a few other wolves closed in on her. After a sharp inhale, Asha started spewing flames that kept her opponents at bay. The polycephus suddenly lunged through the fire, seemingly unaffected as its heads snapped at her. The hybrid was quick to dodge its pair of jaws, then, like a snake, she coiled around it and bit into one of its necks. The dog zeugle whimpered, and the other head began biting back while its body thrashed. Asha ignored the pain and concentrated to form black wisps that slashed through the head to make it let go. Despite the bleeding wound on her side, she brought down the one head she'd torn the throat of. The polycephus was still alive though, the remaining head controlling the body while the other hung lifelessly, blood pouring from its shredded neck.

Asha prepared to finish it off, but she noticed the other wolves and boars surrounding her. Summoning a gust of wind, she spiraled up into the air, moving fluidly like a serpent in a river. With the wind arte, she hovered above the arena. It was in her best interest to show off her last element. She coiled up, and with her head high, a ball of golden light started to form in front of her jaws. It steadily grew and sparked, and even her eyes started to light up.

From where he sat, Dohalim was devastated by the battle. Asha harnessed incredible power, but it shattered him to see her use it in such a violent, beastly manner. The other Lords were impressed, and were now leaning forward with great interest. As for Almeidrea, she wore that crazed grin he recognized so well. But this carnage wasn't sitting well with him. The Lord of Earth wanted it to stop. He didn't want to see any more. In his mind, he could picture this final light arte of hers destroying the stadium, and possibly harming people outside.

"Stop this at once!" he shouted, jumping out of his seat. "She'll destroy my training grounds!" Almeidrea met his gaze, looking irritated by his outburst. "Command her to cease, Almeidrea! I won't have part of my city in shambles!"

The woman groaned with annoyance, rising to her feet. "Fine." She rolled her eyes. "You're such a bore, Dohalim." She leaned against the railing. "Asha, enough! Stop right now!"

The hybrid's eyes flicked toward her master. The ball of light dispersed and she tilted her head with confusion. With the other Lords calling off their zeugles as well, Asha floated down until her feet were planted on the ground. One by one, the Lords came down, and Almeidrea immediately caressed her pet's snout.

"You did such a good job, my darling Asha," she cooed.

The hybrid breathed heavily, fatigued and injured. Her wounds dripped with blood, especially the large bite marks on her side. There were a few other small bites from the wolves, but most of them barely even pierced her thick scales. The polycephus was the only one to leave a mark on her. Almeidrea, with a hand on her hip, turned toward her fellow Lords with a confident smirk.

"How much for her?" Balseph offered, the first to speak. "I need a zeugle like this. She could strike terror in every embedded in Calaglia. That little rebellion would be wiped out before they could stir up any more trouble."

"That's all you'd use her for?" Ganabelt scoffed. "Why, with a beast like this, I bet harvesting astral energy would be twice as swift."

"Winning the Crown Contest is exactly what I'll do," the woman told them. "With my wonderful Asha and the rest of my zeugles, all of Mahag Saar will be mine to harvest. The fear and hatred they'll amass…" She started laughing like a madwoman.

Dohalim only shook his head at their outrageous desires. "I believe your 'wonderful Asha' requires healing." His words brought Almeidrea back to reality. "What would it take for you to allow me the honor of obtaining your hybrid?"

The Lord of Wind looked him up and down. "You? The man who avoids as much violence as possible? What use would Asha be to you?" She narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"There is a powerful stray flying around Traslida Highway. None of my guards or their zeugles have been able to best it. I require power as great as Asha's to finally put the beast to rest and make the farmlands safe again."

Almeidrea hummed, contemplating. "Well, at least your reason isn't as stupid as theirs." She gestured to the other two men, earning disapproving scowls. "Very well. You may borrow her for a week. But I will have her returned to me afterward, so don't get any big ideas. Besides, I'm the only one she'll fully obey."

Dohalim gave a firm nod. "Thank you." His brown eyes landed on the beast, and he slowly moved closer. Asha softly snarled and took a step back, unsure of what he may do. "You need not fear me, Asha. I wish to heal you."

Immediately, the hybrid quieted. He approached her, ever so gently reaching out to touch her snout and gliding his hand along her scales as he moved to her wounded side. The featherlight touch of his fingers made Asha turn her head to watch him. A shiver ran down her spine because of him, but she didn't quite understand why. Dohalim held his hand just over the injury, his eyes glowing bright blue when he cast a healing arte. The wound mended in seconds.

"There. That'll do it." Dohalim turned toward his guests. "Now, I do believe my fellow Lords have duties to attend to in their own realms. It was my pleasure to host dinner for you all, and to meet this magnificent creature. I will take good care of her until you return to retrieve her, Almeidrea."

For some reason, the dark-skinned man took a glance at Asha wearing the most comforting of smiles. It gave the girl a strange feeling. Perhaps she was wrong in assuming he wanted nothing to do with her. For the next seven days, she would be sure to serve him as best as she could, and perhaps it would give her the chance to figure him out.

In case anyone wants confirmation, Asha's zeugle form is basically an eastern dragon. I wanted her to be dragon-like in some way, and because there are already western dragon zeugles, I took a different approach.