Topaz walked into my office with a fist full of paperwork. "They ripped a White Dragon armour off. All the way down to the soft chest scales! They even managed to rip their harder scales off with some new weapon!"

I sighed. "I know my Blue Dragon. I have a list of supplies Kyros needs to counter the weapon that did it. You're not here to tell me about this. Why are you here?"

He waved the papers at me. "An answer for him. Double-layered armour. One layer of scales then an inverted layer underneath. They will only rip armour. He may also wish to consider looking at the scars made by this new weapon. He discovered how to heal them and can maybe help us make it as good as it once was."

I smiled offering the request from Kyros. "He had a similar idea but with a layer of chain mail between the layers. The problem is dragon armour makers. We don't have enough." Topaz growled. "Would you ask Purple Elder to come here?"

"You are going to ask him to teach the humans again?" Topaz almost whispered

I shook my head offering him another piece of paper. "Not me this time, Reina. It's an order. Could you bring Jade to me as well before she flies off?" Topaz nodded leaving some papers on my desk, turning and leaving me alone with my work.

Before I had finished my first report back to Reina, Purple Elder walked into the room. "You requested me Katja of the night wolf pack." He sounded angry and stared at me like it was a fly trying to land on his food.

"Purple Elder, the situation has changed...."

"I will not show humans the art of making dragon armour." He growled filling the room with the smell of smoke.

I offered him the order from Reina. He snatched it and read it slowly. He growled looking up at me from the paper. "Reina has requested you teach the humans. The situation has changed the human army can break the armour of every person wearing it."

He slapped the paper on the table and loomed over me smoke trailing from his nose and mouth. "I will not SHEAR MY CRAFT!" He said spitting sparks.

I nodded. "That is what Reina suspected you would say." I offered him a second page. He set it on fire in my hand without a second glance. It burnt instantly burning my hand badly. I waved my hand glaring at him. "You overstep Elder! I am still a Black Dragon!" I said standing and pointing at him with a finger that was already swelling with blisters.

"You are a scaleless beast! A nasty little skin suit that can be burnt to a crisp at my anger!" His voice boomed in the small room.

"And you are not fit to be an Elder! You threatened me, a Black Dragon who is here because I am pregnant! You are trying to get out of the thing you have been ordered to do by our leader! As a Black Dragon I have the power to strip you of your Elder status! Don't force me to."

He growled at me looming over me more. He spread his wings slightly and pushed his chest out to make himself every inch the huge muscled Dragon he was. "Try it human!"

Just then a blue-scaled hand wrapped around the Purple Elders throat. His eyes filled with surprise as he was dragged back from the desk and wrestled to the floor. I saw Jade in the doorway as a human in baggy clothing looking at Topaz beating up the Purple Elder with fear.

"Topaz." I said quietly. He looked around at me his fist ready to hit Purple elder again. "He burned my hand." I showed him the blisters on the hand he had burnt.

He looked down at the Purple Elder and I could see him thinking about continuing to beat him. Purple Elder panted as he lay on the floor his face bloody from Topaz's beeting. Topaz puffed smoke in his face then came to my side. "Jade get some Blue Dragons, and tell them my gem was attacked by your father." She darted off up the corridor tripping on her clothing.

The Purple Elder started to stand as Topaz pulled his supplies from his bag. "I will have your scales for this Blue Dragon."

Topaz opened his mouth but didn't get a word in before I spoke. "No! I will have yours! You refused a direct order from Reina of the Dragon Fire and then threatened me, and burned me. That is all I need to strip you of yours!"

Topaz looked at me standing there panting because of my outburst. His face was full of surprise at my anger. "You can not order that skin suit!" Purple Elder spat.

"I can and just did! You have no right to attack anyone. I on the other hand am a Black Dragon!" I took my hand from Topaz picking up my staff from the rack next to my desk. I walked around it heading straight for him. "Purple Dragon. I have demoted you, I call you by your title!" I spat the words out with the rage I felt. "For burning a Black Dragon you bleed. For threatening a Black Dragon I will strip you of more than just your Elder status! I have dealt with more scary things in this world than you. You have more problems than just my anger and Topaz's fist, my mother will hear what you have done. Now finally you will know some of the fear you put in others!" As I walked towards him my words started to hit home and his eyes widened.

He flinched as I swung my staff at him. It made a satisfying thud making him grunt in pain as I knocked his feet out from under him as he tried to back away from my slow approach. The sound of feet hurrying up the corridor did not stop the wounded Dragon from getting to his feet.

He swung his arm at me claws out and I blocked it with my weapon without moving more than my arms then I spun the staff around embedding the point in his bicep and forced his arm up painfully. "I have faced death, sung with my brothers and sisters over the body of our dead. We scarface our blood to keep you safe and you threaten me!" As I spoke I twisted my staff making him follow it to the floor screaming in pain. He knelt in front of me and I leaned in so my face was only milamiters from his. I could see his fear in his eyes. "No one will ever treat me like that again!"

"Katja?"

I looked up at the shocked group of Dragons in the doorway. "As of this moment, this Purple Dragon is demoted! He refused a direct order from Reina of the Dragon Fire, then he attacked me and threatened me! I want him striped!" I said in an oddly calm voice as I straightend and lowed my weapon.

Topaz came to my side as three Dragon's came over to take the Purple Dragon away. The two Black Dragons were followed by the Blue Dragon that would fix him up. Topaz was tending to my hand as the other Blue Dragon in the doorway walked up to us.

"Katja... why do you need me?" Jade asked from the entrance to my office.

I sighed as the two Blue Dragons poked me. "Can you two stop for a moment. I have something time-sensitive to do." They both bowed to me and I walked slowly to the desk picking up a paper and offering it to her. "Your father was ordered to show humans how to make Dragon armour. You know how this is done and so Reina said if your father refused to do it tell you to teach them. The Purple Dragons are now without Elder and are under her direct control."

She took the paper in shaking hands and looked at it. I put my hand on her shoulder making her jump and look up at me. "He's not so scary now he's been beaten by a human. Play this right Jade and you could be the first female Purple Elder. Will you teach them?"

She stopped shaking and met my eyes. "Yes, Katja. I will not defy our leader. Neither will I anger you."

I smiled letting my arm drop. She bowed to me and left the room morphing as she did. As soon as she left Topaz was there at my side. "My gem... would you please..."

I hugged him tightly making him grunt. "I'm so proud of you my Blue Dragon."

His arms came around me slowly. "As I am of you my Black Dragon. I have never seen anyone take on a Purple Dragon and win like that. Even Black Dragons try very hard not to mess with them. Purple Dragons are stronger than most."

I chuckled. "He was allowed to bully everyone. I'm done letting people bully me. He thought that being bigger and stronger would stop me. Well, I've got more of my mother in me than he expected."

The small Blue Dragon I'd encountered before came up to me. "Black Dragon I do not wish to anger you but I must check you for wounds. You were attacked by a Dragon after all, and you are still human."

I smiled giving her a small bow. "Of course Blue Dragon. All the colours must give way to Blue Dragons when it comes to health."

I sat on the desk and offered her the hand he had burned. She growled smoke trailing away from her nose. "My report will go to Reina of the Dragon Fire directly." She growled.

"Alongside mine Blue Dragon." I said smiling at her as she gently dabbed at the blisters with some kind of cream.

Shadow ran up to me as I sat at an outside table of the pub sipping my tea. "Duha! Duha you have to help me!" He yelled sounding desperate. I stood spilling my tea and met him halfway. He thrust a note at me as he spoke. "Eboni read this report meant for me! She is trying to find a Dragon willing to fly her back home so she can skin him! Please help me." 

I looked at the paper as he spoke I growled loud enough that many of the people around me moved away giving us a clearing. "Show me!" I spat and Shadow ran off.

I easily kept pace with him with my anger fulling my speed. He led me to the edge of the mountain where we had cut a large tunnel through. Eboni stood there being held by two White Dragons. "What is wrong with her?" One of them asked as she still struggled in his grip foaming at the mouth and spewing unintelligible words.

"White Dragon! She is my sister and insane! Do not harm her or face death!" I yelled as I reached for her.

The two White Dragons straightened at my threat. "We called for a Blue Dragon as she was.... well you see her Black Dragon."

I walked up to her and grabbed her face in my hands. "Eboni! Katja is fine! She handled it. The pup is fine. I promise you she is alright."

She met my eyes at the word pup. "Not dead!"

I nodded wiping her mouth with my sleeve. "Pup is alive and well. Now how about we calm down." She growled looking over my shoulder. I looked at the two Blue Dragons that carried rope to tie her with. I turned her face making her look at me. "You don't want them to do that again do you?" She shook her head. "Then save your need for blood for our enemy. We will run, fight tooth and claw soon enough my sister. There is no need to fight our allies."

Her legs buckled and I gestured for the Dragons to let her go. They did letting her sink to the floor. She howled filling the air with her anger and sadness. It pulled that same howl from me. We both were answered by our wild brethren. They joined in with our anger and pain, to say farewell to the pack we had lost.

"What has happened Duha?" Kyros asked as we dropped our heads, my chest feeling lighter after calling to Luna for her protection of our pack members' past and present.

"Purple Elder attacked Katja." Kyros's eyes bulged with the news just as Kyanite and Reina walked up to us.

"She said in her report she has had him stripped for attacking her." Reina said coming to Eboni.

"Stripped! What did he do to her, Reina of the Dragon fire?" Shadow asked.

Reina took Eboni's hand smiling at her and stroking her hair. "He refused to carry out my orders then he burned her. Reason enough for him to be stripped. We all know the reason Black Dragons haven't taken on a new Elder is because they enjoy those powers themselves. I have spoken to the other elders and they agree with Katja's decision."

The White Dragons bowed to Reina and the Blue Dragons watched Eboni closely. "What do you wish to happen about this?" White Dragon asked.

"I believe Katja has everything in hand and has said as much. The Elders are headed back to sit in counsel after this incident until the Purple Dragons have a new Elder." Reina pulled on Eboni's hand making her stand and look down at her. "I think Eboni needs a little bit of love right now. Do you want to see the pups, Eboni?" She smiled at Reina. Her wild eyes calm at the idea. "Your alright to check on things for me aren't you Duha?"

"I am Reina and thank you."

She smiled as she turned to Shadow. "You took the name Shadow didn't you?"

He bowed to her. "I did Reina of the Dragon fire."

"I think that you would like to see them too. Come along now before they fall asleep."

He smiled broadly bowing to her and falling in beside her as they walked away. I turned to the White Dragons. "Sorry, I threatened you."

They bowed smiling at me. "A threat is nothing when it is just words Black Dragon. Your sister seems unstable, so, understandably, you take protecting her as the most important responsibility. We shall explain this to our brothers and sisters to prevent any misunderstanding in the future. We will give her to you or Reina of the Dragons Fire in the future. I hope that we can aid her recovery in this way."

I bowed to him. "Thank you for understanding. You have the heart of a Silver Dragon." He growled happily at that and I left them both.

"I'm surprised Topaz didn't skin that Purple Dragon."

I stared at Kyros as he trotted beside me. "He is not a fighter Kyros. However that Purple Dragon will have to deal with me now he has wounded a member of my pack."

Kyros nodded. "I came over because I heard you howl. That wasn't your battle cry." It was a statement, not a question.

"We were morning our pack. Eboni has never called them like that because she believed she was dead and couldn't find them because she shamed them. That was the first time she has admitted they are gone and she lives."

He sighed as we started to climb the stairs to the wall. "I'm sorry to hear that Duha. I hope you both have peace soon."

"I think we all hope for that my friend." I said looking out as the sun set. "We all deserve a little peace."