The dragon lord left the dining room as a tiger growled a warning to him. The men inside immediately relaxed. The tension had almost been tangible before. It was something about their host, especially the inhuman look in his eyes. That, and the various hungry-looking tigers that circled the room, watching them. With the tigers and their host gone, the men began to enjoy the food and wine, eating and drinking with gust and trading their war stories. But beneath the relaxed façade, they were really sizing each other up, each individual's strengths and skill in battle.

They hadn't forgotten why they were in this strange place after all.

"You're here for the competition," Chase said, more a question than a statement. His eyebrows arched in amusement.

The slim figure before him was a woman. No, just a girl, he realized, one no older than seventeen. She was tall and willowy, her skin a tanned brown. Her face was a slim oval halved by a straight nose. Her eyes were dark brown, and she wore her black hair in a braid, wrapped around her neck. She looked far too delicate to be a fighter.

She tossed her head impatiently. "Why else would I be here?" She narrowed her eyes as she saw the skeptical expression on his face. "I'm sick to death of men who can see nothing but my face!" she declared, disgust evident in her features. He caught sight of the glint in her eyes. It fascinated him, reminding him of Eva just before she was about to throw Guan a punch… The breath caught in his throat.

She raised a hand to push away a stray lock of hair on her face and he found himself nodding absently. The flesh of her hands were grey and thick with calluses where the skin swelled around the knuckles, just like his own hands, hidden underneath the leather gloves he wore. The mark of a martial artist.

"So you can fight?"

She grinned suddenly. "I will be the one to defeat you."

"Arrogant, aren't we?" he said, almost teasingly.

This girl has spirit. The other men were too intimidated by him. As they should be.

He watched her the entire evening. She ate and drank little, then proceeded to observe the men's antics out of the corners of her eyes, a bored expression on her face. They were now far too drunk to feel his cold aura and lack of humanity, and carried on with their …acts, not caring what others thought.

"Do you wish to go to your room now?" he suddenly asked her.

She shrugged casually. "I don't mind."

He got up, his movements sinuous and fluid. Like water. He mentally scowled. He hated to think of his human life.

She followed him to the sleeping quarters, a maze of door-lined hallways, then pushed open a door.

"Here." He tossed a small bronze key at her, which she caught deftly.

"Be sure to lock your door tonight." The echoes of the men's merriment below drifted into the dark hallway. He turned to leave, then suddenly asked "What's your name?"

"I'm Xi Shi," she murmured. "Goodnight Chase."

The room I was in was small but comfortable, though the barred windows made it seem like a cell. It was well-lit with torches, but I extinguished those already. No light filtered into the room; it was a moonless night. I sat on the bed with a sigh, fingering the stone I wore around my neck. It was black and fragile, and it seemed to absorb what little light was left in the room. Slipping it off, my appearance immediately shifted to what it really was. Warm brown eyes changed to a hard green. My skin paled to a creamy white.

A smile formed on my lips as I stared at the stone, now resting on my palm. I had almost expected him to see through my beautiful illusion. He was already attracted to me. I knew he was.

I clenched the black stone tightly, praying that all would go as well as I hoped. I leaned against the stone wall, feeling the cool breeze that entered the room. A single teardrop slipped past my closed eyelids and ran down my cheeks.

Chase.