A/N: I am soooo sorry it took me forever to update! No inspiration was the cause again, also that I am writing a book (and having it published) YAY ME!, and that has taken up a lot of my time. Anyway, I hope anyone who still reads this can enjoy this painfully short chapter!

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Brius sat sulking in his chamber. It was amazing to think he was still upset. After all, three years had passed. But that wasn't really a long time to a dragon. Three years since Malefor had committed the dirty deed of scarring Brius both physically and mentally. Mulling over this made Brius angry, so when a knock came at his archway door his answer was a little sharp and abrupt.

"Yeah, yeah..." He grumbled, by way of invitation.

Cynder strolled through the arch. Brius barely held back a gasp.

Three years had passed since Cynder's dark egg had hatched. Three years! In Cynder's case it seemed longer. Cynder was fully grown, and from her size and length she should have been at least a thousand years old. Brought up on the Dark Master's poisonous powers, no doubt she was a thousand years on the inside as well. And indeed, Cynder spoke with knowledge beyond her years when she did speak. But Brius was not to know that yet.

"I bear a brief message from the Master." She informed him, her blue eyes travelling over his scars subconsciously. Brius scowled at her, but his eyes were on her also.

She was quite pretty, as far as black dragons went. According to the Chronicles, the black beasts were ugly, twisted things, created and consumed by darkness. But Cynder was different, her raven-scaled body lithe and supple, her head a well shaped arrow, tapering to a pretty point at her nose. The patterns on her forelegs and forehead were in the Ancient Language, Brius could not decipher them. Finally, he met her eyes, wide and in a starling shade of blue, and retorted sharply;

"Anything the Master tells me, I do not wish to know!" He growled, golden steam hissing from his jaws.

The sight of this would have made many quail. Not Cynder. She nodded briskly.

"Let us know when you change your mind." She smiled, and breezed out of the room.

Brius gazed after her, astonished.

He had not missed that Cynder had said, 'Let US know.' Even shut up in this room, Brius could not help but overhear the rumours. The current gossip was that Cynder was a sort of concubine, the Dark Master's only love. Of course, when Cynder had said 'Let us know', she could have been referring to the rest of the Ape Army, but Brius chose not to believe that.

Smiling happily now, was he, for he had the perfect way to get back at Malefor.

Brius grinned and left the room.