Chapter 8:

The Apprentices

The apprentices of the Supreme Commander and the Supreme

Admiral were both powerful and strong youth.

Upon their acceptances as the Supreme Commander and

The Supreme Admiral's apprentices, they had to have their hair cut short,

Almost to the scalp in order to have them grow it in their development.

The Supreme Commander's apprentice was the female Chimera of Titan.

Her name was Ameus, meaning "Unleashed", and because of this,

The Terrans called her "Pandora", creating a cruel myth to chastise her more.

The apprentice of the Supreme Admiral was the Mimas Chimera, a male by gender.

He was named Morva, or "Treachery", thus creating the many villains in so many tales.

He was considered the Devil in the Terran religion, Christianity.

Ameus had to work harder than any other female to earn recognition.

But her trails truly began when the Supreme Commander chose her to be his student.

He worked her into the ground. He pushed her and harmed her very flesh.

And she did not give up and she did not give in. She would slam her shoulder to

Any barrier and keep pushing until it broke.

And one day, that barrier broke.

"See? I told you. You were amazing. You still are but back then, you were merciless and awkward with compassion when it came to loving me. I told you, way back then that I'd be by your side, teaching you to be kind and gentle, like a real woman was." Morva cooed to Hotaru, kissing her cheek. They were sitting on the floor, her delicately strong body folded gracefully against him as he held her.

"Why was I so rough?" Hotaru asked, looking up at him.

"Oh, that's simple. You knew nothing of love or kindness and none of the others were alone like you were. The caretakers were forbidden from taking on two children and so you were left on your own. I first say you when we were children. I had one year to develop before being chosen as an apprentice and I was watching all the other kids, your year mates, with their caretakers in a field below a hill me and a few others were taking a break on." He responded, purring in her ear. "They were so weak and pathetic but you…you were doing nothing but work. You were separated from them and you were fighting for your life against an apprentice just a bit older than I was. He was trying to kill you, an unarmed child, while he and his buddies found it amusing. But you didn't and that amazed me."

"What did I do?" She asked breathlessly.

Morva chuckled. "Why, you fought back, unlike the Manticore they had designated you as. I could hear it, your heart beat slowed despite the heavy labor. Your breathing was almost like you were at rest and your eyes went so cold that I had thought the winter season had come again." He hugged her even closer with a smile. "You easily killed all 8 of the apprentices that attacked you bare handed. In fact, you had long claws, a tail, two cat eyes and you were balancing on the balls of your feet. You had accessed your Panther DNA…well, our equilvilant of a panther. Usually Manticores manifest and kill everyone without a Chimera to make them back down. But you, you backed down and then you went to clean the blood off your hands, taking your time the whole trip."

"So, did that mean that I was going to be killed?" Morva shook his head.

"No, you were immediately transferred to a Chimera training program but you didn't have a care taker, yet again but you took everything they threw at you and more." Hotaru snuggled closer against him. "It was that moment…it was that very moment that I fell in love with you and was going to do anything to make you mine. But I knew that someone as powerful as you would have to choose for me to be your lover rather than let me take you against your will."

"There was this word I would repeat over and over as a child." Hotaru intertwined her fingers with his, getting Morva to look at her interestedly. "It was 'Wareltorez'."

"Ah, yes…'soulmates'."