My earliest memory was a disturbance in my sleep. "Heathen, awaken. The family Physician is here to see you."

Only father called me by that word. I awoke with a start and wiped the sleep from my eyes with small, chubby hands. My hair was long and unadorned like my mother's. Earth-age three. "Father, I am tired. Can he not wait until morn?"

Sharply, Umbra snatched me by the nape. "You will ready yourself to meet him now."

A man entered the light, but not what I knew of a man. A slim figure, taller than any I'd ever met, approached my bedside. In the dim light, I caught the blue skin that covered his face and hands. The rest, he hid under flowing robes and wraps. His almond-shaped eyes startled me the most. Voids which lacked any white. Darker than my own. Thin lips and no nose left him almost expressionless. A strange orb sat on his belt, emitting a faint light. When he spoke, the depth of his voice bruised my keen ears, "Salutations, Night Prince. How have you fared since my last visit?"

Father released his grip on me, and I fought not to shrink under the covers. I didn't like the man's teeth when he smiled. Too much of them showed in his lipless mouth. Considering my cowardice, I spared a glance at my father, who gnashed his teeth at my rudeness. I stammered, "I am not sure. I do not recall ever meeting you, Physician." I tried for truthful and polite.

My King wasn't satisfied. "Stand, Heathen. Let him examine you."

At the threat in my father's eyes, I surged from the bed and stood ramrod-straight before the stranger. The foreigner knelt with a tiny device and assured me, "This will not hurt. I require only a sample of your blood."

I didn't want him to have it, but what choice was there? He pricked the back of my hand. The hole vanished before I laid eyes on it.

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"There. Not all bad, was it?"

I shook my head, certain to hide my hands behind me.

They went on speaking to one another in the dark as if I wasn't there.

Father asked, "Will he not acquire another upgrade this night?"

"No. We will process this for results of the previous experiment before we address the recent additions. Does this sound reasonable to you, Umbra?" The Physician's tone shifted from companionable to sinister.

My father's posture grew rigid, and his eyes widened with alarm. He let the omission of his title pass.

I balked at the unprecedented event.

"Of course. Forgive my eagerness to further your research." Umbra, King of Cinder, bowed at the waist to the stranger in my bedchamber.

The Physician peered over at me. "I try not to shame you in front of your son, Umbra. Leave me with no choice again, and I will ensure he never forgets it."

My father ducked his eyes. "Yes, Primary."

The stranger ruffled my hair, affectionately. "Next time I see you, I promise to bring you a gift. A very special one that goes here." He pointed high on my sternum. His smile was kind and friendly.

It disappeared when he turned to father. "Tell Prince Nox a wondrous tale and put him to bed." The threat in his tone made me flinch. When he stood, his robes brushed my face. They smelled of brimstone as he swept away.

At the threshold, he added over his shoulder, "And kiss Savis for me."

My father cursed and set his angry gray eyes on me. "How dare you embarrass me with your rudeness and your gutless reactions?"

I feared a beating. I wanted nothing more than to find mother and crawl into bed with her. But wouldn't that only prove my father right? When a subject behaved badly, they fell to their knees, prostrated themselves, and begged for forgiveness. I stood before my father and held up my fists in ways that I watched him practice with Amolot.

The metal fluid of his eyes shifted into something close to warmth. "My son," a rare treat, "That was the display of a promising warrior." Gently, he lowered my hands. Then he surprised me by removing a cord from his neck and placing it over my head.

I stared at the pendant. A shard of glass of which I learned much later its significance.

He continued, "But the next time you raise your fists at me, be prepared for one of us to meet their end."

"Yes, father."

"Now, sleep."

Umbra left me alone in the dark to contemplate scenarios in which I might want him dead. Sadly, many came to mind.