Anyone would have thought the ground had been struck by an earthquake or landslide. Rocky spikes protruded from the ground, boulders were all over the place, lying in unnatural positions, some even embedded in trees. Almost everything was covered with brown dust and sword marks were on some trees as well.
Also, mixed in the air was a familiar scent— and it wasn't Shira's.
"Shira..." Richard said in a low disturbed voice.
Turning to face him, Shira said, "Yes Richard... Sebastian has returned to the Earth Realm."
"How's that possible?" Richard asked. "The magic that created him should prevent him from ever coming back."
"Not unless he managed to find a witch powerful enough to break that spell. And don't you mean the magic that created all of you. You are also one of the Ten remember."
"I was a monster long before that day," Richard replied, looking at the thick dark streaks of dry blood smeared against a tree. "Anyway," he continued, "You have obviously had an encounter with him. What does he want?" he asked.
"He seeks to awaken The Chimera," Shira answered.
Richard felt his almost stop.
"What are you talking about?" His shaking hand scratching through his hair. The thought of his return. Ethan's terror being brought upon the world and the realms again. The thought of reliving the past fifty thousand years...
"Richard..."
It was then that Richard realized that his fangs and claws had involuntary extended and hands were turning red, slowly becoming hotter.
He took in one deep breath and calmed himself.
"The spell placed on the dagger cannot be broken—" Richard's eyes widened. "Unless..."
Shira only nodded.
"I didn't want to believe it at first but it seems the elders of Arzyria have been keeping it a secret that Prometheus' Orb was stolen. Richard, out of the Ten, only you, Talya, Sebastian, and Roagu remain. Sebastian has already taken the lives of the rest and if he manages to get you, he will be able to wield the power of the Orb."
Everything is happening as Talya foresaw, thought Richard, biting the inside lower lip. Sebastian's arrival in the Earth realm was no mere coincidence. Times like these often made Richard believe that Ethan had a plan for everything... even his own return. While the spell on the dagger couldn't be broken by ordinary means, the appearance of Prometheus' Orb turned the tides on that fact. Richard had never seen the Orb but he had heard the stories. Named after the Titan Prometheus who was said to have stolen fire from Olympus, the Orb was rumored to have the power to absorb... or rather steal any form of magic.
The use of the Orb, however, required a very steep price. In order to activate it, the user had to be the only one of their kind. Richard recalled how his mother had once told him that everything— living or non-living— was uniquely marked with magic. Humans, merpeople, vampires, plants, insects, or even the waters of the ocean each possessed a magical signature that determined everything thing about them.
When Richard was turned he became the first creature to be born of Ethan's blood. Later, he succeeded in acquiring some of Ethan's blood and used the same method to create the Ten. If— by some slim chance— Sebastian managed to kill every one of the Ten except himself, then he would exist as the only one in all the realms having that magical signature. With that; his blood would be able to activate the Orb's power.
"Richard?"
Richard shook his head. He was still sorting out his thoughts when he said, "Leave Sebastian and the Orb to me."
Shira walked towards him and said, "Richard, all I know are speculative stories of what happened between the Ten nine hundred years ago—"
"And I think it's best to keep it that way," Richard replied in a raised voice, cold and without emotion.
"Be that as it may," Shira said, giving him a stern. "I'm not leaving you to deal with Sebastian alone. Earth has no High Protector— not since Ethan killed that last one thousands of years ago— and even though I am not obligated to help a foreign realm I still remember how you once helped my father and grandfather. Besides, Ethan's return would spell disaster for many realms."
"Alright," Richard gave in. "Just be careful."
Richard slightly squinted his eyes as a brilliant blue glow caused by Shira's teleportation filled the area. His vision cleared and an intense silence dawned upon the woods. Sitting on the ground, with his back rested a tree, Richard glanced at the pure blue sky above.
It had only been a year, he thought. He spent a year planning how he would live a life— if he could even call it one— free of Ethan. He had it all figured out; spend time in Ravenhill and perhaps after a few years leave to another city or country. Though he knew he would have to make friends in order to blend in, Richard could have never anticipated meeting someone like Ashley. She was the one variable he never considered and now he had no idea of what he was going to do.
Richard clenched his jaw and pounded his fist into the ground. Though daggered and lying miles underneath the ocean, Ethan had yet again found another way to bring havoc to his life.
A thought of Ashley crossed Richard's mind.
"...she will be the one who ensures it."
So Ashley would somehow bring about the return of Ethan. But how? Richard thought.
He chuckled as a dark grin formed across his face.
"Over my dead body is anyone going to bring Ethan back," he whispered.
"I can't help but see the irony in all that… Seeing as you are already dead."
Richard's eyes flew open and he was on his feet in a blink's length of time.
He froze when he turned behind and saw an ebony-skinned woman. Both her hands had long, black chains dangling like loose strings and she was wearing damp clothes that were almost sticking to her body. Light bounced off the water that ran down her shiny black hair as she walked towards him.
"T-T... Talya...?"
Richard's voice was shaking.
"It good to see you too, my love," Talya said, a smile forming on the side of her cheek.
Richard shook his head.
"No you can't be here," he said.
"Of course I'm not."
Richard staggered back when he saw Talya standing right in front of him.
"How can I be here Richard?" Talya asked, tears filling her brown eyes. "You had me sent to Drenagen, you had me sent to that prison after you betrayed me... after you betrayed all of us."
Talya tilted her head and the chains that bound her hands clanked as she rested her palm on Richard's cheek. Though wet, her hand felt so warm that Richard couldn't fight the urge to close his eyes.
"But I never stopped loving you, Richard," she said in the same soothing tone Richard once enjoyed hearing. "I may not be able to fully use my magic because of these chains but I can use the little power I have to see you like this."
"Talya I—"
"Shh..."
Talya placed a finger on Richard's lips and wrapped her hands around his waist.
"Don't you miss the time we were together Richard?" she asked, tightening her hug.
"I—"
It was a blindfold suddenly being unfolded from his mind. He pushed Talya away when he realized what was going on.
"Richard, what's wrong?"
"Who are you?" Richard asked, his voice vibrating with anger. He could feel it. Someone was in his mind and whoever it was, they'd used Talya's image to lower Richard's psychic defenses.
A smile formed on Talya's face and her body slowly began to appear less solid, turning transparent until she finally disappeared.
With his heart racing and his breathing deepening, Richard sent a surge of power through the woods, trying to sense anyone or anything that could have followed him. Apart from the forest critters, Richard couldn't detect anyone. Whoever or whatever infiltrated his mind was long gone.
Richard didn't know what it was they wanted from him. His psychic guards were now up but he could feel that something was wrong. A memory, an idea or thought could have been accessed.
He began to walk back to school. As if Shira's news about Sebastian wasn't disconcerting enough, Richard had to also deal with the fact that someone out there had entered his mind and who knew what they wanted.
Only thirty days remained until the solstice and already events were unfolding just the way Talya said they would. Richard needed to find a way to avert the prophecy.
Ashley is the key he thought. Richard had to find out how Ashley was related to all this. She was a mermaid living among humans. Like him, she had managed to blend in with them for God knows how long. Sebastian... Ashley... Both involved in Ethan's return and both in the same place. It was no coincidence.
However, what bothered Richard the most was Sebastian's plan. The was no way Sebastian could kill Talya and seeing that Roagu was in a realm that even Richard couldn't reach, how was Sebastian planning on activating Prometheus' Orb?
Realizing that he hadn't fed, Richard stopped and decided to head for his villa instead. With his speed, he would be there in a matter of seconds, an amount of time he felt he had to come up with a plan.