"I had to be," he said. "The reason why Ethan's blood couldn't create another Fire Demon was that I already existed. So, with all of us gathered, the nine souls drunk Ethan's blood that day, giving up their mortality and becoming dark creatures. The Ethren Stones in the dagger absorbed the magic used to create us and that dagger became the only weapon that could destroy Ethan."
"However... to my shame, there was something I neglected to tell the rest. It was something I discovered from the same group that gave me Ethan's blood... Creatures born of Ethan's blood cannot be in the same place otherwise they die. Zafrina and Isaac died immediately after the ritual and the rest had to leave the Earth realm."
"No wonder Sebastian bears a passionate hatred for you," Claudia pointed out.
"So... the dagger... it absorbed magic from all ten of you... and... how did that help in defeating Ethan?" Ashley asked.
"When the dagger absorbed our power it became the only weapon that could destroy of all ten of the creatures that make Ethan at the same time," Richard replied.
"And how exactly did you kill him?"Ashley asked again. "I mean you said so yourself... Ethan was powerful."
Richard's face turned to the floor.
"It seems you haven't been paying attention to some important details, Ashley," Claudia said. "Didn't you notice Richard referring to Ethan in the present tense... Ethan is still alive Ashley... He is just asleep..."
"Asleep?"
Richard rose to his feet and walked to Ashley. He then pointed outside.
Ashley followed Richard's finger and she saw that he was pointing at the cliff on the other side of the island... the very cliff on which they first met.
"After creating the dagger I began to hunt Ethan," Richard said. "Continent after continent and realm after realm... it took me nine hundred years to finally find him. And on that cliff was where we fought... That was last year. The Hunters also aided me and that's how I met Sara and together, we finally put an end to Ethan. The dagger, however, has only put Ethan in eternal sleep and no amount of magic or power can ever pull it out of his heart. That excludes Prometheus' Orb of course."
"Prometheus' Orb?"
Ashley was beginning to feel a bit embarrassed for asking question after question.
"It is the largest Ethren Stone in all the realms," Shira said. "Because of its power, my people were granted the task of safeguarding it. But it was stolen... stolen by Sebastian."
"So it can also absorb magic," said Ashley.
"Prometheus' Orb is more complicated," Shira answered.
Everything was complicated to her, Ashley thought.
"The Orb can absorb magic yes... but that's not all it can do. Ordinary Ethren Stones crumble into dust when they lose the magic they absorbed but Prometheus' Orb can contain an almost infinite supply of magic."
"Sounds like the realms most ideal capacitor if you ask me," Claudia blurted out.
"Anyway," Shira continued. "There is a catch. To use Prometheus' Orb one has to offer it unique magic first, meaning, it first has to absorb magic that's the only one of its kind. Sebastian's initial plan was to kill all members of The Ten, except himself. He already managed to track down and kill Victor, Alson, Niamh, and Arad. If he killed Richard, Talya and Roagu who remain his blood would contain a magical signature that only he would have had and that way he would be able to wield the Orb and absorb the magic contained in the dagger that rests in Ethan's dark heart."
"But he doesn't have to now, does he?"
Ashley finally realized why Richard was so worried when he found out that she was a half-breed. Ashley was the only half-breed in all the realms; at least the only one with a human mother and a merman father. Her training with Richard had also given her knowledge of what magical signatures were. Everything, living or non-living, bore a unique magical marker in them. It was more like a fingerprint except it was the same for things of the same type. It was the reason for almost every phenomenon that occurred in the natural and supernatural world; why dark creatures burnt up in the sun, why Ashley could only control water, why humans couldn't see as well as other creatures in the dark... all things, biological, physical, chemical, cosmological were determined by these signatures.
"Since I am a half-breed," Ashley continued. "Sebastian doesn't need to kill Richard or the rest of The Ten who are still alive... All he needs is my blood."
"We are not going to let him get to you Ashley... you or anyone else in this town."
Ashley felt Claudia's firm hand on her shoulder.
"I know Sebastian's smart," Claudia continued. "I alone can take on fifty creatures with the same level of power as him and with Richard; Sebastian has absolutely no chance of winning against us."
"You have our protection Ashley," Shira added.
"No!"
Ashley didn't mean to shout.
"No," she said, more calmly this time. "I haven't been training for the past weeks just to be protected. I swore to myself that I wouldn't let what happened to Alex happen to anyone I care about. This is my fight too and I am going to put in everything I got."
"Those eyes," Claudia said. "Determined... you remind me of the Vampire that turned me."
Claudia moved closer to Ashley.
"Ten thousand years ago," Claudia said. "Before civilization fully bloomed in Europe, Demons had attacked my village and I was the only survivor. Those were the real dark ages..."
Ashley could see the sadness in Claudia's brown eyes.
"I was half dead when she found me. The Vampire... She was as deadly as the sword she wielded; a katana with a blood-red hilt. When she offered to turn me I didn't have to think twice... I had relatives and friends in another neighboring village and vowed that I would protect them with my life. When she turned me I never felt more alive... ironic, considering that we dark creatures are actually dead. To cut a long story short, I slew every demon that tried attacking my village. I had no daylight ring back then but I was lucky since Demons only appear at night. But when the rest of the humans in the village realized they didn't need me anymore... they tried to turn me into barbeque."
"They tried to kill you? Why?" Ashley asked.
"Maybe it was because they feared my power... though I think sucking dry a man that tried to harm a little girl may have contributed to it... Anyway, I left that God-forsaken village and began to explore the world. I did meet the vampire that turned me and the last words Kyla said to me were... 'If you ever come across a Fire Demon named Richard Thane or someone called The Chimera, it would be in your best interest to run as far away from that place as possible.' Now I understand why."
So that's Claudia's story, Ashley thought or at least part of it. There were still ten thousand years worth of history about her and five times that about Richard. All that remained was finding out Sara's story. Why did she become a Hunter? Ashley didn't know how to ask or rather... she felt like something was off about her friend.
"Wait," Ashley said, as a thought suddenly coursed through her mind. "Lenora... what happened to her?"
"She was killed... by my father," Richard answered. "I don't know how but somehow my mother found out about my plan to help Ethan and immediately informed my father. My father led some of his best men ashore and slaughtered everyone in Lenora's village... well at least that's the story Ethan himself told me."
It was all revenge. In the stories her mother told her, Ethan became dark because he was using magic to try to have a tail. Obviously, there was more to the story than Ashley ever realized.
But still, to do what he did to Richard and the kingdom...
"And how did Ethan become a Chimera?" Ashley asked.
"That part I have never known till this day Ashley," Richard answered. "Only Ethan holds the answer to that question."
A blinding light hit Ashley's face. It was almost sundown she realized as she stared at the sun through the window.
"Blast... I have to be heading home," Ashley said. It was still raining but Ashley didn't mind.
"I will take you," Shira offered. "It will be much faster."
"Thanks."
"Ashley..." Richard said. He paused for a while and Ashley simply smiled at him.
"I will be careful," Ashley replied.
Shira held Ashley's hand. An electric feeling coursed through her body and in a split second, Ashley was in her room.
Before Shira left she said, "Ashley... I know and trust Richard but now I am beginning to realize that he is someone who would do just about anything to make sure Ethan never awakens... anything even if it means..."
"I trust him, Shira, just as much as I trust you," Ashley interrupted. She had a pretty good idea of what Shira was trying to say.
"You have been dragged into a world where nothing is as it seems. Be careful and whenever faced with doubt... always trust your instincts alright."
Having said that Shira teleported and Ashley was alone.
No, she wasn't... this aura, it was...
"Well... at least your creepy alien friend is right about one thing..."
Ashley watched as Samantha walked out of the wardrobe. Disappointment, anger, pain... all these were expressed in Samantha's narrowed eyes. How long had she been waiting? Ashley was only able to sense her aura after Shira left.
"Things are not what they seem," Samantha finished.