At first, she just wanted to protect her family and friends from someone like Jacob; someone she knew was out for blood. But Ethan was a different story... Everyone said he was someone who would bring an end to the world and the realms but why hadn't he done it all this while?
Questions were still building up in Ashley's mind when Sebastian said something thing she would never forget.
"Oh, and before Lord Ethan left I asked him something," Sebastian said. "I asked him why he had summoned that horde of demons to attack Tharisia and what King Thorus had done to him and do you know what my master said. 'Sebastian... if I were to summon even one demon, it would lay waste to ten kingdoms in less than a day. I may have known Thorus from the rumors I had heard but the first time I met him was when I dismembered his head from his body.'"
"That's what my master told me, Ashley," Sebastian said. "So who do you think it was that sent those demons? Who do you think was responsible for the death of my wife?"
Ashley's head was spinning. She knew what Sebastian was implying but her mind didn't want to accept it. Her breaths were becoming short and her lungs felt like they would explode.
She then remembered something that Shira told her.
Ashley was facing the ground when she said, "Instinct... Shira once told me to trust my instinct. When danger is close by I can sense it but never once has Richard ever given me that feeling."
She smiled and said, "I don't know much about his or your pasts but I know myself. I know who I am... Should Ethan be awakened? Maybe... but my gut tells me that this is something I have to prevent. I personally have no hatred for him but I know that if he was to return, everyone involved in his defeat would be punished; Richard, Adrian and the Hunters. Perhaps that's not good enough to be a reason but..."
"I see," Sebastian said. "Well, daughter of Morgan tonight we will leave things in the hands of fate."
Ashley's eyes opened wide.
"T-Tonight," she said. "I thought you needed the solstice to activate Prometheus' Orb."
"And wait three more earth days, no" Sebastian said. "Not when I can harness the power of the solstice that is happening in Arzyrian right this very moment."
Ashley remembered Richard's words.
"The last words she said to me were that someday I would meet a mermaid having the blue glow in her eyes and that on the Solstice that comes; she would be the key to Ethan's return."
"She never meant our solstice, did she?" Ashley said to herself.
"Hmmm... Well, I thought of using earth's solstice but time was running out and I had to act fast..."
"And how are you able to harness the power of Arzyria's when you are not even there?" Ashley asked.
"Let's just say that somewhere in this world there exists a very angry and powerful Sea-Witch with a will to see Richard destroyed by any means necessary."
"Talya," Ashley said.
"Who knows," Sebastian replied with a smile on his face. "The Orb currently connected to Arzyria. In about an hour it will have accumulated enough power to do what it was made for. My master was defeated on this very cliff and it seems fitting that... ah... it's ready... look, Ashley."
The rain had almost stopped and Ashley looked in the direction Sebastian was pointing.
At a distance from where they were, the ocean waters were beginning to spiral into a whirlpool. Ashley's eyes widened when the spiraling waters began to turn into blazing orange flames wide enough to cover a small stadium. Gusts of warm wind blew in Ashley's direction and Sebastian said, "Prodeth... It seems like Talya held up her end of our deal. That's the pocket dimension where my master lies asleep. Thanks to your blood, I will activate Prometheus' Orb. As soon as it enters that portal it will absorb the magic in the dagger and..."
Thankfully Sebastian hadn't noticed what Ashley had been doing this entire time. All this while Ashley was secretly concentrating on her lower body. Her legs... she had turned them into a tail, snapping the ropes that bound them. Hearing Sebastian's story had given her this idea but she didn't know it was a painful process. It was the first time she'd seen a mermaid tail. Her tail had shiny blue scales with different shaded that formed beautiful patterns across it.
After freeing herself, Ashley flapped her tail and controlled the water on the wet ground into a lasso which she used to grab Sebastian's hand. She then pulled him towards her and hit his jaw with her head.... which hurt her as well.
Her tail turned back into legs and surprisingly, her clothes were intact.
"You changed into your merform without tearing your clothes... they must have been enchanted," Sebastian said, as he got up and wiped some blood off his mouth.
Ashley gathered her strength and snapped the ropes that were tied on her hands.
She stood up, took a defensive stance and just as she was about to launch another attack, Sebastian projected a rock at her. She bent down, dodged it and opened her palms. Ashley hit her palm on the ground and water began to cover her entire right hand.
She froze the water and dashed at Sebastian.
Sebastian blocked her punch and caught her hand.
"Impressive," he said. "Your resolve is admirable but you are nine hundred years too young to fight me."
"I was only distracting you," Ashley said, smiling. Her free hand had controlled some water out of the ocean below the cliff. She raised her hand and aimed the water at her opponent.
Sebastian's entire body was now enveloped in a ball of water. She controlled it into the air and held it there. Sebastian looked at her with shocked eyes. Inside the sphere of water, Sebastian couldn't move. He was a merman so at least he could breathe.
Ashley opened her right hand and gracefully controlled the water in the sphere to get the Orb that was in Sebastian's hand. A tendril of water grabbed the Orb and brought it to Ashley. A warm feeling coursed through her body when she held it.
Suddenly, fear dawned in Sebastian's eyes. Even Ashley felt it. This presence... She looked behind and saw Richard. A shiver ran down her spine. His eyes were glowing orange, he had sharp fangs and claws had extended from his fingers and ripped through his toes. Richard's entire body was engulfed in flames, which had burnt parts of his clothes. Burning red cracks were all over his bare skin and everything near him was burning.
"Richard..." Ashley said.
Richard growled, immediately leaped into the air and dove into the sphere of water. Ashley brought the sphere down, dropping both Richard and Sebastian. She knew what water did to Richard but it seemed like Richard himself didn't care.
Richard and Sebastian got up. Sebastian moved some distance away.
"The great Fire Demon!!!" Sebastian shouted. "Well, it seems I have to resort to some of your own old tricks Richard Thane."
Sebastian reached for his pocket and pulled out a small red crystal pentagon with sharp edges. Richard must have recognized it because he tried to run at Sebastian but he was too late for Sebastian had already cut his hand with the crystal and thrown it on the ground.
It was like an earthquake. The entire ground was shaking and Ashley saw veins of cracks beginning to form. Smoke began to rise out of them as they grew wider and spread all over the area.
"Ashley over here," a voice shouted from behind.
It was Adrian. He was with three other Hunters; Ms. Hughes, a man in with sharp green eyes and a short beard and of course Sara. They must have followed Richard.
She ran to them.
"We have to keep them from reaching the town," Adrian shouted.
"Them?"
Ashley then heard an animalistic sound coming from the huge cracks that had formed in the ground. Scaly wet hands shot out of them. Demons... Ashley recognized them from the sculpture Sebastian had made earlier.
They were much bigger in person and even scarier. The demons had large sharp teeth and claws, big yellow eyes, scaly reptilian bodies and they also had tails.
Ashley quickly counted fifty of them. Other demons were lifting themselves out of the cracks in the earth while some stood between them and Richard who stood on the other side with Sebastian.
"What is that?" Ms. Hughes asked, staring at the Orb in Ashley's hand.
"I have no time to explain but we must prevent Sebastian from having it no matter what," Ashley replied.
"Bring the Orb to me!!!" Sebastian shouted.
The demons began to walk towards Ashley and her friends, the ground vibrating as they moved. She looked behind and saw that the smoking red cracks in the earth had spread throughout the forest.
"More demons will be coming," Adrian said. "I contacted the rest of the Hunters and they should be able to prevent the demons that may try to attack the town."
Ashley couldn't destroy the Orb and she couldn't throw it into the cracks below because she would basically be handing it to Sebastian's minions. If Shira were here, she would have just taken it from Ashley and teleported to a safe place. And where was Shira? Where was Claudia?
Sara, Ms. Hughes, and the other man looked like they were all ready to fight. Some of the demons had already attacked Richard. He was handling them fine but Sebastian was already coming at her.
This was it Ashley thought. There was nowhere to run.
"What are you doing?" Adrian asked as Ashley placed the Orb on the ground.
"I am making my stand," Ashley replied. "Adrian, you and Ms. Hughes take the demons near Richard... We can't fight Sebastian ourselves but Richard can. If we can turn the demons' attention to us then maybe we might have a chance."
"So you get a few powers and you think you can boss us around," Adrian said.
"This is not the time Adrian," Ashley replied. "Sara, and Mr..."
"Call me Slayer love," the man said.
"Sara and Spencer... You guys and I are going to prevent Sebastian from having the Orb. It will activate soon and if it finds its way into that portal over there then..."
Sara tapped Ashley's shoulder and smiled.
"Sounds like a plan to me," Ms. Hughes said.
"Morgan!!!"
It was Sebastian. Ashley and her team were now deep in the woods away from the cliff. She didn't know how Richard was doing but she knew he would be fine. Sebastian was surrounded by eerie-looking demons.
Like an army being lead by its commander, the demons all walked in unison. Ashley could hear growls in some other parts of the woods but Adrian had said that some other Hunters would take care of those.
Ashley closed her eyes and pictured her little sister Leah, her mom, her friends; Claire, Samantha, Luke, and Robert... She promised she would get strong to protect them. She had been training all this while just for this.
Clear sparkling water rose from the ground and froze into the shape of a sword. Ashley held the sword's hilt, looked at the Orb that lay on the ground next to her feet and chuckled.
Somewhere in the past. In a nice room and on a soft bed. A little girl was looking out her window, gazing at the stars and wishing she could be exactly what Ashley was right now...
A Water Mermaid.