The Chimera (Legends of the Dark Creatures Book 2)
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Consequences

“Richard, to your right!” Luke shouted.

Richard slashed his hand to his right and fired a blast of fire, incinerating the creature coming at him. With quick reflexes, he dodged an attack from the creature above him and grabbed it. He pinned it to the ground, strangled its neck, and ripped off its head.

“Luke stay back!” Richard shouted when Luke dashed towards the creature making its way toward Claire. The guy had almost gotten himself killed trying to stop it.

Richard dived at the creature and caught it by the waist. Flames burst out of his body and consumed the monster.

This wasn't getting him anywhere, Richard thought. These creatures would keep coming. As living beings, Luke, Claire, and Samantha couldn’t even get near them as the mist emanating from their bodies would immediately kill them. This is why the humans who lived during the era of the Divine War called these vile beings Life-Eaters.

Damn it. Why now? thought Richard. The Divine War ended over forty millennia ago. The Life-Eaters were all defeated; along with their masters, the Titans.

But it wasn’t just the creatures that worried him. The battle between Ethan and Deimos was altering the landscape of the island. Vigorous vibrating waves surged in the ground and before, Richard had seen a huge tidal wave pass by and head in the direction where he supposed Ethan and Deimos were fighting. He was sure that the Life Eaters appearing was somehow linked to that battle.

Richard pushed Luke out of the way and got himself stabbed in the shoulder by one Life-Eater’s tendrils. Life-Eaters could extend their fingers into sharp spikes that were not only deadly to humans but could be fatal to a dark creature if pierced in the heart.

Gritting his teeth, Richard drove his claws through the Life-Eater’s forehead and fried its head off. Luckily, Life-Eaters weren’t as strong; their average strength could have been less than that of a human. But what they lacked in strength they compensated with their sheer numbers. The current case was fortunate since only a few were coming.

Apart from the Life-Eaters and the humans, Richard sensed three other auras. One was definitely Deimos, the other was Ethan’s but Richard couldn’t recognize the third. And adding to this mystery was the fact that Ethan’s aura wasn’t affecting any of the humans with Richard. Most of the plants and animals on the island were either dead or dying but those in the area where Richard was were still alive. It was as if something was shielding Richard and his companions from the deadly effects of Ethan’s power.

Richard killed the last Life-Eater that was within reach.

“Was that the last of them?” Luke asked, walking closer to Richard.

“For now, but I think more might be on their way,” Richard answered.

“Good.”

Luke landed a punch across Richard’s face. It carried a force that would have knocked out an average human but all it did was phase Richard.

“Luke!” Claire shouted, running towards them. She bent down to Luke who gripped his burnt hand. The skin on his knuckled had peeled off slightly for he had punched Richard when his body was still at a high temperature; the equivalent of punching red-hot metal.

“I deserve that and more, Luke,” Richard said. “You have every right to be angry but now is not the time to—”

Richard held his words when he saw Samantha. Her eyes were narrowed and burning red with tears. She was holding on to Ashley, who was still unconscious, but her deadly gaze was fixed on Richard. That rage and hatred; it was one that Richard understood all too well.

“You did this to us… You did this to Ashley,” Samantha said through her teeth. Veins were showing across her ebony skin. “If anything happens to her… I will kill you myself.”

Samantha turned her gaze towards the far distance where everyone had heard a thunderous roar.

It took only a moment for Richard to recognize that sound.

That’s impossible, he thought. Weren’t all the Titans destroyed?

“We need to leave this place,” said Richard. He was about to offer to carry Ashley but Samantha had already put her on her back. Claire ripped a fabric off her dress, wrapped it around Luke’s burnt hand, and helped him stand.

Richard heard a loud blast coming from the direction of the battle and the ground suddenly began to rip open.

“Get to higher ground, quickly!” shouted Richard as fire and brimstone spat out of the cracks.

Samantha effortlessly carried Ashley on her back as she ran up the mountain. Despite having a slender body, she was much stronger than she looked. Claire and Luke were just behind her. It was still dark and Richard led them through the trees and bushes. The light from the fiery cracks spreading was also helping the humans to navigate through the forest as they continued reaching for higher ground. The only ordeal they had to deal with was the burst of smoke coming out of the cracks.

Eventually, they reached a large clearing and stopped when large golden magic circles appeared in the far distance.

Divine magic, Richard thought. Only Deimos could have created those magic circles.

After a while, a blinding white light filled the entire island, illuminating everything as though it was broad daylight.

When the light disappeared everything went quiet. Richard heightened his senses. He could hear more Life-Eaters coming their way but a minuscule wave of relief coursed through when could no longer sense the Titans' aura.

Furthermore, no matter how far he stretched his sense he couldn’t detect Ethan’s aura. Before it was all over the area but in amounts not enough to kill anyone but now it had completely disappeared.

Could Ethan have been defeated? Richard thought, anxiously clenching his fist.

However, his short moment of hope turned into complete despair when a wave of dark power hit and flung him in the air and to the ground. The reason he felt its effects were because of how heightened his senses had been but still; there was no question that this aura belonged to Ethan.

Once again, the ground was shaking and even Richard was replaceing it hard to keep balance. He could see vicious tornadoes twisting in the distance and saw the ocean’s water ripping through the trees below and heading in the direction of Ethan’s aura.

“Surely you didn’t think, defeating the Chimera would be that easy did you?”

Richard turned back and saw Talya. Dressed in a black leather jacket, jeans, and long black boots, Talya stood with her arms crossed and wearing a disturbing smirk across her face.

“What is going on, Talya?” asked Richard. “Didn’t you say Deimos could defeat Ethan?”

“Did I?” Talya responded and pressed a finger on her lips.

“Stop playing games, Talya!” shouted Richard.

“Calm down, Richard,” replied Talya, this time with a serious face. “You shouldn’t be directing any anger at me. You only have yourself to blame for all this.”

“What are you talking about?”

Talya moved closer to Richard.

“From the moment I came, up until the time we traveled to Lideth together, my heart was battling between two choices. The first was to choose you, Richard. To leave everything behind and just be with you. But I could only make that choice if there was a part of you that wished for the same. When we were in Lideth, I gave you a choice, Richard.”

‘Let’s leave all this behind. With my magic and your power, we can go to a realm where even Ethan can’t replace us.’

The words Talya had said back in Lideth echoed through Richard’s mind.

“I was willing to leave everything, Richard. But I underestimated the hatred you have for your brother, no… I overestimated any sort of love I thought you once felt toward me.”

“When you first appeared before us here, I sensed a great hope within you. Up to now, I thought it was because of Deimos appearing to fight Ethan but that wasn’t the case, was it?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Talya stated. She chuckled and said, “You know I was actually worried that, in the end, you would choose the half-breed over me or your brother. But your hatred for Ethan runs too deep.”

“My hatred for that monster is justified,” Richard firmly uttered. “He has taken everything from me. My family, my kingdom, my home, my friends… He took you away from me when he turned you into a dark creature. And now, even Ashley may have fallen into his clutches.”

The quakes on the island were becoming more intense and Richard could now hear the Life-Eaters; they were still a distance away.

Talya was slowly shaking her head as if in a state of disbelief and amusement.

“I always wondered why he never told you,” she said. “Ever since I appeared before you I have asked myself this question… Why does Ethan want you to hate him so much?”

“You’re speaking in riddles, Talya.”

A sigh came out of Talya’s mouth.

“I guess I should tell you the truth of what transpired all those years ago. Richard, Ethan didn’t forcefully turn me into a dark creature. I wanted him to do this to me.”

Richard’s heart leaped, his eyes widened and he was at a loss for words.

“Is this some kind of trick?” he asked.

“No tricks Richard, only truth. The day I went to plead to Ethan on your behalf… Richard, that day Ethan asked me something I have never forgotten till this day… ‘What is love to you?’ That’s the question Ethan asked me after I told him how much I loved you.”

“And what was your answer?” asked Richard.

Talya shook her head. “Doesn’t matter, what matters is that he seemed very much satisfied with my answer. After we talked for a while he asked me if I was willing to give up my mortality just to be with you and seeing as I stand before you today I am sure you can guess my answer. I can see you’re confused but that’s the truth.”

“But then why, Talya?” Richard shot back. “Why go through the trouble of making the dagger that once defeated him? You even almost wiped out an entire kingdom to achieve your goal?”

Richard stepped closer to Talya. “Do you expect me to believe that all that was pretense? And if what you say is true then I would like to know the reason for it?”

“Whether you believe me or not is up to you. And as for the reason for my actions… Let’s just say that Ethan and I aren’t that different. We just have different paths we need to follow in order to achieve the goals we share.”

Another bright light then appeared in the far distance. It was still a few hours till the sun would rise but that light lit up the island just as the sun would.

“’ And you shall see darkness wielding the flames of light,’” Talya whispered to herself. Her eyes were focused on the light emanating in the distance and tears began to flow uncontrollably out of them.

Then suddenly, the emotional expression she had on her face disappeared.

“My path is clear, Richard,” she said in a cold voice. “But for old times’ sake, I will warn you. After my objective here is complete, I am going to spread the word of the half-breed.”

“Talya…”

“The realms will have to know of the Child of Destruction; the one who will bring an end to all existence. In order for him to appear… He must hear of the half-breed.”

Richard remembered something Talya had said the day she first appeared before him and Ashley.

“When you said ‘He is coming’… You weren’t talking about Deimos.”

Talya didn’t answer and black smoke began to engulf her.

“It’s strange, Richard. Despite everything, I cannot bring myself to hate you. I have tried multiple to think of how you left me to rot in Drenegen… About how you denied us a chance… But I can never hate you.” The smoke completely covered her and the final words Richard heard her say were:

“I love you, Richard. Always have and always will…”

Talya disappeared and Richard saw the bright light that had appeared also vanish. A loud and piercing shriek came from the sky. Richard turned his head and saw a horde of Life-Eaters coming his way.

Even if he fought with all his might he couldn’t stop the creatures from reaching Ashley and her friends.

But there was a way to gain more power.

“You can’t fight them on your own, Richard,” Luke said from behind him.

“Your powers of observation as astounding,” Richard uttered in a sarcastic tone.

“Richard?” Luke spoke in a voice slowly being tainted by fear.

Good, Richard thought.

“I really thought, I could have a home here, Luke.” Richard turned to face him and a smirk crossed his face. “But once again, Ethan showed up and took whatever happiness I hoped to gain by living a life of pretense.”

“Richard, damn it! What’s wrong with you?!”

“He’s simply showing us his true colors,” Samantha interjected. “He’s showing us the monster he’s always been.”

Richard curled his fists.

“That aside, it looks like you have only two choices right now,” he said in as distant a voice as he could muster. “You could all take the moral high ground and sacrifice yourselves to the creatures to buy me time to escape with Ashley or… For just this one moment, you could trust me and allow me to gain the strength I need to defeat those creatures.”

“Forget it!” Samantha burst out. “I am not letting you anywhere near, Ashley.”

“What is he talking about, Sam?” Luke stepped in.

“He wants to drink Ashley’s blood,” Samantha told him.

Luke walked and stood in front of Samantha, who still had Ashley on her back. Claire was standing next to a tree. She hadn’t said a word yet and from the looks of things, she wasn’t going to.

“Luke, be reasonable,” Richard said. “How else do you think you will escape that?” Richard pointed at the huge black cloud of mist that was approaching them. The mist was emanating from the many Life-Eaters coming their way. “If I don’t drink some of Ashley’s blood you will all die. Those Life-Eaters only target the living and have no interest in fighting me. I cannot hold all of them at once so you all better decide. Either I forcefully leave with Ashley… or I have some of her blood—”

“Or we could use me,” Samantha suddenly said. “Back at the mansion, you guys told me that I was able to destroy a creature that even Richard couldn’t defeat.”

“Yes, but we don’t know how you did that.” It was Claire who suddenly spoke. “It's like we told you, Sam. You were someone else back then and I am sure even you don’t know how you acquired that power.”

“So you’re saying we trust this monster?” Samantha retorted back furiously and looked intensely at Richard. “Even after what he did to Ashley?”

“No, I am not saying that, Sam,” Claire said in a calm tone. She slowly walked to her friend. “I am saying we do what is best for Ashley and for us. Imagine if she wakes up and replaces out we sacrificed our lives to save her when her blood could have saved all of us… Sam, it would destroy, Ashley. So please...” Claire wrapped her hands around Ashley. “Allow Ashley to save us.”

Claire’s words were reaching Samantha but time was running out; the Life-Eaters were getting closer.

Come on, please accept my offer, Samantha, Richard thought in his mind. He had no idea why he’d resorted to such a dark tone with them. He didn’t want to hurt them but this was the only way he could think of asking for Ashley’s blood. If he scared them into thinking he would leave them behind then he was sure at least one of them would choose to save their lives, and Claire did just that. He was never going to leave them. How could he? Even if they hated him right now, they were the friends who had accepted him with open arms.

A lump formed in Richard’s throat and he clenched his teeth and held back his tears. The creatures were already so close that he had no choice but to force himself through Samantha and feed on Ashley’s blood. Yes, they would hate him for the rest of their lives but at least they would be safe.

“Perhaps now you understand what it feels like to be in your brother’s shoes, Richard.”

Richard’s heart leaped and he quickly looked back. Standing near him was an Asian girl with long shiny black hair, a black leather jacket with its hood down, and a black Japanese sword in her right hand. Her sword was sheathed and she kept looking at the creatures coming.

“I know you,” said Richard, trying to recall the girl’s name. “We met back in Lideth… You are…”

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Thank you so much for reading this chapter.

Hope you enjoy the next, and final, chapter of this book