Prometheus' Orb (Legends of the Dark Creatures Book 1)

Sebastian’s breaths were becoming short, each one slicing his throat and burning his lungs. His long brown coat was torn up— covered in thick streaks of crimson blood— and his entire body was trembling in pain. He tightly grasped his left shoulder as flesh and bone regenerated, closing the stab wound made through it.

He leaned his back against a tree, throwing a quick gaze at his opponent as the other injuries around his body healed.

“Ready to give up,” the wretched blue-skinned creature standing in front of him demanded.

A shaky growl steamed out of his mouth. Of all the beings, Sebastian just had to run into an Arzyrian. She wasn’t attacking; at least for now. Her piercing glowing white eyes held no emotion. Long dark blue hair extended all the way to her waist and her human-like ears were as alert as her reflexes. The golden-colored lightweight armor that perfectly fitted her slender body— which displayed the superior craftsmanship of the elves of Argamon— turned out to be almost impenetrable.

After spending a good portion of the past nine hundred years in Arzyria, Sebastian had learned enough to know that his opponent was a warrior of great caliber.

He couldn’t win this fight; especially not in his condition. Having not fed himself for days, Sebastian’s physical strength was almost reduced to that of an ordinary human. He would have had his fill earlier; from those two humans who were driving along the road. Fortunately, he had quickly realized that his victims would have been two young girls and he stopped himself; for he had sworn never to feed on children.

However, there was a dark and sinister aura looming near those girls but before Sebastian could investigate its origin, the Arzyrian appeared and flung him into the woods with her weapon.

“Well?” the Arzyrian asked, pulling Sebastian out of his daze.

Fists and claws alone weren’t going to stop her so Sebastian turned to his powers. He drew a quick breath and hit his palm on the ground. A huge boulder shot out of the earth and flew at his opponent.

Without hesitating, the Arzyrian swung her bow-staff and hit the rock, deflecting it to her right.

In a swift motion, Sebastian charged at her and slashed his claws; aiming for her neck.

He almost made contact but the creature vanished, leaving a blinding blue light.

Teleportation; an annoying ability that all Arzyrians possessed.

Everything in the woods stood still for a moment. Sebastian heightened his senses. She could appear anywhere he thought. His claws and fangs were fully extended; prepared to attack. His eyes searched through the trees and his ears were ready to detect even the slightest sound.

Sebastian immediately dived forward when he heard a burst of electricity crackling behind him. He rolled and turned. The Arzyrian had just plunged a double-edged sword into the ground; a sword meant for him. She pulled out the sword and the enchanted weapon transformed back into a bow-staff.

Looking at where the sword had landed, Sebastian smirked when he realized something.

“You’re not trying to slice off my hand, are you?” he asked, brushing some leaves off his brown coat.

“You dark creatures can’t survive in the sun without your daylight rings,” the Arzyrian replied bluntly.

She pointed her staff at him.

“Tell me something, Sebastian,” she said, her eyes suddenly gleaming with curiosity. “You were once part of The Ten, right? So why did you join Ethan? And why do you continue to do his bidding even after he’s dead?”

Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh at that last remark.

“Ha! Dead?!” he exclaimed, still breathing heavily. “Do you think my lord would die so easily? No, Lord Ethan is merely asleep, waiting for his awakening.”

Sebastian pounded his fist into the ground. The Arzyrian leaped into the air and avoided the rocky spikes that shot out of the position on which she stood.

She landed on a tree branch and said, “So that’s your plan. You’re even more deluded than I thought.” She raised her head to face the sky and sighed; almost as if she had lost interest in the fight. “If I had known I wouldn’t have bothered to come here.”

Her golden staff turned into a sword and she said, “Even you know that the dagger that was stabbed into your master’s cold heart was created by magic that can never be broken.” She fell into an offensive stance, preparing for an attack that would probably have meant the end for Sebastian. “Your current state won’t permit you to dodge this attack,” she said. “Any last—”

“Prometheus’ Orb,” Sebastian quickly interrupted, in a calm voice.

His entire body flooded with satisfaction when he saw recognition dawn on the Arzyrian’s face.

“Ah... so you’ve heard of it,” he said, feeling the corner of his mouth rise.

“What are you talking about?” she retorted, withdrawing from her stance. “Prometheus’ Orb is a myth.”

“Is it now?” Sebastian replied. ”Alakin drathat noveret vinar. Don’t these words sound familiar to you?”

The Arzyrian’s glowing eyes widened and her blue skin seemed paler as shock and terror overtook her face.

“There is no way,” she said, shaking her head. “Wait, this means you are the one that’s been killing the rest of... Oh no, Richard. Is that why you’re here?!”

Sebastian smiled and took advantage of the Arzyrian’s confusion. He slammed his palms together and a thick cloud of dust covered the woods.

That takes care of her teleportation.

Sebastian turned to his left— he had seen a clear path there earlier— and he ran; everything blurring before him. He did, however, turn his head back and see a dim blue light appear at the place he previously stood. Luckily for him, Arzyrians could only teleport to a place if they could see or had been there and were able to picture it in their mind. This dust provided the perfect cover.

He made it out of the dust and to a cliff face where he jumped and dived into the ocean.

Upon splashing into the water, a cold chill shook his body, and eventually... the transformation began. His legs merged together and folded into a tail with emerald green scales. Large fins sprouted out of his back and openings a few centimeters wide formed on each side of his neck. He felt his insides being rearranged; adapting to his new form. It was a painful process in the past but after so many transformations, Sebastian had learned to bear it.

He tore off his shirt as he swam deep into the black depths. An intoxicating feeling came upon him, sending shivers across his skin and scales. He missed being here— being home. For a while, Sebastian immersed himself in the freedom that came with being able to move in any direction. In these waters, he could twist and turn as he pleased, happily a slave to the embrace of the cool saline waters that caressed his body.

Like a soft lullaby, the gentle songs of aquatic life echoed thought out the ocean. Sebastian had not been in the ocean for over four centuries and was surprised by how much things had changed. One thing, in particular, was that the water had definitely lost some of its pure magic— something the humans were probably responsible for he thought.

Schools of fish dispersed-- some swimming swam past him-- as he made his way to the underwater caves beneath the town of Ravenhill. Sebastian went inside one of them and used his ability to shut the entrance with rocks.

Sebastian's sight was as clear underwater as it was on land; maybe even more now that he was in his true form. As he moved further into the water-filled cave, nostalgia suddenly began to rush into his mind. Sebastian grew up living in caves just like these. He was once part of a small clan called Drifters. The Drifters were a peaceful clan. They never concerned themselves with the political affairs of the merfolk and treated everyone with kindness. Being born with the power to control earth, Sebastian protected everyone he could; merfolk or human. He remembered a time when he would blend in with the land-dwellers and learn everything about them. They once fascinated him and there was a time when he would have given his life protecting anyone of them.

But that was until I was turned into what I am, he thought, gritting his teeth. Humans... humans were just prey to him now; all living creatures were. At the very thought of them, Sebastian felt his tongue pressing against the edges of his sharp teeth, reminding him that he still hadn’t fed.

When everything around him started spinning he stopped, picked up a hard stone, and placed it in his fist. He then closed his eyes and focused his energy on the stone. He visualized the form he wanted the stone to take and began to feel its shape change.

He opened his eyes and unfolded his fist. In his hand lay a small crystal seahorse. His bloodlust subsided but the ache in his heart remained. His eyes burnt hot with tears when he remembered how happy his daughter would be every time he made these sculptures for her. Sebastian lost everything the moment he decided to become one of The Ten. Back then, he was hell-bent on ridding the world of the one he now called master. Richard offered a way of doing it but the conniving monster neglected to explain the cost he would have to pay. It was already too late when Sebastian came to his senses.

After becoming a monster, Sebastian had to leave everything and everyone he loved behind. He left the Earth realm and continued his life as a Drifter but this time he carried with him an insatiable bloodlust.

By the time he met Lord Ethan, he had already taken countless lives.

“You have control over earth and yet you can’t even control your bloodlust... pathetic. How can you even call yourself an Element Master?”

Those were the very first words Lord Ethan said to him.

Sebastian smiled, dropped the stone seahorse, and propelled himself forward with his tail.

He finally arrived in a huge cavern. Radiant crystals illuminated the place with blue light. Sebastian swam further down until he reached the bottom of the cave. He gestured his hand and a chest made of stone rose out of the sand and onto his hand. He opened the chest and there it was; Prometheus’ Orb. It was about the size of a medium-sized cannonball. The glowing green clouds that spun inside the Orb always put Sebastian in a state of awe. Sebastian slowly stretched out his hand and held it. The power... it felt like a river of fire coursing through his body. In his hand lay the power that could break any spell: the power that was going to revive his master.

“I’m sorry for making you wait this long my lord,” Sebastian said.

He placed the Orb back into the chest and buried it in the wet sands.

Everything’s almost ready he thought. Thirty days. In thirty days Lord Ethan will walk the earth once again.

However, much still needed to be done. In order to awaken his master, Sebastian needed to be the last of The Ten. Two of the Ten died the day they were turned and Sebastian he had already killed four others. Now all that was left was to destroy Talya, Raogu, and Richard. Richard Thane was Sebastian’s main concern. Defeating him wasn’t going to be easy, Sebastian thought, running his hand across his sideburns. Richard was powerful and Sebastian knew he could never defeat him; at least not alone.

He sighed and stared at the stalactites that hang above him.

“I guess I have no choice but to ask for her help.”

In all his years as an immortal, Sebastian had come across many terrifying creatures, and aside from Lord Ethan, there was one other name that still made his skin crawl; Claudia. She had terrorized half of Europe by the early 1600s and her rampages earned her quite a reputation in the supernatural community.

Now, over four hundred years later, no one had seen or heard from her. Difficult as it was, Sebastian had managed to find a reliable source that told him Claudia had migrated to the New World and was residing somewhere in this town. He never met this source but Sebastian was sure they must have been adept in the ways of magic; for they were the ones who also gave him the knowledge of Prometheus’ Orb and how to use it when the time came.

Why they were helping him, Sebastian had no idea but all that mattered was that his goal would be achieved.

So first things first; he had to acquire something from Claudia.

Though his plan was discomforting— also full of uncertainty— Sebastian had to see it through. He was, after all, Lord Ethan’s loyal servant and was willing to do whatever it took to bring him back; even if it meant allying himself with a vampire.

An earth-controlling merman, Arzyrians, The Ten, Claudia, and a mysterious source with unknown intentions.