As they cruised through Traffic, the distant sounds of howls began to grow louder now.
"They're getting closer," Achlys noted, sounding panicked from the driver's seat, as she kept her attention on the road, going 20 over the speed limit, occasionally checking the rearview mirror as she speed through traffic like a mad woman.
"We just need to get to the Luminaris Estate," muttered Cimon gravely, sounding calm, yet serious at the same time. "If we can reach the Luminaris Estate, we can get backup from House Luminaris and their Legacy Guard.
Meanwhile, Corven was deep in thought, albeit confused. 'Gods? Monsters? Beings of chaos? What the hell is going on? What else could be real at this point? Werewolves?'
He was laying on his side in the backseat. While the injuries he sustained throughout the day had finally closed, thanks to the Nectardrop, the internal situation wasn't the most progressive. If he moved too suddenly or at just the wrong angle, he risked opening his injuries up all over again, and possibly bleeding out over Achlys's seats. He managed to wrap his arm up with one of his only half-dirty shirts he found in his laundry bin while he was still at his house, but it only served to cushion his barely functional arm, and wrap around his ribs a few times. At least his ribs were no longer entirely broken — Just hurting mostly, probably just slightly broken for some of them, though he had no idea how he knew this.
"Demigods are insanely sturdy, especially pureborn demigods — Though Legacies are powerful, they aren't as strong as those born by a mortal and a god," Achlys stated, causing Corven to realize he said that last part out loud. "All demigods and Legacies have a healing factor, though some are greater than others."
Corven remained silent, watching the passing of the street lamps and empty roads as they passed. "Where are we going? Where is this "safe place"? And what is this "Lumanris Estate"? Who is this healer?"
"Patience, Corven. All will be revealed soon, but you need to be patient," Achlys urged, sounding even more mysterious, which only served to frustrate Corven even more. He wanted answers; not delays in getting them.
"Hard to do that, wounded and injured with rabid chaotic forces hunting me down," muttered Corven bitterly.
Eventually, he sighed heavily. Being ticked off will only serve to waste even more time. And the monsters chasing them were getting closer — He could hear their howls in the distance even when he couldn't see them.
"The healer we're going to is named Celeste Luminaris," stated Achlys. "She's the princess heiress of House Luminaris. A legacy and demigod, her mother is the Primordial goddess, Hemera, making her potential in cultivation and all things related to her exceptional, that includes House Luminaris's innate ability to heal others. Children of the Primordials are exceptionally rare and powerful individuals, as primordials never really interact with mortals that often, but I digress. Her father is the Legacy Head of House Luminaris — One of the major big houses and families of the Legacy Cultivation world. Her estate is heavily guarded and they should be able and willing to help us, especially considering your identity."
"Great Houses? Demigods? Legacies? Cultivation? Gods? It's like I;m in the Odyssey at this point… Or Percy Jackson," exclaimed an exaggerated Corven.
"I assure you, this is very real, Corven," Achlys's face darkened. "This isn't some watered down version of real events watered down to be read to children as myths. This is serious."
"What do you mean 'my identity'? And who's my father? My mother…? Do you know her?" Corven wanted to at least know this.
He's spent years wanting to meet his parents, dreaming if he ever would. Now he learns some god who could've visited him a hundred times, but never did, was his father. And his mother… He's learned nothing about her. He wanted answers, goddamn it. Still, he wasn't sure if he was angry about his situation or just disappointed. He wasn't sure what he was expecting to gain, either, from asking about his parents. He knew if they really were special, they would've been able to see him at any time in his life. Still, he couldn't help but to grasp for straws, hoping he's wrong about this.
"We don't know who your parents are, but we do know which House you hail from," Achlys said, tentatively, as Corven listened in closely for what she said, hopeful. "Fourteen years ago, a Lost Realm — A realm that was sealed during the Sealing — released a beam into this dimension, and from it, a baby came forth. That baby, is you, Corven. You escaped the Sealing, from House Umbrovante of the Shadow Realm… I can sense your connection to the Shadow Realm, because I am connected to the Shadow Realm — At least my House is… I've never been, but a Blood Pact of Eternal Subservience to your house was made millennia ago by my ancestors — And Cimon's, too, of course — and I can feel the pact reactivate the moment I met you."
"We both did," Cimon nodded.
Corven began wondering if they were really cousins at that moment. He was certain that they most likely weren't, but, considering he's grown so used to calling them his cousins, he was certain that he'd still continue to call them that. They were family, even if they weren't related by blood.
With a silent nod to himself, Corven suddenly thought of something. "You said this House Luminaris would be willing to help me because of my identity? Does that mean they took that Blood Pact of Subservience, too? But you said they were a Great House, how does that work?"
"House Umbrovante is one of, if not the greatest house to ever exist in its prime, Corven," Achlys state. "It has had numerous great houses under it's banner. It just happens House Luminaris was — is — one of those houses. That, and many other noble houses that escaped the Sealing."
Corven was perplexed. What was this 'Sealing' she kept speaking of? How did it relate to Corven? And would House Luminaris really help him?
Corven was about to ask these when Achlys spoke. "We don't know which one of your parents is a god, but we do know they must be quite powerful. The aura of Shadow Realm around you has always been strong, even before you awakened your bloodline earlier today. Your godly parent, and, likely, your mortal parent, too, most likely were both quite powerful in the element of Darkness and Shadows. Either way, you're very powerful, and as a result, they must be very powerful."
"Power always has a cost, Corven," Cimon said, looking at Corven through the rearview. "However strong your parent are, their enemies will be just as strong, perhaps, and they'll focus on you to get to them. These Chaos Hounds are just the beginning. It's likely someone will send an even greater force to hunt you down. When that happens, I'd be better off to know that we're under House Luminaris protection."
"But what does any of this have to do with me!? Ugh!" exclaimed a frustrated Corven, clutching his temples. "This isn't fair! Why do I have to deal with bastards that pissed my parents off!?"
"That's just the nature of the cultivating world, Corven," Cimon said simply. "Our parents' enemies become ours and our enemies become our parents and our houses, if you're lucky enough to be born in one, that is."
"House Luminaris will protect you," Achlus repeated, almost to comfort herself. "They'll have the numbers and manpower to help, and they'll be compelled to because of who you are and the Eternal Blood Pact their ancestors made. We just need to get to their estate."
"You're a demigod, Corven," Cimon said, once again. "And a legacy of one of the most powerful houses to ever exist…. Sadly, there's not much information regarding it that we have that's still valid. Our house escaped the Sealing, thousands of years ago. We're not sure of the state of House Umbrovante, but maybe, with you, we can find out…".
"Whatever, let's just hurr—," Corven began, but was cut off by a loud shrill. He was annoyed but he didn't get the chance to say anything to it as suddenly the car lurched, startling the trio.
"My baby!" Achlys exclaimed, crying fiercely just as the car squealed on its wheels and hit a giant boulder. "She's ok, she's ok, she's okay." She said, as if to comfort herself.
The trio had just had time to process the crash when the back door was ripped from the hinges and Corven was dragged out of the car by a claw of hands, just in time to hear Achlys saying "Not the side door! My baby girl!"
Corven was tossed across the ground like a chew toy, by huge, red-furred, apparitions of claws, as the Chaos hound launched at him, trying to pry him open and bite his head off.
Before it could, though, Cimon had already had his spear in its skull and had killed it before it hit the ground.
Getting up, Corven studied his surroundings. There were sparse woods all around him on the dual lane roads. And, from the base of these trees and the road around them red apparition of dogs the size of wolves eyed them like food. He counted roughly 25 of these chaos hounds, and, as Achlys arrived beside them, eyeing these red canines like they broke her favorite toy[A/N: They did], Achlys summoned a black long scythe into her hands, with intricate designs and patterns on its shaft and a dark silver blade on it. It radiated a deathly purple energy.
"BAD DOGS!" she shouted as a warcry. "You FUCKED up my CAR!"
Corven barely had time to grab the discarded car door to use as a shield before she appeared before the first chaos hound, slicing it to dust.
The battle had just begun.
Cimon jabbed his spear through the heart of one chaos hound, using the body and the momentum to shove a second one away. Withdrawing his spear, Cimon let out an earth shattering scream and, to Corven's astonishment, glowing silver miasma dust seemed to come from his pores like pollen. The four or so beasts that had seemingly decided to surround him gradually became slowed down, sluggish, and lethargic — two of them collapsed, snoring unconsciously. The other two others, upon seeing this, tried to escape the field of silver miasma, but they had already inhaled a great amount of this strange pollen, breathing in these glowing spores — They were slower than before, and were the next to be slain after Cimon dealt with the two unconscious hounds.
Achlys wasn't any less of a fighter herself. Like a ballerina of death, long scythe in hand, Achlys danced across the battlefield, reaping the lives of various chaos hounds like she was the angel of death. Her scythe reaped hounds like she was collecting rocks. Soon, she had slain six chaos hounds easily and climbing.
But there was more.
At first, Corven was second guessing himself, but, as the battle dragged on, and he paid more attention, Corven was absolutely certain — Achlys's eyes were glowing a menacing shade of dark violet light and her hair seemed to turn into violet flames of the same shade as her glowing eyes during the battle — And both were the same shade of purple as the energy glow of her scythe.
Corven stared at the two people who were like family to him in disbelief. If he wasn't seeing it with his own eyes, he'd never believe what he saw. His cousins had superpowers! Corven was so jealous, but, at the same time, thankful. They were protecting him, and he was thankful.
"Corven! Watch out!" Achlys' voice broke Corven from his daze, just to see one of the chaos hounds had bypassed his cousins and leaped at him.
Hurriedly, Corven put the cat door up like a shield, but the force of the beasts' collision still knocked him on his back, the air knocked out of him upon contact with the ground, as the creature followed suit on top of him, attempting to bite his face off through the shatter window of the door. He held up the door with all he had, but there was no telling just how long the creaking door would hold off the creature for.
Just when the creature was gaining an advantage, the whistle of something narrow wheeze through the air, glowed by a THUNK! and the creature fell onto its side, dead.
Getting up, panting, Corven saw a brown shaft of a spear sticking from the creature's heart and chest, it's rib cage sticking out at an odd angle. It was Cimon's spear.
Looking at his cousin, he locked eyes with him for just a moment, before shouting "Cimon, behind you!"
But Cimon was already expecting a sneak attack. He turned to face a charging chaos hound, grappling with the creature, its strength v.s divine strength. Quickly, in efficient fashion, he snapped its neck, just as two more charged and leaped at him, tackling him. Biting and clawing anywhere they can gain purchase.
Achlys wasn't fairing any better. She was surrounded by eight red hounds and covered in minor cuts and injuries, but she seemed slightly out of breath, like she was being drained of her energy the longer she fought.
'I have to do something,' Corven thought to himself. 'I need to help them… But how? Think Corven!'
Looking at the spear, still stuck inside the beast chest beside him, Corven had an idea. Snapping the spear free from the dead body, Corven rushed to Achlys' side, with surprisingly blurry speed. Then, with surprising strength, he stabbed one of the hounds in the eye, retrieved the spear, then stabbed it through the heart of another before the first could hit the ground.
"Cimon! Heads up!" Corven shouted before spiral throwing the spear through the air and through the skull of one of the beasts on top of him with surprising ease.
Cimon, now free of one of the ganging hounds, put his hand on the forehead of the second one, which instantly passed out, unconscious. Freeing his spear, Cimon made quick work of the unconscious creature, stabbing its heart.
With renewed vigor, Achlys spun her scythe like a dancer of death, slicing the heads from the bodies of two chaos hounds.
Even Corven managed to use the car door to shove back a raging hound. He then hit on its back with surprising strength, before using everything he had to hit it on the top of its head. It didn't move again; in fact, it gradually turned to crimson dust.
Things were looking up. The remaining six hounds prowled in V formation, eyeing its prey with trepidation, and with good cause, too. Their comrades were dead, and they hadn't expected to deal with such losses.
"Come on! What's the matter, you mutts? Scared? Come on!" challenged Achlys, boldly.
The remaining chaos hounds growled and prowled, and seemed about ready to move when a sudden screech shook the entire environment, piercing the air like an arrow. Everyone watched, with bated breath as, in the next moment, a giant lion-sized creature descended upon them, with wings half the size of its body. Its fur and mane of feathered head were like red smoke and it had a humanoid face with the nose and mouth of a big cat. Its multiple rows of sharp teeth are razor sharp and its long mane of hair and feathers as red as its wingspan, which was twice the size of any eagle's. It was at least 8 feet tall, and just as menacing. Its glowing red eyes were like chaotic flares in the night, sizing Corven and his friends up like prey, while the aura it released was horrifying.
Nobody moved, not even his cousins. The battlefield was quiet, and Corven was paralyzed. He was suddenly reminded of the dream he had the night before — It came to him clearly at the sight of this creature — He knew, without any doubt, they were the same type of creature, just that this one was slightly smaller, though still bigger than all of the chaos hounds present — And even more imposing.
"Gods…," muttered a horrified Achlys in awed terror. "A Chaos Sphinx….One of the Chaos Realm' greatest predators and agents of chaos…That one has to be at least at the Tier B stage, with Tier S bloodline ability at least, based on this aura…".
"For it to be here…," Cimon murmured to himself, almost incoherently. "It doesn't matter, though. Our mission remains the same...".
The creature observed the three teenagers, as if they were prey. It let out an ear piercing screech. Then it attacked.
Cimon met the charge head-on before anyone else could caution him, spear in hand and pointed at the creature.
"Cimon, wait!" Achlys tried to caution, but she was too late.
Using its powerful tail, the Chaos Sphinx knocked Cimon 10 meters away, flat into a tree, unconscious or dead. Corven wasn't sure, but he wasn't moving after falling into a crumble onto the woody ground and Corven was hoping the former. Both Achlys and Corven was looking at the beast in horror, as it had just one-shot their friend, effectively decommissioning Cimon from further aiding them in their fight.
Eventually, Achlys gripped her scythe, her hair and eyes burning a furious dark purple in anger, her resolve steeled. She turned to Corven. "Corven, run! I'll hold it off for as long as I can."
Achlys didn't wait for Corven to answer. She turned towards the charging monstrosity and, long scythe burning with an aura of purple energy, she charged at it, ready to cut it to pieces, or die trying.
She reached the creature, leaped onto its back, but was thrown off before she could jab her scythe into its spine. The creature — the chaos sphinx — seemed even more pissed that such an insignificant insect had managed to get onto its back — It sneered in disgust as it gazed at Achlys, its clawed paw raised to strike Achlys' groaning figure.
Corven watched, helplessly, as the creature was about to tear apart his friend, unable to move, paralyzed in terror. Then a whistling sound of something sharp and narrow sounded, and Corven looked up to see a spear flying into the creature's raised paw.
Corven turned to see Cimon, barely standing, halfway conscious, charging at the beast. He was the one who threw the spear.
The creature could only wince, as it tried to rip the spear from its claw. Achlys used this time to drag herself from under the creature. By the time the creature had managed to dislodge the spear, Cimon was already upon it. He picked up the spear from the spot it was thrown aside, carelessly by the enraged sphinx, and leaped onto its back, evidently trying to do what Achlys couldn't.
But the creature was ready this time. It used its left wing to fling Cimon away. It then used its tail to whip Cimon from the air like a baseball bat, causing him to slam into the nearest tree with a BANG!. He remained unmoving this time.
Achlys, up again, her hair fire barely burning, weakly now, wielded her scythe, inching towards the chaos sphinx, beaten and battered and worse for wear, but determined.
Before she could attack though, the creature was upon her, using its front claws to disarm her, ripping her own scythe from her grip, then using its tail to wrap around Achlys' throat, choking her, sneering.
Corven watched this, helplessness and horror spread throughout his body, the creature turned to Corven, its eyes locked onto him, as it continued to choke a purple-turning Achlys. It was ready to kill the both of them.
Soon, it won't matter if his cousins were dead or alive, because they'd both be dead anyway, with him eaten first, from the looks of things. Fear paralyzed him to spot, as the sphinx slowly stalked its prey, Achlys, a deep violet color, being dragged across the ground via its tail, following it.
Eventually, the creature began charging, full speed at Corven. And, as the creature charged him, he put his hand up to cover his head in a meager attempt to shield himself, preparing himself, mentally, to die, because he knew there was no way his feeble arms would be able to shield him from such a charging monster. And…
But the attack never came. The death blow never came. He was still standing, he'd slowly realized, as he opened his eyes, perplexed. When he did, what he saw brought shock to his entire being.
A sphere of inky, black shadows surrounded his body, protecting him from the jaws of the creature trying to gnaw his face off. The energy felt like shadow — it felt like darkness — and it felt ancient and primal. An energy of pure darkness and shadow, Corven was amazed.
He instantly knew that it obeyed him, somehow. It was like a subconscious realization his mind provided him with. The darkness was his element. Shadow was his domain. And night was his territory. Somehow he knew this to be true,
As he came to himself, he looked to the nearly blue-faced Achlys, and willed the sphere of shadowy darkness to cut off the Chaos Sphinx tail. It immediately obliged. It turned into a sharp, whip-like shape from the sphere and sliced the beast's tail clean off.
The beast screeched in horror, whimpering back at the loss of his tail. It soon recovered itself, though, glaring at Corven in such fury, Corven was sure if looks could kill, he'd be dead by now from its glare alone. Steam expulsed from its nose like an angry bull in the winter. It was prepping a charge.
But Corven was not giving it any chance to do so. It was like something came over him. He felt power beyond anything he'd ever felt before. His vision cleared even more than he'd ever felt and a will he'd never known made itself known from the depths of his subconscious/ He thrusted his hand forward,, and, to his and the Sphinx's surprise, the Sphinx's shadow began acting up, separating from its main body, before turning into shadow of its former self, solidified and inky black, and given three dimension, this new creature was only slightly weaker than its former master. It had white flaming eyes, and a tail that worked, unlike its red counterpart, whose tail was only then beginning to regenerate.
The original creature, realizing that it'd has lost, was beginning to fly away, when the new Shadow Sphinx leaped at it, swinging its tail to wrap around it, before bringing it to its mouth, where it took a huge chunk of its face and ate it, swallowing it whole. It slowly cannibalized itself on its former master, chomping on it while its heart still beat, and became more and more solid and stronger in the process. Eventually, it swallowed the remainder of what was left of its red counterpart, slowly landing before Corven, who was dizzy and ready to pass out.
As it bowed its head to its new master, Corven managed to smile his bloody teeth, and get out a few words. "Luminaris Estate… my friends..".
And Corven fell face first into the creature's mane, barely registering its softness before falling deep into his own unconsciousness.