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

Chapter Twenty-Three: Destiny Cliff

A large demon slashed its huge claws at Ashley. She blocked them with her ice sword and landed a powerful kick in the demon's hard abdomen, sending it flying some meters away.

Another jumped at her. Ashley dove into the air and pierced her sword through its thick scaly neck. The demon fell and was reduced to black ashes. Ashley turned to Sebastian. He looked quite relaxed, leaning against a tree and smiling at her.

Everyone on Ashley's side was locked in battle, fighting one, two or three demons at a time. Ashley had already taken down three. The demons, despite their size and appearance, were quite weak but their numbers would keep increasing so long as the tears in the earth remained open.

Suddenly, Ashley felt something warm grab her leg and she found herself in the air, being carried by a flying demon. Before the demon could fly any further, Ashley let go of her sword. She stretched out her hand and the sword began to float in the air; it was made of water after all. Ashley controlled it and aimed it at the demon. The sword pierced through the demon's head and it let go of her.

With a painful grunt, Ashley landed on her feet. She could see a fire blazing past the thicket behind Sebastian.

Richard, she thought. Most of the demons were fighting him and kept him from attacking Sebastian.

"Sara!" Ashley shouted.

Sara quickly killed the demon she was fighting and ran to Ashley.

"Sara, we have to get those demons away from Richard," Ashley said.

Sara first looked at Sebastian and then at Ashley.

"I know," Ashley said, understanding her friend's message. "We have to get past him somehow."

An arrow flew past Ashley and stabbed the demon that was behind her.

"Stay focused," Adrian shouted, firing an arrow at another demon that was hovering above him.

"How do we close the cracks were the demons are coming from?" Ashley asked Adrian. Adrian ordered his teammate, Ms Hughes, to fight with Slayer and came to Ashley.

"There are only two ways to seal demon gates," Adrian said, breathing heavily. "Either the person who summoned them decides to or he dies... basically meaning we have only one option; we kill the man over there."

Ashley saw more demons coming out of the earth. Killing demons was one thing but to kill Sebastian... Did Ashley really have the resolve for it?

"I have an idea," Ashley said.

She also saw Sebastian raise an eyebrow; he could obviously hear them.

"Whatever happens... do not do anything," she said.

The result of what Ashley was about to do greatly depended on which parts of Sebastian's story were true. She stood in front of a demon that was charging at her. The lizard-faced demon was running on all fours and when it jumped with its mouth open, Ashley didn't do anything.

"Ashley!" Adrian shouted but Ashley just watched.

Three rocky spikes shot out of the ground near her and pierced the demon. The demon crumbled to ashes and Ashley stared at Sebastian with a smile.

"I made a promise to her that day; that never again would I ever hurt a child."

Ashley had remembered Sebastian's words. That was the promise he had made to his daughter; to never again hurt a child. In his eyes, Sebastian only considered Ms. Hughes, Slayer and Richard as people he could kill. Ashley, Adrian, and Sara were still children to him.