The foul smell of the fruit markets welcomed Draco as he steadily rode his way into the heart of the poorer sections of Serius. The black horse he was mounted on, Cresa was her name, whined powerfully, her hooves pounding on the dirt littered earth.

The ride to the less fortunate parts of Serius took him longer than he had expected, almost two days through the treacherous downpours of the shadow nights and the howling winds flicking sand and stone into his face during the day.

Bugs and sharp-toothed creatures nipped at the leg of his pants and the skin of his knuckles, leaving bruises and marks when they were done feeding on him and the circling group of crows had been a little issue when his heightened eyes couldn't even see past their midnight wings.

At one point, he did consider letting his ever growing wings spread free and let himself soar into the sky. For one moment, he let himself consider what it would feel like to have the wind in his face, to have the taste of salt dance on his lips and his heart be one with the sky.

He let himself consider then he let himself down, choosing to just travel with his horse and push his wanting and desires to the back of his mind.

Raking his fingers through his hair, the master himself strode through the crowded square of Serius, looking everywhere with his dark ruby ringed eyes. The fruit market was a mess, precious food splattered on the floor and inviting several insects to gather around it, children scratching and sniffing themselves by the water fountain in an attempt to get clean and emerald colored water coating now gravel path his horse walked on.

Several stands were even destroyed and wrecked to pieces, the smell of rotten fruit and flesh mixed in with the incurable sight of blood and god knows what else meeting his nose and sight. Bile rose up in his stomach, threatening to shoot up his throat.

Yet Draco pressed his lips tightly and yanked on the gold chains of Cresa's reins. She neighed once again, kicking her hooves in the air before quickening her pace down the gravel stoned path, her tail swishing behind her. Eyes plastered to him as he walked among the common people, his heart swelling with pain and sympathy when his gaze landed on them.

Once upon a time, Draco himself knew what is was like to fight for survival. To be starving and alone in the cold night with no one to care for you and no one to bury your body when life finally left in a breath.

Shaking his head of the horrid thoughts, he held onto the reins of his horse, guiding her carefully through the crowd of people who directed their gaze at him in fear and awe, backing away into their stands as they did so.

A sigh left his lips. They would have been more surprised if he came strutting in with a long cloak and a golden crown placed upon his head.

He was glad he chose a more suitable outfit to blend in more with the crowd, a simple black shirt, and pants. His usual cloak was missing, a naked vulnerability creeping up on him as he told himself not to let his wings spread free.

The last thing he needed was for the one thing he loved to be taken away.

Clearing his throat, he directed Cresa to a group of women standing nearby, their dirt colored dresses hugging their thin frame and their silk scarves covering their dirty hair and sunken cheeks. Behind them were men, drunk men to be more specific, holding bottles of alcohol and whispering such profanity into the women's ears, even he himself wouldn't repeat it to any of his former lovers.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen" he spoke to them, capturing the attention of the women and men. They all turned to him and to his surprise, he realized that at least half of the women in the group were bearing children, their hands rested on their swelling stomachs.

And all their husbands did were laugh, get drunk, and grab their bodies in a possessive manner.

Sick bastards.

"Can we help you?" one of the women asked, raising her hand from her stomach to brush red hair back into her head scarf. Her husband asked a disapproving glare, his grip on her backside tightening. A whimper escaped her lips.

"Actually, you can" Draco muttered back to the poor girl, letting go of the gold reins and sliding off the seat of his horse. His black boots met the emerald water, splashing upon his jeans as he did so. "Do you happen to know where the nearest tavern is?"

The woman nodded, mustering a small smile on her lips. Her friends seemed to stare at her in awe, fear engraved into their expression as they watched her carefully. The woman herself only ignored her husband's glares and cleared her throat. "There is only one tavern close. It's past the fruit markets and sewing stores. It has tinted windows so it's hard to see inside but their drinks aren't that bad."

Draco smiled kindly at her, nodding his head. "Thank you. I should get going" he informed her, casting her another smile. She returned it, biting the inside of her cheeks as she did so. When he turned away to mount back on his horse, he heard the faint whisper of her husband's drunk and delirious voice slurring words into her ear, "What have I told you about talking to people without my consent, Oraya" he seethed. "You are not allowed to even open that pretty mouth of yours."

"I'm sorry, Welan but he need directions and-"

A loud smack was heard followed by a small, faint whimper. Anger rose to Draco's face, covering his beautiful features in red hot flames and darkening his bright orbs into stones of ruby fear. The cheering of drunk men exchanging profanity was next and the master's spirit broke.

Turning around abruptly, the winged creature faced Oraya's husband, a disgusted expression written on his face. "Is that the way you should talk to a lady?" he asked, the cheering immediately stopping.

The man, Welan turned to him, brown eyes blazing with anger. "I'm sorry but I never asked you for your opinion asshole" he hissed back at him, shaking the bottle of beer in his hand as he spoke. "My wife gave you directions to the nearest tavern. I suggest you walk away now and leave us alone."

"I am not going to leave until you start treating your faithful wife, who is bearing your child for you, with the kindness and affection she deserves." Dark ruby ringed eyes casted their way to the other men and how they grabbed their wives so possessively. "All of you."

A husky laugh escaped Welan's mouth followed by the faint laughter of his friends, the stench of alcohol hot on his lips even as he spoke, "This whore?" he hissed, casting his gaze over to his shying wife who directed her gaze to her stomach. "I should treat this whore with respect? I don't even know if the child is mine!"

His hand smacked Oraya's back, a gasp leaving her lips as she hissed in pain, wrapping her stomach with her arms. Her lady friends moved hesitantly to help her up, careful not to bump each other with their stomachs when they wrapped their arms around her back.

The kind woman sat down on a nearby small rock, her friends gathered around her as they helped her soothe the pain. A different kind of pain hit Draco's chest as he watched the poor woman, the kind of pain he felt when he saw how much pain his mother went through.

The kind of pain he felt when he watched his mother suffer and brutally die in his father's arms and he realized he was all alone. He took a brave step forward, two steps and then he was in the drunk man's face, his anger snaking down his veins.

"It doesn't matter. She is your wife and you will treat her with respect unless I will show you how you treat a woman with respect" he threatened, grabbing the front collar of the man's shirt. The stench of alcohol was strong but Draco's rage was stronger, his fingers curling deep into the material of the shirt.

Welan and his friends laughed again. "Oh please, your majesty" he slurred in a drunk response. "I dare you" he boasted, shaking his head. "Teach me how one can treat their whore wives with respect when she has been sleeping around with other men like the cheap bitch she is!"

Draco's anger snapped and before he knew it, he had crushed his fist into Welan's jaw, the snap of bones cracking underneath skin satisfying before he threw him against a nearby wall. His spine shattered and the blood from his split skull trickled down the rusted walls. All the rage swelled back into the winged creature and with a blink of an eye, his knuckles were brutally beating into the face of the old drunk bastard.

Bones cracked, blood spilled, and the veins tore underneath his skin as Draco beat him with all the pain and rage he felt until there was nothing left inside of him anymore. Welan cried in pain with each strike, blood swelling in his mouth and muffling his words as he held his hands out in protest.

He attempted to shatter the bottle into Draco's hand but the powerful being had just grabbed the useless waste of glass and split it into his skull wound instead, his victim's cries drowning out in his ears.

When he was done, he stepped back with bloody and bruised knuckles, looking down at the man that was crying for help on the ground, bleeding half to death with more broken bones than he could count. His drunk friends were all backing away from him, casting fearful gazes towards him.

Oraya and her friends said nothing, blank expressions on their faces even as the immortal being began to back away, swiping his blood knuckles at his mouth to wipe away the saliva that had drooled out of his lips.

"Now you will learn" he simply spat at the crumpled man on the floor, sneering his lips in disgust as he shook his head. Then he turned over to the man's wife who had let her scarf fall from her face, revealing sunken cheeks and dark eyes with thin long, red hair that covered her forehead in small clumps.

She was a beautiful tragedy, a woman that reminded him of one of his former lovers and his heart saddened once again. "Take care Oraya" Draco simply whispered to her before turning his back to her as he headed over to his waiting horse.

Ignoring all the eyes and attention drawn to him, he simply mounted himself on Cresa and grabbed a hold of her gold reins, tugging it once more with a powerful force.

She neighed, cried out into the air, her hooves raising high up before raining down on the gravel ground and running down the path, Draco's silhouette disappearing around the corner.

"There better be a good god damn explanation as to why the SilverClaw Witch herself wrote to you!" Draco seethed as he entered the halls of Castrin's temporary stay, his footsteps scuffing the ground.

There was still a flicker of anger left in him from his unpleasant encounter with the drunk man and it stayed with him even as he found the tavern he was looking for and located the stairs next to it.

It raged through him even as he let Cresa rest by the door - protected by the magic that surrounded Castrin's dwelling - while he ventured in his hybrid's home, his fingers still balled into fists of fury that were ready to meet flesh and bone and tear his victim apart.

Dark brown eyes searched around the rather messy room that was cluttered with books of all kinds, papers spilling on the floor and the slight scent of Ihaki wine drifting around the room.

"Castrin, I swear to the gods above if you do not come out of your hiding spot, I will tear this place down with my bare hands until I find you!" the immortal being seethed once again, his teeth locking.

Footsteps, hurried and wet were heard and Draco turned his attention to a stack of books, looking up to see that nothing with behind him. Still, his sensitive ears picked up on the slight movements of footsteps slapping on the tile floors.

A frown twisting on his lips, the winged immortal being turned around to his left side where a stack of books were arranged to represent a tunnel he could go through, a hollow path that led into the bathing chambers.

A dark silhouette began to walk out of the man-made tunnel, footsteps slapping on the floor and the drip of water droplets hitting the ground the more the came closer. "Castrin" Draco called out once again, crossing his hands over his chest. "I will kill you."

The dark silhouette stepped out of the tunnel, revealing itself to be a middle aged woman who was wrapped in a long, fur bathrobe with dark wet hair that plastered itself on her forehead. Her skin was slightly red and wrinkled, her frightened eyes meeting his.

A gasp left her lips. "I'm sorry" he whispered to her, shaking his head. If Castrin was going to have women over, the least he could do is have the decency to write it to him in a letter. "I was looking for-"

"He was looking for me Parcia." The sound of Castrin's voice caught Draco's attention and he turned around to see the Dark Magic Summoner coming out of the other man-made tunnel. He met the hybrid's starry eyes, his tall figure wrapped in a long coat that buttoned down.

An awkward silence filled the room, a warm blush coating the Dark Magic Summoner's face as his gaze traveled to Parcia to his leader who stood in the center of the room, his eyes diverting to the floor.

"I am going to check on Eros" Parcia finally spoke, nodding her head at the two magical beings before ducking her head low as she scurried her way across the floor and into the other tunnel, her figure disappearing into the hollow thing.

When her footsteps were far enough, Draco turned over to his friend, shaking his head with a spectacle eyebrow raised. "If you are going to invite women around, at least have the decency to tell me."

"She's not my lover" Castrin simply explained, shaking his head. "She's Alesandria's mother. She's staying with me along with her son while Alesandria is in the Erabon Mountains."

"Why is she staying here? And may I ask why Alesandria is in the Erabon mountains alone?" the leader asked, walking over to a small desk in the corner. His tall figure leaned against the edge of the desk, his hands crossed over his chest as he raised his brows.

The Dark Magic Summoner shook his head once again, running a hand down his face. Purple bags outlined his eyes. "The family was attacked not too long ago and Alesandria left them in my care. She's not in the mountains alone but her powers are getting out of control and she needed to go somewhere safe before she caused more damage."

A sigh came from the leader's lips, his fingers running through his hair as he heard of this sudden news. It was moments like these that he wondered if forever was enough time to strangle someone to death.

Ruby ringed eyes blazed with an unsettling fire, fingers gripping the edge of his dark brown hair as he asked in a voice that was not to be taken lightly. "Who is she with?"

Castrin simply shrugged, shoving his hands in the pockets of his dark, long jacket as he walked over to the table Draco leaned against, reaching behind him to grab the last bottle of Ihaki wine he had for the week and a small glass.

The ruby stained glass sparkled with the scarlet red wine that had the offset stench of a thousand burning roses, the liquid only reaching halfway to the bottle. The Dark Magic summoner removed the top with a flick of his hand and poured the red wine into the small glass for himself.

He handed the rest to Draco we graciously accepted the bottle, taking a sip of the wine. The sweet and bitter aftertaste of the drunk danced on his tongue, numbing the taste lingering inside his mouth. It was a complex taste, one that he enjoyed because of its complexity.

"Another Mind Siphon from another kingdom that knows how to train Alesandria into keeping her powers dormant and safe so that she won't harm anyone" the Dark Magic Summoner explained to his leader, tilting the glass to his lips. The leader raised another eyebrow, shaking his head.

"And who is this Mind Siphon I may ask?" Castrin simply shrugged, sinking his teeth into his bottom lips. "All I know is that her name is Onyx Ashrevion and that she is a Mind Siphon" he simply uttered back.

Onyx Ashrevion. That last name sounded so eerily familiar to Draco that he pondered on it for a good minute, tossing the possibilities as to why it sounded so familiar. After a minute, he shook his head, choosing to ponder on it later.

"So she left her family with you so she could go to the Erabon Mountains and train with a Mind Siphon who sailed across seas just to see her" the leader summed everything up in one sentence, shaking his head once more. "It humors me how she thinks your home is the safest place her family can be in." A laugh left his lips, the bottle of wine raised to his lips as he took another long sip.

The Dark Magic Summoner only smiled. "They had nowhere else to go and I damn well know that no one in this bloody kingdom would take them in" he retorted back, drinking the rest of Ihaki Wine. "Besides" he continued, keeping his voice low so that Parcia wouldn't hear him. "I have been doing a lot of research on Alesandria and nothing seems to add up."

Draco frowned, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Explain please" he said. "There are two possibilities as to why her powers are out of control" Castrin explained, propping himself up on the table. "She could either by a half Mind Siphon or could have been born underneath the Crescent Fall Moon."

"That's impossible" the leader interrupted, shaking his head. "People born underneath the Crescent Fall Moon don't live very long" he informed, swinging the bottle in his hand. "And those who do survive are usually crazy."

"Exactly" the Dark Magic Summoner added on, raking his fingers through his curls. "And there is no mark on shoulder or neck marking her half Siphon heritage and as far as I know, her birth parents were not magical beings."

A smug smile lit the leader's face, the dark ruby rings around his eyes flashing. "Are you sure you checked every single part of her body for her half Siphon heritage mark?" he asked in a tone that was rather spectacle. "I think you need to check one more time."

Castrin groaned, rolling his eyes at the playfully teasing words his friends said to him. Shaking his head once again, he set his empty cup on the table before folding his hands on his lap. "Go away Draco. I don't even know why I bother tolerating you."

A laugh, short but filled with humor left Draco's lips. His eyes sparkled with mischievousness, his fingers tightening their hold around the bottle of wine. "I will do so as soon as you give me an explanation as to why Yagein Washli is visiting you."

That was the one question Castrin had been hoping his friend wouldn't ask him. Ever since that letter, he has been replaying that day over and over in his mind, remembering the way the little girl's violet eyes twinkled when his eyes met hers. The evil snarl that twisted on Yagein's lips when she vowed on killing that baby girl. How his heart was so filled with jealousy and blind love that his actions and decisions were completely uncoordinated.

Helping Yagein came with its price but he never thought his past would come back to sink its teeth into his skin again.

"It was nineteen years ago when I was on a mission in witch territory. I worked with her to go through with one of her plans to get rid of a royal family" he explained shaking his head. "My decisions were blinded by the fact that the queen didn't return my feelings towards her and in rage, I helped Yagein attempt to kill her baby child."

Draco huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Sighing, he raised the bottle to his lips and drank the rest of the Ihaki wine, downing down the rest of the scarlet wine before placing the bottle gingerly on the table.

"You, my friend are the most idiotic person I have met so far" he insulted shaking his head. "Yes, it's tragic when a woman doesn't return your feeling towards her but that doesn't mean you have to work with a conniving bitch like Yagein to kill her baby."

A disappointed sigh escaped out of the Dark Magic Summoner's mouth, his fingers raking their way through his hair as he repeated his past in his mind once again, a scowl pulling down on his lips.

He now knew that what he did was wrong, that that baby did not have to perish because of his jealousy. He now knew that the decisions he made years ago were about to bite him again and that Yagein would suffocate him to the half point of death unless he helped her once again.

And deep in his heart, he was sorry...truly sorry that he ever made such a stupid choice based on his over infatuation for the queen. But to be fair, that child would have been a threat to all of Asxairo. She was a powerful being, a blend of some of the most powerful and dangerous magical beings that have ever crawled through the sand and oceans of Asxairo.

How much power she wielded was still unknown.

"Okay, so if you helped her kill this child" Draco said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Why is she coming after you now after all these years?" he asked with a hint of intriguement sprinkled in his voice.

His dark ruby ringed eyes flashed as he stared at Castrin. "And I want nothing but the truth."

Another sigh escaped Castrin's lips, his hands running down his face to wipe off the increasing amount of sweat that coated his face. His heart was beating out of his chest just thinking about Yagein stepping foot into Serius.

"The child didn't die in the fire we set up" he uttered to Draco, his voice low and inaudible as the words slipped out of his mouth. They were just as unbelievable to hear as they were to read. "She was supposed to die in the fire but somehow she survived and Yagein found out. And now if I don't help her, she will kill me."

Draco shook his head, pushing himself off the table and crossing his hands over his chest. He stood in front of his Castrin like the great leader he was, brows raised and brooding eyes blazing with an unsettling fire that was not to be tamed. His fingers, stained with blood and bruises curled into his shirt.

"Believe me when I say that I will protect you with every single ounce of blood and magic in my body" he whispered in a promise that was carved into stone. "She can climb mountains, sail through oceans, run in the darkness and show up with blood covered on those filthy hands of hers. But I swear to the stars and gods above, If she wants to kill you, I'll kill her first with my bare hands."

Venix Draywin waited patiently in her hut, the witch book in her hand and a scowl on her lips.

He was late. Very late.

Sighing, the BloodBone casted a look outside the small window in her hut to see that midnight had stretched its way across the sky, the stars twinkling far away in the heavenly darkness.

Midnight had bestowed itself upon the world almost five minutes ago, the sky turning into a lovely shade of shadow black and dark violet. The noises of the world had dimmed down to nothing, only the whisper of the wind singing outside.

Sighing, the Bloodbone brushed a pale hand through her messy hair, bone-white strands falling across her forehead and past her eyes. Her fingers worked their way down the silk violet nightgown she wore, the material stopping just over her knee.

The lace detailing framed the plunging neckline of her dress, exposing the many small birthmarks that plated her pale skin. The tattoo of the crescent moon sat at her ankle, dark and alluring as she stared at it.

Ever since she had discovered what the dark moons really represented in the witch community, she couldn't stop staring at her own moon that was tattooed on her ankle, glaring at her every time she made eye contact with it.

It was as if she was afraid to touch it, her long nails reaching over to hesitantly trace the outline of the moon. The ticklish feeling of her fingers against her cold skin sent a tingle up her leg, her toes twitching as she finished the outline.

A knock sounded on her door, capturing her attention and she finally groaned, shaking her head before pushing herself off the bed. Quickly, she walked over to her door and opened it, revealing the tall figure of Lucien in all his glory.

He was dressed in a plain outfit, silk black pants and matching shirt accentuating the defined muscles of his chest and arms. Venix's throat immediately went dry.

"You're late" she simply uttered, standing aside so that he would have space to walk through. A short laughter escaped his lips, his fingers weaving through his long hair.

"Sorry about that" he replied back to her, shoving his hands in the pockets of his silk pants. "I needed to confront a few followers about the consequences they would receive if they continued to skip their training lessons.

Now it was Venix's turn to laugh. "In your sleepwear?" she asked, letting her violet eyes take in how ruggedly gorgeous he looked standing in front of her. Her heart twisted once more.

He nodded, simply shrugging. "It's midnight. I didn't think anyone would really care what I wear."

"Or what you don't wear" the BloodBone replied, the words slipping out of her mouth without a second thought. As soon as they slipped out, she immediately regretted them, diverting her gaze down to the floor.

A simply chuckle slipped out of Lucien's lips, awkward and soft. She closed the door, turning around in time to see his eyes trace her figure in the nightgown she wore. His fingers twitched, his eyes immediately flickering up to meet hers. A red blush crept up on her face, rubbing her arm soothingly as she made her way over to the bed. "As long as they get the message right?" he asked in a humorous tone, earning a laugh from her.

Wow, such a badass" she said, sarcasm dripping between her words. The Hell Siphon laughed once more. "It's in my blood" he replied, flashing her his brightening smiles. Venix rolled her eyes and stretched out on her bed, letting her body sink into the sheets. A few seconds later, a pounding knock came from the door, peaking her interest.

The BloodBone raised a suspicious eyebrow, rolling herself out of bed. "The door is open" she whispered, standing close to Lucien. Her violet eyes watched with curiosity as the door swung open slowly and in walked a familiar figure with short dark hair and round hips.

"Iresil?" she questioned, her heart faltering when she caught sight of the pretty Elementalist in her ankle length dark nightgown, nothing but a shawl in her hand to cover herself up from the cold, harsh temperature of the desert at night.

Iresil smiled shyly, her cheeks burning red as she rubbed her palm against the swollen side of her forehead that had made contact with the door. "Sorry, I probably should have said something" the Elementalist replied, biting her lip. "But I didn't want to interrupt your conversation with Lucien."

A warm blush crept up to the BloodBone's cheeks, her eyes straying away from the tall Hell Siphon that stood in front of her. Her arms blossomed with goosebumps, her fingers rubbing her arms gently.

Lucien only smiled, casting his gaze over to the beautiful BloodBone who stood beside him in a dress that tested his strength. His blue eyes trailed from her smooth legs to her face, long strands of white hair falling over her eyes.

Oh, he was so fucked. So positively fucked.

"So what brings you here?" Venix asked after the awkward silence, keeping her gaze on Iresil instead of Lucien. The Elementalist smiled, making her way over to the BloodBone's bed.

Lucien cleared his throat, his gaze darting between both girls. "Iresil knows the story about how The Catalyst Moon came to be" he informed the BloodBone, walking over to the other side of the room. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

This information surprised the BloodBone, her gaze going over to Iresil who gingerly sat on the crisp sheets of her bed. She did the same, walking over and sitting on her bed, her legs crossing over one another. "Do you now?" she questioned, lifting the witch book off her bed to rest in her lap.

Iresil nodded eagerly.

"Lucien informed me that you were both trying to find more information about The Catalyst Moon" she said in a hushed tone, raking her slim fingers through her short-cropped hair. "Every Elementalist knows the story of The Catalyst Moon."

"Well then, enlighten me" the BloodBone instructed, her violet eyes gleaming with curiosity. Iresil nodded, letting her shawl fall from her fingers to a silk pool on the bed.

"It is said that The Catalyst Moon was the birth of Asxairo, millions of years ago" the Elementalist began, her tone soft yet daunting. "After a brutal and bloody war between the mortals was fought in what is now known as the Kingdom of Iryakin, the gods above decided it was time for a new kind of civilization to settle in with the humans, a race of immortal beings each with a special set of powers that would look over the mortals. And so they began planning."

Venix listened tentatively as if she was in a trance, her mind racing as she visualized the scene in her mind. Bodies and blood dispersed over ash covered kingdom where one of the most brutal wars were fought.

"So the Gods destroyed the residing mortals and decided to create a new world. They made the mountains, the forests, and the oceans, created the kingdoms and the creatures that were one with the sky or ocean. They made new mortal beings along with immortal beings with special powers. They tested the immortals to see which one was good and bad before making their decision.

"There were immortal beings of all kinds, good ones that were meant to protect the mortals. Dawn Dwellers, Sorceress, Faes, Hell Siphons, Night Dwellers, Soul Siphons, Elementalists. All of them were created in order to protect the mortals. The Gods kept all the bad immortals like Mind Siphons, Black Magrus, Storm Whisperer, BloodBone Witches, SilverClaw Witches, Dark Magic Summoners and so much more with them. They believed these creatures would upset the balance of nature and be a great threat to the mortals."

Now the Bloodbone envisioned the Gods creating the immortals on a starry night, visioned them descending from the fallen clouds and landing on the earth, new eyes of life taking in their new world.

"Since the new world was supposedly created during a full moon, the gods decided to mark the event by naming the birth of Asxairo the night of The Catalyst Moon. Every year, mortals and immortals of all kinds would gather around for a festival and celebrate together."

Lucien listened carefully, his fingers digging into the skin of his elbow. His eyes looked beyond Iresil's words, a vision of mortals and immortals dancing together on a rare night such a beautiful sight he wished he could have seen.

"The bad immortals, the ones the Gods kept, couldn't be destroyed so instead, the Gods turned them into slaves and imprisoned them. They forced them to work back-breaking labor and those who disobeyed them would suffer back-breaking consequences. The Siphons, in particular, were testing the Gods' patience, breeding outside of their beings to create hybrids and demi-hybrids of immense power that the Gods did not approve of. They were deemed the worst of them all" Iresil kept talking, her eyes shifting between the BloodBone and the Hell Siphon.

"There was one immortal, Kavi Vashrioden, who was the ultimate demi hybrid. He was everything, good and bad, combined into this one immortal that seemed indestructible. However, the Gods managed to get to him when he tried to escape from the heavens and shot him with an ash arrow several times. He was fatally wounded, then set on fire to burn into ashes. The remains of his body were turned into white ash staffs and white ash daggers, which are fatal to all beings, immortal and mortal."

"Years passed and everything seemed fine and at peace. No wars, no bloody murders. The mortals and immortals were getting along as graciously as the Gods wished. But the trapped immortals were desperate to break free and roam the lands of Asxairo. On the fiftieth anniversary of Asxairo, during The Catalyst Moon, every single immortal being trapped with the Gods combined their powers and managed to break through the magical barrier that set them apart from the rest of the world. Most of them managed to escape but a good half were caught in time by the Gods and pulled back into the heavens. As soon as those who had managed to escape set their foot on the grounds of Asxairo, they were free."

A cough escaped Venix's mouth, capturing both the attention of Iresil and Lucien. A fire burned within her lungs, something itching her throat as she raised her hand to cover her mouth. "I can go get you some water from the Dining Hall if you would like" Lucien offered, peeling himself off the wall.

The BloodBone shook her head, her eyes still closed. "No, no. I'll be fine" she rasped, letting her hand fall back down into her lap. "It was just something stuck in my throat" she ensured, keeping her gaze away from both of the immortal magic beings that surrounded her.

"Are you sure?" Iresil asked, shaking her head. She reached out with her dark tanned hand, letting her touch rest on the BloodBone's shoulder. "We could take a break."

"No" the BloodBone pressed once more, sniffling. "I am fine. Continue."

Silence reigned in between the three, Lucien keeping his gaze specifically fixed on Venix while Iresil kept her gaze locked on Lucien, her grey eyes pooling with affection towards him.

"Well you can only imagine after that, war raged on" the Elementalist continued once more with the story, a sigh escaping her lips when Lucien didn't return her gaze. "Mortals began to fear immortals and immortals began to befriend and make enemies with other immortals. The immortals built empires and Kingdoms, declared wars on the mortals and other immortals. They were tearing Asxairo apart at the very seams, every day seeming like a bloodbath. The mortals seemed to be standing up for themselves, also building kingdoms and fighting back.

"Wars raged on for years, leaving kingdoms in ruins of blood and bones and even killing some immortal being species to the point of extinction. The Gods were angered by this, knowing that The Catalyst Moon was giving them all the power they needed. They couldn't destroy the moon so instead, they simply hid it, shielding it from everyone. The problem was as different kinds of immortal beings began to gain population, crossbreeding children, known as hybrids or even Demi-hybrids became popular. What is so intriguing about hybrids and Demi-Hybrids is that only one trait shows and the others stay dormant."

A pause between her words, her eyes taking in the suspenseful face of the two immortal beings sitting next to her and she couldn't help but smile. "For instants, if a BloodBone were to be involved with a Hell Siphon, their child would be a hybrid but only their BloodBone trait would show since it is more powerful than the Hell Siphon."

A blush crept up Lucien's cheeks, his gaze tearing from Venix's back and darting to the ground, his hands raising up to scratch the back of his neck. The BloodBone only smirked, her bottom teeth caught between her lips.

"The same process applied to Demi-Hybrid. The immortals wanted to unlock the other dormant sides of their children, unleashing all their powers to shape them into the ultimate hybrid and Demi-hybrid. The Gods heard about this plan and tried to stop them on the one-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Asxairo but the immortals were quick and managed to use their combined powers to temporarily weaken the Gods enough to reveal the Catalyst Moon. After that, the immortals would use the moon and call a witch to perform the ritual where he or she would read out loud foreign words and draw cryptic signs on the hybrid or demi-hybrid.  They would then yield the moon's power and use it to unlock their other powers. The ritual was known as The Catalyst Oath where the hybrid or demi-hybrid would offer their blood and swear to use their ultimate combined powers for good. The Catalyst Moon's rays would then shine on the hybrid and the witch would repeat words and draw symbols that combined together to twist the magic out of their bones."

"Some survived the ritual and others didn't but nevertheless, the ritual worked and soon, hybrids and demi-hybrids of all kinds would go through The Catalyst Oath under The Catalyst Moon in order to unlock their dormant powers and become creatures of destruction. Seeing this, the Gods made sure that The Catalyst Moon would only appear on the anniversary of Asxairo, that way the immortals didn't have full access to abuse the powers of the moon for their own selfish reasons."

Iresil sighed as she finished her story, raking her fingers through her short hair. "And that's basically it. The Gods killed the other immortals that were trapped in the heavens, burned their bodies and contributed their ashes into the making of white ash daggers and staffs that they would distribute to the mortals for weapons against the immortals. The mortals and immortals continued fighting and some species of the immortals like Mind Siphons, Black Magrus, and Fire Benders became scarce due to the wars. It's very rare to find supposedly extinct immortal species roaming around the grounds of Asxairo."

When the Elementalist was done speaking, Venix was standing up on her feet, pushing her fingers through her hair as she paced back and forth. Her mind was racing, her eyes not knowing where to go as ideas churned inside her head.

An unsettling silence whispered throughout the tiny hut, the BloodBone and the Hell Siphon both concentrating their gazes on their nails, their lips moving as they uttered the story back to themselves, shaking their head with each word.

"What does The Catalyst Moon look like?" Venix asked, brushing her fingers through her tangled bone-white hair. "I am assuming that it doesn't look like a regular moon."

"It isn't like any other moon" Iresil confirmed, folding her hands over her chest. "There are rings embedded on the surface of its silver skin and each ring contains symbols that stem from witch clans. Each symbol is supposed to possess a powerful meaning, so powerful it can bend the dormant magic out of any hybrid or demi-hybrid."

Lucien took all this information in, everything almost starting to click into place as he replayed the past few events in his mind. One question kept drifting into his head every time. Why would Rheynoak send Onyx? Why would he risk her life and why did the tribe leader not tell him that Mind Siphons were never supposed to exist? What was he hiding?

While all these thoughts floated in his mind, creating empty holes for answers he couldn't conjure, he watched Venix pace around the room with concern dancing in his icy orbs, her footsteps pounding into the ground. He peeled himself off the wall although he didn't make a move to walk towards her, knowing that she would attempt to slit his throat in half so rather he watched her with concern from afar.

"So Mind Siphons were never supposed to walk on the grounds of Asxairo?" the Hell Siphon asked from afar, his complex blue eyes flashing with a distant light. "They were never supposed to exist."

Iresil nodded, raking her fingers through her hair. "They were never supposed to roam the grounds of Asxairo so it was no surprise when almost all of them became scarce. They say that the remaining Mind Siphons had.fled to an underground city along with other scarce immortal beings and have been breeding amongst themselves and others for centuries. I don't know how true that is but it's a fun thought."

Iresil's eyes then traveled to Venix, violet angry eyes meeting her grey gaze

"So why is Onyx still alive when they were scarce millions of years ago?" the BloodBone asked, pushing and pulling at the ends of her hair. "And why is there another Mind Siphon in Serius? They are supposed to be scarce."

Iresil only shrugged, pushing herself off the BloodBone's bed. Her gray eyes traveled over to Lucien who only shook his head, his eyebrows knitted into a deep thought of worry as he too concentrated on the fluttering thoughts in his mind.

"I was surprised when Onyx first came into the tribe and was introduced as a Mind Siphon" the Elementalist said to neither of them specifically, her voice ringing in the tiny hut. "And I was even more surprised when Rheynoak announced that Onyx was going to Serius to capture a rumored Mind Siphon."

"What does it all mean?" Lucien asked, pushing himself off the wall and taking several steps towards both women. "Rheynoak sent Onyx on this dangerous mission to retrieve a rumored Mind Siphon and now everything is twisted. Every word he utters sounds like a lie and there are components, holes in his story that can be used as evidence to prove that he is lying."

Another sigh escaped the Hell Siphon's lips, his eyes flashing as he tossed possible answers over and over in his head. His fingers curled deep into his scalp, scraping the surface until he was pretty sure his fingers were coated with blood. "What does it all mean?" he asked once again, this time raising his gaze to meet those of Venix and Iresil.

Venix simply shrugged, her violet eyes showing just as much confusion and intruigment as he was feeling but Iresil's gray eyes showed nothing but the truth, a small smile twisting on her lips.

"I don't know what's going on" she asked, taking slow steps to the door. "But whoever kept Onyx and the rumored Mind Siphon alive when every Mind Siphon was supposed to be gone wants them to stay alive."

Her next words were a whisper, barely audible yet he heard it when she uttered, "And by the looks of it, they intend to keep it that way."

A/N: And that is the end of another chapter!

This chapter was a bit longer than I expected...7,000 words and at least three days of editing and I am still pretty sure I have some mistakes lingering somewhere here XD. But I am so tried and it is like seven o'clock in the morning.

But anyway, I like this chapter! A little bit of Draco and Lucien and Castrin and Venix never hurt anyone. Well, it certainly didn't hurt me...writing all their beautiful scenes.

Okay guys, I have three questions: What do you think of Iresil? Do you think she has a thing for Lucien?

And what about that awkward moment when Parcia walked in on Draco in nothing but a bathrobe? Let me tell you, I even cringed a bit XD

And what about Draco viscously beating that man, Welan because of the way he mistreated his wife?

I WANT TO HEAR ALL YOUR OPINIONS!

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May