Honk! Honk! Honk!

Maya turned and covered her ears with her hands while trying to go back to sleep but the deafening noise of the trains whistle would now allow her. She was used to the trains coming and going all the time but for some reason she found the honking too irritating. Maya peeked from her makeshift bed of dirty sacks and cardboards to check whether her grandmother was up. She smiled to herself when she saw the drool dripping from the corner of her grandmother's mouth.

"She is a funny sight to behold", she thought to herself.

Maya's only family was her grandmother whom she adored so much that she was afraid of ever losing her even though her grandmother was as strong as a horse unlike many women her age. Her appearance made her look to be in her eighties but her agility was of a thirty year old woman. As she kept observing her, Rita slept on and continued to drool and snore oblivious to Maya's mischievous gimmicks of imitating her snoring.

"Oh, I know what to do", Maya said as she threw the tattered blanket to the side and crept to where Rita was sleeping.

She was about to pour water on her grandmother when she felt a steel like grip on her wrist. She squeaked with the surprise of being caught red handed but when she looked Rita, her face was still the same from a moment ago.

"Isn’t she asleep?" Maya wondered but the vice-like grip spoke otherwise.

She had been caught in mischief; the only thing grandmother Rita was intolerant about Maya. Despite them living on the streets, Rita homeschooled Maya about high society etiquette.” You never know my girl, a day has many surprises. It's better to be prepared than sorry", she'd always tell her. She was also trained in hand and sword combat, grandmother was not leaving anything to chance. She wanted her to be able to defend herself if ever the occasion arose. What Rita did not know was that Maya was the defender of other girls from the street families. No one dared to bully or harass them because Maya had promised to break the bones of any one who tried.

"Nona? Aren't you asleep?", Maya asked trying to gauge whether Rita was dreaming and it was just a reflex or she was aware of what Maya was about to do

"Oh my girl, I always tell you that I have an extra eye on my forehead". Rita replied without opening her eyes. She let go of Maya's wrist and wiped the drool from her face with the same hand that had gripped her.

"Why are you up so early, go back to sleep child"

"But Nona, I can’t sleep. It's too noisy today, the trains are too loud. I can even hear the birds chirping, how can I sleep Nona?"

It was like Rita had been zapped into wakefulness with Maya's complaints. She shot upward and started checking her pulse on her forehead, her neck, even her chest. But the temperature was normal; she sighed and lay back down on her makeshift cot

"Nona what's wrong?"

"Nothing child, I thought you were coming down with something".

"But why would you think that? It's the trains that kept blaring their whistles"!

At that moment another train, as though summoned by Maya blew its horn. On reflex she covered her ears and screamed causing Rita to suddenly rise from where she lay.

"Maya child, is it the train again?"

She did not hear the question as she was still covering her ears with her hands. When the train passed, she uncovered her ears. Rita looked in her eyes and saw the subtle veins of blood that were vaguely visible in her eyes. Maya was looking at her hands dazed," where did this blood come from?" She looked up at Rita for answers.

"Its time, it has started".

"What has started Nona?"

"Come child", she wiped the blood from her ears and washed Maya's hands.

"Nona, what are you talking about? This is our home, why would it be dangerous to live here?"

"Child, you will understand but we have to leave NOW!"

Maya had never seen her grandmother scared before but on this day she looked pretty shaken up by something. Rita knelt by her makeshift cot and pulled a small chest from under. Inside was a dagger, shimmering silver like fabric and a small leather pouch which she shoved into her pockets. She took the dagger and the silver fabric and threw them into a duffel bag that was hanging on the wall.

"Hurry up Maya, there's no time to dilly dally!"

Maya couldn't understand why all of a sudden grandmother had gotten her pants on fire about leaving. This was the only home she had ever known since she was a child. Her life with Grandma Rita was not a luxurious one but she was happy. Her parents had died in an accident when she was an infant and Rita had no choice but to take her in as she was the only relative she had.

At times, life would be so difficult and they would go for days without a proper meal, other times they would only eat one meal in a day but they were okay. Grandma was too old to work, forcing Maya to quit school and work the streets doing odd jobs here and there since she was nine just to have something on the table. Missy, her only friend in the neighborhood, was like a twin to her. They were age-mates and lived two houses away from Maya's home. Leaving Missy would be like leaving a sister behind and she could not bring herself to leave without trying to convince her to tag along. Maya sneaked outside to say goodbye or try to talk Missy into going with her. At least she was sure that Missy's drunken mother would not even notice she had left. She was an alcoholic who always drunk too much to notice Missy. It would be a welcome idea to get out of the depressing house for the last time. With these thoughts going round in head, she bumped into a human wall just as she made a turn at the corner.

"Ouch, watch where you're going old man!"

"By the gods, if it isn't Kharisi!"

Casper was looking at a replica of Celeste his daughter when she was seventeen years of age. He could not remove his gaze from this child's beautiful face, he was about to caress her cheek when...

"Well, well, well... look what we have here!" Rita's voice broke Casper out of his reverie.

"Watch where you ..." before Maya could finish what she was saying a blinding light swooshed past her ears launching itself into the white haired man's midriff knocking him against the wall.

Maya screamed looking behind her to see her grandma throwing balls of white light at the old man. She could not believe what she was seeing, was this same weak grandmother who looked so frail most of the times? Now here she was kicking ass, and magically at that. In no time the white haired man was up and holding a blue fire of his own in his hand. It seemed to be growing bigger by the second almost swallowing him but just before he threw it at Maya, a sudden gust of wind lifted her from the ground and pushed her onto an oncoming train.

Maya screamed, scared of her imminent death. She waited for the impact but none came, in its stead, a wave of darkness consumed her as she hit her head against the trash cart on the other side of the railway. She was out cold instantly unaware of the ensuing battle just a few meters from where she lay. Casper had thrown her out of the way and out of danger, he was afraid Rita would try to use his Kharisi to leverage their fight, vengeful Rita was capable of anything when cornered. With Maya out of the way, Casper could now focus on subduing Rita. Her magic was that of a pure blood witch, those that received the gift of magic from the moon goddess directly and no one apart from Casper, a direct descendant of the moon goddess and son of one of the pure blood vampire could subdue her. Rita escaped the ball of light that he threw at her.

She was moving with an agility that defied her age and the battle between the two seemed to be on an equal plane. I'll give it to you; you are still as powerful as I remember. How did you find us?" she asked Casper concentrating her efforts on distracting him.

"Ha-ha... Ha-ha... Did you think you'd hide from me forever and with my granddaughter at that? You underestimate me Carita. You may have thought yourself sly when you managed to fry Jasper's brains just so you could get him to abduct Kharisi. You understood that compelling him with your dark spell to go against his brother Damien would kill him because of their bond. Ah! You are a ruthless one, aren't you? You know very well that against me you stand no chance to win this, don't you?"

She is mine, she belongs to me, and nobody has any right over her except me!" Rita retorted as she concentrated on her air magic, throwing Casper against a tree. He had been successful in puncturing her defense; Carita was a proud woman who had no space for failure. Her anger made her lose focus-allowing Casper to get on his feet. He recovered his bearings in no time trapping her with boulders of soil. Without giving her a chance to retaliate, he conjured a shining silver cord that wound itself around Rita binding and rendering her motionless.

"You were always good Carita, but the third realm seems to have taken away the edge that kept you among the best. You are sloppy, what a pity I can't kill you here," his voice out of breath as he crouched beside the tree trying to recover from the battle that had just taken place. On the ground where Rita lay, roots sprouted and started to coil around her body trapping her movements.

"Is this necessary really?"

Casper chuckled and winked at her, "it doesn't hurt to be extra careful cousin!"

"You are a moron, you are going to pay for this!" defeat was etched on her face and it seemed too painful on her part but she had lost to Casper.

"Assuming I believe a word you say, how exactly will that happen?" regardless of her present defeat, this was not a threat Casper could just ignore. Carita was a very powerful witch; her courage preceded her in all the seven realms.

Rita looked at him contemptuously and attempted to spit at him but her efforts were futile as Casper conjured roots from the ground that wound across her mouth trapping the spit in her mouth. He rushed to where Maya was, checking her for any injuries and when he ascertained that she had none, he picked her up and held her tenderly on his lap. An unrestrained tear fell from his eyes as he looked at Maya, caressing her rosy cheeks, remembering just how much it pained him and his family the day she was taken from her nursery when she was barely two.

"Kharisi my northern star, I hope you are what my little girl Celeste needs to come back to us," he held her temple as he looked into her memories. What he saw there drained all the Kharisi energy he had displayed a while ago in the battle with Carita. His little star had grown in a life of squalor; Carita robbed her of her life as the Royal princess. As a were-vamp hybrid, the unconscious girl was the most powerful in all the seven realms. When she was born, a prophecy written by the oracles foretold of her unrivaled power, exposing her to dangers known and unknown as well.

'Triple pure a ruler is born, to rule with truth, power and might justice to guide, love to inspire, compassion her seal. Darkness lures in the night, light to shine tidings abide. Blood flows for sake of peace, heartbreak to waken truth. Power and might, true companion, charisma and strength, way to darkness.

Casper's anguish lasted only for a moment; he gently put Maya on the ground to summon Jared, his right hand man. They agreed to leave him behind, with the guards to make sure nobody came within close range to the portal. If humans walked by mistake within half a kilometre, the portal's energetic field was capable of pulling them in swallowing them into the void. It was against the laws of all the seven realms, for magical beings who could open the portal to be careless as to endanger the lives of humans, the weakest of all. Such a mistake resulted in banishment into the void.

Jared sensed his master's intention and before Casper established a link; their bond over the centuries had knit their souls together such that Jared always sensed his master's needs before he said anything. Casper could also sense Jared's emotions and physical pain. He appeared before him and bowed down on one knee with his left hand on his chest and the right hand on the hilt of the sword at his hip.

"My liege"

"Take her straight to the dungeons; I'm sure this is going to be such a re-union!"

"As you command sir, what about the girl?" Jared asked, curious.

"Finally after all these years she is within my reach, Celeste will be happy to be reunited with her daughter.

"My liege, forgive me for speaking but what will you do with Carita now that you have her? What about your brother Jasper, after all these years, it is about time you make a final decision. I hate to see you suffer because of his betrayal."

“Jared, I haven't a doubt as to where my brother's loyalties lie. His heart was always his biggest weakness, which is why he made the choice to team up with the witch and betray me - his only brother. I am more convinced that I made the right choice when I banished Liam, their closeness would have wreaked havoc in the kingdom, and no matter how painful, my allegiance is to the Imperial throne of Grundolf.”

Jared bowed his head one last time to show his allegiance to his emperor and Alpha king before leaving with Carita.

Casper followed wrapping Maya in a dome-like field of energy that floated in the air carrying her towards the direction Jared had sped off to. When they arrived at the clearing where the portal opened, all the guards bent on one knee to salute Casper. It was as though they were non-existent to him; he did not acknowledge them, walking regally as though it was the duty of the ground to worship his feet as he glided along-his sole focus on his grand-daughter. The dome carrying Maya floated towards a beast that stood majestically by Jared's side. It had the head of a lion, the body of a horse and a tail like that of a dragon.