Silently, Hunter flew on Lil rascal as they headed back to the castle. He couldn't get what Azara had said to him out of his mind. Why would she make up something about that to him? His uncle was planning on killing him? Hunter growled in frustration trying to concentrate on something else. Lil rascal noticed and tweeted.

"She wasn't lying, you know." Hunter heard the little red cardinal say to him. "Before..."

"Come on, you really don't believe her do you?" Hunter asked.

"She was telling the truth, Hunter." The palisman answered him.

"And how do you know that?" Hunter asked unsure.

"I can read people like an open book. What their thoughts are, their tone of voice, and what they are feeling." Little rascal explained, telling Hunter. "It's one of a palisman's power." Hunter eyes widened, growing curious.

"Wait a minute, is that why you chose me?" he asked, surprised. "You felt what I was feeling and thinking?"

"Yes, you said that you need more power to help," Lil rascal replied. "But you also desired freedom as well. That is one of the reasons that I chose you."

"One of the reasons? What do you mean?" Hunter asked, confused.

"You remind me of my former owner, the one who originally created me," Lil rascal answered. "Sometimes from certain angles, you look like him. You even sound like him sometimes." Hunter couldn't help but notice by the tone of the cardinal's voice sounded sad.

"What happened to them, Orion?" Hunter asked.

"All I can remember is, my owner, who was a human, and his brother arguing about something. A fight broke out. I tried to help him. I felt a sharp sting on my left eye then was knocked out. My vision went dark. Soon after, I woke up, saw that I had this scar on my eye. But, my owner was no where around. I was told by a friend of ours that he died. They left me with the bat queen and told me that I was safe with her and soon they left," the red cardinal told him. "For years I have gone without a owner, that is until you came." Hunter was now feeling bad that he asked. He didn't mean to bring up more bad memories.

"Orion, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to-" Hunter replied. "I shouldn't have asked." the cardinal stopped him.

"It's okay, you asked and I answered your questions," Lil rascal replied. "It's like I have my old owner back again!" Hunter stared at little rascal for a while, thinking as the two continued, flying in the sky. Orion had an owner that looked like him? But, who could it have been? Hunter couldn't recall of anyone in the Boiling Isles that fit the description. Then Hunter's eyes widen a little, when a strange thought came to his mind. Could this man have been his father?!

The more Hunter thought about it, the more it made a little sense to him. He tried to ask his uncle what happened to his parents, but he wouldn't tell him. The only answer that Hunter was given, was that they were killed by wild magic. If his father was a human, that means he didn't have a magic bile sac, so he couldn't have been able to magic properly, like that other annoying human. Then Hunter frowned when he thought of Azara. But, how come she be able to? She was a human, as well, from what he saw. If that's the case, then his mother must have been a witch. That would make a half witch? Maybe, it was genetics? A 50/50 chance?

Hunter groaned, in frustration trying to come up with anything. But, the more and more he thought about it, it drove him crazy. He couldn't come up with an answer. Soon, ahead of him, Hunter saw the castle from within the distance.

One way or another, he was going to get answers.

As Hunter landed on the ground, the bridge to the castle extended out, coming towards him. Lil rascal quickly transformed back and hid inside of Hunter's cloak turning into wood. Hunter walked onto the bridge, and it began to pull him back to the castle. He was met by two guards, who were slacking off on their duties. The two quickly stood up straight and saluted as soon as they him approaching. Hunter silently nodded and walked past them. Hunter stopped by his room and grabbed the portal key from his desk, putting it on around his neck and tucked it inside of his cloak, then started heading towards Belo's throne room.

As he approached the door, Hunter opened it and walked inside. He looked around the throne room to find his uncle, but he was not there. Where was he? Hunter felt a nervous feeling in his stomach and walked out, closing the door behind him. Maybe, he was in the basement, in the room where the portal was? He had been going there, a lot more than usual.

Hunter soon found himself in front of the secret entrance to the basement and was now walking down the stairs, heading to the dark abyss below the castle. He stopped as he reached the bottom of the stairs, now standing in front of the door to the basement. Slowly, Hunter opened it and walked inside, quietly closing the door behind him as he did. As he walked further into the room, heading towards the portal to the human realm, Hunter saw that his uncle was not there as well. Hunter was being watched by a pair of glowing blue eyes as they watched him in the dark corner of the room as he looked around.

Hunter stopped in front of a table and set the Galderstone on it, when he noticed a book lying open in front of him. He took off his mask, setting it down on the table as well, then looked down at the book, reading the page that it was opened to.

Grimwalker...

Hunter frowned, wondering what it was. He continued reading what appeared to be ingredients to make this thing: Galderstone, Stonesleeper lungs, Selkidomus scales, and a bone of ortet? Hunter knew of the two items, from what he had studied and read in books. But, Stonesleeper lungs and bone of ortet? He didn't know what those were. The stonesleeper lungs had a picture of what a stonesleeper looked like. It had a strangely shaped head like a skull with a long tail and claws. It reminded him of that strange little creature the human was with, "King", was what she called it. Then Hunter focused on the what the last ingredient said about the bone ortet as he noticed some writings below the word.

A original plant that members of a clone had descended from... A clone?

Hunter's eyes widened as he continued to read more from the other page until his eyes was met with the same fuchsia red colored eyes as his. Hunter's breath caught in his throat, becoming more and more unease and disturbed by it. Then he saw a diagram of a head with arrows pointing to the eyes, indicating what an ortet was by the color of their eyes. No...it was a coincidence that his uncle had found him, that was all! Hunter tried to calm himself down, trying not to panic but felt his hands starting to shake a little.

He froze when he saw the last picture of the growth stage: a baby, a child stage, then a fully grown adult.

Hunter shook his head, stepping back away from the table. No! No, no, no, no! This can't be true! It just can't be...If he wasn't who he was, then who was he? Who were they? More and more questions came piling in Hunter's mind like a ton of bricks. He began to feel dizzy, nauseous, overwhelmed. He was going to be sick. He began to hyperventilate as he struggled to breathe. This is just one another one of his nightmares. He was going to wake up and he was going to fine! Hunter quickly shut his eyes and opened them, but he was still in the basement.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Hunter screamed to himself. "This is just a dream. This is just a dream. None of this is real!" But, he was still inside the basement. This was real. This was really happening to him...

Hunter felt his feet give away from under him as he feel to his knees onto the floor. He clenched his fists, on all four, beating his fists on the floor until his hands stung.

His entire life was a lie...

He shouldn't even exist...

He was nothing...

Nothing that he ever did, mattered to his uncle. To him, he was just a tool, a sacrifice, for whatever his uncle had claimed the Titan had plans for on the Day of Unity. He just need him to grow until it was the right time...

Azara was telling him the truth...

Belos had lied to him...

"Hunter..." Hunter gasped and slowly he raised his head up, looking at the monster as lifeless pale blue eyes stared down at him, Belos.