Chapter Three: An Untold Secret

Jake turned around and saw nothing except for pitch blackness. He tried going for the window, but it was covered by the blackness as well. He gave up trying to get out of the darkness and went to the center of the room. His armor began to feel cold and his vision began to fade. What's happening to me…. he thought as he tried to maintain his balance.

Appearing without any notice of Jake, a black figure (similar to the one Samuel saw) came toward him. With its gigantic size, the boy thought he was going to die right now after being so angry at Samuel for no complete reason. He fell down after trying to escape from it. Suddenly, the black figure dispersed and formed into the physique of a young woman. She was walking to him. She kneeled down in order to meet him face-to-face.

"You're a woman…?" Jake voice trailed.

"You're such a funny human," the woman spoke.

"Who are you?"

"All you need to know is that I'm looking for a certain item someone has of mine."

"So, you're not anyone I should know is what you're saying, right?

"Exactly. Also, why won't you just let me ask the question while you answer them correctly, okay?"

"Okay."

The black and mysterious figure of a woman slid her arm under Jake's belly as if it was a serpent. When Jake felt her, he thought that this person is not only warm but scaly. She picked him up so that he can stand on his two feet. The young boy was able to maintain his balance after being supported by the woman.

"What should I ask first?" she pondered as she stared off into space, "I know. So, Jake, your friend…"

"You mean Samuel, right?"

"Yes. Does Samuel wield a sword and shield at the moment?"

"Yes, he does. Why do you need to know that?"

"Well, in his weapon, Samuel holds a jewel that I need to complete my plans. Would you kindly ask him to give it to you?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't take my friend's stuff without a real reason."

"Listen, you little twerp," the woman retorted as her eyes glinted a yellow color. She calmed herself down and continued her question, "Why can't I have the jewel?"

"It's because he never told me anything about it and he would get mad at me if I ask about it."

Taking this golden opportunity, the woman made her tone seductive and asked, "He never told you anything the jewel and how it's passed from generation to generation of hunters?"

Surprised to hear that his friend, who didn't want anything to do with being a Monster Hunter, has generations of hunters in his family, Jake slowly answered, "No, he hasn't told me anything about that."

"Why hasn't he told you about his family tree?"

"I don't know," he grimly answered.

"You know… I've seen on one of his ancestors before. Now, who was he…?"

"How old are you exactly?"

"Older than you expect me to be, human. Ah, I remember now. It was his great-great-great grandfather."

"Who is he?"

"Ulius Calden, the one only and great part of the Great Four Hunters of Dawn, if that's what you guys call today," the woman calmly said.

Jake body began to shake and his mouth dropped when heard of the greatest title of monster hunting history: the Great Four Hunters of Dawn.

Balling his fists in anger, Jake exclaimed, "SAMUEL'S ANCESTOR IS ONE OF THE GREAT FOUR HUNTERS OF DAWN!?"

Ominously smiling behind the darkness, the mysterious woman commanded, "Now, dear, why won't you go and retrieve that jewel that your lying friend Samuel has waiting for me? I bet you'll get some answers from him as well."

A fog of blue surrounded Jake in his furious state. His haziness disappeared and he was able to see clearly now. While bowing down, he answered loyally to her, "I shall do that for you, Master."

"Yes, you shall, my dear," she pulled out a blue jewel and glared at it, "I never thought that these jewels can work like this."

Suddenly, the darkness subsided and the woman disappeared with it. Only Jake was in the room looking around as if he lost something.

"I need to talk with Samuel now," he told himself furiously.

Meanwhile, at the ceremony site, the crowd who was once quiet now gathered around him with delightful things to say about the kid they used to give no attention about in training. Walking up behind him, Ambi appeared before him. His skin showed that he was in his mid-sixties and facial hair was white and it covered his mouth. The youth and his elder both stood in front of each other despite of the three feet difference.

"Hunter Calden," Ambi questioned, "do you have anything scheduled for tomorrow?"

"I don't have anything in particular. Why?" he questioned back.

"Good because I need you to gather a few 'special' things for me."

"Okay, but I need you to see—"

"Samuel, I need to talk with you this instant," a voice boomed as if a woman caught her child's hand in the cookie jar.

"Hunter Ryder, what's the meaning of this? My ears are sensitive after all."

"I'm sorry village chief but Samuel needs to start talking about something he's been hiding for years now."

"Jake?" Samuel stared at his friend unpleasantly.

"Someone told me that your great-great-great grandfather, Ulius Calden, is one of the Great Four."

The entire crowd went silent again when they heard such terrific and terrifying news. Ambi stood there solid. He closed his eyes and released a bunch of air. Samuel, of all the people there, tried to keep his thought together after hearing that.

"W-what do you mean by the Great Four?"

"What do I mean? You're the one who came from a line of generational hunters! I should be asking you that."

"Hunter Ryder," Ambi's voice went calmly, "how did you find out about Ulius?"

"I know nothing of him except that Samuel is a descendant of him."

"That's not true," Samuel wearily tried to push back, "I never knew that my family had anything to do with being a Monster Hunter."

"Liar," Jake grimly said.

Samuel body went cold when his best friend spat that one word at him. He didn't what else to say.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar!"

That same word felt as though it shot Samuel in the chest. Jake grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him to a nearby alleyway.

With a lovely feminine tone, Jake spoke, "Now, why don't you just admit it to everyone or your friend will suffer greatly. Also, hand over the jewel that your ancestor held away from me."

"Who are you?" Samuel asked, bewildered that someone took over his body.

He backed away from Jake as if he's a pure disease that might instantly kill him. His friend reached out to him forcefully. Samuel suddenly tripped on his own footing while trying to get away from his friend. He fell down and bumped his head on the streets on Crona Village. Everything went pitch black as he lost conscious because of the surprising things that happen to him today.