Adam stood with his feet mere inches away from the still water of the dead sea. In the distance he could hear the sound of crashing, turbulent waves. Keyword; distance. What laid before him was the vast expanse of still water that contained the resting place for Aminon, Goddess of the Night. One would look at these waters and believe them to be a photograph taken in between tides, but there were no waves. No sound. Yes, one could find deep sleep here, if it were not for the unease of a silent ocean. It is a sign of a tsunami when the waves recede, but what of when the waves stop crashing all together? Adam thought on this as he pressed one foot into the sea. It was cold, freezing, but barely felt like water. The weight of the sea was replaced by a burdened mist. As Adam stepped deeper, and deeper into this mass, he took in a breath to hold, the cold darkness overcoming his body inch by inch. Until he found himself submerged in complete darkness. To his shock, Adam could breath, but not deeply. Fear tightened a coil along his lungs. He continued on despite the anxiety, for without the aid of his Aunt, he would never reach even the gates of Ghenna.
Adam wandered in blindness for what seemed like hours. His natural radiance failed to give him any leverage. The only thing to occupy his senses was a very faint sad song being hummed in the distance. He kept checking to see if his eyes were even open, but finally he found one sight in the distance to hold his sanity and stabilize his frantic breath. A faint, distant blue flicker. He clambered desperately towards it, and after many minutes of hopeless clawing, he finally approached the small beacon. It was a candle of blue light, emitting barely enough shine to see his own fingertips. Anything was better than nothing, so he reached for it. The moment it grazed his hands however, a wind blew away the flame, and a giggle reverberated inside his ear. It was far off yet right beside him at the same time, and all he knew next was that the ground beneath him gave way. He could help it no longer, shrieking as he plummeted.
His body was met with something he would have expected earlier, water. Or at least a liquid. It smelled of a furnace and bit at his skin with cold. For a moment he thought himself treading the substance, until he realized there was yet more ground underneath it. Once he stood to his full height, he realized he was only knee deep. He looked around and still saw nothing but empty, heartless blackness. He made a short choke to himself, and tried to wade through the watery deathtrap. His mind lingered on the voice he heard before his descent, and the pathetic candle. Was it a trap? A trick? Would he ever get out of here? Left to the mercy of Aminon's seemingly endless void? These questions were halted by sudden whispers. Again they sounded distant, yet right next to him. He found himself unable to pinpoint the sounds. Multiple voices at once he thought, then maybe it was the same voice talking over itself over and over. The whispers started off quiet then became roaring. He felt something brush his leg in the water, and for a moment relief among the horror. At least he might die fighting instead of hopelessly wandering. He struck out in every direction around him. It felt as though he almost hit something every time, and just barely missed. He began panting and grunting. Trying to punish whatever adversary that was in his presence. He began to feel light, cold taps and grazes. On his ankle, then his shoulder, his neck. Each time he tried to return it with a blow, each time he hit nothing, just the slight feeling that he barely missed his opponent. As this dance continued on the whispers only grew louder. Overpowering his mind, giggling, cackling, gloating, tormenting. The grazes became jabs, then scratches, and now they were hands. Hands everywhere! Everywhere yet nowhere! He kept trying to swat them away, but all he hit was himself. The hands were nowhere he could reach, but they were all over him. Freezing cold and restraining. Adam couldn't breathe. He covered his ears but the whispering wouldn't stop. His whole body was numbed by these icy grips until all he felt were the whispers. Adam drew in a restricted breath and released the harshest sound he could. Wailing deafly into the icy void. And with it he felt his magic spark, for once under his command. Exploding from his chest and wiping clean the cold from his flesh. And for a split second, there was light. As the flash from a camera reveals for a moment. And in such a moment, he saw her. Aminon, just an arms length away, watching his torment with an absent minded glare.
When the darkness clapped back over him, he cried out to her. "Aminon! I am your nephew! Please!" His voice raspy and desperate. He reached for where she was, but only felt the mist dispersing as she glided effortlessly around him. "I know who you are." Her voice was a constant sigh, and yet it was so powerful it echoed off of the impossible expanse of the sea around them. "And I am not impressed. Epione really must have given up on her perfectionism." A hollow chuckle shook his bones. "I did not come to impress. I came to plead." Adam closed his eyes and averted his head. The gravity of her presence overwhelming him. A cold hand rested on his shoulder. "My sister's own, pleading of me? My goodness, is it the end of the world!! Haha!" A powerful and boastful laugh battered his ears. "Fine. You have my attention." When her hand was removed from his shoulder, small blue candle lights appeared out of nowhere. Adam looked around to watch the dim light slowly rise. The shadows around him ran away as if alive. Searching for shelter from the slight illumination. The expanse around him seemed endless, but it was now populated. He saw many grand paintings, papers and books floating in limbo, gems and treasures, daggers and weapons, cards and crystals all just scattered mid air in the expanse of Aminon's domain. And she the strangest thing among it all. She was a massive being. Taller than a three story building. At first glance she seemed to be a mermaid. Her upper half that of a beautiful pale woman with long dark brown hair, and her lower half being a deep green fish tail. The tail however forked at the end to produce two tail ends, with long delicate winged fins that glimmered green in the light. Right below her large rounded breasts were another set of arms, crossed over her midsection. Her Primary arms ran through her hair that danced in the mist, held down only by a large pale golden crown. Her eyes black as night and deeper than any ocean. She was the darkest yet the most radiant thing he had ever seen, her flawless skin covered in markings, drawings, and writings.
"Do you intend to continue gawking at me, or will you get to your point? My interest varies, my work never ends, and the idea of you as a trophy grows more and more appealing." Aminon flicked one of her tails with a smirk. Leaning close as she said the last part, reveling in Adam's obvious discomfort. Adam swallowed, reclining his head backwards a bit to gain just a few inches of distance. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Remembering Lavender's face to keep him on track. "I must travel to Ghenna in a fortnight. The trouble is that no mortal, as you know can enter Ghenna and survive. I may be half my mother.... But it is not enough. I know you have helped mortals enter Ghenna before." Aminon swam languidly around Adam as he spoke. Her tail caressing his face as she wandered her domain. Rearranging some of her trophies. Humming absentmindedly. Adam believed her not listening, until she suddenly darted up to him. Grabbing his shoulders and shrinking to his level. His disorientation worsened by her face being mere inches from his. "Who is it you love so dearly to breach Ghenna for?" She whispered ominously. Her features explaining nothing, only harsh eye contact. Adam stammered some, eyes wide and confused. "My half sister. Lavender." Aminon smirked and drifted away. Growing to her size again. "Ah yes, the sister you killed. Seems you take after your mother." A cruel chuckle escaping her lips. Adam forgot himself for a moment. Narrowing his eyes. "What did you say?" Aminon met his gaze with her empty stare. "That temper will get you killed, oh, Ardent Adam. If you test the patience of Peter half as much as you test mine." She lingered nearer to him again. Sighing to herself, brushing his side, his defensiveness unwavering. "Can you help me or not?" Adam could not hide the venom in his voice. Growing tired of his bitter aunt. Aminon snarled. Growing far further than she had before. A deep green emanating from her and glowing in her pupils. "CAN I? Oh Adam you have no idea what I CAN do! Every whisper ever uttered has fallen to my ears. Every shadow ever cast has beheld my name. Every creature in every ocean flees from my reach. Every sleeper hears my song, every dreamer beholds my face! The greatest thief cannot hide from my sight, for every darkness he finds shelter in belongs to ME! YOU FIND YOUR LIGHT SO POWERFUL, WHEN IN GHENNA IT WOULD ONLY BE YOUR UNDOING, SHOULD YOU BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO NOT SEE HOW EASILY IT IS SNUFFED OUT HERE AND NOW!" Aminon's voice was hardly a shout, but every word she spoke reverberated into an echo that almost sounded as if someone else were repeating her words. The goddess smiled fanged teeth, comfortable in her superiority over the man beneath her. Adam could not hide his awe or the shiver that ran down his spine. But his light was not dimmed, and his glare did not waver. Aminon cocked her head at him and grinned. Returning to his side casually. "I admire your vigor. So many men merely mirror what you master. Afraid yet unashamed. You know, every story belongs to me as well. I think a very interesting one lies here, one I would love to tell." Adam cringed away from Aminon as she pressed her chest to his back. She simply giggled, and disappeared into the smoke behind him, before reappearing directly in front of him.
"Now now, let's see, a story isn't enough for me." She said while looking through one of her many books. Looking back to him. "Your mother believes herself so superior. Ignorant of my power. Ever since she stole my greatest trophy." Aminon swam up to the sky, and with a twist of her four arms created a vision of the moon. "my long forgotten throne, my home." She clasped her hands over her breasts mournfully. Seeming genuinely emotional. "I will help you Adam, on this condition. Once your sister is saved, you will return my home to me." Now it seemed like the goddess was pleading with him. For it was not a demand, but an ask. Adam averted his gaze from her, unsure. Could he even make this promise? How could he restore the moon to Aminon? Did he have a choice? Aminon sensed this hesitation, returning to his side once again. "My sister's son would make a lovely trophy. I could spread so many tales of my triumph, that revery might make me feel more at home anyways." Mischievous malice painted her lips. Adam stepped away, swatting at her. "alright! I'll do it! You have my word." Aminon swam backwards clapping with glee. "Oh darkest day! How I've waited! Maybe you are better than her!" Aminon gushed. "Now!" She continued. Procuring a round milky white bottle, and placing it gently in Adam's hands. "Drink from this potion, and none shall know of your presence in Ghenna, neither shall their aura deplete yours. And should you need my aid further, take this." She removed a pearl necklace from around her nape, fastening it to his. "Call my name and I shall be there."
Goosebumps ran rampant on his skin at her touch, he grazed the pearls with his fingers, and weighed the bottle in his hands. It felt... Light. "This bottle is empty. Where is the potion you promised?" Adam accused. Aminon giggled to herself. "You're standing in it. Dummy." Adam looked down at the strange liquid he had been wading in this whole time. This? Could it really be.... He tried a drop of it, and felt the magic work its way down his throat. Definitely did something. A strange sort of jittery energy coursed through him. It tastes burnt and bitter. "Ah, and in case you forget our deal, that necklace will not come off until you do your part. And do not forget I am in every shadow. Even in Ghenna." Aminon darted at him, and poked him right on the forehead. Adam blinked at the sudden harsh gesture, but when he opened his eyes, he saw the sky. Wide open above him. And below him was sand. Has he fallen asleep on the beach? But when he sat up he saw the still ominous water, the bottle in his hand, and his collar of pearls felt heavy on his neck. He stood, a strange euphoria washed over him. He could not believe he truly received her aid. Honestly he was surprised he even survived. Yet, their deal did worry him. Regardless, he could not back away now. Lavender's life would be restored to her. If it was the last thing he did.