Aeress
She woke up to the presence of Warrick, and pleasure coerced through her veins at the thought of it. His hand was gliding down her inky black locks and she curled into a ball on his lap with her cheek against his pectoral. With his other hand was a phone, he was texting someone and he repeatedly had to deny FaceTime calls from the same number.
She didn't bother to be curious. If it meant ruining the moment of peace between them, she would rather not.
He seemed to give up on whoever he was communicating with and put his phone down. She snuggled in closer to him.
"You don't have much time left, Aeress," he warned her, breaking that moment of peace she was desperate to hold on to.
She didn't respond for a very long time. She simply held onto him with a tight grip, wishing they were in some hotel room in Paris or London, like a couple on their honeymoon, making love and having the time of their lives. She wished she had met him at some wedding in a funny way which could be retold endlessly. But it was foolish wishing. "I just don't think I can," she muttered.
He sighed. "Aeress-"
Her eyes shot up to meet his and she shook her head in denial. "I mean it, Warrick. I don't want too hurt anymore. It feels like the moment I entered this fucking world... it's been nothing but pain. I don't want to hurt anymore. I'm sick and tired of it. I feel like it'll never be over!"
She attempted to rise off of him, but he was quicker, and pulled her down so that she was straddling him as he sat. He cradled her face with his hands and studied her features as she fought off the tears. "I'm sorry, Aeress, I am. You're right, this world has been cruel to you. Too cruel. You're so close, Aeress. You can't give up now."
Aeress felt helpless. "Let's just go, just you and me. We can go, anywhere you want, just away from here-"
The look on his face stopped her. "If I could spare you from any of this pain, I would. I'd take everything... Every moment of when you felt fear, sadness, or suffering. I can't," his jaw clenched with raw anger, "and for that I am sorry."
He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers. It was electric, how softly he kissed her, with care that filled her with warmth. "You can't give up, Aeress. Two more, that's it. Then you're done, and I'll take care of everything, and you'll never have to work a day in your life, I'll make sure of it."
She studied his face and found truth there. At least he genuinely believed what he said. "You can't say things like that, give me hope that I can go back to a normal life." She traced his cheekbone with her thumb, feeling as the stubble threatened to grow. "When even I have to admit that it's not true. I don't even know why I said what I said," she felt defeated, "it's impossible."
He rested his forehead on hers. "It could be possible," he responded quietly, "if I were a different man or you had a different mate."
She laughed at such a silly statement. "What if I wasn't me? Someone trained, collected, understanding. What if I hadn't gone to that stupid nightclub? What if is a dark hole we don't want to go down right now."
He nodded. "You are right."
She shook her head at him, playing with his copper locks. "Are you alright? You've been especially agreeable lately. It's so unlike you. I hope it's not because you feel sorry for me. I'm telling you right now, I will not be beaten down every time just to get some affection from you."
His hold on her tightened and his hands massaged where she hurt most. "I've recently come to realize what's important to me," his eyes bore into hers and she didn't dare make any assumptions.
"Breaking some rules are we?"
His face morphed with gravity she didn't quite grasp. "More than you know."
______________________________________
Aeress took a breath as she once more made her way onto the middle of the arena.
It was a while before the pain fled her body. Her recovery was extraordinarily quick and she should have been dead, but all she was left with were light strips of skin, some thicker than others in places where she was attacked the heaviest.
She refused to look up at the crowds, but she knew who was watching her. Some friendly, some not so friendly.
There was only one person though, who mattered the most, who overtook her thoughts always.
"Aeress," she was addressed by the guides, "you have successfully completed three of the five trials. This means there are only two trials standing between you and being declared Godhead to all of werewolf society."
"You will attempt to complete the fourth trial on this day."
"What will be tested?"
A doorway opened and she saw him before he even appeared. She almost smiled in relief, for some reason thinking that he was there to sweep her away. It was a blissful second she would cherish.
"One certain verity of Godhead is her immense knowledge of who is damned and who is not. With her sword of mercy, she has redeemed thousands of lost souls in the flames of her glory, rebirthing them from the blackness they once lived in," Guide Jamarious addressed her.
"While we are aware that you have already 'freed' certain souls, part of this trial is seeing it with our own eyes, and if your power rings true to that of Godhead against those we have chosen."
Warrick presented a bottle to her. It was shaped as a square, crafted from glass and crystal which made it glisten at the slightest movement. Inside had a sparkling orange liquid, almost as if there was glitter in it.
"Drink it."
"What will it do to me?"
"You will not need your human sight for this trial, but instead you will utilize Godhead's eye for justice." Guide Alejandra responded.
She gazed directly into Warrick's blue eyes. He was stone cold, unmoving, true to what she always expected from him. But there was something there that told everything was going to be okay. He didn't nod his head or dip his chin in acknowledgment, but she could sense his comfort, his support.
Her hand skimmed against his as she took the bottle, and the small amount of contact shot a shiver straight through her body in waves, melting away soon after, but there would always be a longing there.
Aeress trusted Warrick, but she couldn't help but examine the bottle before drinking it. It tasted unlike anything she had every had on her tongue. It wasn't unpleasant but at the same time she wasn't exactly a fan either. Once the last drop fell from the bottle and into her mouth, a sensation of popping began just behind her eyes.
She pressed her finger pads against her eyelids in confusion. The sizzling continued to travel until her vision became obstructed by this.
And then it began to burn.
She shook her head in panic. "No," she moaned, pleading. "No!" This time she was louder, angrier.
Heat exploded through her scalp until her whole face was on fire. She screamed at the burst of agony, collapsing onto herself and scratching at her eyeballs, which felt like they were melting. It was as if someone had thrown acid right into her gaze.
And just like that the pain was gone.
This didn't stop her from shaking. She struggled to breathe, holding her breath and waiting for more pain. When nothing followed, she allowed herself to open her eyes. And even though they warned her, she had to blink harshly when she saw nothing. Aeress waved her fingers in front of her face, but all she saw was a swirling orange fog.
She shook her head and stood back up, trying her best to find her footing. This reminded her of the last trial, when there was so much blood in her vision that she couldn't see. Well at least this time around she had a say.
There was a swoosh in the air and Aeress knew immediately what the object was. Goosebumps raised from her skin as she caught it so effortlessly. Her hand fit around the handle perfectly. Even while blind, the picture of the weapon was near-perfect from memory alone.
Ten and a half inches long, with a slim width and light weight, crafted from steel, iron, gold, and other metals which crossed to make the strongest weapon-it was beautiful. She glided a finger across it and was satisfied when blood was drawn. Still sharp as ever.
She swirled it around and basked in how well-balanced it was. Perfect. Hers.
"With the sword and eye of justice," one of the men, most likely Jamarious, said, "you will free the beasts which have waited centuries to receive-no-to be blessed by your judgement."
Aeress looked around as she heard what sounded like doors lifting from the ground. There were countless of thudding heartbeats, and she inhaled the scents of creatures that surrounded her.
There were growls and snarls while some were completely calm and collected as they awaited their release. Oddly enough, she could quite literally taste the bitterness of their fear.
"Some are prisoners, and others volunteers. Whether they are of innocence is unclear."
"Too many," she whispered to herself. "Why, why, why."
But how would they know her judgement rang true?
And just like that, the answer came to her.
No one was able to wield the weapon with the flesh of their hands unless they were the true Godhead. Even then if wielded by another's gloved hand for too long, their hands would catch aflame from any contact. So, she had already passed one part of the test: she didn't die. This was what felt like a constant element in every single trial.
The Candor Trials did just what they sounded like, they exposed her true character. They tested her limits, pushing and pulling to see how far she was capable of bending. How long would it take before she gave up? Before she died? These trials were about survival and endurance and resiliency. They were about crowning the mother of all werewolves.
Aeress lifted her chin in pride. She realized she would never break.
Blind her, stab her, beat her, it would never mean a damn thing. Aeress would always rise to see another day, rise to the ocassion and accept all challenges thrown her way.
She would falter and crack and hurt but she was beginning to really understand just how much she could take, not because she was submissive but because of her boundless strength.
It would never be enough for them, for any of them.
She saw more clearly than ever before. It was one of the first times she truly felt like Godhead, as if she were actually worthy of that title.
These people, her children would never be satisfied. They would rather put her through hundreds of more trials than finally grant her what crown which she already owned in her soul. This test of torments would be neverending, until she finally put an end to this cruel form of entertainment.
Aeress was through with being anyone's entertainment!
"You wish for me to serve justice," Aeress spoke loudly, over the grotesque sounds of the beasts awaiting to be released upon her. She stood so casually as she addressed every single soul. "On your terms. But your terms do not exist. There are only my terms. While you have learned much of me and my validity, I have been learning too. My children, many of you have lost your way. It is time I begin my duty as Godhead."
She plunged the sword into the ground as hellfire began to spark just at her toes. The blue flames were almost angelic as they were devilish. So devastatingly gorgeous as they ate up against her legs and continuing their route upward. "I cannot not allow my rotten children to suffer any longer, and I will not suffer for one's amusement or greed. This fourth trial is no longer my own," she looked up into the thousands of faces, "it is ours."
She sighed as the flames soaked into her skin, becoming more and more of her until she was glowing with a blinding light. "Embrace my flames," the power built, taking any ounce of strength she could possibly give, "and be liberated for the first time in thousands of years."
She let the heat build until she almost threatened to give out, but she did not.
Her eyes brightened with red hot vision, revealing that her sight had been taken back. But she did not see the arena around her, only the souls of the entire crowd before her.
A pulsing in her head responded to the thousands of images flashing by. Men. Women. Different colors. Different shapes. Her heart was expanding, making more and more room for each individual.
Her hand grabbed a hold of the sword.
In reaction to her intentions, many began to panic and run.
"Release the beasts!" Someone frantically commanded. It was obvious some were afraid to be judged, but they wouldn't be there had they not at least considered this would happen. It didn't matter though, Aeress would not give them a choice.
Chains broke, and she was quickly becoming surrounded.
For some reason, everything quieted for once. It was the strangest occurrence. A breeze touched her face, with a touch of warmth and tenderness. Tranquility became her briefly.
The sword pointed to the sky. Aeress screamed as the flames multiplied and shot out, exploding yet never making a sound. The blue stream of light was unlike anything she had ever seen, and she almost couldn't comprehend that this power evacuated from her body.
Red vision turned into blue.
She would never forget the sight of everyone wrapped in these blue flames of redemption. Some were so serene, it was quite beautiful.
All went bright.
She lifted her arms, and cried to herself as more heat left her body until nothing was untouched by her. Her powers drained as they worked their magic. It was as if she had exploded from a build up created from thousands of years.
Her body was overtaken by this wondrous experience. She was terrified. Comforted. Joyful. Content. She was one with her children for the first time in a thousand years.
She embraced every last one of them and healed them until nothing left could possibly be done for them.
And then it all stopped. Like it had never happened. All were frozen in question, looking at those who were suddenly gone. There was a thickness which contained shock and unbelieving wonder. In her peripheral vision were the unconscious forms of the surviving beasts. They would awaken refreshed and this she was glad for.
Aeress crouched low with exhaustion. She counted to ten, willing herself not to faint.
Then, with her sword in hand, she had risen again. Surprisingly, her eyes landed on all four remaining guides. While perhaps salvageable, this did not prompt Aeress to suddenly trust every single one of them. Just because one was not damned did not mean they were incapable of being insidious of malicious.
"Why?"
She looked to Warrick who himself appeared shocked and a bit paler than usual. "I'm finished proving myself. They must know who is truly in charge."
She was left breathless as he sent an openly displayed smirk toward her, as if he was trying to say he had been waiting for this moment for a long while. The pride in his eyes gave her more power than anything else. "What is the next move, Godhead?"
She looked back to the guides and tilted her head in thought as the wheels spun.
He was about to see.