Aeress

Her eyes flew open as she felt familiar lips briefly press against her before almost instantly losing contact. Without much warning, she shot up and coughed up an alarming amount of water-unfortunately not from her stomach but from her lungs. She could have mistaken it for acid which was coming up her throat from how much it burned.

Aeress coughed even when all of the water was gone, as if her body was paranoid that it was still replete with liquid which did not belong. The headache bombarding her worsened until she thought a vessel would pop. She held her head and whimpered, pulling at her wet strands to distract from the true pain of her body, struggling not to pass out again.

She looked around and realized that she was still in the arena. The blue light from above seemed fainter, weaker. A strange but understandable relief flooded her chest only for a moment, for she knew the trials would continue testing her.

"The first half of the trial is completed," a callous voice responded, not indicating whether they had an ounce of sympathy for Aeress who almost drowned to death. Instead of feeling a great rage, she instead listened, trying to absorb every detail or potential hint. "The next half will take place promptly." So this trial would soon end? She doubted it would be so simple.

She was dazed and just sat there for a moment, but she knew better. The urge to just lay back down plagued her, until her suspicions were proven true as she sensed something foreign beneath her skin. It was a strange tingling sensation all over her body, pulsing in waves and becoming more and more present. It flew in longs streams, hooking into her bones and stretching wider.

It didn't hurt... for long.

Her muscles locked up and her terror spiked into the sky. "What is this?"she demanded, pushing herself onto her knees in choppy movements. She scratched at her arms, raking her nails up toward her wrists before back down. She looked up at the Guides in shock, "you've poisoned me, why?"

"Correct, Aeress, we did so through the water which you swallowed and stood in, only the strongest of our ranks can sense the venom as it contaminates the host." Guide Jamarious looked impressed, his pale skin was tinted blue by the light. "We call it Godhead's Milk. One of the most deadliest venoms this world has ever scene. Within the hour, the host is nearly guaranteed to parish."

Aeress was pretty sure she was going to be sick. "Am I going to die?"

"Thousands of years have passed since the departure of Godhead, yet we have been inadequate in achieving a cure. We have learned though that the blood of one's mate has been known to slow the process, but other than that, nothing which can prevent certain death."

"That doesn't answer my question." Wow, she thought she would perhaps make it to the third trial at least, but apparently this was how she would die.

"If you are Godhead," Guide Alejandra responded with a spine as straight as a board, "the cure should be within you. In your mind. You have approximately thirty minutes before your termination." That was all the instruction she would receive?

Godhead, please tell me there is a cure?

I... don't remember.

Her limbs trembled, not in response to the poison but to her own realistic, hypothetic scenario in her head that she would die. It was almost like being told that there was no water at the bottom when she had already jumped off the edge of the cliff. What are you talking about? He said that you knew. Why would he say that if it wasn't true? She was very dearly close to losing her shit.

I should have told you before, but you were already so stressed... Once you began to embrace my presence as an extension of yourself... The fusion has tampered with some of my memories.

Aeries twirled around, looking helplessly as she felt dread eat her alive. Her fingertips were sizzling and splitting. A ringing slammed through her ears, taking her down back to her knees. So then how do you remember?

If my presence was stronger within you, the poison would not be strong enough to challenge our immune system.

How can I do that?

"Willingly absorb more of me." Aeress looked up and saw the more individual version of Godhead standing before her. She felt warmth toward her gorgeous blue skin which glittered in an otherworldly way, almost like the scales which were scattered across her complexion were encrusted in sapphires. They did, although, look more alike than ever before.

"What happens then?"

"We will fight it off together." Her blood red eyes shimmered with steadfast determination. She was almost nonchalant, rather like she had complete confidence in Aeress, in the both of them. While this confidence was reassuring, it also raised alarm.

"But what will happen to you?" Aeress countered instead of entirely agreeing. "Will you forget more memories? What else will you forget?"

Godhead shook her head and had this sweet little smile on her head that she had never seen before. It lit up her entire face and Aeress believed that this was indeed the most exquisite creature she had ever seen in her life. "It doesn't matter, Aeress. Your concern for me is enduring, but in order for us both to live on, you must do this, no matter any consequences. This isn't just about you or me, it is about our children, Warrick, the world. It's going to hurt but pain is nothing unfamiliar now is it? We cannot fear what we have already conquered, Aeress." She lifted her arms. "Come here."

Aeress frowned and shook her head. "But..." she took a step closer. "Will I lose you?"

There was that same all-knowing smile again. "Don't be afraid, come here, please?"

"I trust you," Aeress finally stated, stepping into her embrace. Her warmth was an immediately comfort, surrounding them like a cocoon. Everything else faded away to a dull hum, turning into background noise, so insignificant when compared to the ruby eyes she stared up into.

"Come now, Aeress, that's it." Godhead leaned down and gently kissed her. Not in any way sexual, it was more of a sign of intimate trust.

Aeress gasped and a sweat broke over her skin as a tsunami of power rushed into her body, like absorbing heat from the sun. She felt as if she was floating, becoming nothing but a spirit. The power scorched her skin to a crisp. Beautiful and tragic images flooded her mind, branding into her brain with such depth that Aeress believed that it was a part of memories she had simply forgotten by accident. This energy overwhelmed her entire body, taking whatever it could reach only to mix itself into the very core of her soul.

She screamed at the intensity of it. It was amazing. It was terrifying. It was beautiful. It was Aeress being reborn as the creature she was meant to be. She stretched and tightened all over, feelings mountains and mountains of power being poured through her veins, reshaping them into new ones, ones branded with thousands of years of wisdom.

An eternity passed. Maybe less. Maybe more.

All she could do was breathe in a cool breath and focus on it as much as she could. She was uncomfortable, similar to having a itch that couldn't be scratched but instead of it being in one area, it was all over her body. Aeress buried her face into Godhead's chest and went limp, but Godhead helped her without question and in fact held her tighter. You're doing well, that's it. So brave, I'm so proud of you.

Aeress screeched into Godhead's chest as the pain intensified to such a degree that her vision exploded with white and different hues on the color spectrum. Tears streamed from her eyes, bring a salty taste to her lips. She sobbed as the pain never once ebbed, but instead it continued to flow into her body unrelentingly.

They both together fell upon their knees, clutching each other, keeping each other afloat in a sea of transformation.

A flash of pictures-faces, views, scenes-came upon her eyes once more. Too many to decipher or dwell on, but she knew they did not originate from her own experiences or memories, yet at the same time they belonged to her. Emotions in her body reacted to these, mimicking what she surmised were the emotions stapled to these images. All it did was further bombard her with further confusion.

Aeress filled and filled and was certain it was too much for her body, yet these sensations and energies only travelled deeper and deeper to a depth she would never fully understand.

She was driven to a point of begging. She wanted the pain to stop, she wanted it all to just go silent. But Godhead held on tighter, giving her the raw materials of her physique. She wouldn't dare let go until Aeress had taken everything.

Just a little more. It'll all be over, my love. I'm here.

The misery and suffering had reached its peak or what she hoped was its peak. Her screaming stopped. She didn't have the energy to voice her pain. So she simply leaned into Godhead and endured. There was no other option.



Aeress felt as the power she absorbed lessen and lessen. She was glad, until the last drop entered. Almost instantly, an explosion went off in the center of her body, sealing the connection permanently. Godhead burst into nothing. She felt the waves of the explosion shoot from her body.

When her cheek slammed into the gravelly ground, she briefly blacked out, only to wake up a few seconds later. In her view was a graceful hand, with dark blue nails and skin that glittered with a tint of blue that was unnoticeable unless scrutinized. Aeress flexed those fingers and realized they were her own.



She closed her eyes for a second and tried to hold in the tears.

Godhead was gone.

She was gone, but at the same time, Aeress still felt her soft and warm love and tender care. Or maybe it was her own. Aeress just knew they they were no longer two separate entities and that Godhead had somehow faded into her, leaving behind practically everything inside of her.

She breathed in, and felt liquid leak from her eyes. It wasn't tears though.

She weakly wiped at her face and examined it. Swirling, light purple. Quickly, more was released. Aeress leaned over and threw up the same. Next were her ears and nose.

Aeress was gasping for breath, unsure of what exactly was happening to her body.

The poison. She thought to herself, still not used to the idea that Godhead would not respond. It's exiting my body?

She knew what she said was true, even as the wise creature was silent. Aeress just knew, all of a sudden. She felt a thousand years wiser. She felt like the same old person, but completely different in every way.

It didn't hurt, it was a strange sensation, to feeling something foreign in her body being forcefully put out

When all the poison left her system, she took off her nearly dry shirt with slow movements and wiped herself off. She rolled onto her back, groaning as she felt something hard along her spine brush against the roughness of the floor. She looked above and saw a clear blue sky before she forced herself to get up, even as it required every ounce of her brawn and courage.

She rolled her neck, once... twice... Finally she looked up to the thousands of people watching her. After everything they had seen, it was important for her to be strong, even for just this singular instant. So she straightened her posture and set her feet apart in a proud stance. She met the gaze of every Guide, unflinching-every one of them were at their feet-and she bared her teeth just enough so they could see the fangs there. "Well?"

Guide Amal looked around to the crowds of people. "Ladies and gentlemen," she looked directly in her eyes, "the first trial has been successfully completed."