Fandom Fairy Tail: Legacy of the Twilight Prophet

[Bolts]

Eias became somber as her friend explained her reasoning of things. Even so, it must be a living hell to feel that way all the time. She understood there were some desires that my be out of the norm, but still, keeping them locked up like that wasn't good either. She just had to accept that Aeris wasn't ready to let it all out yet. She was afraid of herself and needed to learn to think better for her own well being.

"Well, I don't have much planned other than your schedule. So I suppose we can remain leasure here till then."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris nodded at Eias. Somehow she was accepting this reply though not even she could guess why and how. Gently, she walked up to the door of Eon, opening it just slightly. She saw that the spirit was still slumbering, no doubt she was more exhausted now that she had to rely on her own strength rather than on Aeris' power exclusively. Leaving the little one to sleep she turned back to Eias.
"All right then. I shall order some food to come to us here. We can spend the day with relaxing if so you wish but I want it to be in an exquisite manner too. Wait right here, I will make the arrangements..."

***
​

The day, rather uneventful for the most part, flew by quite fast at least in Aeris' eyes. After eating a wonderful lunch and breakfast Eon finally woke up to excuse herself whilst she decided to go for a walk alone. Aeris suspected it to be a sisterly visit but she pestered the little spirit not, nor did she want to pry information from her. Because of this they would be really alone with Eias tonight... which would open up many possibilities.

She was walking towards their room after an afternoon's walk, lost in her thoughts. Eias did not actually seize the opportunity back in the morning to comment on her strange feelings at all. She was not sure why was that - compassion, fear or even doubt: she could not decipher it at all. The fact that she reveled from the struggle of others, that it gave her strength made her question of her personality. She really wanted to make Eias happy with all her might yet at the same time it conflicted with her own sources of pleasure. Sure she felt good and even happy when she saw her friend smile and she shared her enthusiasm towards things - but deep down it was still a little bit... less than satisfactory.

She shook her head. The moment when she could save her damsel of distress from her plight filled her with delirium and happiness unmatched before. Even the thought of it pushed forward images in her mind which made her blush, so good they felt. Still... she could not just ask Eias to do things like that for her. Her hunger for such unorthodox pleasures were shunned by many with good reason... how could she expect the harbinger of harmony and happiness to answer her twisted ways in kind.

"But she looked so mysterious and charming when she was posing back then with the..."

She shook her head as she stopped in her tracks. What on earth was she thinking about? This was unreal! The more she wanted to repress her feelings the more they bubbled forth which infuriated her. No, she could not bring herself to ask Eias to soothe her mind, not if this was the solution. Frustrated with herself she took a moment to regain her composure... and opened the door to their abode, now her face laced with a slightly unnatural, but happy smile.

"Sorry it took so long, Eias! I am back!" she said, looking around in the room to search for the girl.

 

[Bolts]

Eias nodded as the girl offered and went on to order the food. A nice brunch to start the day as they awaited the plans for later on. As the girls left to go on about their busness, Eias remained in the room. She did her morning routine of powdering her nose and cleaning her flute as she wondered what foods would come to them. All she could think was how she was so hungry. Aeris and Eon had their problems going on, but Eias was stuck. What could she do to help? Nothing. So all she could do was eat now. Something to fill in the down time.

A short while later she heard the doors creak open. She could make out the faint sound of Aeris voice beyond the door.
"Oh, over here. Just on the bed cleaning the flute. Have a nice walk?"

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris looked into the direction where she had heard her friend from and made her way over there. Spotting the Muse cleaning her instrument was something of a happy sight for her. It reminded her of the simpler days they had together - though even those days were full of adventure so who knew how could she define them. Still, looking at her friend in the light of the setting sun made her giddy and for a moment she had even forgotten the foreboding images she had in her mind.
"Oh, yeah, it was... refreshing." she said with a nervous chuckle "I had lots of time to properly think about how exactly I wish to spend our free time together... and especially since Eon is still out there exploring I had an idea..."

She cleared her throat and visibly tried to dust off her clothes to look as immaculate as humanly possible. Trying to strike a charming pose she slowed down her steps in order to approach her friend in a very lustful manner. Her face was covered in blush but now a sense of mystery glinted in her eyes as she walked up to her friend.
"Stress, I figured, will be our biggest enemy tomorrow. Though training in the last minutes has its merits something has an even greater effect to make this fear and anxiety melt - which is relaxation... and joy..."
She now ended up in front of Eias, moving her body gently and slowly as she sat down next to her on the bed.
"Tell me, Eias..." she said in a whimsical way, her fingers running on the clothed body of her ally with precision and soft accuracy "Will you allow me to melt your fears away? I want to make you feel completely at ease... to make your worries evaporate, to clear your mind..."
Her fingers finally stroked the throat of the girl as they finally stopped at Eias' chin, raising her head in the level of Aeris. Now, the crimson eyed girl remembered the teachings of that book about situations like this - with careful planning she blinked once or twice with her eyelashes in such a matter that made her eyes glimmer in the light.
"Being a Matriarch all day must be really stressful..." she said, her voice quieter as she leaned in for a kiss on the girl's cheek. As she did so she leaned closer to Eias' ears to whisper "How about this... attractive girl of yours help you have a good time tonight?"
She knew not where this sudden audacity came from and it surprised her. Still, hiding her astonishment she kept up the act as, with a huge blush on her cheeks, she waited her friend's response.

 

[Bolts]

As she approached, Eias noticed the shift in atmosphere. Though she was still cleaning, the grip on the flute was weakening as she slowly became mezmurized by the motions of Aeris. Her eyes became heavy and a thin line of red sprawled along her cheeks. She continued to slowly clean the flute but it became increasingly harder to handle once the red eyed girl sat down and began to play with her.

With a nervous face, she slowly placed the flute off to the side. Looking into her eyes lazily, she nodded.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris' eyes lit up in curiosity. That she caught Eias off-guard with such comments did not surprise her entirely - that her friend remained interested, meek and mute did it for her instead. She was now certain that she had to make this evening quite enjoyable for her friend if she wanted her to rest. Even though deep down she yearned for a similar treatment she knew that it was not meant to be.
"Very well then, eager you are I see!" she smiled, snapping with her fingers. Immediately most of the lights in the room dimmed as only the last rays of the descending sun painted the horizon and the room in crimson hue.
"First things first... we need a good atmosphere..."

She closed her eyes and took as deep of a breath as she could. Moments later orbs after orbs of fire began to manifest, trying to replace the glory of the sun with their tiny flames. The little orbs began their journey to surround the girls, their warm but not harmful flames caressed everything, even Eias for a little bit. Aeris did not mind to expend some of her precious power to make everything more... desirable...
"So... tell me, my Muse..." she said in a tantalizing voice "How should I try and satisfy you?"
She smiled.
"Perhaps something easy is what your heart desires? A moment's respite from this stressful world of ours? A simple night where you could finally taste the moments of freedom that you had so long ago? Tell me, and I will try to make it come true..."
She chuckled.
"You, of course, may like our extravagant lifestyle too." she said, touching her friend's corset and subsequently her breasts in a playful matter with a coy smile "You may wish to delve deeper into the wondrous world that is glittering lights, marvelous parties and undeniable beauty. Just utter the words and I shall make this room - and your world - spin in pompous glory."

She smiled as she curled up next to Eias in a charming matter. Her hands moved a bit clumsily, her only imitating the motions of intimacy but she tried her best.
"Oh, my heart aches, Eias. It hungers for nourishment, for joy. It hungers for... excitement. But I can not give it that, it requires... special needs..."
She gently touched the gem which still had but flickering power in the clothes of Eias. For a moment she desired to steal its power to see Eias in her normal, glorious beauty... but she decided against it in the end.
"And thus it falls to me to try to make YOU happy... try and make YOU relaxed. Whisper me anything, ANYTHING your heart desires... and I will try to make it into a reality..."

 

[Bolts]

Eias grew more and more red as the moments past. What Aeris was doing made her both confused and in awe. All the lights, fire orbs, and overall tone of voice made her jitter. She wasn't sure how to take this all in yet she kept going on with the playfulness.
"I um.." She tried saying but it was helpless as the overwhelming feeling took hold of her.
Anything she could want at the palm of her fingertips and so many choices too. She placed her flute off to the bedside table and faced Aeris.
"I think I just want to cuddle for now. I know it wasn't the direction you were going for, but a cuddle would put me at ease for sure!" She said, nervous at how she reacted.

 

[DawnAntalios]

With her expectations for a spectacular magical experience rising Aeris was leaning towards Eias with eager anticipation. Her entire body trembled just slightly from the overwhelming interest that she had towards her friend, her very fingers twitched to conjure the perfect spell and cast the best illusion of the room around them. With all her being she was into this act more than she realized, her mind was focused on a singular purpose which was to make the dream of Eias come true...

And then she heard what her friend asked of her.
"Cuddling..." she said, her tone trying to drown out the momentary disappointment that overwhelmed her. She needed to focus with all her powers to conceal the dimming of the orbs which fed not only from her powers but from her enthusiasm as well. The glinting in her eyes dulled and the overwhelming feeling of anticipation ebbed away. It... did not happen as she expected it to go. Of all the complex incantations her friend opted to choose the one things they had done before.
"All...right, here we go then!" she said, her voice trying to regain her muffled motivation, sneaking up to Eias, holding her close and bringing her down to the bed. Moments have passed as they held each other, Aeris trying to think at other things in the meantime. She was at loss of words, everything needed to be shifted around to make sense. She decided to shift the topic around as she held her friend close.

"So..." she began, unsure how to begin, her voice slowly returning to normal as the last bits of fired off notions faded from her. They were... ill-suited for such a normal activity "Tomorrow is the big day then, huh. I was wondering how you were holding up. I wished to see that and test my endurance too..."
She smiled in the twilight.
"As of this morning the last bits of arcane energies have ebbed from my gem. Everything I do now is on my own volition and from my own powers. Its reassuring and scary at the same time. I can take off these clothes now if I wanted... but..."
She blushed.
"I have become very fond of them, honestly. Sure they are painful but that is a trade-off for elegance. In a sense I feel... more confident to match your radiance when I wear them. Clothes make people, I have heard of this saying before... or something like that."
She shifted around in a more comfortable position, sighing.
"My mind just can not stay quiet. No matter what I try, Eias. I am sorry... for even thinking about things like those. For even having these desires. Sometimes I wish you could have someone normal as your partner..."

 

[Bolts]

Eias fell to the bed with Aeris as they began cuddling. Time passed and for moments at a time, she felt herself falling asleep. It wasn't due to boredom. It was her trying to get in the last bit of normalcy and happiness she could before things potentially turned sour. Every time her eyelids dipped down, she clutched the fabric on Aeris just a little tighter, taking in the person next to her and to make her feel safe.

As Aeris spoke up, She no longer had the heaviness in her eyes. She glanced up to the red eyed girl with a bit of curiosity. Hearing the news that the magic in her clothing was all gone, it sent a small warning that hers would eventually do the same soon. It was only a matter of time. On even bigger news, Aeris was going to keep it on. Whether she liked the style, or liked the feel, Eias couldn't blame her. To each their own.

"I don't understand what you're talking about. You're as normal as can be. No one is the same. Just cus you like something doesn't mean you're not normal. Desires are desires. Nothing about that is bad." She said softly as she slowly closed her eyes again. She didn't sleep, just let peace take over.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris did not know how to properly reply to Eias immediately. Though it was comforting to hear what the girl had to say she was still convinced that what she craved was not something that was ordinarily accepted by people. Then again, throughout her existence, things rarely occurred in a fashion so that people could have accepted her. Her lonely nature, her seclusive self and her dedication to studying was all she lived for - and was all she understood. Connection with others was not something she nourished or comprehended so she just discarded everything about those... until recently.

"Your words may rang true but somehow give me the feeling of wishful thinking." she said quietly with a small smile on her face as she saw Eias having her eyes closed. With a small sigh she looked upwards and stared at the ceiling as a strange, dulling haze began creeping over her mind.
"There is no purpose of dwelling on it right now I reckon. We have a game to win tomorrow and I will need all my wits as will you." she said, holding Eias just a tad bit closer to her.
"So many people have we met here, so many depend on the outcome of the games still, I wager. And the artifact of course, which should be yours for the taking... I am certain that you would be able to convince the Duchess to head in that direction to obtain it should we win... It is an important thing to achieve, I am sure..."

She fell silent as the hazy state deepened.
"To serve the people. To protect them. How noble these aspirations are... not sure I understand the depth of them."
She felt a nagging feeling within her.
"And against demons of all things... dark creatures from the void... I wonder what we would do if we faced another... aldrachi somewhere. Or perhaps a different demon entirely. It would be an interesting showdown..."
She looked back at Eias.
"What do you think of them? The demons, I mean. They are the opposite of your affiliation and most of them are evil bent on destroying everything... Do you loathe them? Or just despise them? I have conflicting feelings about them that is why I am wondering..."

 

[Bolts]

She could tell how much Aeris had on her mind. It was sad but she wasn't able to quell the problem. These invasive thoughts were something she had to figure out on her own. No matter out much insight she gave her, nothing would really change till she was truly ready.
"Yeah, the game is going to be a long one I am sure." She said focusing on mellowing out. "This prize to see the Duchess and talk to her. I know the artifact is important... but I think saving the people is also important. I just hope she will see the reasoning in doing both... To be honest, if we really do have to choose, it will be a hard one."

As Aeris went on, she brought up the demons. A strange topic to think of at the moment but not something too new. "I mean... we did get the story from that fountain a few days ago. I thought it was interesting. Like you said... most of them. Not all. Even so, I know there is good in everyone even if they have a hard time conveying it. Its just about showing people the right way. Sadly some need to be dealt with before they harm too many. These demons will surly be a problem, but they aren't lost. No one is automatically evil. From creation, it is what we learn and how we deal with things that makes us. All in all, I just feel sorry for them."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris felt curious as she heard Eias speaking. She smiled a bit as she heard her friend actually holding out hope for even the demons and as such she was even prouder about her friend. To know that she was fortunate enough to be with someone like her was something that lulled her into peace... strangely more so than before. She found that she could barely hold her eyelids open as the haze continued to envelop her.
"You... are too kind..." she said quietly before she found that her body was getting numb too. "Even demons... can rejoice now... the Muse who will save them all... has come..."

With that darkness finally claimed her and Aeris closed her eyes, falling into a deep slumber. The gem on her clothes started to swirl with a twisted, darkened color as it became radiant with crimson red hue. She could not have seen her as the sleep already made Aeris drift aloft the ridges of the dream land but her gem continued to shift and radiate with hellish colors for a few moments... before the color and the insidious looking power subsided into the night.

 

[Bolts]

Eias smiled as she heard the tone from her friend change. It seemed she heard something she wanted deep down. She wasn't sure what exactly she was talking about but it was true she felt there could be good in everyone given the chance. Stories were just stories. They were always made with some bias in mind so eventually they would understand close up and personal.
She felt the body of Aeris come to a rest as she began to slumber. The slow rising and falling from sleeping breaths was easy enough to discern. Just as she was falling deep into her own slumber, she could see the strange lighting of red but it faded before her eyes could adjust. Where it came from, she didn't know but it felt like a bad omen.
"Good night, Aeris."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Morning couldn't have arrived earlier for Aeris. She woke up relatively early once she realized that she had fallen asleep during the night when she wanted to comfort Eias the most. Due to the stress and fears she had for today it seemed as if she had completely blacked out... but now somehow she felt invigorated. She could not point out why but she felt determined and was not about to give in to fear. In the early morning a servant came by and the girl hurried to pick up the invitation he carried. After thanking him she briefly glanced over the text and she nodded to herself. She was to inform Eias when she woke up from her slumber.

She touched her stomach as she still could not entirely get used to the uninhibited pressure of her corset. It was pressing her most defining features to their limits but she had to endure. The agony she went through filled her with a strange feeling of delirium, something that allowed her to overcome the torment for the moment. Deciding to leap into action before it was too late she walked to their small kitchen and began brewing up some tea.
"I need to keep everything in check today." she said half loudly to herself "No way the craving would make this challenge ruin. I'd be damned before I allow that to happen!"
Unbeknownst to her her inner feelings were thrown into turmoil. As if they had sensed the coming hardships... as if they knew better than the girl did about what was to come.

 

[Bolts]

She felt the bed toss and turn as Aeris rose from the mattress. To her displeasure, Eias soon woke in a groggy state. Hearing the door close, she lazily fluttered and rubbed her eyes to get the sleepiness out. With a morning yawn and stretch, she slumped back into the bed, unsure of how to feel. Today was the big day and she felt empty. All the pressure and anxiety was gone... and most everything else as well. The drive to beat this thing into the ground had no force to back her up. It was some strange advancement of fear. The kind that makes no sense just to keep you safe.
"Well... guess we should get ready soon." She said to herself halfheartedly. She vaguely remembered the talks she had with Aeris last night. Something strange happened but she didn't know what. Still, she looked happy when hearing the pep talk. Rolling out of bed, she dragged the blanket with her tot he ground. She did not want today to be a thing.

 

[DawnAntalios]

As the tea was brewing Aeris could hear a noise coming from the direction of their bed and thus turned her head around. The sight of Eias trying to hide under the blanket like a little child would admittedly made her chuckle and woke some playful spark in her heart as she did so. Turning back to the tea she spoke up.
"Good morning, my sleepy Muse." she said with a lighter tone than she anticipated she would "The refreshing beverage is almost ready for us to consume. We have a tiring day ahead of us, I wager."
She picked up the heated kettle and poured some tea for the both of them, bringing the cups back to the bed to meet up her friend.
"Sorry if I woke you up, a servant came by to give us instructions about the coming trials. Since it will be a long series of events we will start rather shortly - they recommended us to calm our nerves and eat or drink something before we head out but we should meet them up in the grand hall as soon as we are able. Apparently the other contestants are doing the same."

She stared into the cup of her own, her reflection looking back at her, a feeling of strange anticipation lingering within her eyes as she did so. As she raised her cup and drank from it she felt the warmth flowing through her like wildfire and she let out a sigh.
"As it stands now our path seems to be set. First we would venture into the magic sapping challenge to claim that fragment, then we will head into the lie-ridden labyrinth to free the second... whilst finally going for the third one, the deepest horrors of the mind. I can't say I am not nervous about this setup but I know it has to be done.If you want to change this route we can do it still, I will try my best to adapt if we do so."
She glanced at Eias.
"I saw the magic from your clothes flickering yesterday... I know not how much power you have left but I pray it will be enough... still, the magic sapping will remove even that small aid from you so I want you to be prepared for it, even if just mentally. I know not what possibly can await us in there..."
In truth she had ideas. But she did not want to spout out any of them.
"I will be by your side, no matter what, Eias. I want you to know that." she said with a little saddened voice "I just hope that I can prove to be a worthy ally for you... and not the one that I was during our first date..."
She looked away for a moment as guilt swelled within her. She... felt rather torn but she was still determined. She wanted to be with Eias, she wanted to be happy... with or without those feelings she had...

 

[Bolts]

She heard the foot steps draw closer to her as she shuffled in the blanket. Popping her head out slightly, she gazed up at Aeris.
"It's fine. I was going to wake up sooner or later anyway I was sure." She said, still wishing she could be sleeping right now.
"Tea sounds lovely. Just the thing to start this crazy day off. Hopefully it won't be too crazy." She said as she began wiggling out of the sheets. She stopped for a moment as Aeris filled her in on seeing the clothing lose more magic. In due time, there would be nothing left anyway. It was a dreadful thought but it was inevitable.
"Thank you for telling me, I knew it was coming eventually but hopefully it will last till the trial. Don't worry about proving yourself. You have proven time and time again that you are worthy. I hope I can do the same for you."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris smiled with a sardonic smile as she drank her tea.
"I wonder about that..." she said quietly, sighing "Ever since yesterday's evening I had this feeling within me, something I can not explain. It wasn't foreboding at all, it was... curious instead, excited... exhilarated. Something makes me feel alive knowing that such difficult trials are ahead, something drives me harder than anything before and makes me have a spark of heavenly inspiration as it does so. It... makes me ponder on what exactly can await us... or what fate will befall to us."
She stared at her cup.
"I can not explain why but I have a feeling that the answers I longed for so long are but in our grasp. The whys and the whens... the truth and more. These trials, I believe, may reveal more to us than I ever anticipated they would. A throbbing within my chest tells me so. A hunch, honestly, nothing more but still... I feel... I feel..."
She looked at Eias.
"I feel like I WANT to take on all these challenges. To test myself in the fires of trials and tribulations. We have trained for this, both of us and though we still have our flaws they will just make our test all the more exciting. I realized how much I yearned for something of a true challenge, danger when WE are the ones in control."
Her eyes gleamed in a flare which reflected the thirst for adventure and the hunger for knowledge. She stood up from the bed and walked before her friend, extending a hand towards her.
"I am no longer afraid, not at this moment. Determination is what lingers within me for I know the world's most beautiful and the strongest Muse is with me. I know we will not fail because my fair Eias is with me. I know nothing can stop us because you stand by my side."
She nodded.
"Whatever comes, whatever hardship might try to stop us... I know we will prevail."
With the surge of emotions she felt her corset react in a happy way, tightening in such manner as not to precisely squeeze her but to define her beauty and sharpen her determination. The flowing emotions - though caused a bit of tightening - now resonated within the room and waited how Eias herself would respond to them: control them to keep them in check or accept them to define her will, wits... and her form.

 

[Bolts]

As fate would have it, Aeris had a speech in mind for the day. Something to pump up the mood given the situation. Even though it was a good speech, in the back of her mind, she still couldn't shake the anxiety of it all. Where Aeris looked forward to the trials, Eias still didn't see the big picture. Entertainment like this went right over her head.
"Well, I don't know about most beautiful or strongest but I can pull my weight around." She said trying to dim the boastfulness. She wasn't one for statements such as that.
"But I do know that when we are together, there is nothing that can stand in our way." she took Aeris hand and pulled herself up.
"We will win this, fair and square."

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris smiled happily as her friend took her hand. She felt that empowering warmth wash over her, invigorating her briefly as it coursed through her body. She just watched and listened to her friend as she observed her ascent. Even just the way she stood up from the bed was so mesmerizing, so captivating and elegant that she believed nothing else in the world may rival with it. Time seemed to slow down just a bit as they stared at each other, drinking in the encouraging words. She wished this moment to last forever...

But alas, the time was nigh. The long preparation, mental and physical alike was over. It was time to put their mettle to the test and face the challenges laid before them. Aeris gently squeezed the hand of her friend as she nodded.
"Indeed we shall." she said quietly "No matter how dire is the battle... we will prevail."
She looked towards the door.
"It is almost time for us to depart." she smiled at Eias "If you are ready... then we will be off. Let's show the people of Ca-Elum what a Muse is capable of."

 

[Bolts]

With brief breaths, she focused herself for the worst. They had a bit of a walk but trying to head towards danger and the unknown like this was still nerve wracking.
"Right, let's get going." She said determined though her mind thought otherwise. Deep down she didn't want to go out. It was one thing for danger to find them, but to go out of their way to find it was on a whole other level. Especially in this city of all places.
"Lead the way." She said as she propped the door open for them to leave. This gave her a little time to gaze at the room and take in the last bits of ease.

 

[DawnAntalios]

They walked over to the door and Aeris waited patiently as the door slowly opened. She waited a few more long moments as she looked at her friend. Even though they were not one body and one soul just by holding her hand slowly she felt her heart pounding very heavily. Under her gloves her mark flared just for a moment, feeling those long suppressed emotions of Eias coming through even for just a moment. Her depleted energies from her clothes allowed the natural magic to flow through her once more and thus she felt Eias' too, even if for a moment. Overcoming the longing feeling and mustering the courage to walk she nodded at the Muse.
"Come. Destiny is at hand."

The Eternium was abuzz. Hundreds of nobles and other, prestigious people among with the higher caste from the common folk came to see the coming games. Magical decorations and tapestries were hung on the walls to signify the importance of such an event and the people were chatting busily, trying to spy the contenders and trying to guess the games and the trials. It was as if a new lifeblood was injected into society so big was the tumult on the corridors. Despite all this the duo managed to walk casually and gracefully through them all. Aeris was still worried about where Eon could have been but she was certain that the little spirit had gone to walk her own path whilst the trial held - or she finally mustered her courage up to meet with her sister. In any case she had to shake such ideas from her head for she had to concentrate much more now than before.

The Grand Hall which was opened up to everyone again was clean and mysteriously decorated. Strange, twilight colored magical backgrounds clashed with the purity of the dawn's light, matching the intensity of the trials ahead and the importance of the games. Looking around she could see hundreds of people already gathering in the room, their voice filling everything as they could not stop guessing about the outcome. Some even noticed the pair and began to whisper, especially about Eias: many looked at the Muse with envy and many looked at her with awe. During her short stay she did manage to captivate the hearts of many and the eyes of thousands. For them she was perfection incarnate, accompanied by a stalwart, loyal husband all the time. They entered the room as celebrities and the crowd was almost roaring when they approached the middle of the place.

Instead of the normal ball podium that was used to be at the middle of the room there were five different circles, all serving as the arriving point of contenders. The one in the middle beckoned the girls, showing them the way and telling them that it is the place they should arrive at. Two other groups of twos and threes consisting of unknown nobles had already gathered at their circles, curtly nodding at the pair as they saw them arrive. Aeris, reciprocating the feeling welcomed them too and then focused at what was in front of the circles. Massive, iron-wrought gates stared at them, their winged wide open, a swirling mass of abyss leading into them. The magnitude of the power within the portals was astounding, it made even Aeris to shake a little. As they settled down and were gazing into the abyss she suddenly felt a bit more nervous. That had to be the entrance of the 'labyrinth they needed to brave. No sign of the jury or the last two contenders gave them at least time to settle down.

"Well, this is it." she said, trying to be heard from the crowd. Her gloved hand gently squeezed Eias' "I hope you are ready. I think I might be getting a little bit more nervous than I anticipated."
At the back of the mind she felt the abyss in front of them probing at her mind, trying to find out what people will enter into it soon. Whilst it found no magic to feast on from her clothes any more it began to taste her illusion of a man just a bit, almost as if the darkness itself was curious about it. The same thing happened now to Eias: slowly and steadily it began to taste the remaining fraction of magic still lingering in her clothes, tearing at it just a little bit - as if it was toying with her gently... playfully...

 

[Bolts]

As the walked in, Eias felt a cold rush up her back. She could tell eyes were on her which left no room for error. Where some were happy she was there, some were not. Though she held her head up high, she felt the ever increasing tension building up in her. She may be an entertainer, but even this many eyes was a feat. She cared not for the whispers that circled them. All she could focus on was the podium with 5 circles. A few of which were already sporting people. She never expected there to be more than two teams. As they walked up, she reciprocated the other teams nods and sportsmanship. Perhaps they too were nervous and all contenders could join together in this anxious times.

She stared at the abyss with emotions boiling up but not ready to burst. These were easy to control for a short period. The longer they waited, the easier it would be to control as well. It seemed they had to wait for others to show.
"Give me a minute and I will be ready to jump in. Just give it time and your fears will wash away." She said with a shaky voice.

 

[DawnAntalios]

Aeris nodded to her friend's response and squeezed her hand firmly. She knew that the nerves were about to take over them and she wanted to be here to be a support for her. She wanted to be the stalwart wall she can lean on, a safeguard that can be grabbed for aid and assistance. She wanted to be all this even when she herself was being overwhelmed by the difficult emotions. But she did no relent, regardless.

The crowd's attention suddenly turned elsewhere which made Aeris move her head too to check out what was going on. Immediately she saw what the commotion was about: the remaining two pair of nobles entered, one consisting of two whom she had no recognized at all... but the last one she did remember well. The stern looking man looked at her and with Eias with a deathly glare as he turned his attention to the crowd and waved. The entire room was roaring for him, him being the reigning champion, after all. The one who had proven to be quite a deceiver, the one who cared little about his company has walked among them - and thus Gruff took his place in the last circle as the final contestant.

When that happened the portals suddenly shimmered and focused their powers forward. Immediately the room fell into darkness, separating all the teams and all the viewers from each other. The girls were now surrounded by impenetrable darkness, one that surrounded not only them but also their very being. Moments later the visage of Lord Latosius and Lady Blaemaux appeared before them... and the illusions began to speak.
"Welcome to the test of the tests, esteemed nobles." the sound of Latosius resounded loudly, resonating through the halls as all five teams heard his announcement. "You have proven yourselves to be worthy to take part in the game where one the toughest and noblest shall prevail. Make no mistake: that you were chosen was no privilege or honor, it was because of your merit and courage that you have shown in Ca-Elum, no matter how long you had been here. Today, you will enter into the fray - but only one team will emerge as the victor."

Blaemaux's shade shimmered and stepped forward.
"The teams have assembled and you are free to enter into the maze which is tailored to test you to your utmost. No cheating will be tolerated, even an attempt will be met with retribution. Hindering your opponents will only be a possibility should you decide to take it: at the cost of your valor you may try and impede your foes to be the victor... but you must face the consequences right after."

Latosius continued.
"Three fragments of an ancient medallion must you collect. Three trials must you surpass, prevail in. Three are the times where you must stand firm and endure the lingering effects of the previous ones. Surrender is an option to take: just simply yell the words 'We surrender' in unison and your trial shall end immediately. Do this and everything you fought for will be forfeit as well."

The ghastly images stared at the girls.
"You seem ready from your stance - but are you truly ready deep in your souls?" Blaemaux's shade proclaimed "Behind us lies the door into the realm where you must prove your tenacity. If you believe that you are up for the task say 'I am.' When both of you claim that you are willing to face the abyss... we will begin."

Aeris hesitated for a moment as she was worried about Eias. Were they really ready? She shook her head: it mattered not. They had come this farm and they would not be stopped. With a resolute nod she looked at the illusions.
"I am."

 

[Bolts]

From their backside, she heard the crowd going wild. Whatever they were cheering about gained plenty of attention. It was enough so that Eias grew curious as to what was going on. She turned her head to see Gruff and the other team walking in. It seemed the champion made it after all and he was well received. What struck her wrong was the death glare piercing towards her. She met the gaze but didn't look away. Not till he walked just out of line of sight. It was then, as the teams were all on the podium, the stage went dark. Not only the area but her immediate self as well.

Whatever was going on made Eias freeze. She couldn't tell if this was a trap set or not. Darkness had a strange sensation now after running into so many users of dark magic. Just then, two familiar figures arose. They began speaking of the trails ahead and how to play in the games. Ease enough to understand. It wasn't till the challenge was issued that she had to become active in it. She heard with a slight hesitation the readiness of Aeris. It wasn't out of fear, or anxiety, that she didn't respond quickly. It was merely taking in the options and rules. She really didn't want to be here but there was no choice. Accepting where the events had taken her, she grew a small smile.

"I am."