Ascension - (Alarian Warriors)

The Alarian’s eyes widened as his gaze settled on the woman in front of him. “I haven’t used that name in years Princess. Why would I now?” He sat back on his heels, his eyes questioning everything.

“If not by that name, then what do you wish to be called?” Aveyon asked.

He laughed. “If you haven’t noticed, I don’t have a soul, names are pointless.”

“Gerard it is then.”

He made a disguised noise, as if mentioning his name turned his stomach.

“You chased after us, following us back into Earth’s realm, why?” She inquired.

“Because you’re meant to be DEAD.” He elaborated on the last word, almost pleading with her for answers.

“As are you technically, but what sustains you is different than I. You have no soul, the whole ordeal fascinates, and saddens me. How does one without a soul remain conscious?” She spoke calmly. When she reached out to touch him, he flinched away. “The children born without souls don’t even get a chance to breathe, but you...” She pondered allowed.

“How should I know? I don’t even care! I’m still here, I am what I am because you were meant to come back, but YOU didn’t!” He spat.

“My scars tell the story of my struggle, I may be late, but I am here now.” She paused and tilted her head to one side. “I do not see any scars on you, and yet I am the one that remains to have my soul. Tell me, how did he push you so far?”

He averted his gaze. “That doesn’t matter...” He muttered. He looked as though he were in pain like something was stopping him. It reminded her of what Damon had gone through and the conditioning they had to undo.

“Then, why will you not let us into Terramore, Ashera surely wants that?” She pushed harder.

He snapped his head back in her direction and glared. “Yes, he does, our orders are not to harm you. I don’t understand it! Why wouldn’t he want you dead, it makes no sense...” Pausing his eyes widened. He hissed angrily. “You’ve done something to me! Why am I talking so much?” He said as he realized he was regurgitating information without meaning too.

“You are talking because you want to, with a little nudge from me.” She responded truthfully.

“LIES!” He screamed.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “No Gerard, I may be the only one left that can stop Ashera.” She touched a finger to her temple. “Your mind has been tampered with, you have a want to tell me information, but your programming is fighting against it, for it is against Ashera’s very well. If I were truly forcing you, it would be painful, as it is with Ashera’s commands. I am simply making it easier for you to express yourself.”

“Bullshit!”

“There is no need to for cursing, you’re cursed enough as it is.” She shook her head displeased. “Alarians were created and bred for the purchase of protecting, Ashera goes against everything we believe in, a part of you still clings to the ideals you were raised on. Though without a soul it-”

“I am no Alarian!” A light shake began to set in as he rejected her words, cutting her off. “Not anymore!”

“Yes, as I was saying with the curse, it is said to change us in unspeakable ways, true. But you will forever be an Alarian. It is natural to fear those of us who have not fallen. After all, my so-called father did make it a point to hunt down and kill all those who had fallen prey to it. I understand your struggle and fear.”

“I do NOT fear you!” He shouted, before muttering; “He told us, you were dead...” His eyes flicked between hers as though he couldn’t hold her gaze.

“Ashera did? He has known all along that I live-”

“Why should I believe you?” He cut her off, making her shake her head at him again.

The desperation in his voice and his mind was real, she felt everything as his thoughts rolled around, changing direction constantly. His confusion was something she could not rectify without trying to undo the damage that had been done to his mind. It had taken weeks to free Damon, but the fallen was different, something else was going on.

“Why would I have a reason to lie, am I not standing before you? Believe your eyes, not just my words.” She told him.

“No...no no no no.” He began to rock on the spot, clenching his hands over his ears. “It’s not true.” He lightly whimpered, scrunching his eyes shut.

“He’s fighting the control.” Erisena chimed in.

Aveyon reached for him again, but he pulled away. “NO! NO, don’t TOUCH me.”

She was beginning to grow frustrated with his antics. “Hold him still, please.”

The men snapped into action, pulling the Alarian’s arms behind his back and holding him firmly.

“You could have entered his mind without touching him.” Erisena raised a brow at her pupil.

“You are not wrong, but that action greatly harms the mind, I do not wish to cause any more damage. He may have fallen but he is still of my people.” Aveyon looked the man in the eyes as she spoke.

“We are forsaken, we crave blood and destruction. We turned our backs on the light, on the gods.” His act was compelling as he tried to look simplistic toward her words.

“We have all sinned, it does not mean that we cannot be redeemed, my soul is stained with death just as yours is.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes opened slightly larger as she found what she was looking for. “Release him when he starts to move.” She instructed the others.

She tilted her head to one side, gathering a small amount of essence before weaving it into a command. “Dig out the tainted shard that binds him to you.” She ordered; her voice alive with a magical hum.

Gerard winced as he began to struggle, eyes wide with fear. Vincent and Erosvent released him watching on with curious gazes.

“You... you will kill me.” He whispered as his hand disappeared under his rugged torn shirt.

She held his shoulder firm, using her abilities to block the pain as the sounds of tearing flesh had the group gasping and recoiling. She watched on as he dug his fingers deep into his own chest cavity. His body stiffened as his eyes pleaded with her, the wet sounds echoing more loudly as the room fell eerily silent. Only the sickening sounds of him digging and tearing at his flesh remained as they waited and watched with grim expressions.

His shirt soaked through with blood in mere seconds, until finally with a slight sucking sound, his bloodied hand returned from under his torn shirt. In his fingertips, he held a very different-looking shard to the ones she had encountered until now. Was this what had held such control over the fallen?

It was round and flattened into a circular shape. Was Ashera creating his own now? This was not a shard of her Aura. The moment it had been removed from the fallen his mind became his own again. Memories and thoughts filled the vast emptiness that was there before. Was this how he programmed the fallen?

Erisena moved forward to grab hold of the small object. It came alive as lashed out as a new host approach.

“DO NOT!” Aveyon hurriedly pushed her away.

She could see that the flat jewel had a bunch of tiny tentacles protruding out of it, simpler to the shards. They were wriggling about, wanting, waiting for another host. Once the lf had back up it returned to its original state as though it was once again a solid jewel. This was far more active than the ones they had encountered before. It appeared Ashera had updated his model, so to speak.

“He had created a parasite-like creature, it may only be a young one, but it is still dangerous.” Aveyon, while having been inside the fallen’s mind, she had seen what Ashera had been doing with them. “He has been cultivating these within the Alarian’s bodies. Trying to create something that resembles an aura.”

Gerard was now looking at her with shock on his face. “I... When Ashera removes the thing, the host dies.” He explained.

“The body would grow a custom to having this creature inside, much like an aura.” She added taking the weird gem-like creature from him.

Stepping away she held the small thing up to the light, studying it. “I merely told your mind that you wanted it removed, therefore it also believed it was being removed of its own will.” Looking back down at Gerard, she offered him her other hand, it was a gesture to help him up. “You will never be like you once were, I do not know if that will ever be possible. However, you are free of his control now, you can choose to live as you like.”

This was good news, she could free the fallen from Ashera’s control, however, the demons and dark elves were a tad trickier, as long as they were alive and not the risen dead, she had a chance to save them.

Gerard was breathing heavily as he looked up at her. “Me, free?” He laughed. “You can’t be serious! He’ll find me and KILL me! He may not be able to control me in this realm now, not like his demons, but he will find me.” He batted her hand away and sighed. “I cannot side with you, not until he is defeated or dead. I look out for me, and only me.”

“But you will help us?” She asked.

“Well... It’s your funeral I guess.” He shrugged. “And he wants you there.” He cringed. “He wants to devour you after using you as bait. I don’t know much else.” He frowned. “I couldn’t say that before...”

“Removing the... device also removed the conditioning he had placed on you, it was the anchor that bound him to you. You can speak freely now. Let us make haste for the outskirts of town and get this battle started.” She added.

“Don’t blame me if it goes pear-shaped.” The fallen commented, following her as she left the hut.

Vincent lightly jogged after Aveyon. “How did you know about that thing?” He asked referring to the gem-like object she still held.

“I have been probing his mind since I was standing outside. Once in contact with him, it was easy enough to get the information I required, it only took a moment. I merely had to find his memories of Ashera to learn what I needed to know. To see what had been done to him, and the others.” She answered, her tone slightly saddened by the thought of their suffering.

She had seen them being implanted with the jewels, their minds going crazy, killing and feeding off demons so they lost their souls. He had set the whole thing up, tricking some, forcing others. He then used the demons’ bodies to experiment and mobilize the dead, which at the time he hadn’t managed to do. She knew that had changed now.

Vincent’s eyes widened. “I knew that your abilities had grown, but that’s a little scary.” He paused. “Can you do that with anyone?” he asked slightly wide-eyed.

She let out a half laugh; she had also caught the sideways glance the fallen had given her. “Not entirely no... Let me show you.” She reached for his mind; she lingered on the outskirts catching his non-guarded thoughts. But the moment she tried to dig deeper she collided with a strong barrier. To prove her point she impacted the barrier hard enough for him to feel it, but not for her to break through.

He hissed, his hand shooting to his temple. “Holly! That’s some headache.”

“I could get through if I wanted to, but only with some effort. As you felt you have a strong resistance.” Looking to the fallen she continued. “He does not, though controlling someone from afar regardless of the strength of the mind, can cause damage. That is why I prefer to touch; it adds a direct connection in which I can protect the person from harm. Lest they might go insane otherwise.”

“Kind of a relief, I won’t lie.” Vincent nervously laughed.

“Is there something you do not wish me to know?” she teased.

He half panicked. “Nothing of the sort.”

The fallen rolled his eyes at the two. “You two are going to make me sick, can we get a move on?”

In a few minutes, they had made their way to the back entrance of the city. Here it was not as decorated as the front and led into the vast forest. It was the perfect location to begin their assault.

“Very well then, if you will please take us to Terramore.” The moment she spoke he snapped into action. He gripped Aveyon’s wrist and yanked her close, twisting her around, he pulled a knife from his back pocket and pressed it to her throat speaking directly to Vincent. “DON’T MOV-”

A large number of elves jumped down from the trees. He spun around in a panic as they formed a circle around the three, next the dwarfs came into view followed by some fae.

Ah, some did decide to join the fight after all. She casually went along with his antics. Everyone was prepared for war and ready to slay the fallen Alarian.

“She’s got this, no need to worry.” Vincent stood with his arms crossed over his chest, not worried in the slightest. His pride-filled smile filled her with confidence.

“You did not empty his pockets Erisena?” Aveyon queered calmly playing along.

The elf shrugged while Kirra, having appeared with the others, shook her head. “Wanted to see what he would do honestly, not often you get to experiment with a fallen.” Her teacher informed.

“Eri! Really!?” Kirra sighed. “And I thought I was bad.”

Gerard’s hand tightened around Aveyon’s wrist, which was now pinned to her back. His touch utterly repulsed her, but she didn’t freeze, she did not falter. However, she could clearly hear everything that was running through his mind. She had known he couldn’t be trusted the moment she touched him back in the hut. Not having a soul meant you had no morals, only feelings of greed, hatred, lust and a strong sense of survival. It was a rather sad existence really.

This is insane, she has a small army with her. I can’t fight them off, there’s too many. I can’t go back to Terramore either, I’ll end up being under his control again.

“Then just let us in and stay on Earth,” Aveyon spoke allowed.

He stiffened, eyeing her with surprise. She has his abilities, but why is she not controlling me? He released her, pushing her away from him out of fear. He must have realized it was stupid to take her hostage when she could just order him to release her. Fuck, I can’t let her touch me!

I don’t need to touch you. She responded directly to him, proving her point.

He cringed as a sharp pain exploded in his head as her voice echoed inside his mind. His hands flew to grasp his head, dropping the knife. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD.”

“Screaming will not help. Open the fissure.” She sighed. “I can force you if I must.”

“I can’t-” He began only to be cut off.

“I am not asking you to come with us, just open the way, you can stay behind. Head for the Sanctuary if you like.” she offered. Since he could do no harm inside its walls, it seemed like a fitting place to send him. But she caught the sideways glance that Erosvent gave her, knowing that Elaina was there, he didn’t like it.

“Normally a fissure will only allow one person through, and it’s a one-way trip.” He began to explain. “They are different from the ones that we used to travel between Alarious and Earth, they close on their own.”

“Since you seem to have forgotten, we have been there before. We are aware.” Aveyon was growing impatient.

“I can’t simply open another when the first closes like demons can.” He pleaded. “What do you think I am, made of magic? NO, I’m not! I don’t have that sort of power not without an aura!” He shook his head.

“I’m going to jam this...” She held up the newly obtained corrupt jewel. “Into the fissure and use ichor to keep it open... in theory.”

“What happens if it closes and we’re not all through yet?” a voice from the crowd asked.

Aveyon would know Sai’s voice anywhere, looking at the elf she smiled sadly. “We can only try to get in as many as we can before that happens.” She responded.

A few murmurs could be heard amongst the groups, but they soon died down and no one objected, they all knew it was the only way regardless.

“Since it will be linked to me and my blood, I will enter last, all others will go first.” She instructed before turning to glare at the fallen again.