Sylfic

by Kenna Bardot

  Lysandra grabbed both her hands and squeezed them. "It's okay to still be your past self, Aes. See that part of you still inside but also grow and learn from it. Be better because of it, not despite it. Was it a helpful exercise?"

  "It was no exercise," I mumbled, mostly to myself, however, both of them turned to look at me worriedly. I shook myself to shake off the feeling. "Don't mind me. My experience was just as painful.”

  "Caprice." Lysandra sighed it out, but there was a resignation to it, knowledge. It was as though she had been in the same situation before.

  "Lysandra? Are you alright? You seem shaken," Astraea moved from my hold and instead wrapped her arm around our other friend. The comforter, that was her.

  "Here I am making you worried when we should worry about you. Did you succeed in Caprice's trial?" Lysandra patted the back of Astraea's hand even as she stepped out of her hold slowly.

  "Yes, I did. Oryn will fight for the honor of Siring me in due time," she said, as she expelled a sharp blow of breath.

  "And are you okay with that?" I asked carefully, knowing she was probably not as enthusiastic as I was about Siring. And given that I was more so-so about it, even given the fact that my Five had just won the last Challenge, I could imagine just how difficult it could be for her.

  "There was a moment I'd thought I'd been about to fail. That look in her eyes as Mother Caprice regarded me after I was trying to get my breath back after." She laughed. "That was when I realized that I really really want to become a God. And only because I'd have Oryn with me and I would do so on my own terms. You know?"

  Lysandra wrapped her arms around Astraea's neck. "Oryn is lucky to have you, and I am very proud of you. Colm must be turning cartwheels now."

  “Why?” I asked, bewildered.

  “Well, in all my years in Sylfeshire, having two Sylfes in their Sire trials at the same time never ever happened. Now there’s the two of you, so he must be super thrilled. I feel so special, really, being friends with both of you.”

  "Will you be okay, Lys?" I asked worriedly, fingered the soft sheer fabric of her blouse.

  She turned her head towards me and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"

  "Well, the two of us will leave Sylfeshire and become Gods but you will still be here. There's a high chance you’ll become Unwanted." I picked over my words carefully.

  She moved away from Astraea’s. "Then that will be my journey. Don't you two worry about me. I've taken care of myself before, and I will continue to do so even when my time as a Sylfe expires. Now can we just celebrate? I'd hate to bask in negativity."

  ***

  I'd tried very hard to keep positive as the time drew nearer for another Trial. However, the simple fact was that Lysandra had been right. Basking in uncertainty and negativity was the opposite of smart.

  But I remembered just how close my five had come to losing. And while they'd been at an extreme disadvantage, it had been obvious just how lucky they were. Because there had been five of them fighting against two. I knew that on just a simple one-on-one, Lathyn could have easily taken all of them.

  And losing only made him more determined to win.

  "Are you worried about something then, Mireyah?" Colm asked me as he escorted me down the path and beyond the public pools. That day, they’d given me a muted green gown to wear with a deep back. As the sun shone straight down towards me, I knew I wasn’t looking forward to the experience that would have me seeing them suffering in my name.

  "Lord Anselm was right the last time, Mireyah. They fight because you earned the right to be a Sylfe yourself. But, also, because they prove it to themselves, their houses and their regions that they have the skill to claim you as theirs. There is nothing more important for a God,” Colm tried to soothe me but only failed.

  I shook my head as we fast approached the exit. "I understand. It doesn’t mean that I enjoy seeing it. I was never one for brutality, albeit growing up in the brutal North, I lived with it too much to want to see it done deliberately. But I know I have no choice, so I'd rather not talk about it."

  Colm nodded. "Good. Because we're here. Mother Caprice."

  Caprice bowed as we rounded the corner and went away from the pools. A huge arena appeared surrounded by bleachers. As with the first Trial, there were six chairs on a raised dais. The arena itself was closed off in a clear thick glass that I could only see because it gleamed in the harsh light of the sun.

  Colm bowed as we reached the dais. Anselm, Zeevar and Rhiannon were already there, and I wondered if Mother Rhiannon and Zeevar would speak today given that they hadn’t spoken during the latest Trial.

  And that was when Mother Rhiannon stood. "Colm," she spoke with a soft voice as she caressed the side of his face in a motherly fashion. "I tell you this every single time but this place is your greatest achievement. I wish you didn't quite make it your entire life."

  "Mother Rhiannon." Colm laughed as he shook his head, pulling me forward to present me. "Mireyah, our lovely Sylfe. The one they fight for today."

  "Good day, Mother Rhiannon," I greeted politely. If there was any God I could not disrespect, it was her, the mother of all life.

  She nodded. "Yes, of course. You were one of the easiest decisions I had to make to win the Challenge in Godsvail. Your life and verve was something to behold. I saw how you reacted in the last challenge, and I’m glad that Sylfeshire did not beat the life out of you."

  "Of course not, Mother Rhiannon. Mireyah is and probably always will be an ornery creature." Colm shot me a sidelong look, as though daring me to argue. I just shot him a smile that had Caprice and Rhiannon returning it.

  "Come, let's begin," Caprice declared, leading the way towards a set of four chairs that sat just outside the clear dome. "To our challengers, enter."

  A door swished open to the side of the arena, and they walked in, led by Ashric Tovenaar, followed by Lathyn Majele until, finally, my men came into view. Unlike the last time, they weren't as tense. Weren't as angry. I knew better, though. While I could not find it in my heart to disrespect her, I knew for a fact that Mother Rhiannon had the capability of creating extreme difficulties.

  Caprice walked forward, holding a hand out to the dome and appearing on the other side. She faced us and bowed before turning around to the other seven Gods inside the dome. Even inside, I could hear her as though she was right next to me, "Gentlemen, today you will not be limited from using your powers. You are tasked with defeating several monsters that we will release into this arena. We will watch you, and we will judge." She turned around and walked back to us, then stopped, as though remembering something. "Oh, yes, Mother Rhiannon has...blessed these creatures. So do not let your assumptions of them remain. I am most certain they will surprise you."

  Mother Rhiannon stood and bowed, giving them a smile. “Good luck, my children.”

  The seven males nodded at her, and she resumed moving towards us, holding a hand against the clear dome and appearing in the seat that was lined with mine. She nodded to the Leven God who stood off to the side. "We begin with the first."

  The Leven raised his hand, pulling down a lever and waving a hand towards the great passageway that opened at the side. Without warning, vines and trees sprang from the ground. Great boulders appeared here and there, and the level ground shifted and moved.

  The guys inside the dome ran to avoid the movement and growth happening all around them. Ryle pushed at a big boulder that threatened to crush the five of them. It disintegrated into dust in his hands. Ashric just created death where life touched him - vines withered and died and tree trunks fell, rotted and dead.

  The growth and movement stopped and a terrible silence flooded the room only to be broken by Mother Rhiannon's clapping. "Beautiful, my darling Leven. I am very well pleased."

  Before the God could reply, a great noise flooded the arena, but not from the open passageway. However, I knew that it had to have come from there - the baying of a large pack of wolves. Vepdine
wolves.

  They ran into the arena and surrounded the males. Ashric held up a hand where a blackness speared from and towards the ground, taking the dead vines and wrapping around one of the wolves. One of its pack mates ran towards it and with a snap from its strong jaws and long teeth, broke the vines with a simple pull like it was nothing. They were bigger than normal, fangs huge and dripping as they growled at the men.

  Charolais held his hand out even as Shephard had a whirling tornado trapping the wolf he directed his energy at. From the whimpering that emanated from the creature, I could only imagine the torture that it was going through.

  One of the wolves broke off, and I noted that its fur was darker and with a more pronounced sort of mane. If I had to guess, I would say that he was the alpha of the group. He howled, and the ears of all the wolves in the arena pricked to attention. Then, as one, they disappeared. I heard them howl, but as they always came from the North, it was hard to see just where they were.

  "Yes, there you go. I thought they'd forgotten about the gifts I'd given them." Rhiannon nodded as the wolves winked back in. One of them snapped its jaw shut around Tate's ankle. As he'd been too busy trying to distract one of the wolves from taking on Hollis, he hadn't noticed it. He yelped and fell, and it was not a moment later that Ryle roared, louder and angrier than even the wolves sounded.

  He picked up the wolf that attacked him and gripped it around the neck before slamming it down onto the ground. The sound of bone crushing echoed through the space. Without a second glance at the creature he felled, he rushed over to his brother. "You good?"

  Tate winced but waved him off. "I'm fine. It'll be okay." Ryle nodded and launched himself wordlessly at the wolf that attacked his twin. He snapped its neck with a great roar and a slightly manic twinkle in his eyes.

  Lathyn had taken the vines, turning green into blue with a wave of his hand. They wrapped around several wolves and as they winked out they took the blue vines with them. When they winked back in, they collapsed to the ground, dead.

  Ashric walked over to where Ryle had slammed the wolf down and shouted, "Hey Karfi. Thanks." Black shot out of his hands and the two dead wolves stood back up. The one who'd had his neck snapped by Ryle, snapped its jaws at his pack, head twisted at a different angle.

  The alpha eyed the two risen wolves even as they sprang on the only other wolf that remained alive. The alpha winked off and appeared next to the poisoned wolves. He stood on top of them and winked again to the sound of angry howling.

  Rhiannon stood and clapped. "Well done, well done! That was brilliant. Next please, next." The Leven raised an arm and the vines and trees disappeared to be replaced by more rocks and a great deal more sand.

  Another passageway opened, and a loud screeching sound pierced the air. A Roc flew into the arena.

  "Oh, for fuck's sake," Hollis growled even as he tripped on a rock and fell to his face, scratching his cheek. I winced as his worst fear came to fruition. Shephard held out his hands, creating a storm of angry, swirling sand to fly up to the Roc. It made a horrendous sound before a crackle of lightning sprang from its long, sharp talons.

  It hit Shep square in the chest, and he fell over, clutching at it with a wince. I watched as he struggled to get his breath back. Charolais stepped forward. "Shep, you okay?"

  "I've been better, Charolais," Shep said with a grimace as he tried to stand back up on wobbly legs.

  Charolais tried to get the creature with pain, but it swooped and flew over their heads in such an unpredictable pattern, I could just imagine that it was hard to pin down. Ryle hefted one of the large boulders and threw it towards the Roc. It struck the large mass with electricity, causing it to explode and shower the guys below with sharp falling rocks and the bird with sharp sand that must have gotten into its eyes.

  It screeched in pain, slowing its flight, which gave Charolais the opportunity to shoot it with pain. It spread its wings further and made a horrific sound before swooping down and snapping its talons towards Char, who broke his attention and jumped out of the way.

  Lathyn shouted, "Watch out." He swung his arms and several smaller rocks launched out of them, all of them different shades of blue. One of them hit the Roc squarely between his wings, a blue spreading over its plumage, causing it to fly lower and slower.

  Without warning, one of Ashric's wolves ran up and jumped on the Roc's back, snapping at its neck. The Roc flew higher and crackled with electricity, frying the wolf until it turned to dust. But as it swooped down towards the other two wolves, I saw from my vantage point, Ashric smiled. Smiled like it had been what he'd been planning.

  The wolves jumped up and snapped at the wings of the Roc in unison and the bird let out a surprised shriek before crashing to the ground, dead. A moment later, it rose again, but given how much darker it looked, it was under Ashric's control.

  This time, it was Caprice who stood with a nod. "Very well. The last one, please."

  It looked like the sand melted in front of our very eyes into murky waters. Thicker vines and drooping branches grew over the arena as another passageway opened. This time, though, there was no sound. In fact, there was barely a movement. But the air grew thicker with tension even as I watched Lathyn climb up a tree and train his eyes on the rippling water of the swamp.

  Hollis followed suit and climbed up a tall tree right beside him, hiding behind some thicker vines wrapped around it. Suddenly the ripple grew stronger and Ryle whispered, "There's something in the water."

  Tate had his face trained towards the water and lifted a finger to his lips. "Shh. There is definitely something there, and it is evil. And it has a purpose. Let's move back." He motioned and everyone followed.

  Ashric had one of the wolves walk towards the edge of the water. "This is getting boring," he announced and with a snap of his wrist, it jumped headfirst into the water. The head snapped up before the tail end of the creature reached up to wrap around the wolf.

  "There you are." Ashric smiled and pointed at the Roc who released a bolt of electricity from the tips of its talons. The electricity wasn't as strong as it had been as when it had been alive, but it was still there.

  The Racceon viper, eyes clouded over in its normal fashion, raised its head as a forked tongue slithered out to smell air. It was better than seeing. Its tail raised again, and I could see the spikes this time on it where black dust had formed from the wolf it crumbled into dust. He whipped his tail towards Ryle, who held out a hand to stop its forward motion. I saw the muscles bunch under his shirt as he struggled against it.

  The snake opened its jaw wide and let go, allowing his tail to whip back towards the trees. Lathyn quickly reacted and grabbed at a vine before swinging off. Even with how fast he had moved, the momentum from the whipping tail had him falling forward and splashing headfirst into the dank water. Hollis, however, was not as lucky. Then Lathyn had his hands in the water, and I could see the blue of the water flow quickly towards the snake. It writhed in pain and Charolais jumped forward and had it writhing even more.

  The Roc plunged downward, talons out, and ripped the heart out of the snake in one fell swoop. The huge creature crumbled to the swampy water, splashing all the men inside. There was a moment before the clapping started.

  This time, it was Colm who clapped and nodded to the Leven. He bowed even as Colm thanked him. "Mothers Caprice and Rhiannon. May I ask if you have decided on the winner of this battle?" Colm stood even as the glass dome winked out, and I smelled the musty swamp that the arena still formed.

  Caprice threw a look at Rhiannon, who held her gaze for a long moment. Anselm and Zeevar also stared at them. The silence wrapped around me, causing a bead of sweat to roll down my back. I had a sense of foreboding, and I braced myself for whatever decision they would eventually arrive at.

  "Yes, Colm, we have decided. Caprice, if you may? It is yours." Rhiannon bowed to Caprice and stepped back, giving the tinier Goddess the floor.

  She walked forward with a nod towards me b
efore facing the guys. "You all did well. Charolais Vide, Ryle Karfi and Shephard Tempestas, you all did exemplary work, however, as you fought as a team, two members of your team were injured, one severely, during the trial. Because of this, you are last."

  "No," I said in a low whisper when reality sunk in. It meant I could no longer see them until my next victory time ended, and then not even for long enough. My eyes met Charolais’, a hard glint in them before he gave me a curt nod and turned his attention back to Caprice.

  "Now, Lathyn and Ashric. You both did very well. However, for this challenge, Ashric took the life and gifts that Mother Rhiannon gave, took it and made it into his own. Used them to his advantage. For that, she is impressed. And for that, this challenge is yours." Caprice nodded at Ashric, who pumped his fist into the air in victory. The risen Roc screeched in a sound that I could only call victory before a wave of Ashric's hand had it crumbling into black dust.

  Ashric turned towards me and smiled. "I can't wait for our time together, Mireyah. It will be the highlight of my life."

  And even knowing I controlled the situation in some way, with his words, a part of me died.

  Chapter 22

  Mireyah

  A few days later, I was severely tempted to stab myself in the foot.

  Maybe it would prevent me from having to go to my time with Ashric, which was a sufficient sacrifice. Especially given the dress they'd laid out for me to wear that day.

  Kill me.

  Just fucking kill me.

  Whoever chose my clothes had a sick, twisted sense of humor. The fabric of the dress was as sheer as ever, in a deep ebony and more fitted than most of the Sylfe gowns tended to be. With a deep plunging neckline and two slits up the legs, the only part of me it covered entirely was the arms.

  The black made the pink of my hair and paleness of my skin seem jarring, as if it was just too much color compared to the void of color that the dress presented. I sat out by the fountains, waiting until he arrived, and my torment started. I hoped Colm would be successful in persuading him not to leave the property with me and not to make a thing of my refusal.