Page 12 of Beyond the Darkness

A deep growl came from her left and Aerilyn pulled the blade from its spot, spinning toward the sound. She had grown too familiar with the sound as it filled her dreams after the first encounter with a hound. The beast wasn’t as large as the ones that had come after them during their journey, it was almost laughable. It stood about three feet tall on all fours, its back arched upwards and its head low to the ground like it was about to pounce. She stared into its glowing purple eyes and moved herself into her fighting stance. The hound took no time to run for her, charging for her legs with its jaws snapping. She swiftly spun away from its attack and swiped her dagger towards it. The blade connected with the flesh and tore into it. Blood began to pour from its thick skin and a horrific sound left the hound.

Aerilyn froze as the hound dropped to the ground in a fit of whimpers. Her hand was shaking as she watched its wide eyes look up at her. She didn’t understand what was happening before her. The beast curled into a small ball, submitting to her as it made sounds of pain. She was skeptical about how to react to him. She slowly knelt beside the beast, gripping her dagger tight. She reached a hand out towards it, her hand shaking. She wasn’t sure what made her do it. She ran her fingertips over the leathery skin on its side. The hound flinched, actually flinched. She let out a small gasp in surprise.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, slowly running her hand delicately over its side. The small hound seemed to lean into her touch, basking in the affection. She stared with wide eyes as the hound made no attempts to attack her. She wasn’t sure how to feel about what was happening. The way it reacted to her made her not want to kill it. She almost felt guilty for injuring it, even if it had come after her first. These were the creatures that killed her father. The creatures that had been the origin of so much death and pain. She didn’t want to feel bad for it, but part of her felt sympathy for the sad glowing eyes that watched her in pain.

The blow she had delivered didn’t seem to be fatal, not at first glance, but she realized the amount of blood that sprayed from the creature was surely enough to do more damage than she’d expected. “You came after me, I had to defend myself,” her voice was shaking as she continued to talk to the dying creature. It seemed to understand what she was saying as it moved its head, letting it fall into her lap. Her eyes widened at the action. The hound was finding comfort in her, even after she had stabbed it.

“What the hell are you doing?” The deep voice cut through her and the hound flinched as the king of Korth came into view. “It understands me. It isn’t hurting me,” she tried to explain, but she didn’t even have the words to understand it herself. Azazel’s eyes ran over her, studying the scene that was playing out before him. To anyone else, she knew it probably looked insane for her to be sitting next to the hound that way, but she could almost feel what the creature felt. “The vile creatures don’t know emotions nor do they understand the human language,” he shook his head, judgment written across his expression. “I didn’t think so either. This,” she motioned to the creature, “is making me question that statement though.” Azazel was quiet for a moment as he studied the creature taking in shallow breaths, only movingcloser to Aerilyn as it noticed the cold gaze coming from the king.

“You need to kill it before the guards arrive. Everyone else killed their hound and they’re back at the palace waiting. Get it over with so I can get you back to them,” he motioned to the creature and then his eyes flickered to her dagger. “Thank you for this by the way,” she nodded to the dagger but did not attempt to attack the hound. “It seemed like it was important to you. I didn’t want to take that away. I’m not always horrible. Plus, we made a deal. I must do what I can to help you,” he shrugged, playing it off as if it were nothing.

“Seriously, Aerilyn. Kill it. The guards will be here at any moment and if they see this they’re going to think you’re insane.”

“I don’t give a damn what they think!”

“They will talk. The entire kingdom will think you have some sort of connection to the vile beasts and I won’t be able to protect you if any of them come after you for that belief. Just stab the fucker and let's go,” his voice was low as he continued to scan their surroundings to ensure no one was listening. Aerilyn frowned as she met the eyes of the hound, reality slamming back down on her. “I can’t do it, Azazel,” she whispered, not looking up at him. “You have to, it’s not an option here,” he sighed, coming towards her. As he knelt beside her, the hound’s entire body jerked as if to get away from him.

“Kill it. Now,” he wrapped his hand around hers, forcing the dagger into her grip. She shoved into him with her free hand, watching as he didn’t move one bit. She pulled her wrist from his grasp and swallowed hard before she looked back down at the creature. “I’m sorry, I’m going to end your suffering. Please forgive me,” she ran her hand over its head before she slit its throat and let the hound go limp in her lap.

“Are you happy asshole?” She snapped.

“Very. You’re such a good girl. I like it when you listen,” he smirked before he lifted the corpse off of her lap and attempted to help her to her feet. She ignored his outstretched hand and stood up on her own, brushing the dirt off of herself. “I ended its suffering, I wasn’t listening to you,” she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “Whatever you say, doll,” he shrugged before he grabbed onto her arm. She glared at him, trying to yank herself from his grip. “You completed your first trial, now let's get you back to the palace so we can get you cleaned up. You smell horrid,” he sighed as he began to half drag her through the forest.

Aerilyn stumbled to keep up with him as his long strides moved them swiftly through the forest. His grip was tight on her, never once loosening throughout the walk. She only glanced back at the dead hound once. She didn’t know why the creature had trusted her, but she knew that it was something that she couldn’t forget. It didn’t make sense, but the hound understood what she was saying. She reminded herself to return to the entire situation later when she was alone. The hound was trying to show her vulnerability and it made her question everything.

Chapter Twenty

Aerilyn

After seeing that her companions had survived the first game with minimal injuries, Aerilyn had allowed herself to be led away from the others by a small girl dressed in a maid uniform. She had reddish blonde hair that was forced into a tight bun at the base of her neck and skin that was covered with freckles. She couldn’t have been older than fourteen. Her innocence was written across her young features. It seemed like she hadn’t been exposed to the horrors of the world yet. Aerilyn was almost envious of that. She could only wish to return to the time when her life wasn’t corrupted by fear and death.

The girl led her down the turning corridors of the palace without a word. Aerilyn stayed several paces behind her, hugging her arms around her torso. The exhaustion was overwhelming, making her muscles strain during their walk. She saw the others being led away by servants, leading her toassume they were being taken to their quarters that the king had mentioned. After the first test, he stated that they would receive a bit more hospitality than the dungeons. She didn’t know what exactly that would entail.

“Here we are,” the small girl gave her a little smile before pushing the door open. The room beyond was larger and more beautiful than she could’ve expected. A large bed with four posts sat towering over them with silk sheets that begged for her to curl up in. The walls were painted with intricate art that could only be described as magnificent. Several windows let in the light beyond and gave her a view of the city of Korth. A set of double doors that led to a balcony had been opened to let in more fresh air. She had assumed the living quarters would have consisted of the necessities, not anything as extravagant as the room she now stood within. It made her want to question what the king’s intentions truly were.

“I hope the room is to your liking miss,” she was practically bouncing on her toes in an emotion that Aerilyn couldn’t determine. “It’s perfect, thank you,” she gave the girl a smile which led her to beam in excitement. “The king is hosting a large dinner in your honor. All of you survived the first test and you’re one step closer to becoming a true citizen here. I’m Marianna, I’m assigned to help you with anything you may need during your stay at the palace through the trials. You can ask me as many questions as you’d like, but we need to get you ready for the dinner,” she took Aerilyn’s hand and led her to the door that sat in the corner of the room. It branched off into an overly large bathing chamber. Aerilyn gasped, her mouth opened in surprise at the thought of actually being able to clean her body. She’d spent years washing herself off in a pond, unable to ever truly clean her dirty skin.

Marianna rushed ahead of her, turning a handle that made water flow into the tub. She hadn’t ever experienced warmrunning water before. She had heard about the royals having the luxury in Orissia, but she’d never been lucky. Aerilyn began to undress, desperate to clean the grime from her skin. The moment the tub was filled halfway with water, she crawled in. An audible groan escaped her as she settled into the warm water. The water around her quickly became dirty, rinsing the rot of the hounds from her skin. She was so deeply lost in the relaxation that she hadn’t noticed Marianna gathering soaps beside the tub, kneeling on the edge beside her. The girl began to lather her hands up before soothingly scrubbing at her scalp. The scent of sweet vanilla reached her, filling up her senses in delight. She hadn’t experienced the luxury of soap since she was just a child. It had been hard to come by and became too expensive for her to afford after her parents were gone.

She stayed silent as Marianna cleaned her skin, scrubbing at any dirt or blood left on her. She had been close to falling asleep when the maid had finished cleaning her off and began to drain the water from the tub. Aerilyn hadn’t realized how badly her body needed true rest until that very moment. The maid helped her out of the bathing chambers, wrapping a fluffy white fabric around her body to soak up the water. She led her back into the bedroom and sat her down before a mirror. Marianna didn’t waste any time, beginning to comb through her messy white waves. She’d never seen the color so vibrant, rid of any dirt that had previously caked it.

“Have you always lived in Korth?” She questioned, surprising the young girl. “Yes. My parents work here in the palace with me. This place is all I’ve ever known and I’m fortunate for that. The king may seem like the villain, but he’s good to his people. You’ll see one day,” she beamed as she began to pull Aerilyn’s hair back into a tight braid. The girl’s words caught her off guard. She could tell the king cared for his people, but that didn’t make him a good person. Every time she thoughtof the man, she felt her throat closing up as it had when he’d poisoned her meal.

“I’m not sure I could ever view the king as anything besides the villain here,” she admitted honestly, watching Marianna’s expression change in the mirror. “That is your choice, miss. I believe your opinion of him will change one day,” the girl spoke with confidence that Aerilyn didn’t want to shut down. Instead, she went silent and let Marianna work on her appearance. She dusted her eyelids with a black coal and coated her lips in a pink powder. The colors on her face brought out her features and made her feel more beautiful than she’d ever felt. When the maid was done, she rushed to a large wardrobe to find something for her to wear. She returned with a deep red gown that sparkled in the light. Aerilyn had never seen anything like it. She had never worn something so breathtaking.

“Do you dislike it?” Marianna questioned with a small frown.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered before allowing the girl to pull the dress over her head. It fit perfectly as if it had been made for her. She felt as if she were being dressed like a trophy to show off, but she attempted to push away any of the negative thoughts.

“You look like a princess. I’ve never seen anyone look so stunning in a gown,” Marianna giggled, clapping her hands in delight. The excitement the young girl provided was enough to make Aerilyn smile. She promised herself at that moment that she would do anything she could to keep the girl’s innocence.

“I almost forgot! The king had this made for you,” Marianna grabbed something from the wardrobe behind her. Aerilyn examined the object, her eyes widening in realization. The set of twin holsters before her were coated in gems that caught the light that remained in the room. They were shaped perfectly to her daggers that had been discarded with therest of her clothing. The girl ran to retrieve them as Aerilyn secured the holsters around each of her thighs. The dress had enough volume to it to completely conceal anything beneath it. Marianna handed her the daggers which she proceeded to tuck into each of her thighs. She dropped the gown to hide the weapons beneath the fabric, her mind whirling with questions. Why in the hell would the king make these for her? She promised herself to question him later, appreciating his kindness just slightly. She gazed at herself in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman before her. She looked almost too beautiful. She couldn’t help but note that even the most beautiful things were dangerous as she followed Marianna to the dining room with her daggers pressed to her thighs.

The dining hall was much like the one she had met Azazel in the previous day but on a much larger scale. The room was large with a table that stretched the length of it. There were many foreign faces, all turning to face her as she entered. She scanned the crowd sitting at the table, trying to find her companions. Trying to find Everett. Her eyes finally locked with his, watching as his expression changed. His wide eyes seemed to sparkle in the candlelight.

“Enjoy your dinner, miss,” she heard Marianna’s small force before the girl released her arm and left her to stand alone before the strangers. The conversations had gone quiet and many sets of eyes were glued to her. She noticed Blaise, Bastian, and Brinley all sat close to Everett. One seat was left for her near them. The one seat sat to the right of the head of the table. Next to Azazel. Her palms felt slick with anxiety as her eyes lockedwith the king’s. He had a devious smirk plastered on his pale face, slowly standing.

“Aerilyn, it’s so wonderful you finally joined us,” he clasped his hands together before motioning to the open seat beside him. She forced her feet to move across the room and slide into the seat at the king’s side. All the eyes continued to follow her and she couldn’t understand why until she sat and took note of everyone’s black and white attire. She was the only one in the room that wore color. She looked like a droplet of blood staining a perfectly white shirt.

---