Mona's Promise & A Commander's Oath...
She stands on the wooden stage as the freezing cold air stings her pretty pale skin...
The clear blue skies and the shining hot sun bring a subtle sense of life in her beating heart...
The frigid wind blows her shoulder length and messy black hair behind her in the open expanse of Their village...
And those eyes match her voice as she screams out with CONVICTION!
"MY NAME IS MONA CELESTIA! AND I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY!"
Aerin and Cyrus watch from the sideline as Mona address the entire village of Lycans with a shocking amount of confidence and faith in her words; it's enough that Cyrus' serious expression flickers with amazement. Frostbite ever faithfully sticks by his Master's side as the brothers stay silent like the rest of the Lycans. They're all watching the Female Human walking across the proverbial guillotine with such pride and power in her words; She's intimidating...
"I KNOW THAT I KILLED KRAVEN: a member of your Inner Circle and one of the greatest heroes of your dying species! I KNOW!" Mona screams as loud as she can; her voice echoes throughout the open expanse of wilderness surrounding them. Very few Lycans noticed the vague waver in Mona's voice when she admits her crimes against them; However, They still noticed it...
"BUT KNOW THAT I AM WILLING TO EXCHANGE MY LIFE FOR HIS IN SERVICE TO SAVING YOU FROM THE REAL THREATS! THEM!" Mona simultaneously offers her life and alludes to the Vampires that ambushed them that tragic night; it's a night They'll never forget. Aerin and Cyrus exchange quick glances with each other; they're having a mental Q&A.
Cyrus with a brow flick wonders if Mona is being sincere or is simply an amazing actor and liar?
Aerin gives a brief shoulder shrug as if saying he doesn't know, but quickly corrects himself with a pause motion of his hand and then a head nod; He thinks Mona's telling the truth.
They pause as Mona keeps going...
"All of my life, my goal was to find out what my destiny is and if I'll ever leave a lasting impression on this beautiful world when I die..." Mona starts pacing across the stage, standing tall as she walks with her posture strong and confident, but her head held lower, and her eye contact broken; she's lamenting. And her words hurt to hear as much as to say...
"I felt gifted but useless at the same time; why was I given things that I didn't deserve when others could've used my powers better than I ever could?" Mona's voice creaks as if she's relieving bad memories in her head; memories she doesn't want to think about at the moment. So, with a shake of her head and a blink of assurance, Mona keeps going and faces the crowd again: head on this time.
"Then, I realized that FATE is nothing but a concept defining what's called good and bad luck! And Destiny is something that we are born to write for ourselves!" Mona's eyes gleam with something that this time more than just a few Lycans notice: it's a discharge of energy that reminds Them of Him. Aerin and Cyrus are the most shocked out of Them all: Aerin's filled with awe while Cyrus is filled with confusion. Yet they both have the same question in their minds...
How can a Female have His Ambition?
Adam the Savior...
Mona's words keep them from answering that as her next words stun Them all...
And Aerin's eyes flash with energy...
"Nobody but me decides what LEGACY I LEAVE ON THIS WORLD!"
"SO, I CHOOSE TO OFFER MYSELF AS HUMANITY'S DESCENDANT TO THE LYCANS IN EXCHANGE FOR TAKING ONE OF YOURS!"
"IF YOU WISH TO KILL ME, THOUGH!" Mona's voice quiets as she suddenly spins around and looks at their King with a calm expression that Aerin can't read, but Cyrus can; it's a mental challenge of Aerin's promise. But what promise is she referring to when she says...
"As Humanity's Descendent, I should be allowed to die in a one-on-one match with your King, shouldn't I?"
Mona's once unreadable expression slips into a sly, almost flirty smile that matches a tone that sounds like she's almost daring Aerin's reaction. The silver-haired Lycan flashes a look of intense realization that quickly corrects into a glare; Aerin finally makes sense of Mona's cheeriness earlier and what she meant when she said she had a plan. Yet, something still confuses him...
What does dying by His hands have to do with saving the Lycans?
Aerin's eyes very vaguely widen with fear as he looks into Mona's, now sensing Her influence...
Fenrir and Garmr snarl from the depths of the brothers' souls, and Skoll's Vessel viciously barks; Frostbite wants to kill Mona!
SHE'S EVE THE TRAITOR!!!
"Mainly because He's the only one strong enough to put me down if I have another episode again. Yeah?" She snaps her fingers, and a bursting flash of Eve's Karmic Energy BURNS the air in a way that it looks like Mona just scarred reality. It's a power that triggers all out fear from the Lesser Lycans as the men, women, and children, who all were still more than nightmarish opponents against typical Humans even when outnumbered, nearly tremble at the sight of that Accursed Fire. But, again, for the two special brothers housing the Twin Beasts, their fearful reactions were different...
Aerin remembers how Aleria burned the air when she summoned that Black-Flamed Scythe to fight, and how she nearly killed him. Yet, for some reason, compared to Her, Mona's power feels far more dangerous; It's like comparing a messy copy or imitation to the original thing. What is going on!?
Meanwhile, Cyrus stares at Mona's bold show of strength as a direct threat display and steps in with a snarl to his words; his instincts taking control.
"My little brother is not the strongest Lycan in the village, unfortunately..." Cyrus interjects loudly and proudly as he steps forward with a confident swagger that's as threatening as the apathetic look in his steel grey eyes; He's calling Mona's bluff like the Apex Predator He is. The noticeably taller Cyrus steps up until he's dangerously close to invading Mona's personal space with his hands in his pockets and a relaxed posture even as Eve's Karmic Fire burns the Human's hands. Mona, much to everyone's surprise, keeps her calm as she gazes back at the threatening Lycan that nearly killed her last time; she's fearless when she speaks. And, she even speaks with a flair of sass; an insane taunt...
"Yes, He is, Garmr..." Mona dismisses, and her words strike silence from everyone. Cyrus is stunned for less than a few seconds, though, but his expression now seethes with irritation. Mona is provoking death. The Human turns her attention on Aerin again, as if Cyrus doesn't exist anymore; Aerin still doesn't understand what her plan is!? How is challenging both of Them in front of all of the Lycans a smart idea!?
Mona's eyes meet Aerin's as the former says...
"FATE might've blessed your older brother with greater physical strength and might, but it's granted you something far greater in exchange. And it's why you're the King of the Lycans and not your older and stronger brother..." Mona's words again stun everyone around, her strong and confident tone instilling a sense of sincerity in every word; she's being genuine when she asks Aerin in a tone reminiscent of the one she had before...
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"You know what that is, don't you, King?" Mona asks, and Aerin remembers...
Mona's facial expression suddenly asks if Aerin remembers what He promised Her?
Aerin responds with a subtle realization of shock; he's finally realizing what's going on...
SHE'S INSANE!
Cyrus might be too...
"You trespass in our territory..." Cyrus says in a low, yet loud tone and starts slowly pacing around Mona like an agitated Wolf; His words match a snarling glare. "You stalk our tracks from the shadows like some hungry beast waiting to make a kill..." as Cyrus lists Mona's offenses, his dominant left hand lashes out with the same intensity as his increasingly angry tone. "You then finally find us and not only nearly kill us all in a single night like THEY tried to after betraying the trust of the ONE that saved you from the Vampires, but now threaten to kill us anyway despite the mercy of our KING and KRAVEN being the sole reasons you're even BREATHING RIGHT NOW!?" Cyrus is so pissed off at this point that he's unknowingly triggering a transformation without realizing it; he needs to calm down.
What big bad Wolf backs down from a threat, though?
Garmr's HATRED goes beyond his Kin...
"If you want to prove you've got enough power to kill us as easily as you say, then you'll fight me first and then my little brother if you win," Cyrus challenges while staring Mona dead in her eyes with the coldest and perhaps most frighteningly savage glare Mona's ever seen in her life; It's like the one Aerin gave her before, but much more malicious...
It's a look of the purest and most primal form of hatred she can imagine. It's such a terrifyingly intense threat of war that Mona will never know what keeps her from breaking her act and cowering for her life. Maybe it's the rush of adrenaline she gets in the face of danger, maybe it's the thrill of challenging FATE for good fortune, perhaps it's stupidity, or something else entirely. All Mona knows, is that she's keeping true to her declaration of saving the Lycans. But what happens next is going to decide if she's acting out her suicide...
"Sure, but I get to pick when and where we fight!" Mona says and catches everyone off guard when she clasps her hands together and draws back like she's wielding a bow. Those Karmic Flames burning around her hands twist and spiral into a condensed Flaming Arrow large enough that its dancing flames nearly overtake Mona's resistant form; she's immune to her own magic!?
Aerin wonders what those enchanted tattoos appearing on Mona's body meant?
HE CAN'T THINK ABOUT THAT NOW!!!
"EVERYONE GET BACK!" Cyrus YELLS as the rest of the Lycans get back. Most of them listen, mainly the Lycans with Beast Forms too weak, frail, or young to be much of a challenge in direct combat with someone with Biblical Powers. The few dozen or so Lycans with forms strong enough or evolved enough to put up a more serious fight transformed instead, a small troop of terrifying Beasts awaiting Cyrus' order to join in the fight. Cyrus rips his jacket off with his bare hands and tosses it aside, a thick aura of energy swelling in his body; he's about to transform. Aerin realizes he needs to do something, but what can he do!? He opens his mouth and immediately tries to deescalate the situation.
"MONA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Aerin yells at the woman with the fiercest look of utter confusion and irritation in his eyes. Mona briefly flicks her gaze toward him, that look in them something that perplexes Aerin until her following words give him a big hint. It's a hint only he understands.
"I'm seeing if you're a shitty King or not, Aerin," Mona says in a direct, no-nonsense tone while keeping her eyes locked on Cyrus who's looking for the moment Mona let's her guard down so he can kill her; if she so much as blinks too slow, she's dead. Mona, thankfully doesn't need to look away from Cyrus to get the hint across. She keeps that Burning Arrow locked on Cyrus. She gives an ultimatum that nearly takes all of her breath to say; it's a mouthful that makes her internally scoff.
It's like she's about to monologue. Ew.
"A King doesn't make promises that he can't keep and doesn't make promises that harm those he's meant to protect. The way I see it and considering that I've managed to injure you, kill another one of you, take out a Vampire, and get your stronger brother in range of a lethal attack that I'm pretty sure he knows he can't take head on without probably dying, you've got a perfect opportunity to use your true strength to resolve this," Mona tenses her strength on her Flaming Arrow and it brightens with more energy. It's so overcharged that she's condensing it into a small and thin stream of light; Did Mona just evolve her magic?
"I doubt I'll win this fight if I'm being honest, at least if I account for fighting you afterward in all scenarios..." Mona hints again, and Cyrus spits at the ground while keeping his eyes on her. As he's circling her, she's rotating with him. "But I like to think that I'm a lucky girl and thus, I'm willing to roll the proverbial dice and bet my life that I'll take your brother down with me. I write my own Destiny, remember? What about you?" she questions the Lycan seconds before Cyrus finally snaps and rushes Mona so fast that Aerin's the only one that sees it coming, but he's the second to know what's coming. As Cyrus attacks, Mona's fingers twitch, dispersing her Karmic Fire Arrow and those Enchanted Tattoos covering her body like dancing flames. Her life is in Aerin's hands, and he's got less than two seconds to do something before Cyrus tears her apart.
"STOP! CYRUS!" Aerin screams on reflex and reaches out for them with an Order.
Every Lycan feels His voice. They obey Fenrir's Chosen.
But Cyrus only obeys for a brief moment...
Garmr's Rage feeds on Cyrus' pride...
They will not be stopped by a weak Lycan's words...
"STAY OUT OF THIS, AERIN!" Cyrus BARKS back at his little brother as he glares at him. However, the stare Cyrus gives Aerin is instantly different from the murderous one he gave Mona. The man's tone is also softer, but still stings like the biting cold of the Boreal Forest surrounding them. "You might be the King and Fenrir's Chosen, but I promised our Mother that I'd do what's best for you even if you never understand why. So, I'm killing this Human. If you want to stop me, then you better be ready to beat my face into the ground because I'm going to go after her until I'm dead or unconscious," he makes sure that Aerin understands his stance on the matter and that there's no room for negotiation. "What's it going to be, Aerin? The Human or us, the Lycans!?" Cyrus demands an answer, and Aerin freezes in place.
Aerin's usage of Fenrir's Voice is something he sparingly uses, and it's not something that lasts long to begin with, so using it as a permanent solution was out of the question. It did buy him time enough that Cyrus gave him a choice in the matter instead of ignoring his wishes, which Aerin understood. Still, Cyrus is an impatient man, and Aerin's got a few seconds before this brief ultimatum is decided for him. The Lycan notices Mona's mentally preparing a backup plan in her head as well; she's probably considering fighting to kill if she needs to. The silver-haired young man glances toward the snarling Lycans pacing beyond the stage nearby as well: dozens of hungry and murderous eyes of savage Beasts mingle with the fearful and anxious stares of those hiding away nearby. However, Aerin knows one thing. In these precious few seconds, all eyes are on him. His next words will decide what happens next.
A vision blesses Aerin with a memory from the past...
His past...
Aerin speaks faster than he can rationalize his words.
"To all of the Lycans watching and waiting for me to act..." Aerin suddenly walks forward toward the edge of the stage between his brother and Mona but looks at neither of them as he walks by; he's fixated on His People. "I promised you as your King that I'd kill this Human if I deemed her a threat to US..." he pauses and glances Mona's way, then toward Cyrus next, addressing him with the same look of cold and faithful sincerity that matches the stare Cyrus gave Mona in intensity, but not intent.
"I also promised this Human that I'd protect her with my life if a Lycan came at her with intent to harm..." Aerin reveals his more selfish and personal promise to Mona to everyone, throwing his secrets into the open. "She says that her goal is to save us from extinction, and if I'm being honest...?" Aerin glances Mona's way; she's looking back at him with a hesitant, yet hopeful expression hidden behind a mostly tense featured face. Aerin pauses, as if debating once again if it's alright for a King to be selfish before he turns and addresses the crowd again with a more confident and relaxed voice.
"I believe her..." The Lycan King states for all to hear, as clear as the sky above. There's a notable shift in the air from tension and anxiety to confusion and skepticism, as if everyone's waiting for Aerin to get to the major point he's setting up, which he does as if on cue, drawing the sword from his back and pointing it at both Cyrus and Mona, earning gasps from the Lycans, a look of shock from Mona, and a wary scowl from Cyrus. What's Aerin doing!? A cold breeze wafts over them all as Aerin relays his decree as King.
"Let's fight it out. The three of us," Aerin says, and silence befalls all as he states the terms and win conditions next with a calm expression filled with cold conviction; he's serious. "If Cyrus kills Mona before I take him down, he wins. If I take Cyrus and Mona down, I win. If Mona lives long enough to see one of us go down, or takes one of us both down, she wins. The winner gets to decide what to do with the Human in the end, and if she wins, she gets to walk free or stay of her own accord. A fair trial by combat that's happened once before, right?" he asks his brother with a knowing expression, and Cyrus spits. He's outwardly annoyed at Aerin, but inwardly impressed. Meanwhile, Mona can't help but flash a smile of relief and amazement as well. Aerin understood her hints...
"Thank God..." She thinks...
"Alright then, fine," Cyrus chuckles, full of joking vigor and humor now as he shrugs. "A contest of strength is what I'm best at! Just remember, little brother that you've never beaten me," he reminds, and Aerin quickly quips back in a way that makes Mona nearly giggle out loud.
"I've never tried to beat you," Aerin retorts with a shrug predating him sheathing his sword again. Cyrus clicks his tongue, more amused by the bravado than offended, and he simply looks Mona's way and asks...
"Do you agree to these terms? Since we're taking advantage of my little brother's bold and cocky hospitality..." Cyrus asks Mona in a tone that betrays the murderous look he gave her earlier; it's almost like he's talking to a friend. "It's only right that you give me your consent to getting your ribcage torn out of your chest, yes?" he chuckles with a fake smile, which Mona returns with a nonchalant wave of her hand and a taunting tone of her own.
"I don't see why not. I've always wanted see how I stack up to my ancestors," Mona replies, and Aerin seals the deal.
"Alright then," the King confirms, looking between the two one final time, and then toward the audience of Lycans watching them.
"We're heading to Tyr's Coffin," he says!
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Back in Mona's Village...
Commander Alastair pays a visit to someone's house...
His oath to Humanity is about to awaken a new Beast of its own...
Next Chapter: Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary.