His breathing was heavy as the blood dripped from his lips. The feeling of the sweet liquid coated the inside of his mouth and throat. It was intoxicating, it always took him a moment to get himself under control after feeding. His fangs were still extended, his body shaking in pure animalistic ecstasy as he relished in the taste. Though nothing beat the taste of human blood, it did things to him that he never thought were possible, though he'd promised himself he'd never go down that road again.

His heart finally calming down he headed for a nearby stream. For what was to come next he couldn't be covered in the deer's blood. His lust and hunger subsided enough that his anger was under control, or so he thought.

Traversing through the forest's floor it was eerily quiet as he made his way through the thick foliage. He'd probably scared off most of the wildlife since he was top of the food chain out here.

The water was a clear crystal colour with a soft blue hue under the half moon, he could see his reflection in the calm waters. He frowned cringing internally, he looked like a monster. His whole lower jawline was coated in the sticky life nectar, it was no wonder the fallen were hunted by supernatural's and humans alike. 

Vampire, that's what the humans called his kind here. He would waste away and be driven mad with hunger if his body couldn't relishish. The Curse on him made it impossible to receive nourishment from anything other than blood. Without the intake, his body would break down, grow weak and shut down on him. Blood is the life force for all living things, for his body to continue to maintain its current condition he needed to find a source of life and absorb it. The easiest method was to drink it. His body did the rest, circulating the essence he received from the fluid around his body and fueling him.

The purpose of this trial was to learn to cope without the safety net of the aura. Though the aura wasn't an endless source it recharged by being on alarious. If it ran dry while fighting in another realm and the warrior was undertrained and unfamiliar with the cravings...

The bloody history only the royals knew about suddenly made more and more sense to him. Comrades in arm driven mad with hunger turning on each other as they fought to survive.

Splashing his face and washing his arms down he did his best to remove all traces of the liquid. He retrieved his shirt from under his belt, which he'd taken off for the hunt and pulled it over his head. It was time to head back to Elaina and that disgusting outcrop of a human cesspool.

Returning to his small campsite he retrieved his hooded cloak from his pack that had been pillaged earlier in the day. He packed his back pocket making sure the small flat box was still there, it was the only thing he cared about in this world. A small pendant that Aveyon had given him, his one reminder of his home and his reason to continue living through this trial.

He headed back to town at a light job, eager to end the filth she was going through. The tavern was now a lot quieter since most of the riffraff had left for the night, pulling the hood up to conceal his features he entered the establishment, his jaw stiffening instantly.

He had known, but he hadn't been prepared for the sight that greeted him.

Five women stood in barely anything, either in their undergarments or in a very sheer gown that left nothing to the imagination. Elaina was standing third in line, a huge forced smile on her face as she posed for the onlookers.

"Right then, on to number 3."

Erosvent's head snapped to the speaker recognizing the voice, he ground his teeth as his fists clenched at his sides. It was Daniel, he was the speaker, he'd never forget that bastard.

"The beautiful Elaina, well known for being a beautiful girl with a high pain threshold."

Erosvent growled low, he was seeing red. A couple of men around him shot him some confused glances but their hungry eyes soon turned back to Elaina's bare skin. He had surmised that she was prostituting herself, but to think that Daniel was the one auctioning her off! He still had a hold over her after all this time! It was sickening.

All those years ago he had surmised that there was something wrong with Daniel and her relationship. How long had this been happening, from all the way back then too?

Bial nose in his throat, how much hurt pain and suffering had she been through.

"5 pieces!" A man called and the bidding began.

His head snapped to the man who had spoken, his mouth salivating. As his lips curled up, his face edged into a snarl.

"15 pieces!"Another shouted.

His nostrils flared and his hands twitched as his side as his nails elongated into claw-like talons. His fingers flexed.

"30 Pieces!" The men were eagerly moving closer to the makeshift stage as the price continued to go higher.

Daniel cracked the whip at his side, it must have been a cue for Elaina. She leaned forward pressing her breasts closer together giving the men a nice view.

Kill. Eros jerked forward.

Kill. His anger boiled over.

With nothing and no one in his way, he lunged, his claws gripping onto and ripping through the closest person to him. The sickening sound of someone gasping and gurgling for air as they choked on their own blood caused the room to be silent. A scream erupted as he advanced towards the stage, tossing the still squirming body to the side, his eyes locked on his prize.

A wooden chair slammed down and broke against his back, turning his head he growled like the beast he was. Moving with a speed he didn't know he still had she took hold of the man's head and slammed it into the wall of the establishment. A loud crack sounded as blood and brains exploded over the hanging paintings. He licked his lips enjoying the taste of the splatter that now had covered him and the wall.

Retrieving his hand from the mangled corpse he continued forward. A bottle of some sort of human alcohol smashed into his head, shattered on impact, glass shards sticking into his cheek his eyes locked on the new assailant. The man screamed, sounding like a high-pitched childs wail and attempted to run to the exit. Erosvent crouched low to the ground, stalking his prey. With the human's back turned he jumped landing on the flailing man before he could lay a hand on the double swing doors at the entrance. His talons racked through the man's flesh like it was his back was made from butter.

Once the man finally stopped convulsing under his grip he moved on, the limp excuse for a human no longer interesting him. Standing, his head snapped around to lock on Daniel's form, his target. In a few long strides he was standing before the frightened man thing, the stench of urine evident as Erosvent's bloodied form towered over him. His clawed hand snaked around the human's neck, lifting the human slightly off the ground. His head dipped as his fangs throbbed in anticipation of the sweet nectar to touch his tongue.

About to drink his fill he was hit with a rather unimpressive fist, a nagging persistent pounding had him growling in frustration again. His meal interrupted he threw Daniel like a rag doll into the makeshift stage that doubled as the bar counter. The human impacted it at an odd angle, its back bending unnaturally due to the force, his spine shattered causing him to slide unmoving to the ground with a horrified expression on his face.

His claws clasped around this new human's arm, yanking it towards him to stop the annoying pest. His jaw clasped around the slender neck, his bite crushing the wide pipe as he ripped the flesh from her neck in one foul movement.

Wait... 

Her... 

As in female? 

His eyes studied the lifeless, still dripping female in his hands. 

Realization as to who she was coming back to him.

He sank to the ground as his eyes bulged, it was Elaina.

"No, no no no." He felt tears well as he was brought abruptly back to his sensors.

He'd lost control and murdered almost the entire tavern. Including the beautiful soul in his arms. Her lifeless eyes stared up at him in complete horror, her body was already turning cold in his grasp. His shaking hand trailed her face before pulling her tightly to his chest. He rocked on his heels with her against him as he continued to whimper, wishing this wasn't real.

His body shaking he looked around the room, he'd done this. All of this.

No...  

This wasn't what happened that night. 

This was all wrong!

Lifting his head to the heavens he screamed in complete frustration. In that moment everything around him ceased as if frozen in time. He gently peeled himself away from Elaina's body, placing her on the ground before him. His bottom lip quivered as he found it hard to step away from her. Standing his eyes looked sternly forward but focused on nothing.

"This is NOT how it happened." His teeth ground together as he finally had some grasp of the situation. Someone was messing with him using his memories against him, twisting them.

Two could play at that game, memories and visions were his specialty. Closing his eyes he lifted his arms stretching them out at his sides. Focusing on the memory he summoned it to be the focus of his mind. Playing over the events, this wasn't how it happened, though he had killed Daniel this very night it hadn't happened like this.

Slamming his hands together before him he focused on producing the memories into a sphere of essence in his palms, slowly pulling his hands apart as the sphere grew in size. Once he was done filling it with his energy it burst, consuming his surroundings entirely in white. As the light faded he found himself back in the tavern again, but the walls weren't covered in blood. Taking his position in the back of the room he relaxed his control and allowed the scene to play out again.

Correctly this time.

Daniel cracked the whip at his side, it must have been a cue for Elaina. She leaned forward pressing her breasts closer together giving the men a nice view.

Erosvent jerked forward, his anger at boiling point. When a hand landed softly on his shoulder.

"Calm yourself, Alarian." A soothing voice whispered.

Completely taken aback his anger subsided and his teeth and claws retracted. The voice had a power to it, like nothing he had ever felt. All his eyes could focus on was Elaina as he was very gently pulled from the tavern and outside. Finally, his eyes could focus on the man who had stopped him from murdering everyone there and then.

"Did you just use persuasion on me?" He asked dumbfounded. Only the royals had that ability.

The man laughed, his voice was low and deep. His hair was short and spiked with slightly lighter tones of brown, red and blonde at the tips to his darker head of hair and his body was well-muscled. Hazel-coloured eyes stared back at him as Erosvent tried to figure out who this man was.

"I've been on my trial now quite some time now, the name's Zer- ah Zeph, call me Zeph. How long for you?" He asked rather concerned.

"We're not meant to speak about it!" He exclaimed panicked.

The man laughed, "Ah so you're still new then."

"How did you find me?" He breathed fear welling up, had he failed?

"The power you were gathering through your blood lust was humming through the air, I was miles away, but still I felt it. A fellow warrior in need, I didn't hesitate. We've lost too many men to this trial as it is." He shook his head a pained expression in his eyes.

Taking the information in, he sighed. "I don't know... how to thank you."

"Stay in control. Let me help for a while, teach you what I've learnt. My... trial is coming to an end soon, let me do something useful." Zeph held his hand out in greeting.

"I'm Erosvent, Eros for short." He took the soldier's hand.

"Now about your woman, let's see if we can't get her out of this mess."

Eros nodded not even bothering to correct him, he didn't care as long as it meant her freedom and safety.

It was an Alarian's sworn duty to see to the protection of humans.