Pushing Past Limits

Kessicia was a mess but no one would be able to tell on the surface of things.

Of course, it was understood that she would be going through a tough time. After all, she had given her life during the island liberation only a few weeks ago. Dies Irae had swept in to clear out the dark mages that had overtaken the villages and treated the villagers like their own personal cattle. The succubus-human had broken off from her commander to heal a group of injured soldiers when she’d heard about a cave full of dark wizards, arming themselves and preparing to assault the village. Without thinking about it, Kessicia had gone to the cave and fought off the large group, slaying them one after the other. But the injuries she suffered at their hands had been grievous, fatal even. Only shortly after the last dark wizard fell, Kess had sunk to her knees and had departed the world.

But somehow, she had returned. Her memory of everything after she left the world of the living was hazy, at best. All she truly knew was that she had reawakened several days after the end of the island assault. Upon returning to life, her entire form had changed as well. Gone were her golden eyes and the purple locks that she had possessed all her life. In its place, a dark blue-black hair with bright blue strands had taken its place and crisp, sea-azure eyes had swallowed up the gold. She was more on the lithe side as well, having lost some meat on her bones -- supposedly from her body deteriorating after death. But she was alive and it was, apparently, a miracle.

She knew she should be thankful for whoever had brought her back but… her faith had been shaken. She’d been prepared to offer her soul to her Lord as a sacrifice to save the rest of the island. He had taken it without question, allowing his servant to die. And from what she could remember, it hadn’t been her Lord that had sought out her eternal soul and sent it back to Earthland. Two other beings had stepped in, two blinding figures she couldn’t quite make out. They’d interceded her ascendence to whatever lay beyond the realm of the living and thrown her back into the world without direction or cause. Were they angels of her Lord? She honestly felt if they were, she would have known.

So why had he, the Lord of Light and Creation, simply let her perish without interference? Ruzatz had opened her eyes to the greater deific universe and in her studies, she had discovered her connection and passion for the Lord of Light. While the Prime Sin of Lust would always be a friend, mentor and guide, he was placed on the planet to help lead her to her true calling… or so she had thought. Maybe she had read too far into things, looked too hard at simple, uncoincidental circumstances.

That’s where her mind was at when she received a message from the administration of Dies Irae. While they had been understanding of her circumstances, there were still responsibilities that each member was required to take care of. She’d been tasked with attempting to instruct a neophyte that had been severely lacking in her success rate thus far. As it turned out, that was putting it mildly -- she was definitely one of the more eccentric members of Dies Irae that Kess had ever met. She was painfully timid and neurotic, incapable of moving forward if anything went wrong. Apparently she had even spiraled into uselessness after her uniform had been damaged. That level of moral and spiritual constriction was ill suited for Dies Irae, even if she was driven to fight against the evils of the world. Before her death, Kess may have explored the neuroses differently -- perhaps through sensual meditation and physical study.

But she wasn’t even sure that would ease the girl’s tension. So instead, Kess had brought her to Cedar, to the local prison. She’d already completed all the paperwork beforehand so when the neophyte was shoved into a jail cell with a prisoner, it was clear this was meant to be her trial.

“I-I don’t understand,” the neophyte said, her eyes snapping violently between the man huddled in the corner and Kessicia.

“This man is marked for death by Dies Irae. He is a dangerous criminal that has hurt and killed before. You are responsible for taking his life without any magic. I have given you a dagger so please proceed,” Kessicia stated cooly, standing right by the bars of the cell.

“N-No, I can’t do this. Please can you just--?” The neophyte attempted to complain.

“This is the way of things, neophyte. We are responsible for ridding the evils of this world in permanent fashion. You swore an oath to do your part in our mission but you have failed every time before this. Failure again could mean expulsion from Dies Irae.” Her tone was hard and she realized it a moment later, sighing gently and softening her voice. “I believe you have it in you to succeed but you must break off your shackles of insecurity. And you must do so quickly -- that man will attempt to take the knife from you and kill you himself.” Her whip came to her hand and she lashed it out at the neophyte. She was precise with her strike, ensuring that she tore up the woman’s outfit without injuring her flesh at all.

Her yelp was the preface to her sudden breakdown, her eyes widening as she looked down at the tears. But the man in the corner was starting to get to his feet, his eyes crazed as he glared at the neophyte. He licked his lips as he approached her, glancing between her frenzied face and the knife in her hand. He suddenly lurched for the weapon, leaping off the ground to throw his entire body weight on her limb and rip the knife free.

The neophyte squealed but found it in herself to move, darting away from him. She looked to Kessicia for help, her gaze shuddering in fear and pleading. But she found no remorse in the succubus-woman’s eyes, only a fierceness imploring her to act. The neophyte swallowed hard as she suddenly whirled around, just in time for the man to launch himself at her again. But this time she pushed back, bringing the blade up and forward and driving it right into his chest. His gasp brought all his strength out of him and he stumbled back as she fell on top of him, pressing him against the ground. The knife was still half-impaled in his chest, blood beginning to seep out and run over his chest.

“Precise, neophyte. There is no need to give into the carnage. End his life quickly and true.” The woman nodded softly, withdrawing the knife slowly and readjusting its aim so that it was over his left breast. She plunged the blade in, burying it to the hilt and piercing his heart. Another gasp escaped his throat before his body went entirely limp underneath her.

The neophyte was weeping as she sat back on her heels. But a pair of hands would come to rest on her shoulders, causing her to turn around and find Kessicia there. She inhaled sharply a few times, forcing the stream of tears to halt as she came to grips with what she had done. The Priestess helped her to her feet, taking her hands in her own. “You’ve done well. This is your first step to truly becoming a member of our order. Remember the feeling, the sensation that drove you to act. Cherish it, groom it and make it strong. That’s your weapon against the evil of the world.”

“And with it, you’ll purge the darkness and spread the light.”