Annalise
Annalise was herded by her two friends into the waiting room for contestants. Eiseth, a gorgeous dark skinned demon, with tight black curls and luminous amber eyes, gently took her arm. With a kindness Annalise didn't think she deserved right now, Eiseth placed her on a nearby bench.
The demons sat on the same crooked seat, shuffled over with grunts and groans. Each eager to get away from the 'outsider'. Disgruntled looks on their faces as they scowled at Anna. It was to be expected. It was something she had gotten used to over the year she'd been in hell. The minute she'd stepped two feet inside the underworld, it was clear, she wasn't quite the same as everyone else.
It was surprisingly human of the demons to hate her, to push her aside cause she wasn't quite like the rest. That didn't mean everyone did it though.
Eiseth rolled her eyes at her fellow contestants, and it was enough for Annalise to at least give her a reassuring grin. Though she wasn't quite sure it had the intended effect as Eiseth began to frown even more. Bael, ever the one to break the ice, swung his arms wide leaning heavily on Eiseth with a sharp toothy grin.
"So you won," Bael beamed, "How does it feel, fellow champion?". Bael was a rather terrifying demon, with the ability to transform his own body into whatever frightening thing he could conjure. He wasn't someone to take lightly, despite his fairly open personality and appearance. His main appearance was of a young man, with muddy blonde hair, crystal blue eyes and a surfers tan.
It was liable to change, however. And he wasn't someone you could fully trust. His words were completely different from his meanings. Eiseth rolled her eyes, and pushed him away, kneeling down to Annalise's side.
"Are you okay?" Eiseth asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Annalise gazed at her, still lost in the shock of her match. It was like she was looking through her more than at her. A sudden boom resounded out through the cramped, awkward space. Followed by a layer of familiar shouting.
"MOVE!" "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, MOVE IT!"
Astaroth, her auntie, had barged into the contestants' waiting room, most likely against her own orders. Within moments of the clatter, a warm, blonde figure was pushing past the clutter of demons at the entrance.
All of a sudden she felt two strong arms wrap around her, lifting her physically off the seat and to standing. Annalise relaxed into the familiar smell of pine and mint, feeling the weight of her match slowly melt into the embrace. Astaroth had become something of a mother, or older sister figure in Annalise's life, since the moment she entered it.
"I'm so proud of you," Astaroth squealed, highly uncouth from such a powerful demon, but Astaroth had never taken kindly to the rules. "You did it, i knew you could! Now all those other demons can eat their words!" Her auntie began to squeeze her hard enough, her ribs creaked and Annalise choked out a breathe.
"What do you want?" Astaroth asked, her red painted lips titles up into a proud smirk, as she finally began to loosen her grip on Anna. "A meal out together? New clothes. Oh wait, I know just the perfect thing to celebrate with! A tortured soul!"
Eventually Annalise managed to wiggle out of her grip, with a half hearted laugh. Looking around the centre, most nearby demons gave them a wide berth or were bowing their heads in respect of Astaroth's higher standing. She wasn't called 'The Grande Ruler' for no reason, after all.
"Its fine, i don't need anything. I'm just glad its over," Annalise explained with a yawn, flopping back down onto the seat below her. Her body felt sore, her muscles aching from the strain of her match and the use of her powers. It felt like she'd just run a marathon.
Annalise lent bent against the stone wall behind her, a wave of nausea and exhaustion swallowing her body. All the noises around her began to feel distant, like she was listening in from another room. Hands began to shake her shoulders, and the last thing she heard before darkness took her vision, was her auntie shouting for her to wake up.
-----
Quickly, the Naming Ceremony arrived, after each demon had finished the final trial. Her, Eiseth, and Bael were sat scrunched up together on a circle table in the Hall of The Elders. The hall was grande, suited for royalty and lined in gold. It was filled to the brim of similar circle tables, chairs and demons.
The elder demons, some of the very first demons in existence, sat amongst themselves on a wooden podium at the very top of the room. In elegant chairs, with etchings of goblins on each one. It was fairly intimidating. But it was a tradition in demon culture. Each one of the winners would receive their Title, earning a place within their society.
Eiseth and herself chortled over something scathing Bael had said about the other demons in the hall. On each table were a variety of delicate foods, and a pitcher of pomegranate wine. Annalise poured herself another glass, sipping on it slowly. The wine stained her lips red.
"When do you think it starts?" Annalise asked, picking at the food on her plate. Just as Bael began to answer, the hall was shushed by one of the Elder demons. He was old looking, bent over with two large horns spiralling out from his white hair.
"Quiet in the Hall!" His voice boomed, and in a flash, even the most rambunctious demons had been silenced. "All of you gathered here today, have completed the Seven Trials of Hell. In the name and honour of our founding ancestor Lucifer the First, you shall all be given your titles today. May hell grant you your deepest desires,".
Slowly he began to call up each demon, a name was selected by the group of elders and given to them. Then, after their name had been presented, a chalice of blood, said to be from Lucifer the First himself, was poured over their head. Behind the podium, was a small pond of the stuff, and each time a new demon was called, the chalice was dunked in once again.
"Annalise is called to the podium!" The same wrinkly demon called, she gulped past the nerves and stood up. Her chair creaked loudly in the awkward silence of the room. Unlike all the other demons, she did not receive a round of applause, as she made her way up the small wooden steps to the podium.
When she reached the elder demon, she raised her head, looking at the crowd of unimpressed demons. Her peers. What a joke that was.
"You have passed the Seven Trials of Hell and solidified your place as a demon amongst our society. In the Name of Lucifer the First, you shall be called Perdita, The Lost One," The elder demon announced, his shaking hand pouring the chalice of blood over her head. Her name was an insult. She knew that much from the laughs, and sneers of the other demons.
Looking through her eyelashes, as her brown hair began to matt with blood, Annalise smiled. Blood dripped tauntingly from her lips. It didn't matter. She got what she wanted. She won. She could go see Eugene now. She couldn't be exiled from hell. Annalise, Perdita The Lost One, was a demon, and there wasn't anything anyone could do about it.
As she walked off the podium, the dark red liquid staining her silver dress, she gave her friends a toothy grin. Tasting the iron of the blood on her teeth, she made a promise to herself.
Never again would she let herself be worthless.
Authors Note:
Hey all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! What did you think about it? As you can tell, Annalise and Eugene will be meeting soon! Probably at lot sooner than you think ;) I actually enjoyed writing the Naming Ceremony. I had a really strong image of Annalise here, really realising who she is, and the power she has.
I hope you like it!
Lots of love,
Sam.E <3
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The Vampire And The Demon
Romance[BOOK TWO OF The Vampire and The Ghost Series] Hell, it turns out, wasn't half as bad as it seemed. It wasn't half as bad as earth. As being human, Annalise would come to find out. Having been thrust down under, quite literally, by her new found Aun...
