The Evernon Saga - The Journey Of Ascension, A Struggle For Godhood.

(Author note: Read this part slowly, word for word. Does not have to be out loud)

Darkness.

Warm, stuffy air.

Slow, humid breaths, filling the silence of the room.

Comfort, a soft bed with sheets as soft as silk.

Perhaps, they are indeed made of silk.

William had not the slightest idea of what those sheets even looked like.

He opened his eyes.

A wooden ceiling greeted him, as dim light poorly illuminated the room.

He was lying on his back.

Motes of dust skipped about carelessly upon the very air itself.

William attempted to recall how he had arrived at this outcome.

Tavern, the four ladies, their house...

The next memory, still fresh in his mind, turned him red from neck to ear.

He knew not, how he should feel about it.

The darkness from the night before, robbed him of his vision.

He thought back to the events of last night.

He had seen nothing.

He had felt everything.

Tender touches, warm kisses, nails digging into his back.

He seemed to be in a trance, as if watching his body from within, as a bystander.

Instinct had taken over entirely.

Rough strokes, tightly gripping, the sound of skin making contact with skin.

Frenzied breathing, frenzied enough to match the creaking of the bed.

Periodically, a wonderful sensation that he had never felt before, flooded him from head to toe.

Extreme p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e and warmth that seemed to assault his very sanity, then a feeling of release, of calm.

Followed by fatigue.

No matter, he had to fight through it.

All for the sake of the sweet, heated urging whispered in his ears.

Encouragement, compliments, threats.

Frantic voices shout that they are coming, though they are already here.

Voices that claim they are almost there, yet were still right in front of him, not having left for anywhere.

He understood nothing, as he shrugged off everything with his newfound l.u.s.t.

Loud voices would cry out every so often, filling the darkness with the light of their passion.

The sound was unexpectedly pleasurable to hear, and made him feel satisfied, like a reward.

It poured oil onto the flames of passion within his body, as they burned ever more wildly.

Move faster, push harder, deeper!

It seemed to continue for what felt like all eternity, as even his sense of time was lost to the darkness that consumed all common sense and logic.

***

At some point, three sets of slow, relaxed breathing could be heard from around William, on the soft bed whose borders were unknown to him.

The meager light of dawn trickled in through a small window, allowing for a b.a.r.e minimum of sight.

Three sleeping bodies, scattered around the enormous bed.

William's body was currently tangled with the fourth, kneeling on the bed, with her legs on his shoulders. He could make out neither her face, nor her hair color.

His hands held firmly onto her h.i.p.s, in a desperate attempt to support his drained body.

He was on his last ounce of energy.

A voice spoke to him, it was higher pitched than before, shaky even, as it clawed its way through the haze of his fatigue, into his ears.

"A big one, a really big one is coming!"

William was momentarily alarmed, thinking that some kind of large person was about to break into their house.

He was on the verge of pulling out and away, before two arms sn.a.k.e.d their way around the back of his neck and head, pulling him back, closer than before.

"Don't stop, more, give me MORE!"

As this desperate, sensual voice entered his ears, somewhere within the ocean of fatigue, within the wild trance William was in...

...his sense of reason snapped.

Primal instinct roared from the depths of William's mind.

Fiery Mana flared up from within him, as the warmth of his body rose higher and higher.

It gave him the energy he needed, the energy he lacked.

The body beneath him gasped as his intensity rose to new heights.

"S-so hot! It feels so... so... AHHHH-"

A scream, drowning in ecstasy, filled the air of the early morning, surprising more than a few neighbors.

Weak, shuddering breaths could be heard from beneath William, as he smiled in self-satisfaction, before collapsing.

William's muscles had given out, especially those in his lower body, which had long turned to mush.

He fell forward, his face landing gently on pillows of flesh.

Tender arms wrapped themselves around him, as he sank into a warm, loving embrace.

A voice whispered into his ear.

"You did wonderfully."

Warm, velvety lips pressed themselves against his, different from the other kisses he had received that night.

It was done with the utmost care, it was gentle, and above all, sincere.

By then, William's consciousness was fading, sinking into sleep as his body sunk into that comfortable embrace.

He failed to identify who it was, in the end.

***

William sat up in the bed, his face feeling as if it was on fire. He held his head in his hands, wanting to hide himself underneath one of the many blankets strewn about. Looking around briefly, He could see three sleeping figures that lacked even a single piece of clothing. Claire, Thea and...

Gwen?!

In the darkness, William could not tell who was who, as all of them began to sound the same after a certain point. He tried his hardest but was unable to tell them apart without his vision. It surprised him that one of the bodies from the night before was the gloomy Gwen. William's gaze wandered over the curves of the three women, drinking the sight of them in, before he fought the urge to continue staring. Shaking his head, he sighed.

What a glorious sight.

He looked down at his 'sword', which at this point even lacked the energy to stand proud in the morning, and gave it a reassuring pat.

Good job, you did well to survive all that.

Scooting over to the front edge of the bed, William sat there for a moment before getting up. His world began to tilt, as his legs almost gave out from underneath him. He used a small amount of Personal Mana to steady himself, before looking around the room he was in.

The bedroom was really just that, there was nothing else in there other than the gigantic bed, blankets, pillows, and them. It was b.a.r.e everywhere else, with the exception of a small table, with four dresses that had been haphazardly thrown onto its surface. Seeing a door a few meters in front of him, William opened it and walked through. He needed to get his bearings.

As he crossed the threshold, closing the door behind him, bright light blinded him momentarily. He was now in a hallway, that if he followed, led to what looked like a living room. There were two other doors, and a wooden staircase. He had no idea where either of them would lead.

Walking down the hallway, he entered a living room-like space which had a kitchen merged into it as well, along one of the walls. At the furthest side of the living room from the hallway, was the front door. Next to it was a large window whose glass was tinted, and had its upper third and its corners painted with a motif.

A motif of floating feathers and the angels who carried them. At the very top of the mirror, was the painting of a man in a crouch, who, with great difficulty and endless faith, bore the weight of a massive crown upon his shoulders. A crown many times larger than he was.

A crown with six wings.

After briefly contemplating the image of the crown, William dismissed it, having lost interest.

His gaze fell onto a dining table in the middle of the room.

There were 4 wooden cups on the dining table, which was surrounded by 4 chairs, presumably belonging to Roxanne and the others. He grabbed one, walking towards a barrel in the kitchen which he presumed was filled with water.

Bingo.

Lifting the lid and scooping water with the cup, William realized for the first time that morning, that his throat was absolutely parched. The dryness of his throat rendered him unable to even speak.

Gulping down water like a man dying of thirst, whose state he was beginning to approach, William downed cup after cup before stopping after his fourth. He filled up the cup once more, closed the barrel, and went to sit on the chair closest to the window. With the window being tinted, he could only see blurred shapes moving about along the street.

Light, however, could pass through the tinted glass seemingly unhindered.

William failed to grasp the mysterious principle behind it all. He sipped water, sitting on a wooden chair, as a ray of sunlight from the window warmed his legs. After spending some time basking in this tranquil scene, William sprung to his feet, remembering that he was still n.a.k.e.d.

Looking frantically around the room, he could not see his clothes. After a few moments, he had found his sack of belongings, yet all of the clothes he had packed in there were gone!

Although he had not packed much, every single piece of clothing was hand-knitted by his mother, and was special to him. A wave of despair and grief washed over him, as he heard a door open. The sound originated from the hallway, and was not the door to the bedroom, it was one of the two that William had decided not to explore.

William dejectedly turned his head in the direction of the hallway, as Roxanne walked into view, towel in hand, wearing as many clothes as the day she was born.

She stood there, bewildered for all of 3 seconds, before smirking upon seeing William, who was n.a.k.e.d, surprised, and unable to stop himself from staring. His mouth was even comically hanging open.

Roxanne's a.d.u.l.t body was unlike anything that William had ever seen before, the girls that were around his age could not compare in any way. Furthermore, he was truly seeing her without clothes for the first time!

Roxanne stood there, akin to a goddess in a painting, smiling as she always has. Pristine, clear pearls of water were sprinkled across her fair skin, with some of them being large and heavy enough to slowly streak down her body. William was captivated, unable to avert his gaze, even after his initial shock.

Climbing over mountains and racing through valleys, the droplets were having a grand adventure, as were William's eyes and spinning mind, before he noticed Roxanne's smirk. He looked away in embarrassment, as his body began to react to what he saw, making Roxanne whistle.

"It feels and even looks good too...you're a dangerous young man, William," commented Roxanne seductively, as she dried her hair with a linen towel, grinning.

"Thank you?..." replied William shyly and with uncertainty.

"You as well, are...very pretty," he continued.

Roxanne's smile now changed from a naughty one, to a softer, more natural one.

"Thank you, lover!" teased Roxanne.

"Wha?!-"

William turned his head towards Roxanne in shock, unintentionally witnessing her in all her glory, before turning elsewhere again. His body reacted once again, leading to Roxanne's smile growing alongside what she saw, as she fell back into her usual sultry persona.

Tossing her towel onto the chair William was sitting on before, she walked up to him, as he anxiously took half a step backwards.

"Hmm? Aren't you enjoying the view a bit too much? You know, if you made me yours, you'd get to see this as much as you want," suggested Roxanne as she playfully interrogated William, her face mere centimeters from his.

William's expression turned to one of shock, before entering a state of deep, serious contemplation.

Seeing this, Roxanne chuckled. She slapped William's left shoulder.

"Look at you, brooding so deeply over a joke! I was merely jesting, I'm sure you...wouldn't want to be with a woman like me anyway..." said Roxanne, as the sentence started off stable and humorous, before trailing off weakly, with a tinge of sorrow and melancholy.

She looked away, now seemingly consumed by her own thoughts.

"That's not true!" retorted William, as he grabbed Roxanne's shoulders, holding her at arms' length, peering deep into the sapphire abysses within her eyes.

Roxanne gasped in surprise from William's sudden forcefulness, before looking at him expectantly.

A hidden desperation lurked in the depths of her gaze.

As William looked at Roxanne with an intensity that stunned her, he noticed a feature that he had not seen before. She had a light patch of freckles that spanned the areas of her cheekbones, and her nose, that he found absolutely adorable.

William could have sworn her skin was clear the night before. Being surprised like this made his heart skip a beat, as his face reddened slightly.

"I-I've not known you for very long, but I can say this with utmost certainty. You're very beautiful, more than my knowledge of words can hope to describe. If given a choice between seeing a beautiful painting or view, and seeing you...I would pick you," began William, his voice firm, yet it could not hide his nervousness.

Roxanne's eyes widened in surprise.

When was the last time she recieved a pure-hearted, genuine compliment like that?

Her expression softened, becoming tender once more.

It was a look that William had seen multiple times at the tavern, the night before. The image of it had long burnt itself into the back of his eyes.

He found her usual self undeniably attractive, as it had a certain appeal or charm, that he could not describe. Her usual facial expression seemed to be full of energy and life, serving up sensuality with a portion of humor on the side.

However, the moments where he saw her with her softer, gentler face, were what really captured his eyes and attention.

In those short moments, all he could see was her and her face, as all external noise was drowned out by the silence between them.

The silence of that gaze, the way her lips would quiver ever so briefly, the loneliness hidden deep within her eyes, seemed so forlorn.

"You were kind enough to take me in for a night, even though you barely know me. I now know that you might have done it with... other motives in mind, but it doesn't change the fact that you aided me in my time of need!

You even comforted me when I was nervous, and helped me to genuinely enjoy myself with you and the others at the tavern! That's enough kindness for me to say that you do have it, deep within you!" declared William, now with a conviction that only became stronger with every word he said.

Roxanne's eyes flickered, her lips trembling, a flush creeping across her face.

"You even offered to help me find a job today, and if that wasn't a lie, doesn't that show how caring and thoughtful you can be?" inquired William, his voice brimming with sincerity.

"I'm...I'm not that caring..." mumbled Roxanne, turning her head away.

"I know I'm young, and I don't know very much about a.d.u.l.ts, let alone you. But I want you to know that even if you weren't kind before, you can see this as a start! Don't doubt your own self-worth!" said William loudly, almost to the point of shouting.

Roxanne covered her mouth with her hands, to silence the cries she was on the brink of releasing, as her eyes began to tear up.

"You might have something to hide, deep down, away from others. I can see the pain in your eyes, and you don't deserve to suffer all by yourself. If we could get to know each other for a while longer, I think I could say that, without a doubt," continued William, as his voice and emotional state reached a climax where even he began to inexplicably tear up, "You have it in you to be a great wife!"

Upon hearing this, all the flood gates in Roxanne's head and heart came crashing down, as tears streamed freely down her face. She jumped into William's arms, an embrace completely different to the kind they were engaged in the night before.

As William put his arms around Roxanne, she broke down, sobbing.

Her body quaked with every breath she took, bawling loudly, screaming in anguish and sadness.

She vented out her bottled-up feelings, her overflowing emotions, and her pain from an unknown time, from a past that was yet to be known to William.

She screamed sorrowfully into William's left shoulder and neck, holding onto him with everything she had. It was as if she feared she would be swept away, clinging to him so that she would not be torn away from him by the tides of her emotions.

"No one has ever told me that," bawled Roxanne, "I've always yearned to hear it!"

She wept without restraint, now embracing William in a frontal, full-body hug.

Roxanne's b.a.r.e body was pressed against his, but in this moment, he did not pay it any attention. He simply did what felt natural, and used his left arm to hold her even closer, hugging her tightly. With his right hand, he placed it on her head, and patted her slowly, stroking her hair, running his fingers through it as gently as he could.

William was not sure what else he could or should do, but he remembered seeing his mother doing this to his little sister whenever she cried. It seemed like such a soothing action, and that was exactly what William wanted.

To soothe Roxanne.

***

After some time...

Roxanne and William were still locked in their n.a.k.e.d embrace, standing still and silent. They had been so for around 20 minutes, as he embraced her wordlessly, never ceasing the head patting.

Her breathing had slowed by then, and she had managed to calm herself down.

Leaning backwards slightly, Roxanne looked William in the eyes.

"Thank you, William. You're a very kind soul, the kindest I've ever met. I mean it. I can't remember the last time I was embraced as warmly as I am now."

"You're welcome Roxanne, I'm just glad you're feeling better now."

"I am, and it looks like you're feeling great!"

Hearing Roxanne's statement, William's expression turned to one of confusion, before she gestured downwards with her eyes.

Looking down, William noticed that he was full mast, pressing up against Roxanne's stomach due to their tight embrace. His confusion grew, as he could not even feel any sensation in his 'sword' anymore. This led to worry, and some fear, as he pondered the possibility of his 'sword' having been irreversibly damaged during the war of the night before.

"Say, William, do you have a thing for crying girls?" teased Roxanne, with a natural smile on her face.

"Wha-, I-, no!" he stammered.

"I'm jesting." whispered Roxanne as she gave William a quick kiss.

Resting one hand on the lower half of her abdomen, Roxanne smiled wistfully.

"You know, what you did at the end earlier was incredible. I still feel warm all the way inside me, all these hours later."

"So it was you!" gasped William, with an expression that gave off the impression that a mystery of the universe had just been solved.

Winking, Roxanne chuckled.

A yawn, and three sets of footsteps could be heard coming from the hallway.

Roxanne and William, still in their embrace, turned their heads, as Thea, Claire, and Gwen emerged. They wore simple clothes, nothing like the flashy, revealing dresses from the night before.

Claire rubbed her eyes sleepily, before noticing the n.a.k.e.d duo standing in front of them. Her bubbly energy seemed to suddenly return to her.

"Oh! You two! I guess the early bird 'catching the worm' is true after all, Roxanne you sly fowl!" yelled Claire, pointing at them as if she had caught them red-handed.

"Let the poor boy rest, Roxanne, we put him through a lot for his first time," scolded Thea, wagging her finger at Roxanne.

Gwen chuckled quietly, before grabbing a parchment and a pencil-shaped piece of charcoal with a leather grip, and writing something out. She then showed it to the others.

"Come now, let's have breakfast! I'm hungry, aren't you?"

"Good idea, now that you mention it, I'm starving!" replied Roxanne jovially, as William turned towards the others, before falling into a daze.

He looked at the parchment, failing to read what was written upon it due to his illiteracy.

More importantly...

Wait...Gwen is mute?!

If she is...how...how did she?

Roxanne noticed the look on William's face, and could guess what was causing his mind to race.

"She is indeed mute, but she is still more than capable of m.o.a.ning," whispered Roxanne.

Meanwhile, Thea and the others had their eyes glued to William's well-trained, lean body. He looked his absolute best in the current lighting of the room, as the warm, light touch of the sunlight c.a.r.e.s.sed and revealed the definition of his physique.

Unconsciously, Thea and the others licked their lips as they feasted their eyes upon William's 'sword', which was currently swaying gently, standing proud whilst saluting the heavens.

Thea snapped out of her trance first.

"Girls, why don't we have an actual breakfast first?" she suggested, raising a hand as a signal to the others to stop.

They nodded reluctantly, finally noticing the growling of their stomachs.

William stood there blankly, puzzled, unaware of the fact that he had been saved by Thea's quick thinking.