The long twisted melody rose to the air again, chilling me as air became a foreign concept to my burning lungs. 

Through the darkness of the arena down below I saw red points of light, moving in darting motions at the end opposite where Lael and the other Powers had stood. 

My comfort that whatever those red lights, surely emanating from the Agawangeh, seemed to stay far from where I last saw Lael.

The lights flashing back on blinded me. I blinked rapidly, straining forward as attempted to peer through the blinding light to Laels blurry form.

As my vision cleared I was able to track he and two others, a man not only far taller but also wider than Lael himself and a woman standing just below his chin with short jet black hair, moving together behind a large partition of the ground that had not been there before. In my pariphial I dimly was aware other groups of three gathering to place themselves in various spots in the arena, but I lost sight of all the Powers when the red eyes of the Agawangeh pulled my attention.

Never before I had seen such a beast. The scriptures and stories speak of demons, warn us of devils that walk the earth.  

Surely, it must be the Agawangeh they speak of, if ever a demon where to walk that of earth.

Even from a distance they where large. Some walking on all fours in a lithe staking form, others had stood on their back haunches, revealing taught stomachs and the strong muscular upper arms flexing with tension. Their teeth where long, sharp, eyes a red blaze withing their furred faces. One lept forward snapping, and I gasped relief a very brief feeling as I realized there was some sort of invisible wall seperating them from the Powers down below. 

But dread filled me as it was alarmingly obvious that would not remain. This was their test. This was their choosing.

"Stay strong for Lael," I couldn't tear my gaze from the Agawangeh, memories of my fathers mangled form, of the others lost to the night surely in just as much of a mangled horror as my fathers own body.

"Wha-?" my throat was too tight, too dry for proper speech.

Falak was gripping my hand, I hadn't realized we where still clasped within one another grasp, and flexed her fingers repeating," Stay strong for Lael."

A moment then," he asked us here, he requested you specifically, to play witness to this choosing. Powers are protectors, guardians. He wishes to become a Throne. Thrones are fighters. They are weapons. They have the greatest things to protect and fight for. And while they serve God, and keep their faith- often there is a mortal reason along side Him that gives them strength."

I blinked rapidly and took  shuddering breath as I heard," For Lael. I believe that is you." 

"Powers," the announcers voice rattled me to the core, and I forced my gaze away from those long clawed strongly human like hands to and long maws full of sharpened teeth to the Throne that gazed down ahead of the others in his small group, in an almost disinterested fashion," This is the first of the 3 rounds you will be presenting. There are no rules but one. You are forfeit if you leave the arena. "

There would have been silence had it not been for the snarls of the Agawangeh as all stared to him. He was unnerving, the way he was able to emanate such power even so removed from us. It was not like the Seraphim, they were frightening in their attempt to mimic humanity, to carry over every trait aside from those of our imperfections. 

I suppress a shudder as a Chariot slowly paced the parameter of the dome above us, I swore their eyes locking onto me with accusation. As if they could see me for what I really was. 

My Ascension was already promised, I told myself firmly, drawing my gaze back down to those below Falak, myself, and the growing crowd. They no longer where judging me, no longer scrutinizing me for any fault or treason. 

Or were the final days leading up to my Asension a test in their own?

"May God be with you," he spoke, gravely though still without the energy I would expect from someone who truly was concerned for the Powers down below, as if Lael was replaceable, as if he wasn't about to face a true threat to his life, and lifted his hand.

The glistening of advancements glittered drawing my gaze, his hand looking both human and something else. A true Chariot, one with his upgrades and his past human self.

He snapped before I could ponder any longer at the almost beautiful entanglement of silver along his strong fingers, his grey hair speaking of how very long me must have held them, and  there was true silence.

Snapping my gaze back down to the arena, I noticed the Agawangeh had still in unison, slowly gathering around one very large grey and white furred Agawangeh who stood the head of the group, eyes blazing as prowled on all fours to the edge of where the invisible wall had been. 

It passed the unsaid division with ease, pausing as it realized this, standing on his hind legs looking around it and giving subtle gestures to the others to take up known positions within their group.

"Their intelligent!" I squeezed Falaks hand again, never minding the sweat growing between our entwined palms," Look how he is! He is .  . .he must be the leader of their group."

And it was certian. Not only how the others slowly followed his lead, but for how very large he stood, scars marring the fur and skin in various parts of his body, one of the long pointed ears ripped in a jagged half that surely would have been as white as the other had it still remained. 

"Pack," Falak said and I blinked.

"What?"

Falak nor I moved from our tense postures, the whole crowed seemed to be holding their breath as the Agawangeh approached the half mark of the arena, near where many of the Powers stood in the strange protrusions of the ground. Lael and the male Power he had grouped with remained behind one of these protrusions, but I noticed rather suddenly the girl no longer was with them. 

"The Agawangeh," she spoke smoothly, level with a coldness in her voice that was unlike her normal melodic cheer," When together, they form what is called a pack. "

Any further conversation was cut off short as the harrowing howl of broken song burst from the strange long face, full of sharpened teeth seen all the clearer now the lips pulled back in a snarl.

As if one body, the Agawangeh advanced on the group of Powers, all claws and and teeth, one word seeming to fit them. 

Malice. They where filled with such malice that it emanated from them in waves that carried through the song bursting from their lips.

"Please God," I breathed as the first of the Powers where flung aside by the great paws," Please protect Lael."

I couldn't even think to pray for his success. 

I just wanted him to live.