A Rose Among the Snow (Closed to Mari) Rated Aure

[Lye]

The eternal winter winds of Salvar bit at Lye's form, staved off only by the thick white furs draped over his shoulders. The ghost of a man drifted in his pale ensemble through the cobblestone streets of Rubble Town. The war torn, neglected ruins of Salvar's capital now paid homage to all manners of poverty and filth. Hungry and thirsty eyes peered at him through shadows and windows made of patchwork cloth. The dull, almost lifeless glow of fire flickered through the cracks of sundered masonry - an indicator that life still struggled in these dreary conditions.

The fallen assassin lord searched with serpentine eyes. For what, he himself was not certain. Forgotten by time and left to the elements, Lye struggled to find purpose. Each step weighed heavily not only on the fresh, virgin powder, but his dark and harrowed soul.

He thirsted for purpose.

He hungered for power.

As his stroll carried him across crumbled stone and layers of frozen sewage lining the streets, he caught a familiar glimpse. Red, no, crimson in hue and burning brightly in the light of makeshift fire, he paused. A girl, young enough to hold beauty in her clutches but old enough to throw innocence to the wind, warmed herself in the iced over remnants of a two story building. More akin to a cave than a structure, he watched her shiver to stave off the cold.

He stood in plain view, watching like a predator on prey when the sweet whisper of an old vice ran a finger down his spine. His mouth began to water, skin prickled hot, and grin spread wide under the shadow of his arctic hood. It's kiss beckoned a memory not long forgotten, but distant.

Blood. A life taken to fill the void, if only for a fleeting moment.

With heavy steps, he left the streets and stood just outside the soiled linens which struggled to divide interior from exterior.

"Hello," he cooed in a deep, velvet tone. With a gloved hand, he parted the fabric and entered without invitation.

Lye's hands grew rigid, his mind reflecting on the various weapons hidden beneath his shroud. How would he do it? Where would he start? He quaked at the prospect, the sweet memory of screams, whimpers, and cries echoing in a faint distance only he could hear.

"Lovely home you have here," he continued before perching himself against the remnants of a wall.

Then, he waited. He cherished their initial reactions. He loved the glassed over doe eyes most prey looked upon him with, but it was that fire he enjoyed above all else - that resistance. When they knew they had nothing, but still stood opposed, oh how he relished to snuff out the flame...

With piercing emerald eyes, he watched her on baited breath.

[Mari]

The nights were always like this, cold - and unforgiving. Taking far more lives than the thirst for hunger or flesh combined. Amari huddled around her own fire, fingers stretching out to the dancing, golden flames. It did little to stave off the chill in the air - but it was enough. Enough to survive the night. At times like this, Amari's thoughts wandered back to her home, a large house, filled with empty rooms - beds, hearths, and food. She wasn't sure what she missed most, a meal that was not infested with rot and maggots, or the luxury of a bed, of a restful sleep where you didn't have to worry about being dragged off, stabbed, or mutilated in the still of night.

Before Amari could loose herself in the drawls of nostalgia, another approached - a hooded figure draped in thick, black material, lined with with the colour of wine. His features were shadowed by his hood, but wisps of platinum hair protruded. He looked far too clean to belong here, was he a passing traveller? A mercenary? Regardless, why approach her? Why trudge out in the slums? Clearly, his purpose was less than desirable. She didn't return his greeting. Nor did she reply to his comment of her 'home'

She reached out, extending an arm outward to point down the road to the left. The movement caused the flimsy, tattered remains of her coat to shift. The hood falling back to reveal pale skin, layered with the grime of living in the slums. Her heterochromic eyes stared him down - emerald orbs locking with emerald orbs. Strands of her crimson hair stubbornly stuck out of her makeshift head wrap, and her full lips were dried and cracked. She spoke with an inflection that hinted at nobility, her tone low, and bitter. "If you want to warm yourself, go warm your dick in one of the ladies at the brothel. Not here."

[Lye]

Lye's fingers tapped against the brass pommel of a hidden blade while a grin cracked across his pale features. The girl's response caught him by surprise. In his time on this miserable planet, Lye grew to know two kinds of people - those that fight and those that run. Sadly, he found the latter to be most common. The typical screams, the begs for mercy, the grueling struggle as they crawled away only to leave their stain behind. Those people fell in droves in Eiskalt. Boring. Repetitive.

No, it was the fighters that intrigued him most. When faced with danger, they stood defiant. When Lye held his blade at their throat, they looked him clear in the eyes. These gems were rare and each stood for something unique. Some lost the resolve to live and lacked fear. Others clutched to a purpose. Which one now stood before him, he wondered?

"I see," came his cryptic reply. "Hardened by the cold. A lack of patience. No fear, but in turn, poor manners."

The old assassin stopped tapping his finger upon his weapons, instead bringing his hand in front of his face as though inspecting for some kind of flaw.

"I'm sure the Lords of that brothel would find you a fine fit for their trade. The 'warming of dicks' that is." The tone of his voice writhed with amusement and intrigue. A thin smile bared teeth toward the girl.

"Too messy a line of work for some. Perchnace that is why you're huddled here," he mused with a gesture to the shambles around them. "Instead of spending coins purchased through flesh? Or are you just off shift and looking for some peace and quiet to reflect?"

Fighters often spoke with fists or steel, but some saw worth in word and cunning. Regardless of their weapon, Lye savored one specific moment. Most killers lusted for the cries of agony or the moment light faded from the eyes. No, the true treasure laid in that fleeting moment a fighter becomes broken.

And every fighter could become broken...

With gloved fingers tracing his own frost bitten lips, Lye patiently waited for the damsel's reply. Already, she proved that not only did a fire burn before them, but another burned in her eyes. One the assassin felt the sickly desire to snuff out. But not yet. Not yet.

[Mari]

The pale vagabond smiled at her remark, his thin lips twisting up into a sort of wicked grin - almost hungry. It unnerved Amari. People didn't linger here, they didn't talk to each other beyond the necessity. Their eyes were void, soulless empty and defeated. This stranger was none of that. Amari’s eyes narrowed - she could use this. She could use him to help. Clearly he was well fed, dressed and clean. He was a man with means, and that was worth more than life here. If he could get her a hot meal, or hell - even thicker garments. It’d make life all the easier. The thought to gain more, didn’t occur to Amari, awash in the here and now, she just wanted to survive.


The stranger's voice thick, velveteen, almost seducing if not for the clearly malevolent undertones. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying his attempt to toy with her. Too bad for him, Amari had no mind for such games. No care for such petty insults."I'm Virgin, and with disease." She muttered, in response to his lewd suggestions without skipping a beat. It was part true at least the first half was. She hadn’t even kissed another, let alone lay with anyone. The second was a deterrent, one that had served her well over the years. "Any who lay with me would find their cock puffy with bulbous boils, oozing bloodied pus..." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug, “Good luck fucking anyone for a long while.” Amari mused.

The wind picked up, and howled through the decrepit building. She visibly shivered and shifted her gaze from his to reach out to a nearby log - throwing it onto the fire, the log crushed the flames and a plume of smoke rose up. In the corner, sat wilted dead flowers. Without a second thought to her present company Amari flicked her hand, and with the slightest of gestures the dried plants were flung into the embers, they acted as kindling and the fire erupted into life again. The fire hissed throwing sparks into the air and casting shadows over the dimly lit area. Amari stretched, arching her back till it cracked, goading the stranger into thinking she was relaxed, and at ease. Her nonchalant attitude at times got the best of her, this may be one of those times. Amari unknowingly treaded dangerous waters with this oddity before her, but in a sense, it made it all the more exciting.

To further portray her ‘relaxed’ composure Amari reached up and in a deft, practised motion undid the large headwrap that hid her hair. It spilled down and around her shoulders in tangled waves. Crimson locks settling gently against her neck and collarbone. Amari dragged her dirtied fingernails through her hair, pushing it to one side.

And still, her eyes did not leave his.

"What exactly do you want?" Amari asked, straight to the point. He was a curious man, and his intentions ill. Under her flimsy coat Amari's fingers danced against the worn, splintered wood handle of her rusty dagger. She doubted it would do much to him. He wasn't one of the regular leechers that stalked the streets at night. There was a steeled lust flickering behind his gaze, and Amari had to guess it wasn't just desires of the flesh he sought.

“If you’re seeking to spill blood, I can point you in the right direction of those who actually deserve it.”

[Lye]

"There is no shortage of vile blood to be spilled," Lye replied as he eyed her long, albeit matted, crimson hair. The assassin had never seen a hue so deep, especially in the muted grays of Salvar's wastes.

"But I'm not here for that," he continued, lifting himself from the wall.

He noticed her use some manner of magic to cast the shriveled flora into the smoldering fire. She continued to intrigue him beyond blood, beyond the need for a kill. As he slowly edged around her and the sad fire before her, he noted her every perfection and every flaw. He kept his face plain, except for the momentary raised eyebrow and snicker.

"I don't want anything," he commented, taking a glance at her shapely rear. He shook his head in disappointment. Tattered rags and filth stained clothes leant her little compliment to the pale flesh hidden beneath.

"I have a sense you have wants. Many wants." He paused behind her, leaning in an arms breadth away. His words became softer. "None of the sexual kind, however-- bloody puss and all."

He pulled away, his tones rising to their usual rolling depth. He continued his paces around her, lifting his neck to make a rather obvious observation of her curvaceous profile.

"And you don't speak with the peasant's drawl. I suspect former upper class?" he inquired whimsically.

"A far fall for someone so fair, but at the same token, you've adapted... moderately well..." His eyes traced her neck down to the collar bone and along tattered attire struggling to contain supple breasts. He brought two fingers to his face and rubbed at his chin in contemplation.

"What is it you want?" he asked. "Better yet, what are you clinging onto? You have the assets to deceive men, the fiery will to be more than..."

He gestured a hand to her entirety.

"...this."

Lye finished his tour of the redhead and huffed as he settled back against the wall he stood prior. With a shrug, he shook his head.

"Shame really. You'll most certainly die at this rate. You just don't seem... desperate enough." The thought twisted the corners up his lips upward.

"So what is it then, Ms. Red? And it's not just that I leave you be. What do you want?"

[Mari]

"You're not here for blood, nor for flesh." Her eyes watched as he lifted himself from the wall. Her hand wrapped tighter around the flimsy dagger hidden beneath her robes. The Mercenary circled her, as though he were stalking a cornered prey. Amari clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth "Tsk, tsk. So you're bored then? A Mercenary without work." Amari craned her neck, her eyes following his movements.

As he approached behind her, Amari stilled her breath, her form stiffening- even as he spoke from so far away the warmth from his breath licked at the back of her neck, and sent visible goosebumps down her shoulders and arms. Just what is his game she pondered, eyebrows furrowing. He had yet to show any signs of aggression. It made no sense.

"It's human to have many wants, Merc. And mine, are what any sane person desires. Food that isn't putrid with the sour taste of rot as you bite into it, warmth from this accursed winter, and a full nights rest. Simple, but far from reach." As the platinum haired stranger twisted his neck up, his eyes running over her curves, Amari quickly pulled her robe to cover herself once more, shooting him a glare.

The stranger mentioned her heritage, Amari blinked. "Ah." She relaxed her stance slightly, taken aback by his observation. "Yes. I was taken by bandits, but Father refused to pay." She lifted her shoulders in a dismissive shrug, closing her eyes. "He was going to send me to the Church of Etheral Sway. I haven't the slightest clue what the church is, but I am not one for religion." She paused, lowering her eyes to the dying flame, the bite in her voice hushed by regret. "Even so, I don't know where home is from here. So I can't return. Not that I'd be welcomed."

He waved his hand over her form, suggesting Amari use her assets. The woman visibly blushed. How lewd she thought. Amari bought a hand up to cover a cough, clearing her throat. "I uh-don't see the need to deceive so, it'd only come back to bite me in the ass."

Amari visibly twitched with annoyance at his assumption that she wasn't desperate enough to live. "And what do you deem desperate enough, oh bored Mercenary?" Amari retorted, the fire back in her tone. "Selling my flesh? Spilling the blood of man? I'm not desperate enough to loose my humanity. I'm not desperate enough to deny who I am. If it means I die here, a shrivelled and icen carcass, than so be it. But be damned if I'm going to be anyone but me."

Amari pushed herself to her feet. "You ask what I want?" She gave a bitter laugh, reaching up to push battered bangs away from her face. "What I want is unobtainable, at least here in the slums. Again, I want what anyone wants. Safety. However I am not about to do it at the cost of anothers life."

[Lye]

'Bored?'

His grin spread ear to ear as she spoke. Her tongue wove words of defiance but most of all, they brought to bare a challenge. To call him a mercenary, while true at the moment, gave great insult. Yet instead of a fiery reply, he chuckled. That cold blood in his veins, dead from loss of purpose surged with new warmth, and the hairs on Lye's arms prickled.

She stated her wants, how bland they were. The practiced assassin shook his head with a smirk. The history of her father reminded him of so many similar stories told about the Dukes. The men obsessed over money, power, land, and a woman only should she bare sons. Daughters and unsuccessful wives were no more than bargaining chips to further political gain. This one fell from such conflict, but unlike the woes of others, she looked at him with tenacity.

Never once did she ask for any of her wants. But she stated one which rekindled the assassin in a new way.

'But be damned if I'm going to be anyone but me.'

"You'll wager your own life then," he said with resolve and conclusion. He pushed free from the wall and for the first time, lowered his hood.

Long silken locks of platinum spilled out against pale complexion and narrow, emerald eyes. His sharp features and high cheekbones lifted with an eerie smile. He closed his eyes as he drew in a slow, deep breath of frigid, putrid air.

"You want to remain yourself," he chuckled. "You want to maintain your humanity."

His eyes shot open, heart pounding and a thrill crawling down his spine.

"I want to see that put to the test."

His footsteps fell silent as snowfall while closing the gap between the two like the glide of a spectre. His gloved hand shot from his robes and clasped tightly around the redhead's neck. His muscles tensed and he lifted her from her feet above him. With a piercing gaze, he stared into her eyes as her slender fingers worked to pry her free. His head cocked, studying her as she dangled.

"Something about you..." he hissed. "I need it."

He felt a chill as she struggled, but that defiant spark never left her eyes. It stirred him. Her ragged breathes never yielded to the desperation of death.

"I'll give you safety, food, shelter... but it will cost you everything."

As he growled that final word, she clutched at something hidden. His eyes shot to it, a dagger. He brought his gaze back to her and raised his eyes as if to incite her. The blade bit into his fur shroud, pierced his leathers, and purchased a shallow wound against his cursed flesh. The bone beneath the surface cracked, splintered, and groaned as it stopped her thrust dead. His bones grew to protect him like a carapace from anything deeper than a cut.

The faint memory of pain flooded the back of his mind with warm nostalgia, and he let a dark chuckle slips from his lips. He opened his grip on the girl, dropping her to the floor but not before clutching her wrist and freeing the blade from her grasp. The assassin took a knee beside her as he let her breathe.

"You're mine now," he growled. "And I'm going to strip that humanity from you."

He brought his hand into her view and within it a miasma of pitch black dances with a brilliant blue fire. Instead of warmth, an even greater chill spilled forth from its flickering light. He snuffed it out with a closed fist, demonstrating that she had more to consider than his physical prowess.

"How's that for an offer, Ms. Red?"

His eyes and creased lips erased any idea it was an offer at all.

[Mari]

"Something about you....I need it."

Something about those words, it was akin to a death sentence. Amari let out a small gasp as she felt his grip tighten around her neck. Red spots danced in front of her eyes, and, just as quickly as he had assaulted her, he had let go.

Amari fell to the floor, her palms splayed out, bracing her fall, chest heaving with long, deep rasps as she ravished the cold air she so hated, and was so denied moments before. Her nose still prickled with the scent of his breath, a fine tobacco that reminded her of her father, an earthy tone of incense and the coppery undertones of blood.

She pushed herself up off the ground, to come face to face with the platinum haired mercenary. His wide grin reached from ear to ear. Emerald eyes glinting with a ferocious hunger. Amari didn't need to ask what he needed from her, not when he stated it so clearly. She met his gaze with an audacious glare, her full lips pressed tight in a frown. Be Damned if I'm going to let him She thought.

Her eyes travelled to his hand, a small ball of...blackness seemingly drained the light from around it, deprived of the very essence of life itself. It erupted into a flickering blue flame and the woman shivered, feeling the warmth from her face and body drain. This man, had powerful magic. More than she ever knew existed.

"Hah....wow, Mr. Starlight..."

Amari lowered her head and a long defeated sigh fell from her lips. Her voice cracked. "What choice do I really have?" She glanced up at him with half lidded eyes, her voice almost pleading. "I-I don't want to die."

She leaned forward, thick clumps of hair spilling over her shoulders. Her lithe form shivered from the absence of warmth, but she had not given up. She was not going to let this man, with his brute force and parlour tricks best her. In one deft motion she bought her head up quick and hard against his, colliding with the underside of his chin. Amari pushed him back, bringing her foot to stomp down on his chest as she attempted to flee.

Before Amari could reach the window she heard a sound from behind, and then - there was the feeling of rope twisting around her ankles, it wrapped tightly up toward her knees. Amari, caught off guard came tumbling down with a crash. The velveteen voice spoke calmly from behind.

"I said you're mine now."

Amari twisted her body around, eyes wide. Her heart beating so fast it threatened to erupt from her chest. "And I said be damned if I'm going to be anyone but me she hissed right back, attempting to kick off the rope.

[Lye]

"We'll see about that," Lye spat back as he reeled the girl in hand over fist. Her body dragged across the frozen, dirty streets. Jagged edges bit into her attire and flesh as frost stuck to wet wounds to pull them open further.

"You think--!" Amari began before a frozen splinter of wood ran along her hip, tearing through her rags. She let out a brief cry before contiuing defiantly. "I'm just going to let you -- hnngh -- do what want?!"

"Such fire in you," the assassin crooned as he planted a knee in her gut. The blow dazed her enough for to unceremoniously straddle her midriff. Her legs kicked behind him, loosely bound by the steel cable he managed to lasso her with. With a firm grip, he snatched a wrist and began binding it with cable. Her free hand came across his face, snapping his head to the side.

"Don't fucking touch me you piece of shit!" she shouted. Lye slammed the round of his palm just under her sternum as his unspoken reply. The wind left her heaving chest with a yelp.

"You don't get to decide that anymore, Ms. Red." He clutched her other hand and bound it tightly with the first. As he finished securing the knot, the girl began to laugh between coughs. Tears began to run from her eyes, causing a pause in Lye's actions.

"I don't think I've said anything amusing..." he inquired.

"You're so bored..." A cough. "That you have to get your jollies from this..." She continued to laugh. "What's wrong, Mr. Starlight? Too cheap to pay a whore?"

The assassin's face soured, his neck twisting with a percussive series of pops. He inhaled slowly with a grin.

"You really are a gem." The words left his mouth with the same dripping sweetness of a man appreciating the craftsmanship of an exotic blade or the lay of a lifetime. As he did such, he tore a length of fabric along her dress, revealing the length of her upper thigh.

"Fuck me if you--" she began, interrupted by the firm backhand of the assassin. She opened her to cry out before he forcefully jammed the length of it in her mouth. He lifted her behind the neck and tied a tight knot behind her crimson locks.

"Shut up," he commanded in a flat, frigid tone.

She laughed again, more tears coming from her eyes. Her gaping mouth tried to voice words only to have a garbled mumble escape. She shook her head and laughed weakly once more.

Lye's patience wore thin. With two strong hands, he gripped her by the neck and applied constricting pressure. He bore down on her with weight as her legs thrashed behind him.

"I'm not going to kill you," he cooed, watching with playful intrigue as the light flickered in her bright eyes. He smiled at the comfort this familiar display brought him. "But you're done being 'yourself' today."

His grip tightened, verdant eyes widening and grin spreading wider. The strength of her legs began to fail, her torso writhing beneath him. The red of ruptured veins spidered across the whites of her eyes.

"Go on..." he hissed. "Let it take you. Let that darkness wash over."

See arched her head back, tied arms bluntly colliding with his as she made desperate attempts for air.

"This is desperation," he reminded her as her eyes fluttered and strength seeped from her body.

He raised his brows, opening his lips with a sharp inhale as he watched the moment his strength overcame her will. In those fleeting, beautiful moments, he saw something both invigorating and unnerving - the faint golden hue of her scarlet eyes flashed a bright amber. Then, silence. Her limbs fell limp and his iron clutches released from her throat. He looked down at her bosom and assured it still slightly rose and fell with life.

"Was that so hard?" Lye cooed with the back of his fingers running along her cheek to mop up her tears. "Such a rare gem..."

With a grunt, he lifted himself off her and knelt down by her feet. He took up the remaining cable and lashed her ankles tightly together. Once complete, he removed his fur cloak to reveal the black leather and muted maroon linens underneath. His various knives, daggers, and weapons littered his person, exposed to the chill of Salvar's winter. He tossed the furs over one shoulder as he scooped an arm underneath his new toy. With a quick heft, he slung her over one shoulder then draped the warmth of his enchanted furs over her limp body.

"Let's get you home, shall we?" he muttered, looking to the white capped mountains in the far distance.

As he lifted his boot to begin their journey, the sound of footsteps sounded and a burly voice called out.

"What th'hell y'think yer doin' with our property?!" they shouted, paired with the familiar chime of drawn steel.

The assassin's lips curled into a sinister smile as his free hand danced with an eerie purple glow.

The night's cold air filled with the screams of men. Loud and roaring, then soft and gurgled, finally silent after the dull thud of meat against cobblestone streets...

[Mari]

There was darkness, and Amari felt as though she were drowning in it - she couldn't move her hands or her feet - her body had become listless. It was a ravaging beast, shadowed tendrils licked at her body, their touch causing searing burning sensations to prickle up her appendages and set in her chest. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how hard she fought, she felt herself slipping further and further away. She thought she was going to breath her last breath, just as the last slithering coil slipped around her throat - an odd sensation washed over her. A heated sensation that started deep within her belly, it emitted a soft amber light that grew in brilliance till it drowned out the darkness and bought her mind back to consciousness once more.

Amari groaned, her mind returned to a sensation she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

Warmth?

Her eyelids were too heavy to open, her limbs throbbed as circulation returned to them. Her chest was pained, and her throat ached. Last she recalled she was being dragged through the streets by the platinum haired Mercenary.

"S-Shit!"

Amari shot up and attempted to stand. The dimly lit room span and she lost her balance, crashing down into the warm water that surrounded her naked form. She groaned, feeling a tug on her arm. Amari blinked as she tried to focus her eyes, turning to come face to face with Lye, who held a wet sponge in his hand, and was gently brushing it up and down her body. Her eyes widened and the hue of her cheeks began to rival that of her hair. Amari pulled up her arm to hit him, but it was then that she found her wrists and ankles still bound together. "The hell do you think you're doing?"

Lye didn't look up at her, he continued to dip the sponge into the water then run it across her body. Amari squirmed but he tightened his grip. She winced. "Where the hell am I?" Still no answer. "Tch." She turned away from him to glance around the room. It must have been night out. The howling of the wind rattled the walls, and the scratching of trees scraped the windows. Despite that, there was no chill in this air. She sat in an old, wooden tub filled with sudsy water marred with grime and dirt.

She was also naked.

Something clicked in Amari and she shot emerald eyes back up toward Lye. "You sick fuck! Why the hell am I nude? Are you really that bored? Get your grimy fingers away from me!"

Lye didn't verbally respond to her onslaught of questions or snide remarks. His lips twisted up into a grin, commenting on her form. "I think I'll sell you when I'm done with you." He mused as his eyed washed over her curves, his hands gliding over the round of her breast, pressing hard into her nipples. Amari shied away from his touch, but it seemed to egg the man on more. He shifted behind her, using one hand to cup the fullness of her breast - the other continued to run the wash cloth over her body, sliding it between her legs.

Amari twitched, she had never been touched this way before, it deepened her breath and caused goosebumps to erupt on her body - "S-Stop that."

Lye chuckled darkly, pressing the cloth between her legs. "You really are a virgin aren't you? Where did that fire go?"

Amari bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed, a thin trickle of blood traced its way down her chin and dropped into the water. She shook, with anger, with embarrassment, and with whatever it was he was doing to her.

"I'll fucking' Jam that cloth into your throat and drown you in this bath." Amari hissed, tugging at her binds in an attempt to free herself.