Lilith's Revenge

[Mari]

Lillith commented on her distaste for the snow. It seemed to be the only thing that was a constant in these parts of Salvar. "Hah...You'd be mad to seek out Salvarian snow as a reprise." Amari said, amused.

Her eyes turned to Neko, who voiced his distaste for the food. Amari relaxed her composure, shifting to lean her shoulder against a nearby tree. "Depends where you go, The food I cook is quite delightful. Course, I could pull a rotted Apple from the garbage and it'd be considered noble dining in comparison to the swill that place served." Amari grinned, as she noted the smallest of smirks appear on Neko's features.

For the time being, the conversation, and company was amicable, but it wouldn't last. Lillith used Amari's name, and Amari winced. It didn't feel right, parts of her soul ached. Wishing to be known as Amari again, but the conditioning at the forefront of her mind held fast. "Let's just call me Red from here on out." She muttered, shifting her gaze sideward. She should have introduced herself as such from the start.

Lillith nodded, and continued with her reasoning for her 'vacation' into Salvar

Lye

The name fell from the geisha's lips, spoken with hate filled toxicity.

Amari's eyes grew wide with curiosity, then narrowed with a questioning glare. Soft lips downturned into a frown. She had not yet learned to hide her emotions, and was easily read by the Geisha. "Master Ulroké, huh?" Amari asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Pray tell, Lillith - why do you seek him? If you have a message, I'll be sure to deliver it." She paused, generally - this was where she was taught she would need to barter for the favour. Nothing came for free. Still, a favour owed had its charms. Amari was still attempting to read the woman, and asking for anything in return at this point would be foolhardy.

"Knowing him....he's probably killed your kin?" She paused, waiting for a reaction. Neko twitched. "Clan?"

She got the reaction she wanted, anger.

"I see." Came Amari's quiet response. Amari, unlike Lye was still rationalising whenever she killed. She did not do it out of amusement or boredom, nor even bloodlust. She didn't always agree with his methods.

"I haven't a clue what spurred his ire toward you. Perhaps you were in the wrong place, at the wrong time-" she offered Lillith a wry smile. "Or the right time, pending your feelings toward it all."

She pushed herself off the tree, and dusted the freshly fallen snow from her arms.

"Still, my master is a cruel man - I won't pry into your past. The past is worthless. Now, is it a message you want to deliver? See the man himself?"

Amari cocked her head to the side, eyes flashing dangerously, "or have you come to take your frustrations out on me? An uninvolved third party?"

[Lillith]

“I had.”

Lillith took a deep breath. Now they were on equal terms, she did not feel it appropriate to hide. Here, before Amari, was the woman known by many names, but to those who mattered most, Lillith.

“But, there’s something about you that made me change my mind.”

Neko would have chided her once upon a time, for showing her enemy such weakness. The way she spoke, however. As though resigned to her fate, hinted to further similarities between them. Nobody who truly feared death spoke so carelessly of murder and malefic intent. She wondered…

“He kidnapped some of my sisters. Amongst the women, he stole away into slavery, three of the Southern ninja clan. A long time ago, they saved me.” It was metaphorical salvation. The sort that dragged a dark minded widow from her misery, “I could not let them disappear.”

She became Tigress, their leader, after the previous matriarch mentored her. Although she left that life behind three years prior, loyalty, especially to Akashiman women, was for an eternity.

“No message, then?” Amari, ever calm, continued to stare at her Raven.

“Lillith-sama…”

Neko, finally in control of his nerves, remembered their goal. Though she had changed her mind about harming their quarry, they still had to make sure Lye knew they were close.

“Tell Lye that I am immortal. He can kill me, as he did in the Salvarian snow, a thousand times. No matter how many times I reincarnate, I will always remember. His children, his ancestors, everyone who knows him will not be enough to prevent the day that we are…reunited.”

The levity in her words ended their meeting. Lillith could have admired the night and the nuances of nature for an age. Instead, she bowed politely, and tightened her obi.

“Sayonara, Amari.”

[Mari]

Lillith admitted that she had indeed come to take her frustrations out on Amari. To injure or kill her. Amari gave a small nod of respect. She could not fault the woman for her actions. What did pique her interest, was how Lillith so calmly stated that there was something about Amari. Something that caused her to change her mind. Amari couldn't fathom why. All the red-headed lye-ette had done was instigate, bait and prod the other woman. She'd expected naught but ire. Instead. She was presented with a calm beauty, befitting of the Geisha outfit that the raven haired woman donned.

Just as Lillith and her companion, Neko turned to walk away Amari spoke up. "For what it's worth-" There was a pause, hesitation, and difficulty in saying the words. "I'm sorry he put your brethren through Slavery. No one should be subjugated to that." It was almost comical. Someone in Amari's position denouncing slavery. Someone who was tortured, conditioned and forced into a myriad of situations akin to slavery. Still - Amari now acted of her own accord. Lichensith Ulroke' gave her the option to walk away, and she stayed. That was her 'cause and effect'. Her Choice.

"I'll pass your message on, Lilith."

The words were spoken with a finality. The energy in the air dissipating between the two.Lilith remained calm throughout their entire engagement, and it left the newly broken Amari with little in which to rile herself up. Without that to feed the darker parts of her which Lye had bought to light, she was left with nothing more than, well, herself. The parts of her that even now, the silver haired demon struggled to snuff out.

Parts that showed concern for others, that wanted nothing more than to comfort and mend. Parts that struggled in every waking moment to remain.

"Goodbye."

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Congratulations!

Mari receives 620 EXP and 80 GP!

Lillith receives 620 EXP and 70 GP!

*Note: The experience being the same is a co-incidence. The post less from Lillith at level 4 just so happens to bring the EXP level with Mari. I had to double-check this, but it is correct.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

All rewards added!