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.

[Lye]

"Now now," Lye warned, pressing firmly against the soft skin between her thighs. She clutched her legs together, gripping his hand as he leaned in close to her ear with a whisper. "Is that any way to thank your new benefactor?"

Before she could whip her head back, he snapped away from her with a chuckle. He slipped his hand from her wet skin, leaving the cloth snugly clasped where it was. The platinum haired man, clothed in only his thick cloth pants and the equipment lashed to his waist by thick leather. Light pink scars peppered the entirety of his body, punctures, burns, blunt gashes, and the faint pattern of sutured limbs reattached. He brought an arm across his chest and pressed it against his pectorals until a large, audible pop sounded.

"Food," he started, switching to the other arm and pressing until a pop sounded. "Water, shelter, warmth..."

He trailed on before walking around the wash basin and squatting in front of her so they could be eye to eye. He looked to her bindings with a smirk. Tight coils secured around her wrists and ankles. Between the two ran a chain which anchored to an iron loop bolted to the bottom of the basin. While Lye generally used these to hang underneath suspended corpses to bleed dry, it fit the current application admirably. As she sat, bound, he looked over her clean, glistening skin. His eyes spared no curve nor crevice as they ran over her body with a grin of admiration.

"And safety," he blurted. He lifted to a stand and gestured just beyond himself with an open palm. On a crude pine table sat four, hammered copper basins. Each only a few inches shallow, contained a gift for the girl. With eyes hallowed out, twisted into unusual expressions, and disfigured by necrosis, the heads of four bandits sat in pans of blood.

"I didn't pay much attention, but they mentioned something about you being property?" he asked whimsically, his brows furrowed into a faux concern. "Tch, so if they're dead..."

He diverted his gaze toward a roaring heart at the far side of the room and took several paces toward it.

"And you belonged to them..." he droned on while approaching a wooden mannequin beside the flickering blaze. Upon it, an extremely elegant, but embarrassingly revealing outfit of lace hung. He tugged at the specially fitted fabric that failed to adequately cover an artificial bust.

"I suppose that means you're free?" He looked at her over his bare shoulder, glaring green eyes piercing through drapes of platinum hair. His lips parted into a smile followed by a deep rolling laugh. He shook his head.

"We'll finally get you into something that compliments that supple form of yours," he commented, his tone deeper and serious. The whimsy of his entertainment left his features. He looked at her with disinterest and sighed.

"I said you'll give me everything, and I'm going to take it." He walked over to a bowl of fruit resting on a night stand beside a clean pressed bed and plucked a polished apple from the top. He took a bite from its juicy flesh and walked over to her as he chewed. Again he lowered himself beside her raw, exposed form.

"You can run, but you'll die." He stated with muffled tones of food in his mouth, holding the apple in front of her. "You can fight, but I'll fight back." He swallowed. "Scream all you want, but no one will hear you." He looked to the apple, then her punctured and bleeding lips.

"Eat," he commanded.

[Mari]

Lye slipped away from her form, leaving the wet cloth tightly pressed against her, Amari furrowed her brow. She didn’t like the feelings it caused to stir. “H-hey…” She snapped her head up toward him. “Remove it. I don’t want it there. It feels weird.” Amari was ignored, “HEY!” She shouted, and rocked her body back and forth, trying to dislodge it. The action seemed to have an opposite effect and the surface rubbed up against her. Amari quickly stopped moving. Her lips pursed tightly in a thin line. “Please.” The word was forced, and it made her s called ‘benefactor’ chuckle darkly.

“What’s your name anyway?” Amari asked, attempting to distract herself from the whirlwind of heat that was occurring between her legs.

“Master.”

“Your name.”

“Lord.”

Amari frowned. “I’m Amari, and you’re-”

“Sir.”

This was getting nowhere. He was just listing off titles. “Right…” she muttered. New subject. “Your body…” Amari mused, her eyes traversing the faded scars he bore. “Is that all from...uhm….events, or are parts of it a birthmark?” She wrenched her head, glancing over her back. “I have a small birthmark at the base of my spine. I’ve never seen it properly though. Brother told me about it.”

Still no reaction from the silver haired mercenary. “Ugh. You’re dull.” She muttered.

As if on cue, Lye started listing off the things he had ‘offered’ her, his long, scarred arm sweeping toward an area behind him. Amari turned her head to where the mercenary had gestured. Her face went white as she realized who...what it was. Twisted faces of her captors stared back at her with sunken eyes, and mouths contorted into impossible positions, teeth protruding from nostrils. "Y-you're kidding." She felt her body heave. She dry retched, and felt the taste of bile bubble up in the back of her throat. She wanted a distraction. She got it. Amari tilted her head to the side, over the wooden tub in fear that she would throw up. "W-why would you..." She shivered. Feeling sick. She wrenched her head toward Lye, who calmly sat before her. Tears stung her eyes. "HOW?" She screamed at him. "HOW is THAT safety? What gives you the right to do that to someone?" She hiccuped, her head falling down. "They...they were horrible people...but does anyone deserve that?" She shook her head vehemently, looking back up at Lye with renewed anger in her pained eyes. “Look at YOU! You’re scarred all over! You’ve been in pain! So why?” Her voice broke into a whisper. “Why?”

Whatever she had to say, Lye didn’t want to hear it. He circled her, shifting behind. Amari tilted her head slightly, green eyes following his actions. He pulled at a dress. Exquisite yes. Practical? No. “I’d die if I wore that outside.” She muttered dryly, her voice still afflicted with pained tones.

Lye kneeled down in front of her, commanding her to take a bite of the apple he was chewing moments before. It wasn't poisoned, else he wouldn't have taken a bite of it himself. Amari glared up at Lye, initially refusing. Her stomach rumbled. She leaned forward and took a bite of the apple. Hunger winning over pride. She drew in a sharp breath. It tasted bittersweet, juicy, and crunchy. "I-I forgot what they were supposed to taste like." Amari mumbled, chewing thoughtfully. She swallowed and instinctively leaned forward to take another bite, her teeth sinking into the fruit with a satisfying 'crunch' She glanced up at Lye who appeared to be smiling. Pleased with her placidity.

“Do you like it?”

Amari was taken by surprise at the question. She wasn’t expecting him to ask if it were palatable or not. “Are you stupid? Of course I did.” She quickly drew her head away. Feeling as though she had just given into exactly what he wanted for answering.


"You know...." Amari's gaze wandered back to the silver haired man. "You may attempt to take away everything.." She paused, her green eyes travelling downwards she shifted uncomfortably in the tub, both the chains and the cloth still bothered her.

"But, Master Starlight." She placed emphasis on the title, as though she were challenging its importance. "You will never. Ever. Take away my soul. The core of who I am. No matter how you make me writhe, no matter how pained my screams become, or limp my body is. I'll die before you ever have the entirety of me." she twisted her lips up into a lop-sided grin. "Call it being stubborn, call it spite. Regardless. You will never, and can never have everything.”

[Lye]

Lye laughed at her word of warning. His palm opened and the apple rolled forward and spilled into the grime and sudsy water. His laughter suddenly stopped dead and he thrust his hands between her legs. With a slide and pressure against the cloth which bothered her so, he looked at her with cold, stern eyes.

"Then let me rephrase." He pressed into her, finger running along the soft groove unseen. "When I'm done with you." His other hand clenched under her jaw, forcing her to look back at him with those golden laced eyes. "You won't have anything left to give me..." He pulled the cloth from her thighs and shoved her face free.

Lye cast away the rag to be dealt with later, and snatched one of his cursed blades from the scabbards latched to his back. With deft movments and a swift stroke, the bindings around her hands broke loose.

"Don't move," he commanded, but gave her little time to question. His cold blade slid between her soapy thighs, precise enough to leave her unmarred while sliding through the bindings at her ankles. A flick of the wrist, and the assassin freed her legs. He tugged, the wakizashi slipping past smooth flesh. With her hair, he cleaned the blade dry and slammed it back to its sheath.

"And I said..." He grabbed a handful of her brushed, crimson hair and yanked her to her feet. "Master..." He pulled her from the bath, knocking the wooden basin over and spilling filthy water along the stone slab floor. "Lord..." He dragged her to the bed where he threw her face down. "...or sir."

Lye straddled her on the bed, his hand reaching to the nightstand where a lace choker of black spidersilk sat. As she struggled, he pinned her arms and wretched them behind her back so he could hold them down with his legs. Like a garrote wire, he slipped the collar in front of her and to her neck, pulling back tightly. He flicked her crimson locks out of the way and snapped the small mithril clasp shut.

"There." He let her loose and lifted his body enough so her arms could free, but as they did, he purchased grip on them and flipped her on her back. Hands quickly pinned her wrists and he leaned his pale, scarred body against her soft, silken flesh.

"That's yours now," he hissed. "You are free to take it off whenever you please, but I wouldn't recommend it."

As he spoke, he pressed his hips against hers, leather pushing against skin. His sharp, emerald eyes stared into hers, but his face remained stern with a scowl. He tilted his head toward her exposed, damp bosoms and inhaled of her scent. The sweet notes of innocent flowers, soft summer breezes, and aroma of earthy woods filled his senses. He exhaled with a quiver.

"I'm going to enjoy breaking you," he commented. As he lifted his head from her ample chest, he moved her wrists together above her head and clutched them with one hand.

"Even if I need to throw you on death's door," as he spoke the correct word, his free hand pulled one of his cursed Four Horsemen blades from his back and held it's point above her chest. He brought it down slowly, watching her eyes, not the blade.

"Stay still," he warned. The blade lowered. "Stay still," he repeated, this time softer. The tip of steel touched flesh just between the valley of her breasts. He pressed, biting it through skin and stopped. With a grin, he withdrew it and returned it to its sheath. A small droplet of blood bubbled to the surface and from it spanned a black, three pronged star no bigger than a gold coin.

"Good. Very good." With the compliment, he dismounted her, waiting until he had his own footing before freeing her wrists. He walked to the far wall near the hearth nearby and pulled a cotton cloth from a wooden coat rack. He tossed it to her.

"Now dry yourself and get dressed." he ordered. "Don't forget to dry between your legs." A snicker found his lips.

[Mari]

Amari felt a wave of annoyance as she watched the apple bounce along the waters surface, to her, it was still perfectly edible. She'd eaten far worse - but it was such a waste. His callous laughter stopped and Amari stilled, her body stiffening as she felt the heat of his hand against her. She could feel his fingers dance along her entrance, almost teasingly so through the cloth. "S...st-ahh..." A sound that sounded like a moan breezed past panting lips. Amari leaned forward, helplessly resting her head against his shoulder; her body shivered at his touch - both repulsed and aroused at his deft fingers, gently exploring and poking.

Amari was forced to look at Lye, his emotionless green eyes staring down into her half lidded orbs. Her chest heaved with slow deep breaths and for once, Amari had no words. He pushed her face free and threw the rag against the ground with a wet 'slick'

Amari felt dazed at the sudden onslaught on her body, she registered that she was free, but hadn't moved until he yanked her up by her hair, the sudden pain had snapped her out of her sensual stupor. "Ow! What the Fuck!" She reached up to grasp his wrists in an attempt to detangle his fingers from her hair. Amari was thrown to the bed, arms pinned. She could feel a cool tingling sensation around her neck where the spidersilk necklace sat.

Amari had little time to react to anything, next thing she knew - she had her body pressed into the folds of the bed, the mixed scents of freshly pressed linen and earthy copper wrinkled her nose. Amari's body writhed under his, her erect nipples danced lightly across his scarred flesh as her chest rose and feel with deep, heavy breathing. "Get....off...A-aah!" She moaned, fleshy hues of pink evident in her cheeks, unwittingly crying out as she felt the cool leather of his belt press into her hips, on instict, she bucked them into him before shying away in a fit of shivers. "w-what..." Amari, having never experienced any sensations of the flesh, assumed it was magic. "Magic is this...?" She breathed. Her question bought no answers, only a widening, hungry grin from 'Sir Starlight'

Amari slightly lifted her head, scowling in his direction. Her eyes dialated, a new sensation coursing through her body as he dangled the blade. Her brows lowered, and she seethed. A newfound fire burning behind her golden trimmed irises. "That doesn't scare me."

If Lye hadn't repeated his command in a softer tone, Amari would have attempted to wrench away, but something about it made her hold her breath - her eyes lowering to the blade in morbid curiosity. her body twitched as the tip of the blade pierced her, but it didn't exactly hurt. "What....the...?" A droplet of wine blood formed - then expanded out to form a small, black star which settled neatly between her breasts. "What....what is this?" Amari sat up as she was released, her hands finding the mark she pressed it and felt an odd prickling sensation like pins and needles.

A cloth was thrown against her face, with an order to dry herself. Amari scowled back at her 'benefactor' "Tch..." She pulled her ferocious gaze away from his. "Only because if I don't - I'll freeze." She asserted. Despite her words she listened, and began to pat down her body.

As Amari began drying herself she heard the comment about drying between her legs. Amari rolled her eyes, and went to do so - as if she wouldn't. The woman quickly pulled her hand away at the wet sensation. It didn't feel like water. She bought her fingers to her face, spreading them - a thin string of transculent liquid connected them.

"The fuck did you do to me?" She hissed, turning and presenting her hand to the amused man. "Is it that black mark?"

"Dress yourself, and I'll tell you."

Amari huffed, turning away from Lye, she lowered herself to pick up the flimsy dress, and with a great deal of effort and wriggling she managed to pull it over her form. The woman headed over to the full length mirror beside the bed to get a better look at herself. She hadn't looked into a proper mirror for what felt like years.

"That's....me?"

Staring back at her, was a sultry woman - full red lips and rosy cheeks. Her hair, brushed cleaned and dry cascaded down her back and over her shoulders in rolling ruby waves. Her collarbones protruded above her chest. Her breasts...since when were they that big? They sat, pert, round and snug in the flimsy material. Her ribs, and hip bones protruded slightly, signs of malnutrition - but her hips were wide and full.

Her hands danced over her form, smoothing out the wrinkles in her attire, a flimsy bra and undergarment set whose material mimicked vines growing over her body. It was a little ironic, considering her gift- she lifted herhands up to the collar. It looked like it was woven with such intricate detail, but why wasn't she able to remove it? "Tch." In an act of defiance she reached up to unclasp the choker. It fell away easily enough,but the moment the last of its material left the touch of her skin - a sharp and excruciating pain shot down Amari's spine. She screamed and collapsed to the floor, her body contorting wildly as her flashing eyes rolled into the back of her head.

She rolled around on the floor for minutes which seemed like centuries, her shaken hands finally managed to push the collar back to her throat, and as the mythril clasp closed, the pain ceased. she lay on the floor, beathing heavily, tears trailing down her face. Right...don't do that again... she thought.

"You're...A...twisted....bastard..." She muttered between staggered breaths

[Lye]

Lye grimaced as she stood in front of the mirror. Thin cloth hugged her sultry, albeit, malnourished form. Through the gaps of lace and silk, the entirety of her body remained visible. Only the absolute bare essentials remained covered from lecherous eyes. He walked over to the bowl of fruit as she looked herself over and picked a pear from the bowl. He perched a seat on her bed, took a bite of the pear, and waited. His eyes followed her hands to the clasp at the back of her neck. Mithril unclasped and to the ground she collapsed.

He sighed and took another bite as she screamed and wreathed. He chewed loudly with his hand on his chin, eyes dull and disinterested as she shook horribly. Finally, she managed to return the collar to her neck. To see such beauty in such agony often fueled his lusts, but her ignorance and defiance fell into textbook predictability.

"Did I not warn you?" he asked with a shake of his head. Then, with a grin, he continued. "Do I look like the kind of man that lies?"

Fully aware of the common answer, a soft chuckle bellowed from his chest. He placed the partially eaten pear beside her bed and wiped its juices on the fresh sheets. With a wipe of his fingers on the corners of his mouth, he cleaned its sweet nectar from his lips. Then, those same long, dexterous fingers held a hand out to her as if to help her stand. All he needed her to do was consider the offer of his aide before he snapped his hand into a fist.

Shadows from under her jawline deformed and came to life. They slithered down to her choker and possessed its fibers. Fist clenched, Lye commanded it to constrict around her neck, and it did.

"Now crawl to me," he ordered. There was hesitation, her fiery zeal providing that resistance and provocation he craved. He expected her to try to remove it, but she knew those results. The more she resisted, the more he constricted her. Until, she had no choice but to crawl.

"Now look at me," he stated, his eyes locked on her beneath him. He used his will of the shadows to yank her choker as if it were leashed by an invisible force.

"The rest of this night is yours." He stated with a grin, looking her over with a small glint of pride. "Enjoy it."

He reached down and ran his hands through crimson strands before pulling her head into his lap and forcing her to look up at him. He smiled at her with ill intentions and exhaled a heat on his breath. Then, as though turning off a switch, let her free of both forms of his control, physical and magical. He rose from the bed, walking over her as though she were thickets of a wood to wade through. Leaving her on the floor, he made way to the exit of this isolated abode where his standard attire waited for him.

"You'll want to lock the door when I leave Little Red," he stated plainly as thick linens and leather covered his pale, toned torso.

"You're welcome to leave it unlocked or explore, but..." He snapped all the latches, belts, and buttons in place, tugging his vest for a secure fit.

"The men who report to me haven't quite learned your place." As he pulled the snow white pelts of arctic wolves over his form, he shot her a sinister glare intended as a warning.

"I'm sure they'd be eager to find out which place you fit best..."Lye's emerald eyes peered at her practically exposed chest and full, round hips. From what he could gather, she was indeed a virgin down there and oblivious to the workings of her own body. He sneered then shook his head of that going to waste.

"Goodnight, Ms. Red. Tomorrow, you will have steak and eggs for breakfast." Tone flat as cold slate, the assassin pulled open the door.

The howling winds and bitter cold stole the heat from the room in a manner of seconds. Motes of white drifted in as snowy spirals across the wet floor and threatened to quell the flames in the hearth. Outside, only an expanse of frozen wastes awaited. Few small free-standing huts peppered the immediate vicinity, viewed only for a brief moment before he shut the door behind him. Boots sank deep in knee high powder as he waded to the largest structure of the Seventh Sanctum, a massive longhouse butted up against a sheer, rocky cliff.

Eternal winter threatened Lye's exposed lips which already seemed frozen in the shape of an amused sneer. Behind him, perched atop the length of roof of the hut he left were nearly two dozen black ravens. They weathered the storm and huddled together in silence, their keen eyes watching their surroundings as their master faded into his abode.


We can end this thread after your next post and start you some EXP/GP while starting a new thread. Or, we can continue here. Let me know.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Lye receives 1050 EXP and 90 GP!

Mari receives 515 EXP and 80 GP!

Congratulations!

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

All rewards added!