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femslashficlets2015-06-05 08:40 am
samuraiter) wrote in femslashficlets2015-06-05 08:40 am
Entry tags:
FIC: Song of Death [Age of Ishtaria – Elato / Lich (Mature)]
Title: Song of Death
Fandom: Age of Ishtaria
Pairing: Elato / Lich
Rating: Mature
Prompt: 007 – Dark [010 – Remainder]
Word Count: 920
Summary: Beware the binders and keepers of souls.
* * * *
"I suppose it is inevitable that you and I should meet." She had a voice like a song – a voice that Elato recognized, one that could have put a spell on her if she had been anybody but herself. Yes, she had read of Lich in her tomes, had read of her ability to charm any mortal, to bind them on the spot and steal their soul. They both practiced the same black magic, but Elato used it because, as a human, it had been her trade, and she had learned it from the ground up. Lich used it because it suffused her entire being, and she had a craving for human life, thirsted for it like the soil thirsted for water.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Elato replied, inclining her head to the other sorceress, "and to serve together under the same ... Knight of Ishtaria, as they call the summoners these days." Lich returned the gesture in equal measure, signifying her recognition of Elato as her equal. "I suspect you already know my name, as I know yours." At that, Lich nodded, the half-smile on her face hinting at secrets shrouded by the darkness. "Then there is no need for us to be enemies. Our original lives have already come and gone. All of this around us is but playing at shadows."
"Perhaps," Lich said, the chains on her wrists jingling as she leaned against her scythe, "but this is a journey that has no clear destination. You and I might be colleagues for a long time to come." A full smile, accompanied by a spark of interest in eyes the color of blood. "Collaborators, if you will. I have read of you, as you have no doubt read of me." She tilted her head, and Elato had to admit to herself that, if she did not already know of her trickery, the power behind her gaze could have rooted her to the ground. "You are a merchant of souls, after all. I am more about ... repossessions, if you will."
"Unable to escape your thirst?" Elato chided, and Lich chuckled in response. "I miss my ledgers, too. And repossession is not strange to me, either." Wistfulness. She did miss the trappings of her original life. "For every person I ... helped, it always seemed like I had to pursue ten others for defaulting on their obligations." But one memory escaped her. "And yet ... I have no idea of the tally at the end, how many souls I had in my care when my time came. If that last ledger still existed, I suppose I could check it." A shake of the head. "But I suppose that is a moot point after all these centuries."
"I never bothered counting," Lich said. "After all, do you count each glass of wine, each swallow of water?" Another chuckle. "But that is me. I come from a time when very little was recorded, and I suppose that makes me sloppy." She still had that gleam in her eye. "But you do realize that our strengths are complementary, no? Summoned or not, there is ... profit to be had here, if you follow my meaning." She looked over her shoulder, her gaze turned upon the Knight of Ishtaria, talking to other heroes she had summoned on the other side of the encampment. "Profit from innocence, that is."
Elato did like the sound of that. "I do, in fact, follow." And she stood close to Lich in order to keep their exchange private. "The souls of heroes are not like the souls of the mortals they used to be, of course. They have a richness and texture to them that you and I both remember." Lich nodded, understanding. "A little here, a little there, not enough to violate the terms of the sacred contract. A little for you, a little for me. We need only be quiet and clever." She liked to tell herself that she could be disinterested, but the fact remained that she had a little of the same thirst that made Lich infamous.
"I hoped that you might say that," Lich said, taking Elato by the hand. "So let me seal this contract with ... a small gesture, if you will." And she kissed her lightly on the back of her hand. "Separated by thousands of years, but alike in purpose. Let us enjoy our brief sojourn together." A wink, another half-smile. "I shall go and see what our Knight has planned for us. You and I can fill in the cracks later." And off she went, her hips swaying, her scythe balanced on one shoulder, humming to herself in that voice that could entrance any mortal and make the loss of a soul not only painless, but ecstatic.
And Elato watched her go, thinking to herself, A brief sojourn, perhaps, but – A smile, for herself alone. – I am going to enjoy this. And, perhaps, enjoy you, too. After all, reading about you is one of the things that made a practitioner of me in the first place. Not that you need to know that. She narrowed her eyes, relishing the idea of a challenge. You made yourself from my idol into my equal. But how to make you from my equal into my concubine? A thought for another day, perhaps. Conspiracy inside conspiracy. It reminded her of days long gone, and in more than one way.
Little did she know that Lich was already having similar thoughts ....
END.
Fandom: Age of Ishtaria
Pairing: Elato / Lich
Rating: Mature
Prompt: 007 – Dark [010 – Remainder]
Word Count: 920
Summary: Beware the binders and keepers of souls.
* * * *
"I suppose it is inevitable that you and I should meet." She had a voice like a song – a voice that Elato recognized, one that could have put a spell on her if she had been anybody but herself. Yes, she had read of Lich in her tomes, had read of her ability to charm any mortal, to bind them on the spot and steal their soul. They both practiced the same black magic, but Elato used it because, as a human, it had been her trade, and she had learned it from the ground up. Lich used it because it suffused her entire being, and she had a craving for human life, thirsted for it like the soil thirsted for water.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Elato replied, inclining her head to the other sorceress, "and to serve together under the same ... Knight of Ishtaria, as they call the summoners these days." Lich returned the gesture in equal measure, signifying her recognition of Elato as her equal. "I suspect you already know my name, as I know yours." At that, Lich nodded, the half-smile on her face hinting at secrets shrouded by the darkness. "Then there is no need for us to be enemies. Our original lives have already come and gone. All of this around us is but playing at shadows."
"Perhaps," Lich said, the chains on her wrists jingling as she leaned against her scythe, "but this is a journey that has no clear destination. You and I might be colleagues for a long time to come." A full smile, accompanied by a spark of interest in eyes the color of blood. "Collaborators, if you will. I have read of you, as you have no doubt read of me." She tilted her head, and Elato had to admit to herself that, if she did not already know of her trickery, the power behind her gaze could have rooted her to the ground. "You are a merchant of souls, after all. I am more about ... repossessions, if you will."
"Unable to escape your thirst?" Elato chided, and Lich chuckled in response. "I miss my ledgers, too. And repossession is not strange to me, either." Wistfulness. She did miss the trappings of her original life. "For every person I ... helped, it always seemed like I had to pursue ten others for defaulting on their obligations." But one memory escaped her. "And yet ... I have no idea of the tally at the end, how many souls I had in my care when my time came. If that last ledger still existed, I suppose I could check it." A shake of the head. "But I suppose that is a moot point after all these centuries."
"I never bothered counting," Lich said. "After all, do you count each glass of wine, each swallow of water?" Another chuckle. "But that is me. I come from a time when very little was recorded, and I suppose that makes me sloppy." She still had that gleam in her eye. "But you do realize that our strengths are complementary, no? Summoned or not, there is ... profit to be had here, if you follow my meaning." She looked over her shoulder, her gaze turned upon the Knight of Ishtaria, talking to other heroes she had summoned on the other side of the encampment. "Profit from innocence, that is."
Elato did like the sound of that. "I do, in fact, follow." And she stood close to Lich in order to keep their exchange private. "The souls of heroes are not like the souls of the mortals they used to be, of course. They have a richness and texture to them that you and I both remember." Lich nodded, understanding. "A little here, a little there, not enough to violate the terms of the sacred contract. A little for you, a little for me. We need only be quiet and clever." She liked to tell herself that she could be disinterested, but the fact remained that she had a little of the same thirst that made Lich infamous.
"I hoped that you might say that," Lich said, taking Elato by the hand. "So let me seal this contract with ... a small gesture, if you will." And she kissed her lightly on the back of her hand. "Separated by thousands of years, but alike in purpose. Let us enjoy our brief sojourn together." A wink, another half-smile. "I shall go and see what our Knight has planned for us. You and I can fill in the cracks later." And off she went, her hips swaying, her scythe balanced on one shoulder, humming to herself in that voice that could entrance any mortal and make the loss of a soul not only painless, but ecstatic.
And Elato watched her go, thinking to herself, A brief sojourn, perhaps, but – A smile, for herself alone. – I am going to enjoy this. And, perhaps, enjoy you, too. After all, reading about you is one of the things that made a practitioner of me in the first place. Not that you need to know that. She narrowed her eyes, relishing the idea of a challenge. You made yourself from my idol into my equal. But how to make you from my equal into my concubine? A thought for another day, perhaps. Conspiracy inside conspiracy. It reminded her of days long gone, and in more than one way.
Little did she know that Lich was already having similar thoughts ....
END.