Private Tales Life's Blood

[Rice]

Darkness resounded in the overcast night, no moon or stars visible through the veil of clouds. Rice doubled over as she struggled to drag the young boy's unconscious body through the dirt. He was about her age, ten or eleven, but his limp form was still quite heavy for her young body to maneuver. He was gagged and bound, blood from the cut on his brow staining his face and hair.

"Why did you have to do this?" She hissed though there was no one around to hear her. Darling, don't worry, it was completely necessary. The woman's voice in her head purred. "But what do I do with him now? And what do I do when the villagers notice he's missing?" It's simple, take him to the Witches place. There we can deal with him. Do not assist this devil woman with her evil plots, you are better than this child. The other voice in her head sounded. A deep booming metal voice as if the man were encased in armor. "But then what am I supposed to do? It's not as if I can put him back?"

Then the boy began to move, a muffled groan sounding through his gag, and his eyes flickered open, fearful and panicked as they met hers. "I'm so sorry," Rice said to him as she continued to drag him "But now that it's done I can't put you back," He began to struggle, forcing her to drop him. The back of his head came in contact with the hard ground, his muffled protests coming to an abrupt halt from the sudden pain. "Please don't struggle," Rice sighed "I don't want to do this either. You're just making this more difficult." I can take care of this. The woman's voice soothed in her ear. Just, give me control. I'll make all of your problems go away. Do not accept her temptations child You can resist and do the right thing. Rice let out a long breath, looking wearily down at the terrified boy with dead green eyes. "Alright, deal with it." She sighed.

Almost instantly a light came into her eyes, a twisted smile snaking its way across her face as she straightened and stretched her arms and back. "Ah, this is nice," Just don't hurt anyone else. "No promises sweetheart," She scoffed leaning over the boy as he struggled. She grabbed him by his collar placing her foot on his shoulder as she pressed the sharp blade of a knife to the soft flesh under his chin. "Shhhhh," She soothed, his muffled cries softening to a whimper as he stopped struggling. Her smile widened as tears filled his terrified eyes. "That's better, now behave yourself or I will have to knock you out again. That's a good boy."

She looped her arms back under his and continued to drag him through the trees. When she reached the Witches door she dropped the boy unceremoniously, his head hitting the ground again with a thunk. Please be careful with him. The demon woman ignored the request standing upright and brushing her hands off before she gave the door a sharp rap.

Asuego Kiamast

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

If the sky wasn't dark enough already, the trees could not improve the location one bit. The deeper one went, the more it was overgrown and dark. And when seagrass was in full swing, many peculiar forest flowers were in bloom.
But this late...this late the flowers rested.
The building at the end of the overhrown path was not too big, but the clutter on the houtside made it appear rather opressingly huge. Floors appeared scattered, with windows left and right at various parts of the house, the chimey too was crooked looking, with smoke spewing out in thick clouds.
Yet the warm inside behind the windows was so welcoming, the glow within the lower level windows like honeyed aura.

Before the fist could clash against the door, it suddenly snapped open, the heat of the house envaloping the girl and child outside...
»COME IN COME IN I ALWAYS LIKE GUESTS«

The house was as chaotic on the inside as on the outside, The shelves were cluttered to the brim, the table was likewise stuffed with various organic materials. From the ceiling hung many trinkets, fetishes and bushels of dried herbs, garlic and peppers, you almost had to hunch over if you were an adult. The wardrobe with the overhanging bookshelves had a peculiar courtain over a long section of it, but the most peculiar location was the carpet on the floor, seemingly the only location that was left free of any form of clutter.

In the most prominent corner of the house lay a closed stove that almost appeared like a knight's helmet, the light of it illuminating the whole building etherealy.

»AND CLOSE THE DOOR I REALLY HATE THE DRAFT« The muffled sound was heard again.


Yet nobody was here, the house seemed vacant.

 

[Rice]

Rice seemed unfazed by the sudden opening of the door, nor was she bothered by the apparent lack of a person opening it. She merely picked the boy up under the arms and dragged him inside dropping him on the carpet to once again hit his head on the floor with a muffled omf. She stood up and twisted stretching ut her back and rolling her shoulders. "Damn he's heavy why do human parents feed their children so much," She muttered as she closed the door. Because if we don't eat we die. The demon woman could hear the sigh in the girl's voice as she spoke in her head but she continued to ignore it. "Nice place you have here," She said glancing around and moving some of the junk on the table aside to sit perched on the edge, "Apologies for the boy bleeding on your carpet but it can't be helped, humans, bleed so easily." She said inspecting her nails which were stubby and blunt. She scowled and flipped to looking at the back of her hand. We may bleed easily but you are in my body so please be careful, I don't like bleeding. "Oh don't worry child I have no intention of bleeding, and darling you really need to grow your nails out, this really is unacceptable," She drawled. Return Rice's body to her this instant, If you were in your true form I would smite you right here. Don't roll your eyes. In the demon wars, I was feared by all, I slew thousands on the battle feild. In fact, I was so feared that once I... He continued to ramble on but neither the child nor the demon was listening.

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

»WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE TO BLEMISH MY FLOOR« The blunt, loud voice came from within the stove, chastising the not so apparent mess in the grand scheme of the room's chaos. The apparatus visibly flared up whenever it spoke.


After a bit of deliberation it spoke again.
»WELL COME CLOSER COME CLOSER TELL ME WHAT YOU COME FOR«
Embers gushed in every direction from the stove. The fire within flickering loudly.

 

[Rice]

Rice glanced absently over at the stove. "Demon or elemental?" She said lightly, jumping down from the table and moving towards the stove. There a sway in her step, she walked almost like a cat. She didn't even seem to notice the heat and sparks from the stove as she looked down her nose at the burning force inside.

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

»I AM THE MIGHTY ARDONNA«

The flames seemed to gush brighter, but the tone of the sound was no different than before. In fact itnever changed tone.

The blaze within the stove seemed more enthralling than a normal flame. It even had a mouth...which moved with a sort of lag to it.

 

[Rice]

"Ah, I see. It is always a pleasure to meet a fellow demon." She said with a bow "In a previous... existence, I was known as Eoliaf." She righted herself and glanced around the mess of a house. "How did you end up here? In a witches stove of all places?"

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

»NO NO NO THE MIGHTLY ME AS A SERVANT OF THE WITCH NO NEVER «

A strong momentary ghust of wind screamed against the house.

»...SHE SERVES ME... -«

The wind picked up in a momentary ghust indoors. The shingles of the very roof were rocked and disturbed, while Ardomma went hush and dim in a split of a second, as if it were extinguisged. Only a barely visible gloom was deep at the end of the stove.



In the deatly still, apale white hand was placed on Rice's shoulder, seemingly out of nowhere.
»Quite decietful again, Ardomma? Who are these two 'lambs'.«
She spoke to the girl while gleaming at the her with putrid eyes. Their segmented pupils shone back like those belonging to wild beasts. Her curly hair was long as rope and white like snow. But she appeared to not tall for an elf.
Peculiarly black down was fluttering thtough the room and settling on the floor.

»Now child...«

 

[Rice]

Eoliaf tilted her head looking back up at the woman without turning around, a smile snaking its way across her face. "The true mistress of the house I presume," She spun around on her heel "Did you really sleep with Izachor, or is that just here say?" She purred. She stared off into the distance and began to twirl a strand of red hair around her finger. "Because if you did, well then, you're one lucky mortal... he does have good sex, I didn't know he was still interacting with mortals." She continued staring off into the distance as if reminiscing but then snapped back to the present in an instant, "Anyway, the names Eoliaf and I heard that you have some skill with demon summoning. Seeing as you have one in your stove it seems the rumors were true."

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

»Yes, this is my abode.« Though her nose wrinkled when the mention of those other rumours came in play. She could and would not confirm or deny them.


»Of course that is no rumour.« Asuego held her own hands together as she wandered off, mulling on about the demons.
A few hanging talismans she put into her hand, each one anxiously rattling before inspecting the wards that were still.

»A demon... in a mortal vessal.« No wonder the wards did not work. She eyed the boy on the floor.
»Oh... so predictable... And the boy is some kind of price?«

The flickering flame in the stove started growing again, illuminating the room.

 

[Rice]

The boy's eyes went wide and he began to struggle again, muffled cries of fear making their way through the gag. Eoliaf raised her eyebrows. "The particular demon I wish to summon requires a living blood sacrifice," You never said anything about that, Rice protested. Eoliaf just rolled her eyes and ignored her before continuing to address the witch. "Don't worry darling, I have something to pay you for your services as well. Do you prefer money or knowledge?" She said returning to her perch on the table and crossing her legs.

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Asuego walked away from everyone. She pulled her hair together and tied it mid-lenght.

»A demon requiring a blood sacrifice. A child that will be missed. A job somebody needs doing, a job requiring me. But one part of the equation is missing.«

She turned to the girl child and crouched very lightly, almost patronising in how she put her hands on her thighs.

»I work 'with' demons, not for. «

She stared right at her little green eyes with her own, whose irises were athropied. The pupil no longer seeming like a central dot, but a black void amid the holes in the iregular lacelike iris. Her vision clearly was not among the best, yet the Ardomma did not dare to go the the previous strenght of illumination. It was clear that the witch would rather bind an almighty demon for utility, rather mind them to the many fetishes that hung off the ceiling and walls, plenty looking more scary that the demons they held. Just how many could there be?
One of the fetishes shook, staring with it's birdskull face at the little bound boy

 

[Rice]

The boy gave a muffled whimper trying to scoot away from everyone, searching the room with wild terrified eyes.

Eloliaf matched her stare leaning forward and placing her elbow on her knee and her chin lightly on the back on her hand. "Sweetheart. I'm much, much older than any of these sweet babe's you have under your service here. I would think twice before insulting me. I have studied the art of blood magic for thousands of years. Don't tell me the offer isn't tempting. I know everything from how to slow down the aging process of a mortal, to how to create a shroud of invisibility, to how to summon rain using only a handful of rice and the blood of a goat."

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

The witch was unmoved by the boastful barking.

A smirk formed on her face before looking down and shaking her head.
»And here you are, trapped in a vessel of a little girl.«

 

[Rice]

Eoliafs eyes narrowed. "It's only temporary, a mutually beneficial arrangement. And I'm not trapped, just besieged," She absently picked up a small clear glass vile from the table swirling the dark liquid around inside. She gently brought it up to her nose and took a sniff before dabbing a finger on the rim and bring her finger to her tongue. She cocked her head and shrugged. "Hum, belladonna." What! That's my body, I'm in here, I don't want to die. Rice sobbed. Eoliaf gently placed the vile down on the table and rolled her eyes. "Don't worry child, remember that nasty stuff I made you drink earlier, it will counteract most poisons," She said hopping down from the table and walking to stand over the boy who had now backed up into a pile of junk in the corner. He stared back at her with wide eyes. "If you are squeamish about hurting a child then you don't have to kill him, just enough for the spell should be enough. Still more than I would want to give myself, but he'll live."

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Keep convincing yourself that...demon.

»That is for the eyes...« Asuego muttered out lowly on the Belladon as she noticed the sip.


»Not even unwanted children are not missed. If you have to spill blood, it will have to be your own.« Though Asuego was not completely against on giving off some of her own as a suppliment.

Her wiggest concern was always if that single wrong move that will tip off her neighbors.

 

[Rice]

"Ugh, I put so much work into him though, do you have any idea how hard it is to drag something heavier than you are in this tinnie body, it seems a pity to waste it." Eoliaf groaned, she could hear Rice starting to panic inside her head rapid breathing mixing with her words as she tried to break free. Please, no, don't bleed me. I don't want to do that again, not again. Let me back in, please, don't do this. A sly smile spread across Eoliaf's face as she turned around to look at the witch. "If you're so concerned about the safety of the boy then what about the child I am inhabiting? You see, one way or another an innocent child gets bleed. He is a hardy boy, don't tell me he doesn't have a better chance of surviving this than she does?"

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Asuego walked across her room, inspecting the charms and listening to them.

»And yet you are here, leeching off another being. It is for the girl to decide what will come of this.«

Of course the demon could keep condemning the girl at no cost of it's own.
Asuego turned around to look at the girl, holding a hawthorne twig-man fetish which she dismantled off the cieling beam.
»In exchange, I will bind you into a fetish. It only seems fair, no?«
Asuego almost teased, yet fully intended to take part of the demoness with herself.

 

[Rice]

Eoliaf hissed and drew back "Don't touch me with that," her face wrinkling up in disgust "Fine talk to the little bitch if you want."

The gleam in her eyes suddenly died and her shoulders sagged. She took a deep shaky breath and looked up at the older woman pleadingly, "Please don't cut me, I don't like it when she does that, she promised she wouldn't do that anymore."

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Asuego kept glancing at her talismans. The tone change was quite drastic, as well as the sudden silence of most of the wards. While they could not banish unwanted demons bound within earthern beings, their restless rattling and shaking by the degree that the demons presented as in was still invaluable information.
Rice was genuine this time.

She leaned lower in front if the girl, tucking the fetish into her belt, its blank, corded face staring into the abyss. Asuego's power came from confidence and keeping up a facade more so than actual might
»Does the demon torment you?«
Of course Asuego knew, but insight from the girl was rather valuable.
»I can help you.«

 

[Rice]

Eoliaf scoffed inside Rices head. Torment? If it wasn't for me you would be dead by now. Rice bit her thumbnail looking askance at the wall. "She protects me."

The boy shifted on the floor knocking over a pile of junk in the process and Rice looked down noticing him again for the first time. "Oh, right, sorry." She said squatting down next to the boy still chewing on her fingernail. She moved to remove his gag, "Please don't start yelling. It hurts my ears." She muttered in a monotone voice.

The gag came off and the boy spit the rag out of his mouth "You're crazy! You're all crazy!"

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

Asuego knew very well how manipulative demons were, she believed none of it but knew the girl very well would not be aware what even constituded of normal life if the demoness came early into her being.
»How long was she with you?« The hedge witch stood up as she spoke, watching the boy get ungagged.

»I will...take care of him,« she spoke soon after, taking a few herbs from her shelf and some powdery bases.

 

[Rice]

Rice looked up, blinking at Asuego. "They've always been with me?" She rocked back and moved from a squat into sitting cross-legged on the floor. She looked at the boy her dead green eyes studying his terrified blue ones.

"You know they are going to start looking for me. If- if you let me go then you might be able to get away with your life." He threatened. Rice just continued to stare vacantly at him. Eoliaf scoffed. If you let him go then he will tell them who and where we are. They will come with pitchforks to burn you at the stake. He must not be allowed to escape. Rice began to chew on her nail again as she rocked gently back and forth.

 

[Asuego 'Susanna']

»Like from a hateful mother, you have to part with the Demon. - Stop biting your nails.« Warned Asuego. Children should be playing in their homes, not trying to summon demons.


»They will be, they will be,« she muttered as she began infusing downy feathers with a clear tincture before sprinkling it in assorted herbs and dust.
»But they know if they aproach my home, I will send the pestilence upon their cattle.«

»Boy... For the price of a lock of your hair, I will return you home.«

Asuego then set aside the feathers before retrieving a mouse skull and a thread.

 

[Rice]

Rice stopped chewing her nails and craned her neck to see what Asuego was doing. Ask her what she is doing.

"What's that for?" Rice asked getting up and moving to stand next to Asuego and watch what she was doing.

The boy sat up straight and wriggled in his bonds looking around desperately for some other way out, staying stubbornly silent.