Private Tales Nine Lives

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla nodded at Griggory as she took one of the padded seats around the fire. She would've preferred to be an leopard again but she thought being a human was best for now.

"How do you survive all the way out here by yourself?" Layla asked with genuine curiosity. She wasn't sure how far they were from Neus but they hadn't seen anything else in the distance.

 

[Isaac]

"Oh I've been here for years."​

The old man said as the three guests wandered closer towards the fire. Isaac glanced around the small cabin. There were three other rooms aside from the ones they stood in. Two bedrooms, and what he guessed was likely a bathroom of some sort.

Everything else was centralized around the fire they all sat around, obviously built so that the heat would extend throughout the entire cabin.

"Most of my family has...has passed on, but I still make my way. The game is good, and there's a forest just that way for heat."​

A shrug rolled over his shoulders.

"Not so bad really."​

Isaac smiled. "Lucky for us, I suppose."

They likely would have made it without the little village, but it certainly was a handy thing to stumble across. He didn't need to use any of his magic, and Layla could keep herself...well he guessed it didn't matter if she was a big cat the whole time.

"How far is Neus from here?" He asked.

"Oh just a day north, not too far. Though I'd wait out the storm."​

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla listened to the man and envied the silence he got out here. It would probably drive her nuts over time though. She would be a good house guest and then they would move on so he could continue his life.

Her eyes drifted to Isaac when Griggory mentioned waiting out the storm. She wondered how long that would be. In reality, she could leave in the morning when they could see again. She was not sure about Isaac though.

"Is there anything we can help you with while we are here?" Layla felt weird being a guest who didn't contribute anything. Perhaps he had that one job he couldn't finish by himself.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac slowly turned his head towards Layla, his eyes digging a hole in her skull as she asked how they could help.

He had absolutely not made a deal with a daemon and acquired vast magical powers to come to the north and do manual labor. If he had his own way he would be living in the lap of luxury constantly, not trudging around tiny villages.

"Ah, no. Not until the Blizzard passes anyway."​

Griggory shook his head.

"Isn't much to do during these things but keep the fire going and sleep. Maybe do some reading if that's to your taste, but only books I have are in Neusen."​

The old man shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure we'll entertain ourselves."

Isaac said with a smile.

"Least let us leave you some gold." The Warlock offered, taking away any notion of manual labor. "We have plenty."

"Ah well...I wouldn't say no to a bit of coin. It always helps."​

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla glowered at Isaac. This man just clocked his fingers and whatever he wanted appeared. She had to work for everything she had. She killed for everything she had.

Her glower did not lessen when he told the stranger that they had plenty of gold. They had just let him assume that they were robbed by their guide and left in the wilderness for dead.

She rubbed her forehead and stifled a small yawn. She was not tired but it was a nice way to get away from their host without being outright rude.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac very obviously did not think of the connection between the story he'd told the old man and the gold he had offered.

He was a man who didn't particularly concern himself with the details.

It was the lesson of his life. He could float from problem to problem. Lie his way to a solution and then get away without any real consequence. That was the reason he was even here in the first place, the reason Teekle followed him.

The reason he searched for that puzzle. "Well take this for now."

Isaac said as he reached out and pressed a few gold coins into Griggory's hand, a smile pulling over his lips as he briefly glanced to watch Layla wander towards one of the bedrooms.

"I think we're both rather tired." He mused. "Think we'll just head to bed, yes?"

The Old man nodded.

"Yes yes. Please do so. The fire will keep you warm enough through the vents, but there's blankets on the bed."​

The Warlock smiled. "Thank you."

He said with a nod of his head, following after Layla towards the bedroom. Teekle not far behind.

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla didn't say anything else once Griggory had pointed to their room. She opened the door and once her companions entered the room, she shut it behind all of them. The room was plain and, honestly, she hadn't expected anything else. A medium sized bed - big enough for the two of them and Teekle - sat the the middle of the wall with a dresser opposite. That was it besides the extra blankets that were stacked on top of the bed.

She was surprised that the room was quite warm even being away from the fire. She was happy though. She didn't want to shiver to death. The former assassin took her large jacket off and set her bag on the floor. It was not long before she sat on the side of the bed and pulled one of the extra blankets around her shoulders.

"And how are we going to entertain ourselves? I am not really tired at all but I couldn't make small talk anymore."

 

[Isaac]

Isaac glanced over towards Layla, watching as Teekle jumped up onto the bed behind her. "I can always put you to sleep."

The Warlock pointed out, his gaze wandering around the room.

His eyes caught briefly on a small portrait hanging on the wall. Three men stood within it, four women among them with two kids. He frowned for a brief moment, but slowly pulled his attention back towards Layla.

"It's an easy spell." He mused, a smile pulling at his lips. "Just three little words, really."

Most students in Elbion used it every now and again, if only to get some rest in between finals.

 

[LaylaMoreno]

"I will murder you as soon as I wake up if you use your magic to put me to sleep!" Layla was not kidding. She would make it the most gruesome murder too.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac rolled his eyes. "I'm just offering a solution."

The Warlock said with a shrug.

"It's in my nature to be helpful." He looked around the plain little cabin room, already wondering if somehow he could have gotten them closer to Neus itself. They most certainly could have found better accommodation there. "Manners and all that."

He said, waving his hand as Teekle drew himself up close to Layla. "Whatever else are we going to do?"

Isaac mused.

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla let out a hmph at Isaac. "You are helpful when it suits you, Isaac. That is not manners," she said as she scratched between Teekle's ears.

"You could tell me more about your magic and Teekle..."

Isaac had been in his manic state for the last few weeks trying to figure out the puzzle so they hadn't really talked that much. She was genuinely curious what exactly Teekle had to do with Isaac's magic except that he was some kind of anchor...whatever that meant.

 

[Isaac]

"Hmm." The throaty sound echoed through the room for a moment as he considered what Layla said. His head tipped from left to right in thought, and then his fingers raised. There was a loud snap, then suddenly the room changed around them.

Plain and worn bed spread turned to silk. Ancient stained mattress suddenly shifted to the most comfortable goose feather. Broken and cracked floor boards became mahogany.

The shift was almost instant, a wave of luxury that rushed over the once simple room. "What is there to tell, Darling?"

Isaac asked.

"Teekle is a cat that's more than a cat." Slowly he stepped towards her. "And I am an exceptionally talented mage."

He smiled. "What more could you possibly want to know?"

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla's mouth fell open as she looked around the room. She already knew he was exceptionally talented mage but this...it was so real. Her hands traveled over the silk blankets and she smiled at Isaac.

"I was foolish to even question you, Isaac," she smiled back at him with sarcasm lacing her voice. "There is not a possible thing more that I want to know."

She was getting way too used to his magic and this luxury. She could understand how someone could get addicted because she did not want to leave him already. She wanted to experience all the crazy things he could do and pull out of thin air. It fascinated her. He fascinated her. Teekle fascinated her.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac smiled, pretending not to notice the sarcasm in her voice. He knew very well how strong his magic had, and just the effect that it seemed to radiate.

There was a reason that he had made his bargain. A reason that he had taken the shortcut. He was a man who appreciated the finer things in life. He dealt away his soul in order to revel within them, and he would not stop now.

"Oh good." Isaac mused as he came to stop directly in front of Layla.

"I was afraid we were going to have our first argument." An amused smile touched his lips. "And that would be a real shame in a place like this."[/color.]

Another snap rang out in the room, and candles flickered into life on the high shelves where once wondrous portraits and pictures had sat.

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla looked up at him as he came to stand in front of her. "I feel like our first argument is going to be one that causes both of us some sort of injury," she smiled wryly and stopped petting Teekle. The cat let out a grumpy noise but Layla was too busy looking up at the Warlock.

The snap sounded in her ears and the room was suddenly lit with the glow of candles. "Mmmm...are you setting a romantic mood for something, Isaac?" Her voice was the picture of innocence as she crossed one leg over her other knee to remove her boot before repeating the process with the other.

 

[Isaac]

A smile plucked at his lips, but he didn't speak on the two of them injuring one another.

"Romantic?" He clicked his tongue with a shake of his head.

Isaac had his share of...escapades back at the College.

Such things were really only natural. Throw together a bunch of teenagers from all over the world with only slight magical obstacles in place? Yeah there was most definitely going to be some fu-fun happening. Despite how much the Maester's would deny it. "I'm no such thing."

The Warlock said, looking down at her.

"I'm more of a..." Another snap rang out, and suddenly the candles grew dimmer, the light lowering within the room. "Spur of the moment kind of guy."

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla finished pulling off her second boot as her eyes slowly traveled up his body and she finally locked with his. "Tell me more, Isaac." She said as she stood up from the bed and smiled mischievously.

They had flirted, of course, but that was the extent of anything between them these last few weeks. She wanted more but she hadn't pushed it. She hadn't tried. She let him do his work in peace.

 

[Isaac]

As she stood up in front of him Isaac only smiled. His gaze briefly flickered up and down her form in admiration, eyes lingering for only the span of a breath.

His hand reached out, fingers pressing softly against her collar just beneath her throat.

Before Layla could offer any sense or semblance of objection he pressed her back down onto the bed, his hand lingering in upon her collar. "More?"

The Warlock asked.

"What more is there to say." Slowly his hand crawled upward, his thumb caressing her skin. "Words are so..."

His hand softly wrapped around her flesh. "Cheap."

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla was back to looking up Isaac as he stood before her. The difference now was his strong hand held her by the throat. Her skin prickled at his caress, she couldn't look away from him.

Her grey eyes bore into hers and she sat there unmoving, unflinching.

A brief worry that he was going to kill her crossed her mind. Seduction had been one of her favorite methods of getting close to a target. She'd even played a very long game a few times. No, he had no reason to want her dead.

 

[Isaac]

A thousand temptation flickered through his mind.

Some were of the pact, some were of a mind different of his own, but most came from that base animal which were human. His thumb slowly stroked across her throat, touching, caressing. Touching within the span of a breath that passed within a second.

Isaac stared down at Layla, his touch soft and yet controlling. "So."

The Warlock said softly.

"More." Isaac stared down at her. "Or less?"

The dare was obvious, the pressure of his thumb softly dragging against her throat just a little bit more.

 

[LaylaMoreno]

"More..."

Layla breathed out the single word as she tipped her head back slightly to give him greater access to her throat. The goosebumps still prickled her skin and a new set appeared with every movement of his fingers.

 

[Isaac]

Isaac's lips quirked into a smile.

The touch at Layla's throat tightened ever so slightly, the pressure of his thumb softly pushing against the side of her neck. Air would slowly begin to escape her, but the Warlock didn't seem to stop even there. He watched her for a moment, standing perfectly still.

Then his hand slowly raised, deftly slipping beneath the hem of her top and tugging away at the cloth.

Though the storm outside still raged, the room within felt no passing of cold. Whether by the touches of Isaac's magic or that simple animal draw now lingering between the two of them warmth purveyed the room. His hand slid over her bare skin, dragging the tunic free.

It fell to the floor at his feet seconds later, his other hand not having moved an inch.

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla didn't move as Isaac's grip tightened. She noticed that she was starting to lose her breath the longer he held her there but she couldn't bring herself to stop him. He finally moved and it was to remove her shirt.

As soon as his hand touched her bare skin, she closed her eyes. She didn't move to watch his hand...she couldn't. She opened her eyes back up when she heard the fabric slide to the floor.

Layla Moreno, former assassin current whatever she was, sat there bare before this Warlock who had his hand around her throat. She wondered what his game was here. Was he just going to tease her all night? Strangle her to death?

 

[Isaac]

The Warlock peered down at Layla, his eyes holding an intensity that they had never held before.

He had always been rather jovial, unconcerned, as if the troubles of the world and nothing within it could ever touch him. There had been seconds, brief passing minutes where that had changed, and now it seemed like a switch had been totally flipped.

Isaac peered down at Layla, his touch at her throat so tight that it all but threatened to steal every breath she might ever take going forward.

Then, without a word he leaned down.

His touch compelled her forward, and finally his lips met hers in an utterly impassioned kiss.

 

[LaylaMoreno]

Layla's fingers had curled into the blankets of the bed as Isaac tightened his grip. She was starting to really have trouble breathing now. She was so close to telling him to stop and asking him what the fuck his problem was when he leaned down.

Finally, he kissed her. His grip still strong, his eyes unwavering. He was a little frightening like this yet she was fascinated. She kissed him back the best she could with the little breath she could manage to take in. One of her hands untangled from the blanket and slid up the forearm that was holding her so tightly.