Talia grinned wickedly at the bubbling concoction in front of her. How long had it taken her to get to this point? It felt like years but she knew it couldn't be more than a month or two at the most. Smuggling in the supplies had been the hardest part, Lotus was always watching and becoming more and more difficult to trick as the weeks bled on. Yet she had finally succeeded.
The air around her was a cacophony of noise and mana mingling together like cooking oil and water. As time had went on her ability to store and use mana had grown, it was no longer dripping away into what felt like an empty void. The more she was able to retain the more she was able to move freely, she was already practically dancing around her alchemical set as she prepared her best work.
'If you keep it up those healers are going to snake their way back in here.' Reezara warned idly. She was the size of a large dog now, her wings alone took up nearly half the room. Talia paused for a moment, blinking as if her mind had been drawn back to her. She had to spend a few seconds focusing her vision, drawing the world of mana and the world of flesh together to form a coherent picture in her head. With nothing better to do she had been focusing on honing her vision for the past several weeks. It turned out to be quite useful when it came to detecting the healers approach.
'Those ass-biting halfwits couldn't sneak up on me to save their non-lives anymore. They're nowhere near here right now.' She had taken several moments to be extra certain they were far from her chambers. She couldn't see the entire castle grounds, but she could see far enough to ensure at least a few minutes to clean up if she had to. Reezara lay her head on her forelegs, stretched comfortably across the stone floor.
Talia had discovered the healers true nature several weeks prior, and much to her surprise she had been right in assuming they weren't human. At least, they weren't human anymore. The four healers who oftentimes tended her were what were known as wraiths, bodies of the living which now lie empty like husks. Although the leader was slightly different, he had an aura of sorts while the rest simply appeared to her like black holes consuming every drop of mana in the atmosphere around them. They also all had tethers, thin glistening lines of mana that connected them to their master, though she could never see far enough to determine just who the puppeteer was.
With Reezara's concerns abated for the time being she turned back to the task at hand. She had four beakers full of different concoctions. Each one had a great deal of glasswork connected to them. She had several flames burning low which caused several thermal reactions throughout her setup. She had purified water boiling into steam and then compressing back into a liquid after reacting with powders, which eventually lead to the most potent poisons she had ever crafted. She was almost sad Midnight wasn't there to marvel at her handiwork, she finally felt as if her work could rival the master's.
'Why have you crafted so many? Wouldn't one do just as well?' Reezara had been duitifully observing her rider dance around the table and mix all sorts of powders, liquids, and herbs for hours. She had never seen Talia working so animatedly, it seemed that crafting poisons beneath the King and even Lotus's nose was one of the few things that gave her satisfaction anymore. Although now with her ability to walk slowly returning to her she knew the time for slaying was nearly upon them. Her own bloodlust boiled deep within her, though she preferred to gut her prey rather than poison them like some sort of snake.
'Snakes are venomous, not poisonous darling. As for my quantity that is because I have several plans in motion. This blue one here is something to be used in the kitchens, or rather the wine kegs. Any keg actually, I intend to get the commanding forces of the military with it.' Talia lifted the dark blue vial of liquid first with a triumphant grin. That one alone had taken her a week and a half to perfect. It would drive the commanders insane, their rage and lust would take over and they would start to slaughter each other. She had even gone as far as to add hallucinogens to it, just for a little extra kick in the right murderous direction. Her favorite part was that it could be used for a massive amount of killing. She could take out the entire military if she wanted, though she didn't have nearly enough poison to do it yet.
'And the others?' Reezara prompted eagerly, she was always excited to hear about the possibility of setting things in motion. Talia lifted a black vial with another grin,
'This one is more of an incentive. It's not as lethal, but I've got it strong enough now that two pricks of my dagger would leave a full grown man in a pool of his own bodily fluids begging for death. And it would find him, eventually. This is going to be my interrogation method, I have a few targets picked out to ask about the dwarves.' Torture wasn't her style normally, if she wanted answers she'd have Nico get them for her. She wasn't a fan of breaking minds, if a kill couldn't be clean she wasn't interested. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
She showcased the next one, a greenish blue vial that glowed faintly like a bioluminescent plant. It had taken her the most time out of all of them, and it was also the most deadly. Midnight had taught her how to make it years ago, though only the most proficient poison masters were truly capable of making it right.
'Gordon has an army of thralls, not quite dead but not really alive anymore, they are his best network of spies and fighters. I can't get close to him without them being there, nor can I cripple him so long as they live. But killing a thrall isn't as simple as cutting their throats or poisoning them conventionally. I have to make sure their bodies are no longer suitable for necromantic magics, unfortunately that means they'll have to have this.' While she was tremendously proud that she had managed to craft it under her circumstances she was also a little disappointed that she had to. It wasn't something someone like her put to use any old day.
The poison was known as Shino Thanatos, in the black markets any vial that could glow brighter than a dying ember were so expensive it was thought that only the wealthiest of kings could afford it. True vials of Shino Thanatos were so rare it was like looking into the eyes of a dragon, more myth than legend. She was lucky that Midnight had given her a pack of poison supplies, enough for her to mix a small amount. It was nowhere near perfect, but it was damn good considering.
The others were various poisons which could do anything from cause discomfort to cause internal hemorrhaging. She felt like a fine lady with a necklace for every occasion, if necklaces were poison and the occasions were murder. Now she could start to gain a foothold, find her companions, and get a little bit of revenge.
She slowly began to release the flow of mana, the flames died out and her work began to cool as she pulled her wheeling chair over to her. She was exhausted, nearly spent on what she could produce magic wise. Her legs cramped uncomfortably as she rubbed the muscles on her thighs with a tense frown. How long had she been working? She pulled a strip of cloth from the satchel tied to the side of her chair and tied it over her eye to help hold it shut, the glowing of the world around her finally put out.
'You know if you wouldn't work for twenty-seven hours straight you wouldn't get such nasty headaches. Or muscle spasms. You should lie down and try to get some rest, the sun has already long since set.' Reezara started to take her own advice as she moved over to her bed. Talia had to craft the dragon her own sleeping area now that she was too big and heavy to share the bed with her. She'd never admit how much she truly hated not getting to sleep with the comforting warmth of Reezara in her arms. Dejectedly she followed her dragons advice as well.
'Has it really been that long? Gods, I loose so much time when I'm focused like that.' She could hardly recall the last time she had spent so many hours on a project. If she remembered correctly she had been with Nico in a tiny cave high in the distant mountains crafting an extremely rare poison to kill a monster. But she had to rub her temples as the memory turned foggy and slipped away. Was it before or after they had met Amber? She couldn't even recall anymore. Reezara nuzzled Talia's feet and offered her a wave of comforting emotions through their bond as Talia crawled her way into her bed.
'You're a marvel to watch.' The young dragon offered the compliment with a purr of affection. Talia smiled as she wormed her way under the blankets. She wished she could get her hands on a cup of potent starflower tea, it always worked magic when it came to relaxing her muscles and putting her mind at ease. Of course it would practically put a human in a coma, so most human societies didn't even pick the flowers let alone brew them.
'You're a marvel to know.' Talia's mind started to drift as she closed her eye and tried to surrender herself to sleep. But as time drifted on she became increasingly uneasy, even as Reezara's mind quieted and stilled with slumber. She couldn't even put a finger on it until she caught the ghostly whisper of a scent. Her body seized, her heart raced, and Reezara reacted instantly.
The dead of night erupted in a split second as Talia jerked up and threw a hand out. At the same time Reezara flew forward, her head reared up and flame slipping past her curled lips. There was a shadow pressed tight against the wall and the scent of apple blossoms curdled into a mess of fear and shock. Talia could see her face clearly as the fire arced down towards her. She wasn't able to move her legs as she focused all of her mana on slowing time and pulling Reezara back from Midnight.
'I could help you...' The voice was broken and fractured, her vision blurred in and out as her stomach churned and her head throbbed violently. She broke the spell immediately and held her hands over her eyes with a few heaving breaths as she tried to force the voice out. She couldn't tell in the darkness but she was convinced for a moment she had seen her hands darken with black veins.
"Talia! By the Gods I didn't even realize it was this bad... Hell I didn't even think Nico was telling the truth when he said you were a rider. Gods, I could curse or praise the freaking sun god right now!" Midnight flew forward and engulfed Talia in a tight hug before placing a firm kiss on her lips. At first Talia was shocked but then almost by instinct she felt herself melting into the woman's embrace.
'Why is she attacking your face? Why don't you let me burn her?' Reezara demanded angrily, her tail slapping the ground loudly. Talia pushed Midnight back with a few shuddering breaths, she was firmly back in her own mind.
'Because, I asked her to come help me. As for my face... Well, we have a complicated relationship.' She didn't want to explain to Reezara the complexities of relationships at the moment. Especially considering her and Midnight's relationship was probably one of the more convoluted ones.
"Midnight, why did you come sneaking in here like a thief in the night? You should know you can never sneak up on me..." She ran her fingers over the woman's face, how had it been so long and she never changed? Her hair was as soft as silk too.
"This is the only time where you're not guarded like a coveted treasure. Besides, I had to be sure you were still... You. It's odd to say this but I'm glad you can still sense me coming. Gods, it's taken me so long to get here. You can't believe the hurdles I had to jump just to get this far." Talia shook her head as Midnight began to gush about her efforts.
"That... That's great but what about Nico?" She almost felt bad asking, Midnight always got jealous of Nico. Now was no different, Talia could hear her grunt in annoyance.
"He's here... But also, not here... It's complicated. He's sort of notorious in the city with Gordon not wanting him around and all. So he's been stuck in the body of a raven, he can't even change back now until we're out of the city. He's back in my room at the Inn right now." Talia sighed with a mixture of sheer relief and renewed stress. He was stuck, which meant that getting out was up to her and Midnight.
'And me.' Reezara added irately. She never missed an opportunity to remind Talia that she was ready to kill anyone who got in their way.
"Well, what now?" She sat awkwardly, her legs as numb as the day she first woke up. There was no more dancing about for the evening, and she really did need to rest. Midnight had made contact so that was a good step forward, but she wasn't sure what the woman intended to do.
"How long has it been since we last shared a bed?" Midnights wandering hands became even more promiscuous as she traced Talia's curves. Talia could see the sly smile on her face, hear the panting of her breath and even feel the racing of her heart, she shifted uncomfortably.
"Midnight", she grabbed her hands gently in her own, "It's been years since we... Did that sort of thing. And right now isn't exactly the right time to rekindle that relationship. We aren't exactly compatible long term." How many times had she tried to tell her? She used to talk to herself for hours just to figure out how she'd deny Midnight the pleasures she so desperately sought after. Their relationship had never been a stable one after all, and she could hardly remember the last time they had... Shared a bed. Talia wasn't exactly a sexual being, by most standards she wasn't one at all.
"Come on darling, the night is young and we haven't seen each other in... How long has it been? A year and a half? Two? You never cease to set my blood boiling." She leaned forward to kiss Talia's jawline affectionately.
Talia could remember clearly the first time they had explored the darkness together, it was just as exhilarating and confusing to remember as it was to experience. One dark night Midnight came into Talia's room within the caves, this being shortly after Nazir had released her from her extended hiatus of being tortured. Midnight had expressed her regret often for months, almost to the point of making Talia hate her for the opposite reasons. Things were awkward and confusing at first, neither of them knew how to react to the other, life was hard.
Then one night Midnight came crawling into Talia's room with tears streaked down her face. She had cried for hours and begged for forgiveness, she rambled and sobbed and plead until her voice was gone and her tears dry. Talia could distinctly recall reaching down to grab Midnight's chin, wiping away her tears, and whispering to her. Midnight kissed her fast and things sort of unraveled from there. She knew now that their dalliances happened for all the wrong reasons, it wasn't founded in love or respect or even boredom half the time. It was carnal desires, bad emotions boiling together until they could only be expressed in one way. The only way they knew how.
"You know I don't do that sort of thing anymore... Not for those reasons. If you want to dance with me it has to be because we both have the desire. And that desire can't be stemming from hatred, or anger, or desperation." Was this what being a healthier person was like? She hated it. The more Midnight pushed her the more she wanted to cave and vent out all her frustrations in violent passionate... Well not love-making. But something of that nature. Midnight pouted,
"When did you have to grow up?" Talia couldn't help but laugh even though she couldn't feel an ounce of humor in the situation.
"We both had to grow up, these last few years have been hell. There's no room to be kids anymore. No room to be clueless, or stupid, or innocent. Besides that, I called you here to work a job with me not to get nasty. Maybe after..." Her words trailed off at the thought. She had to admit, it had been a long time since she had allowed herself to indulge in the sins of the dark. Did she want to? She couldn't even tell anymore. It wasn't a burning driving desire for her, but when the opportunities presented themselves she couldn't always find the strength to turn them away.
"Is that a promise? Or is that my payment? Because if you're thinking of paying me with your body, I have a few... Ideas. I've been reading some books." Midnight placed a soft burning kiss on Talia's collarbone. Talia hissed as she took a deep breath. If she could move her legs at all she knew she'd be wrestling the woman. She was secretly a little glad she had exhausted herself.
'Humans... All they can think of is mating.' Reezara made sure to plop herself loudly onto the floor with a grunt of annoyance. Talia's cheeks flared in exasperation and embarrassment. It was one thing to sin under darkness, it was another when there was an audience.
'I imagine dragons aren't much different once they're adults. I've been told it's nature's way.' Talia warned Reezara with an internal wince. Was her dragon too young to be talking about sexual nature? Reezara hadn't ever acted all that young, but she still didn't want to have the talk with her while being jumped by her longtime frenemy. Reezara said nothing but Talia could feel her wicked grin through their bond.
"Then lets put them to use after we escape this mess." Talia finally managed to push the woman off of her. She could deal with the aftermath of that promise later. If Midnight did manage to help her escape she'd owe her something, there were worse things to offer someone like her. Midnight brushed her hair back with a groan.
"Fine, Fine, I'll respect your desires. Or lack thereof." She mumbled bitterly as she crawled back out of the bed. Talia couldn't help but release a pent up sigh as she fell back into her pillows. Their interaction had only lasted a few minutes but she felt as if she had spent every ounce of energy in her.
"Can I at least share the bed with you in a platonic non sexy-times way? It's a long walk to my inn room and I am bushed." Talia knew it was a broad faced lie, but she relented anyways. She couldn't even remember what it felt like not to be miserable and lonely. For now she'd allow herself one guilty pleasure.
"Sure, but you'll have to hide when Lotus comes in to get me up." Midnight crawled in and made herself comfortable against the wall in a nest of extravagant pillows. Blinking blearily she nestled down before asking,
"Lotus?" Talia couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes and responded,
"It's a long story. I'll tell it to you tomorrow. Now go to bed before you get yourself into trouble." Things were finally starting to look up, and deep down she was happier than she had been in a long time. She and Midnight may have had their differences, but she'd always love her deeply. Perhaps more deeply than was appropriate, or expected of comrades. But what could she do? They were constantly butting heads, always at odds with each other in the never ending struggle for dominance and power. As she drifted to sleep she smiled, she'd always be the dominant one, but that didn't mean it wasn't fun to struggle.