"Indeed," she agreed. "There was a short period of time when we had the begging, but with her, it was largely only fight before resignation, and by the time she gave up...well, you see her now. Fight sometimes, but little crying. She's more acute than she looks, however. Quite the entertaining dance. You're welcome to have some fun, if you want."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"Oh, could I?" He bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile, and inched closer to Auryon, enthralled, only to stop short as he remembered something.
Hovering meanacingly over the human, he looked back up at the demoness. "Ah, now what was it you said about finding a new method of control? I'm especially anxious to learn those secrets."
"Ah, yes," she said, looking towards Auryon. "Sarah, do be a dear and show the good man your crest."
The human either didn't hear or was completely ignoring her demoness, probably the latter, since she most definitely wasn't deaf.
"Sarah."
Again, nothing.
Apophis shrugged. "Well, then I'll demonstrate." Her eyes took on a dim glow and she snapped her fingers. The brand on Auryon's left forearm luminesced brightly and she let out an involuntary cry of pain, grabbing it reflexively and doubling over.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"Ooh, I see." his eyes widened in fascination, and he edged closer.
"Mind if I see, dear?" He murmured to Auryon, out of show only. He grabbed her arm without waiting for an answer, his touch unusually tender, and examined the brand.
He ran a claw over it lightly, marveling. "And how ever did you put this in place?"
It pulsed with a dim energy, ebbing in intensity at Apophis' will. Auryon didn't resist Aagares - though she was now silent, it was evident from her bated breath and her twisted countenance that she was still very much suffering.
"It was a part of the contract. It's actually marking her soul, not just her physical body, and it's the source of my hold on it. It also serves to let other demons know she's under my protection so no one tries to do something they might regret," Apophis explained. "That symbol is my crest."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"What an ingenious little craft." He muttered fondly while tracing the symbol, inconsiderate of any added pain he might be causing. "I couldn't have done it better myself. Well done, darling."
"Why, thank you," she said as the mark's luminescence faded. "I've put a lot of work into this human. It's been a long project but so far I think she's one of my best pieces." She paused, looking down at Auryon, who was in the throes of recovering from the intense bout of agony. "You'd really make it much easier on yourself if you'd only submit, love. Then all this would be unnecessary."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"You would do best to listen to her." He intoned lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind the human's ear in a mocking endearness before standing once more.
"Ah, now, I seem to be getting bored of all the screaming. What do you say we continue our excursion elsewhere?"
"I'd rather sacrifice my comfort than my pride to some fucking demon," Auryon spat, her voice little more than an uneven whisper but still very much intelligible. Apophis raised an eyebrow but decided to gauge and give time for Aagares' reaction before replying herself.
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"Oh?" He looked down at her, smiling softly in amusement. "What a bold outlook. You know, pride is a deadly sin, if you would appeal to the stigmas. I believe 'sins' are also sources of power."
He leaned down, staring into her eyes and forcing her gaze without laying a hand on her. "And you, my dear, most definitely have power. How... admirable. The question now is," his voice lowered to a whisper, "what will you do with it?"
"I'm no fuckin' saint," she rasped. "Sold my goddamn soul, I'd wind up in Hell without that bitch dragging me there....sin...my middle fuckin' name...y'all...are goin' to fuckin' regret this...just you wait..."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Another patronizing smile curled his lips, and he stepped back once more. "And I am quite looking forward to it. Now, let's see... another location, none too touristy..."
He brightened, and turned to Apophis. "How about a drink? Bars are bars, yes, but absinthe is also absinthe, and we carry fine liquor, by any standards."
"A drink sounds like a brilliant idea," Apophis agreed. As she spoke, Auryon pushed herself somewhat unsteadily to her feet. "What did you have in mind?"
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
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