Young Writers Society

"Viper." Aagares tested softly.

"You'll see, soon enough." He grinned, and for a moment, a near boyish expression played over his features.

Pulling her gently closer to him, a bright glow enveloped them without warning. It vanished nearly as soon as it came, and with it came a sight that was most decidedly not Paradise.

A dark cavern greeted them both, along with the quiet drip of water and the faint glow of torchlight. Directly in front of them, so clear that it would be easy to walk straight into, was a large pool of water, stretching back further than the candle could illuminate.

"Wait a moment." He whispered softly, part in awe, like he always was, of the beauty and mystery of this untampered haunt.

Promptly, he sniffed the torches, and left them in the dark a moment before the underside of the pool was illuminated with shimmering luminescence.

In the darkness, the light of her eyes was definitely evident. It was more of a dim, colorless luminescence of her golden irises than a true, bright glow.

"A man of both class and taste, I see," she said, her soft voice echoing through the cavern. As she spoke, she took in her surroundings: the crystal-clear pool whose light was enveloped by the abyss around it, the contours of the stone, the lack of movement in the water. Her gaze finally fell on Aagares himself and she moved to stand at the water's edge. "Where is this, then?" she inquired.

Aagares smiled and slid into the pool silently, admiring the glint of Viper's eyes that he hadn't noticed before.

"This is a little runoff of the river Cocytus." He said somewhat vaguely, adjusting himself so that he was floating on his back. "If you listen closely, you can hear the wailings. We're in an alcove between the planes of the rejected and the planes of Tartarus."

He swirled his talons across the water's surface in a lazy invitation. "It's peaceful, no?"

She knelt and removed her sandals before taking the brooch off her right shoulder and letting the outer layer of her dress fall, so she was wearing only the shift underneath.

Viper stepped into the water with a careful deliberation and grace, slowly lowering herself down before she answered. "Indeed it is," she said as she made her way over to him. "Those screams..." she closed her eyes for a moment, listening as a smile danced across her lips. "It's...a music in and of itself, isn't it? An art, really."

Agares appraised Viper's form boldly, and swam steadily closer. A wistful expression crossed his features at the mention of art, which was quickly snuffed by his task at hand.

"I agree." He said softly, his voice dipping low in his pursuit. "Begging is also undeniably enjoyable."

"But you know what I love most?" she said, watching him as he approached. "It's that moment when you finally break the will of one of those souls that has so much fight."

"Mmm..." a slow smile curved Aagares' lips, and he leaned his head close to Viper's, whispering hotly against her neck. "The most delicious surrender."

"The way the spark fades in one last climax of resistance, the crumpling defeat. Alas, the performance and toil it takes up until that point is utterly worth that moment, however short and fleeting."

He stroked Viper's collarbone slowly with a claw as he murmured this little observation against her skin.

"But if you are slow of it, if you take your time, if you have the patience...you can watch it slowly fade," she said, taking a step closer so that their bodies were nearly touching. "And that is the climax of this twisted art. To make that fire last so long, to slowly push it down, to let it rise, to let them taste defeat and taste more kinds of pain than they ever knew was possible before you finally snuff it out." She traced her fingers down his cheek and rested her hand on his scaled chest.

Aagares sighed deeply in pleasure, as if Viper was filling his ears with romantic whisperings. To him, there was hardly a difference- he even found this more enjoyable.

"Are you sure you aren't a professional, ma'am?" He purred softly next to her ear, being rather curious, all teasing aside.

"You seem to be fluent in my language." his voice dipped once more, and he simply couldn't help himself, gathering his fingers at the nape of her neck and entangling his claws in her hair. "And I have many."

"Well, I was never trained, but...such skills...run in my family," she said with a sly smile. "And I've had an awful lot of practice and time to find the right victims." She paused for a moment, studying him. "I never meant to turn up here but I'm glad for it. It's hard to find someone so...tasteful."

As she spoke, Viper brought her other hand up and rested it on his shoulder, leaning in closer to him.

"Likewise." Aagares gave a charming smile, and didn't do much in the way of keeping his eyes from wandering. "something tells me that my reasons to enjoy your accidental visit will only multiply."

He leaned into her vague touch, wanting more but still stubborn in his little dance. What was happening? She was supposed to be melting at this moment. Stifling a little groan of frustration at the back of his throat, he intensified his focus.

No matter. He would simply have to play this little game of hers until she relented.

Without hesitation, he moved his head lower and tilted it, his eyes fixed pointedly on Viper's mouth. He stopped himself short, breathing gently on her lips, lying in wait for his trap to be sprung.

His gaze travelled back to her eyes, a faux innocence in his expression.

"I've been meaning to ask," he drawled softly by means of explanation. "What is that enchanting glow?" reaching his hand up, he coyly stroked her temple.

"The former owner of my primary corporeal form," she explained, turning her head slightly to lean into his hand. "My best piece of work yet. She has a few...protests, but it is of no matter."

She fell silent and let her gaze wander across his body and up to his face for a moment, half-closing her eyes and leaning forward as though she was moving in to kiss him. She came close enough that their lips brushed before changing directions and murmuring in his ear instead. "You don't mind it, do you?"

He took this explanation mildly, due mostly to the fact that his thoughts were elsewhere. It would make sense that Viper had a vessel- it explained her form. And that was the extent of his ponderings.

Aagares' eyes positively burned as she got close, and he followed her movements hungrily. This time, when she broke their brief contact, he couldn't prevent a little groan of agony from escaping his lips.

"Of course not." he positively growled, cursing the hoarseness in his voice and how quickly he had become unhinged.

"Do your worst." with this challenge of a whisper, he regained a bit of his composure, though, granted, it wasn't much.

A smile spread across her lips as his tone deepened in frustration. It was amusing how quickly he'd underestimated her, or, perhaps, overestimated himself. The sincere belief she would fall that quickly and with so little dignity.

Well. She'd just have to teach him a lesson about how a true huntress prowled.

She pulled back a little to meet his eyes, though she was still tantalizingly close. "Are you familiar with the patience of a serpent, Aagares?" she inquired with that seductive smirk that told him she reveled in the power and was trying to pull him in closer all at once.

"Mm-" he grunted, his expression taking on one of haggard longing "Sounds dreadfully cloying, I must say." He intoned.

Dammit, just what was he saying? Why was he letting his frustration be known? Didn't he know that that was a one-way invitation for her to...

Oh no. Since when did she gain the upper hand? Shame on him, it must have happened the moment she brought in her touch. Just how long had it been since he'd hunted? He was displaying a simply disappointing performance.

And yet, knowing this, he still found himself leaning into the trap, struggling in a last attempt to keep from reaching to grab her and pull her ever closer.

He was caught in the snare of the snake, and couldn't even find the will to free himself.