A Deal With The Devil

It was easy to get lost sightseeing across such vast and inspiring landscapes. Nox found herself easily enticed by each drastically different change in terrain. The landscape shifted in shape and color, from hot and barren deserts to lush green hillsides. She and her companion had pranced about in a straight line, going in no particular direction but keeping a watchful eye on the snow-tickled mountains to the east and the faint stalks of ice to the north. They talked and even laughed a little, as she now felt a tad more energetic in the shadow of opportunity that laid before them. Nox felt the fires of ambition lick at her heels as she pushed onward to far and distant lands.

She paid no mind to how much time passed, for it didn’t matter. She had no children to rear, nor followers to please. The sensation of freedom was almost comforting if not for that irritating tick of her biological clock. Though it felt like the hours passed quickly, she knew very well that not that much time had passed, and her hairs were unlikely to furl and gray anytime soon. When the sand began to thin and patches of grass became visible, she thanked the change. Though, oddly enough the desert-heat did not seem to fade but intensify. Droplets of saliva began to wet her lips as she panted away in a futile attempt to keep cool. “What in the devil’s crack is with this heat!” She muttered harshly, side-eyeing her companion in which he simply shrugged.

The answer to her question soon became visible. Nox made damned sure to avoid the splits in the earth if she was to keep her coat from getting singed. Though she could not save her nose-hairs because she felt them shrivel as she inhaled. A burst of sulphur and charred earth greeted her senses. The sounds of bubbling from below a clear indicator to avoid taking a tumble over the side of the ravine. Amber eyes, almost as radiant as the magma itself, locked onto something out of place in the distance. She paused for a split moment before continuing forward. The voices of uncertainty and distrust urged her not to, but curiosity waved them both. Nox trekked forward, the mystery object becoming more distinct the closer she crept. Her tail flicked off to the side, gesturing for her companion to keep close.

The scene before her was like something out of a dream… or perhaps a nightmare, certainly not hers in that case. On a secluded perch, stretched high above the hell below, sat a mystery woman. She was eased into such a position that suggested she was relaxing on a sunset beach with a cup of honeyed-wine watching the sunset. If Nox had not known better, the shapely form and unearthly visage might have led her to believe it Persephone herself. Nox approached and called out to the stranger, sounding rather amused. “Lovely weather today. Tempted to take a dip?” She asked as a playful smirk curled her lips upward in a pleasant fashion. The light that illuminated the woman's face from below gave her an almost hellish appearance, though those ravishing eyes might have suggested she was anything but. Did Nox know the woman in question? No, no, she did not, but it was simply too fascinating an opportunity to pass up.