a collab feat. @Meiyuki and @shagranoz"A Fortune to Behold....."
Angharad Seher and Company. Medusa and Rebecca
The journey from the cave to Bloodrose Castle had taken far longer than it should have. A bit because....well....Angharad had no idea where to find the bloody thing. And some of her poor children simply needed more rest then could be given if they were to make respectable time. But find it she did, and enter it she did.
Over all...she found the whole thing rather...empty. It seemed as though most of the inhabitants where away on some sort of holiday. That was fine with Angharad, she really would rather not have her meeting interupted after all.
It only took a few moments to find her intended target, but her children helped make the search go a lot quicker then it should have. Angharad soon found herself inside a massive library.
"Oh Medusa," she called out in a sing song voice. She then spotted the woman a little ways off.
"Oh Medusa," She said, walking over to her.
"Why, you are even more lovely then was describe to me," Medusa turned to the strange woman as she approached. Her sentries had informed her of a new witches arrival several minutes ago, but she hadn't expected one so...exhuberant.
"You are?""Oh, silly me, I've heard of you for so long that it is like we are already very good friends," She gave another smile.
"My name is Angharad Seher, leader of the Seher Covent," She gave a little mock bow, still smiling at Medusa.
"Seher you say." Medusa eyed the woman warily.
"You're certainly younger than I expected, but no matter. What brings you to my home, daughter of Grethu?""Well, mostly the death of Grethu," she said, with a faux look of heartbreak.
"I've come to share her last will and testament," Angharad then pulled up a chair across the table from Medusa, reaching out to take her hand. One of her smaller children jumping up on her lap.
Medusa laughed a little at the news of Grethu's death.
"So, the old witch finally met her end huh? I wasn't sure I'd live to see the day." She looked down at her hand, which was suddenly ensnared by Angharad. This witch was obviously...eccentric, but then again so were the best of them.
"Her last will and testament? Go on."Angharad smiled and reached into her bag, pulling out a long wooden box.
"I suppose we ought to get down to it," She almost opened the box before stopping.
"I actually don't think you would...well....mind me asking a favor first?" she said with a smile.
Medusa arched an eyebrow at Angharad.
"A favor? You may ask, but I reserve the right to refuse of course.""It isn't any much," She said,
"And, as a show of good faith, I'm even willing to offer you a gift, free of charge," With that, she reached into her lap and put the creater on the table
"For you, her name is Spot, I hope she will offer you protection for many years to come," "Well isn't she cute." Medusa reached out to scratch under the creature's chin.
"Go on, ask your favor then." She continued petting the cub, quite pleased.
"Tell me, Medusa darling, do you know of the Digards?" She said with a flick of her hand.
"A particularly nasty bunch of hunters," At that moment, a new woman entered the room. Unlike the other two, she was in a state of considerable disrepair. As in, flesh rotting off most of her face, along with various other parts of her body. She moved slowly, a bit of a shuffle to her gait. "Excuse me, but you must be Madame Bloodrose. Is this a bad time?" she asked, a hand slightly covering her mouth. Obviously, she was somewhat self-conscious of her unusual condition.
"Obviously," said Angharad, looking over at the girl. Instead of looking at her with disguest, she looked at her as though intrigued.
"I would love to explore you though," She said, almost itching to stand up.
"Skin that falls, yet you do not. That could fix the skin peeling problem I've been having with a few of my more scaled mammals," Angharad then glanced back at Medusa, knowing that what she was about to say, she wouldn't in front of this new girl.
"So, my dear, if you could just...pop out side, this won't be much longer," Medusa waved Angharad off, turning instead to the...undead witch?
"My my! Have you managed some form of immortality dear?" She found the state of the witch's flesh displeasing but was fascinated by the topic of immortality.
"That would be impressive in the extreme." She cast a glance at Angharad.
"We've time for whatever problem you have with which ever Digard angered you. Lorelai will return soon anyway, and she'd know more to be honest.""Immortality? Indeed I have, Madame Bloodrose." A little pride crept into Rebecca's voice. She may have been disturbed by the status of her body, but there was a great deal of difficulty in doing what she did. "I came across an ancient Babylonian lich ritual, and when my life was threatened, there was only one option. Now, I have all the time in the world to do whatever pleases me." Rebecca gave Angharad a curt nod. "My apologies to you, but this is Madame Bloodrose's home, not yours. If she bids me to stay, than I shall stay."
Angharad gave the girl a bright smile.
"Of course, this is Medusa's home," she said, her hand still holding the witch's.
"I would never dream of anything other than a respectale guest," She then returned her eyes to Medusa, reaching up to brush a wayward hair from the woman's face.
"I merely worry that what I about to speak of might be best left between two sets of ears, rather than three, but if the lady doesn't mind sharing the news, I will happily do it, audience and all," "Hmmm..." Medusa's face flushed slightly at this crazy witch's boldness. [color=ed1c24]"I presume....I never did catch your name."[/coor] She turned back to the decomposing witch.
"Are you here to join the Coven? If so I've no issue airing new in front of you."Rebecca shrugged her shoulders. "I've no home to call my own at present, so yes, I shall join your Coven. You shall find me a formidable ally, my lady. As for my name, I am Rebecca Van Zant. I presume there is some sort of ritual to join, so let us be done with it."
Medusa nods smiling.
"Speak your oath to protect the Coven in all things, to respect and obey those above you, and honor those beneath you. Offer your blood-tithe to seal the pact, and we'll be satisfied."Rebecca pulled a small poniard from a sheath on her ankle. "I swear to protect the Coven in all things, to respect and obey those above me, and honor those beneath me." A slice across her palm caused a few drops of black blood to ooze out. "I hope that's enough blood to prove my devotion, as I'm not going to have much more to give anytime soon."
Medusa nodded satisfied as she felt the pact settle into place. She'd know if Rebecca violated it.
"That will do dear. Welcome to the Bloodrose Coven." She turned to Angharad.
"Go on."Angharad gave another one of her smiles as she pulled out the box, only this time she clicked it open. Inside were many neatly folded and sealed pieces of paper.
"My grandmother, rest her soul, had the habbit of keeping track of all the world's most important people," She reached in and pulled out two pieces of paper.
"Obviously Grandmother thought you needed two. Many of your witches are also in here, nearly five, that is almost four times as many as every other coven," She placed the two papers on the table.
"Now, one will speak of your death, and the other will have a list of everyone who will ever betray you. What they say, I know not and I am willing to give you one of them to with as you wish. I suggest burning it, but...to each his own," Medusa's eyes widened. Such a gift was certainly powerful, if unsettling.
"I'll take..." Medusa wracked her brain.
"The list of betrayals." In the end she'd decided that knowledge of who would betray her would be more useful. Perhaps less depressing as well.
Rebecca's eyes blinked in surprise at Medusa's choice, until she thought it over and realized that even if she were alive, she'd have made the same decision. "A wise choice, in my opinion. Why worry about something that's preordained? Better to take some information that you can make use of in the present."
Angharad gave another cheerful smile, happy to pass over one of the pieces of paper. But she kept the other one on the table.
"I'm stilling willing to part with this information as well, but with a cost, would you like to know my price?" Medusa hadn't read the paper yet, to afraid to have the answer to the question she'd been torturing herself with for months. When Angharad offered the other it took a moment for her to register that the other witch was even speaking. With a small start she responded evenly in spite of the haunted look in her eye.
"What would that be?""A kiss," she said, leaning forward slightly.
"And for two, I'll let you pick anyone one of your followers that I have from this box as well. Don't me started on what I'll do for three," Oh. Oh, my. Such forthcoming behavior! Rebecca was no stranger to scandalous thoughts; she'd been attracted to women more than once. But of course, such things were best kept in the privacy of one's mind, lest they become public. The fact that the other witch was not only willing to kiss Medusa, or even to announce her intentions in public, but to do so with an onlooker? Rebecca was shocked, but she managed to hide her emotions, at least somewhat.
"Meet me in my bedchambers...I'll take the box thank you." Medusa replied simply. Witches were no strangers to trading bits of themselves for power, and Medusa was no different. At least it wasn't a body part, or a binding oath.
"The whole box?" She said, her face lighting up with even more excitment.
"Well, the whole box will cost you much more then simple kisses, this box has the futures of those not even born yet, of leaders and rulers and pig keepers. I'll trade it, but it'll cost you more," "Rebecca, let's show you to your new quarters first though shall we?" Medusa offered the witch a small apologetic smile as she stood.
"We'll discuss price later Angharad." [color=ed1c24]"Any requests for your room Rebecca?" She asked as she started towards the dormitories.
"No, nothing special. Necromancy is an art that can be practiced just about anywhere, as long as I have some privacy." Rebecca stretched herself out, moving to follow Medusa. "If you see a black cord on my door, I am not to be disturbed. Otherwise, I have no requests."
Medusa steps came to a halt in front of Laina's old room.
"This should serve then, it's sizable enough." She pushed the door open and removed the key from a ring of them on her hip.
"Get yourself settled. I'm sure the rest of your sisters will be eager to meet you when they return." She handed Rebecca the key.
"Okay, then." Rebecca settled in to her new abode, drawing the covers of her bed around her. She wouldn't be heading out anytime soon... but that didn't mean she wouldn't be keeping an ear open.
Medusa's roomMedusa let Angharad through the large black-iron door to her chambers. It was a spacious cirlular room with lavish carpeting and furniture. A desk sat to one side coved in parchment and various open tomes, a vanity bore Medusa's grooming accessories on the other side of the room. Dominating the space however was the centerpiece; A massive canopy bed with black silken sheets. It was covered with small pillows embroidered with her family seal.
She took a seat at the foot of it and patted next to her.
"So...tell me the price for all the papers pertaining to members of my coven first."Angharad sat beside Medusa, however, she layed back almost at once, streching her arms out, closing her eyes as though at peace.
"I'd forgotten how comfortable beds were," She said, twising on her side. Blinking up at Medusa,
"Nothing like 6 months of a blind witch telling you were she hide her treasures two hundered years ago to make you long for the little things," Still laying on her back.
"Well, I did say one kiss for yours, two for one of the five, hmm, what would be a good price for four lives?" She put one figure up to her chin.
"I'm interested to see what offer you will make for them," She said.
"You mentioned the Digards." Medusa stated, turning to face the amusing witch. Stretched out like a child on a strangers sheets, Angharad was certainly interesting to say the least.
"This castle plays host to Lorelai Von'Strauss, I'm sure she'd be willing to aid whatever fate you've planned for them.""Do you plan to share what you see in these letters with Lorelai?" She asked, blinking up at Medusa.
"I am certain I could give Loreali her own letter for that aid and it'll only cost me one, not four. Shall I offer it to her? Give her the same edge I've given you?" There was a slight teasing in her voice.
"Do you trust her with such information?" The woman reached up and ran her hand down one of Meduses locks.
Medusa wouldn't admit her suspicions in front of Angharad, but she hardly wanted Lorelai having access to that kind of information. She sighed and began undoing the straps of her robe.
"I think we both know what you want..." Medusa leaned in a pressed her lips to Angharad's.
"So...how many will you offer me to relieve that itch hmm?"Angharad closed her eyes, enjoying the kiss. When it ended, she savored the moment for a while before sitting up and answering Meduse. She put her hand under the woman's chin, coming so close that their noses and foreheads touched.
"Your whole clan," she whispered, breathlessly.
"But it only counts," She said, pulling back slightly.
"If you truly want it," Medusa rolled her eyes grinning. She certainly wanted the letters, sex she was largely ambivalent about. Ever since that man had left her at the altar all those years ago she had little use for it. She eyes Angharad, the witch was pretty enough she supposed. It's not like she wouldn't enjoy it.
"Let's see shall we?""We shall," She said, pulling Medusa atop her.
"If at anytime you want to stop, I won't be mad, you won't get any letters but your own, but no hard feelings," She said, her hands resting on Medusa's hips.
"Or you could kiss me quick and secure yourself another one," "I've never settle for less than everything. I'll not start now." 
TheDoctor