Elvyah had settled into life in Gresna quite nicely after only a week spent living there. Unlike Tenlight, Gresna was ruled by a single person, a man who the citizenry referred to as The Monarch. She had treated with him on several occasions in the past whilst still under Carl's employ but that did not stop her from spending the three days after making the journey to Gresna spying on him and the town he lorded over. Satisfied with his conduct and the town itself Elvyah allowed her team to make themselves known. Elvyah had never been one to take chances and recent events had only reinforced this.

Her companions Bough and Lysa had not been pleased with waiting but they had been trained well enough in the course of their travels that they did not protest. Their training had actually gone so well that it was a point of pride for her, she supposed part of it's success could be attributed to the crushing defeat the Demolishers had suffered at the hands of the Crow kid. Still it had proved a pointless venture, seperating the team was the first thing The Monarch had done after meeting them. Elvyah knew it was both fair and logical, he could not leave them together whilst he was unsure of their alliances, to an extent she had even expected the separation but that didn't shake the bitter taste it left in her mouth.

Lysa and Bough hadn't taken the separation well either, they had come to depend on her in a fashion. After discovering how easy traversing the corrupted zones with her power to keep them safe was, they had come to attribute her with safety as well. The initial misgivings her ambush had caused had not dissapeared completely, neither of them trusted her totally which they were right not to yet there was a saying from her childhood, better the devil you know than the angel you don't.

That aside Elvyah had found Gresna and it's leader quite accommodating. The Monarch was every bit as egotistical as his name implied which had manifested itself as a boon to Elvyah. He was a powerful man, a leader among deviants, a sovereign within the land of Gresna and a god to those who lived there. He was used to more than obedience, he was used to devotion and he would not get that from Elvyah. From a man or a less comely woman The Monarch's reaction may have been anger but with her it became lust.

He wanted her and she was no fool to believe it was for her beauty or charm, it was the challenge that drove him, the desire to prove that he could. And for that very reason she would never let him have what he wanted, no, neither would she outright reject him, she would tease him, giving him enough that he stayed interested but not so much that he would be satisfied, doubtless he would eventually grow bored of her or get distracted by some other challenge but by then she expected to have been well compensated for her efforts.

Elvyah stopped and looked up, before her was a large two storey building, her destination, it was her first time coming here but she knew it could only be the one. Like all the other buildings in this part of town it was built solidly from quarried stone and it flaunted glass windows. It was near identical to all the nearby houses yet it stood out to her like a candle in the dark, it stank. The stench of forge equipment, few deviants were sensitive to their presence and fewer still were as sensitive to despair as Elvyah was. She wondered if it had something to do with her origins. The smell which she had first thought to be coming from inside the building she now realised came from the building itself. The building was a forged item, she hadn't realised it could be done yet now that she thought about it she saw no reason why not.

Impressed, she walked into the building eager to finally own forge equipment of her own. Although The Monarch had refused to acquire one for her he had not forbidden her from getting one for herself. The older more experienced Forge had turned her down flatly saying that there was nothing she had or could offer that would interest him whilst the younger had been eager to meet up and discuss a trade and so here she was.

"Miss Elvyah Snow" a short portly woman called out rushing to meet her.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, if you would please follow me I would take you to see Lord Cedric, he's been expecting you"

Elvyah couldn't help but like the older woman, barely five feet in height, her cheeks were flushed from the short run over, her hands moved animatedly as she talked and she seemed made for the black dress and white apron of a maid's uniform. It was a shame that her shadow glimpse perk did not work on things despair had not altered she would have liked to get a feel of what the woman was like.

She was led down hallways adorned with paintings -- a rarity -- and up a flight of stairways into a modest study.

"If you would wait a moment the master will be with you shortly" with that the tiny woman hurried off perhaps to fetch her employer.

The sight made Elvyah smile, she honestly couldn't tell what about the scene amused her so much or why she found the woman so cute but she wasn't one to over think it.

She plopped herself down on a plush chair and made herself comfortable. She didn't have wait long the Forge she was looking for walked in only moments after woman walked out.

Cedric gaped at the sight of her. Her lithe limber body was clothed in a large grey t shirt and nothing else. Cedric had never seen a woman dress that way before. She was attractive in way that only a deviant could be, with cream for skin and brilliant ginger red hair that came alive in the sun.

"Er... hello."

"Hi" She smiled, amused by his visible discomfort, his right hand shook nervously at his side.

He looked normal enough to Elvyah, granted he wore expensive fine leather clothing and his eyes glowed unnaturally blue but his body language, facial expression and plain lightly pimpled face made him seem like just another teenager struggling with social interaction. For a moment he almost seemed to her like another socially awkward teenager she had known, Kael, and in that moment she struggled with guilt and grief.

'I couldn't have known' she told herself 'and even so who is to say he isn't fine, they have no reason to hurt him' The memory of Avin's fangs closing in on her seemed to scream at her liar, liar!

Smiling she shook Cedric's sweaty hands, showing no outward sign of her inner conflict.

'I saved myself, I fufilled my obligation to myself and thats what matters. I can't go saving others if I can't guarantee my own saftey'

Cedric stared at her, she was beautiful, confident and dangerous his master had warned and he could see it himself. He could not help but feel nervous as he reached out to shake her hand. Did she know? That with a single touch she would grant him a peek at her soul? Unlikely few understood how Forge deviations worked and she would never have initiated the handshake if she did. He should have told her, warned her but he had to know for himself who she was.

His hands were clammy with sweat but she did not seem to care, she had such a sweet smile. Cedric turned his head away sharply afraid he had been caught staring and she broke the handshake but not before he peered. Her soul was powerful, but not terribly so, sensitive but untrained, this was not what interested him however, he wanted to know her!

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A raven and a serpent. A hunter and a scavenger. Quick to bite and quick to run, blood of ice and warmth. A walking contradiction, a kiss that ushers death, a hug that steals life, beautiful and yet terrible, a creature of two worlds, the skies and the dirt. She is self centered and yet empathic, greedy yet generous in her greed, a lover and a killer.

"Cedric?... Are you alright?"

"Yes... I am, I am fine"

He was nervous before but now he was scared.

'Too much?' Elvyah wondered.

Cedric could feel her hand on his shoulder, it was all he could do not to recoil in fear, yet when he looked up at her sweet smile he almost forgot what it was that he was afraid of. Her beauty was not the cold distant mask of a goddess, jade white skin or no, it was the pretty glow of the girl next door who claimed your first kiss. Soft where others where sharp, cute not stunning, yet captivating all the same. It was not face of an assassin and so it became the mask of one.

She giggled and he knew he had been staring too long yet rather than panic he found himself laughing with her. She dropped onto a couch with a graceful sway, her long graceful legs beckoned to his eyes beneath the too short shirt. He could almost see her--

"My eyes are up here." she teased, smiling.

Embarrassed he looked away, much to her amusement.

"You are too cute!"

His emotions boiled, equal parts elation and fear.

'If I could... what am I thinking!?'

She will eat you alive his master had warned and now he knew for himself. P

"Let us get straight to it, yeah?" a honeyed voice suggested

He nodded meekly.

"I want forge equipment, preferably something with great range and a quick rate of fire, I am not particular about the damage dealt. Can you get me something aligned towards the Goddess of the Dark and Cold or are there rules behind that? Now you tell me what you want."

"Erm yes, yes I want... I want you"

"Oh..."

Elvyah felt the excitement leave her, until she was cold and empty. She cursed herself for teasing the boy so much but what was the point? It was already done. She had considered this before she came, thought it unlikely but considered it and she had come to an answer. She pulled the shirt to reveal skimpy lace undergarments and a mouth watering figure. What did dignity matter in the face of life and death? If every time she was confronted she run then what was the point of living?

"Whoa! Not like that!"

"What?!"

"I didn't mean it like that!"

"How else could you have meant it?!"

"I want your help, your deviation not your body... I mean I want your---"

"Hold the fuck up!"

"I--"

"Why would you say that if all you wanted was help?!"

"Okay, it was, it was a joke. I didn't expect you to... you know?"

"No I don't!"

"Just put your clothes back on."

"No!"

"I.. but.. why?"

"I don't want to!"

Cedric stared at her too flustered to respond. What the hell was going on? She sat back down on the couch and stared at him expectantly. Tired he returned to his own seat and let out a sigh of relief, only then realising he was hard for her.

"Well go on, how can I service you?" He blushed at her choice of words.

"I am at a bottleneck in my craft and my master says that I need to kill my own materials to break through. That and using my own forges in a real life and death fight should help. Its..., its hard to explain."

"I think I get it. Where do I come in?"

"I need to go to into corrupted zones and I heard your deviation is good for escaping so will you come with?"

"For forge equipment? Yeah sure."

"Great! I'm leaving in a couple of weeks. I'll have someone inform you when it gets close."

"Uh huh, so the beasts are you going to fight them alone or do I have to help?"

"Both? Both, I want to experience both."

"And what about the pay?"

"An item for every three I get from the experience?"

"Deal."

"Great."

"I'll be leaving then."

"Wait."

"Yeah?"

"Your deviation I want to see it."

"Like a test run to see if I'm worth it or...?"

"I just, I just want to see it."

"Yeah, I can do that."

She rose from her seat with as much grace as sloth, the shadows at her feet deepened and began to ripple, like a disturbed pond. Thin slivers slowly rose from the puddle of darkness and wrapped around Elvyah until she was clothed in a sleeveless gown of shadows. Then she moved, gliding across the floor with all the silence of the night. She was a breath away when she came to a stop, her lips so close he thought he could taste them.

"Would this be enough?"

"Yes" he said without meaning to.

She grinned at him and her gown fell away, melting like snow in the sun. The sight was entrancing and Cedric knew she had him, he knew why too but he did not care. It was his deviation she wanted and not him but he was willing to be a fool if it would prolong the moment.

"I guess this is byebye."

"Yes... No!... I mean there is something else I wanted to ask." He managed, not daring to look away from her eyes.

"Yes?"

"Er... I... What were you going to pay me with? Before... you know."

"Oh! I guess it's best I show you."

She walked to the couch and bent for her shirt giving Cedric a lovely view of her behind. He thought she would don it but rather she pulled something from within it, a large horned feline. It didn't smell or leak and yet it did not seem fresh, it was cold to the touch like it had been left in the snow in a winter storm.

"I can keep things in the world of shadows" she offered by way of explanation.

"Like the people?"

"Yes exactly like that."

"And nothing happens to them, they don't go bad, age, go hungry? I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked that."

"No but you did, its difficult to explain but the world of shadows has no effect on inorganic things but on the living and organic, they turn to shadow if they stay too long."

"They turn to shadow?"

"Yes they slowly become dull and lose their colour then they get brittle until they crumble with a touch farther than that and they become indistinguishable from the rest of the shadow world"

"Have you ever wondered if other parts of the shadow world were made from things left there by someone else?"

"I have wondered if someone struck me with a killing blow and I fled to the shadow world to die, if I'd join the endless streams. It wouldn't be a half bad place to spend forever."

"Oh... do you want to see the stuff I have made?"

"Yeah, I think I'd like that. Do you have anything that can make me fly?" She asked eagerly, sliding herself into her top.

"The wind..."

"Oh you are referring to my dress"

Cedric choked.

'What dress?'

"I'll hide what needs hiding in the shadows" she scowled.

"Now give me wings!" She said laughing triumphantly.