Contains smut, BDSM.
BOOM.
Reverberations.
A guest. An unwelcome one, at that. What other kind was there for her? Even intruders had slowly become a rarity these years. Still, every guest deserved a greeting. Even the ones that invited themselves in.
Running her fingers along the stone walls, Elsa sensed the movements. Where- where-
The entrance hall? Her invader chose the front door? That would explain the sounds that first stirred her, but-
Who breaks in through the front door?
Well, time to observe. Then, the usual.
Run.
Run.
Run.
Legs burning. Lungs Burning. Everything burning. Stopping wasn't an option. She was running out of precious daylight. The endless maze of trees already proved difficult enough to pass through as it was. Only when an alcove of tree roots caught her eye did Anna finally come to a stop, taking cover beneath.
Between gasps of air and pangs in her stomach, Anna could only wonder if she had only traded one grim fate for another. An empty laugh escaped her mouth. Perhaps that was all that awaited her now. Sitting here, wearing the torn remains of the only reminder of a home that was no more, it seemed so easy to simply give up.
She returned to her feet. No signs of any pursuers. Anna's life was still hers. Maybe, just maybe, there was still a drop of kindness between the endless trees. Not to mention something she could eat. These thoughts gave her tired, aching muscles new strength.
Seeing a light in the distance stopped her again. Except, it wasn't moving. There were no sounds, either. It could be a trap. Or her salvation. With nothing else, it was at least worth a closer look. On the balls of her feet, Anna edged forward. The ground mercifully was mostly dirt, keeping her steps quiet. Every few steps, she noticed something new. Something more strange.
Stone. Not just stone, carved stone. A house? Then, windows. Clean, intact ones at that. That was likely the source of the light, reflecting what little remained of the evening sun. With a few more bold steps, Anna could finally make out the structure. What an odd thing it was.
The place looked more like a stone keep than a house, only it didn't rise nearly as high as expected. In some ways, it looked pristine. As though someone definitely lived here. On the other hand, Anna could find no signs of life within, checking everywhere she could around the building. Nobody on the roof or manning the entrance. No lights coming from within. This whole place felt wrong. Moreover, it was almost certain that anyone who did live here would turn her away in her current state. At best.
There was little choice now that darkness was taking hold. A few tense steps later, Anna was standing at the large double doors; the only entrance she could find.
Bang, bang, bang.
The knocker reverberated against the trees. It was only after the third strike that it the possibility of anyone in the area hearing the sound occurred to her. Too late now. A long silence followed. Nothing seemed to stir, either from within the building or without. The cold, the darkness, the hunger. They all made her hope against hope that someone would allow her in. Yet no one came.
Time for one last, desperate move. Anna pushed on the door. Pushed will all the strength she could conjure, and-
It opened. Needing even less force than imagined, Anna slipped through, closing it behind her. The entrance hall seemed to show more of what she say outside: no signs of life here, yet none of decay, either. No dust, no cobwebs, nothing falling apart. Only a carpet stretching out into the darkness, along with what looked like some paintings and displays lining the walls and the polished wooden floors beneath. If no one lived here, someone must have been keeping this place in order. A second pit opened in Anna's stomach, yet she edged forward. Maybe she was overthinking this. Maybe someone who simply came to tend this place would be sympathetic. With this, she found new courage.
Edging through the halls in the faint light, it wasn't too long until a set of spiral, stone stairs heading both up or down. From what little she knew, the chambers would likely be upstairs; the kitchen and any storage would be on the lower levels.
Down it was. The stairs stretched on a downward spiral far longer than Anna would have thought. Did this place go as far down from the ground as up? It certainly seemed likely at this point. Finally, she arrived at a landing. It looked like there were stairs further down, but it was difficult enough to make out as it was. If there was any daylight left, it couldn't reach this place.
A light. Off in the distance. Was someone here after all?
"Hello?" Anna meekly called out. No response. No movements. The light seemed to move, but only slightly. Careful steps. This could still be-
Just a torch, hanging on a stone wall. The only one she could see. That did it. She couldn't stay here too long. Torch now, in hand, she pushed on, nerves ever fraying. Anna tried any door she could find. Unlike the entrance, many of these did seem to be locked. All, save one.
The kitchen. Finally, a stroke of luck. There must have been some food for the person living here. To the left, was a large fire oven. The right, another door. Was that the larder? The door refused to let her find out. No matter how hard she tried. So close, as well. There was an alternative, though. There, past the table of utensils and next to the pile of firewood. A sack.
Of flour, it seemed. Still felt fresh, though. It would have to do. Did she really have the time for this? In that moment, her stomach decided it needed filling more than to get out of this place. With a metal flask of water, Anna refreshed herself and got to work.
Firing up the oven. Gathering the flour and applying water. Then, kneading. Then, some more kneading. The motions went some way to easing the tension in the air. Eventually, it was done. Two bread rolls. Enough to sate her for a while. Hopefully, no one would notice the missing flour.
The first one was in her stomach in a flash. So fresh. So warm. Anna had almost forgotten how that felt. Her hand froze before she could take the second.
A woman. Or what Anna thought was one. Some kind of black dress. Pale blonde hair. Even paler skin. Most of all, a piercing blue stare that seemed to sap the life from her.
"I-" Anna whispered. Speaking, like every other action, felt more impossible with each second. It was more than her being found out. This woman- her mere presence-
Made everything dark. Made Anna's legs fail her. Did something break her fall? She could no longer tell.
There were two main intruders that invited themselves into Elsa's home. Over the many years, none of them succeeded at what they came for.
First, there were the treasure hunters. Or more accurately, thieves. They would always pay a price for their trespassing. Then, there were the hunters. They would pay the price. Once they broke into her home, there was no escape. No victory for them. Yet they arrived all the same.
Then there was the young woman slouched on the ground in front of her; solid iron bars separating them. Now here was a curiosity. Finding this place by accident was far from impossible, and did occur a few times. Yet those that did were generally explorers or chasers, finding something much more than any deer. In the end, even those that didn't start with larcenous intent couldn't resist the temptation. This girl in front of her was no exception. That was only one similarity to a whole field of differences.
Flour. She stole flour. That alone told Elsa just about everything she could already guess about how desperate she must have been. Seeing her slumped against the stone floor barely covered in torn clothes- well, it was hard not to feel something for her. Looking so lost. Like some kind of stray.
With a snap of her fingers, Elsa now towered above the girl, looking straight down. Time to get some answers.
"Awaken," Elsa whispered, sending cold air whirling around her. Not that she felt any of it. Slowly but surely, Elsa noticed stirring. Then, movements. The girl pushed herself up on her left hand. Once again, seeing Elsa froze her stiff. After a brief moment, she did manage a few words. Only Elsa had no idea what they were.
Crouching down, Elsa extended her left palm, pressing it firmly against the girl's forehead. With a few seconds of contact and her abilities- there.
"Speak," Elsa ordered. "Who are you?"
"Anna. My name is Anna." The girl stared straight into Elsa with pleading eyes. "Please. Don't send me back."
Running away, was she? Elsa knew the feeling. She didn't really need to know any of the sordid details just yet. Elsa already knew everything that she needed. She produced a pristine bread roll. The very same one Anna never had a chance to eat the night before. Even without any words, she understood. Felt the fresh warmth undoubtedly enter her stomach.
"Very well. I will allow you to stay here, for a time."
Anna's eyes lit up. "You mean it?"
Just like that? Wasn't she worried about an offer like that, from someone who imprisoned her? No, this only made Elsa even more certain of what she now knew.
"Yes, I do. But- it comes at a price."
One month. That was their agreement. There were a few other terms. Anna wasn't to leave the stone keep at any time. She wasn't to enter any room besides the kitchen and the room picked out for her to sleep in. That didn't leave a lot of room for exploration besides the halls and the rooftop, which fell just short of the forest's canopy. Though it stoked her curiosity, she would simply have to live with it.
Second, and more strangely, Elsa insisted that she eat and sleep regularly. As though she wouldn't do this anyway. Was Elsa concerned that she wouldn't do either of these enough if she weren't prompted to. It wasn't a bad rule, just one that raised several questions.
Questions that Elsa never seemed to be around to answer. Nor anyone else for that matter, despite how sure Anna felt that someonemust be keeping the place in such great condition. Windows stayed clean. Wood and stone never picked up a speck of dirt or dust, no matter how many times she checked. Most of all, there was always enough food that Elsa instructed her to eat, all seemingly fresh. Elsa herself could have been taking care of it, but Anna never saw her doing so.
These questions grew on her, even as everything in her life started to look up. A warm, soft bed and three meals a day you could rely on was something you could get used to. Only Anna couldn't. One month. That was the agreement. For a price of some kind. Why couldn't she remember what it was; only that she shouldn't worry about it?
What she really needed was a way to take all these growing questions from her mind. Maybe a plan for when she left this place was in order. Elsa had been pretty generous so far.
Humans were adorable. Elsa always had fun remembering that. Watching them wander around her home; scurrying about, heading straight down the paths she laid out for them. It was especially nice not to worry about a guest going somewhere they definitely weren't supposed to, taking something of actual value.
That wasn't the only reason Anna was around, though. There was something of vital importance Anna had to offer, while Elsa had the upper hand at the bargaining table. So it was here in the dining hall, the day their deal would expire, that they would meet once more.
They had quite a bit to talk about.
"Hello?" Anna entered the pitch black hall, as though it were her first day all over again. Even without light, Elsa could observe as best she could, though it gotten more difficult recently. Fascinating though it would be to watch her stumble around, Elsa didn't really have the time any longer.
Snap. The chandelier above came to life, illuminating a long dining table which Elsa sat a the head of.
"Please, sit." Elsa motioned towards another ornate chair a short way down the table, and Anna quietly sat down. Such a good girl.
"So, is it time for me to leave now, uh-" Straight to business.
"Elsa, please." She never did introduce herself properly, did she? Elsa could give that up, at least. "It's true that our agreement has come to end. You are free to leave. In fact, I cannot allow you to stay as things currently are."
Anna stalled. "Just like that? Don't you think I'll tell someone? What about your price? You never even said what you wanted."
Elsa shook her head. Time to turn this poor little girl's world upside down again. "I'm not worried about you telling anyone. You're not even from this land, are you?"
"I- well- no. But how did you-"
Elsa raised her left hand towards Anna. "I linked myself to you. Until I did that, I couldn't understand the language you were speaking. It must have cropped up some time in the past few centuries."
"Linked? I don't understand."
"No? That's fine." Elsa placed her palm face-up, and produced a ball of light. "I have powers of sorts, nurtured over perhaps thousands of years. I'm sure you wondered how it is everything here stays so fresh. So pristine." She placed the ball on that table, and the power spread throughout. "Stasis magic. Very simple. Doesn't take much power, either. Which is good. Power is the difference between life and death."
"Wow," Anna gasped. "So- what do you want from me?"
How to explain this? "You're the key to that power, Anna. How to explain this- tell me, have you ever heard of vampires?"
"You're a vampire? You want to drink my blood or something?" Only half-right. Much better than Elsa first expected, though.
"Not exactly. Only our descendants; the second generation needs to feed like that. The original auramancers, or at least what is left of us, can take the life energy directly." With that, she returned her hand to Anna's forehead. Collecting the wisps of power around the young woman.
"Did you just- drain my life?"
"Not at all. I simply collected the energy you're giving off. You've been doing that more and more this past month, as you've gotten healthier. As long as you've been living here in my home-" She closed her palm, and the energy vanished. "I've been able to collect it. Most humans don't give off nearly as much as you."
"So you want- my life energy? Wait, didn't you say I couldn't stay here any more? I don't understand, Elsa."
"You misheard," Elsa explained, shaking her head. "I said you can't stay as things currently are." Was Anna desperate as Elsa believed? Time to find out. "The longer you've stayed here, the longer I realise that I've been missing out. As I felt you, I felt my own desires again. I don't just want the energy any more. I want you."
Trading one grim fate for another.
Those words echoed in Anna's mind as she held the collar in front of her. Elsa assured her that she had a choice. Yet she suspected that deep down, even Elsa knew that wasn't really true. She had nothing. No one. Nowhere. There was little point in chancing a journey that a home that was likely no more. She could try to end things on her own terms. Just thinking about that made her realise how impossible that was. Next life or not, she would never forgive herself.
Total obedience in perpetuity. Those were Elsa's exact words; before she had to explain what that meant. That was the price of Elsa's kindness. This new life.
At least Elsa could be honest about all of it. Besides, Anna could no longer bear to be alone. It wouldn't really be forever. Right?
Things between them were rather simple at first. Every first day, Elsa would give her some kind of new command. Then, the second Elsa would explain something new about her past.
"Cook this and eat it."
Elsa was thousands of years old, though she didn't exactly know for sure.
"Tend the gardens on the rood for me."
She, along with a few others, took to the art of auramancy; the power of manipulating life energy.
"You are to drink this every night from now on."
They reached a limit of how much power they could control. The only way past it was to empty their very beings of their own energy.
"You will wear this now. And don't look at me like that."
They could live forever; stay young and strong forever. They would forever rely on the energy of the living to do this.
"Hold still for a minute. Let me feel you."
It was a fairly simple matter to drain a living being, even a person, of all their life energy, immediately killing them. However, sometimes it didn't kill them.
"Anna, it's time."
Elsa really should have seen this coming. How long was it since Anna accepted her offer? A month at least. She wasn't exactly used to being cognisant of the passage of time. No matter. There were more pressing issues. Anna's life force was fading. Elsa noticed from the beginning, but there was no sign of it stopping. This simply wouldn't do.
Unfortunately, the problem came from Elsa herself. Their deal; Anna's total submission must have been dulling her aura. All Elsa had done so far was give her orders and lessons in ancient history. It was time to open a few doors; show her little human a little excitement.
Elsa tracked through the basement; Anna following by her command and every door in front opening by her power. She stopped at a study of sorts, a place brimming with millennia of written knowledge.
She turned to Anna. Fading life or not, it was hard to deny Anna made her feel things again. "So, where were we the previous time? I believe I told you about vampires."
Anna nodded. "You said they were- uhm- second generation auramancers?"
"Yes. They were like us, only they had none of the skill or knowledge they needed to drain life from other beings. There was another- crude, messy, way though. They could draw the life from living beings by drinking their blood. Most did it to avoid dying."
"So you can kill a va- auramancer?"
Elsa shook her head, with a sad smile. "No. Sunlight. Crosses? Garlic?" She had to suppress a laugh. "The only way we can die is if we run out of life energy. Make no mistake; it's a very real concern. Real enough to wipe the rest of us out. Enough that I must keep myself in stasis unless I can find more life energy."
"There are none of you left? What happened?" Anna truly did have a kinder heart than any of them deserved.
"War. That's what happened. We fought humans. Each other. All because there wasn't enough energy to go around. I came close to a solution, but- I was too late. All I could do was hide away from the world as we burned ourselves out." A silence fell on the room. "Perhaps we were meant to die out."
"I don't know," Anna whispered. "But I promised I would serve you forever."
"Why?" A moment unbecoming of her control. Elsa simply needed to know.
"Because- well-" Anna stammered. Was there even a good reason? "People have hurt me before. Especially when they destroyed my home and took me away. The worst wasn't the pain, or losing everything. It was how those awful people thought they we right. They were better, stronger. So they did what they wanted."
"Anna." Those words were like an icicle through the heart, if such a thing were possible for Elsa now.
"When you explained what you wanted from me, I thought you were no different. But- you could have lied to me. Kept your magic a secret. I- I know your kindness was only for yourself, but it still felt real to me. Even after I learned the truth." Elsa noticed Anna's eyes start to water.
What- what was this? Was Elsa starting to feel for her? This human she had taken as a vassal; a living battery of power? Perhaps it was more than simple power that she had absorbed. Never before had she taken so much out of a single person for so long. It couldn't be impossible that there were some unforeseen side effects.
"Just- promise me you won't ever hurt me," Anna asked.
"You have done well so far, my pet." Elsa placed a hand on top of Anna's lush, red hair. "But we're not close to done. Just keep your word to me, and I promise you only good things." Elsa opened yet another door behind her, this one far heavier and more secure than the last one. "Come."
The next room was far smaller, far simpler. Six equal stone surfaces, all plain save an ornate circle on the floor, adorned with magical symbols dating back millennia.
Elsa's extraction room.
"Take everything off; leave only the collar. Then step through into the centre," Elsa ordered. Anna wordlessly complied, bringing her bare body to the centre, while hiding her obvious discomfort. This room wasn't exactly the most welcoming. It had never needed to be; not for its original purpose.
Facing Elsa, Anna clutched her arms gently. "What do you want me to do?"
"Tonight, it's about what I'm going to do to you." With a wave Elsa's her left hand, Anna found herself lifted up; held aloft from her limbs. "Tell me: how do you feel now? Excited? Scared?"
"-Yes," Anna finally managed.
"Good, good." Elsa ran a finger along the cold stone walls. "Why do you think I brought you here; lifted you up like this?"
"I don't know," Anna said through unsteady breaths. "Please, I swear I've done everything you told me. Please-"
Elsa stroked Anna's chin. "If this were a punishment, you'd know by now. This will benefit us both, as long as you're truly willing to commit."
Elsa produced a small vial, this one filled with a liquid that glowed white. "A-another potion?"
"The last few were to restore your health; the food could only do so much." They certainly did a good enough job. "This one on the other hand, is very special. Perhaps the only one of its kind."
Anna stared at the bottle, apparently taken in by the light. "What does it do, then?"
"If you drink this, you'll live forever; stay the same way you are right now. This is the second part of your pledge. With this, you will truly serve me forever." It was Elsa's turn to stare at the glass container, reminiscing.
Anna had managed to pull her eyes away. "You really want me to have this? And why here, and now?"
With a wave of her hand, Elsa sent wisps of glowing magic around Anna's body. Caressing her skin. Exploring from head to toe. "I've held on to this- I don't exactly know how long. Over a hundred of your lifetimes, at least. When I first created this, I thought it could be a path to ended the fighting between us auramancers. There would finally be enough life force to go around. Instead, they found out what I had and tried to take it by force. That's when I knew there was nothing I could do except hide." She looked Anna in the eyes. Though Anna was struggling to stay focused from the magic brushing her skin all over. "When it was finally safe to awaken, I had already lost everything I needed to make any more. I spent so long agonising over the best possible use for this."
"I- couldn't you find someone else?"
Elsa shook her head. "No. I cannot venture too far from this place. And you- you're the only one- after everything I've done, you still seem to trust me."
"Well, what do you want from me here?" Staying composed was clearly becoming more difficult for her.
"I want every last drop of life you can give me. You know when you give off the most? When you're the most alive. That's what I want from you. Again. And again. And again. If can honestly accept all of that, that's all the reason I need for you to have this."
Anna looked down to the floor. "You really want me- forever?"
"Forever." Elsa stopped the teasing for just a moment. With the utmost care, she opened the bottle and presented the contents. "Drink all of it. Quickly."
Though she probably should have allowed Anna to drink it by herself, Elsa pressed the bottle to her lips, and Anna dutifully drink the entire contents in a couple of seconds. The restraints were still important though. There might be some unforeseen side effects.
"Elsa, Elsa, I-" The glow that once emanated from the liquid now enveloped her entire body. Anna was starting to shake, struggling against the magic holding her in place. "So- so hot! Make it stop!"
Elsa could feel it. The energy. Radiating from every inch of her body. She could do nothing but let it pass, though. To try anything now may ruin the potion. The effects were starting to stabilise. Still, it pained Elsa to see Anna suffer like that.
Something she never felt for any other human before her.
Things calmed down. The light faded. "Did- did it work?" Anna asked.
Elsa extended a hand a last. She felt it. A fountain; a wellspring of infinite vitality.
She could finally get started. There was all the time in the world, yet Elsa couldn't stand to waste any more.
Since that fateful night, the nature of Elsa's orders seemed to change completed.
"On your knees."
There was no delay between them.
"Arms behind your back."
No limit on what she would order, either.
"Use your tongue."
This all went far beyond any need for life energy.
"Now bend over."
Still, Anna could never bring herself to call her new owner cruel. She never let things get boring, though.
"Right where I left you. How are you feeling, pet?"
Anna felt uncertain; the last thing she remembered was a vague request from Elsa to push the limits of what she could take. She had be restrained before, but never this much. If not for the soft comfort beneath her, she might have panicked.
She was completely exposed, and unable to move. Anna could feel her arms above her, while her legs were held folded to either side of her. She couldn't tell where ropes of magic held her, mostly because of her face.
"Mmph." A ball of soft cloth held firm between her teeth. Another cloth covered her eyes completely.
"Excellent." A tender hand stroked Anna's leg. "You'll have all night to enjoy this. And more." Anna wasn't sure what Elsa got from that short moan, but she curious to see where this all lead. "I have something very special for you. Don't go anywhere."
The silence now accompanying Anna's loss of other sense stretched time to unbearable levels. Though her skin was exposed, a heat washed over her more with every second. Was she imagining it? Or was it the work of her imagination? Elsa must have been doing some of this on purpose.
"Mmm!" Anna felt something pressing between her legs. Then, the glide of a familiar tongue.
"Miss me?" How did she- ah! A pair of fingers pressed against her wetness. "Don't worry, you don't have to answer."
Then- then- something pressed hard against her crotch. No, not just on, in.
"Surprised? I made a new toy for my favourite toy." Elsa seemed to have a thing for unannounced entrances tonight. "I'm going all the way. That won't be a problem, now will it?"
Anna shook her head, seeing little point in defiance now. If anything, the way Elsa had stopped was the most unbearable of all.
"Good girl." Elsa was already advancing. It proved more difficult to focus on her words. "I have plenty more treats lined up for you, don't worry."
An inferno of pleasure washed over her and Elsa reached the apex. Anna barely noticed the hands holding her leg, or squeezing her breast.
Forever wouldn't be getting boring any time soon.