femslash feb 2022 prompt 14: hearts.
Our Communion
Vaeternus was a realm dominated by blood. Death was also a common occurrence. In their world, vampires needed to be sustained through the slaying of other lifeforms, sinking their fangs through the skin, and drinking their fill. If a human with soft, supple flesh stumbled across the barrier, then, regardless of their physical prowess, they more likely than not ended up as a vampire's savory dinner.
That happened to be the fate of a soldier affiliated with the Outer World Investigation Agency. Nitara found a woman trekking across the desert terrain. She assumed the human had gotten horribly and unfortunately lost on her way to Outworld, as evidenced by the damaged transporter she helplessly swatted at in fits of frustration.
Nitara wasn't the type to play with her food compared to other moroi. She preferred efficiency over cruelty and dispatched the soldier with a few well-timed jabs from her dagger. As the woman lay gasping and dying, Nitara's fangs cleaved through her neck, and she drank her rich, coppery blood until the soldier passed on from shock.
As much as it had been a curse for the human, it was a blessing for Nitara. She had been searching for a suitable gift for a particular reason. A fresh heart was a sign of devotion between lovers in kombat, meant to express their loyalty that they would kill whoever came between them. Otherwise, it was a pleasant surprise to receive in the place of wine.
Raising her claws, Nitara plunged through the soldier's chest. She gouged through muscles and sinews, the slick, visceral liquid coating her palm and dampening her sleeve. She rummaged through the exposed organs, noting their healthy appearance. With a smirk, she spotted the heart covered in bony debris from her shattered ribs. Not a splotch of discoloration tainted the deep crimson color. With a harsh tug, she wrenched it free from the soldier's chest and stood, leaving the carcass to the vultures eagerly circling overhead.
As she took flight, she set her sights on Outworld. She still had her reservations about the realm, considering Shao Kahn had previously merged it with Vaeternus. But her homeland had been restored thanks to her deception, and she was able to move freely between dimensions with her own power without fear of the emperor.
Gripping her gemstone necklace, Nitara uttered a magical incantation. She pointed at the space above her head, watching as it crackled with energy. It ruptured, swirling with darkness, before parting wide enough to fit her wings. The portal she created would have left the Earthrealmers jealous, as, in her opinion, they relied too heavily on technology instead of studying proper magic.
She flew through it and landed in the marketplace. The Outworlders paid her no mind. They were used to strange kombatants of all worlds arriving in their domain. Smelling recently killed animals and hearing the chattering of the Outworlders as they sold their goods, she made her way through the pleasant atmosphere to a hut near the Koliseum.
The exterior of her lover's home consisted of linens, steels, and bones. A hollowed-out skull was in place of a doorknob. Within, Nitara already smelled the wafting iron and licked her lips. Her beloved Skarlet knew how to make her feel welcomed as the door creaked open, hitting her with that delectable scent beckoning her inside.
Entering, Nitara presented the heart. She surveyed the familiar set-up with Skarlet's tomes and weapons set aside for the day. She noticed the silk, white cloth on the dining table. Vanilla wax dripped down the twin candlesticks, their flames wispy. While the glasses were empty, the ceramic plates were filled with lamb drops drizzled in a blood sauce, creamy scalloped potatoes, and glazed carrots.
She turned her attention to the adjacent chair. Manifesting out of thin air, blood bubbled. The thick globs formed the svelte shape of a woman, then splashed to the ground and disappeared. Skarlet sat with her legs crossed and mask lowered to her neck. Her ruby red lips spread in a delighted grin, her vibrant eyes fixated on the heart Nitara held out like a tantalizing treat.
"You spoil me," Skarlet crooned, rising to her feet. She cupped the heart from Nitara, her fingers caressing Nitara's claws, and she traced her fingers across the firm muscle.
"Just more proof of my love," she purred, raising her stained sleeve. "Mind taking care of this? I'd rather not let crusted blood ruin our meal."
Skarlet snickered and gestured to the left. Instantly, the blood filtered off Nitara's clothing and skin. She set a dollop of blood on Nitara's lower lip, and Nitara swept her tongue across it, repressing a shiver. Skarlet dispersed the liquid, letting it vanish like water vapor before beaming at the heart. Skarlet pulled her hand back, and in turn, the blood still sequestered within the heart flowed out through the valves. She aimed the streams at the glasses, and the blood filled them as if she was pouring wine. The heart grayed, decaying before their very eyes like rotten meat, but she left a section still plump and pink. Bringing it to her mouth, she nibbled through it like an aperitif, and Nitara wanted to claim her mouth, her body on fire with ravenous hunger.
"What a display," Nitara crooned, but Skarlet set her finger to her chin.
"Not yet. We still have to have dinner," she said, carefully placing the heart on a larger plate between their meals. It was their centerpiece, a testament to their bond of flesh and blood.
Nitara shrugged. She would have rather eaten Skarlet, but letting Skarlet's cooking go to waste was a wicked act in itself. They sat down and grabbed their glasses. Locking eyes with each other, they toasted their lover and clinked their glasses together. As they sipped, letting the blood run across their teeth and down their throats, Nitara couldn't help but believe the blood she had nipped from Skarlet countless times was the best drink throughout the dimensions.
