Will the flood behind me,
Put out the fire inside me,
-AFI, "The Missing Frame"
The darkness did not alarm her at first, for it was night. The sky was clear, full of stars. Not a single cloud marred the clarity of such a view; it was picturesque, it was pristine and pure. Each star was a twinkle of light in its own right, shining brightly to those that would just look up to see it. Splattered artistically among their grandeur were brighter lights, planets she knew them to be that seemed so close and yet so very far away. In hues that were saturated with the distance they must travel she could still pick out the ones she knew.
The darkness did not alarm her at first, for it was night. Dusk had fallen first, settled first to herald the night across the Martian surface and sky. The red planet still gave its hue to the heavens above in tinges that could be mistaken for blood. A crimson glow to cast everything within its reach to the rusty color, signalling the end of another day with the light of the sun to return on the morrow. The night always brought the cold with it, blanketing the land that scorched itself raw in the heat of the day.
The darkness did not alarm her at first, for it was night. Like the stars themselves blinks of light filled the night air. Fires and lanterns giving way to shapes that stretched to shadows as far as the eye could see before they merged to create something new. The shapes danced like puppets, the sound of laughter and joyous times. The shadows twisted upon themselves, coming together to join as one just as their creators did. Limbs intertwined, lips pressed, hands trailed in the moment, never wanting to part or be parted, desiring to claim ownership and belonging in ways only they could.
The darkness did not alarm her at first, for it was night. The sounds of laughter, the cackle of fire echoed in the night. Clothing being pulled at, pulled on, undone to be cast aside filled her ears. Gasps of breath, soft underlying giggles and throaty moans teased her senses. With hearing came that of touch, the feeling of clothing giving way to skin. Fingertips that trailed along such perfection, provoking more of the sounds. Sighs of pleasure, whispers, the taste of something like vanilla, the essence of something like fire coursed through her veins. Emotions she could understand, need and want became tangible so very easily.
The darkness did not alarm her at first, for the night surrounded her.
A strangulating hold captured her neck, squeezing to cut off the flow of air to her lungs. Air that was so vital to living denied with each press. Screams of conquering voices filled her ears much as the pounding of blood did as she struggled for naught. Sensations of evilness, tainted glory and power flooded her, enveloping her much like a blanket would at night. She was drowning in a pool, no matter how she flailed about to find something to grasp onto there simply was nothing to hold. It teased her though, tormenting her with each hint of hope, her fingertips could just brush against it before it was time and again yanked from the remote possibility that she might very well grab it.
Laughter that was not joyous, it was something far more than mocking instead, filled her ears. The fact she could not breathe did not seem to register, the phantom fingers had fallen away. For a moment she wished them back, for they felt like something tangible she could hold to. Instead she was denied, subjected to the whims of another. Mocking laughter tainted everything, visions of slavery filled her gaze instead. What was once proud warriors became meek servants, throwing themselves at the mercy of others if not upon swords and spears. Anything to escape the rising tide of darkness that became her visions now. Like an army it swept over the land, leaving nothing in its wake, razing and ravaging as it moved so easily.
Like an outstretched hand that could cast a shadow a mile long, so did this hand. It was one hand at first, followed by another. Then another after that, another and another, until everything she knew was belonging to this sensation. Until everything she knew was held in this hand that was squeezing every so slowly, destroying countless; immeasurable numbers with each tightening of fingers tipped by talons, tipped by claws that dripped corruption.
The hand was possessive, the sensation one of ownership, superiority. Confidence in its domination, its complete and utter control. It held it all. It would not let go. It held everything, everything that ever was, would ever be. Lives would begin and end under its rule, so great would its subjection be. Defiance would be culled, freedom would be lost, everything would be cut away until all that remained was precisely what their captors wanted. What her warden wanted. What the kingdom of darkness wanted.
There was no hope. There was nothing but silence, despair, and death. There was only the darkness and malevolence, the complete and utter absence of hope.
She awoke with a gasp in the night, a hand clutched at the blanket that had been but moments before, tangled up within her legs. Tossing and turning her mind had finally released the vision, allowing sanity to flood her where its opposite resided, driving her to awaken no matter the hour. Her hand clutched at the blanket, something tangible to hold to that was desperately needed, more so when the world about her was spinning out of control.
It took her far too long for her liking to collect her breath, for her heart to stop racing. It didn't matter how many gasps of air she took in because it didn't help. Her body wouldn't calm down unless it wanted to calm down, and it would only do that as she sat upright in bed, ignoring the beads of sweat that ran along her hairline. Within her breast her heart hammered as though it made up for lost time, ensuring that blood ran through her veins to promise that she was alive. She was alive. She wasn't drowning, nor was she suffocating, nor was she a slave. She was alive.
She was alive. That was something to hold to. With a final gulp of air she knew that sleep would not be coming back. It likely wasn't night still, likely it was the next day but her mind wasn't ready to focus on that yet. The frivolous things possibly yes, those were easy. Anything beyond that was completely out of the question. It was why she didn't even question when she rose from her bed, collecting a robe to pull on her as though she was chilled. She had every reason to be, even if she could question her actions.
It was night after all. It was known that the temperature always dropped once it was night. That was why fire was so important; a ward against the chill and the night. Fire was alive, a primal thing and an equally primal spirit. Fire wouldn't go without a fight, instead insisting in its fashion to always stay burning. When it finally did sputter out it was always with the last word, one last glowing ember in defiance and one last wisp of smoke.
She didn't realize where she was at until she felt her forehead leaning against a closed door. While her breath wasn't coming in gasps it was still hard to breathe. Some part of her questioned what she was doing, where she was at, but it was some part of her that hadn't yet been released from the bindings of her visions. Only when the door opened slowly did it slowly slip free from the restraints that held it so close.
An obviously previously asleep blonde stood before her, a hand holding sleepily to a candle as the other fumbled with the door. A hastily thrown on shirt that barely covered her hips said she slept nude; must be some Lunarian thing as she just assumed the blonde was from there since that's where she desired to take her to, its hem danced along her thighs with each jerky movement she gave. She didn't linger at the door long, instead holding it open as she turned her head to yawn into her shoulder, giving the door a slight push towards closing once she stepped inside.
Focusing on the blonde's body wasn't any wiser than focusing on the visions, but at least the blonde's body was something real. Tangible. The visions… she hoped were not the case. While she was used to visions, she had never experienced something so terrifying as what she just had. It scared her, if she most be so honest. Nothing scared her; it wasn't that she was immune to fear it was just the simple truth. She was a Martian, a Martian Priestess. Showing fear was not being true to herself. But the visions… it wasn't weakness if she sought out someone, was it?
It wasn't like she trusted the blonde, the blonde might not be the proper choice to discuss the possible crisis' of one's faith, yet the blonde had eluded to something about this. She must know something, anything really. It was her conviction while her eyes trailed along the blonde's legs. It's like they go forever. Smooth and graceful… who is she really? A Lunarian? If she's not, then why is she so worried about bringing Princesses together to be glorified babysitters? Why me, when I am just a Priestess? Shouldn't she be more concerned looking for the King and whoever the fuck his daughter is?
In the mean time the blonde had placed the candle on the small stand by the bed, stretching. The hem of her shirt rode high, affording her a look at a small patch of neatly trimmed blonde curls, reaffirming the fact indeed that the blonde was a blonde. She felt her cheeks instantly flush, eyes riveted to the scene before her. She swallowed and for what really, it didn't do a damn thing to help her out. Her heart had decided to resume its race, enjoying the slight reprieve before it pounded out a tempo again.
"M'pretty sure. Still night time. Sit sit." The blonde's arms lowered, a hand waving at the bed that displayed kicked back bedding. That she had flashed herself to the other never seemed to cross her mind; apparently she did not move fast enough for the blonde caught her hand, pulling her down to sit on the bed whether she wanted to or not. Satisfied with her work the blonde soon sat on the bed herself, legs crossing as her shirt hem once more covered her decently enough. How was it decent though, when she now knew what was there? It wasn't like she had any doubts; she knew what a naked woman looked like because fuck she was one herself. But it was entirely different to see another.
With one last yawn the blonde looked at her expectantly, sleep still coloring her blue gaze though it was slowly and stubbornly being pushed off and away. Blonde hair fell about her features, tussled from sleep. She noticed the red cloth was carefully folded on the nightstand before her gaze went back. Stop thinking about the blonde. Tell her the real reason you're here, not that you're some sex crazed Venusian.
"I. I had visions." She began with, her voice a whisper at first that slowly grew in pitch, but never did it reach her normal speaking tone. "Visions of darkness, of a hand reaching out and strangulating all the life from here. There was laughter, mocking laughter and the absence of hope. Armies swept over the land, killing those that did not subject themselves to live as slaves. Those that did cast themselves in waves against whatever they could in a desire to die instead of living as such. A great shadow, from one end of the horizon to the other, as far as the eye could see and beyond."
She looked up, seeing the blonde was wide awake now. She hadn't moved, yet she seemed to sit up straighter, her head looked to be tilted back some, to the side a bit, looking at her with a want to believe and hope that she wasn't right. The look faded, her hand rising to press her fingertips to her lips; she's holding back a gasp she realized before the hand fell away.
"The Queen was right. You are a Seer, Priestess." The blonde said, her voice all but normal save for the few lingering traces of some emotion that laced it. "I don't … no. I know what your visions mean, it's too obvious for it not to mean anything but what it is. There's a danger approaching, but. But… " She trailed off. A rush of breath left her, the confidence as well drained from her. For a moment the blonde looked just as scared, frightened by the prospect. An exact opposite of everything she had ever shown her since she waltzed right into her life. The blonde shook her head, trying to dislodge the look but it clung to her just like sleepiness did, just like the shirt did that hung over her body. Her lips twisted to the side, looking up at her to meet her gaze, "What do you want to do?"
"I…" What did she want to do? Prevent the visions from happening yes, but she wanted to know where they came from all the same. That something like this could happen, could creep up on her. The flames she would need to consult, at least for the day. They would provide her the answers, or at least the pathway to take. Belatedly she realized that the blonde had asked her what she wanted to do. There was nothing about what the blonde thought she should do, or the agenda for the following day.
"I swore to defend you and protect you, no matter what your decision is." She quietly spoke as the silence stretched on instead, taking the lack of directives as hesitation. "For right now perhaps, spending the rest of the night in slumber might be the better option."
"I… don't want to go back… to my room…" she heard herself mumble softly. Why was she so fearful of being out of the blonde's presence? Was it the fact that it calmed her, gave her clarity right now? Was she perhaps truly insane, afflicted by the visions, that the otherwise infuriating blonde didn't bother her? Why the fuck had she just said that outloud? The fuck was honestly wrong with her? She had to get away, pushing up to rise from the bed, only to be stopped as the blonde was far more nimble than she was, blocking the way.
"Look, I don't want to pull rank with you, but as your bodyguard your health and well being are my chief concern. It overrides anything that you want to do that I don't deem to be sound. Returning to your room isn't something wise." She pointed to the bed. "You can stay here; in the morning we can get the answers you desire."
"But… But where are you going to stay?" The blonde had been up longer than she had, plus the head wound. She had to be tired at the very least. The blonde just gave her a look, a sly smile crossing her features as her lips moved to reveal perfect white teeth. Mirth danced within her eyes. "Oh no… no! Not going to happen!"
"Oh come on. By the Goddess, I swear not to," her eyes rolled "do anything to you. Unless of course… you want me to." The grin came back in full force, her personal space soon invaded by the blonde as she stepped in closer to her.
She felt her features flush instantly, stubbornness welling within her as she stood her ground, refusing to be pushed around by some half dressed insane Lunarian. "You're fucking impossible. Fine! If that's the only way you'll knock it off. Put on some damn clothes; you look like some sex crazed Venusian."
For some reason it got the other to back off, the look fading to one of almost silent wonder before it slyly changed to one of a challenge. She said nothing, of which she was glad. Turning her back to her she moved to the other side of the bed. It wasn't her choice, but if the blonde was going to defend her from whatever threats there were, she'd have to deal with the fact she wouldn't have an escape between her and the wall all the same. Muttering to herself she laid back, trying her best to ignore the scent of the blonde that clung to the bedding.
She closed her eyes instead, hoping it would help. It was torture instead, hearing taking over as her eyes were no longer warranted. The sound of clothing being pulled on, up over legs she anticipated were just as smooth as they were long. Over the firmness of her ass that she would have a hard enough time keeping her gaze off now, given that she had virtually shown off nearly everything that she owned. Fuck this was going to be a mistake. This was a mistake, who was she kidding? Fuck she had to get out of here, now…
The sound of the blonde laying out next to her stopped her in her tracks, the sound of breath leaving her lips as the candle was blown out, returning the room to pitch darkness. The rustle of bedding followed, the feeling of soft breath against her cheek. She laid out near stock still, blatantly aware of the other's presence. Impossible not to after all, not when she was right there. Right there next to her, breathing. She swallowed, willing herself to calm, to return to sleep. Anything to escape.
"I promise. Nothing will happen to you Priestess. This is my vow to you." The blonde said softly, before turning over to her other side and returning to sleep.