Astrid and Priss
Astrid landed in front of the house she felt radiate goodness. Here she'd find the Weary Traveller...oh, she had such wonderful plans for the cat godling. When Priss opened the door, Astrid pounced. A veil of black magic shielded herself and Priss from discovery, even from Nyx and spirit shackles confined her magick.
"Who be thee?!" Priss demanded, horrified by the darkness that radiated from the black winged woman. Astrid tossed back her silky midnight hair and smiled as Priss slowly backed away, hand going behind her to find a weapon.
"Well, I got named yesterday, and I kind of like the name, Morrigu."
"I *know* Morrigu, and thou art not she."
"Oh, well. My name was Astrid, or Valkyrie but I find it does not do me justice now. Call me...Nemesis."
"Thou art presumptous!" Priss flew backwards into a wall as Astrid casually backhanded her.
"No, but I seem to be more powerful then you." Astrid raked her claws down Priss's cheek and the cat collapsed. "Powerful neurotoxin. Paralyses, but leaves the victom free to feel everything. Just unable to move." Astrid hoisted the limp body of Priss onto her shoulder and walked through the house. She found a bedroom that she decided was a man's. But she could feel Priss's energy wound all about it. "So, who's room is this?" Priss glared at her. "No answer? Well, that's just rude, Traveller."
Astrid set to work, humming slightly. First, she clawed all over Priss's back, making forty down to the bone in places stripes of blood. Red trickled down onto the white sheets of Giles's bed. She positioned Priss on the wall next, after taking the picture off it and throwing it to the ground, the glass shattering. Priss hissed through her open mouth. Blood stained the wall behind her as her lacerated back touched it.
"See, and that's another lovely thing. You can't speak, but you can moan." Astrid made a gesture and Priss's arms flung outwards, the backs of her hands flat against the wall. She picked up a hammer and three heavy iron spikes.
Priss's eyes widened slightly. She clenched her teeth as Astrod positoned one spike abover her left wrist, and then swung the hammer. It crunched through and Priss's eyes watered but she didn't make a sound. More tapping and the spike anchored her wrist to the wall. Astrid turned her attention to the other hand. Soon, Priss's hands and feet were nailed to the wall and Astrid let go with her magic. Priss didn't fall, and Astrid beamed.
"I was afraid it'd, you know, rip through your wrists but you seem to be staying fine."
Priss clenched her teeth together to hold back the whimpers.
Astrid picked up a coil of barbed wire and twisted it rapidly to make it into a crown. She licked at her own cut hand as she jammed it on Priss's head. Blood trickled down Priss's forehead and her eyelids flickered. Astrid lapped at the red rivulets trickling down Priss's arm and hummed in pleasure. "Damn, you taste good. All powerfilled..."
Priss's gaze promised a slow painful death. Astrid just smiled. And then she shoved a spear through Priss's side. Priss wailed then as the burning pain lanced through her. Astrid tore Priss's robes, not caring when it snagged on the spear point or handle. Priss sobbed in gasping breaths. Soon, she was clad in blood and a scrap of cloth around her middle. Astrid kissed her and poison numbed Priss's lips.
"You will stay weak for a few days. Your magick is mine, cat." A glow appeared in Astrid's hand and then flowed into her. Priss sagged down further, and the spear tore through more internal organs. Her breath came in rapid pants and she moaned continously, eyes glazed over with pain. Astrid eyes's glowed for a moment, and she sighed in pleasure. "Oh, so very powerful..."
"Hhhh..."
"How? I don't know how. A demon stabbed me, and somehow it triggered my transformation." Astrid left the room. Calling on the power she had called from Priss, she wrote a note and left it on the table.
Dearest, I left a surprise in thy bedroom. I hope thee enjoys it. Just a token of my love for you.
Astrid took one more look around, then walked out of the house and took to the skies.
Giles
Giles came home from a meeting with Professor Xavier about Amanda and Dawn, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Priss's note. There was romantic music playing from somewhere in the house, and Giles grab a bottle of wine from the fridge and two glasses. He walked into their room and screamed, the bottle and glasses shattering on the floor.
"Priss!" he wailed. He quickly ran to her and removed the spikes, pulling her down. Then he carried her to their bed and laid her on it. Then he grabbed some candles and formed a sacred circle, and began to say a prayer to call upon Bastet.
"Bastet, mother of Cats, mother of Egypt, your child needs you, do come to me now!" he called out in misery.
Priss
"Uh...hurts...black wings..." Priss panted. "Stole...magick..." Her eyes rolled up in her head, body seeking to heal itself.
Bastet appeared to Giles, and took one bare glance at her daughter's suffering. I have come. Priss, kitten... The cat shook her head fractionally. Whoever this was, is strong...I do not know how I can help except to ease your pain. You know the rules...
"Please...help, mother..."
As much as I am allowed. You know this.
"I know, but...he does not."
Why do you fall in love with mortals? Priss didn't answer her mother. Bastet sighed.
Giles
Giles was outraged. "Why can't you heal her? You're her bloody mother!" Giles growled. "I will NOT watch her die."
Priss
Bastet gave Giles an inscrutable golden gaze. Priss tried to lift her hand and winced at the pain.
"I have lived through worse."
She will not die. But I needs must go. There is more here then you would realise. Whoever did this, stripped her of her magick. That is a sign of a stong and perilous evil I had thought dead.
"Go if you must, mother." The corner of Priss's mouth twitched.
And besides, my children live or die of their own accord. I am not human, nor am I mortal and you would do well to remember that. Bastet licked Priss's palm. You will be fine. Though I think the spear punctured a lung. Messy, very messy. Almost amateurish.
"Thank you for critiquing the attack."
Any time, sweetling. Next time, keep your wards up. A golden haze covered Priss for a moment and the worst of the wounds healed to the point they would have reached in a few weeks. Priss yelped. I am *most* vexed by this. The goddess dissapeared.
Giles
Giles sat on the edge of the bed, and held her hand. "I'm so sorry I reacted harshly, it's just that, when I read that note, and I came in and found you, it was like losing Jenny all over again. I don't want to lose another lover, Priss, I don't think I can bare it," he said, as he kissed her hand, holdng it in both of his.
Priss
"I love thee too, Rupert." Priss smiled slightly. "I did hear about that...Jenny was a most powerful witch. Hecate was quite vexed at Angelus...which reminds me, I must go see him sometime. I miss our ethical debates." She moved gently, testing herself and winced. "However, I think not for some time."
Giles
"Just don't leave me yet, luv," Giles said. He gently cradled her, when they heard the front door open & close.
"Hey! Anybody home?" Amanda asked. She walked into the bedroom when she saw the open door and her jaw dropped, a look of fear & panic flashing across her face. "Priss? Giles? Oh my god, what happened?"
Priss
"Tall black winged woman with black hair and red eyes. She left." Priss closed her eyes. "So tired...I need to rest and heal." She sighed. "She called herself the Morrigu. Or my Nemesis. But she didn't feel old...just powerful. And oh so dark and terrible."
Giles
Amanda went to the kitchen and grabbed a scrub brush and soapy water, and proceeded to clean up Priss's blood. Giles got a simple gause nightgown from the closet and helped Priss change into it.
"Just sleep, Priscilla, rest and heal."
Priss
"The last time I felt that helpless was when I was taken by those damned soldiers of the Iniatitiave." Priss felt her eyes closing. "I hate to feel helpless."
Giles
Giles tensed at te memory. He had lost Ethan. He had nearly lost Priss. "Amanda, I want you to look through the books, and see if there's anything about a black-winged demon, okay?"
"Sure, Giles," she replied, and she headed off to do so.
Priss
"Feathered wings, human looking. Red eyes," Priss called out after her. "Like a raven...no wonder she compared herself to the Morrigu. But the Mrrigu hast enough to contend with in Eire, she would not come here and she wouldst not come looking for me..." Priss's words disappeared into a yawn and she snuggled up to Giles's warm body. "I do love thee, Rupert...I'm so sorry thou hadst to see that."
Giles
Giles held her as she went to sleep. "I just hate to see you in pain," he whispered. "I love you so dearly."