Fire's Kiss

[Elfling]

Failure.

It was inexplicable. The feeling of hollowness had spread into her limbs, leaving flesh unfeeling of the soft blankets curled about it. A week, and she had been cast aside, entirely unwanted.

I think, perhaps, you need a woman's touch.. and not a man's.

Words echoed within ringed ears, pounding inside of her skull with all their ferocity. If you cannot do this task, then I have little use for you. The heat pounded inside, settling like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach. Failed. Failed what?

No.

Feeling rushed back like a flood, overwhelming and knocking the air from her lungs. The curled elfling gasped in sudden, spiking anger. Blankets were flung by still gloved hands, allowing her to rise. There were no windows within the room, and the air stifled quite suddenly with heat.

Trembling, the bared elfling stalked towards the opposite side of the room. Fingers curled around the edge of the dresser, and she pushed with all of her might, slowly moving the article of furniture until it blocked the door from entrance or exit. If she was trapped here, then by the gods, she would do so on her own terms.

The heat within was nausating, and she could feel the contrast of cool scale upon the bare flesh of her thighs, where snakes that were not there crawled upon her flesh. A primal cry of fear echoed within the room, and steps jerked away from the imagined feel of chill. Fingers coiled around the arm of the nearest chair, and it was flung against the opposite wall with all her might.

Wood shattered, crumpling dryly within the heat that stole its moisture. The mirror hanging upon the wall broke into pieces upon impact, leaving little more than shards here and there to reflect the twisted image of the tattooed elf.

A bottle from the dresser was grabbed and flung with all her fury, followed by the next, and the next, until red and white mingled together in a pool of glass and liquid that began its trickle through the lines of mortar between stone, as if little rivers of fermented juice.

The desk followed suit of the chair that had been taken, finding it shattered upon the floor in a fury of splintering that left its wake in her skin. Blood rivuleted in tiny streams from where wood imbedded itself into her skin.

Bare feet moved back, away from the destruction inherant in the room, until her shoulderblades kissed bare stone. A soft sob lifted from parched lips, as the heat swirled and twisted, and the feeling of reptilian scales began anew upon her skin. Not fading, the sensation, the elf slowly slid down the wall as wine dried in its place under the intensity of heat that boiled up from dual heartbeats.

The feeling of fangs was tangible, piercing flesh, giving their poison in order to kill her entirely. So hot. The creature reared its head in front of her eyes. The cobra's scales were orange and red and yellow, changing and dancing in front of her eyes in mocking. Its fangs did the same, swirling in colors of flames, as its mouth opened as if to swallow her whole.

Further, the elfling sank, until her cheek touched the chill of the stone that was increasingly her prison.

~ ... someone .. ~