Snippet #1071387

Plush pillows lined the walls touching the couch on which Lacricia reclined while gazing at herself in the mirror. Inside the mirror the other Lacricia crackled with a dark energy proving that she was not a mere reflection but some thing much more dangerous. Over the years Lacricia had learned to focus her terrible deeds into her reflection, bringing the image into almost a life of it's own as long as Lacricia was the one gazing into the mirror. This special mirror had been created as a beautiful gift from a suitor who had been allowed to stay as long as he had proven useful or entertaining, just like every other suitor, and he had lasted the longest by far. Knowing Lacricia's beauty he had had the mirror made by the finest craftsmen before even meeting the hand he proposed to make his wife. He had been the first to look into Lacricia's mirror and he had been the first to die from Lacricia's mirror.

"Beautiful one," the image said, "there is bloodshed on the air. Feast on the treachery."

"Yes, my dark beauty," Lacricia replied, her voice like burning silver. "Even after the wars have gone the barbarians of this world cannot let go of their killing, but they may be of some use to me later."

"Things are falling into place," the mirror cooed. "Before long you will take your first steps into forever and I shall serve you until eternity." Lacricia giggled a terrible, chilling giggle that could have been ripped from the very throat of a blushing girl child. Waving a hand at the mirror the image faded away leaving the mirror with a true reflection on it's surface.

Falling back on her cushions, Lacricia sighed in boredom. She had sent the letter out almost a week ago and yet there was still no answer. It couldn't take that long to get to the other side of the city and back, not even at the peak of the war, and she was becoming very impatient. If he weren't so important to her than her wrath would be strong but as it was he was protected by being useful with the Path. The Darkness obeyed Lacricia's every whim but Death... Death was something she needed to have another to deal with. Thus far it was proving difficult to keep someone talented enough in the Path that they could control it unharmed but still effective.

A curtain on the other side of the room was pulled back and a man in shackles was pushed to the middle of the floor by two lowly guards. The man was old, shaking and hardly worth Lacricia's time but if he was the one who was able to walk into the Path and emerge again un-harmed this was the one she had been searching for. She didn't hold much hope for him, however, as he looked too near death to be able to control Death enough to survive.

"Kneel before me," Lacricia murmured. The old man was pushed to the ground by one of the guards after a few seconds refusal. "You know not of what I can do for you if you merely submit to my word. Once you prove yourself you may even join me in the comforts I enjoy while the rest of the city fights itself for a crust of bread." The old man looked up at Lacricia through shaggy, un-kept hair and a smile crawled across his face. "There's the right idea. All you need to do is walk down your Path and return to me without a scratch upon your lovely form." The smile sank from the man's face to be replaced with a grimace of terror as one of her guards swung the huge battle ax he carried. The old man's head rolled across the floor to stop at Lacricia's feet and grin up at her for a moment before the life faded from it's eyes. "Damn it! Find me another one! A better one!" she screeched, sending the guards scampering toward the door with the old man's body.

Glaring down at the lifeless head, blots of black lightning shot from Lacricia's finger tips to incinerate the skull within moments. "Idiots! There is nothing but worthless imbeciles in this god-forsaken city!" After a moment the expression on her stunning face could have killed anything as Lacricia began to laugh, "but it won't be forsaken long."