Call Her Black Mariah {Anaphina}

[Amaji the Black Maji]

The sting of snow came with a gust of cold air. The Forsaken Land earned its name for a reason. There were very few travels who went across the white landscape. Many met their deaths in the freezing temperatures, and if they did not die by the cold they died by the beasts of the lands. Creatures that could not be found anywhere else in Yviex reigned over the frozen area. The creatures were some of the toughest alive, and they were created to be as such. No other beasts could survive the bitter climate.

There was only one being that would bring Amaji to such a place. A being that was full of power that no one could even fathom. She was the Ice Maji, and he was seeking council with her if she would allow it. The Black Maji felt as though the other could not look over his power with a blind eye. He was stronger than some of the other Majis, which was saying quite a bit. He was able to bring down creatures who were more than twice his age. Many knew his strength and acknowledged it how it should be.

The mixed elf had never had a conversation with this particular maji. She knew she was cold and full of power. He knew of her regality. Anaphina may have not been a queen, but she held herself like one. From the way she acted to the way she dressed, many questioned if she ruled over a land. In a sense, she did rule over a kingdom. She ruled over the Forsaken Land, and it was quite the appropriate place for her to rule over. The temperature was as cold and as harsh as she.

Why would Amaji be seeking out this maji? She had a strength that he desired. If anyone could help with his conquest it was her. The wizard already knew that it would not be easy to sway such a creature onto his side. Hell, he did not know why she hadn’t gone after the world herself. She had the strength for it, but perhaps, the numbers were against her.

Amaji was dressed in a black fur coat the wrapped around his entire being. He was wearing more than he usually did. Beneath the coat was a black, long sleeved shirt, black paints, black boots. His twin rapiers were upon his hips along with some money. On his shoulder he carried a bag the contained the essentials: food and water. He had even tied his white hair back in a ponytail.

His golem had been following him for a spell, but after finding a large ice over lake, Amaji decided to just finish the journey alone. The Black Maji was somewhat unsure of where to find the Ice Maji. He knew, though, that if he was in her lands, she would sense him.

[phaedra]

Anaphina looked upon him, frozen in the ice, in her hall of heroes, in a block as clear as crystal, placed into the wall, where countless other bodies stood, eternally held in an icy crypt, never aging a day since she cast her spell. His name had been Alvar, and although he was without surname, he was known in his day, eons ago, for being a rather heroic, powerful figure among humankind. A knight who valiantly slew many creatures that tormented his own kind, from giant spiders and wicked wizards, to fire breathing dragons and ruthless undead. The people praised him, and they would have made him a king, had he been so proud as to accept the title.
Her fingers slid across the icy prison, like metal upon glass, and she remembered, when she had reached beyond the forsaken lands, and an old, forgotten town lay beneath her northlands, constantly tormented by the Ice Maji herself. She struggled with them for years, like verminous rats hiding in holes never peaking out even for snippets of cheese. Frustrating creatures, and after years of endless winters and frozen townspeople, they'd called for his help, and he came, with his valiant steed, and they fought. Once. Twice. Thrice. Each time, a draw, and each time, they left their scars. But, he'd given into weakness, and his emotions had cost him dearly for daring to fall for a warm bodied creature, and once Anaphina had her hands on the poor, simpering girl, it was only a matter of a few choice words, and he gave himself to her for eternity, in his icy prison, leaving the town to fall, hidden in snow for a hundred years.

She retracted her hand, from the icy wall, and his name was carved from her sharp fingernail, while her eyes drank the memory with a bittersweet flavor, though her expression was not to be seen. She turned away, her reminiscence interrupted by foreign footsteps crunching against the snow, echoing in her mind with a light pitter patter.
She did not know him, but she knew of him. She'd felt his presence, upon the world, for sometime now, and she wondered when she would finally come face to face. It seemed rather curious, first Menelaus, her opposing Maji, and now the Black Maji, whose name was unknown to her ears. Most of the other Maji struck her with a foreign presence, but she knew she could not be given the same. Most knew her name, if not for a fleeting bed time story, the simple fact that her prominence with the icy craft had preceded their births made her necessary lore to learn while being trained in their crafts. As far as she knew, they were all young to her, and she also knew why. Other Maji were far more prone to tending to the needs of others embarking in their line of magick. The Black Maji with his Black students. The Fire Maji, always lending a helping hand to those in the pursuit of the flame. And the list went on from there, until... Anaphina, known for killing apprentices and butchering masters. She hadn't lived so long to be cast aside by another, as she knew was the rule, or at least unspoken. The Maji must die, before a master may rise to steal their rightful place. Anaphina would have none of it, and ice magick users were almost unheard of, and if they did exist, they kept it far from her ears or her senses.

She leaned forward, and her icy lips pressed a frost bitten kiss upon the ice of her trapped foe, before she turned away, with a grasp of her long, draping gown of black, speckled with icy blue fleur di lis patterns, with ruffled sleeves to her wrists, lined with lacy details and a nipped waist with an upside down triangular shape sewn tightly across the waist. Her fine, soft silvery hair fell with a uniform straightness, separated by a crown of icicles, growing out in frozen splendor above her scalp in long, frightening spikes.

-----------------------------

The winds rustled with a higher potency about the Black Maji, as he stood upon frozen ground. It was almost a sure sign that she was coming, the way the snowflakes became more and more, densely through the air with an almost blinding potency, while harsh northern winds howled like banshees across the landscapes, bending sound over low hills and long deceased branches, never allowed to grow again, since the roots froze dead.
A dance of angels, they glistened in pale light as they swirled in the wind. Snow. If one looked closely, they were ethereal, beautiful, ornate patterns of glistening glass, carrying over the bitter cold air. And she shaped before him in the shimmering flakes, a spinning, icy sculpture, from head to toe, creating the slender, statuesque silhouette of the Ice Maji, Anaphina herself.

Heels of glass crunched into the snowy floor, with callous punctures, and her shadow, looming high in her ridiculously tall shoes, with a blooming black collar, strung about her neck, looked especially sinister in the dimming light of the brewing storms.
"And what..." She began, as she placed her hands upon the fabric blossoming from her hips. "...Do I owe the pleasure of this visit? I feel ever so popular these days. It seems we're having a little... reunion, with all the Maji popping in and out of Eiteria. Suffice it to say, I'm rather pleased you haven't chosen to employ cheap tricks to lure me out like a cockroach, and for that, you have my ears for a few passing moments." She smiled wickedly, the first expression to dawn upon her careless, solid features.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

A smile slipped across the lips of the Black Maji, not minding a few loose strands of his hair blowing violently into his face. Anaphina was magnificent in person, of course, and she was everything he had expected her to be before embarking on this trip. She was ice cold and flaunted her magic power with grace and ease. He did not mind the cold upon his skin at all. He welcomed it with the appearance of the Ice Maji.

“One so beautiful should feel popular. You deserve the attention, dear Ice Maji,” Amaji responded. Flattery could help in his position. He wanted her to give some of her attention to him, and he would say what he needed to say to get her attention.

The Black Maji gave a smile. “I would think that you would want to see the maji. You have sent a bounty out on all of our heads. But I have not come all the way here to question you on such things. I have a proposition for you, Anaphina, if you would be kind enough to offer me the time to explain it. Of course, you probably already know what I may try to offer you.”

Amaji knew that the Ice Maji probably knew all of what he was about. She was a very intelligent creature, which was something he could easily tell. She probably had heard of his efforts to organize an army even though not too many knew about such things.

[phaedra]

Anaphina laughed, a booming laughter, echoing across the desolate fields of snow, carrying with the winds so that it almost seemed to surround them. She found him amusing. Her certainly knew how to gain rapport with the likes of her. A vain, icy woman, obsessed with her looks. The charmer! But she was unphased, despite her humor, and with all her laughter, her face was reduced to an expressionless sculpture once more.
She whisked a portion of her draping gown from the snow, whipping up loose flakes in a wispy manner, as she turned away from Amaji and began to stroll, looking over the dark wintry land.
"I had a visit the other day. Perhaps you know him?..." She turned her head, with a snide grin. "...His name was... Mene... Menelae... unimportant. I suppose we could call him brother, a fellow maji. He seemed to insist that due to my... prowess, I was somehow a relative, obliged by symbolic blood to lend my assistance to... what was it?..." She paused, with a further revolution of her form, until she faced Amaji completely, her grin a constant, as if frozen now, rather than the lifeless lips that had graced her countenance moments ago.
"...Ah yes! An impending darkness? And I asked him 'whatever could could this darkness be!?'..." She mocked excitement in her question, and her smile became knowing and intelligent. "...He didn't know! But... I suppose... you wouldn't know anything about something... dark rising.... would you, Black Maji?" She concluded, her devilish smile a constant, and her hands rose with her shoulders, in a faux gesture of cluelessness. But she knew. She knew well. And if she was wrong, she would be quite impressed. Of course, Amaji wouldn't be disappointed. She was indeed intelligent, and her intelligence and power was precisely what had drawn him to her for intentions she already knew.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

Amaji gave a laugh. Perhaps he would become the main source of darkness for everyone. Of course, he was not the fleeting darkness that drifted upon the wind. He was simply the wizard acting upon the present situation of the world. Though, he did not mind being labeled as the pending darkness.

“You caught me,” the wizard said with a smile and a shake of his head. “I know, I must seem like the unwanted merchant, trying to sell you something that would appear absolutely useless to you. I am sure whatever the other maji had to say was something that was directly the opposite of me.”

The Black Maji had already been sizing up Anaphina. He was figuring that she was someone who got what she wanted when she wanted, but of course not in the spoiled child sense. She was grown and ancient. When she desired something, it was something that she was willing to go out of her way to achieve. If she did not find any gain in something, she would not go through with it. If she could find no gain in what Amaji would propose, then why help? Why waste her time?

Amaji would not waste her time with fancy words and fancy phrases that would lure her into his way of thinking. He knew it would not work. He would lay out what she would gain from helping him. If she did not desire it, then that would be the end of it.

“It is up to you whether or not you care for my words or no. I will not try to force them on you. There is no point in that. You are Anaphina the Ice Maji. You will do as you please like you have for thousands upon thousands of years. If the other maji was trying persuade you, he was probably too ignorant to know what you really care about. You have been around for so long because you look after only one person, and that person is you. I can understand this way of thinking, since this world is full of ignorant people.”

Amaji let out a sigh, flashing a smile at his thoughts. “If you would give what you know I have to say a thought, I will explain how this will benefit you. And if you are still uninterested, then I will leave you to your lands of the north and not pester you anymore.”

[phaedra]

She soaked the flattery like a sponge, but she saw sincerity, not that she would have minded it if she hadn't. The vainest of the vain saw no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth, and she certainly wouldn't question his songs of praise, each line, delicately laced with a pro of Anaphina's character and dominion.
Her eyes glittered with approval, and a grin persisted upon her lips, with a persevering strength. But she was not so easily swayed as by simple flattery or fun facts she already was quite aware of concerning herself. Few creatures were as self-aware as she, every little inch of tissue, every tiny character trait, Anaphina knew them all by heart, and so did her mirrors.

Her hands clenched her hips, and she lifted her head, slightly, with eyes turning down, as if looking down upon him from a high pedestal. It was her holier than thou position. A stature, a look, and a face that said in all ways: 'I'm better than you.' Even the glint in her wispy orbs said it, and she heaved a deep sigh, pressing upward with strain against her nipped waist.
"Yes, you have my attention, dear Black Maji, so please..." She relaxed in her poise, and she closed her eyes with a tired sigh, while her hand rose and dismissively gestured, with an arrogant flicker. "...get on with it. You ramble nearly as much as Menelouse, and despite your more tasteful choice of words, just tell me, no more guessing, no more games. The point."

She lifted her hand from her hip, and with her last word, her pointer finger flipped up, pointing toward the sky with a long, sharp fingernail of clear frozen crystal, and snowflakes danced around the lengthy appendage with subtle influence from the Maji. She liked to express herself vividly, through both words and mannerisms. Such was her way. Her true form was that way, fluid, graceful, a pictoral vision of the finesse and beauty of the sea, and each gentle, flowing movement was an artist's rendition, so naturally, in her human form, she followed in suit.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

The Black Maji flashed a smile and a nod. She was right; he had been rambling on. He was wanting to be able to persuade the Ice Maji. He had been thinking about what exactly he was going to say to the witch. He still was unsure if his words would matter to her, but he was trying.

“I want you to help me take over the world of the surface,” Amaji said to Anaphina. “You are a powerful creature and if you were to join or even rule at my side, I know that this world would stand no chance. If it does not interest you now, I will leave it at this.”

Amaji was hoping that Anaphina would take interested; that the Ice Maji would help him with his conquest. If she did not, well, he would have to take a different approach to conquering the surface world. That was fine, though.

[phaedra]

"No." Anaphina stated callously, once he had finished his proposal, and she remained silent, with the howl of frosty winds roving across the hills. Her hair swept gracefully, straight white strands, whipping in the wind.
She turned, slowly, and she made three graceful strides away before she froze, and her head turned back to Amaji. "At least...Not directly. Follow me." She reconsidered lowly, and she beckoned him with her icy fingers to come, as she resumed her long legged steps over the snow.

She spoke as she walked, composed and matter of factly, and the wind carried her voice behind her. "I have something for you. I have no use for it, and it's rather worthless here, buried in the snow. I don't remember his name, but I was still young when her arrived and sought solitude upon my lands..."
Her steps were slow, but she moved like liquid over the snow, with deep, pendulum strides that no longer pierced the white covers of the earth. If Amaji hadn't been an elf, she would've wagered he would be waist deep. "...I allowed him the remainder of his life here, and for centuries, he taught me the other elements and the blacker magicks. We were friends." The word was foreign to her tongue, thousands of years since it had a place upon her lips.

He had been the only creature she had ever known that she'd ever desired to see, and during his life, she visited him frequently. He taught her as a peer, rather than an apprentice. He had been someone she could talk to, genuinely, reveal the inner workings of her mind, her thoughts, and her dreams when she had them, so long ago. Then he died, like all do with time, and Anaphina had shed her only tear. For the past 8,000 years, she had kept the place he'd lived secret, buried in feet upon feet of snow, and it was only this night that she would ever open it up to another.

She stopped in her steps, and she felt she was standing above his icy crypt. Her hand waved, and a staircase formed in the snow, moving underground, down into darkness, with cold, icy steps. "I would suggest light, but I have a feeling you are accustomed to the dark, Black Maji..." She said with a smile, eyes shifting toward the dark steps under the snow. "...shall we?" She asked, lifting her dress elegantly and beginning her descent into the dark.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

Amaji had followed the Ice Maji without question. He knew that her age had given her wisdom beyond a level he could not fathom. He had decided this was not a trick. Why would she waste her time on such things? So, he followed perhaps like one of her many subjects. The Black Maji wasn’t even insulted by the thought. He respected Anaphina. He had always even without knowing her personally.

“I do not need a light,” the mixed elf said with a smile as he watched the Ice Maji. “The darkness is something I have lived with, and a bit more will not hurt me. I follow your lead, Anaphina.”

The wizard followed the witch as he said he would. He descended the icy stairs right behind the Ice Maji. His curiosity was quite spiked at the moment. He wanted to know exactly what she was about to show him, and how what would be shown to him would help in his conquest.

[phaedra]

The journey down the stairs was long, and Anaphina kept a chilling silence, so that the only sound was the way her heels clicked upon each slick, glassy stair. It wasn't entirely dark, and she glowed upon the cold white walls, and it hinted at her true form, emanating from her illuminescent flesh. As they moved deeper, the temperature rose, with an igloo effect, the compacted icy walls protecting from the wind and storing a hint of warmth, much to Anaphina's distaste.

It was almost half an hour of comfortable silence until they reached the bottom, and the walls, no longer ice, were made of the stone of the cave that so many years ago, her friend had resided within. She stepped through the threshold, where ice met rock, and immediately, torches upon the walls lit with flames, but there was no heat in them, a purely preternatural glow of a sickly green, lighting the rounded room.

The room was littered with items of black magick, skulls and bones upon the numerous shelves, cob-web ridden flasks of various colored liquids, jeweled amulets and talismans, and thick, hard bound tomes and tattered scrolls. Anaphina dismissed them, and at the end of a long, wooden table, in a high back chair, carved with mystical seals and symbols, were his remains, bones. He was obviously orc in race, such was apparent by the sharp teeth, and the dominant pair of tusks that should he have had flesh, would have peaked over his upper lip, and in his skeletal fingers, he held a silver bowl, filled with a crude black liquid, thick like oil.
Anaphina circled around the table, dismissing the other objects in the room, and the forgotten sounds of her footsteps caused a rustling, ghostly in nature, like scurrying spiders shuffling about the room, causing glass to clink and bones to fall from the shelves.

She stood behind him, her eyes washing over him with an affection that no one else had ever seen, while her long fingers stroked over his skull. She looked up to Amaji, with a dark smile, and her eyes lowered to the bowl in his hands. "There's a spell for you in there. I do not doubt you have heard of it. A conjuration. He spoke of it in passing, and he whispered her name when only the ice could hear him: Proserpine. He did not wish for anyone to lay their hands upon it, and I honored his wishes, and like so many other things hidden in these lands, I buried him in permafrost..."
She leaned down, and her lips touched the skull's smooth, ivory forehead, leaving frost like lipstick. "...But reach in. See if you can grab it. If you can, you are without a doubt, worthy of your title."
Her smile was disheartening, but her words were sincere. The liquid bubbled, with an oozing black tar, and from merely the look of it, one could see it could end up leaving one without a hand. But she was right; if he was indeed worthy of his title, he could take it, without so much as a mark, but if he wasn't... he would find himself all the weaker.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

A nod came from Amaji as he listened to the Ice Maji’s words, his eyes moving over to the dark liquid. Worry did not fall upon the Black Maji at her words. He was the Black Maji for a reason, and no dark spell had ever eluded him. So, the mixed elf made his way over to the skeleton which was holding the bowl. He moved his hand out from beneath his cloak and unraveled the bandages from it.

“We shall see,” Amaji said with a smile as his eyes looked to the Ice Maji. “I have dealt with overwhelming pain before, but I was given my position as the Black Maji for a reason.”

His eyes moved back over to the black tar like liquid. He lifted his hand as its own black glow seemed to consume it. Without a second thought, he plunged his hand into the bowl. No burn came to his hand. It was as if moving water surrounding his hand.

Amaji’s fingers touched something that felt like parchment. He grasped it, pulling it up out of the black liquid.

[phaedra]

Anaphina watched Amaji with mild fascination, as he dipped his hand into the bowl. She'd half expected it to remove his hand, and her eyes glittered with approval and a new found respect for the halfbreed elf, and she pulled away from the corpse, crossing over to the other side of the table where she could look across to Amaji.

The parchment had upon it a mystical seal, and it carried her name. The incantation, scribbled with ancient ink, was as follows: 'I do command, by the powers of my being, and those of the dark gods and goddesses of Yviex and all other worlds and the black seal I have laid before me, that you, Cassandra, appear before me, and I bind you, black pearl of celestial waters, to do my bidding, until I see fit to release you. Now come, lady of the Black Seal, and bring my wishes to reality.' Old words, susceptible to change, but they were the perfect formula for the old, dark Djinn's summoning.

"So... now, all that's left are the terms..." She began, index finger coaxing to a shelf behind her with curling knuckles. A quill and a blank sheet of velum slipped from the shelf on their own. Floating over to the table, they landed upon the wood, and the quill held itself upright, with an unseen force, an invisible, ghostly hand, holding the tip against the smooth creamy velum.
"...I never give anything for nothing, you know, and I expect the same from you as well. So, I, Anaphina..." the quill began writing, scribbling her words as she spoke them beginning with her name. "...do vow and promise that I shall grant this Black Maji and his forces immunity upon my lands, should they identify as such with ample evidence, and furthermore, I grant him the gift of this spell, the conjuration he holds in his hands, and in return..." She paused, and the quill froze, still upright, and she crossed her arms over her bust. "...My bones have been cast. What will you give me, then?" She asked, with a gentle turning of her cheek, showing the sharp angle of the side of her face, nearly a perfect diagonal line between cheekbone and jaw.

Her eyes shifted to the entrance to the crypt, and with a flash of radiant aqua, the stairs vanished, and they were trapped beneath the solid ice. Anaphina would not let him leave until he gave her something of value, whether it be his promise to leave her in her lands once the surface world was his and to give her something of value. Not valuable like jewels or gold, but valuable to the soul, the very core of his being, something that would leave him feeling empty should he be without it.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

Amaji watched and listened to Anaphina closely. The Black Maji made sure to note everything that she was giving him. Now, it was his turn to offer the Ice Maji what she wanted. To give her something that she would desire to seal the deal.

The mixed elf thought for a long moment. What could he possibly possess that could be of any interest to someone like Anaphina? Nothing came to mind. He had no physical possessions that were really interesting, especially on his being at the moment. If she wanted a physical object, really, all Amaji had to offer were potions and spells. Things that would seem not to make any sense to give someone who was strong in her magic already.

So, the wizard thought harder. He could offer her a deal of sorts. Something that was more useful in time. He would not disturb the Ice Maji in her lands once he had accomplished what he was aiming to. At the moment, he felt as though he had disturbed her enough.

“When my conquest is over, I shall leave you to your lands. I will not try to conquer your lands. They are yours for a reason.” Amaji paused for a moment, thinking once more. “But what would you want, Anaphina? What is it that you desire from me?”

[phaedra]

Anaphina honed in on the Maji, but her eyes were vacant, as hard and unfeeling as cold stone. She examined him, searching his body, and her irises seemed to delve into him, driving deeper than the outer skin. He didn't have anything of true grandeur to offer. No fine jewelry, mystical artifacts, or prized estates. He seemed to carry all that he had upon his back, so she looked deeper, with a frosty breath ushering through her nostrils in the chilling temperature of the room, that in its isolated state, had become somewhat of a freezer.

She broke her gaze, calmly, turning away from him to the shelf behind her, and she searched the wooden surface with the tips of her hand, sliding along the rough, splintered texture, while long glassy nails clicked against empty glass bottles and jars filled with anatomy, little creatures, and smoky gases. She stopped at a clear, glass flask, and her long, frozen fingers surrounded the neck, turning back to Amaji without eye contact.
She uncorked the top, with an aura of nonchalance, and she tipped the flask on its side, letting the reddish liquid inside pour out onto the table like blood. Something strange happened, and the liquid didn't splash as it should have. No, instead, as it touched the wood, it froze in place, slowly forming a sculpture as it rose higher, until finally, the flask was empty, and a miniature, red icy figure stood upon the wood, resembling Amaji's golem, the one that had accompanied him today.

She looked up, closing her fingertips around the upper body of the figure and holding it out above the table, for Amaji to see, and her lips formed a devilish crack. "When you have succeeded in your conquest... or should I say 'if you should succeed at all,' I shall have this... for my collection. Other than that, there are things you can provide as well: cherished memories, emotions, some of your magic, or perhaps promise me a specific amount of slaves... drow slaves..." She knew the last option would sit poorly with the Black Maji, and it caused her grin to widen in its arc, showing the sharp, pearly teeth hidden by pale, teal lips of frozen splendor.
"...Well? Surely you have something valuable I can take from you. After all, I am giving you quite a valuable spell, and I'm also giving you my assistance while upon my lands. I guarantee you, should the opposing forces enter the forsaken land, they will not return. Menelouse..." She paused, and her eyes became like saucers as her thoughts had drifted. "...What about Menelaus's head? The fire maji. What about him?" She questioned, anxiously, and her fingers slipped from the ice replica of Amaji's golem, letting it shatter in red crystals upon the wood table. She crossed the other side of the table, and her eyes were filled with heated rage. "...You can surely kill him? You can give him to me?" She closed in on Amaji, and she stared down at him with wide furious eyes.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

Amaji could not help but to smile himself. He nodded his head simply with the thought of going after the Fire Maji for Anaphina. If it would cause the Ice Maji to help him and if it would avoid causing her to actual take something that he valued, Amaji would go after the other Maji with no problem at all.

“I will bring him alive to you if you so desired, but if you just want his head, I will get it for you,” the Black Maji said almost eagerly. “I promise you that, Anaphina. You give me your help, and I shall bring his head to you upon a platter for you to do what you like with. Throw it away if you want to. Kick it around, do as you desire with it. As long as it appeases what you crave for this deal, I will bring it to you.”

[phaedra]

Her hands were like fists, fingers crumpled into balls, and she didn't even notice how her fingernails dug into the skin, yet no blood left the self-inflicted wounds in the icy flesh. The rage in her eyes was a heat that would have thawed her, had it reflected upon her body temperature, and with Amaji's words, she calmed, her hands becoming limp at her sides.
She breathed deeply, and her bust pressed against the restraint of steel boning from her tightly laced bodice. She called the contract to her, with a snap of her fingers, and the paper flung into her hand with perfect obedience.

Her eyes glanced over the written words, and the sight of Menelaus as one of the terms upon the sheet eased her concerns. She blew softly, and her breath, misty white, glazed over the bottom of the paper, where her frozen signature was left in a soft aqua writing. She handed the paper to Amaji. "Sign it, and we have a deal..." She said, matter of factly.
"...If you should succeed in your cause, Menelaus is mine, and he will be brought to me. If not, then the terms of this contact are null and void, and you have no further obligation to me. If you do not fulfill your end of the bargain..." She paused, after speaking word for word as it was written upon the paper. "...You will take Menelaus's place... personally." She concluded, darkly, with a nasty grin.

Of course, Anaphina was not entirely to be trusted. She fully intended upon assisting Amaji and fulfilling everything she said; however, after all was said and done, who was to say she couldn't have all seven other Maji in her frozen hall? Once Menelaus was out of the way, the rest would be simple, and she assumed the White Maji would also be easy access, during the heat of the chaos.

[Amaji the Black Maji]

The Black Maji paused for a moment as if debating whether or not to give his signature. He trusted very few, and Anaphina was definitely not a creature that he trusted. However, what would it hurt? They were not totally allies, nor were they totally enemies. They were between those lines, which was something that Amaji could deal with. If worse came to worse, they would end up in a battle. Amaji knew his strength, and he knew that the Ice Maji would not be an easy rival.

"You have my signature, my beautiful ice queen," Amaji said with a smile as he signed paper. "Menelaus's head shall be yours. I can easily assure you that. He is no threat to me, an easy kill. I will make sure that you are pleased."

[phaedra]

Anaphina smiled victoriously, with his signature, she would have the fire maji out of the way, and the rest would be much easier to encase in frozen tombs. She snatched the contract from his hand, and with a snap of her fingers, the parchment vanished, no doubt appearing somewhere in her frozen halls within a block of ice for safe keeping.
The frozen door opened once more the stairwell that had led them to the underground hut. She crossed the room, regally, and her dress hovered upon the air with a cold breeze. "You know..." She said, pausing at the bottom of the steps, cold hand grasping a rail that formed out of the ice, and her head turned to look back at Amaji, with a sinister smirk. "...I always knew you'd become something worth while, ever since I first spotted you, long ago, deep in the underdark. You were nothing but a scared little half-breed then, but now, look at you, just look at you. A couple thousand years later, and here you stand, my equal."

She nodded her head, respectfully, an incline of her spiky ice crown, and then, all at once, she was nothing more than snowflakes, a flurry blowing upon the wind, taken up the stairs in ethereal white splendor. Anaphina's body was gone, but her voice remained, and it echoed upon the ice. "Be cautious with that one..." Her voice said, referencing the conjuration she had given him. "...One need keep an extra close eye on her." And, all at once, her presence vanished, leaving Amaji in the frozen tomb, to go where he wished from there.