Chapter Text
The first time Rio became aware of Agatha seemed like a gift to Lady Death. She stood at the end of the forest, peering through the thick trees at the dark forms on the ground. Rio couldn't see the bodies clearly, but one was clearly dead and waiting for her to collect its soul. She purred in anticipation, an easy and weak thing hovering by its corpse, but a meal was a meal.
But the aura around the second body gave her pause. It felt... off. There was confusion and shock and the obvious stench of the beginnings of regret. Typical of a first kill. Rio had mixed feelings about first kills. Either the killers went on to reap bountiful souls for her to collect, or they tarnished every living soul they encountered with their misery and self-hatred. Boringggg.
This one though, it felt split. Rio shook her head as if to clear that thought from her head. It was a ridiculous concept. But it only felt more right the longer she stood near this witch's presence. Rio soundlessly moved to the side, trying to get a first glimpse at who exactly she was dealing with. For she would have to deal with this soul eventually; she could feel the power emanating from the witch as she got closer to looking at the witch head-on. Power like that, a trail of bodies ought to follow. Might as well have a face to her eventual benefactor of souls.
The witch chose that moment to throw her head back and gasp a sob. Rio froze, immediately and desperately wishing she had not been seen. But before she could formulate a plan, her eyes finally fell upon the face in front of her. The witch was young; Rio had never been good at guessing ages, and witches lived long enough lives she couldn't always be sure until it was time to collect. But she could be sure this was a young woman, a witch too young to have such an early first kill. The distraught over that fact was clearly written on her face. A face that was wet with tears and mud from hands that had clawed at the ground in despair. Eyes a deep brown that hid a lifetime of sadness and pain. Lips that trembled with unrestrained grief. Beautiful.
Rio wanted to know what had happened here, why this one was different. She unconsciously took a step forward before remembering herself, shocked at her own thoughts. She had never cared about the circumstances behind a death, murder or otherwise. A soul was a soul, nothing more. And definitely not less, as she was bound by her duty to collect. She could not let this passing curiosity deter her from her job. Now anxious to move things along, she flicked her wrist and a branch snapped a hundred yards to the right of the witch.
The beautiful killer startled upright and looked around for witnesses to her crime before bolting out of the forest in the opposite direction of the sound. Rio watched as she ran, uncaring of the branches tearing the flesh from her face as she dove through them.
Rio waited only a minute before composing herself and approaching the soul waiting for her. It was an easy task, though this one felt odd as it lacked any of the power Rio had felt surging around it earlier. No matter, the task was completed and she was satisfied.
And yet.
She couldn't help her curiosity, masking it as concern for the poor branches made victims in the killer's flight. She smelled the blood on their bark before she saw it, deep red and dripping onto the forest floor. She was no vampire, but oh how delicious it smelled. She licked the witch's blood right off the bark, the taste setting her whole body alight. She tasted pain. Fear. Regret.
Power.
Oh yes, Rio had been right. Something was indeed very different about this witch. She smirked and licked the trail of blood from the corner of her mouth, not wanting to miss an opportunity to savor the taste of a witch she would now pay very close attention to. Rio looked down the path the witch had taken and considered it for a moment before the familiar calling of a soul just passed surged across the world to her. Duty calls. Rio turned in the opposite direction the witch had taken and started her journey to her next collection, sure in the knowledge that this would not be the last time her eyes would fall on the beautiful and powerful witch.