Changed Redux Pt. 01

"You could do that?" Mary asked in amazement.

"Yes, the ancient magics of the Gods were immense powerful when wielded by a knowing hand. Much of that power has been lost to mankind over the centuries but in some places you can find it still if you know where to look. But back to the tale," Marcellene continued, "However, my research and preparation had taken months and by that time, the Emperor's mind had eroded further still and he now was not only physically incapable of being with a woman, but was no longer even interested. His mind had slipped closer to madness and the desires of the flesh had left him. So I added a new component to my spell, a measure of desire, specifically a desire to lie with a woman."

"It was these three spells that I was attempting to weave together on that day so many eons ago, here in this very spot." She walked over and placed her hands on the altar. "It was right here."

Mary was spellbound. Could this all be real? Was this kind of thing even possible? Looking around it was hard to doubt her own senses. "It didn't work?"

"No." Marcellene answered softly, "and yes."

"How... "

"The spell was never completed. Something went horribly wrong." She sighed, "I've never really known what happened. I was trying to weave together three separate spells, a dangerous undertaking but I was young and arrogant, convinced in my power and abilities, certain that my Goddess favored me. The spell of invigoration and the spell of desire were both simple spells that any peasant market spellsayer could weave for a pittance. But the spell of manipulation, that was powerful magic. It was the power of total control. The power of creation. Only the greatest mages and priests of the age could control magic like that. I thought I was equal to the task." Marcellene looked down and picked up the metal ring that hung about her neck. "But I wasn't."

"Something went wrong with the spell. Either I couldn't control the power I was trying to manipulate, or it wasn't compatible with the other spells. Perhaps I misspoke a word. An incorrect gesture, an impure spell component, I never knew. In any event, the magic escaped my control and the energies exploded around me. My body was devoured by the very energies I had sought in my arrogance to control. All that was left of me was my soul which was melded with the magic and finally absorbed by the ring," she held up the engraved metal ring that hung between her breasts, the same ring that Mary now wore on her thumb, "this ring, signified my rank, it showed all my station and influence. The iron ring of the Emperor's Sorceress. The Iron Ring of the Chief Priestess of the Goddess Ama --Arhus." She gestured to the identical rings held in the hands of the statues. "The symbol of my power. The symbol of my arrogance." She let the ring she held drop to fall back between her breasts, "and now my prison for over six thousand years."

Mary looked down at the ring on her thumb with a newfound horror as an empty chasm of sympathy and pity for this woman opened up inside her, making her feel hollow and weak. She couldn't think of anything to say besides whispering, "I'm so sorry Marcellene."

Marcellene looked over at her and smiled a little. "Thank you my Mistress. But my fall was by nobody's fault but my own." Taking a deep breath she continued. "But my spells were not cast completely in vein. The spells did work. Actually, they turned out to be far more powerful than I have ever intended. By bonding with me and absorbing my life energy, the spells became immensely powerful and the enchantment became permanent, not temporary as I had intended. The ring, my ring, became an artifact of immense power. Whomever put on my ring would gain the ability to control and manipulate people's minds at will. Merely thinking about what you wished a person to do was enough to make it happen. But the elements of invigoration and desire were there as well. Men who put on the ring would desire almost every woman they looked upon and with the power of control, they could take them all. Many men became immensely powerful rulers and accumulated vast harems of beautiful women they kept either as slaves or wives." Marcellene walked over and reverently touched the foot of one of the statues of her Goddess. "I have seen the men I served, many of them ruthless, heartless barbarians, do so many horrible, perverted things over the centuries. It amazes me that I am still sane. In truth when I bond with a new master, I often don't recall much from my previous Bonding. I think that maybe this is a gift of my Goddess. Her way of trying to protect me in some small measure."

Enrapture by the tale, Mary stared in amazement. Eventually finding her voice she asked, "Why didn't your Goddess protect you from the spell right at the beginning? Why didn't she stop all of, well..." she gestured around vaguely at the altar, the statues and then finally, almost reluctantly, she held up the ring on her thumb, "All of this?"

Marcellene's response was a little harsh, her voice suddenly hard, "Very rarely did the Gods directly intervene in the goings on of mortals. My act of binding the spells was my own and not by the hand of my Goddess. My fall was my own, by my own hand was I destroyed. It was not my Goddesses responsibility to save me from my own folly."

"Oh." Mary mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. guess I just don't really understand how the Gods were supposed to work. This is kind of all new to me."

Marecllene's face softened and she smiled. "No, it is I who should apologize. I should not have spoken harshly to you. It was an honest question. It is just," she paused, "A hard thing for me to talk about. But where was I? Ah yes, the magic." She continued, "The magic has a will of its own in many ways. Often, it would leave a man or betray him at the most inopportune times. Often leading to his death. This resulted in the ring changing hands many times over the centuries and also being lost many times, sometimes for centuries. Perhaps this was also at the will of my Goddess. Trying to protect the world or maybe just trying to protect me." She turned to look at Mary, meeting her eye this and smiling. "But now I have no Master. For the first time in eons, I have a Mistress. Perhaps you will prove to be a better caretaker of the power that you have been given than many of the others in the past. You seem to be a good person, so it is my hope." She turned and looked to the statues again, "And there is the matter of how the magic will work for you. That Bonding was far more..." she paused and Mary could see her blush heavily, a blush that was matched by her own she was sure, "intense than any before. Maybe because we are both women, or maybe it was because of something else. Time will tell."

Fascinated and also rather horrified at Marcellene's tale, , Mary starred at the ring on her thumb and wondered if it was all real. Did she really have the power to control other people's minds at will? And what of the lust for... for women? Was that going to happen to her as well? "Will those things happen to me as well? The power and the, uh, desire, for... for women?"

Marcellene studied her intently for several long, uncomfortable moments before answering carefully. "Truthfully, I do not know. The magics that I harnessed were intended only for use by a man, on a woman, that is how the spells were woven. But when the magics broke from my control, they were again changed in some ways. Now, for the first time, a woman has taken control of the ring and Bonded to me, the source of the ring's energy. It may work exactly the same as it always has, or it may react in ways I can't imagine. There is simply no way of telling."

"Will it hurt me?" Mary said cautiously, then added hesitantly as if she didn't want to know the answer, "Will it kill me?"

Realizing how frightened the young woman must be, Marcellene stepped towards her and smiled warmly, "No, my Mistress, I don't believe that the magics would ever do that." Raising her hand, she tenderly stroked Mary's cheek and whispered, "They never have in the past and I would do everything in my power to protect you." At her touch, Mary let out a small, shuddering gasp of surprised pleasure that was mirrored an instant later in Marcellene's own body. Startled, the taller woman quickly pulled her hand back.

Tentatively, Mary raised her hand and touched the cheek where Marcellene's hand had just been. "How did you do that?" She asked, her voice suddenly rich. Then, seeing the growing flush on Marcellene's cheeks, she asked, "You felt it too, didn't you?" Then answered her own question, "You did, I can see it in your eyes. It's that thing Bonding, isn't it. You feel what I feel. Right?"

"Yes Mistress." Marcellene whispered.

Mary thought now that she was just beginning to see what the Magic had kindled in her. She had never in her life felt anything like that before from just a simple touch. Looking into Marcellene's eyes, she knew that the other woman now knew as well. She could see lust burning deep in the woman's bottomless eyes. That knowledge sent a new and unexpected flare of heat through her core. She wondered if it worked both ways. Slowly, hesitantly, Mary raised her own hand and touched the Marcellene's cheek in the same, tender way. The woman's skin was warm and soft and it was pleasant but not in the same way as when she had been touched. There was no fire in the touch. "Now, touch me again." Mary said.

"Mistress...." Marcellene began, reaching to remove the hand from her cheek.

"Ssssh. Please Marcellene, I need to know. Please touch me."

With apparent trepidation, Marcellene obeyed the girl's wish and again stroked her smooth cheek. Instantly she felt a warm, ripple of pleasure spread from her own cheek and washed quickly through her entire body. Expecting the feeling this time Marcellene didn't remove her hand but instead kept it there, gently stroking the Mary's cheek and looking into her eyes even as they shared the pleasure. Unbidden, the thought of what the woman's hands would feel like on the rest of her body welled up into Mary's head and once thought of, couldn't be resisted. Unable to resist the urge, she placed her hand over Marcellene's and slowly guided it down the side of her face to her neck and then back up. Feeling Marcellene's strong fingers running through the soft hair and the nape of her neck drove a long, low moan from her that was shared a moment later by Marcellene.

Mary felt the warm ripples of pleasure that had been slowly spreading throughout her body now settle between her thighs. Unable to contain herself, she moaned again, louder this time.

What was she doing? Mary's mind screamed even as she felt her nipples hardening painfully and her sex soaking with hot need. This was a woman she was with! Not even a woman. She was a ghost,or a...a... spirit or something! She shouldn't be doing this. Her body shouldn't be reacting like this! She wasn't a lesbian! She wasn't into girls! Was she?

But even as her rational mind tried to get control of her raging need, her hand slid around Marcellene's head and gripping the taller woman by the hair, pulled her now unresisting form in for their first kiss.

They both shivered at the touch of their lips. So smooth and soft, hot and wet. Their lips slid across each other eagerly for a time, both savoring the feeling before Mary felt Marcellene's tongue push its way into her mouth. The feel of the other woman's warm, wet tongue inside her mouth was incredible. She groaned and was delighted to hear Marcellene do the same. She had never in her life imagined that another woman could make her feel this way.

Unbidden, Marcellene broke their passionate embrace and started kissing her way down Mary's neck, nibbling and licking her way down to the tender skin between her breasts. Mary's breath was rasping in her throat now as she watched, spellbound, the woman push aside the white fabric of the strange gown and kiss her way wetly to Mary's stiff, pink nipple. When the sorceresses' hot, soft lips finally wrapped around the aching bud, Mary let out a guttural bark of pleasure and her entire body shuddered. Her delight was driven even higher as she felt Marcellene shuddering along with her. The idea that through the Bonding, the woman with her was experiencing everything she felt was driving Mary into a hazy, lust filled euphoria.

Biting her lower lip hard, she reached down and released her other breast from the gown, fondling its firm softness and finally pinching the tender summit hard with her fingers. The whole time her eyes were locked on the other woman, wanting, no needing to see her reaction. She wasn't disappointed. To her delight, the ancient sorceress reacted far more strongly than Mary had expected. The woman's eyes snapped wide open with surprise as a tidal wave of instant pleasure flooded through her body. Her dark eyes held onto Mary's and for an instant she saw the stunning intensity of the unexpected rush of sensation in the Sorceresses body. With a loud cry of rapture, the woman slipped over the edge and fell into a intense, shuddering orgasm.

Mary looked on in euphoric paradise for an instant before the raging climax surged through the Bond and overtook her as well. Crying out with the irresistible forces flooding through her body, she collapsed heavily onto Marcellene and together they writhed in ecstasy. She felt the woman's hands ripping her gown off the rest of the way and realized distantly that she was doing the same in return. Their searing skin now touched everywhere and it only added fuel to their raging passions. Desperately, her mouth kissed and licked and sucked any part of her lover that was within reach. Eventually Marcellene worked her face between her Mistresses thighs and at the first touch of the sorceress's tongue on her sex, Mary's world imploded.

A climax even more powerful than the one during the initial Bonding filled her entire being. Rapture, searing with flame, rippling with chill, flooded through her body. She screamed and threw her head back as her entire center convulsed violently. She could feel her insides, the strong muscles deep in her core, pulsing and throbbing with every new surge of pleasure that her lover was giving her. Pushing herself back, she sat hard on Marcellene's face, trying to increase the sensations, trying to drive Marcellene's wonderful tongue deeper into her sex. She felt the muscles of her pussy trying to grab a hold of the invading tongue, desperate to pull it deep into her scalding depths. Her body bucked and convulsed beyond her control as her lover's hot tongue, deep inside her, knowingly sought out her most intimate places. Mary felt her own wetness flooding from her as orgasm after orgasm took her and she felt Marcellene eagerly lapping up her wetness, drinking in all that her Mistress would give her. Hearing Marcellene's own moans and cries of rapture muffled in her sex only added to Mary's fire and her passion built higher and higher until she thought her mind would break but still it went on. Finally, as one last shattering climax tore through her body, she let out a ragged shriek of raw, primal lust that echoed off the watching statues of the Goddess, now her Goddess, and rolled away across the ancient plains.

Chapter Two ~ The Roommate

Waves of hot euphoria rolled delightfully through Mary Calise's body and she groaned softly in response. Several minutes passed as the wonderful feelings slowly faded and the muscles in her center finally ceased their throbbing. Every fiber of her body felt sore and worn out but also wonderfully refreshed at the same time. Images of that strange hilltop temple flashed through her mind as well as thoughts of the beautiful sorceress she had been making love too. Making love to... another woman? What? She sat up abruptly, her eyes snapping open.

Mary saw that she was still in her own bathroom, sitting in a bathtub that she now realized had gone cold. She sucked in a ragged breath and let it out slowly. A dream, it had all been a dream. The woman, the hilltop, that whole Bonding thing, it had all been just a dream. Just a...

A loud, insistent thumping rattled the door interrupted her thoughts. "Mary? Are you in there?" A pause, another round of thumping, "Are you ok?"

It took her a moment to realize it was her roommate, Julia.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mary called out, her voice cracking and stinging in her raw throat. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Ok." She heard the young woman call back. Then just audibly she heard a muttered "Finally." followed by the sound of feet heading towards the kitchen.

Pushing aside images of the incredibly vivid but disturbingly erotic dream aside, Mary set her mind to the task of getting out of the bathroom. The room was dark, the only light was glow of the parking lot lights coming through the window. Mary flipped the light switch but nothing happened. She toggled it a couple more times then huffed in irritation. The bulb must have blown while she was asleep. A brief image of the dream came to her, something about the lights flickering in the dream.... she shook her head. It was just a dream. She would change the bulb later. Five minutes later Mary was dried off and wrapped in a robe heading towards the kitchen.

The diminutive Julia was seated at the kitchen counter bar eating a slice of pizza and watching something on her ipad as Mary sat next to her. The pizza smelled delicious and her stomach growled loudly, making Julia laugh.

"Guess it's a good thing I brought dinner." She pushed the large, flat box across the counter, "Here." Once Mary had pulled out two slices and stuffed the first one half in her mouth, Julia continued, "I was starting to get pretty concerned. What the heck were you doing in here? Sleeping?"

Mary thought for an instant abut her vividly erotic dreams and felt her face blush furiously. She mumbled, "Yeah, I must have fallen asleep in the tub. Sorry, didn't mean to worry you." Chagrined, she covered her embarrassment by stuffing another mouthful of pizza in her face. Thankfully it tasted as good as it smelled.

"Well try not to do that again. I was just about to call the fire department. I was banging on that door and calling you for like three or four minutes." She shook her head and continued. "I thought you drowned."

Mary laughed, "In twelve inches of water. I don't think so." Then she saw the lines of concern on the pretty face and realized that her friend really had been worried. "Really, I'm sorry. It was a long day and I guess I was just..." she paused, again recalling that mystical time spent in the arms of that strange dream woman, what had her name been? Marcellene? On some distant hilltop in the ancient past and she felt her sex clench. Swallowing and forcing the flush of arousal down hard, she continued, "I was just somewhere else."

"Well, come back to here for a while ok? I need your help tonight."

Mary glanced over at her friend, wondering what kind of help she needed. For a second she studied the petite girl that she had known for five years now and been best friends with for four of those years. Shorter even than Mary at an inch shy of five feet, Julia's dark, silky, shoulder length hair and Asian eyes gave away her Chinese ancestry. The third daughter of immigrants who came to the States to work in the vineyards of California, Julia had been born in San Francisco and grown up like a clichéd California girl in every sense of the word. Outgoing and vivacious, she loved anything to do with the outdoors, especially the ocean and most of all surfing.

They had met in their first year of college in Boston when they were assigned as roommates and had been fast friends ever since. Upon graduation they decided to stick together and rented this condominium which was close enough to the ocean to satisfy Julia, and centrally located enough for Mary, who needed to be able to drive to her job sites all over New England. Cape Cod was truthfully, not a centrally located as Mary would have liked but once they had moved in all her doubts had faded away. The apartment wasn't close enough to the water that they could actually see it, they couldn't afford that, but in the morning, if the breeze was right, they could smell the sea and that made everything ok for them both.