Danica Pt. 12

"All of you get some rest. Danica and I will take the watch this night. Perhaps, if fortune is with us, it will be the last night it is necessary." Nicholas and Danica then exited the farmhouse walked toward the barns and pens for the animals.

Danica retrieved a Ring of Hunters from her bag of holding. The ring's magic made the wearer invisible, and masked their scent as well. The ring also dampened sounds made by the wearer – except for speech. So long as Nicholas kept quiet while he wore the ring, few beings would notice him. Danica planned to cast spells that would duplicate the ring’s effects to provide her own cover.

"Remember, you're not going to be able to even see yourself while you have the ring on. You won't be able to see me either once I cast my spells. The ring's magic will be broken if you take any action like attacking or trying to grab another creature. Otherwise, you’re free to do anything without the magic failing," Danica explained.

"I understand," Nicholas said and put on the ring. "This is disconcerting," he muttered once he vanished from view.

"You get used to it in time. If you want to deactivate the ring's magic, just think about the ring and think off, stop, quit – or something to that effect. Now, I need to cast my spells so I don't give us away. Then we'll settle in."

Danica cast her spells, and immediately slipped into the second sight. Danica had discovered over time that if she concentrated hard enough on the second sight and looked at the outer edges of her vision, she could often detect faint glimmerings of even invisibility spells, which were masked from the second sight as well as normal vision. She easily found Nicholas within arms reach and smiled a crooked smile.

She started to pretend to bump into Nicholas, her plan to press her breasts hard against his chest and get a good feel of his cock. At the last second, she realized that doing so intentionally would constitute an attack by the way the spells worked, and would break the magic.

Danica sighed and sat down on a mossy spot nearby, finding it fairly comfortable. She spoke to let Nicholas know where she was, and he followed the sound of her voice to sit down near her.

"We shouldn't speak any more. Whatever it is out there is pretty observant. Let's just keep quiet and see if we can catch this thing," Danica suggested.

Danica could almost hear Nicholas nodding. When she chuckled, he did as well and said, "Okay – you knew I was nodding my head didn't you?"

"Yes," Danica answered and chuckled again.

They then settled in to wait out the night. The air was cool – perfectly comfortable – though the mossy ground felt less comfortable by the moment. Shifting a bit now and then kept the improvised seat from feeling too intolerable.

Danica fought off both a yawn and a sigh near midnight – if her sense of time was correct. They had neither seen nor heard anything since they settled in. Danica lay back quietly on the moss and her mind drifted a bit, conjuring up images of what she wanted to do to Nicholas.

Her hand strayed toward her sex, but thoughts about where she was caused her to pause. Then she smiled as she remembered that nobody could see her anyway. She unbuttoned the top button of her pants and slid her hand inside to caress her folds as she continued to daydream.

After a few minutes, Danica had to stop. She was growing too aroused, and that wasn't going to help her keep quiet. She mentally growled and sat back up. Just then, she thought she heard a faint sound.

A moment later, she heard it again. To Danica, it sounded like something creeping toward them – nearby. Danica quietly stood up and moved closer to the barn housing most of the smaller animals. About ten feet from the barn, Danica saw something illuminated in the moonlight. Something crept around the edge of the barn.

Danica nearly cursed when the creature crept out into full view. At first, she thought it was an Imp – a malicious creature from the lower planes. The full moon's light illuminated details that caused Danica to revise her first impression. The creature wasn't an Imp, but something known as an Astral Imp. The creatures were similar, though originating on different planes. Astral Imps were not inherently evil as were the Lower Planar Imps, however.

Danica tried to remember what she knew about Astral Imps. The first thing that came to mind was their phenomenal speed. She tried to think of a way to capture the Imp, as it was just trying to feed itself and did not warrant killing if any other solution was available.

Nicholas must have noticed the creature then, because Danica saw him burst into view a few feet away from her and charge the Imp. The Imp squealed and jumped to run away at the same time Danica banished the spells hiding her. When her spells vanished, the creature immediately turned to look at her. The Imp’s eyes opened wide and its mouth gaped open. The Imp then looked over its shoulder at Nicholas and ran again.

"Nicholas, wait! You'll never catch it – trust me!" Danica called out.

The creature had already vanished from view across an expanse of field before Danica even finished speaking.

"Damn me, but that thing is fast. What kind of devil was that?" Nicholas asked, moving toward where Danica stood.

"An Astral Imp. It's not really a devil. They're usually pretty harmless creatures. This one has found itself here somehow without someone supporting it. It's just trying to find food. If you had somehow cornered it... They can be deadly opponents."

"How are we to stop it then?" Nicholas asked.

Nicholas' question prompted Danica to remember something else about Astral Imps, a memory triggered by the way dropping the spells shielding her from sight and scent had caused the creature to react. "I have the beginnings of a plan. I know these creatures, and they have a weakness we can exploit. We may as well get some sleep tonight. It won't return tonight no matter how hungry it gets. Someone else is likely to find they are missing a chicken or a piglet tonight, but there's nothing we can do about that."

"What is the weakness you speak of?" Nicholas asked.

Danica smiled and pulled her Magnificent Tent from her bag of holding. "I'll let you know tomorrow night when I've got my whole plan together," she said as she activated the item's magic.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

The pair slept comfortably that night in Danica's Magical tent. In the morning, Nicholas spoke to the family to give a general explanation of what they had discovered. Danica then suggested that they turn in to nap a little longer into the day. Danica cast a Cooling Comfort spell over them to ward off the heat of the day so that they could sleep comfortably.

They awoke to eat the noon meal with the family, and then returned to the tent to relax until dinner. After eating, Nicholas and Danica revealed that they had a plan to capture the creature and remove it from the area so that it would stop causing trouble.

Danica refused to reveal anything about her plan, saying it was too difficult to explain to someone who didn't understand the nature of Astral Imps. Night drew near, and Danica told the family to sleep because everything was under control. She and Nicholas then went outside as the sky grew dark. Danica returned the tent to its traveling form, and then she and Nicholas settled in to wait for full darkness.

"The creature won't come out before midnight, so we can relax until just before then. Then we'll put my plan in action, and hopefully we'll have the creature trapped in short order," Danica said.

"What is the plan anyway? Surely I need to know my part."

"You certainly do need to know, but not yet. I’ll tell you what you need to do when we start. It’s best for you not to dwell on it. Your part will best be played by reacting without mulling it over beforehand."

They traded stories of their lives and small talk until Danica judged it was close to midnight. "Okay, we should get ready. I have a way to lure the creature in close. The problem is, Astral Imps have a charming gaze. I may or may not be able to resist it once it comes near. I need you to remain nearby me with this." Danica placed a red, coin-like metal disk into Nicholas’ hand. Magical sigils covered every inch of the disk’s surface. "When the creature is within reach, slap this against it and get back quickly. If I'm not moving, grab me and drag me away as well. This item should bind it so tightly, and so quickly that it can't bring a claw to bear. It's always better to be safe than sorry, though."

"That sounds simple enough," Nicholas said. "What will you use to lure it in?"

Danica smiled knowingly – sensually. "This is the part it was best for you not to dwell on through the day. Astral Imps are lightning quick, have magical powers, sharp claws, and other natural abilities that make them very dangerous when cornered and forced to fight. They're almost impossible to hit with spells as well, and only by taking great pains to build the power of spells can you affect them. That magic item should bind the creature long enough for me to take the time I need and force it to sleep. They do have one weakness that can cause them to be less observant of their surroundings, which obsesses them to the point where they can’t think clearly."

"Well, what is it," Nicholas asked with an exasperated chuckle.

"They cannot resist the sight – and especially the scent – of a human woman. If a woman is aroused and nude, the scents she releases are even stronger, and carry farther in the air. That is how I intend to lure the creature in until he is right on top of me, where you can incapacitate him."

Nicholas' mouth hung open. He shook his head and mumbled, "I uhm..." He then tousled his hair and blew out a great breath of air.

Danica winked and said, "Just put on the ring. Stay nearby and be quiet. Try to enjoy the show until the Imp makes an appearance."

Nicholas shivered, unable to control the reaction. He then smiled and said, "Okay." He put on his ring and vanished from sight without another word.

Danica shrugged off her clothing and put it into her bag of holding. When she revealed her breasts, she heard Nicholas gasp. "Shh, be quiet silly," Danica admonished and continued to remove her clothing.

Once nude, Danica lay down on the mossy ground to softly rub her nether lips. She moaned quietly as she imagined Nicholas' tongue on her, which caused her juices to rapidly flow.

As Danica’s fingers caressed and probed, her fires built higher by the moment. Occasional glances with the second sight showed that Nicholas was where he was supposed to be, watching and rubbing his aching cock through his trousers.

Danica came, biting her lip to avoid crying out. Her body stiffened and arched, and she prayed the creature wouldn't come while she was in the throes of orgasm. She needed full concentration to resist the Imp's magical charm, and right now, she was in no condition.

Slowly, Danica’s orgasm ebbed. She brought her finger to her mouth and sucked it clean with a quiet moan. She then looked over toward Nicholas and said, "Once we've taken care of the Imp, you can do more than watch if you'd like." With a coy smile, she then reached down to stroke her folds again.

The Imp leapt upon Danica before she could begin to react. The creature’s mouth was wide open, and drool ran down its chin. Its eyes were wide open as well, staring hard into Danica's – the devious charm magic beating against Danica's will. The creature had lost control of its camouflage abilities in its lust. Instead of the dark blending color from the previous night, the Imp was its natural, pale blue-gray color.

Danica clenched her teeth and sent all her strength into building her will and bringing her formidable mental powers to bear. The creature's eyes squinted for a moment when Danica mentally retaliated, and she was able to tear her eyes downward away from the Imp's. The angle afforded her a good view of the creature's pale cock – hard, throbbing, and poised above her in anticipation of the charm taking hold of her.

Nicholas returned to visibility as he slapped the small metal disc onto the Imp's back. The monster snarled and tried to let out a scream, but the crimson bands of the magic imbued in the item quickly bound the Imp and covered its mouth.

Nicholas gave the creature a powerful kick that sent it rolling some five feet away. It rocked back and forth, but could make no other movement due to the tightly constricting bonds of the spell.

Danica let out a sigh of relief and reached for Nicholas' hand, extended to help her rise. She pulled her naked body close against him when she stood, and brought her finger – wet with her juices – to his lips before kissing him and squeezing his rock hard cock through his trousers.

"I need to bind the creature in sleep now. Then I'll have time to set up a containment circle and we can send the thing back to where it belongs on the Astral Plane," Danica said and turned toward the creature.

"Shouldn't you get dressed?" Nicholas asked.

"Why, do you want me to?" Danica asked with a coy smile over her shoulder, running her hands over her bottom as she spoke.

"Uhm, well – no," he replied and chuckled.

Danica smiled and said, "There's no time. There's no sure way of knowing how long it will be bound by the crimson bands. I need to get it to sleep as well, so it can’t fight the other magic as hard – or quickly."

Nicholas nodded and Danica concentrated, bending all her will into the spell she was about to cast. When she felt as if she was about to explode from the power built up inside her, Danica released the spell. Instantly, the creature's movements ceased.

Danica moved close to observe the Imp, confirming that it was truly fast asleep, and still tightly bound. "I must be better at sigil magic than I thought. Those bonds are twice as strong as I would have expected them to be. I'll have to be careful in the future, because that much strength could crush a normal person."

Nicholas was too busy admiring the curves of her backside as she bent over the Imp to pay much attention to the sleeping creature. Danica gave her bottom a sharp smack, and then grabbed her bag of holding to retrieve her clothing. She dressed and started to work on the containment circle.

"Can I do anything to help?" Nicholas asked.

"Stay back and don't touch anything," Danica laughed. "The slightest mistake could be disastrous. Just watch the thing and let me know if it starts to stir. I'm going to be too busy to pay much attention."

Danica first cast a spell to becalm the winds in the general area, and then another to illuminate the immediate area well. The last thing she needed was an errant breeze disrupting the circle or any of the other elements of the Banishment spell. She could have simply used the Lesser Banishment spell and sent the Imp away immediately, but Danica had decided to perform the full ritual to ensure the creature would not be able to return to the Prime Material Plane for at least one hundred years.

Danica carefully spread silver dust into the appropriate patterns and runes. It’s a good thing I have nearly unlimited coin now, because the amount of precious metals and spell components this spell is going to consume is monstrous.

It took Danica twenty minutes to complete the containment circle. She spent another five minutes carefully checking the circle for mistakes, and then stood to cast the spells that would empower it.

Danica completed her castings, and then sat down to rest for a moment. She needed to build her strength again to cast the actual Banishment. Sending the Imp back wouldn’t prove difficult, but preventing other creatures from using the portal she opened would be.

"Danica, it’s moving," Nicholas warned and drew his sword.

"You can put that away. It's not going anywhere," Danica explained.

The creature began to rock back and forth – gently at first – and then violently when it fully awakened. The Imp pushed steadily harder against the bonds that held it. Once able to move enough, the Imp received a rude awakening. The creature touched the boundaries of the containment circle and let out a pitiful, muffled scream of pain as a tiny wisp of smoke curled up from its flesh.

The creature pushed harder at its bonds, taking care not to roll around much this time. Danica said, "It can’t escape the circle, so the crimson bands are irrelevant now. It's a good thing, because it doesn't look like they're going to hold long."

Only moments later, the Imp snapped the bands and sprang to its feet. Almost instantly, the creature’s coloring changed to blend in with its surroundings. The imp wailed in anger for a second, and then its eyes opened wide and some of its coloring faded. The creature locked eyes with Danica and took a step toward her, once again touching the outer edge of the circle. The Imp screeched as it burned.

"It can still smell the scent of my arousal. It's probably like a torturous fog the thing cannot escape. Its senses for that particular scent are better than any animal’s. I should send it away quickly before it destroys itself trying to get to me." Danica stood back up to do just that as soon as she finished speaking.

Nicholas spun and drew his sword, hearing the sound of running footsteps before Danica. He lowered the weapon when he saw the man of the farmhouse and his eldest son running toward him with pitchforks in hand.

The two men slid to a stop when they reached the light of Danica's spell, staring in wide-eyed amazement at the creature trapped in the circle. "What in the hells is that thing?" The farmer exclaimed.

"That's our Astral Imp," Danica answered. "I'm preparing to send it back where it belongs. It won't trouble you or anyone else in this world for one hundred years when I'm done. Please stay back so you don't disrupt the magic."

The men nodded and stepped back a step. Danica gathered together the components she would need, and then started her spell casting.

While Danica worked her magic, the creature inside the circle alternated between its instinct to fight or flee, and its powerful need to reach Danica to satisfy its hunger for human women. The Imp burned itself a dozen times – once badly – before Danica completed the spell of Banishment.

The creature screamed loud and long, the sound fading even as the Imp faded from sight. Danica dropped her hands when the creature fully vanished, and the light of the runes and the circle winked out. Only a scorched shadow of the circle and runes remained on the ground.

"It is done," Danica said.

The young man let out a whoop, and his father cuffed him playfully on the back. "I don't know how we're going to repay Y'all," the elder man admitted.

"Consider it a favor to old friends of the family. I will accept no payment, save a few more fine meals in your home," Nicholas responded with a smile.

"As for me, I started my journey simply to acquire some fresh produce for my kitchen. If you can spare a few fruits and vegetables, that will more than suffice as payment for me," Danica added.

"Come back up to the house, the younguns and womenfolk are gonna wanna know what happened," said the older of the two men.

"In the morning,” Danica protested with a weary smile. “I need to rest now from my spell casting. Go let them know it is over, then get your rest for tomorrow's chores."

The men nodded and turned back toward the house. Danica pulled her magical tent from its hiding place and activated the magic. Nicholas followed Danica inside a few moments later. Danica stopped just as Nicholas pulled the door of the tent closed. She kissed him hard as soon as he turned around.