Danica Pt. 17

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Darkniciad
Darkniciad
1,273 Followers

When her next spell, another lightning strike, dissolved against Danica's shield, Camilla screamed, "Just die, bitch! You're going to die! Stop delaying the inevitable!"

"Zoraster is not going to be amused!" Danica shouted back, hoping to distract the woman with the threat of her master intervening.

"I don't care! You are going to die, Danica – here and now!"

Danica gasped when Camilla's next spell, a fireball, burst against her shield. It shuddered again, but held. The resulting fire flash ignited the covers on her bed, which was fortunately protected by her magic against fire. While they smoldered, it would be some time before they would burst into dangerous flames.

Danica knew she had to counter attack. There was no choice if she wanted to survive. She chose a minor spell, magic missile, and hurled the bolts at Camilla to try to distract her from the spell she was already in the process of casting.

The missiles dissolved against Camilla's shield and the woman continued her casting without even flinching. Danica cursed and cast a lightning bolt of her own, trying to catch snippets of the spell Camilla was casting to determine what it was, but having little success.

Danica completed her spell first, the lightning bolt dissolving against Camilla's defenses with no more effect than the missiles she had previously hurled. Camilla completed her spell with a final shouted word and a sweeping gesture of her hand to point at Danica. A ray of amber energy shot toward Danica from Camilla's outstretched hand, instantly dissolving Danica’s defenses.

As she tried to restore her magical shield, a gust of wind from a wand Camilla drew and aimed slammed into Danica. The blast of air hurled her back against the wall, nearly knocking the breath out of her. She struggled to rise, her fingers already moving in the gestures to restore her shield as the words quickly tumbled from her lips.

Camilla aimed another wand and Danica gasped as the fireball streaked toward her. Invisible beneath her robes, Danica's hood ring flashed. The power of that enchanted item turned the fireball back on Camilla, who was unprepared for the resulting blast. Surprised by her magic reflecting back upon her, she did not maintain enough concentration on her shield and it partially failed, allowing the searing heat of the fireball to reach her.

Camilla screamed in pain and rage as her robes and hair ignited. The wizardess quickly cast a spell to douse the flames, but they had already burnt her locks down to a short, ragged shadow of their normal curly length. Her robes smoldered, revealing the flesh beneath in places. Camilla's skin was red, obviously burned in many places. Danica knew the woman was surely in tremendous pain, but appeared to ignore it as she aimed her wand again.

Danica spoke the words of a telekinesis cantrip, but actually used her mental powers to wrest the wand from Camilla's grasp and hurl it across the room. Camilla incredulously stared at her hand, knowing that there was no way the cantrip could have pulled the wand from her grip.

Speaking the words of a spell as soon as she removed the threat of the wand, Danica enclosed Camilla in crimson bands of energy that pulled her arms tight against her body and caused her to topple over. The woman struggled, but Danica's spell held firm.

Danica breathed a sigh of relief and reached into her bag for the magical cage, planning to confine the woman until Zoraster could do something. Danica wondered why he had not yet arrived, as he surely couldn't have missed what was going on.

Just as she was wondering about him, the man appeared in a flash of light near the bed. "What have we here?" He chuckled.

"She came in here and attacked me. I had to defend myself," Danica spat.

"S-she lies, Master. I was..." Camilla began.

"Kill her," Zoraster ordered, staring into Danica's eyes.

Part of Danica wanted to obey that order without hesitation. The woman had tortured her and taken delight in it. She had tortured Marlena and probably laughed the whole time. Danica could not find any reason in her heart to spare the cruel woman, save that she would not take a life in cold blood.

"No," Danica answered, though it lacked conviction, revealing the dark desire within her.

Zoraster laughed, and then turned toward Camilla who was struggling to rise and move toward him.

Camilla gasped out, "Master, please forgive me. She is a d-danger to you. I only thought to..."

Zoraster spoke a single word and Camilla screamed. Danica watched in horror as the woman's flesh melted from her bones, the scream turning first to a gurgle, and then nothing as her face dripped away from the skull beneath.

What was left of the woman clattered to the stone floor amidst the dissolved goo of her flesh. Zoraster turned back to Danica, who had torn her eyes away from the spectacle, struggling to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged.

"You should have destroyed her. She certainly would have destroyed you," Zoraster criticized. He then spoke words of magic and gestured. The disgusting mess that remained of Camilla vanished. A few more words and gestures doused the fires burning in the room.

Danica rose from where she had fallen to her knees fighting nausea, glancing for a moment at the spot where Camilla had died with a shiver.

"You have leave to defend yourself in whatever manner necessary. Your powers grow, and some within these walls will find their jealousy uncontainable. You will not always have the luxury of choosing between a killing stroke and misguided mercy, little rose." He then snapped his fingers and vanished from the room without another word.

Danica wrapped her arms around herself and backed up, leaning against the wall. She felt numb. She was no longer sickened, horrified, or afraid. She was simply numb.

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

Zoraster appeared in a room full of coffins. He crossed the room with a purposeful stride toward one of them, pausing to pick up a small bag on the way to his destination. Opening the lid of the coffin he had selected, he looked down and saw Camilla's face.

Opening the bag, he pulled out the contents. He stiffened and a scowl came over his face, memories of the last time he had attempted this spell returning to him. He had failed then – they had intervened.

Shaking his head and snarling, Zoraster brushed the thoughts away and continued to remove the necessary spell components he required for his magic from the bag. He spoke the words of the spell, the syllables harsh and ominous. His hands manipulated the components of the spell, blood, bone, and other distasteful objects, in the necessary gestures as he brought the dark magic to life.

An aura of black congealed around him as his macabre chant reached a crescendo. A similar aura surrounded the clone of Camilla lying in its crèche, settling into the mindless flesh of the woman's copy.

Camilla's eyes popped open and she erupted in a horrible blood-curdling cry of sheer terror and pain. She writhed against the restraints as Zoraster closed the lid of her coffin-like enclosure. When the lid sealed, he touched runes upon its surface to attune the magic of the device. It would hold her body stable and release drugs that would calm her until she recovered from being yanked back from whatever afterlife she had been moving toward, the horror of her own death still fresh in her mind.

"I trust you have learned a valuable lesson, Camilla," he said to the closed device. "Perhaps it will humble you and force you to push beyond your current limits in your second life."

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

Celes patted Danica's hands, which were folded on the table in front of her, and said, "Danica, it's not your fault – and likely a lucky thing. Camilla was obsessed with you, and I think the world will be a happier place without her."

"I know you're right, but it was just so..." Danica paused and shivered as a chill ran through her body. "It was just so horrible, and he acted like he was swatting a fly out of spite."

"We know he's mad, powerful, and kills without any remorse, Danica. We've known that from the beginning. We'll likely see worse," Celes responded.

"I should have turned my magic on him. Not even Camilla deserved to die like that," Danica growled.

"Then you would have shared her fate – or one worse," Celes retorted.

Danica sighed. "I know. I've got to do something; get the image out of my mind."

Celes sniffed the air and smiled, "You could finish making us dinner like you promised."

A weak smile crossed Danica's lips. "That might help. The turkey should almost be done, and there's a lot of other things to prepare."

"I'll go see if I can round up Marlena and Andrea, and then we'll all come help you." Celes then hugged Danica, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"I think having friends around right now is a good idea," Danica said, rising from her chair.

"And you'll have them. Go check on that bird, we don't want it to burn."

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

With a wide smile, Zoraster removed the black box from his bag. Placing the box on the table before him, he cast a spell of telekinesis and used the magic to open the lid of the box. He could feel the holy magic of the item rejecting him, and knew if he dared touch it that the thing would sear his flesh as surely as it had that of the demon.

Again using the telekinesis, he moved the gauntlet through a shimmering wall of blue light. There it hung in place amongst numerous other items already suspended in the magic.

Soon, the time will come, and then I will have the power to take back that which is rightfully mine – to remake this broken world, gain dominion, and bring paradise to this land. I will cast aside the fools who have flawed creation.

"Soon," he repeated aloud, and laughed, a sound full of confidence, anticipation – and tinged with hints of madness.

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

Finally, the four were able to gather together. While they cooked and chatted, Danica managed to push the dark thoughts of Camilla's death away – somewhat.

Tasting the potatoes, Danica made a face. "I suppose this is as close as I'm going to get. I know what they need, but I've ran out of marjoram. Mom always used it, and they just don't taste right to me without it."

Andrea smiled and said, "I have marjoram, I grow it in the hedge maze."

Danica's eyes lit up and she smiled, but it was Marlena who spoke next, "I have so much trouble finding that. I need it for many of my spells and I never have enough."

"I have plenty. My mother used to grow so many different herbs – I just sort of plant them too along with my flowers because it reminds me of her. The herbalist keeps everything for me and winters the plants that need it."

Celes stood up. "Well, let's go get your marjoram then. Hold my hand and I'll teleport us there."

Andrea's eyes went wide, and the smile that spread across her face was even wider. "You'll take me there with magic?" She asked with obvious excitement.

Celes chuckled then brushed a strand of hair that had blown into her eyes out of the way, wondering where the breeze had come from. "I'm going to tell you how the spell ends, so you'll know when the magic is about to work. If you know when it will happen, it's not quite as hard on the tummy."

"Okay!" Andrea replied with the same girlish excitement.

Celes spoke the last few words of the spell, which were very distinctive, and explained that as soon as the last syllable was complete, the magic would whisk them away. Andrea nodded that she understood and Celes cast the spell. A few moments later, they vanished from the room.

Danica turned to Marlena and said, "I want to talk to you about something when we get a chance. I have some ideas for your toy, and I think you'd be the best one to help me get them to work. They're based around illusion and phantasms, and you know a lot more about that than I do."

"You want me to help?" Marlena asked, sounding a little surprised.

"Of course. I think you'll be able to make it a wonder with what you know about magic. You'll probably learn a lot about creating magic items in the process too. Your toy will have a touch of your magic on it too then," Danica replied.

"I'd like that. After we eat?"

"The sooner the better," Danica answered with a smile.

Celes and Andrea popped back into the room only a minute or so later, Andrea holding a large bag and still smiling from ear to ear. "That was wonderful," the blonde exclaimed.

Danica felt a breeze tickle her bangs when the two women reappeared. She was about to ask if it was windy outside when Celes started to speak.

Celes shook her head and chuckled, "I'm good at teleports, and the spell turned my tummy upside down the first time I cast it. She just did it twice without even wincing."

"Much better than Brandon," Danica hinted with a smile.

"Damn me, but I hate magic!" Celes and Danica both said in perfect synchronization, imitating Brandon's favorite phrase every time he had to teleport with them.

All four women laughed, and then Andrea handed a small jar to Danica. "This one is for you for cooking." She turned to Marlena and handed her the bag. "And this one is for you for your magic."

"Thank you, Andrea. This will last for quite some time," Marlena gushed.

"Yes – thank you, Andrea. Let me get this in there so those potatoes will be right," Danica added and turned to do just that, at last starting to feel a little better.

Once the meal was prepared, they all sat down and ate – a little more than they should have. Danica blushed as the three women complimented her cooking. They chatted as they cleared the dishes and washed them, and then went to sit and continue their chat over wine.

Andrea reluctantly got up after an hour of relaxing with the wine, having duties that demanded her attention. Celes likewise rose at the same time, saying she had some things she needed to do as well.

Once they left, Danica turned to Marlena and said, "Come take a look at my notes, and we'll see what you can add to them to make them better."

Marlena smiled and followed Danica to the lab.

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

The process of creating the illusions for her toy quickly engrossed Marlena’s thoughts, once Danica explained her basic concept. The extent of the illusionist's knowledge astounded Danica, much of it completely beyond her ability to comprehend. Within a few hours, Marlena had detailed exactly what spells to cast upon the item with respect to the illusionary elements.

Once they finished outlining the spells to enchant the toy, Danica unveiled the item. The look on Marlena's face told Danica it wasn't exactly what she had expected.

A supple leather belt and harness would strap the device over Marlena's loins, putting it in position to penetrate her. The lower part of the harness only left enough room to attach the toy, which would leave as much flesh bare as possible. Sticking out the back of the harness was a sheath that enclosed the carved shaft, and hanging near the end of it were the balls of the toy. These were attached to the base of the shaft, and would travel through a track in the sheath as it moved to slap against her.

As Danica explained the general mechanics, hinting at some of the other enchantments but not revealing much so these would surprise Marlena, the illusionist’s look changed to one of intrigue. Danica said, "Trust me," and winked, "If it does what I want it to do, it will set you on fire."

"I trust you. You're good at making magic items," Marlena responded.

Danica laughed. "I've had a lot of experience making pleasure toys too."

"Do you want to start on the magic?" Marlena asked with anticipation recognizable in her voice.

"I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind right now, and we should really start early in the morning when we do it. Do you want to go to the Erotine temple and have that brand removed?" Danica suggested.

Marlena bit her bottom lip, took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know. I'm still uncomfortable with the whole idea."

"I'll be with you, and if you start feeling too skittish, we'll just come back and see what we can do about finding a Venissan who can do it for you," Danica offered.

The illusionist considered for a few moments then said, "I'll try. I do want that horrible thing gone."

"Okay, let's go then. We'll get rid of that brand and come back here to rest for the night. Then we’ll enchant your toy in the morning."

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

Celes sat cross-legged on her bed, her old knees aching terribly. Scented candles burned throughout the room, releasing their relaxing fragrance while the sounds of a bubbling brook and chirping birds summoned by her magic added to the calming atmosphere.

Her eyes opened and she sighed, uncrossing her legs with a wince and a groan of discomfort. She was trying to relax and push away her longing and need, but with little success. Danica, Andrea, and Marlena all called out to her. Danica's call was especially strong because the desire Celes felt was reflected in Danica’s eyes. Danica could see her as she should be, unlike the others, and the Awakening ritual that swirled around Danica only intensified the call.

Sighing again, Celes arose from her bed. She clenched her teeth in irritation, the wetness she felt between her legs obvious evidence of how little use her attempt at meditation had proven.

On top of that, she had to deal with her powers again. As if I don't have enough problems, now this too, Celes silently fumed.

One of her candles suddenly shot across the room, sticking to the wall for just a second before falling to the floor.

Celes fought hard to push down the emotions, knowing it was her powers that had grabbed the candle and moved it. Her abilities were expanding, just as her mother had told her so long ago. Everything was connected in some way to her original power, and her emotions would trigger them all. Fright or alarm triggered her ability to teleport objects, and it appeared that anger and frustration triggered this newest facet of her powers.

She had nearly broken when she first used the Hellgate spell. She knew that there, her body truly was young, as it should be. Danica would not feel old flesh under her hands if she touched her there. There was no illusion to fade, because there her youth was real. Unlike Danica, she couldn’t force reality to reassert itself over her form, the desire was simply too strong to overcome.

How she had longed for Danica's touch, to feel loving lips upon her again. The memory that thought triggered of Danica lowering her aching sex to Celes' mouth made her body quiver and break out into gooseflesh.

There was only one thing that could even slightly help her now, her gift from Danica. Anticipation and longing fought for control of Celes as she opened the drawer to retrieve the magical toy. For a short while, she was lost in the joy of a woman's lips touching her with love and need once more, the fires within her banked, though certainly not quenched.

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

Marlena slowed slightly as the pair approached the temple of Erotine in the city. The look on her face revealed that she was obviously having second thoughts.

"I know this is going to be hard for you, but just remember that everyone in there will be naked as well, and I'll be with you. Think about walking out of there with that mark from Garthak gone. Concentrate on that," Danica suggested.

Marlena took a deep breath and nodded, resuming her normal pace as they approached the temple. Once inside, Danica had to persuade the other woman yet again before she was able to disrobe. It was nearly a quarter of an hour later when they stepped into the temple proper, Marlena doing her best to cover her body with her arms while Danica walked in front of her to shield her at least slightly.

Darkniciad
Darkniciad
1,273 Followers