Demon, Devil, Spirit, Totem Ch. 03

(Author's Note: Thanks so much to everyone reading and supporting my stories! I am a new writer and I'm just over the moon at how many people have read, and liked, and followed my writing in such a short time! I appreciate any feedback, so please vote on this one, and leave any comments for feedback.) (P.S. This one's longer than most. That's what she said.)

Demon, Devil, Spirit, Totem Ch3

The Passage and the Ascension

Cassie stood in the center of the thaumaturgic circle that defined the center of the great library. She felt self conscious standing as the center of attention, wearing nothing under her plain white Ascension robe. She was at her best by herself, or with a few close friends. The magically endowed light stones that usually brightly lit the room had been replaced by torches for the ceremony. It gave the library an eerie, shifting light. All the Ascended students and the Masters were arranged around the circle. The few students at the Abbey that were not yet Ascended had been send to the village cantina with orders to drink as much grappa as they like, and stay in the small guest cottage maintained there. She stood in the center, facing Master Asklepios. The students called him 'Count Dooku' because his beard and deep English voice gave him a definite Christopher Lee vibe, although he was older than the actor by about a century.

Her mentor Ballahrim stepped forward. She was one of the few there not dressed in the black robes of the Ascended, but instead in a bright red and blue wrap. The big Nigerian woman had told Cassie once that if you are a Master who teaches at the Abbey, you can pretty much do whatever you want. "Master Hermes Asklepios, as Mentor to this novice, I present Cassiopeia Kosa for judgement."

Asklepios looked down at Cassie, at least he seemed to, even though he wasn't much taller than her. She had been instructed by him for hours during her stay here, but he still asked, "Has this Novice become proficient in the Twelve?"

"She has, Master. She is ready for the Passage."

"What say you, Novice? Are you prepared to take the Passage?"

Cassie had been coached on how to answer. "I am, Master."

"And if you survive the Passage, are you prepared to take on a Minion and take your place among the Ascended?"

IF I survive? Surely that's an expression .... "Yes Master, I am ready."

Asklepios clapped his hands together sharply, twice. The torchlight in the library blazed higher and brighter. "Very well. Remember your lessons, and use the Twelve to overcome the Passage. Take as much time as you need; time will move slower for you than for us who await your return. Fortuna!"

With that word, the circle she had been standing on broke in half and fell away. She fell through the immense trap door down into a hole. Though she realized there was illusion involved here, the sensation was that she fell a great many hundred feet in a few seconds. She landed on a giant white feather mattress several feet thick. The circle of light far above her disappeared as the trap door was shut with an echoing bang, leaving her in total darkness.

"Very nice! Very Alice in Wonderland, I get it! Assholes ...." She muttered as she rolled off the mattress into the black. She couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. Her bare feet were stepping on smooth flagstones. She was chilled in her Ascension gown, which was really just a white choir robe.

She calmed herself by taking in a deep breath and letting it out. She listened. Nothing. Snapping her fingers in the darkness, she used the first cantrip she had learned. Bluelight. Instantly her upraised fingers were alight with magical blue flame. She held her hand above her head and surveyed the room. It was round, with walls of plain concrete. The only feature was a pillar of timber over to one side. It was floor to ceiling, and looked like it had been scorched by fire. Snapping her fingers again, she changed the fire from blue to white. Modifying the Bluelight cantrip was one of the first things she did at the Abbey. Her teachers had been impressed at her improvisation. The white light made it a little better to see. Besides the burned wooden pillar, the room was empty. No doors or anything. I don't get it. She extinguished the flame to see if there was any light or glow in the dark clues. Nope. Just black. How can I be stuck on the first room? This sucks, I can't see any.. OH! She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes and concentrated. Soon the Cat's Eye cantrip took hold. It felt a lot like putting in contacts. Her eyes were transformed, and now she could see the room in shades of green. And there, on the plain concrete wall, was writing. Pumping her fist, she went over to examine the text. It was made of runes and symbols, ones that would move and change when your eye stopped focusing on that part.

Well this is too easy, she thought as she cast Read Magic. The shifting lines transformed into simple instructions.

This is the Passage.

Use the Twelve and your lessons to overcome these obstacles.

Now is the time to Cast away your novice robe. You are Novice no longer.

"You fuckers. Really? Literally, I have to lose the robe?" Exasperated, she pulled the plain white robe over her head and flung it away. It lit up in a puff of magical fire and disappeared before it hit the ground. Now she was standing naked next to a giant mattress in a dark dungeoney room. "AND!?!"

The magical writing continued to move around and reform into further instructions.

She slams her fist against the post and still insists she sees the ghost.

Alright, something with the post, then. There better not be like a fucking Mad Hatter or some shit down here. She looked for writing on the wood, but there was none. Well, let's be literal, then. "I still insist I see the ghost!" she yelled into the darkness, punching the timber with each word. A bluish fog seeped out of the burned timber. It started to form into a thick cloud of mist, roughly person shaped, in front of her. Of course, she thought. They got me to knock on wood. Nobody knows this in the modern world anymore but really when people used to do that, they were calling on the spirits. Just like she had inadvertently done.

The free Spirit coalesced out of the mist in front of the novice. Her limbs were still misty, but the waist and face of a young woman took shape. "Hello, my name's Cassie. What's yours?"

The spirit was startled. "You.. you can see me? Really? Oh thank the Lord!"

The spirit held up a misty tendril, which almost formed into a hand if she focused on it, but then fell apart again. "I am dead then, am I not?"

"Yes. Do you remember who you are, where you came from?"

The shade walked around the room, looking about like the plain circular room was a cathedral. "I think.... Katerin? Katerina? I remember being in the cellar of a building. Like this. A church, I think. I think the church burned down. I still smell smoke."

Cassie studied her as she went around the room. From what she could see of her outfit, she would say maybe a hundred years old? It was hard to tell. She spoke accented English, like a Slavic dialect.

"Katerina, yes, I hate to be the one to tell you, but yes you have died. Some years ago, I think. That charred wood over there might be where your spirit is tethered."

"So I can't go to Heaven? Never?"

"No! no, you can still go when you're ready. We just need to find out why you're not ready. Tell me, can you remember what you were doing, or thinking, when you passed?"

The ghost put a misty hand on her chin, then sat down on a non existent stool to think. Cassie had to keep herself from cracking up; it was like an ethereal Thinker by Rodan.

"My fiancé'. Tomas? Tomas. I was thinking how I would never see him again, but now I cannot recall his face. I feared I would never feel his touch, but I wonder now if I ever have. Never will. Never feel love." She looked at her ghostly self. "And I won't either, will I? Doomed forever like this!"

"Maybe I can help with that. Oracles can reach out to spirits like you, commune with them, share thoughts. What if I gave you mine?"

"Why would you help me?"

She shrugged. "Why wouldn't I? Might as well help you out if I can."

"If you think it would help. How would we proceed?"

Cassie went over to the charred timber post, and motioned for the ghost to do the same. "Put your hands on the wood, on either side, like mine. Now, breathe deeply."

"I don't think I can do that."

"Sorry. OK, I will breathe deeply. You just... do you. Clear your mind. You should be able to sense me soon."

Cassie entered a light trance as Ballahrim had taught her. The old Oracle had shown her as much as she could without actually having a Spirit minion. She had communed like this before, under supervision. She thought about love. She thought about Jon. How he looked, and smiled. How they spent time on the beach together.

"Oh! Oh, I can see him! I FEEL him! Oh, more Cassie, please, please!"

Without meaning to, Cassie's thoughts grew more carnal. She thought about the times behind the dunes when her and Jonathan had made love. The way he felt so heavy on top of her, thrusting into her, but a good sort of heavy. The feelings of excitement at sneaking into his room in the Abbey, stealing a quick and silent moment with him so they wouldn't get caught. She remembered the time she didn't even bother taking off her clothes, just unzipped his pants and blew him by candlelight for a few minutes until he came in her mouth, then promptly left before he could say a word. She sent more images to the spirit, lots more. Thoughts can move very quickly, and it only took a short time in the real world.

After she had finished, Katarina was beside herself. For a shade who didn't breathe, she was making a good show of panting, holding her chest like she had run a race. "That was.. exquisite. Thank you. I cannot thank you enough. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Actually, if you could help me get out of this room, that would be great."

Katerina looked at the mortal, confused. "What do you mean? Just use the door."

"What door? You mean the trap door? That's not really"

"No, no. THAT door," the ghost said, pointing at a blank piece of wall. "Right there. Can't you see it?"

"Nope." Cassie went over and felt the concrete. Smacked it. "Just solid wall to me."

The spirit flew through the wall next to Cassie, then popped back out. "It's right here. Come on."

The human novice continued to push at the wall, to no avail. Katerina grew frustrated. "It's here, come on!" And she grabbed Cassie's hand and pulled her. Where the ghostly hand enveloped her own, she saw that her hand actually did go into the concrete! But where her wrist was not covered by the ghostly hand, the wall stopped her. Katerina let go abruptly.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"Not at all. In fact, I think you just solved this puzzle. What can you see past this door?"

"Just a short hallway, with another arch. I cannot see past that."

Cassie inspected her hand. It was covered in a thick clear slime. Ectoplasm. Katerina had found an astral conduit, a passageway only spirits could navigate. And apparently, humans inside of spirits as well.

"Katerina, would you mind, I can't believe I'm saying this. Would you mind possessing me?"

"I'm a Communist. We don't covet possessions."

"No, I mean I want you to ... wait was that a ghost joke?"

Katerina smiled. "Just so. And yes, if it will help you in your trial, I will try."

Cassie closed her eyes. In moments, she felt Katerina's presence beside her, then inside her. It was much easier to do since they had shared memories just a minute ago. She began having the strange feeling of being possessed. She looked at her hands, though she was not the one moving them. Not the one looking. They glowed with blue astral energy. Moving forward, her body walked right into the wall. She found herself in an astral passageway, a swirling flow of blue energy. Katerina walked her body through the passage. Cassie had to fight the urge to take back control.

"This is such a strange sensation," the spirit remarked as they neared the other end of the passage.

"You ain't kidding, sister. Can you go through the doorway?"

Katerina shook Cassie's head. "No, I do not think so. I think this is where we part ways, if I push your body through that."

"Well, thanks for the ride, er drive, then."

Cassie's body did not move forward. Her hands came up again into her field of view. They touched her face, ran through her long brown hair. "Uh, Katerina, any time you want to move forward, that would be great.."

"Forgive me, my new friend. It's just that all this, these sensations... To have the ability to touch again, to feel, even for a moment." Her hands travelled across Cassie's neck and down to touch her breasts. She pinched her own nipple in the swirling astral plane. "Hey, Spirit, come on. Giddyup, or whatever. Send me through the portal already."

"I will, I swear I will. Soon." Katerina continued to use Cassie's hands to explore Cassie's body. It was a strange sensation, but not an unpleasant one. I can't really fight her on this, because I'm in the astral plane right now. Until she chooses to send me through the doorway, she's kind of in the driver's seat. She thought about a movie she once saw. Sometimes, it's just best to let her finish, Clark.

The ghost continued her sensual exploration of the possessed body she had taken. Slim but strong hands felt along her own trim body. One hand continued to play with her boobs, rolling the nipples around in her fingers. The other dipped lower down, felt for her sex and found it. They both moaned in unison as the ghost forced Cassie's fingers to rub her clit in small, tight circles.

Forced is a strong word. Cassie was enjoying this. She even felt a sort of generosity here. If she could give this spirit a little relief in the afterlife, she was fine with helping out a sister.

"Wait, Katerina .. get on your knees. Put us on my knees. Whatever. Hold your hand still and rock us back and forth on it."

"Like this?" the ghost asked, and they were kneeling in the astral plane, their hips undulating back and forth, using her hand in just the right way to get Cassie off. It was like being a voyeur and an exhibitionist at the same time. She knew exactly what her body liked best. She liked to imagine herself on top of a man when she played with herself. Riding him. Being both a little introverted and yet also sexually passionate had made her a champion masturbator over the years. Now both hands were pleasing her, one pressing upwards on her clit while the other penetrated her with two astral fingers. Faster, then faster. Time slipped away in the astral plane. Who knows how long she spent being possessed by a ghost that wanted to feel again, one last time. Who knows how many orgasms they shared together. They lost count.

Eventually, Katerina slowed, then stopped. "I've been horrid, haven't I? I will send you through the portal now. Will I ever see you again?"

"I don't know. I don't think so, but I will speak to my teacher about it later. If I can, I will try to contact you again. And you weren't horrid. You just needed some human touch, we all do. I enjoyed it, actually."

The ghost pushed her body through the portal. Katerina's spirit stayed on one side like a mirror, as Cassie found control of her body again. She was covered head to toe in viscous ectoplasm slime.

"I know you did. Farewell, young magician."

After saying goodbye to Katerina, she continued down the tunnel, following the rough stone stairs that had been carved right out of the rock. It finally bottomed out in a short hall lit by a few torches with a door on the other side. The door appeared to be trimmed out in brass, with a fancy door handle shaped like a cobra. As she reached for it, the cobra animated and struck at her hand! She jerked it back just in time. After a few seconds, the cobra backed down and turned back into an unmoving handle. She found that if she got her hand within a foot of it, the magic activated. She didn't dare grab it, its brass fangs looked like they meant business. "I am getting sick and tired, of all these muthefuckin magic snakes, in my muthfuckin Passage!"

Cassie just needed a couple seconds to figure it out. All this brass, eh? Mighty good conductor, that brass. Be a shame if somebody were to ... She cast Shocking Grasp and hit the brass door hinges. The jolts of electricity shot through the door, electrocuting the magic snake handle. It was only a cantrip, not designed to kill, but just to use as a non lethal magic stun gun. It was more than enough for the job here. The brass cobra stood out straight from the door, shuddering uncontrollably. It little brass eyes even bugged out, which somehow made Cassie crack up a little. Then it fell limp, and turned back into non moving brass. It was a simple matter to grab the handle and turn, opening up the heavy door. She picked at the ectoplasm as she went. It seemed to be drying and falling off quickly now. The passage continued on around in a bend, with it being lighter and hotter up ahead.

She entered a fairly large room walled in old bricks. The far wall had five separate doors, all made of iron. To her right was a pool of sticky mud. In the center was a small bubbling fountain with chubby cupids spitting water. And to her left was a demon. Sort of.

The creature sat in a protective circle. The magic in the runes kept him completely imprisoned. As long as the writing wasn't disturbed, he was stuck in there. He was more comical than fierce. Only two feet tall, his features had an elephantine cast to them. His ears were big and could flap. His nose was not quite a trunk, but long like a tapir. His feet ended in toeless stumps. He got up to look at her when she entered the room. His penis stood at attention, just a little bigger than an average human man, which on the little creature made it appear oversized. A large, hairy ballsac hung down as well.

This wasn't even a full blown Demon. This was just an Imp. She had seen these several times in her classes this year. Imps were a sub class of Demons, not nearly as powerful. They couldn't even stay on this plane of existence for more than 12 hours. As the sun rose or set, any Imps remaining got swept away back to the Chaos Plane. It chattered away at her with incomprehensible clicks and whistles, like a Khalahari bushman.

"Do you know anything about these doors?" The Imp nodded yes and went on in what sounded maybe like Chinese, rapid fire with lots of pointing and gestures. The young novice finally got the point. Demons could speak all languages and loved to fuck with humans. She cast Comprehend Languages on herself. Apparently they were going to find a way to make her use the entire Twelve she had learned this year. With an uncomfortable pop in her eardrum, the spell settled in as he finished up his instructions.

"...and that's all there is to it," he said, smiling and folding his stubby little arms across his chest.

"You want to run that past me one more time, little buddy?"

He shrugged. "Sure. Just touch the handles of the other four doors, from the outside in. Then you can just open the middle door. Easy."

She reached down and stroked his big flappy ear a bit. She knew Demons thrived on pleasure as a reward. His elephant foot stomped on the ground like a bunny. Smiling, she went over to the first door. And froze with her hand almost on it. Wait a minute....

She cast Detect Lie on herself. "You want to explain that just one more time, chief?"