Lilith's Emporium - The Dark Witch

It had been years since Nessira had started down her dark path. After losing the love of her life and giving herself to Baphomet the darkness fueled her every move until one day she simply disappeared. Nobody knew what had happened to her. Some speculated she went into hiding, others said she had been killed, but despite the end of her terror the humans had started taking their revenge out on all witches.

They were being hunted down and killed all over the country. Even people who tried to protect them came to the same fiery end. Their numbers were beginning to dwindle and the few survivors ran or hid including the Dark Witch of the north Gwyneth.

Gwyneth ran through the woods hearing the voices of the mob that was chasing her. She was always afraid it would come to this after the events that had transpired with the Red Witch of Raven Hill that cost many lives. She had only heard stories what had happened to her in the end and knew she didn't know it all but Nessira the Red's anger and vengeance had now cost Gwyneth everything. Her home had been burned and her friends either turned on her or were killed for trying to protect her.

Gwyneth was a witch, a sorceress like Nessira but she was not a succubus. She was human despite the many changes made to her body over time using magic. She was rather beautiful and has been the object of many men's affections but even her beauty could not help her from the anger that mankind had towards her kind.

She came to a small clearing in the woods and fell to the ground for a moment. She needed to catch her breath as she was exhausted from running and also weak from using her magic to try to defend herself. It was only a matter of time before this mob of witch hunters found her and she needed to escape. She grabbed her side feeling the warm blood trickle through her fingers as the pain caught up to her.

She took a small stone tablet out if her pocket looking at it. It was a special spell she had been looking for and she finally had it. A small tear came down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away knowing what this meant when she found her old friend. She put it back in her pocket as she heard the mob getting closer.

Using what power she had left she got an idea. She needed to escape but she also wanted to find Nessira if she was still alive, her one time friend before turning to the dark side. After her wrath had affected so many lives it was as if she just disappeared from the world. She wasn't sure if this spell would work but if it was the last thing she did she was going to survive this day and get her revenge in the Red Witch of Raven Hill.

"Per spatium rubrum eu tradas me," she spoke holding her hand up and creating a portal in front of her. As she opened her eyes and looked up a small smile came across her face before she looked back and saw the torches through the darkness of the forest.

"There she is, she's is using magic to escape!" One of the men said as she heard dogs start to run towards her as well.

Gwyneth spoke the words "turbine ignis" touching the ground before running towards the portal.

She could hear the footsteps of both men and dogs getting closer to her as all she had left was adrenaline to escape. As she ran the spot on the ground where she had touched suddenly exploded sending a wave of fire in every direction burning and knocking back her pursuers as she escaped through the portal jumping as she felt the warmth of the fire hit her back. As she went through she found herself in a different forest running along a smooth dirt path.

The sun was out and she was just running as fast as she could still trying to outrun anyone who might still be chasing her not sure if any of them had made it through the portal. Turning back for a moment she saw the portal closed behind her and she breathed a sigh of relief before she fell to the ground. She was tired and injured and she wasn't sure where she was but her body finally gave out and she couldn't go any further without rest.

Gary was out for his run as he usually did in these woods. He had been having very strange dreams as of late and liked these woods because they helped him clear his head. He loved the outdoors and the fresh air as the helped him relax and forget his troubles.

He had just turned a corner when he saw something in the distance. He thought it was a dead animal on the path or something but when he got closer he was shocked. There was a beautiful woman on the ground unconscious with raven black hair and clothes that seemed to be a sort of old fashion black dress with stockings that came up above her knees. Her shoulders were visible because of the design of her outfit and he soon noticed a burn on her left side.

She looked to have cuts and bruises on her arms as well along with blood dripping down her side. It looked like she had been running from something terrible. He didn't see any wallet or purse that would have any ID in it so unsure of what to do he decided to bring her to his house which was not far from where they were so he could treat her wounds then help her get home when she awoke.

"Why does she look so familiar?" He said to himself before picking her up and carrying her to his car.

-------

Gwyneth did not know where she was but she was laying on something comfortable. As she opened her eyes she had trouble focusing at first but once she did not recognize where she was or much of the decor that surrounded her. She quickly sat up feeling a little dizzy as she was still weak after passing through the portal. She seemed to be laying on a leather couch that was very comfortable but she was still wasn't sure where she was when she heard a noise behind her.

"You're awake?" A man's voice said as she jumped off the couch and tackled him to the ground before putting a knife to his throat. "Wait, wait!" He said hoping she didn't do anything rash.

"Who are you, why did you bring me here?" She said in an old style accent that he was a little surprised by.

"Um, I found you unconscious in the woods, I brought you here to help you but you had no ID or anything.

"Are you a witch hunter?"

"Witch hunter? I don't know any witch hunters."

"You lie!"

"No, I swear, I am not a witch hunter, I'm a nurse!"

"A nurse? I have to go, I have to find someone," she said pulling away and letting him up before stumbling over.

"Wait, you are in rough shape, let me bring you to a hospital, you need to see a doctor."

"No, no doctors, I just need to regain my strength."

"Are you sure, I just think you need..."

"I said no!" She yelled as her eyes flashed green for a moment causing him to back away frightened.

"What the... What was that?" He asked.

Gwyneth soon realized she was in no shape to pursue Nessira at the moment. She needed to rest and heal which she could do easily once she regained her strength. She put her hand on the coffee table to push herself back to her feet.

"I don't have time for this," she said pointing at him and speaking words in a language he didn't recognize.

He watched as the room seemed to get bigger only to realize he was actually getting smaller. He was scared now as he looked down and saw green slimy feet where his hand once were. He had been turned into a frog and when he went to yell all that came out was "Ribbit!"

"Now listen to me, you will do as I say until I no longer have use for you, I need to find Nessira the red witch, I need to exact my revenge upon her and you are going to help me, and trust me, if you try to betray me or disappoint me, I will turn you into something far worse than a frog, do you understand me?"

"Ribbit!" He said as it was the only sound he could make.

"Good," she said before waving her hand and returning him to normal.

"What the, how did you?"

"Enough questions is there somewhere I can rest, this piece of furniture is comfortable but I require a bed!" She said with a stern loud voice.

"The um... The bedroom is right this way," he said nervously not wanting to be transformed again.

As he showed her to his bedroom she was shocked by the decor. It was definitely a different year than she had started in but many of the pictures on his walls seemed odd to her. The bed was large and comfortable as she sat down on it, far more than any bed she had slept in before and she was used to a comfortable life.

"This will do," she said examining the bed still. "What is your name?"

"It's um... Gary."

"Um, Gary?"

"Sorry, it's just Gary."

"Well Gary, I need to rest, and I do not want to be disturbed until morning, understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," he said suddenly realizing he was no longer in full control of his actions anymore.

Whoever this woman was she had out some sort of spell on him so he could not disobey her even if he wanted to. He closed the door to the bedroom and found himself standing in his living room. He took a deep breath as he appeared to be in control of his actions again but he wasn't sure how much control he actually had. He went to reach for the front door only to find that he couldn't grasp the handle.

"What the hell is going on here?" He said confused by everything that had happened.

He felt helpless but also couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. She had raven black hair and perfect skin. Her eyes were an amazing green color but seemed to have some age and wisdom behind them. Her black and green outfit seemed very out of time but looked rather good on her.

He smiled to himself a little before he suddenly remembered there was a witch in his house forcing him to do things against his will and had turned him into a frog mere moments ago. He went a sat down on the couch and tried to wrap his head around what had just happened.

As he sat there a thought came across his mind that was bothering him since he first saw her. For the past few months, he had been dreaming about a woman with dark hair. It would happen sporadically at first but recently they had become much more frequent up until he found her on that path in the woods.

"It can't be her, can it?" He said to himself as he tried to wrap his head around everything before he laid down on the couch. "There is no way," he said out loud before finally closing his eyes.

-------

Gwyneth laid in the bed feeling the pain of her injuries. She noticed that a lot of the cuts that were visible on her arms had been cleaned and some of them bandaged. There were also stitches in the wound on her side which were very well done. The more modern bandages seemed odd to her and she began to feel bad for the way she treated Gary just now. Despite her anger towards men at the moment she knew this guy brought her here and tended to her wounds, which was not something he needed to do, he was just someone who found her in the woods. All things aside she considered herself lucky.

She was was still weak but decided to use what little strength she had to cast another spell before going to sleep. She began to chant strange words again as she waved her hands around. All of her injuries seemed to fade away as she laid there feeling much better. She was still tired and knew if she was going to face Nessira she would need rest and time to recharge.

She got comfortable and closed her eyes trying to get some sleep. It was strange sleeping so comfortably as she had been running for a long time. It was hard to relax but she had finally let herself and was enjoying the comfort of this big plush bed beneath her.

The next morning as Gary awoke on the couch. He had not dreamed of that woman which he thought was strange because it was the first night in a long time. He quickly sat up and began to wonder how much of what had happened was just a dream. He got up and looked into the bedroom as the door was slightly open only to see no one in there. He breathed a sigh of relief before he turned around and noticed someone standing on the back porch looking out into the woods.

"Oh fuck!" He said under his breath before he headed out there feeling himself begin to lose control of his actions again.

"Good morning Ma'am," he said as he stepped out onto the porch.

Gwyneth stared for a long time feeling the morning wind on her face and enjoying the peace and quiet. She almost didn't notice Gary at first but after a moment of him standing there, she turned towards him and smiled. It was there that Gary noticed just how beautiful she was. He had noticed her attractiveness before but when she turned him into a frog and began bossing him around she didn't seem as beautiful anymore.

It was the eye's that caught his attention. As gorgeous as they were there was a wisdom and even pain behind them. She was not only suffering from physical injuries but apparent emotional ones as well. It was then he noticed her injuries appeared to be gone.

It was also then he realized this was the woman he had been dreaming about which didn't make any sense to him. The woman he saw at night was kind and loving, there were even a few erotic dreams that made him wake up in a sweat. This couldn't be her, she had been rather bossy and rude to him since he met her and the woman in his dreams almost seemed like someone he could love.

"This is a beautiful place Gary," she said.

Her words drew him away from his thoughts before he said: "Oh, thank you, it's been in my family for generations, is there anything you need Miss?"

"No, and I'm sorry about that," she said waving her hand as Gary suddenly felt a strange weight lifted off him.

"What the... What just happened?"

"I freed you from the spell I had you on."

He was suddenly himself again able to move and speak without having to obey her commands anymore. "Thank you, wow, that felt strange."

"I was angry, I am sorry."

He was shocked by her change in character and had become curious before he said: "Would you like some coffee or something?" He asked.

"What? No, you aren't under my control anymore."

"And I thank you for that, but what kind of host would I be if I didn't at least offer you a cup of coffee?" He said before heading into the kitchen.

Curious she followed him as he began working a strange looking contraption. She watched as he put this little cup into the slot before closing it. There was a very pleasant aroma coming from it which she enjoyed very much as she stood there and watched him work.

"That smells lovely," she said as it began pouring into a mug.

"Cream, sugar?" He asked before handing it to her.

"For what?" She asked before blowing on the steamy cup and taking a sip. "This is much better than the coffee I have had before."

"I'm glad you like it, your wounds seems better, actually they appear to be gone?"

"A simple spell I used last night, thank you for what you did though, the stitches were well done and probably prevented me from losing too much blood."

"You're very welcome, but may I ask you something?"

"If you wish?"

"Well... What's your story?"

"My story?"

"Yeah, I mean it's not often I run into a beautiful woman in the woods who turns me into a frog after I take her home and bandage her up."

"I am truly sorry about all of that, I've been running so long, I do not know who I can trust."

"What were you running from?"

"Witch hunters."

"I see, haven't seen any witch hunters around here in a very long time, or witches for that matter."

"Really, and yet you don't seem frightened by my powers?"

"Well, let's just say I have a good sense about people, and I have seen my fair share of weird things in my life, these woods get all sorts of strange creature sightings and what not, do you recognize me at all?"

"I'm sorry no, should I?"

"No, I was just curious about something," he said wondering if maybe she had dreamed of him as well.

"I see, wait, by the way, what year is this?"

"What, like seriously?" He asked as she shook her head yes. "It is 2019."

"My God, it's been that long, but that means... She must be here!"

"Who?"

"I am looking for a witch," she said placing the cup down and getting very serious. "Her name is Nessira, the red witch of Raven Hill."

"I don't know any Nessira?"

"Oh she is crafty and is probably hiding behind some spell to conceal who she truly is, but the daughter of Lilith will know my vengeance!"

"Wait, Lilith?"

"The succubus Goddess, yes," she said looking back over at him. "Why, do you know her?"

"Do I know Lilith? Of course not, but there is a store not too far from here called Lilith's Erotic Emporium, I think it's a sort of sex toy shop or something, it's a few miles away kind of in the middle of nowhere."

"Sex toy, you have sex with children's toys in the future?"

"What, no!..." He said as she stared at him with a disgusted and confused look. "Like pornographic movies and fake penises and such."

"You people use those things, are you not equipped to find yourself a woman?"

"Not me, I don't... Never mind, it was a stupid idea."

"Wait, a shop filled with sexual items, in the middle of nowhere you say, it's the perfect hiding place, that bitch!" She said heading for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"The red witch must pay for her sins," she said in a stern tone.

"But you are still weak, and I can't just let you go and murder someone."

"Are you going to stop me?" She said turning around and putting her hand up which created a force to push him against the wall with a thud. "I am not as weak as you say I am!" She suddenly stopped as she felt a little dizzy followed by regret for hurting him again. "I'm... I am sorry about that," she said before walking over to help him up. "Are you alright?"

"Cough" he let out as he pulled himself up. "This is the thanks I get," he said with a slight chuckle

"I am truly sorry, you have been nothing but kind to me and I... Maybe I should go."

"Wait, please, I can't let you go and kill this Nessira woman, there has to be another way?"

"You don't understand, how could you," she said with a coldness in her voice.

"Then help me understand, nobody as beautiful as you should be this vengeful."

His comment brought a slight smile to her face but it quickly went away as she suddenly felt light-headed. She knew she was currently still too weak to face Nessira and needed to rest to regain her strength. She sat down on the couch with a puzzled look on her face as she sat there silently.

"I have to."

"What did this Nessira do to you anyway?" He asked as she turned away still remaining silent. "Okay? Well um, should I make us some breakfast then if you don't want to talk?"

She turned and looked at him with another puzzled and surprised look on her face. "What is the matter with you?"

"Um... Not sure?"

"I have been nothing but cruel to you but you keep wanting to do nice things for me?"

"What can I say, I see someone who needs help and I have to help them."

"Will you help me find Nessira?"

"I... I will help you find Nessira, but I really think you should let it go."

"But she took everything from me," she said as tears ran down her cheek. "She used to be my friend, then she..."

"What, what happened," he said sitting down next to her. "What did she do to you?"

"She... Turned."

"What do you mean?"

"She turned her back on everyone and everything, she lost someone close to her, then she took her vengeance out on anyone and everyone who came across her path. Other witches tried to stop her and she... She killed them, friends of mine, even friends of hers, her actions wiped out my entire village because she was suffering from a broken heart," she said as the tears continued to fall.

"My God, she killed everyone?"

"Not just her, humans began to turn on witches because of her actions, people I knew my whole life either turned on me or died trying to protect me, that's what I was trying to escape from when I ran into you, I opened a portal using a spell that would bring me to where Nessira was hiding, and somehow I came here, and you found me."