Lilith's Fall

"Hmmm," he hummed, focusing on the sigil. Abruptly clapping his hands together around the stone, he tucked it into his robes. Snapping his fingers, a book appeared. Flipping through its pages, he sought for and found a specific passage. Using a finger, he traced the relevant text while reading.

"Hmmm," he hummed again, more deeply and troubled this time.

The suspense grated on my nerves and I noticed the doctors demeanor was affecting Helal in much the same way.

The doctor looked closer at the sigil, invading my personal space. He arched a brow in confused interest, glancing between my forehead and the book.

I wanted to flee, but knew I shouldn't.

That would make Helal look foolish in front of her peer. And I can't allow that.

Clapping the book shut with one hand, he then snapped his fingers and a smaller, leather-bound journal materialized in his hand. Another snap produced a pen, which he used to immediately scribble in the journal. I glanced speculatively, going on my tiptoes, curiosity and worry overcoming my natural nervousness. With a practiced hand, the doctor was sketching the same shape I viewed on my forehead everyday in the mirror. The golden sigil that glowed surreptitiously under the lamplight looking flat and lifeless as it took shape on his page.

"Well?" Helal interrupted with poorly concealed impatience.

"Oh. Excuse me. I got caught up in my fascination of the situation. There's nothing to be done. This is beyond me, and, seeing as I'm the most capable life mage in the troupe, well... The problem is that your servant here was naturally susceptible to magic. It's possible that he had latent magical ability we haven't seen yet from this plane." He mused to himself, growing excited, returning to his sketching finishing the thing with a flourish.

"Doctor! Please?" Helal asked, just shy of pleading.

"Sorry. This is just so exciting, this will make a wonderful case study. See, it seems like his body has absorbed a portion of the sigil's power, along with that of another source. The twin magics have collided and mixed, creating a brand new rune. Most times this sort of thing would just short out the magic, but it didn't. That young woman has an never before seen active rune on her head." The doctor was almost giddy with glee and excitement.

"It's what?!" Helal nearly shouted. Grabbing me by the shoulders she spun me to get a better looked at my sigil. Her hand was warm as it held my bangs out of the way.

My body flushed with heat at her touch and closeness, and I begged any god that was listening that she wouldn't notice.

"It doesn't look different," she said sceptically. Her eyes slid down from the sigil, meeting my own. Misinterpreting my expression as one of discomfort, she withdrew her hand like she'd touched a hot stove.

"Rune's never were your strong suit Helal," Abraham chuckled. Poking at three small lines on my forehead, he pointed out the additional portions of the sigil with the end of his pen. "Here, here, and here. It's still fulfilling its primary function as a command seal but the roots of the magic have taken residence throughout her entire body. If I tried to remove the sigil now... I would expect a catastrophic collapse of the patients identity. At best she would be a hollow vegetable, at worst a raving animal."

"That's horrible," Helal said, looking at me with pity.

"It's an unforeseen effect," he said, magicing away his notebook and pen. He turned and began to leave the tent. "Besides, in order to get the command sigils, she had to do something heinous. Whatever the punishment, she deserves what she gets," he said matter-of-factly.

Helal's fingers curled into a fist and she bit her lip hard enough to leave a bruise, propriety preventing her from spewing profanities at the useless doctor's back. "He," she whispered quietly to herself.

I shivered at the venom in her voice. Her eyes were hot with rage when she looked at me. Flinching, I took a step back. The fire cooled, replaced with a frustrated pain. She looked exhausted, flopping onto the couch, holding her head in her hands.

"It's my fault," she said dully, her voice thick like overcooked gravy. "If I hadn't shown off. I didn't even... I never thought... Maybe if I'd paid more attention during my studies..." She tilted her chin up, her face gaunt with guilt and pain. "I'm sorry. You're stuck and there's nothing..."

"It's fine." I scribbled down. Hurrying over, I tossed my arm across her shoulder.

"It is not fine. My magic has twisted your body and mind around such that Abraham couldn't even keep your gender straight. My people have effectively murdered whoever you used to be, and you can't even care. You don't control enough of your own mind to mourn who you were. Who you could've been..." Her voice had dropped to a whisper. I found myself growing angry at her.

She's being ridiculous. I'm right here. I'm not dead or murdered. Sure my life has changed. But that's what life is. Change. What matters is that I'm happy now. Why can't she see that?

"I think I need to be alone for a little while." Her voice was low, defeated in a way that I'd never heard.

Well that's not a good idea.

I clutched her tighter to me, and I could feel the tension vibrate through her body.

"Go to bed, El. I'll see you in the morning."

For the first time in recent memory, I fought against one of Helal's commands. Implacable, the sigil pulled at my strings, making me woodenly rise from the couch and head toward my bedroom.

I lay in bed fuming, mad as hell, frustrated and more than a little horny. Experience had sunk too deep in my bones, associating obedience with pleasure. Fumbling around beneath my clothes and bedsheets, fingers found soft but sensitive flesh. Thoughts of Helal's hands, lips, and breasts flowed through my mind as the heat from my anger shifted toward arousal. Blood began pooling, making my dick firm under my ministrations. The sensations were the same as each of the last hundred times I'd provided a little self-gratification, and yet... There was something different, something extra building down there. A tingling sensation grew stronger just beneath my balls, the skin on my upper taint pebbling with goosebumps. Gasping, I began to tug on my feverish erection, pleasure spiking rapidly. My knees splayed out wide, pulling the covers close, making me feel overly hot, sweat forming on my brow. My testicles twinged and I rolled, first left and then right, trying to find an position to soothe these urges that were stampeding through my veins. The wraps around my breasts pinched, my nipples pressing into the fabric. My free hand grasped the plump sensitive flesh of my feminine bosom, a flower of release just taking root in the fertile soil of my body. The loose folds of my sack tightened, much like they would if dipped into cold water, pulling them close to my body. A thin tendril burrowed downward from the surface, nerves and muscles just beginning to gestate. My flesh quickened, the sigil working in overdrive, magic pulsing brighter than it ever had before. My groans would've been guttural, animalistic even, had I been capable of uttering them. The magic tore through my body like a buckshot through tissue paper. The tendril running into my body tightened clenching hard before releasing. Only to repeat the process; each iteration expanded upon the last, forming a tube of delicate, spongy flesh. The roots of my release spread, its bud forming while my dick pulsed with a hungry pulsing heat under my palm. My nuts dissolved into my body like sugar cubes dropped into water. Instead of loss, my mind was focused on the incredible sensations pouring through my body. The loose folds of my fat was pulled taught, like an animal skin over a drum. Then a scalpel pulled across its length, the flesh parting, forming a welcoming valley of femininity, labia ruffling into fleshy folds, acting as gates for my vagina.

Gaping fleshy gates that ache with want for touch.

The final piece kicked into place and orgasm scorched through my limbs like a kick from a mule. Pearly white seed spilt from my turgid dick that poked out from my pants, collecting into uncomfortable piles on my chest. Seemingly endless, my release raged on, my rune flashing brightly while my penis continued to pulse with blood, throbbing pleasurable with each stroke.

My words were lost to the void, obscenities never to be heard as I sought to surf through the swell of sensations. The sigil on my head flickered and went dark as my orgasm finally released its hold over my body.

"Helal," I whispered adoringly into the oppressive humidity of my room. I was so lost in the afterglow that I failed to notice that I'd actually spoken the word out loud. The light on my forehead reignited, but the torch was a feeble flickering thing compared to its previous strength. My seed congealed on my stomach and I sighed. Getting up to go to the bathroom, I didn't think of the consequences of my motion until I was in the middle of the hallway.

I froze, like a possum.

What if Helal is still around? If she saw me like this she'd send me away for sure.

Straining my ears, I listened, a frightened rabbit searching for a predator.

Silence.

Letting out my breath, I continued on towards the bathroom. Soaking in the tub, I sighed under the warm water's embrace. My fear and nerves about Helal's reaction were placed on the backburner, my mind drifting freely on the gentle waves of sexual contentment. My breasts bobbed out of the tub, their wet soft flesh still astonishing and slightly arousing to see on my own chest. My fingers traced a curve, following to my shoulder and down the opposite arm.

That's strange.

My skin was softer than I remembered and the patchy arm hair that once poked its way like wild grasses out my skin now floated dully in the bathwater. Where once was untamed wilderness was now rolling hills of delightful smoothness. My new sleekness continued down my arms and hands. Further examination of my legs and crotch showed that the only stray hair left on my body was a patch of soft pubic curls on my crotch. Even my upper lip was smooth, absent of my usual day old five o'clock shadow. My plump lip parted as my finger traced their shape. I jerked out of my daze before I went any farther.

Whew. That was a close one.

Hauling myself out of the tub, the bathroom air helped cool my ardor somewhat.

I can't have myself losing control. No telling when Helal might get back, and I want to be on my best behavior.

Drying myself off, I bostered my mind with determination.

I won't let her push me away. I'll make myself indispensable to her. Then she'll never be rid of me. I just have to control these sexual urges and I'll be fine.

I groaned silently at the seeming impossibility of the task.

Sure I can, when hell freezes over.

The next day a magical mix of cinnamon, sugar, sliced apples, and pastry dough took shape before my eyes, hands crimping the edges of an apple pie. The finishing touches of a special desert I hoped Helal would enjoy. I examined my creation with a critical eye and found it acceptable.

Just like you used to make, mom. I hope you'd be proud of me. I've finally found happiness, of a sort.

I placed the prepared pastry in the small wooden box, sliding a toggle on the outside to the correct temperature. The microwave sized magical oven was a new gift from Helal, as I'd confided my frustration at the limitations my lack of modern appliances had caused. I'd decided to reward her with the pie as my way of saying thanks.

There was also something else. A secret that loomed like a giant obelisk between us that I meant to rectify tonight.

I hope I don't screw up our relationship beyond redemption.

Snapped my fingers, I captured her attention and she looked up from her notes. My feet folded beneath me on the couch. My hands trembled with nervousness as I smoothed the wrinkles from my apron. I couldn't look at her; couldn't meet her eyes. My attention focused on the board and the words I placed upon its surface. Line by line, I placed my past on the porous slate. Each section erased with a sweaty palm. Newborn words placed over ghosts of their forebears only to become ghosts in turn. Brick by brick I told the story of how I came to be captured.

"It was just like any normal afternoon. I was walking the fields. Picking weeds with my brother Jessie, talking about our college's latest basketball game. Our boots were damp with last night's rain. We heard the heavy slap of hoofbeats before we saw anything. Jessie seemed on edge, having heard the recent news about the 'crusaders' and their strange medieval appearance. I had written off the reports as nonsense, fantastical imaginings by people too drunk or stoned without a single reliable witness yet. Then she crested the hill.

Maybe a hundred yards or so away, she rode proud in her saddle, blonde hair pulled back into a braid that hung down her back. The tip of a spear poked out from behind her shoulder and she wore simplistic but well cared for armor. Jessie called out a nervous greeting, but the woman didn't respond. The woman unlimbered a bow incredibly fast and before I could even speak, had shot an arrow our direction. Jessie shouted while I stood frozen. The arrow, a glittering crystalline sliver, exploded in a cloud of silvery confetti after it hit the ground at my feet. I looked up and met her eyes, strangely calm and not threatening. She looked so young but capable on that hill. Then..."

My hand trembled so much the writing became illegible. Tears falling from my eyes onto the board, messing up the words there while distorting my vision. Helal grasped my hand, seeking to comfort me, but I flinched. A silent hiccuping sob convulsing my chest before I continued, on the verge of complete breakdown.

"A gunshot rang out, silencing the world.

I stood there in shock, my ears ringing. The woman toppled out of her saddle, collapsing to the ground in a heap. My brother shouted my name, calling me Lil, and my world snapped into place, my brain overclocking as I tried to figure out what to do. Ambulance, was my first thought. Stop, the bleeding was my second. Running towards the woman, I was astonished Jessie's shot had even connected. He'd taken me to the range before so I knew how difficult it was to hit a target at that distance. I yelled back at him to call for an ambulance. Blood. Blood everywhere. And her eyes, green and panicked. I tried to reassure her but I knew that I was responsible for this. By failing to act, I killed her as surely as if I'd pulled the trigger myself. There were muted pops, but I kept my hands over the hole in her chest, desperately pressing down while praying to any god that cared to listen to keep her alive. The last thing I remember was a glittering dust and strong hands tugging me away from her too still form. I awoke in a cell, manacles on my wrists and neck, completely naked."

I dared glance up through the hanging curtain of my inky bangs.

Just like I thought. Now that she knows the truth she'll cast me out. It's nothing more than I deserve.

Helal trembled with an unholy rage, her eyes slitted, hands clenched at her side. Shrinking on myself like a popped balloon, my shoulders drooped.

She's right to be mad, it's the reasonable response, knowing the kind of person she's shared her home with.

"I'm sorry," I wrote pathetically, struggling to keep the tears from falling. Retreating inside my emotional shell, I threw up my defenses, unwilling to make myself vulnerable for any additional pain.

It's only right. I don't deserve any kindness.

"You're innocent..."

I began to furiously scribble but she intercepted my hand, shutting me down.

"No. Look at me."

I had no choice but to do as she said.

"It's my turn to talk."

She's gonna send me away. Probably to a work camp or sewage duty or something more appropriate.

Anxiety made my extremities run cold, and I hugged them to my chest, instinctively covering up my core.

"You did nothing wrong El. It's through no misdeed of your own that my comrade died. It was a result of bad circumstances and misinformation."

My ears burned red and if I could speak I would be disagreeing with her, the guilt was a swarm of molten butterflies that fluttered in my stomach.

She took my hands, covering my chilled fingers with her warmth. "And it's my people's fault that you're here. You are guilty of nothing-"

I shook my head, breaking our link, and looking at the floor. I attempted to step away from her but was stopped by a small command.

"Stop."

Not having a choice, I did as she said.

Tears leaked down her cheeks, dripping off her chin, her guilty look only becoming more pronounced. "See how easy it is for me fall onto the low path of your jailor? You deserve none of what's happened to you. And yet..." Her warm palm met my cheek. A gentle brush of her thumb cleared my skin of tears. "There is a part of me that's glad. It's not a part I like, but it is there. A greedy demon that is thrilled with knowing you are under its... Under my, power. You've enriched my life El, brought companionship to the darkness I'd languished in unknowingly. The thought of freeing you... Of you leaving..." Her voice, thick with emotion trailed off. She swept me into a much needed embrace, enveloping me with safety, caring, and warmth. My chin nestled into her neck, her knees bent slightly, allowing us to fit so neatly together. Arms held me close but delicately, as if she was afraid I would shatter like fine porcelain.

"You care El. Perhaps too deeply... And that makes me want to shield you from this world all the more. It hurts. My chest aches with the knowledge that my people were the ones that did this to you. You, the innocent and undeserving." She pried her fingers away, curled into arthritic looking claws as she created distance. "I've made it my life's mission to punish the guilty El. In all my life..." Her finger brushed my cheek. "In all my life, I've never met a more pure soul than yours El."

I let out a choking, awkward laugh into the nothingness, unheard but by my breaking heart.

"There's that smile," she said with affection, at odds with the pain in her eyes. "See, we'll be okay," she said, but it was more like a question than a statement, full of uncertainty. "You are brilliant and caring El, promise me you never change that."

I nodded under her stare and she seemed relieved.

"Good. It would crush me if I was part of something that made you bitter."

Why does this feel like a goodbye?

A cold sweat chilled my soul. A shaky hand snagged my board, cradling it close while I scribbled. "May I do something?" I wrote.

"Of course. You don't have to ask my permission. You should know that by-"

Her lips tasted as sweet as my imaginings. Together we caressed and tumbled our way through our first kiss and the moment stretched out into a blissful forever. But, like all forevers, it ended, Helal pushing me away from her. Muscles I admired in my daydreams now acting against me.

I knew it. She doesn't see me in that way.

My fears confirmed, tears sprung into the corners of my eyes and I turned my back to her. Before I could escape, she swept forward, spooning me in another teddy bear embrace.

I tensed, just for a second. Melting into her grasp felt like wrapping up in a cozy blanket with a hot cup of cocoa during the holidays with my family.

It felt like home.