Lost Bloodlines Ch. 07

"What the fuck are you doing?" I yelled at the lounging angel. "They need help!"

Lucifer's grin was filled with some form of dark mirth. "You heard the mage. We cannot cross the barrier until the ritual is finished. It would be far too dangerous." His mocking tone filled me with impotent rage as I looked between his amused grin and the chaotic electricity of the circle. My mind was filled with uncertainly and indecision for what I could even do to help, but my muscles itched to take some sort of action.

Sha'vas let out his own scream of pain, and a bolt of yellow lighting shot out from the circle, leaving a blackened mark on one wall less than a foot from where Barbas worked over Aqua..

Black flames appeared in my hand, and I prepared to do something extremely stupid as my heart squeezed in terror. I took a threatening step towards the reclining angel, but stopped as he tilted his head in amusement at my rage. He wanted this.

For some inexplicable reason, the devil wanted me to attack him.

Well fuck that, I wasn't going to give him anything I didn't have to. A small part of me enjoyed the brief moment of confusion that flitted across Lucifer's face as I doused the flame and turned away from him abruptly. I took a deep breath to center myself as I looked fearfully at the crackling barrier. If I couldn't force the devil to intercede, and he would stop anyone else who tried to help, I suppose it was up to me then.

Brass scales materialized around my body as I summoned whatever scant protection they might offer from the rampant blasts of magic. Without letting myself overthink it, I charged directly at the cascading wall of yellow lightening containing Cyri and the monk.

Above the hum of magic I heard both Lucifer and Sam yell out some kind of protest, but their words were lost as I slammed horns first into the magical barrier.

Fuck, it hurt.

There wasn't any sort of physical resistance like I'd come to expect from the barriers I'd encountered so far. Rather, my body seized in pain as bolts of electricity tore through me, leaving flashing afterimages across my retinas. My muscles twitched and locked up, and in the second that it took to break through the barrier, I felt like I'd stuck a fork into a wall socket.

I felt the transition as I successfully pierced the soul mage's barrier, but my body was still seized by the magic's effects. I collapsed onto the floor on the other side of the barrier, scant feet away from the writhing figures trapped within. My body twitched painfully as the aftereffects of the electricity slowly eased from my now-aching muscles. It was only Cyri's repeated screams that gave me the impetus to raise myself to my feet again and not allow myself to collapse into unconsciousness.

I eyed the two figures in the circle warily. Sha'vas's hands remained fixed to Cyri, but the mage was bleeding from every visible orifice, and his body locked into a rictus of pain. Cyri, on the other hand, continued to transform between feminine and masculine attributes, her flesh shifting erratically as whatever ritual the mage had been attempting ran out of control. Okay, I got this far, so now what the fuck do I do?

Place your hands atop the mage's on the mutt. His artless magic was not nearly enough to transform her. This needed a more experienced hand. Our hand.

Lilith's voice sounded again in my head, and I spent precious seconds debating whether or not to listen to the treacherous demon. But in this moment, I was past worrying about what trap she had laid for me this time. Cyrilla was in trouble, damnit, and I was the only one who could help.

I stepped forward, and rested my hands atop Sha'vas's on Cyri's heart and head. A terrible pressure filled my ears, and I was whisked elsewhere.

-00000-

When my senses returned to me, I found myself amidst dark trees, lit only by a pale full moon above. The air was crisp and cool, filled with that unmistakable scent of an alpine forest. A light dusting of snow covered the ground, shimmering in the moonlight.

I turned around, searching for some sign of what it was I was supposed to do in this odd place. My eyes scanned the dark trunks of the trees until I saw a flash of crimson high upon one the branches in the distance. I stepped cautiously towards the light, twigs and snow crunching beneath my armored feet as I traversed the dark forest.

As I neared the odd lights, I began to make out the figure they were attached to. Lounging on a branch against the trunk of one of the trees was Lilith. The succubus's eyes blazed bright red in the darkness, and her flesh was barely visible through what moonlight made it through the forest cover.

Her skin still seemed off somehow, wrinkled and sagging in certain areas, and the demoness's frame was slumped with exhaustion, but she seemed in better condition than I last saw her.

"So, what now?" I called out.

She didn't deign to respond, merely reaching one arm out and pointing deeper into the woods to her side. I turned my head in the direction, where there seemed to be some sort of clearing in the woods, barely visible through the thick trees. I nodded my grudging thanks to Lilith and continued in the indicated direction. As I wove between the trees ahead, I began to make out faint sounds in the deathly quiet of the forest. Deep, reverberating growls, and what sounded like crying, interrupted by faint moans of pain. My cautious walk turned into a run, heedless of the branches that caught at my horns and tore at my trailing wings.

Reaching the clearing at last, I took a moment to take in the sight before me. Set into a rising hillside in the clearing was the mouth of a cave, a collection of yellowed bones strewn macabrely about the entrance. Amidst the bleached bones was Cyri, at least, what I assumed was Cyri. She was sitting with large arms wrapped around her knees, rocking lightly in terror and letting out little sobs, her dark eyes locked onto the battle happening before her.

Directly between the tree line and the cave was the massive form of a wolf, dark brown fur raised in alarm as it snarled at Sha'vas. The monk was bleeding heavily from several bites and cuts around his body, but stood his ground against the beast, a stave of crackling yellow lightning in his hands. The grass around the figures was scorched and torn, and it seemed the two had been fighting for some time now.

As I stepped out from among the trees, the wolf's head snapped towards me, and it let out a deafening bark of warning. The monk turned his head as well, a look of shock coming over his battered features.

"Lady Lilith? What are you doing here?" The wolf bunched its hindquarters as if preparing for a leap, and the monk swung his stave in a wide arc, releasing a wave of energy that knocked the wolf off-balance.

I thought I saw a flash of crimson in the tree line opposite as I stepped up alongside the monk, letting my claws spring free from their armored concealment. "Saving you, it seems. What's with the monster?"

The beast recovered itself, and with a growl it charged me. Though Sha'vas moved to intercept, I pushed him aside, bracing myself for the wolf's charge. As its slavering jaw opened wide to consume me whole, I shot upwards in the air with a beat of my wings, allowing the wolf to charge headfirst into the copse of trees behind me. Its impact into the dark wood caused the trunk of a tree to splinter and crack as the wolf shook its head from the disorienting blow. The monk rejoined my side as I landed cautiously in the center of the clearing

"It's the soul construct within Cyrilla," Sha'vas panted. "It must have felt the intention of the ritual and attacked me through the soul-bond. I was drawn fully within the girl and have been locked in battle with the beast." His gaze flicked towards the unresponsive form of Cyri nearby. "I fear for the effect this conflict will have on the stability of this patchwork soul."

"So how do we fix it?" I growled, shaking my arms out as the wolf finally righted itself and turned back around to face us. Its baleful dark eyes were oddly intelligent, but filled with uncompromising rage.

"We must restrain the wolf. I had thought to fight it to exhaustion and escape, but its energy appears tireless. With you here, however, I might be able to complete the ritual." I nodded my understanding, and we dove to the side as the wolf charged us again. This time, my impromptu leap wasn't quite as successful, and I winced as a massive claw raked against the back of my armor and tore painfully at the edge of a wing.

With an inarticulate scream of rage, I leapt onto the side of the beast, sinking brass claws into its flank and clinging to its thick hide. The wolf howled in pain, and jerked its body to each side in an attempt to shake me. I heard another grunt of pain and the distracting shaking ceased as Sha'vas shouted in exertion.

Using the moment of distraction, I climbed atop the back of the wolf. It was practically the size of a large car in this form, and I clung desperately to its back as it snapped in irritation at the monk dipping and twisting in fluid motions in front of it. I considered my options. I had the hellfire, but Sha'vas had said we should only restrain it, and I wasn't sure what killing or injuring it might do to Cyri. It wasn't a risk I was willing to take, despite surely being the easy option. Its neck was far too wide for me to reach around and attempt to cut off its breath. Could I cripple the legs? Would that be too damaging?

During the split-seconds of my rapid considerations, I saw that crimson glint in the tree line again. I narrowed my eyes in suspicion, but they rapidly widened as something shone bright silver in the moonlight, and shot towards me at rapid speed. Releasing my tight grip on the wolf's back, I lifted myself to my knees and reached skyward as the object rocketed towards me. In an incredible feat of timing I had thought beyond me, I grasped the shining object in my claws as it threatened to shoot past.

It was a familiar silver spear, bearing the same intricate runes and carvings I had glimpsed in moments of leisure with Victoria as she played with her summoned weapons and armor. I don't know how Lilith had access to it in this place, but it was exactly what I needed. With a grunt of effort, I lurched forward on the wolf's back, latching a claw into the skin of its neck and resting my legs tightly along its flanks. The beast growled and turned its muzzle to snap at me, but Sha'vas interceded, blasting its face with a bolt of blinding yellow lightning.

In the interim, I slipped the spear underneath the wolf's throat, reaching with my other hand to grasp at its tip. It was barely long enough to squeeze fully around the beast's thick neck. Bunching my muscles, I began to tighten my hold, pressing the cold metal of the spear tight against the wolf's windpipe and the blood flow of its throat. I felt that surprising strength of my body kick in, and the wolf yelped in surprise at my grip.

"That's perfect, Lilith, keep it occupied!" I heard Sha'vas shout, but I was fully occupied with maintaining my grip. The wolf was thrashing about in an effort to loosen my hold, but I remained stuck on.

The wolf rolled onto its side, crushing me under its massive bulk as I continued to squeeze. I felt something in my chest crack, and the incredible weight robbed the breath from my lungs, but I refused to let up on my grip. Luckily, as the loss of air began to truly affect the wolf, it began to thrash in agony, turning back onto its belly and freeing me from its crushing weight. Its struggles grew weaker and weaker, until finally the beast fell still.

I maintained my hold for a minute longer and then released the spear to step back warily. The wolf didn't move, though as I rested a hand on its barrel chest, I still felt a steady, if weak, heartbeat and the faint draw of its lungs. It was unconscious. For now.

Looking up, I found Sha'vas and Cyri locked in a similar position as they had been in the real world. Cyri was still insensate, and the monk's face was bunched up in effort, but as I watched, the changes began to take place.

There was no pain, no screams, only the sudden silence of the forest as Cyri slowly returned to her own body. Her massive frame slowly shrunk, compressing inwards as hairy arms and legs shortened and became smooth skin. Her facial features softened, her chin folding inwards slightly and her brow loosing definition. The wild mane of hair lengthened, stretching down her bare back in loose curls. The broad planes of her flat chest narrowed, and ample breasts grew over the once-bulging pectoral muscles. Within minutes, Sha'vas was standing opposite of a version of Cyrilla as perhaps she once was, if still bearing the curious cones of wolfish ears atop her head and a thick tail from her lower back.

I smiled in relief, but my expression broke into a frown as I heard the monk began to groan in exertion, and Cyri let out a whine of pain. It was all repeating itself.

I rushed forward to see what assistance I could offer, but froze as I at last saw the cause of the conflict. Just as Cyri's flesh had flowed like softened clay during the transformation, one last part of her remained in flux. Though my cheeks heated in embarrassment to see my friend bared so, I couldn't help but watch as her groin appeared to shift haphazardly between male and female genitalia. One second, the unmistakable cock I had glimpsed and tried to forget the day before reformed and jutted rudely from between her thighs, and the next it was replaced by a normal female slit.

Seeming to notice my confusion, the monk explained through clenched teeth. "He's still fighting back. He won't accept the change fully."

"Who?"

He jerked his head towards the unconscious form of the wolf. "The ancestor werewolf. Vârcolac. Even now he's strong enough to resist." Sha'vas grimaced, and Cyri let out another moan of pain. A deafening crack shook the forest, and I looked around in dismay. The ground beneath our feet seemed to shift abruptly, and I almost lost my footing.

Sha'vas cursed, his gaze still locked onto Cyri's face. "The bond is shattering. The wolf would rather die than be female, it seems."

I tentatively touched Cyri's bare shoulder. "Would she survive? Would that...break the transformation?"

The monk scoffed. "More likely it would rip her soul into pieces and send her body into a stroke. There's no cure to be found here." The ground shook again, and another thundering boom sounded. He shook his head in frustration. "We need to leave. I cannot continue."

"But what about...?"

"Now, demoness! Unless you wish to die here with her!"

I looked between Sha'vas and Cyri, and back towards the wolf. Again, I caught a flash of crimson, and I watched as Lilith stepped out of the woods. At this distance, her features were indistinct, but I could have sworn her face was overcast in sadness as she nodded her head towards me.

"How?" I spat, turning back to the monk.

"Take hold of my arm, and maintain your grip on the girl. I will remove us from this trance." With hesitation, and a final sad look towards Cyri's still-fluctuating form. I murmured an apology, and took Sha'vas's arm.

The world collapsed into darkness.

-00000-

I returned to consciousness with a gasp. My body was dripping with sweat, and I wiped away an odd wetness in my eyes, my fingers coming back streaked with crimson. Feeling my armor still wrapped skin-tight around me, I dismissed it, and brought up a sleeve of my returned hoodie to wipe at the blood on my face. As sight and hearing gradually returned to me, the features of the room in the villa came back into focus. The crackling circle of energy had dissipated, and Sha'vas was staggering backwards towards a chair in the corner, collapsing into it with an exhausted sigh. The witch, Elena, rushed to the monk's side, producing a cloth from somewhere to wipe at his bloodstained face. Lucifer's gaze was fastened on something to my right, his lips turned into a disapproving frown and smoldering anger in his eyes.

Sam, Draco, and Victoria all looked on in varying levels of shock and amazement, their eyes locked onto the person next to me.

At last I turned, and saw Cyrilla as she truly was for the first time in the flesh. The werewolf was practically swimming in the baggy clothes she had worn this morning, but by the expression of wonder and happiness on her pretty face, you would never have guessed it.

She was beautiful in a comfortable, girl-next-door way. Her round face and bubbly cheeks were framed by a cascading wave of curls that flowed down around her shoulders and back. The structure of her features seemed vaguely Eastern European, but I couldn't place the actual ethnicity. She was about my height, perhaps 5'6 or so, and, despite the concealing shirt, seemed to be amply blessed about her chest.

She was running her hands along her arms and across her face in delight, and I heard a steady rustle as her tail seemed to wag of its own accord. I grinned widely at the adorable sight. As I stretched out the tense muscles of my shoulder and back, her ears swiveled towards me, and she looked up with a little gasp. I noticed that her eyes were startling shade of bright amber before she practically leaped on me, wrapping me in the biggest hug she could manage in her much-reduced size. I thought I heard her stifle a little sob, before she whispered, "Thank you."

I happily wrapped my own arms around the transformed girl and held her tightly as she expressed her gratitude. When she finally pulled back, wiping at her eyes, I was surprised when her hands grasped the sides of my face and she kissed me deeply. Caught off guard, I merely enjoyed the feel of her soft lips against mine. I thought I heard Victoria give a little 'whoop!' of encouragement, and Cyri jerked back abruptly, her cheeks and ears darkened to a deep pink blush.

"Sorry," she said abashedly. I loved the sweet tones of her voice, no longer forced into the awkward falsetto I had grown used to.

I blinked as I gathered myself again. "It's okay, Cyri. Maybe, uh, just warn me next time." I winked at her, and she somehow managed to blush even deeper. Despite her happiness and excitement, I found my own mood lowering as I recalled the last moments within her soul-space. I cleared my throat.

"I...I'm the one who should be apologizing." I said haltingly, and her gaze shot back up to mine in confusion. I gestured meaningfully down her body, and she tilted her head in confusion before slipping a hand between her legs. By the grimace that spread across her face, I could see that my guess had been correct. "We weren't able to make it complete. The...monster, inside, fought back against it too hard."

My chest ached to see the disappointment and sadness that marred the joy on Cyri's features, but after a moment of quiet introspection, she shook her head and met my eyes. They were resigned, but there was no blame there, only quiet gratitude. "You tried," she said softly. She took my hands in hers. "That's all I ever asked for." A crooked grin broke out on her face. "I admit I was slowly getting used to it, being a guy. Hated it, but more comfortable than when I woke up. Now that I'm me again...maybe I can get used to this too."

"We'll find a way to finish what we started, Cyri. I made you a promise, and I'm going to keep it." My words were solemn, but I allowed a little smile to break out to match hers. This was why we came here. This is what made it worth it.

"While I hate to break up the emotional moment, I believe the esteemed High Ordinator's task is not yet done." Lucifer's drawling voice interrupted the tender moment, and I scowled as I rounded on the reclining devil. He had since smoothed his expression over into the usual manic smirk, but I would not forget his interference and apathy towards Cyri's impending death any time soon. And yet, if I wanted to end the day with our deal intact, I knew now was not the time to confront him over it.