Sisters of the Mists Ch. 11

Once acclimated to the runes and their use, Camilla would be ready for the final step in her transformation. That final step would create the perfect weapon to send against Danica and the others.

He laughed as he considered that the women would provide the catalyst to complete Camilla's transformation by their own actions. Their interest in Mache would ensure the cooperation of the demon's sire, Meckataur.

Glancing at his arm, Zoraster willed his own tattoos to glow, making them visible. Already he commanded great power through the runes, and the structures were but partially complete.

Should Camilla fail, Zoraster stood prepared to humble Danica through his own power.

A cry of pain drew the Archmage's eyes back to his scrying mirror. Two men turned their needles upon Camilla's breasts while two more forcefully held her knees apart. Between her shackled legs, a fifth man stabbed his needle into Camilla's already pierced labia, to inscribe runes there.

Zoraster sat back to observe, wondering if the woman writhing and moaning in pain understood the truth of her penance.

It had only just begun.

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

"Are we ready?" Celes asked of Marlena and Danica.

Both women nodded.

Celes turned to Andrea and Ashley. "If we get lost in the ecstasy and you see us failing, break the chain of our hands. It will destroy what Danica has worked so hard on, but it would kill us all otherwise. We've done this before, but better safe than sorry."

"Let's give Edna a place to call her own," Danica declared, and reached out for the hands of her fellow magic users. She had awakened early, her every thought consumed with the completion of the cottage. She knew the feeling well, as she felt it to some degree every time she enchanted a magic item. The anxious single-mindedness was always most potent when she anticipated the enchantment of something unique, like the cottage on the table in front of her.

Celes began her chant first, using her spell to channel her mystical power and Marlena's into Danica. Though the magic caused no visible effect, all three women could certainly feel the energy crackling around their joined hands. Danica began her chant.

The spell was long, and enhanced Danica's voice as power swelled within her. The sound of her words loudly echoed off the walls as a blue aura of magic surrounded the cottage in front of her. Danica repeated the final words of the spell three times, the last word a shout that caused the blue glow around the cottage to intensify so much that none could look upon it.

Danica held her breath as the light dimmed to reveal the nimbus of magic swirling around her creation. Tendrils of magical power flowed into the cottage, until the last blue mote of light vanished. All three women slumped, barely managing to maintain their balance and their feet. Andrea and Ashley hurried to support their weakened friends, and both witches noticed the tingle of power from the cottage as they did so.

The three spell casters had to sit down for a while, but their strength rapidly returned. As soon as she felt she could safely stand, Danica took a deep breath and walked over to the cottage.

An examination of the magic item in the second sight brought a wide smile to Danica's lips. The cottage held tremendous power, and the threads of magic Danica could see indicated success of her spell. "It looks like it worked, but there's only one way to find out."

Ashley smiled and announced, "I'll bring Edna."

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

The bed creaked alarmingly as the man upon it forcefully thrust his erection into a moaning woman. Safely hidden within the dimensional pocket of his slave woman's Hellgate, C'seka watched, and waited.

A final squeal from the woman and an explosive growl from the man signaled the couple's shared climax. The man collapsed almost immediately atop his partner with a long groan.

C'seka knew the truth of the man — actually one of Meckataur's minor demons in disguise. The woman too was more than she appeared — a witch. With the couple lost in the languor of their spent passion, the cunning demon made his move.

C'seka ordered his slave to move the portal almost on top of the couple. Once within range, the demon burst forth from the Hellgate and created a dagger from his long-nailed hands. C'seka hissed with ecstatic satisfaction as his talons drove entirely through the body of the man to find the flesh of the woman below.

Demon and witch both died with a series of gurgles and weak death throes. All the while, C'seka growled as power flowed up his claws, through his arm, and permeated his body. Once the power ceased to flow, C'seka pulled his arm free, noting that he had little trouble doing so thanks to the newfound strength gained in the death of the now still couple.

Though it seemed wasteful to leave the corpses, C'seka knew he could risk no further exposure. He retreated into the Hellgate to learn about his newfound abilities there. As he examined the power roiling through him, C'seka understood that he now possessed the witch's ability to become invisible. He also had gained an acidic touch from the demon, along with its greater strength.

C'seka silently ordered the wizardess controlling the Hellgate to return him to Nightmare Castle. While the woman complied, C'seka lapped the blood and ichor from his arm, shuddering from the sensation of his new powers swelling within him.

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

Danica leaned back from whispering in Edna's ear, and then nodded her head toward the cottage.

Edna smiled and said the command word Danica had revealed. "Home."

The cottage expanded, rapidly swelling in size and sending off a magical tendril toward the manor. Within mere seconds, a real, full-sized cottage stood in front of the assembled women. A walkway that was truthfully more of a hallway connected the cottage to the manor via a side door. Edna wiped a tear from her old eye when she beheld the full glory of Danica's magical creation.

Celes walked over to Danica and kissed the redhead on the cheek. "Fine work, Dearie." The raven-haired witch then turned toward the assembled clones, which were all applauding and laughing in response to watching the magic. "Now come along girls. Your Gran needs a bit to get settled, so we're going to go give her some time."

Ashley, Andrea, and Marlena joined Celes, to help herd the girls back into the manor. Danica took Edna's hand and said, "Let me show you around."

Edna marveled at how Danica had managed to keep the rustic feel of a cottage. Yet, at the same time, the place had amenities that were certainly far more. The tub would allow Edna to stretch out to her full length and relax. Magic filled and drained the tub with water of any temperature that Edna desired. The chamber pot, with its cunningly crafted seat, would likewise empty without the need to physically dump it.

Various other enchantments would maintain the temperature and humidity of the cottage, as well as defend it against the elements and magic. Upon completing the tour, Danica brought Edna to a spot off the kitchen designated as both a dining area and Edna's personal potion-making space. Edna turned toward Danica when she noticed a hole in the design plan, an open space that absolutely screamed for something to occupy it.

Danica responded before Edna could ask a question. "A little present from Ashley and me." She then spoke a word of command.

"Oh, you are a dear," Edna laughed as her herb cabinet appeared in the empty space. She opened the doors to find everything she remembered was inside, plus a few new jars.

"Ashley replaced anything you were running low on, and added a few things."

"And put every one of them exactly where they should go. Thank you, Danica. It's wonderful. I'll be comfortable here, for certain."

"I thought you'd probably need a quiet retreat. I plan to enchant the girls' toys tomorrow."

Edna laughed and responded, "You likely have the right of that." She fondly patted Danica's arm, and managed to avoid a start as a premonition flashed through her head.

"We'll help you settle in."

Keeping her premonition to herself, Edna nodded and led Danica down the hall, back into the manor.

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

Zoraster looked into an all too familiar mirror. His lip twitched in irritation, and then he growled. The Archmage turned away from the mirror, wondering why Danica had not yet brought her flock of women to attack Mache.

Patience, a voice whispered within him. "Patience is a virtue of the weak and helpless," Zoraster answered the silent voice aloud.

A glance at another mirror revealed Camilla marveling at the power she now commanded through her rune tattoos. Though the woman had paled upon seeing her marked body once Zoraster had ordered her healed, she now accepted the blemish in favor of the tremendous power.

Yet another mirror showed Ebonar stoically enduring his own tattoos. He already understood the power that his pain would bring.

Zoraster's eyes roved over the bank of mirrors, taking in the scenes and information coming to him from around the globe. One of the scrying devices, attuned to the attacks of Meckataur's demons, piqued the Archmage's interest.

"The world is coming to an end, I tell you," a man within the mirror lamented.

"Only knee high it 'twas, but murderous as the day is long," a second man agreed.

"I saw it destroyed. Three priests it took."

"The gods abandon us to our fate."

"Seems that way. Nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide."

A long, disturbing chuckle bubbled from Zoraster's throat as he watched. "Faith slips away, and with it your sustenance. Starved for worship, you will wither. Then shall you know what it is to be manipulated, as you have manipulated this world."

"Master, she is recovered," announced a monotone voice from the back of the room.

Zoraster nodded without turning, and the clone servant left, knowing its message delivered. Caterina had regained her strength after her last offering of blood. She stood ready to give the life energy necessary to enchant a third of the glass wombs that would allow Zoraster to begin creating clones again.

The touch lasted but a fraction of a second, but it stopped Zoraster dead in his tracks. The Archmage hissed in surprised satisfaction, and reached out to grasp the wispy strand of contact again. Though he could not find the connection again, the strength of the momentary contact surprised him. He could almost feel her nipples, tightly pinched between his fingers with the warmth of blood trickling down his hands. He could hear her mixed cries of pain and pleasure, so unique and arousing.

Though abhorring patience, the Archmage had such capacity within him — when the reward was great enough to warrant the wait.

If he could establish contact with her again, this reward could prove great indeed.

Pleased and aroused to throbbing hardness, Zoraster briskly walked to where Caterina awaited. She would offer more than her blood this time to satisfy his needs.

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

Hope you're enjoying Book II of Danica's story. Thanks to Roust for his editing, as always. Big thanks to all of you reading and commenting on the tale as well.

Again, I offer my apologies for the long dry spell. My muse is a scatterbrained sort. Sometimes she goes off on tangents and drags me along. Sometimes she just goes on long vacations without so much as sending me a postcard. The only thing I can promise is that so long as I'm breathing, this story will progress until it is complete.

Please do vote and comment. That's all the payment we receive as free authors. That's what keeps us coming back for more.