I was working on this a while back, and found it recently. I was thinking about putting some more time into this story (though not to the exclusion of other works), but wanted to get an idea of interest.
*****
'Damn him, damn my father, and the rest of my gods forsaken family' Ashley muttered as he walked from the office of the Magistrate, through the packed streets of the city of Nal'lucan. Ashley had suffered many indignities as the fourth and youngest son of Lord Hearthshire, Duke of Alurn. As a child he had known his place at the bottom of the totem pole, an unwelcome addition to say the least. His brothers had their friends had tormented him, his father ignored him, and he had been forced on every major decision of his life because of family obligations. Ashley had had enough of his family, and was through with them. Rejecting his application for entry in the house of lords was the last straw.
It was political, Ashley knew. His eldest brother Connally was first in line to inherit their father's title. Jason, the second oldest, was ascending the ranks of the Alurn military, would likely find himself in the royal court in short order. Minos, the third oldest, was set to become a lead magistrate in fifteen or twenty years. Ashley a was left over, and he knew it.
“I need a drink.” Ashley said with cold resignation. He felt a sense of hopelessness at his future, and could only hope that something would turn up.
******
The storm gathered over the city of Nal'lucan, winds pouring through the streets in gales. Stone buildings trembled as tremors in the ground caused the city to shake. At the distant heart of Nal'Lucan lights radiated outward from the sacred grove, the holy gardens of the Circle. Lightning arced through the sky, touching down along the outer edges of the gardens, and against a shield of light. It was if something in the heavens was fighting to push through.
“Hold the shield!” a grey haired woman in white called out as a hundred enchantresses knelt in a circle around the blackened seal beneath the ancient towering tree. The women continued to chant as power built up around the grove. Beneath the tree, pool of glowing water was radiating light, magical energies bubbling up from the depths.
“Bring the chosen.” the grey haired woman said as she made a silent prayer. A beautiful young girl in her late teens walked forward. Golden hair was tied into braids with strands of gold thread, and an assortment of flowers. Her stunning features were covered in a soft white paint, stunning green eyes looking at the pool nervously. She shifted her hips, the thin cloth of her ceremonial gown hugging the curves of her body, the rain causing it to reveal the color of her flesh as it exposed her ample endowments. She had been 'prepared' by the sisters for years, her body suffused with natural energies to ready her for bonding with the spirit of the goddess.
The power of the seal was weakening, and as the magics were bled from the area to hold the darkness within, it needed to be renewed. It had been a century since the death of the last mantle bearer, and with the bonding of such a powerful spirit to the chosen, the seal could be renewed and the darkness locked away once more. Thus forces were aligned to stop the bonding, and as powerful magics clashed against the shields the enchantresses had created, the thing in the depths stirred from its slumber.
“You are our hope child...you are ready to take up the mantle.” the older woman said kindly, seeing the fear in the young girl's eyes. “We believe in you Kalie.” the woman said as the girl dropped the thin robe from her body and stepped into the pool. Kalie could feel a sense of panic and fear, and her mind wandered over the ritual's preparations, then to her mother who watched both sternly and lovingly at her youngest daughter. Kalie saw the hope in her mother's eyes, and thoughts of her distant sister Shia, whom she had not seen in several years, and finally to her twin brother Ashley whom she had not seen since she was a small child.
Women of the noble lineages carried the magic of the land in their blood. The Circle was protective of them, and worked tirelessly to ensure familial bonds. While the boys were left to their fathers, the girls were taken by their mothers and the Circle for the study of magic. Shia had scorned the Circle to travel the rest of the nation of Alurn. When the circle chose Kalie to be bonded instead of her sister, Shia's engagement was thrown into disarray. Kalie wasn't sure of the details, but she knew Shia had cared deeply for her betrothed, and when her engagement was annulled, she had cursed them and left.
Kalie could have used Shia's wild energy and nurturing support now, or even the wordless understanding that she had shared with her twin brother Ashley as small children, when they had spoken in each other's minds. She had never connected with anyone like that, and had never spoken of it since...she wondered if Ashley even remembered her anymore. “Goddess...please.” she whispered as the lightning cracked the shield above the grove. Kalie stood within the heart of the pool of light as the world went dark. She could feel her impending death...and reached out to feel at the connection to her brother one last time.
*****
Ashley stumbled into the house in a drunken stupor and soaking wet. Long blonde hair dripped a stream of water onto his black leather doublet. As the ornate wooden door opened, the rain poured in behind him, soaking the marble floors of the foyer before he was able to push the door shut. His heels slipped on the marble floors, while he stumbled forward. The house was dark and empty, but then again he was the only one who lived here. It was a 'gift' from his Uncle Lorance upon finishing his four years of mandatory service. The passage into citizenship for all young nobles, though he was still far from his majority. Ashley was seventeen, and he couldn't exercise a vote yet, or hold office for that matter, until he reached the age of twenty-one. Not that it really mattered. As the youngest son of the Duke of Alurn, was unlikely to ever hold any actual rank. He had three older brothers, whom he couldn't stand, and two sisters that he had never met...well, one that he had never met, though he hadn't seen her since he was three, or his mother for that matter.
Abram, the Duke, was a stern and foul tempered man who had little time for useless people. Ashley remembered him doting on his eldest brother Connally, and even to a lesser extent Jason, though the middle brother was more or less tolerated. Ashley just remembered a slew of beatings in his youth, before finally being shoved off to service. Most men began their service at eighteen, while patrician houses and nobility tended to start their children as young as fourteen. Abram pulled strings to have Ashley digging ditches and polishing buckles at thirteen. Luckily Ashley had managed to perform his service with the corps of engineers. He had spent years studying and readying himself for entrance into the college of engineers; Unfortunately the Duke had other plans.
Two weeks after submitting for admission, his father had Ashley dragged in front of him. “Your brother Jason will be serving at her majesties behest as diplomatic envoy to the kingdom of Kaern. You will be serving as his personal secretary and liaison.” his father had told him. Never mind that Ashley had no desire to spend the next several years as a glorified scribe at the mercy of his brother, the kingdom of Kaern was a land rife with political intrigue. More likely than not he'd find himself poisoned, kidnapped, or killed. A fate Ashley had at this point assumed was the goal. Excess daughters tended to be smiled upon among the noble families, too many sons were more or less liabilities.
Ashley of course refused, and had been...cut off. Under political pressure, the college no doubt rejected his admission, and with only the small saving he had accrued, he would need to search for work. Luckily Ashley had the house, and though spacious enough, was hardly in the best part of Nal'Lucan. Anything towards the outer walls of the city, away from the port, was effectively in the middle of nowhere. The three story house was barren, and its style antiquated. Ashley thought it had been attached to a farmstead or plantation at one point, but that would have been a century ago. Now the surrounding lots were filled with smaller homes, and a small market. The house, a brick and marble affair with vine covered pillars, beside an old abandoned garden gone to seed, was more or less an eyesore in Ashley's mind. Still, the interior was nice, and the marble floor cool...
At least Ashley thought so as the world spun around him, and he found himself curled up in the middle of the foyer. He kicked a few times at his boots, struggling to push them off so he could gain more traction, or at least get the water out. Finally managing to free himself, he took a deep breath, and pulled himself across the carpet, finally reaching the stairwell and pulling himself up on the bannister. Righted for a moment to his full six feet of height, he began the arduous climb up toward the nearest bedroom on the second floor. The marble stairs didn't creak, but the wooden bannister did as he leaned on it for support.
“Damn my father. Damn my brothers. Damn my mother, and all the rest of them.” Ashley said as he felt something calling distantly to him. “Goddess, I hate my life.” he muttered to himself as a sense of panic began to overtake him. For a moment he stood at the top of the stairwell on the second floor, his blue eyes gazing through a circular window toward the stormy skies. He saw her...felt...a forgotten connection, like a long severed limb suddenly feeling again. He looked into frightened and determined blue eyes, and felt his sister embrace him as a violent power pushed through her. There was a flash of pain and terror, and it felt like his heart broke.
The pain didn't subside, but the tenuous connection at the back of his mind opened like a floodgate. His vision went black as the world flew away, and then white hot as pain suffused his body. He could feel bones crack, as he fell, slamming into hard marble steps, as he tumbled in a world of pain. As he slammed back down into the foyer, the pain began in earnest. His mind was on fire, and his senses were screaming as he struggled for air. He felt like he was floating in a pool of light, of burning light. Bones cracked over and over again, muscle tore and shifted, and through it all he could only scream. Something seeped through the back of his mind, bleeding into him as it wove into his flesh and bones. Each fracture and tare was rewoven with the force invading him. Each time it healed, and rebroke anew. He thought he would pass out from the pain, but it followed him into the recesses of his mind, leaving no part of him unchanged. Moonlight pierced the night, passing through the circular window on the second floor, bathing Ashley in its silver glow, as he hovered, his body changing.
*****
Evelyn fell to her knees as she watched the shield breach, and lightning strike her daughter dead. The storm above didn't give up, but the rains broke through, dousing the enchantresses around the seal as the first crack appeared in its surface. The glowing silver light of the sacred pool beneath the great tree surged through Kalie as the lightning fell, and exploded through her off into the distance as a silver light passed out of the grove and into the distance. Kalie fell lifeless into the pool, her body being dragged down into its depths. Her mother just looked horrified, not wanting to believe what she was seeing. The chanting of the circle continued, but to little avail.
“Enough!” Abigail, eldest matron of the circle called out, causing the girls to come to a stop, staring at the seal. “Enough...It has failed.” Abigail said, as she walked over to the grief stricken Evelyn, placing a hand on her shoulder. “No!” Evelyn screamed as she rushed to her feet, and across the grove to the pool. The light of the pool was undimmed, but cloudy as she dived into it. Moments later surfacing with her daughter's lifeless body. “No! Kalie! Goddess!” she screamed as three of the circle's enchantresses approached to pull them out of the pool.
Abigail moved beside Kalie's lifeless body, and began checking it, while Evelyn was held back by the others. The old woman frowned, a soft white light flowing from the end of her hands as she passed it over Kalie's body. Looking up at Evelyn, Abigail shook her head, causing Evelyn to break free of the enchantress's grasp, to wrap her arms around her daughter's body. The circle stood watching for several minutes before the three once more came forward to pull Evelyn up, and away.
Three of the enchantresses came over to help Evelyn back into the temple outside the heart of the grove. She climbed the marble steps in a haze, tears in her eyes as she grasped at her breast. The enchantresses likewise had tears in their eyes, but none could bring themselves to speak as they entered the antechamber past the entry hall. Evelyn offered no resistance as she was laid down on a long couch, nor when one of the girls hugged her briefly.
Evelyn wasn't sure when they left, as all she could do was stare into the darkness. She was bereft, tears pouring down her face as she cried. “Oh Goddess...Why!” she moaned, shivering. She repeated it over and over again, screaming in heaving sobs as she clutched her hair, her heart broken. First Shia had fled her, and now the dark entity buried in the depths had claimed her other daughter. When she closed her eyes she saw Kalie's lifeless face and started weeping again. Evelyn cried until morning.
******
Abigail looked down at the dead body coldly, sorrow in her heart, but needing to maintain some semblance of order. There could be nothing more done tonight, they had lost the race to ready Kalie as the new master enchantress. They could pick another girl to begin the arduous process with, but it would take time, and time is something they didn't have. The blackened seal radiated a dark energy which Abigail knew would spread, the crack in its surface like an opening into the prison below. An opening that the dark entity that lay in wait could use to act in this world. The circle would place more wards around the seal, but they were stop gap measures. They would limit, but not eliminate the things influence, and as the crack in the seal grew, its increased power would burn away any resistance. Still...if the goddess were with them, and the progression slow, perhaps a girl could be ready to complete the bonding before the seal fractured completely.
Abigail looked once more upon Kalie's still form, and then approached the great tree to see what damage had been done. The pool's glow was fading, the silver light gone, and the residual energy receding. Hesitating Abigail stepped toward the tree, extending her senses and finding...nothing. The growing life force of the spirit was gone.
“That's impossible.” Abigail said as the implications dawned on her. “But...It... The lightning couldn't have killed it. It...it was insulated.” she said as she stared horrified at the nearby seal.
“Matron Abigail....” one of the younger enchantresses called as she approached. A handful of other women were chattering back and forth with concern, but the young enchantress seemed focused on the pool.
“Yes child?”
“I...I was watching when the lightning struck...” the young enchantress said, hesitating, “I mean, I know I was supposed to be focused on the seal...but I was startled and I looked up...” she said nervously.
“It's all right girl, your distraction at that point was understandable. You hold no responsibility for what happened. I'm sure you were not alone.” Abigail said with a sigh, seeing the nervousness in the crowd. It would do them no good to blame themselves for things outside of their control.
“I...I understand Matron, but...The light. It...When the lightning struck, I saw the light from the pool fly off that way.” the girl said pointing into the distance.
Abigail's gaze followed the enchantress's motion, and she nodded. “Yes...perhaps it fled somehow. Into the forests outside the city, or some other safe location.” she said with a note of hope in her voice. “Good work, child. We will look into it.” she said, reaching over to place a hand on the girl's shoulder. “Now. Let's get out of the rain.” she said as they gathered Kalie's body and began the procession back into the temple. The power in the storm was receding, and with the morning their magic could more easily track the path of the spirit. Abigail consoled herself that at least hope was not lost.
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*******
Ashley woke in still damp clothes, his body aching down to his bones. The puddle of water on the floor had mostly dried up, but as he shifted uncomfortably he let out a high pitched groan. His mind felt raw, and as he opened his eyes there seemed to be subtle halos around everything. “Shit.” he said in a soft whisper, his head throbbing. 'I hope I didn't cause brain damage.' he thought to himself as he tried to stand up, but found his balance was awkward. His pant legs were catching on his feet as he stepped up the stairs, the sides stretched tightly around his hips. His skin felt sensitive, and weight hung off his body strangely. Coming to a stop he looked down at the heavy weights hanging off of his chest, bound tightly within his shirt. “What...” he said, his voice strange in his own ears. Pulling his too long golden hair out of his face, he stood still as he tried to take in what he was looking at. His mind blanked as he tore his doublet off, freeing the mammoth globes of his breasts from their constraint.
After a few moments of staring down in confusion, he reached down to pull his pants off, and as the weight of his chest pitched forward, his feet bound in the legs of his pants, he stumbled down onto the floor. Tearing the cloth from his body in a panic, he grasped at his sex and found something missing. As his mind tried to push through molasses to register the change, he grasped at his missing manhood, and screamed.
Bolting up the stairs to one of the guest bedrooms he stopped as he found a full length mirror and stared. His already long golden hair hung down to his knees, past shapely thighs and full curvy hips. His breasts sat like a set of large melons high on his chest, the large round aureola topped with thick nipples. The lean muscle of his physique had melted away into soft fatty tissue, though as he moved he could see some of it beneath the surface. His once broad shoulders had narrowed, and as he got closer to the mirror he realized he had lost significant height...though he wasn't sure how much. As his slender arms lifted to pull back the annoying weight of his hair, he saw a familiar yet different set of facial features. The youthful, but increasingly masculine face, had softened into something far more feminine, and exceedingly beautiful. Ashley had a soft heart shaped face, full lips with high cheekbones and forehead. His blue eyes had changed to a soft violet, and as he stared at himself the auras began to return.
“But...what...” he said, in a soft voice, his delicate hands coming up to grasp at the slender line of his neck. His eyes trailed down to the stretch of his pubic mound, and found his manhood gone, replaced by feminine folds. His mind blanked, as his legs buckled, and he fell to the floor. Panic set in as his breath quickened, and his mind spun. Grasping his head in his hands, he closed his eyes pressing his hands into his temples, waiting for the dream to go away.
Twenty minutes past as Ashley's mind raced, trying to put last night into some type of perspective. He remembered getting drunk, and wandering the streets for a while before the storm forced him home. Then the pain...he remembered a horrible feeling like being violated from within, and then pain...horrible horrible pain. Finally opening his eyes again he gazed at himself in the mirror and frowned. He tried to find an explanation...could it have been his father? One of his brothers? Some foul demon come to torment him? Maybe his uncle...Ashley had thought it strange his uncle had left him this place. Perhaps it was something about the house. A curse...
“Shit.” Ashley muttered as he struggled to his feet. He needed help, but revealing this to anyone would destroy his reputation, what little of it he had. He...maybe he could ask one of the city's enchantress about such a transformation...discretely...which was insane. All of the enchantresses were clannish, and he felt sure it would take no time at all for this to get out.
Groaning, Ashley started searching for something to wear, but none of his normal clothes would fit. Still, there might be something in one of the bedrooms or attic which would fit. Ashley would settle for a bathrobe if he could get around, but he could go out in public like this. Still suffering from the effects of the previous night's drinking, he moved to the nearest water closet to relieve himself. A task that he found both confusing, and irritating...which upon consideration was the entirety of his day so far. “Maybe if I wait a few days this will go away.” he muttered to himself, considering. After all, it could just be some angry enchantresses magical prank. He didn't really know any, but they were volatile, angry women without respect for human decency. It would make sense...it going away...well, there's always hope. Besides, if it went away on its own in a couple of days he could avoid anyone having to see him like this.
An hour of hunting through guest bedrooms, finally turned up an armoire filled with old dresses. The thing looked expensive, and given the pristine condition of the wardrobe inside he assumed there was some type of preservation enchantment on it. As he stared at the clothes, his vision shifted again, causing the assortment of auras to bleed from the objects. Most were soft, almost invisible, but the armoire had something complicated and vibrant around it. There were...patterns woven in the aura, and after a few moments he began to see them pop up in glowing blue light on the wood and metal surfaces of the armoire. Something in the back of his mind told him they outer ones served as a boundary, while those within enacted the effect of the enchantment.
Ashley had never really studied magic, not being a woman, but his time with engineers had shown him similar patterns. Pressing a hand onto the surface of the of the armoire, he could feel the energy like water moving through carved channels. It...was hard to describe. Where he touched, the color shifted, growing brighter. As he pulled his hand back, the effect was immediate. The patterns of light on the surface grew more intense, shifting from a dark blue to a radiant light blue. He could feel the patterns etching themselves into the back of his mind as he brushed a hand across them.
Shrugging off the experience, Ashley pulled one of the looser looking dresses from wardrobe, made of white silk and lace, and spent a moment trying to figure out how it went on. Finally just sliding it over his head, he struggled to slide it into place, pulling his head through the high collar. Pulling the length of his golden hair from the back, an annoying task, he tried to reach back to tighten it, and felt the strings along the back pulling themselves into place. Ashley gasped as the garment shifted, wrapping tight to the curves of his body, a silk shawl floating from the armoire, and wrapping itself over his shoulders. Loose cloth hanging down the back of the dress wrapped itself into a bow while something begin pulling at his hair.
Ashley panicked for a moment, but deciding the not risk being choked or hurt by whatever magics were in effect, he waited nervously. Something was pulling his hair into what felt like a weave, and as he felt it pulling tighter at his scalp, he turned from the slight discomfort, in time to see one of the drawers in the armoire open open. A thin mist of powder washed over his face, somehow avoiding his open eyes, but causing him to blink, clenching his eyes shut. “Gah! What in the world!” he growled in a high pitched voice, as he felt something pressing against his face and eyes. A jangling noise alerted him long enough, causing him to breath in left over 'powder' in the air, causing a coughing fit. As something clamped around his brown and neck, he felt a sudden sharp pinch at his ears and let out a yelp. “Damn it!” he yelled as whatever vile demonic magics finally released him, giving him leave to bolt from the room.
Coughing and spitting a foul taste from his mouth, he moved through the hallway with the odd sensation of the silk dress swirled around him. He could feel the powder masque clinging to his skin, and a thin residue of magic mixed with it. It seemed to resist him as he tried to wipe it off with his hands. He'd had about as much as he could stand, and his nerves were on edge. Marching himself all the way up to the master suite on the third floor, determined to sleep the day away, he paused as he heard the sound of the door bell ringing loudly. He considered for a moment, the idea of simply ignoring whatever erstwhile visitor had come calling, before letting out a long sigh. For all he knew it could be whomever had done this to him, in which case pretending no one was home wouldn't help.
Clenching his eyes shut Ashley pressed his hands into his temples, as he heard the bell again. With regret he opened his bedroom door again, and began the march back down to the first floor entryway. There was a thin layer of dust on the floors and bannister which he noticed in the morning light. Ashley, not for the first time, wondered why his Uncle Laurence had left him such a large house. The thing seemed to be resistant to degradation, but it would require an entire staff to keep it clean, which he had no means of employing even if he cared to. When he had first seen it, he imagined it was just an attempt to keep an ugly piece of property, in a poor district of the city, in the family. A primary residence cost less in city taxes...which he would have to start paying as of next year.
With this and a dozen other overly unpleasant thoughts running through his head, Ashley barely noticed the fluid grace of movement that carried him down the stairs, and to the front door. He just kept wishing for the day to end already.
*******
Laura groaned with irritation as Crystal hopped up and down on the balls of her feet. The two white robed girls had been wandering their assigned paths for the entire morning, and while Laura took her task seriously, Crystal had gotten bored. The two fourteen year olds had known each other since they were children, and Laura had gotten used to her friends...peculiarities. She was kind hearted, and sweet, but Laura sometimes thought she had been dropped on her head as a baby. She was easily distracted, and obsessed with cute, which is why she was jumping up and down trying to reach a kitten staring down at her from a low tree branch. The white haired kitten seemed bemused by Crystal's display, but Crystal obviously hadn't scared it off yet.
“Do you mind?” Laura asked the ditzy redhead, who stared back at her with blank saucer green eyes. “What?” Crystal asked pouting, reaching up on her tip toes, with one hand extended. As the kitten leaned down to sniff at Crystals fingers, Laura grasped her temples. “We're supposed to be tracking the spirit's trail. This is important crystal!” Laura said before she began chanting under her breath. Opening her Sight, she began tracing a tracking spell, trying to amplify the slowly weakening signature so that she could follow it.
As the tendrils of silver light grew brighter, Laura was able to separate it from the background noise that made up the overlapping life forces and essences of the city. Enchantments were easy to spot, their forms intricate, and often ornate: Easily identifiable structures in a chaotic wash of dim colors. The stronger the enchantments, the more easily they could be perceived. Essence trails however were just more background noise, though the tracking spell would amplify it to make it more vibrant than the world around it. As Laura finally, after hunting all morning for 'something' found a signature, she heard Crystal sequel with glee behind her.
“Aw! Who's my pretty kitty?” Crystal asks the white kitten which had wandered down her arm and onto her shoulder. The kitten was licking Crystal's nose, causing the girl to giggle. Crystal reached up to pet the kitten as she reached into her pocket to feed the kitten a piece of left over jerky that the girl had gotten for breakfast, before heading out.
“Damn it Crystal, you can't keep a kitten...” Laura said, looking at her overly enthused friend, before pulling back her brown hair and tying it up into a ponytail. She walked over to Crystal in a huff, and then stopped as the kitten mewed at her...it was a pretty kitten. “Well...maybe for a little while.” Laura said causing Crystal to giggle happily.
“Come on, I've picked up the trail. I think it's moving toward the outer wall.” Laura said as Crystal followed along behind her. The city got dingier and dirtier as they pushed into the poorer quarters of town. The distance between markets grew greater, and the quality of goods in stalls and shops declined. Laura could smell the river water not far away, and the scent of a fishery near by, causing her to sigh. She really hoped she didn't have to go back to the temple smelling like a fishmonger. The kitten, however, seemed quite happy to curl up on Crystal's shoulder. Crystal had that effect on...well, cute things Laura supposed.
As they pushed past the broken structure of the old aqueducts and the older buildings thrown up near it, Laura caught sight of a manor house packed in between older buildings. The poorer quarters tended to be ramshackle anyway, and the brick and earthworks that had served as old city structures had been converted to residences. The city walls had been 'moved' from time to time, being placed in crescent pieces which were joined with larger buildings. By the look of it, the manor probably sat on the land at a time when it was still surrounded by farms, or maybe even forests. The place was old, and likely only held up so well because it had large portions of stone and marble making up its structure. Ancient pillars held up an entry way atop a set of elegant steps. The manor looked to be three stories, with several over grown terraces covered with vines. It looked to have separate wings, but Laura assumed there was more of the manor behind it. It looked...unsafe, but she was sure the trail lead here.
Crystal hesitated at the steps, moving up them carefully, as if worried she'd slip on something. Laura just marched up to the front doors and finding a bell lever, pulled it. The sound of the bells was loud, which was surprising really. Laura didn't imagine that they'd still work, but there was no sense in not trying it. She thought she saw something moving, while looking through the crescent shaped glass above the door. Waiting another couple minutes, she pulled the leaver again.
Laura was waiting patiently while Crystal played with her kitten, seemingly involved with the white purring ball of fur on her shoulder. As footsteps became audible Laura perked up. Perhaps their morning would pay off. “Is someone coming yet? I want to get lunch.” Crystal said while rubbing her nose into the kittens, and cooing at it. Laura groaned as the door began to open.
Turning her attention to the open door, Laura gasped, and Crystal's mouth dropped open. Standing in the ancient doorway, a figure of beauty and elegance draped in white silk and gold jewelry stared down at them with vibrant violet eyes. She was at once gorgeous and regal, her demeanor august. The beautiful white lace trimmed gown framed every curve of her body, showing off her grad endowments. Laura was both stunned, and envious at a sight. Crystal looked from the woman, down at herself, then back at the woman and pouted. Hey...they were only fourteen...they'd get bigger someday too...
The gold and diamond tiara, earrings, and necklace glimmered in the morning light. Her long golden hair was tied into an ornate braid, and she looked to have a thin wash of makeup on, giving her a warm blush, and dazzling eyes. “...Well?” the woman asked impatiently, causing Laura to pause as something bugged her about the woman, but she couldn't quite place it.
“...Kalie?” Crystal asked as she stared at the woman with wide eyes. As Laura heard the name, it came into sharp clarity. The dress, makeup, and eyes had thrown her, but she saw it now. “Kalie! I thought you died!” Laura exclaimed wide eyed. The woman in the doorway looked startled, and suddenly slammed the door in Crystal and Laura's faces. “...Well...That was unexpected.” Crystal said as the kitten mewed again. “Can we get lunch now?” she asked, causing Laura to glare.