{Alice}

I smiled wryly as I pulled my skirt back up. Just as Ithelyn had said she had indeed punished me. And much to my surprise not all that gentle... well, at least at first. Her slaps towards my deviant buttocks has been much more forceful and fierce than I would have expected from a sheltered rich girl. There was an astonishing amount of power hidden inside her slim frame. Though it wasn’t quite as surprising to me now, as I was snuggled up to her well toned abs.

Despite all the force of her hits there was something endearingly sweet about this woman – I couldn’t bring it over me to call her a girl; not only had she caressed my bum after every hit as if looking for any damage but she had also asked about how I was feeling and if I wanted to go on after every second or third slap. This was... surprising to me. Any boyfriend I had been together with before had either immediately chickened out at the thought of hitting me or had taken it way too far.

And yet for Ithelyn both the idea of the more kinky aspects of “courtship” as well as actually doing those things came as natural as breathing. Her approach to it was a lot more controlled and gentle than I had experienced before. Where I, most of the time, felt like unbridled chaos and passion she was as stable as a rock. Her every movement was controlled and measured. There was something undeniably erotic about this side of hers, as was about the more innocent one I had glimpsed before. My new friend was still caressing my hair when she suddenly spoke up.

“You are very calm, a lot calmer than before in fact. Did you... like it?” Looking up I could see a flushed face and a nervous grin. My heart skipped a beat when noticed light freckles under her eyes and on her nose, that was incredibly cute!

“Mhmmm, I liked it. In fact I liked it a lot. If you want, we could always go a few more... in-depth ways of getting to know each other...” It took a several blinks for my teasing to actually register in her mind though when it did she instantly blushed a bright red. I couldn’t help but laugh; while she had great control she also seemed to have next to no experience at all.

“You my dear.” She spoke up and seized my chin. “You are both a horrible tease and an utter brat. Bad bird!”

Before I could worm out of her grasp she had already started with flicking my nose and forehead as quickly as she possibly could. Bring up a barely token resistance, I meekly protested her treatment through gasps and giggles. It was of no use! No matter how I twisted and turned, my sensitive skin was never safe from her oh so wicked nails. ‘Wait a frickin minute... How is she poking me in five places at the same time!?’ Laughing and gasping for air I tried fending of her hands at the front only for three other hands to poke me in my sides!

“Fin! Stop! S'il vous plaît! By the hells no more, I give up! How did you even do that? There were like half a dozen hands!”

Much to my chagrin it seemed that Lyn did not think I had received enough punishment yet. In fact, with a haughty villainous laugh she resumed her dastardly actions. One by one my defences fell to her continued assault upon the sacred fortress that was my body! Surely every last one of the gates and bastions would have fallen and succumbed to their new devious overlady. Yet in that last moment salvation came, in the form of a very confused girl opening the door too our compartment.

“Oh. Uhhhh! I am not sure I even want to know what is going on here...or do I?”

The girl in question looked to be smaller than me yet with a rather stocky and sturdy build. In fact she looked tough enough to easily take on my “evil” captor. Her skin was dark and sun kissed and her hair was matted and sweaty. With her rough hands, burns scars and smudges every where she looked as if she had stepped straight out of a mechanics shop. The only reason why I knew she must have been a witch was because she was wearing the same outfit as Ithelyn and me... well more only Lyn, I was still mostly naked. Thinking quickly I called out to this only salvation of mine. After all who else would safe a cute endangered maid but a knightess in a wrinkled school uniform!?

“No! Dear saviour, do not go!” I poured all my theatrical energy into the heartfelt plea. “See, this evil Witch has caught me! And now she is using her vile powers to tickle me oh so fiercely!”

“An evil Witch you say?” The newcomer now fully opened the sliding door and stepped in. “Obviously there is only one thing I can do... have at thee vile fiend! Face the wrath of Patty and her trusty sidekick Cookie!”

With a surprisingly fluid and apparently well trained flourish she brandished a weird looking rod. It must have been some sort of sign because as soon as she had done so a small fuzzy blue ape jumped onto her head. Using some of her dark locks to hold on, it let go a terrifying war cry.

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“Squeeeee!”

“...” While Ithelyn’s face was entitrely blank, I on the other hand, noticed something entirely more important than possible rehearsed choreography, specifically the girl’s familiar. If my eyes weren’t fooling me I knew that spirit...

“By all the hells in existence!” I screamed out loud. “Is that a Zapey from Spiritmons!? That is so meta! I love the series! I have basically all the games! Wait a second... here look!”

Before either Ithelyn or our new friend could react I had already ripped open my travelling bag in the search of one of my greatest treasures. Apparently I had hit gold with my question. As soon as Patty had laid an eye on my floofy friend she immediately scooted right up to me, much to Ithelyn’s and my surprise.

“Shit! Girl! Is that a limited edition Scarow-plushie? How did you even get your hands on one?”

This actually got an embarrassed smile out of me. “Uhm... my mother got it for me. I know, I know... but she likes to insist that she has connections.”

“Come on! That is so cool! I wish my uncle had that kind of pull... I meant I was so happy when I summoned cookie! She actually looked like I had wished!”

“Seems like you got your wish after all. Wait! Want to see my team collection? I think I put- Ithelyn! Shit, are you alright? You’re bleeding!”

{Ithelyn}

The world around me blurred in a haze of red and white. I had been fine the entire time, but as soon as the other girl had come in... I could barely remember what had happened. She had entered the cabin and from one second to the next my mind had gone blank. I could feel her still... feel her magic inside her chest pulsing with every breath she took. She was so close... I just had to reach out and take it. I just had to...

“Ithelyn! Talk to me!”

‘That voice... Alice... she is still here? Need to... go... thirsty.’ Staggering up to my feet seemed almost impossible but I had to. As my vision cleared I saw both of them just staring at me. If I stayed in this cramped little room I was going to go insane! ‘The scent what is this... I can smell the other girl so clearly. So fresh. So crisp. So precious... So...NO!’

“I’m... I’m okay. Just have to... freshen up.”

My words sounded stale as they left my mouth. Hugin was right, I was just lying to myself. And yet despite it all I kept the same false smile I had for two years now. Of course I was okay, of course I was FINE. Somebody of my... standing couldn’t possible show weakness, couldn’t ask for help. I just needed some time, right?

“Sorry Alice... I... need some time.”

“Lyn! You are bleeding! Sure, we just met but that doesn’t mean I can’t care about you!”

“So what?” My brows furrowed. “We barely know each other!” ‘NO! Shut it me! Why...’ “Just... stay with your new friend! Fudge... my head, yeah I’m out.”

I didn’t even bother with waiting for an answer. The pounding in my head was getting stronger. Every second I was in this room, the smell was only getting stronger. I barley registered ripping open the door; something gave under my grip I couldn’t care less. I just needed to get out of that room! Somewhere in the back of my mind I could hear someone call out for me. But like much of everything right now it was swallowed up by my sensory overload.

I had thought leaving that savoury treat behind in that cabin was going to the edge of, but out here it was even worse. Irritated my gaze twitched a cross the doors I passed by; every one of them filled with a similar glow, a similar meal. Never before had my magical sight acted up like this. Sure I had always been able to see magic in people... but never before smell it... taste it... feel it pulsate. My tongue darted over dry chapped lips. The idea of even a single taste seemed so appealing. But no, I couldn’t... not when I was so close to finding a solution. I could feel Hugin’s claws dig into my shoulder but his worried crows only spurred on darker more sinister thoughts. Somehow despite it all managed to make it into a nearby bath stall. By now I could feel the blood flow freely down my face. Two of the little glows where in here... nobody would notice. ‘Shit! Get a hold of yourself Ithelyn. You are better than this, you ARE in control!’

“Holy shit girl! What by the gods happened to you?” One of the morsels dared to talk.

“LEaVe!” My voice came out hoarse and decidedly inhuman, I had put enough power into my voice that a mundane human would have shat themselves.

“Fuck! Kathy let’s just go! She is creeping me out!”

My nostrils flared as the two squeezed their way past me. They smelled like blood, peaches and ozone. A sharp pain in my gums made me groan; half in pain and half in pleasure. Like getting out of a pair of way too tight pants, some of the pressure on my mind lifted together with something I couldn’t put my finger on. I hadn’t had a seizure this bad since the initial infection; whatever was going on it wasn’t good. Trying to calm my worried mind, I wiped the blood out of my eyes and looked in the mirror. Instead, I managed to confirm my greatest fear. Bloodshot red-ringed eyes, taut muscles, a clenched jaw and two fangs piercing my lower lip.

“No, no, no! Where is my purse? HUGIN! My medicine, NOW!”

With a terrified croak, his weight left my shoulder and I just managed to unlock the stall door for him. It should have been an easy day, leave home, take your medicine, don’t use too much magic, find a cure at the academy. I had always been so careful with my dosage, barely had I been able to still call myself a witch! Where had it all go wrong?! When? Then suddenly it became clear to me. I knew what had messed up my schedule, or rather I knew who. I had only ever cast one large spell today and it had been to save that stupid girls life too! When the word left my mouth it was with both equal parts adoration and spite.

“Alice...”