Chapter 20

Lilith and Celeste were still talking about clothes and how Lilith still had need of several other types of dresses and footwear. Soon the two of them entered the Ducal Castle waving at the guards before they headed to guest room three to put down the spoils from their first shopping trip.

Once inside the room Lilith stopped for a second and spreading her arms wide in a dramatic pose. “I am Lilith of Devine, ruler of all that I survey!”

“Stop that! Or people will start to think you are possessed.” Celeste half joked as she tried to push her arms down like she did with her tail so many times but it seemed her friend had comitted to the pose so they didn’t budge in the slightest. So she just ducked slightly going around her to put the fabric spools on the dresser.

In a slow and graceful motion, Lilith pulled the large dress box off her head only to set it down on the bed in a gentle manner. She had been wearing it as a makeshift crown only seconds earlier with a serious expression. Now though the smile returned to her face as she then tilted her head down and gave Celeste a knowing look as if she had said something odd.

The blonde apprentice thought for a second before something dawned on her and she spoke suddenly. “Oh, I guess you are possessed, sort of.” Celeste pondered the wonders of the metaphysical for a few moments longer before she added. “No you are both the possessed and the possessee.”

Lilith gave this some thought too and nodded in agreement. She then opened the dress box and removed Celeste’s extra bra and handed it to her.

Celeste took it with a confirming gesture before she placed it on the end of the dresser so she could pick it up later that evening.

Lilith was feeling tired after casting fabrication three times that morning but she wasn’t feeling hungry like she did after making all the devil’s pacts the previous day. She was beginning to suspect that these were pulling from two separate and distinct wells of energy: Spells that recovered when she slept and devil pact magic that recovered when she ate food. Having just solved a metaphysical problem herself that no human had likely ever thought of before Lilith let out a small “humm” and then began a much more mundane task. She took her new dress out and hung it up in the closet next to the black dress that still hadn’t been returned.

Lilith could count all of her worldly possessions on one hand.

* A poisonous magical sword

* A set of Demon Plate

* Two gold coins

* A set of black panties with a hole cut in the rear

* A borrowed set of commoner’s clothes

But now she could add A sports bra and a dinner dress to that list. One she was currently wearing and the other she was currently admiring. Lilith wasn’t one for girly things, in fact she had only recently started doing any girly things. But the last tailored outfit she had worn was a navy blue formal suit for her dad’s funeral. This dress however was something she could be happy about, it was a gift from a friend. “Thanks again Celeste, it’s a nice dress. Now we just need a party to wear it to.” she said as she was eager to thing about something more pleasant.

“Hmmm, it may be up to us to make our own party. But there is bound to be another banquet when they rescue the Duchess.” She said with a bit of hope.

Lilith understood this in a completely different way and was thinking of forming an adventuring party with Wendel and Celeste to go save the Duchess. Honestly, why were they waiting for a cleric anyways. Then she remembered Wendel’s warning about dying in this world. It was a very real option for people that took on the forces of evil. Maybe that was why they were waiting for the cleric. Without a member that could heal wounds or raise the dead, returning with fewer members than when you started was a very real possibility. Celeste began tugging on Lilith's arm as she stood in the closet. Apparently someone was hungry.

Lilith took the opportunity to take off her metal boots and put on her flats instead. She wasn’t hungry but went to the banquet hall anyways. ‘oh no I might have to force myself to eat some savory ham or delicious turkey’ Lilith thought to herself mockingly. Now walking through the halls without her boots going clunk clunk and without her boobs going bounce bounce Lilith felt like a functioning person outside of her armor for the first time. The feeling of liberation put an extra spring in her step as they walked to the food table, her arms swinging in long arcs.

She half filled a plate with stewed carrots and ham and waited for Celeste before they both sat next to each other at the table.

“That was a nice shop”. Lilith opined. As she cut up her ham and stabbed the first piece with her fork.

“Ya and that Anabel was so cheeky. I bet she really loves her job.”

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“I can’t believe she is going to try and make bras by hand. It was really hard even with magic.”

“Well you had better hope she succeeds because you stand to make a tidy profit if she does.” Celeste said this and then began eating her baked chicken thigh.

“I was thinking of helping her with that too.” Lilith said with a new piece of ham already on her fork.

“What the profit part? I don’t understand why you only asked for 10%”

“Well she is the one doing all the labor all I did was show her the design of it. And it isn’t even my design.” Lilith was getting impatient and was now spearing 4 pieces of ham at a time.

“I watched you make it from scratch Lil. It sure looked like your design.” she said as she pointed a fork at Lilith.

“Well yes I put some work into it but these bras are commonplace where I come from.” Lilith put the full stack of 8 pieces of ham In her mouth pulled them off the fork with her teeth and swallowed. The food never stood a chance.

“Ok. But they are near one of a kind here on the sword coast so why only ask for 10%?” Celeste knew a thing or two about business her dad was a succesful alchemist with his own shop. He even made and sold potions to the wizard’s tower where she trained in Waterdeep. She was certain from the margins he charged that Lilith was leaving a significant amount of money on the table. She thought it didn’t make sense for Lilith she was smarter than that.

“I just don’t want to profit unduly from someone else’s labor.” Lilith began eyeing the carrots.

“Sounds like there is a story there.” Celeste started finishing off her green pees and potato slices.

“Ya there is, I’m just not sure how to tell it. I come from a very different world you know.”

“You don’t seem so different.” Celeste tilted her head to give Lilith a sympathetic look.

Lilith finished eating a stewed carrot before she pointed to her eyes with a mocking expression.

“That's not what I mean. I mean you aren’t trying to plot the takeover of the town or pushing for some type of title or estate inside the territory. You wouldn’t even push your advantage on a shrewd businesswoman like Anabel. I mean her dresses are nice but she is making 100% profit on everything she sells.”

“So are you suggesting we should go into the clothing business?” Lilith asked as she finished the last carrot on her plate.

“You did buy a good bit of cloth.” Celeste admitted as she tried to spear the last few green pees that were eluding her.

“Yes and if we do go into the clothing business, whose store would we sell our goods in?”

That's when it clicked for Celeste. She realized that Lilith was willing to make a show of good faith to Anabel, in the hopes of future business dealings. So that money left on the table was actually an opportunity cost not a loss. “Oh I see where you are going.” she said in both surprise and understanding.

“We may even want to make them in different colors.” Lilith suggested as she set her fork down and pushed her plate away.

“That sounds great but first we need to get you a bank account.” Celeste bobbed her head a little as she picked up the last pee by hand and ate it.

“Ya lets go. Is there a bank you would recommend?” Lilith stood up and began to even out her dress pulling down on it.

“Yep, Sword Coast Traders. Its not that far actually.”

With their lunch vanquished the two girls headed out of the Ducal Castle and began walking past the temple of Lathander. They were about to pass the Lizard’s Gizzard Tavern when a guard came running up to them and blocked their path taking a second to catch his breath before he spoke.

“Oh good I found you.” He paused again as the ladies gave him a questioning look. This guard was missing the usual sword and shield and also his helmet. “You are Lilith correct?”

Lilith nodded her head.

“I have come on orders of our regent to escort you to him at the Drill Field.”

Lilith looked down at Celeste then raised her hands and shrugged. “Fine fine lead the way.”

The guard turned away from them and started walking at a brisk pace. Lilith took Celeste’s hand and started walking almost as quickly trying to keep up. But with each step they were losing ground her friend’s short legs unable to keep up the pace. So Lilith stopped and turned to Celeste. “Do you want to go on a jump with me?”

“Uhh sure why not.” Celeste knew the spell did not allow for objects to mingle or collide while teleporting so she had little to fear. But that didn’t make it any less stressful for her.

Lilith waited until the guard looked back at them, seeing them 70 feet back down the road. Once their eyes met, she teleported to within 1’ of him. She arrived with a grin and a whoosh of air as a gray mist pushed away from their forms upon arrival. “Sir would you mind slowing down just a bit from a light jog to a light walk?”

The guard looked stunned but then he swallowed a lump in his throat and saying “Yes, sorry ma’am.” Once again he turned away from them and set off but this time at a leisurely pace, one the girls had no trouble keeping up. At this speed they could even talk comfortably.

“So what do you think this is about?” Celeste asked.

“I imagine it is about the new weapons and formations I made for Tany. But I am surprised they have some complete by now.”

“Oh if it is on the Drill Field I bet Sharl will be there too.” Celeste said expectantly.

Lilith gave her friend a knowing look and saw her blush a little. “Well then we should have worn our good dresses.”

Celeste let out a rapid nod to agree. “Yes I am sure he would love to see you in that red dress.”

“Perhaps but just between you and me, I think you would be a better match for him.” Lilith said as she looked down at her friend.

“What makes you say that? I saw how well you two got along…. Almost instantly in fact.”

Lilith didn’t quite know what to say. She couldn’t tell Celeste about her being physically unable to have sex. Nor could she tell her that she wasn’t as attracted to guys as she was to girls. It would make their relationship a bit awkward to say the least. So she decided to tell one truth and one lie. She was willing to do that to protect her privacy and her friendship. “No we just have common interests. We both like sword fighting and military tactics. And besides I don’t think he is the kind of guy who would like having Cambion children.”

Celeste raised her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh but then got a serious look on her face. It was true most men would leave a women if she had a Tiefling child but a Cambion was much worse. They were without fail ambitious and evil. The very thought causing a wave of pity and regret to wash over her at the same time. “Yes I don’t think he would…. But you probably don’t want a Cambion child either do you?” Celeste looked up at Lilith with a concerned look almost as if she regretted having to ask the question while also regretting that she had started such a touchy conversation in public.

“No I don’t want to bring anything evil into this world” She said in a stoic voice. This had worked out far better than she had thought possible. “So I hope you can understand I am not in a hurry to find a guy at the moment.”

Celeste nodded and then pointed at their escort who had gotten a sizable lead on them and was about to turn a corner and go around a building.

Seeing this Lilith grabbed Celeste’s outstretched arm and jumped again landing just 10 feet behind the guard.

And there it was the Drill Field. A large open area filled with dirt and sand. It looked to be in good shape the sand was all of uniform color and was both dry and level. On the field there were what looked like two opposing forces. One wearing the garb of the militia and the other wearing padded clothing that was predominately green. Held high above the militia’s heads were the new spears 15 feet tall but they didn’t have points at the end. Instead there were just crude round pieces of metal that likely had the same weight as a spearhead but was otherwise completely blunt.

The guard continued to walk to a group of onlookers where he stopped and saluted. At their center stood Sir Tanel and Sharl who seemed to be in the middle of a heated conversation. Lilith finally seeing her destination, kept her grip on Celeste’s arm and jumped a second time. This time they landed 5 feet away from Sharl with a whoosh and a circle of mist at their feet.