Chapter 28

When she awoke Celeste could only see red. It was bright red but soft. Lifting her head she could see the river of red hair flowing off her towards a familiar face. She brushed her friends hair aside laying back on the pillow. Taking a breath and a quiet yawn she felt well rested and unlike the previous night she could remember the faintest parts of a good dream. She laughed through her nose at the absurdity of it, the dream involving a new spell attack that shot bras at people’s faces in order to blind them.

Internally Celeste debated whether she could get up without waking her friend. Wiggling her feet gently she soon decided it was best to stay put as she didn’t want to wake Lilith who was still sleeping. She liked to get up early but she couldn't do that today, for now, she was stuck in bed. Looking past her feet, Celeste could see the first rays of sun coming in through the window as she lie there for a moment rethinking the events of that week. She had been so fearful and afraid at the start. She thought for sure that her mission would lead to Wendel’s death or her own. She was just glad that the mission was over now and she was finally going to be recognized as a wizard. But that first day was a confusing and scary in equal measure.

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4 days ago, Daggerford, in the Wizard’s Tower as Lilith was being entertained by Sir Tanel.

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Wendel stormed into the tower library his eyes darting left to right finally settling on her. He didn’t look like his usual calm self, his hair was out of place and he looked like he had seen a ghost. He threw his staff on the study desk and took a seat directly opposite her, still breathing heavily as he had sprinted up the stairs.

Pensively he looked her over, stroking his short dark beard before he spoke. “Celeste you have been a very capable apprentice for the past six months, ever since I left Waterdeep and took up station here in this tower.”

“Yes Master Wendel…. Is... Is something wrong?” She asked closing her book and pushing it away.

“Yes… yes... something is very wrong. Something impossible has happened. I may have doomed us all or we may be just fine and nobody will lose any toes this time.” Wendel said with an odd smile. His missing toe had become a euphemism for the hidden costs and dangers of doing magic.

“You’re scaring me Wendel. Did something happen with the summoning?”

“Yes, it went awry somehow. The demon we summoned is not under my control and it is immensely powerful. It slayed the Orc Champion in a single blow and then kicked its head around like it was a rotten cabbage. And the worse part is I don’t know if it will leave us at midnight tonight. If she isn’t under my control then all bets are off.” Wendel said with a sweeping motion of his hand.

“So the Orcs left then?” she asked with a bit of concern

“Oh they are long gone by now. They are probably off ridding Sir Tanel’s estate of all of his live stock on their way north but that can’t be helped. The point is that its impossible. Pact magic is very strict on the wording. It follows set rules and the wording I used specifically said summon a demon under my control.” Wendel pressed a bent finger into the palm of his other hand for emphasis.

“So have your plans changed?” Celeste asked with a bit of impatience

“No we still proceed as planned, we need the demoness to capture the False Duchess tonight so no changes yet, assuming she plays along and doesn’t decide to ally with the succubus.” Wendel stated as he bit his lip nervously.

“So its a her?” she asked.

“Yes most definitely. Long red hair, red glowing eyes, and umm… she is wearing demon plate.”

“So what will you do?”

“Me? All my spell energy was spent on the summoning. Also, she doesn’t like me for some reason so there is no way for me to make progress there.” Wendel admitted, sitting there for a moment looking off to the racks of books on the far wall before he turned back to look at her, his head turning slowly as if it was difficult to move. “That's why I have two important assignments for you today. If you complete them you will help save the town and graduate from apprentice to wizard.” Wendel looked solemn not happy as he said this.

“Really, you are going to dangle that in front of me?” She asked only seeing a concerned expression on her teachers face. “Crap this must be really dangerous then. Ok, what is it?”

“First, I need you to befriend this demon. Find out what her motivations are and what she is after. She says she is human but she could be using illusion magic to make Sir Tanel’s ring turn green. Or any other kind of tricks. I can’t tell without my power. But for now, she seems friendly enough and insists on being called Lilith. If she really is a demon, a girl as pure and happy as yourself will be an irresistible target. So don’t put on any wards and leave your magical ring and cloak here.” Wendel gave her a stern look.

“So I am to befriend her while acting as bait?” Celeste seemed uneasy with the idea but moved past it after she saw Wendel nod yes. “And what was the second thing?”

“Don’t reveal this to her yet but we are going to ask her to capture the False Duchess tonight. When we do, you will be the one to cast magic circle and imprison her inside. It doesn’t matter if you seal them both inside... in fact in some ways that would solve our problem. What is most important is that you don’t get distracted and lose the spell. It takes an hour to cast so I will send a runner to tell you when to start.” Wendel said calmly looking her directly in the eyes.

“We’ve practiced that…..I….I can do this. I won’t fail you.” Celeste said partially to convince herself.

“I hope not, for all our sake’s. I don’t want to know what kind of vengeance that succubus would unleash on you and I if this does not succeed.” Wendel said as he bit his lip again.

“Do you think we will both make it out of this alive? I don’t want you to lose anyone else.. I mean not that I am special to you like she was.. just that. You have lost enough already.” Celeste lamented.

“I don’t know. There are too many variables. But if anything should go wrong a guard will be listening on that room so just scream for help and pray she doesn’t slaughter them as well.”

Celeste nodded as she took off her ring and cloak. She then put her hair up into a bun using one of the enchanted quills they had in the Library as a pin. Standing she said a quick prayer while holding her Symbol of Lathander before letting it drop back into her robes.

“Are you ready? Lets go, we haven’t much time.” Wendel said as he motioned towards the door.

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2 Hours ago, Daggerford, Lady Luck Tavern, Room # 3

Lilith lay in a deep sleep. Her tiredness having caught up with her after much work and much more celebrating. But it had been a fun day. It started with being woken by Sir Tanel and ended by falling asleep in the arms of a very drunk and hot Celeste Baker. She had been asleep for a while but now she was was dreaming first her thoughts were of a tropical paradise but then they shifted to a far different scene. Rome… Rome Italy the Vatican city.

Suddenly in her mind she could see Earth spinning like a blue marble in space before her vision fell lower to the continent of Europe. It seemed to focus on the undeniably boot shaped peninsula to the south, her vision moving rapidly to its center. Then the great city of Rome came into view with its red roof tops and the separate walled city of the Vatican. Off to the side of the great cathedral was another older building. Below it an even older vault and in this vault, there were many books. Many, many books written by man but kept secret from them. Old books, past versions of a truth that many believed.

Lilith’s vision moved into one of the oldest of these books its many gold rimmed pages flew by as her vision pressed into them revealing the ones beneath. The movement stopped at a verse, Mathew 28:19 “Go Therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and the Holy Light…”

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Lilith then saw Northern Europe as the Holy Roman empire continued to convert the pagan tribes by offering the gospel and membership in the empire. Many would try to keep their sun god by claiming it was the Holy Light as well. She could see shrines to the sun being destroyed by the ones who used to worship them. Exchanged for a better way of living without the burden of sin and as members of a new empire.

Then her vision moved to another book similar to the first but newer. Her vision pressed into the pages until she got to a similar page as before Mathew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the son and the Holy Spirit…”

Lilith then heard a familiar comforting voice. “I am the Light”. With those words still echoing in her ears her vision pulled out of the vault, out of the city and out to reveal the world again as seen from 200 miles up. Lilith couldn’t help but think how beautiful it was; Europe, Asia, India spinning below her. But then the shapes of the land shifted and moved as the geography became different, unfamiliar. Never the less her vision moved closer and closer to a coast line on the western edge of the largest continent. It fell faster and faster, plunging below the clouds to a city on a river. The sudden motion blurring her sight until all was dark and still as she returned to a peaceful rest.

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Daggerford, Lady Luck Tavern, Room # 3

Lilith opened her eyes seeing Celeste playing with her blonde hair looking at the ceiling. They were lying together on the bed very close to each other both their heads resting on pillows. They were so close, in fact, that their hair was mixed together a tangle of red and gold. Farther down, Lilith could feel one of Celeste's legs intertwined with hers. So she tried to remain still, looking at Celeste in silhouette, enjoying the moment of quiet beauty in the early morning light. As she watched she noticed a mix of emotions going over Celeste's face. Some happy, some sad but mostly she seemed bored or regretful. For some reason she felt great and thus decided to snap her friend out of whatever funk she was caught up in. Smiling as she tried to think of what to say first a phrase got stuck in her mind though she didn’t understand why at first. ‘This is going to be a good day’ she repeated it mouthing the words before she remembered that it was one of Celeste's sayings.

“Morning.” Lilith said softly not wanting to startle her.

“Morning Lils.” Celeste said, still twirling a strand of her hair with her finger.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, no bad dreams this time.” she confirmed with a nod as she turned towards her friend with a smile.

“That's good to hear.” Lilith smiled back as she brushed some of her hair from between her and Celeste, pulling it under her head. “But you looked like you were thinking about something.”

“Ya, I was…. thinking... about when we had just met and how scared I was, at first.” Celeste said before looking back at the ceiling.

“But you’re not scared now?” Lilith asked while looking at Celeste's eyes to better read her response.

“No. I couldn’t feel safer anywhere else.” Celeste assured her as she moved one of her legs against one of Lilith’s

“Not even with Sharl?” Lilith said while sticking out her tongue slightly.

“Well it depends is he holding me somewhere in public or lying in bed with me?” Celeste asked now looking back at her friend’s glowing red eyes.

“Lying in bed with you. Of course.” Lilith thought their current surroundings should have been context enough.

“Then I would feel safer with you I think.” Celeste said with a bit of a nervous laugh.

“Oh does he scare you?”

“No just part of him?” Celeste admitted.

“Which part?” Lilith asked while raising her eye brows to tease her friend.

“I’m just worried he might be too big.” she said as her face turned a distinct shade of red.

Lilith remembered having this same discussion with some of her friends in high school. One friend complaining about how their significant other was too tight and how they had some difficulty at first. The discussion was just from the completely opposite point of view and came from a position of surprise rather than fear. But seeing her friend was genuinely worried Lilith tried to assuage her fears. “I wouldn’t worry. You don’t even know how big he really is, he could be just average. Either way it doesn’t change anything, you just take it slow the first time.”

“Take it slow…. And that helps?” she asked with a mixture of hope and confusion.

“Ya it just takes time to…. stretch.” Lilith said as she emphasized the last part.

“Oh and how would you know this?” Celeste shot back as she began to blush again.

“How old do I look to you Celeste?” she asked with a smirk

“I… ahh….I can’t tell, your face is completely mature but it has no signs of age, not even a blemish. I guess that's one benefit of being immortal.”

“I am probably 10 or 11 years older than you. So I do have some experience with these things.” Lilith hadn’t had her first partner until she was 25 but knowledge on sex was a lot more prevalent in her world.

“Oh…. did you… ah... have any kids?” Celeste tried to ask delicately.

“No luckily, considering where I am now and who is in my body, no I didn’t have any.”

“But how?” she asked turning more towards Lilith. Celeste’s chest shook and settled as she turned. Her hair also moved resting over them as it slid off her shoulder like a waterfall of golden water.

All this movement and bodily beauty left Lilith speechless for a second. After a moment she shifted her gaze back to her friend’s face while trying to think of a way to explain birth control pills even though it was her partners that had taken them. Finally she decided on the simplest answer. “In my world we have potions that prevent you from getting pregnant.”

“Really? That's amazing! I shall have to ask my father to research that. It would sell like crazy here, especially to brothels.”

Lilith was always amazed at how excited her friend got at the thought of making money. ‘She must have inherited that from her father.’ Lilith thought. “I can imagine.”

“It might even help with your problem.” Celeste said, pointing a finger at Lilith.

“Yes, it wouldn’t make them good, but at least I wouldn’t make them.” Lilith lamented.

“That's an odd turn of phrase.” she said as she winced and tilted her head.

“Well how else would you say it?” Lilith asked bringing a hand forward to gesture at her friend.

“Your so weird sometimes like you…” Celeste began to say.

“Are from another world?” Lilith remarked finishing her friend’s sentence

“Yes but also you act different like you are a mayor running for office.”

“Shut up! Did you just call me a dirty politician.” Lilith recoiled from the accusation but couldn’t go far as her side of the bed put her back to the wall.

“Well you do have a title now.” Celeste said mockingly.

“And A ring” Lilith held up her hand looking at the silver ring with an engraved tower and shield on the front face of it. “I wonder what its for?”

“Oh that's so that we can scry on you.” Celeste said in a flat tone as if stating a common fact.

“What?”

“Oh come on its not like that” Celeste took one of Lilith’s hands into her own. “Its so they can find you in case of an emergency. They aren’t going to just randomly scry on you any more.”

“So they were scrying on me?”

“Of course silly, They had their doubts about your motivations and your intentions and you are just so dangerous that they had to be sure. But don’t worry that's all over. Now you are an official citizen of Daggerford.” Celeste explained cheerfully as if she was giving her good news.

“Defender of Daggerford and ruler of the third rooms.” Lilith turned towards her friend raised three fingers to Celeste’s face as a sign of her authority as ruler, putting both her arms and breasts almost entirely in Celeste’s face.

Celeste raised a hand to protect herself instinctively but it grabbed flesh instead, the round shape matching the curve of her hand almost perfectly. Lilith had often seen her friend stair curiously at her chest so she wasn’t that surprised when she asked “Oh ah. Can I?” Celeste looked at Lilith for a response.

Only surprised at the suddenness, Lilith gave her a half smile and a nod. Celeste pushed her hand more firmly on Lilith’s Left breast and gave it a firm squeeze. She then lifted at the edges to feel their weight. “Do they feel heavy?”

“Nothing feels heavy to me really.” Lilith said in an unamused tone.

“They look heavy. Celeste removed her hand and started to look at Lilith’s chest from a few different angles.

“Do you want to try them out” Lilith asked thinking that she had just come up with a great idea.

“Huh?.. How?” She asked, with a bit of a surprised tone.

“You know I can cast Alter Self but it doesn’t work on me. Heh, I tried to change my eyes.”

“But its self cast only.” Celeste said sounding a bit disappointed.

“Not if you make a pact. Then you get to choose the target and the duration.” Lilith said with a wicked smile on her face which went away immediately at her friends sad reply.

“Then you could make me taller, permanently?” Celeste asked with a tinge of nervous excitement.

“I wouldn’t want to do anything to you permanently. I was just thinking of having a laugh, You know seeing you with boobs the size of mine for an hour. But to permanently change who you are? Trust me you lose a bit of yourself in the process and you can’t get it back.”

“I know I just want Sharl to be able to look at me in the eyes better.” Celeste ran her hand across her face, she seemed a little embarrassed at the request she had made.

“Is he not looking you in the eyes when you look at his?” Lilith asked, wanting to get to the heart of the problem.

“No he kinda just looks at the top of my head like he can’t look down that far.” she said dejectedly.

“Well whatever it is I am sure he likes you a lot.”

“What makes you say that? He danced with you first.” Celeste retorted with a bit of bitterness in that last part.

“Well he danced with you way better than me and you had way more fun. Also before he left he asked that I keep you safe and not let you out of my sight.” Lilith said outstretching a hand to her friend.

“So... that's why you have had your tail wrapped around my leg then, I presume?” Celeste asked with a raised eyebrow.

“What? Oh, ah sorry. I didn’t even know I was doing that. It kinda has a mind of its own.” Lilith said as she held up her hands in defense.

“Its ok, I wanted to talk to you anyways.”

Lilith uncoiled her tail and slid her legs clear of Celeste.

“Oh my leg is all tingly.” Celeste said as she rubbed the area just below her knee.

“So you wanted to tell me about how I was being spied on.”

Celeste nodded

“And you must have been feeling guilty about that.”

Celeste nodded again.

“And you wanted to tell me my boobs were heavy.” Lilith said with a slight smile.

Celeste started to nod then began to laugh and got out of the bed to hit Lilith with the pillow she had just been laying on.

Lilith just laid there, letting the pillow hit her square in the face.

“You take 1d4 pillow damage” Lilith said to herself as her voice was half muffled before Celeste removed the pillow.

“What?” Celeste asked pulling back the pillow for a second strike.

“Nothing, now get dressed before Wendel starts scrying on us.”

“Oh crap your right we have spell practice this morning.” Celeste threw the pillow back down onto the bed where it landed next to her friend, the impact blowing some of her red hair onto her face.

The two girls got dressed quickly and then took their time eating breakfast down stairs. It didn’t matter if Wendel scryed on them while eating breakfast after all. Celeste had a full plate of Eggs and Pancakes while Lilith had opted for ham eggs and a single pancake tossed on almost as an afterthought.

“Did Sharl really ask you to look out for me last night, before he left?”

“Ya he did.” Lilith confirmed with a nod.

“That man is hard to figure out.” she said lifting another fork full of eggs.

Lilith thought that Sharl was pretty easy to understand but saying this wasn’t going to help her friend any. “Then keep trying, that is part of the fun right?”

“Yes, perhaps... he is fun to be around.” Celeste mused with a small smile before turning her gaze to Lilith. “You sure are in a good mood this morning. Did you have a nice dream? Did you dream about Kevin?”

Lilith was a bit taken off guard by the suggestion but quickly realized what to say. “Yes I did have a good dream, it was another message from Lathander.”

“Oh? Really?…. Hmmm….I don’t see any new horns or wings on you this morning.” Celeste pretended to give Lilith a once over.

“No it was just a message. He spoke to me saying ‘I am the Light’. I think he was listening in on our conversation last night where I was explaining to you about the solar system here and on my world and how similar they are. He was basically just confirming to me that I was right. Lathander created my world as well as this one!” Lilith said with a great deal of excitement in her voice.

“That's really something Lils. So does that does explain how he was able to bring a message back from your god?” Celeste asked as she finished her plate.

“Yes but It also means something more, something very important. It means I can pray to him because he is also my creator.” Lilith said with a smile.

“That's great. But tell me this, of all the conversations I have ever had, why does Lathander listen into the one where I was completely drunk and didn’t manage an intelligent word other than uh-hu for 5 minutes straight?” Celeste asked her friend her eyes wide with embarrassment.

“Maybe it was one of your better ones?” Lilith teased.

At this point Celeste threatened to throw her fork holding it high in the air. She soon lowered it again and began laughing along with her friend.

A few minutes later with their breakfasts finished, Lilith and Celeste turned in their room key and headed out into the day. Walking side by side they navigated the dirt roads and squares heading towards Wendel’s tower.