Chapter 31

Lilith dropped off her extra garments in her room and then went to the master study and found the door open. There inside, were Sir Tanel and Wendel looking at a translucent orb that was resting on the map table.

Lilith knocked on the door and said, “May I come in, gents?”

“Oh yes, we were just checking on the progress of the steel smelting.” Sir Tanel said motioning towards the orb.

Lilith approached the table looking into the orb as well. In the fog of the crystal orb she could see Dwarves and men at work next to a furnace. With a hand wave Sir Tanel shifted the image and showed a different furnace where they were pulling blooms out of a set of coals before hammering them into billets. A nearby stack of billets showed their progress clearly but Lilith had no context to place it in.

“So, do they have enough for the spears and shields?” Lilith asked.

“We have enough ore now for the whole project but the smelting process is only 20% complete.” Sir Tanel explained.

“But that's not bad for 3 days work.” Wendel added. Now looking up at Lilith with his full attention. “You are still wearing your armor? I thought you were going to the dress shop?”

At this, Sir Tanel also looked up from the orb having seen enough.

“We also went to see Sharl so I could get some sword fighting lessons.” Lilith replied tapping a hand on the hilt of her great sword.

“Oh, how did you do? I bet he knocked you on your ass a few times didn’t he?” Sir Tanel asked with a grin.

“He surprised me a few times that's for sure, but not nearly as much as Celeste surprised him.”

“Oh what did that girl do this time?” Wendel asked with an expectant tone.

“Sorry this lady is not one to kiss and tell. You will just have to ask her at dinner tonight.” Lilith said with phony outrage in her voice.

The two men gave each other a knowing look seemingly hung up on the phrase ‘kiss and tell.’ Wendel then asked “As long as everyone is ok I suppose we will just have to ask my apprentice this evening.”

Lilith nodded her head to indicate everyone was indeed fine. She then decided to bring up the reason for her visit. “I have been using the Fabricate spell some today and was wondering if I might be of some help making the shields and spear heads once the steel is smelted?” She asked in a serious tone.

“Yes I saw you lengthen those spear shafts the other day that kind of magic will really help in this effort.” Sir Tanel agreed, referring back to the previous day’s events on the Drill Field.

“You could just offer your services to Gonald he has the contract for the equipment. So why are you asking us?” Wendel said in his usual calm voice.

“Well, I may need some training to use the spell properly. Do you think Gonald would allow a blacksmith to train me in how to forge a spear head or how to roll out steel sheeting without being asked to do so?” Lilith asked looking at Sir Tanel for help.

“I don’t know. Maybe if you threaten to dance with him again he might just train you himself.” Sir Tanel said with a huge smile, barely able containing his laughter till the end.

“Oh don’t make me hug you!” Lilith advanced forward both her arms outstretched

“Fine Fine I will ask him when he reports in this evening. So you should have some help from the guild tomorrow.” Sir Tanel said as he held up a hand to keep Lilith at bay.

Having heard her demands met Lilith lowered her arms and turned back to face Wendel “So has anyone tried scrying on Lady Morwen yet? I know we are waiting on the Cleric to arrive but I don’t see why we can’t start gathering information now.”

“Yes that was actually our first order of business after lunch today.” Wendel explained his expression looking a bit sour.

“And?” Lilith asked as she tilted her head impatiently.

“She is locked in a cell, relatively unharmed and still wearing the ring.” Wendel said in a calm voice.

“Any idea where she is being kept? Or by whom?” She asked stepping a bit closer to the orb.

“Well, the time of day was very close to here. The sun still looked like high noon so she is somewhere on the sword coast. That is all we have right now I am afraid.” Sir Tanel said as he put a finger to his chin.

“So we are going to have to wait for the cleric? Has there been any word on when they are coming?” Lilith let a bit of disappointment into her voice. She hated waiting.

“Yes they will be here in 6 days and they are bringing two brothers with them.” Sir Tanel answered with a bit of hope.

“Brothers?” Lilith asked seeming a bit confused.

“Two paladins of Lathander.” Sir Tanel confirmed with a level expression as if it was common knowlege.

Lilith was ecstatic now. She was going to get to meet both paladins and a cleric. Now she just needed to pray to Lathander to ensure they weren’t of the lawful stupid variety. “Oh, then retrieving the Duchess should be easy with that kind of extra manpower. Especially if I go with them.”

“Unfortunately as long as that orc army is still out there I can’t let you leave the town for the time being. Our defense strategy relies on you quite a bit.” Sir Tanel said with an apologetic tone.

“Oh I see.” she said

“Our scouts can give us a day’s warning pretty reliably if they approach but still it would be best for you to stay within half a days distance of the town.” Sir Tanel explained as he held his hands out as a bit of an apology.

“I guess it can’t be helped. I knew this title would come with some kind of responsibility.” Lilith said as she played with the ring on her right hand.

“Yes, I am trying to see If I can get some kind of benefit to come with it as well but that will have to wait till later. For now that 100 gold will have to suffice.” Sir Tanel said as he made a stern face.

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“Oh ya, I need to put that in the bank.” she said as she tapped the side of her head with a finger.

“Lilith you can cast Scrying and Sending now too can’t you?” Wendel asked.

“Yes why do you ask?”

“Well if we use some pact magic we might be able to set up an on demand scrying sensor on the Duchess. If we can see the faces of her captors or if they have any distinguishing marks we may learn more. We could just make a request that it activate for one hour every two hours on this crystal. I mean the sky is the limit with pact magic.”

“Yes there’s no limit.” Lilith began to stare into the middle distance realizing that the new spells she had could be cast at any distance for any duration she wanted as long as it was done with pact magic. A sudden realization then hit her. She now had the power to call home.

Without thinking the words left her mouth. “I think I need to call my mom.” Lilith said still in a bit of a shock at the realization.

“What?” Sir Tanel asked sharply.

“I need to call my mom, on dirt and warn her about Maldeval. Warn her to stay away from me!” She said speeding up her pace with each word.

“That's probably a good idea. Let me help.” Wendel said motioning for Lilith to sit on the couch.

Lilith had some difficulty getting comfortable as the armored skirt and tail seeming to conspire against her. Finally she sat forward resting her elbows on her knees. “Sending has a word limit so can we make a pact for the spell to be cast repeatedly on the same person for the next hour or until I speak the words ‘red dalmatian.’”

“What does that mean” Sir Tanel asked.

“Nothing its just a signal word, I think.” Wendel explained.

“Yes and don’t worry about using your spell energy this is my first pact today so I should have plenty of energy to spare.”

Wendel and Lilith then made a pact costing 40% of her pact energy. That was more than she had expected but it made sense given the distances involved. Lilith thought of her mother in a different universe on a different world in a city called Houston. She spoke a few words to her and waited for a response.

“Ring ring ring, Ring ring ring.” Jason said, figuring it would get her attention

“Hello?”

“Hey Mom its Jason how are you doing?”

“Jason? Uhhhh, I don’t even have my phone with me how am I talking to you?”

“It is literally magic. I am speaking directly into your mind and you are doing the same for me.”

“Well the connection is very clear I can hear you perfectly.”

“Mom I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“I am not on planet Earth any more. I am kind of in a different universe and on a different world and this is the only way I can talk to you.”

“Ok.”

“I have been gone for about five days now and I am sorry I didn’t call sooner but I just realized I could do this.”

“I am walking around the house and your voice keeps following me.”

“I know Mom its a type of telepathy.”

“Hmm that makes sense. Look, my mouth isn’t even moving when I talk to you. I am looking in a mirror right now.”

“Ok good. Now the important thing I wanted to warn you about is that there is someone else in my body. So don’t call my cell phone and don’t go to Florida to see me under any circumstances.”

“Jason I’m worried, like have you been possessed? Should I call the police?”

“No Mom, my body is still there in Orlando probably, but my mind is in another world and in another body. I think I switched places with someone and I don’t know their motivation for doing so yet.”

“So someone from that universe is in Orlando, in your body?”

“Yep.”

“Honey, I’m so sorry does that mean you are stuck there?”

“It seems that way.”

“Jason, you are going to make me cry.”

“I’m sorry Mom. I… am making new friends here though.”

“Really?”

“Yes and there is magic and a whole world to explore and I am helping to defend a small town. They even gave me a title.”

“So you are making a name for yourself there too?”

“You bet.”

“Ok, I am just sad I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

“Well I didn’t even know I was going.”

“Ya this body swapping person sure is rude.”

“Tell me about it I had to wait 8 hours before I finally got dinner that day. But Seriously Mom, don’t call my cell phone and tell Sarah the same thing.”

“Ok I will. Are you sure there is nothing else I can do to help?”

“You can pray for me.”

“Ok”

“I will call you again next week”

“Ok. Love you, Jason”

“Love you too” He then paused and said the words Red Dalmation out loud.

Lilith's eyes opened back up and she looked at both Wendel and Sir Tanel who were standing a respectful distance away but looking at her as she sat on the couch. A single tear ran down her face as a mixture of emotions were clearly visible.

“Are you back?” Wendel asked.

“Ya. It worked. Heh it actually worked. She’s fine. Of course she’s fine its only been a few days.”

“What did you tell her.” Wendel asked trying to direct Lilith’s ramblings.

“That I was in a magical world and that I had just now figured out how to call her. And I warned her not to contact my body in Florida and I told her to warn my sister too.”

“That sounds good. But Why did you…” Wendel trailed off seeing Lilith’s eyes dodge his.

Lilith wiped the tear from her cheek sniffing a bit. “What?”

“Nothing. Ah, look its about time for Dinner and you probably want to change and I need to go find my apprentice.” Wendel said emphasizing the last word.

“Ok” she said letting out a sigh still trying to fight off the unusually intense emotions she was feeling.

“I will see you in the banquet hall.” Wendel said as he left the room with a wave of his hand.

Lilith looked at Sir Tanel for a moment before standing from the couch that she couldn’t properly sit on anyways. “I think I will go to my room.” She said in a somber tone.

“I’ll walk you there.” he offered

“Thanks” Lilith said as she turned to walk out of the study. Sir Tanel quickly moving to her side.

“Its been six years since I have talked to my family you know. My mom and dad are back in Neverwinter.” Sir Tanel said talking as the two of them walked together.

“Well we can use sending to call them tomorrow if you like?” Lilith offered.

“I wasn’t complaining. I was just saying I always have mixed emotions when I see them.”

Lilith entered her room and Sir Tanel followed standing near the closet after he shut the door.

“And why is that?” Lilith asked as she began taking off her armor.

“Because they are older each time, and more frail, and I am less and less the boy they knew me to be.”

Lilith knew exactly what he meant. Her mother used to be a medical technician and was one of the leaders in her field. She even taught at Baylor school of Medicine. But recently she had started forgetting things. She knew that her older memories from Lilith’s childhood were hazy because she had to fill in the gaps for her. But still at times she was as sharp as a tack. Going to look in the mirror when experiencing a new phenomena for the first time was a pretty good diagnostic step to take, or so Lilith thought.

It was at this moment that Lilith realized she had taken off her armor and arming jacket and was now only wearing underwear, walking toward her closet where Sir Tanel was standing. It seemed he was equally surprised or maybe even stunned. His eyes locked on Lilith’s body as his mouth remained agape. He seemed not to know what to do with his mouth, his hands, or his eyes, as Lilith took two more steps closer to him to close the distance.

Suddenly she grabbed him by both shoulders and spun him away from her. “Cover your eyes you idiot!” She said as she walked to the closet. This was just role-playing for Lilith. She didn’t actually care that he saw her without clothes. It didn’t cost her anything. But still she remembered how her own form made her feel when she looked in the mirror. ‘That must have been quite the shock for him’ she surmised.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t. You were just.” He stammered 3 incomplete excuses as he held his hands over his eyes.

“Oh its my fault. I got a bit lost in thought. My mom was doing well but I do notice her getting older each year.” Lilith had brought her commoners clothes out from the closet and placed them on the bed before putting on her flats.

“And what about your father?” Sir Tanel asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“Oh… he died 3 years ago. He was a great man.” Lilith said in a somber tone.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know.” He gestured with his hands as a sign of apology. Taking them off his eyes he looked at Lilith again.

Lilith spotting his gaze followed his line of sight down to her legs. Looking at them, she could tell they had grown significantly in size since that morning. It seemed like they were reacting to the workout that day in record time. Her quads were huge and stuck out to the side of her legs changing their shape dramatically. Lilith wiggled her left leg and the muscles shook and jiggled, rotating out of time from her skeleton. “What do you think?” She asked looking at Sir Tanel for an answer.

“Good gods woman you could crush a horse with those!” he exclaimed before he slapped both hands firmly against his mouth.

“Perhaps, but I think my shoulders got bigger too as a result of the training we did today.” Lilith said rubbing her shoulder and upper arms, they were definitely bigger but not to the same extent as her legs.

Lilith then stepped into her commoners dress pulling it up as she slipped her arms through the openings and began wrapping the waist belt around herself. It went around three times before it was to be tied in a bow behind her. Seeing her holding the ends of the waist belt behind her, Sir Tanel walked over.

“Here let me.” he said. Lilith had already turned her back to him as she heard his foot falls.

“You know my dad, he had an eye for women. He couldn’t help but gawk at every beautiful little thing he saw. But he respected every one of them especially my mother. She used to say ‘He can look but he can’t touch’. And they were perfect for each other…. You remind me of him. You like to gawk.”

“Shut up. Are you trying to start a scandal.”

“If you were trying to avoid one you wouldn’t have followed me in here.” Lilith turned to face him as the bow on her back was now firmly tied.

“Oh, you may be right about that. But I think I just miss having someone I can talk to.” he lamented.

“You don’t talk to Sharl?” Lilith asked giving him a teasing look as she secured the button at the top of the dress on her upper back.

“Not about emotional things no. I mean how could I.. How could anyone?” Sir Tanel threw his arms out to the side as he was motioning to the entire world.

“He’s not that bad, but I know what you mean. So why haven’t you found a Mrs. Tanel? Then you could talk to her.” Lilith tilted her head bringing it a bit more down to his level.

“I was working on that. But then she changed and became distant and cruel and I feared I would never see the real her again.” Sir Tanel looked down as he said this seeming to morn a deep loss. Then the pieces clicked, and Lilith realized who he was missing. It was Lady Morwen Daggerford, the lost Duchess. Now she knew what had Sir Tanel feeling so out of sorts.

She thought ‘Seeing her again must have been hard.’ She looked at him this strong man seeming to be so depressed even though he had the entire town riding on his shoulders and she knew she had to help him.

“But then you saw her again today.” Lilith said with a smile placing a hand on his shoulder.

His gaze shot up to meet hers imediately as he realized she had figured it out. “Yes and it brought up so many emotions. Shame for having failed to protect her. More shame for taking so long to notice. Doubt and dread as I don’t know if I can save her. But I think there is also the faintest bit of hope.” Sir Tanel said nodding at her. His lip quivering just a little as he held them shut with some effort.

Lilith pulled him into a hug rubbed her hand on his back until she saw him cheer up and regain his composure. Sir Tanel Placed his hand on Lilith’s and shot her a smile. “Thanks Lils.”

“No problem.” she said returning his gaze.

“Alright I need some food. Lets go eat!” Sir Tanel declared as he pushed open the door. Succeeding valiantly in not making her feel awkward. Something she was beginning to appreciate more and more.

Lilith stood there for a second wiping a tear away from her own eye. ‘Damn these emotions. Whats wrong with me today?’