Chapter 36

As she slept, Lilith dreamt of her past, fond memories of riding on horse back at a summer camp in central Texas. It was hot but dry. The terrain was covered in cedar trees and the occasional cactus. The familiar smell of cedar bark and lime stone dust brought the memory into focus.

Twelve of them set out, ten teens and two camp counselors each riding a horse. They went over hills and down creeks, some completely dry others filled with clear water streams. While the horses stopped to drink and Jason would look around at the hillsides colored in burning orange sunlight the striations of the rock layers each a different shade as the day drew to a close. The ride was only half over but Jason thought the sunset was going to be the highlight of the trip as he waited for his horse to get its fill. Continuing into the night, they traveled over a ridge known as the Devil’s Backbone, the cooler night air being much easier on the horses and riders alike. Then off to the side of a path, they encountered a stone pyramid made of river rocks stacked about 4’ high. One of the counselors told them it was a property marker but they were no where near any fence line. In fact they were about 1/3rd of the way into a 2500 acre tract of land. The camp councilors made the kids swear never to tell anyone about the stone pyramid as it could cause the camp to lose some of its land if the neighboring ranch ever found out about it. The rest of the trip was uneventful but still impressive, the horses all doing their jobs, delivering their teenaged riders back to the camp after an eight hour ride.

Lilith then found herself somewhere completely different. Rather than being in her memories she was doing something familiar but also new. She was flying on the back of an eagle. Somehow she knew this was a dream. Somehow the realization was liberating prompting her to look around. Flying at night time she could see the Sword Mountains in front with the ocean off to her left. As she flew over forests and under clouds she noticed a new light striking the terrain from the East. Turning to her right she saw a point of light pierce the horizon then broaden into a bright curved line. There as the sun emerged from the edge of the world a familiar figure strode upon it. A young man with a kind face and golden hair. Lilith knew who this was, as she had seen him once before. And then she heard his familiar voice kind and gentle. “You have done well this day. You have shown wisdom, bravery and mercy in equal measure. You have freed a noble soul who did not deserve her fate and for that you have earned yet another gift.”

Lilith could see his outstretched hand, in it he held what looked like a miniature sun. It burned with roiling intensity giving her pause. Unlike last time Lilith was not speechless so she spoke, to a god, for the first time. “Why am I here, was this just some random accident?”

The expression on Lathander’s face changed from a smile to one of surprise. After seeming to think for a moment he began to explain slowly, “The spell used to bring you here was random but I made it choose you.” Lathander pointed at Lilith as he said this.

Still confused her mind raced. Why pick me though? Surely there was someone else that was more virtuous or a better fighter. Lilith’s mind filled with doubt as she looked up at Lathander his eyes flared piercing her. Then she saw a different vision. She was trapped, stuck in a magic circle with Pencheska over night. The two of them fighting hour after hour until Pencheska was killed her body returning to the lower planes. The next morning Celeste and Wendel turned their backs on her. Now she was the imprisoned demon. Now she was stuck inside the magic circle begging to get out. Then weeks later, the town was burned and pillaged by orcs. Now they mocked her from the other side of her transparent prison. But that wasn’t the worst part. The doors to the tower were smashed off their hinges the fate of the town clearly visible through their opening. Then two days later when the spell failed she was free but surrounded by ash and silence in a dead city. The horror of it sickened her. Lilith tried to closer her eyes but she couldn’t. Then the vision ended and Lilith was once again riding the back of a Giant Eagle over the land of Faerun at dawn with Lathander by her side.

There flying in the night sky she sat, reflecting on what she had just seen. If she hadn’t prayed. If she hadn’t asked for divine help she would have been stuck there. The regent wouldn’t have taken a chance on her instead leaving her neatly contained inside the circle. ‘He knew. He knew I would pray. But how? Can he see the future? Heh, so that's why he is holding the orb already. Figures.’ she shook her head laughing internally at how easily he had assuaged her doubts. Lilith now had no more reservations about her role in this world. She knew that he had picked the right person and that he had confidence in her. Looking to her right with a smile she reached out to take the orb. Lathander pressed it forward, his expression turning warm as she felt the light enter her body. The energy bathed her in an unearthly glow the holy light illuminating her winged steed in a bright golden glow. When the orb was wholly consumed and the light faded Lathander spoke again. “And what do you think this one would like, your partner on your path.” He motioned a hand down to the eagle.

“She is kind and pure and she loves spells, So I am sure you can think of something.” Lilith said as she remembered Celeste's smiling face during spell practice.

“Yes I know just the thing. It will be quite useful, perhaps sooner than you think.” And with a wave of his hand every feather on the eagle’s back turned a golden hue reflecting the rising sun all the more.

The light of the sun then became brighter as the world was now fully lit in daylight. Still Lathander spoke but this time from higher overhead. “The path you are on will be difficult and more will be asked of you. But as you walk it I will light the way.”

As his words faded, the dream changed in a flash as Lilith was alone again on the back of a giant gold eagle flying over Faerun in darkness just as it had started. The rhythmic beating of wings was comforting. Slowly her vision faded as Lilith returned to a deep sleep lying forward onto a feathery bed.

After some time and much needed rest, Lilith could feel herself waking slowly in a haze of contentment. She could feel her legs and tail sticking out from under a blanket parts of her extending out to the cold stone floor beyond. Close by, she could smell something sweet and savory. It was the unmistakable smell of a honey baked ham. A single word entered her mind when confronted with the sweet sweet scent, “Delicious”. Without opening her eyes she followed the smell only a few inches away grasping it with both hands she sank her teeth in deeply.

Almost immediately Lilith could feel the ham being pulled sideways jerking her head suddenly. She released her grip on it with both her hands and her mouth looking around confused by the unexpected movement. Then there was an ear piercing scream from her left. Her eyes now shot open where she saw Celeste's face twisted and contorted in pain and fear. She was grasping at her right forearm with her left as rivulets of blood could be seen coming from between her fingers. Lilith sat motionless still in shock at what she was seeing as she felt something wet on her lips. She wiped it away with the back of her hand only to see blood smeared on the back of it. But still feeling moisture on her lips she licked them and they tasted of honey.

Celeste took her hand off the wound to look at it seeing the two large holes on top of her arm as blood also poured from the two equally sized holes on bottom. The wounds almost connected in the middle between the two bones of her arm. She pulled the drape of her evening gown and wrapped it around the wound and grasp it once again as blood began to make circular stains on the quilted blanket she was crouched on.

The Duchess was now awake and moved to the edge of her bed to stand up seeing the commotion. She then stood looking over Celeste’s shoulder seeing the blood now seeping through the fabric of the night gown. Quickly the Duchess went for the door but found it was locked. So she stood there motionless not wanting to become the demon’s next target.

“Why?” was all Celeste could manage as she continued to apply pressure to the wound with one hand as she looked up at Lilith searching for an answer.

“I’m sorry” was Lilith’s reply as she moved forward to help her apply pressure. But Lilith couldn’t reach her she felt like she was being weighed down by an impossible force. Both her hands outstretched towards her friend her face turned to fear as well. Fear for what she had done.

Celeste then moved closer to her so she was within reach as the two of them applied pressure to the wound from above and below, three hands being much better than just the one. Feeling the strong grip of her friend, Celeste’s expression changed to a manic smile. Her arm was still bleeding but at least she had help.

Lilith saw the expression and was surprised, but tried to return her gaze. Anything was better than looking at the damage she had done to her friend’s arm. Then Celeste's left hand began to glow a warm golden color as the brightness suffused her arm and the cloth of her night gown. The light swelled and then faded. Just like that all traces of pain were gone from Celeste's expression. Both girls knowing what had just happened and the miracle that it was embraced each other. Lilith could feel her tail curl up behind her but it seemed to bring another object with it. The noise of a lounge chair dragging across the stone floor continued as Celeste and Lilith maintained their embrace.

The duchess just stared at the two of them. A wizard had just used divine magic on herself. But more troubling than that was the sight of her rescuer, who had seemed nearly human just the day before. Now however she appeared disfigured and monstrous by comparison.

Lilith could feel her tail wrapped around something but had no idea the scale of it. But hearing the chair slide and scrape along the stone floor she released her embrace from Celeste deciding to turn to see what was causing the unexpected noise. There behind her and as thick as her torso was her tail, snaking behind her for 13’ and in the end it had grasped a lounge chair which was now cast onto its side being pulled to within 3’ of her. Lilith pushed down on Celeste’s shoulders to stand and found her footing. She turned to face her tail using her arms to unhook it from the chair and set it upright.

“What in the nine hells just happened?” The Duchess demanded.

“I don’t know but everything is ok. Right Lilith?” Celeste said holding out her arms to try and calm down the Duchess.

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“Yes everything is fine, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near my tail until I get this thing figured out” Lilith turned towards the Duchess as she spoke knocking over the chair again with a soft thud.

“What do you mean fine? Does she bite you every morning?”

“No she usually just attacks her breakfast that way. Wha… What happened Lils?”

“Umm I was still half asleep and for some reason you smell like a honey glazed ham this morning.” Lilith explained while messing up her crimson red hair with one hand still finding her mind a bit hazy.

Celeste proceeded to sniff herself “I don’t smell anything, just a little sweat and dust.”

“And what do I smell like to you?” The Duchess asked still pressed against the door.

“Like a yellow sponge cake with vanilla frosting.” Lilith said after sniffing the air for a second.

“Well I have been called worse.” The Duchess said with a smirk as some of the tension left her body.

“Oh god this is so messed up! Why do people smell like food today?” Lilith asked no one in particular as she let out a sigh.

“Lilith did you get another visit from Lathander?” Celeste asked with a knowing look.

“Do you know any other deity handing out tails like fabric samples at a dress shop?” Lilith complained while extending both her arms in the general direction of the large green snake like tail coiled behind her.

“You were visited by Lathander?” The Duchess asked pointing a single finger at Lilith.

“Ya. This was the third time I think. He said that I did a good job rescuing you that you were a noble soul. And that I needed to pick a gift to give to Celeste.”

“Please tell me you chose wings!” Celeste said excitedly.

“No sorry, but I did tell him how much you liked spells so he may have given you some of his.” Lilith said with a shrug.

“That would explain the glowing hand earlier and the miracle she performed on her own arm.” The Duchess said, now standing normally in front of the door rather than pressed against it.

“Hey Celeste try blinking your eyes three times fast.”

Celeste looked at Lilith with curiosity before she decided to give it a try blinking three times. “Oh I see a book.” She said

“How many pages does it have?”

“Three” She remarked with a bit of surprise.

“So you have cantrips and level two spells. But we can go….”

“Hey whats going on in there I heard a scream. Celeste, are you ok?” Wendel half shouted through the door.

Celeste motioned for the Duchess to move away from the door and back to the bed. “Yes I’m fine Master Wendel, Lilith just gave me a bit of a fright this morning.”

“Oh is she in there with you?”

“Yes” Lilith called out.

“Oh, alright then. I will lay out breakfast down stairs in the study. I trust you won’t make me wait too long we need to do more spell practice this morning we didn’t do any yesterday.”

“Ok, we will be down in ten minutes or so.” Celeste said while giving Lilith a thumbs up.

“Sounds good” Wendel said in a quieter tone as his foot steps could be heard going to the right, away from the door.

“Alright, Lilith come over here and have a seat on the floor.” Celeste said as she held Lilith’s hands and walked her forward to the side of the bed, away from the door and the closet. “Now I need to get dressed.” Celeste began going to the closet to put on a new set of wizards robes then donned her cloak.

“I am sorry if I offended you earlier I was just… There was a lot of blood.” Lady Morwen said as she walked a bit closer to Lilith trying to show how she wasn’t afraid.

“Oh ya let me fix that.” Lilith said as she pointed a finger cleaning the quilt, her hand and her whole body for good measure.

“Ok, your turn Lady Morwen. Come see what I have.” Celeste called out from the door of the closet.

While she waited for the Duchess to get dressed, Lilith focused on moving her tail one segment at a time. First the tip, left, right, up, down. Then the back third, left, right, up, down. It seemed like she had complete control over it but then when she moved her legs the tail lashed side to side at the same time banging the bed frame against the stone wall. It was like the nerve commands for her legs were also going to her tail after some kind of interpretation that she couldn’t control.

Celeste returned to the middle of the room followed by the Duchess. “Ta da!” she said. There the duchess was in a blue and gold formal dress. It only came down to the middle of her calves but the rest of it seemed to fit just fine.

“Its very nice actually and thanks for letting me borrow it.” Lady Morwen said as she looked over the bodice of the dress and played with the drape at the side.

Celeste then pulled the Duchess over to the door and said “Ok Lilith now you can get dressed.”

Lilith began to walk slowly over to her armor surprisingly her tail played nice staying directly behind her as it moved more like a slug than a snake. She then noticed her destroyed underwear as she pulled at it with a hand while bending over.

“Oh that's unfortunate Lils and you just had that made.” Celeste said as she cringed at the sight of the shredded garment.

Lilith tore off the remnants of her underwear revealing that her tail continued up between her legs and ended with a scaled section covering her pubic area. “Well there isn’t really anything for it to cover anyways.” she said sounding a bit dejected. Looking at herself Lilith could see that her tail connected at her now much broader hips almost encompassing them. Looking behind herself, she could see that the tail had its own dense muscle structure that connected to her. It seemed to go around her buttocks which were present somewhere inside the green mound that stuck out behind her. Once she made it over to her armor she equipped it giving her backside yet another look. The armored skirt omitted the tail section entirely giving her a 3/4ths of a skirt. It seemed functional as she had full movement of both her legs and her tail even if it did look a bit odd.

“Ok lets go get breakfast and tell my mentor that we completely disobeyed orders for the sake of secrecy.” Celeste said with a bit of sarcasm

“I promise I will speak up for you. I am quite happy to be out of that cell.” The duchess said as she put a hand on Celeste’s shoulder as she approached the door with a key.

The three of them then went down stairs, Celeste and Lady Morwen in front while Lilith was moving considerably slower than normal more akin to a hobble than a walk.

Celeste entered the study first where Wendel had used [Create Food and Water] to cover the large study table with an assortment of breakfast and lunch foods. She had eaten breakfast with him this way before. The conjured food was quite good and she was glad he always created way more than they needed. Spotting Wendel sitting in the lounge chair she fixed him with her gaze, cleared her throat “If I may, Presenting Lady Morwen Daggerford.” Celeste said with a flourish of her arms as she made way.

Wendel furrowed his brow as he looked in Celeste's direction thinking it was some kind of a joke. But he then noticed a familiar person behind her even though he had only ever met the impostor.

Lady Morwen entered the room and performed a small curtsy. “I had no idea wizards ate so well. I would have invited one to my court many years ago if I had only had the faintest idea.” She said motioning at the fantastic spread of food laid out on the table.

“Lady Morwen, when did you…. How?”

“Your cohorts seemed to have hatched a plan and liberated me this past evening. It was very exciting. I had never flown on the back of an Eagle, or any bird for that matter.” she said with a kind expression while tilting her head towards Celeste.

At that moment Lilith came around the corner and waved at Wendel. Then she continued to come around the corner for an additional 10 seconds. “Morning.” she said with a bit of cheer and a forced smile.

“Lilith what happened to you?”

“You know, the usual.” Lilith lamented.

“There is nothing usual about that.” Wendel said pointing at her 500 lb tail.

“Lathander gave her another gift apparently. But this time he gave me one too.” Celeste said while pointing a single finger back at herself.

“What?”

“Yes but mine didn’t come with a tail. It seems only Lilith gets those.”

“Here your ladyship, please have a seat while we figure ‘this’ out.” Wendel said as he pulled up a chair for Lady Morwen at the empty reading table.

Lilith now standing in the middle of the room, just to the side of the study table, grabbed an ottoman with her tail pulling it underneath herself before she sat on it in one smooth motion. “See it works fine as long as I don’t move my legs.”

“What happens if you move your legs” Wendel asked.

“Maybe that can wait until we are outside?” Lady Morwen said in a way that wasn’t really a question as she places a healthy serving of scrambled eggs and a ham sandwich on her plate.

“Yes quite right ma’am” Wendel responded with a small bow as he then found his seat.

“This food smells the same as yesterday. Its good though.” Lilith said as she began eating whole sandwiches in two bites. “I am really hungry this morning.”

“Tell me about it” Celeste said with a thick smattering of sarcasm as she picks up a breakfast pastry filled with strawberries.

“Lady Morwen do you want me to send Sir Tanel a message. How do you want to be announced.”

“Tell him a member of the Lord’s Alliance is coming to visit in an hour’s time and he should be prepared to receive a noble guest.”

“I um… yes I think that will do.” Wendel said as he picked up his second sandwich. He then read out the rune words for Sending before he continued to eat the sandwich as he spoke to Sir Tanel in his mind. A minute later he finished off his sandwich then turned to the Duchess. “Its done, he will be expecting our noble guest at 9 o’clock” Wendel said with a nod.

“Good, now until then would someone mind explaining to me the situation here in my fair town?”

Wendel then began explaining the events of the past week in great detail. Lilith and Celeste offering only the occasional correction or addition as they continued to eat. They went over the Orc army. The defeat of their champion. The imprisonment of the false Duchess and the conclusion of their investigation into Lilith both her origins and her demeanor. Lady Morwen got a particular laugh about the need for a 4 day investigation into someone who had saved the town from not one but two calamities.

Lilith finally stopped eating after her fourth plate. Not because she was full but because she wasn’t hungry any more and her friends were giving her odd looks. “That really hit the spot Wendel. We should eat breakfast here more often.”

“Oh, here is the best part.” Wendel said as he snapped his fingers causing all the remaining food, plates, forks, and goblets of water that were part of the spell to disappear leaving only a clean and empty study table.

Lilith and Lady Morewn clapped both of them seeming equally impressed.

With around 30 minutes left Wendel sent word to Sharl to report to his tower with two of his most trusted men in full gear. “Now all we need to do is wait for the knock at the door. Duchess please stay here and relax while we tend to a few experiments in the lab down stairs. Celeste, Lilith would you mind joining me in the laboratory?”

The three of them began to go down to the first floor when Wendel called back to the slowly moving Lilith “Hey Lils why don’t you teleport down here?”

“Well its not that simple Wendel. First, I need line of sight and these curved stairways prevent that. Second, the place I land needs to have room for my whole body and that’s a lot more difficult now. Hopefully it will be easier to move once I am outside.”

“Do you think people will freak out or panic when they See Lilith? I mean I almost did this morning.” Celeste asked with a slight bit of worry in her voice.

“It doesn’t matter. I doubt anyone would attack her. They may just walk the other direction. But I wanted you both down here to ask how sure you are that that is indeed the real Lady Morwen?”

“Pretty sure actually. First she has the ring, and when we scryed for her I did speak to her and she was right where she was supposed to be. Also she doesn’t have any illusions or spells active. She is as mundane as any of the town guard.”

“Oh I keep forgetting you can see through illusions. What did you use to scan her for magic items and spells?”

“My eyes can see that too now. Ever since yesterday. I can see a lot. Like right now Pencheska is trying to carve rune words into her skin but they are healing over after a few minutes and disappearing. She can’t see that because of the magical darkness and is getting frustrated that she can’t get the runes to stick.”

“Oh the poor dear. … But you are sure this is the real Lady Morwen.”

“Lathander did reward her with yet another gift.” Celeste said while motioning at Lilith’s … backside.

“So no illusions, she has the ring and a god is pleased. What more could we ask for I guess.”

“Yes, Lathander said that I saved a noble soul from a fate she didn’t deserve.”

“Ok, let me check the quicksilver runes. Celeste, you feed the fire beetles.” Wendel said with a nod.

There was a flurry of movement as Lilith watched. She stifled a laugh every time Pencheska got frustrated at her failures. Then just as Celeste was adding new bedding to the beetle cages there was a knock on the door. “Yall called for an escort?” Sharl asked as he leaned into the tower through one of the two doors.

Wendel then invited Sharl and his two guards inside the tower while he sent Celeste up the stairs to fetch the duchess. Once everyone was in the entryway on the first floor of the tower Wendel began to explain his plan. They would escort her to the Ducal Castle stopping in the banquet hall where Sharl would announce her by name.

“Ok so we escort her in and announce her. Then what?”

“Then you stay by her side for the rest of the day or whatever Sir Tanel asks. So long as it doesn’t endanger the Duchess.”

“Glad to see you are still here Sharl. This will give us time to catch up.” Lady Morwen said as she shot him a wry smile.

“Sure thing ma’am we actually have a lot to discuss.” Sharl replied with a small grin as well.

“Its time. Lead the way Sharl.” Wendel said in a calm voice.

Sharl gave Wendel a nod before pushing open both the tower doors. One of his guardsmen walked in front while the second followed behind. Soon the seven of them were walking out of the wizard’s tower and into the morning light.