Chapter 4

And with that they left the break room, exited the gate tower, and proceeded up the main street of the town. Criers could be heard yelling out the good news in several directions. Lilith began to see the first few civilians wander the streets as she got close to a large fortified manor. They stared at her and she wondered why.

The three of them entered the Duke’s residence and asked the steward for a guest room for the champion. They were quickly shown to a decent sized room approximately 10’x20’.

Lilith took off her scabbard and sword and placed them under the bed. She then removed her armor revealing only an arming jacket and a pair of black leggings that went down to her ankles. Oddly the boots, greaves and gauntlets also disappeared when the chest plate was removed.

“Ha it really is magical” she said as she set it down near the night stand.

“Sir Tanel would you mind entertaining our guest for a minute while I try to find my assistant.”

“Of course of course we have lots to talk about” Sir Tanel replied.

Wendel left closing the door behind him and quickly walked off. His steps making a distinct noise in the marble hallway with each step. The guest room had a stone floor but a soft bed. Lilith fell back onto the light blue comforter that matched the color of the banners and shields she had seen outside. She let out a sigh as she relaxed for the first time that day finally feeling safe having a room to call her own.

Sir Tanel sat down on a chair on the far side of the room it was low to the ground and was most likely made for putting on shoes but it looked comfortable enough. “So how did you kill that orc champion so fast?”

“I…. I noticed he wasn’t wearing any boots” Lilith wiggled her toes inside her stalkings as she said this. Her legs were sticking out the side of the bed. “So I stamped on his foot and it shattered like a watermelon. Then I just pushed him over and landed my sword on his neck” Lilith said with not a bit of pride in her voice.

“Still that was pretty brave most girls wouldn’t be able to face an orc on a battlefield much less cut ones head off and kick it around like an unwanted cabbage. Wait you weren’t under Wendel’s control were you so that really was impressive.” Sir Tanel said with a chuckle.

Jason thought to himself that this was not the time for any big reveal it would only confuse the people around him. This day had been confusing enough and he would like to make it to the banquet without having yet another existential crisis. So he decided to play off the difference.

“My world has its fair share of wars I happen to be a bit of a student of warfare myself. We study it in books, on TV or the computer.” Lilith said wistfully. “We even make games out of it. We call them war games.”

“Um.. What do you mean by TV and Computer?” Sir Tanel asked.

“They are forms of media and entertainment more advanced than books. They have moving images and sound.” Lilith explained.

“So like illusion magic?” He asked.

“Yes but without the magic.” She paused seeming to be in thought for a moment before she continued. “The world I came from is very different from this one. The biggest difference being that there is no magic. So we had to advance through physical means rather than magical ones. We stopped using swords and spears a few hundred years ago. Our means of prosecuting warfare are way more advanced now. Better weapons and better armor… and better tactics. I could help you get that militia of yours into a top rate unit given enough time.” Lilith offered.

“A lady student of war.? Heh, you and the Duchess will get along nicely then.” he said with a sunken look on his face before he muttered something under his breath.

“I will look forward to speaking with her tonight then.”

“And if you are still with us in the morning I will put in a good word for you and add you to my staff.”

“Wait what?”

“I will add you to my staff.” He repeated a little unsure why that had bothered her.

Lilith sat up straight as a board, her eyes going wide. “No no, the other thing… I .. I forgot about that. If I disappear at midnight, where will I go?” Lilith wondered with real panic in her voice. She looked over to Sir Tanel with an expression of genuine fear and dread.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Sir Tanel stood up and walked toward her. “Now don’t panic. We can ask Wendel when he gets back.”

Lilith got up and started pacing around her room in the open area at the foot of the bed. She turned several times her hand on her chin in deep thought as she was oblivious to the world around her. “ If this summoning ends at midnight, will I go back to Avernus or back to Earth? Is some spell still in effect or is he stuck there. Wait, I know for a fact one other person went over to my world and he did get stuck. He got stuck for so long that he started writing stories and books about this world probably because he missed home.”

Lilith continued to pace back and forth both towards and away from Sir Tanel. Suddenly Lilith came to a halt nearly running into the knight. Her bosom heaved as she and it came to rest in front of him. This matter was not helped at all by the deep V cut of her arming jacket obviously made to facilitate the boob window in her armor. She looked at the clearly entertained look on Sir Tanel’s face. She gave her chest another bounce by standing on her toes slightly then falling back to her heals. Then pointed a finger at Sir Tanel’s face to let him know she had caught him looking and didn’t care in the slightest.

She then went back to pacing only to stop as she heard foot steps approaching the door.

After two knocks, Wendel opened the door walking inside with his assistant in tow only to see both Tanel and Lilith with rather nervous expressions.

“Greetings Lilith this is my assistant Celeste she is studying conjuration magic under my tutelage and will be seeing to your needs while you are our guest here.” Wendel proclaimed as he motioned to his assistant who closed the door behind them.

“Pfft and what is that like 6 hours I suppose.” Lilith resumed her pacing anew as she threw her hands in the air hardly giving Wendel a second look.

“Whats wrong? You seem upset.”

“I am sorry I shouldn’t have brought it up Wendel but ah… What is going to happen to her at midnight?” Sir Tanel asked with a pained expression on his face.

Lilith stopped before glancing over her shoulder looking to Wendel for an answer.

Wendel took out his spellbook and began looking at the spell he had cast this morning and 3 times before with success and twice before ending in failure. ‘Infernal Calling’ Wendel began calling out the activation sequences in conjuration runes. “It contacts a random devil or a devil of your choosing You can make a pact with the devil and receive whatever service you ask for at whatever price he asks for. The services last for as long as the devil agreed to and the costs last for as long as you agreed to. The results of the pact are purely the result of the devils will and the costs of the pact are dictated by the pact at the time when it was made.”

“So what does that mean Wendel? In common!” Sir Tanel asked with impatience.

“The cost he requested was all the spell power I had and I agreed and it was paid. I won’t have any spell power back until I get some rest tonight. The effects of the spell the exact details were up to him Maldeval was the one executing the pact. The spell I cast was just to contact him and ensure the pact was mutual and agreed upon. So if Maldeval has no more magical power the spell is over nothing will happen….. I think.” Wendel said to a noticeably relieved audience.

“So we are 90% sure I am not going to hell at midnight tonight. Ok ok well then I might still need a few strong drinks but I think I will be able to keep my food down. Lilith walked over to Wendel and was about to slug him in the arm for making her worry so much when she remembered his warning. She decided to mess up his slicked back hair instead. Lilith noticed she was slightly taller than Wendel and much taller than Celeste who was watching her from behind Wendel’s shoulder.

“How tall are you Wendel?” Lilith asked while sizing him up.

“I am 5’-10” tall. Why do you ask?”

“I think I am rather tall for a lady then I must be 6’ tall. Supermodel height!”

“Yes you are indeed. And quite lovely. Now Celeste will help you find some clothes and get you ready for the dinner. It is in 2 hours.”

Wendel motioned for Sir Tanel to leave and then followed him out. The noises their boots made echoed in the large hallway outside her room. The door closed and suddenly Lilith was alone with Celeste.

The assistant was probably 5’-4” had freckles and golden blond hair. She was dressed in green and blue robes but they weren’t as fancy as Wendel’s. She looked to be in her late teens.

“What color formal dress would you prefer champion?” Celeste asked.

“Oh please call me Lilith or Lil if we are alone. I don’t like all that formal stuff.” she said as she walked toward Celeste with a smile.

Celeste stepped back a bit not sure what to make of this strange tall and beautiful creature with red hair and glowing red eyes. “Yes my lady, what color dress do you want me to look for and do you want something form fitting, or more modest?

“White, red, or black should be fine. Although I bet there are several blue dresses around. I am ok if it is form fitting on top but I want my legs to be comfortable.” Lilith said with a smile.

“I will check the guest closet and return shortly” she said softly and then left the room not making eye contact as she did.

Lilith now alone in her room went over to the nearest mirror It was at a small desk that looked like it was made for putting on makeup or doing your hair. She took off her arming jacket that had 5 clasps similar to wooden dowels through loops. Underneath the arming jacket there was nothing no bra just her beautiful well toned body. Lilith sat down at the chair in front of the desk and noticed her chest jiggle as she sat down on the soft chair. She pushed up and fell back down in the chair again laughing sheepishly at her own amusement. She then placed a hand on her left breast and gave it a squeeze. The response was instant. She enjoyed the feel and the pleasure from both her hand and her breast and she began to rub a finger over her nipple. “Oh I am so going to sexually assault myself after the banquet tonight” Lilith mumbled under her breath, but her thoughts then became confused. Was this her body to do with as she pleased, or was it borrowed property she was posessing? Lilith thought back to the impostor syndrome she had struggled with all her life and then remembered she had decided to not think about any more existential crises this evening.

Lilith focused her mind and picked up a hair brush and looked in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and she was about to see nobility. But there were far bigger problems than a hair brush could fix. There were bits of blood and dirt on her face and in her hair. A quick thought about prestidigitation entered her mind and she wondered if she could do magic.

Lilith looked in the mirror and saw her eyes were indeed bright red and inhuman. No wonder Celeste was afraid of her. They were glowing and the Iris had vertical slits. Aside from her eyes the rest of her body appeared to be completely normal. It was a good choice if you wanted to embarrass an orc champion. She thought for a second that this Maldeval must have had a wicked sense of humor. As she focused on her eyes she could see the slight flicker of sparks and demonic energy flow out from them they would intensify any time she felt emotion. She tested the range: sad, happy, jealous, anger, embarrassment. It didn’t seem to matter they all had the same response, her eyes glowed more brightly and gave off sparks only the intensity changed. Lilith began to focus on the internal reflection of her eyes, somehow her minds eye and found a well of magical energy within. It was full to the brim like a cup of water with a pitcher still dumping in yet more. To the side she could see a codex, a virtual book inside her mind and there were two pages. The first page had magical runes and she could read them as if they were written in English, though she knew they weren’t. Teleport self, Thaumaturgy, Sword Burst, Fire Bolt, Prestidigitation, Mold Earth. She spoke the runes

Pen, Ra, Do. [Prestidigitation]

As she spoke the last rune her face and hair were touched with the faintest of magic and light and were instantly clean. With that fixed Lilith began brushing her hair to the sides causing it to settle into nice even locks. She smiled as she looked in the mirror taking pride in both her hair and her magic.