Chapter 18

Danica awakened, warm beneath the covers and snuggled up against Marlena's nude body. A smile spread across her face, as her dreams had continued where she and her friend had left off, bringing Brandon into the bed with them for real.

The feeling lasted right up until she shifted position and her leg landed in a cold, damp, sticky part of the mattress.

Crinkling her nose, she snatched her leg back out of the wet spot, and the movement roused Marlena. The illusionist groaned and rolled onto her side, at which point her eyes popped open and she scrunched up her nose as well. The shock of the sudden awakening was enough for her thoughts to project to Danica, revealing that she too had discovered the state of the bed in an unpleasant way.

"Fun making the mess. Not so fun waking up in it," Danica whispered.

"Mmm hmm. I need a bath, but I don't want to get up."

"Me either." After waiting a few seconds, Danica asked, "You okay?"

Marlena nodded, the surge of emotion she felt matching the gesture. "Wonderful, actually."

"Mmm ... Good. I'll start us a bath for a kiss."

The illusionist grinned and lifted an arm in invitation.

After a languid kiss, Danica summoned up the effort to rise and walk to the tub. She started the water flowing, and then turned back to the bed. "We should probably renew our spells and let everyone know we're all right."

Marlena pushed back the covers and looked down at her nude body. "Spells now. Call home once we're dressed?"

"Suppose you're right."

The magical tub had filled during the brief conversation, so Danica stopped the flow, longing to sink into the steaming water. Marlena was already digging into her bag of holding for needed spell components, and after taking a moment to admire the illusionist's beautiful behind, Danica did the same.

With both masking spells renewed to full strength a couple of minutes later, Danica nodded toward the tub. "We may as well share. The tub's big enough for two, as long as you're friendly."

Marlena gave her friend a put-upon look of suspicion that struck Danica as so sexy it set off a full-body shiver. "What are you trying to do?"

Answering with only a shrug and a smile, Marlena walked to the tub and climbed in. As Danica had suggested, the tub was large enough for both women to share, facing each other with only a little intertwining of their legs. It worked out fine until Danica went to dunk her head to wet her hair and found things a little constricting.

A flash of inspiration caused her to call upon her telekinetic powers. A quivering sphere of water lifted from the surface to hover in the air. Marlena chuckled, her eyes betraying curiosity as Danica's powers brought the water toward her. She leaned her head back and slowly released the water, solving the problem of wetting her hair.

Marlena leaned over and looked at the spreading puddle on the canvas behind Danica. "Clever, but you're soaking the floor."

Danica blew a raspberry as the last of the water trickled down over her. "Once I send the tent away, it'll be like it never happened. Lean your head back and I'll do you too."

Once finished washing, both women settled in, simply enjoying the luxury of a magical bath that stayed at the perfect temperature. Tickles from Marlena's toes prompted Danica to stroke the illusionist's legs, and once again, inspiration struck.

The stir cantrip was one of the first Danica had learned so long ago when she began studying magic. Moving her fingers through the gestures and whispering the words brought back memories of the excitement she'd felt the first time she'd worked the magic. A whole different excitement arose when the water dipped into a whirlpool in the center of the diamond formed by her legs and Marlena's.

Having scooted their bottoms close together while relaxing in the bath, the whirlpool was able to tickle both of their folds at the same time. Marlena let out a coo of pleasure and opened her eyes. Danica licked her lips, a mental flicker increasing the speed of the whirlpool.

Danica writhed, finding the whirling water just as easy to control as the silken hands the night before. Her hands roved over Marlena's legs, while her friend did the same. Water lapped over the edge of the tub as both women crept every so slowly toward a peak.

Marlena came first, a long, quiet moan passing her lips as her arching back thrust her breasts up above the surface of the water. Danica was only seconds behind, her body shivering as the soft, sweet climax rippled through her body. Her right leg continued to quiver long after the rest of her, and Marlena grabbed it, pulling it against her hip. Both women laughed, and then Danica dismissed her magic as they sat up to share a kiss.

In unspoken agreement, the pair climbed out of the tub, toweled dry, and dressed for the day. Outside of the tent, now in the full light of day, the view from their perch on the side of the mountain was breathtaking. A narrow river meandered through the foothills, pouring into a lake reflecting the bright blue of the sky above and decorated with twins of the puffy clouds. In the distance, a few small structures dotted the horizon, surrounded by patches of cultivated land carved out from the forest.

The view was enough to leave Marlena awestruck, despite her fear of heights. Unfortunately, Danica knew they couldn't enjoy it for long. She sighed and said, "Suppose we'd best call home and get going."

Marlena nodded, still looking out over the landscape. Danica let her enjoy the moment of peace while she prepared her spell.

As the images of Danica and Marlena hovering over the table faded, Celes clapped her hands, rubbed them together, and turned to her sister witches.

"Shall we give this a try?" She nodded toward the mirror sitting on a nearby table in a spot cleared of bottles, books, and notes. One of the first half dozen completed, it would serve to test the magic of the items. The mirrors were scattered in order to test their capabilities. One remained on Darkni's isle with the master wizard. Danica's sister Devan had another within her tower in Egoria. Ashtar had plans to take one to Blackhawk Hall. Celes had used the mists to deliver the remaining pair to Evelyn and another witch from a coven nearby.

Everyone gathered around, and Celes touched the tiger's eye gemstone in the lower part of the polished brass frame to activate the magic. The mirrors harmonized with those who possessed them, so a thought was all that was necessary to direct the enchantment.

"Evelyn, can you hear me?"

An image of the short-haired witch formed in the mirror. She was smiling, and replied, "Perfectly."

The image expanded, revealing the blonde witch from Evelyn's neighboring coven. "I can see and hear you as well."

Evelyn shook her head and chuckled. "I hadn't really even thought about Veronica yet."

"The magic is fairly sensitive," Celes explained. "The mirrors should sense anxiety as well, and open channels to us, Darkni, and Devan."

"Speak of the devil," The newly congealed image of Devan interjected.

"I figure these things will get more than their fair share of that, Dearie," Celes said to Danica's fire-topped sister.

Darkniciad's voice rang out as the image of the silver-bearded wizard joined the rest. "Splendid. Splendid. Everything appears to be as expected."

"Mine's working fine, even though I'm walking around outside with it," Evelyn said.

Darkniciad said, "We'll return to our work on the primary mirror immediately. Once the rift enchantment is complete upon it, it will connect to all the others, granting them the magic."

"I don't know how to thank you - any of you," Evelyn said.

"No need. I will return to my work." Darkni bowed his head, and vanished from the mirror.

"Same goes for us, Dearie," Celes said.

"And we have a lot of potions to make," Evelyn agreed.

"Here's to hoping we don't need these any time soon," Celes finished, and winked before touching the gem a final time.

From its perch in a tree some miles away, the Jihark watched Evelyn walk back into her new residence and let out a hiss of satisfaction.

Its former prey might very well serve as bait to lure its new prey.

Danica looked out over the landscape, a lush contrast to the desert that lay just on the other side of the mountains. Not far away, a small farming village offered the first opportunity to experience the local culture. Magic allowed the pair to see across the miles, giving Marlena the visual references she needed to cloak them in the guise of locals.

The illusionist completed her spell, and Danica was surprised to see the effect. One moment, Marlena was standing in front of her, in the midst of weaving her magic. The next, a woman with darker skin, a thinner frame, raven-dark hair, and almond eyes stood in the redhead's place. Gone were her robes, replaced by what appeared to be the plain linen, belted garment women wore in these lands.

"I thought we should probably be able to see the illusion this time," Marlena explained.

Danica shook her head and chuckled. "Your voice sounds so strange coming out of that body."

"You too."

Pulling a lock of hair in front of her eyes, Danica saw that her auburn hair appeared as dark as Marlena's, far longer, and without the faintest hint of curl. One thing that didn't seem to match was her bosom. It was certainly smaller, but hardly in keeping with the average Danica had observed while magically spying on the village. Marlena's breasts were likewise larger than the handful most of the local women seemed to have.

Cupping her breasts, Danica could feel their true weight, but the illusion was so complete that her eyes told her she was holding the smaller globes in her hands. "Aren't these going to attract a bit more attention than we're looking for?"

"I don't think it can be helped. The magic can follow conscious actions flawlessly, but there are a lot of subtle things about posture and the way we move that could give us away. We're both used to having more up here, so I had to find a medium."

"Makes sense. I think we should have lighter skin and slightly rounder eyes. Maybe a little more color in our clothing, too. From what Venaru said, that's the norm the closer you get to the coast, and the larger cities. Looking like we're from farther east might help cover any mistakes we make."

Marlena nodded and spoke a few words of magic. She ended with a gesture where she held up two fingers in front of her face and swept her hand in front of her body. Once again, her mastery of illusion magic came to the fore when her appearance changed in a heartbeat. Danica would have never bothered trying to change an existing illusion, knowing how difficult it was. Marlena made it look easy.

"Perfect," Danica said, upon seeing the results. She then looked over toward the village and said, "Shall we go pay a visit?"

Marlena nodded, and the two friends began walking toward the village, taking a path leading that way from the mountains. Though the intrusion made Danica uncomfortable, she actively probed the thoughts of a pair of men working in the field outside the village. They were here for information, and her powers were the most expedient and accurate way to gather it.

The farmer's thoughts revealed a major flaw in their disguise.

'Uh oh, ' Danica sent her thoughts to Marlena. 'We're standing out because women don't travel alone.'

'Why didn't Venaru say anything about that?'

'He probably didn't think about it because it was normal to him, and it's not all that different anywhere else.'

'What should we do?'

Another thought from one of the men provided a solution. 'There's a shrine somewhere nearby in the mountains. They think that maybe we came from there. They're still almost appalled to see us traveling alone, but that seems to give them some reason to understand why. They're trying not to think about it, though. It's strange. I think we go ahead for now, and just take it into account next time.'

The same sort of reaction continued as Danica cast her mental net around those she passed. The women of the village had much the same thoughts, though they were tinged with respect and longing. Those encounters also provided more information about the shrine, and the sort of people who made pilgrimages there.

An elder woman near a well seemed to be a center of attention, and had her gaze fixed on Danica and Marlena as they approached. The way the other women deferred to her marked her as someone important. Danica decided that if there was information to be found here, the best place to find it was in the elder.

'Mind playing the servant and me taking the lead? I can react to their thoughts more quickly, and that seems to be the norm for women making pilgrimages to the shrine.'

'Of course, ' Marlena thought back, her mental voice sounding a little relieved.

The first thought Danica picked up from the woman was irritation. Tradition apparently demanded that pilgrims to the shrine be given food and shelter, and both were lacking in the poor farming village.

"Greetings, Wise One," Danica said as she approached, her words translated by the magic of her earrings.

The woman's disposition warmed a little. A polite greeting seemed to be a rarity amongst those visiting the shrine. "Welcome to our village. May we offer you comfort in your travel to the shrine?"

"We will not remain long, and do not wish to take from you that which you cannot afford to give. I seek only news about the rumors of war."

"These are no rumors. There will be war against the people of the sand." The gray-haired woman's emotions surged, a mixture of anger and resignation. She was torn between believing that the horrors visited upon the nearby village must be answered, and the knowledge that war would bring only more poverty and despair to her own community.

The thoughts of other people nearby assaulted Danica. The emotions were simply too strong for her to block out without making a conscious effort. Somewhere amidst the chaos, she picked up wisps of thought that told her messengers had gone throughout the nation to inform and inflame the population.

Regaining control to block out the psychic overload, Danica found Marlena supporting her and the frail elder looking at her with concern.

"You should sit," the local woman suggested.

Danica shook her head. One final thought had provided a crucial piece of information. "It is but a moment of weakness. I must continue my journey. I thank you, Wise One, for confirming these ill tidings."

The elder woman's demeanor had completely changed, reverting to her natural concern for community, and another woman. "Should you change your mind, my home is open to you."

"Blessings be upon you for your kindness and your wisdom," Danica said by way of thanks. She then nodded to first the local, and then Marlena before walking toward the edge of the village again.

'Danica?'

'We won't have a chance to take this slowly. Someone heard that the Emperor himself is coming to the village of his birth - tomorrow. We're going straight to the root of the problem while we have the chance."

Celes pushed a cork into the delicate glass bottle, more than a little disconcerted by the black liquid within. The potion seemed to be in constant motion - seeking escape - as if it was just as alive and chaotic as the demon it was meant to destroy.

She sat it down on the work table. "Well, the potion's finally done."

"Only one?" Andrea asked. "The pot was so full."

"That's all that's left after brewing it all this time."

Ashley put down her pen, and ran her fingers through her dark, red locks. She paused and scrunched up her nose upon noticing how stiff and greasy her hair felt. "It was the same with my potion. You have to brew it that long for it to be strong enough to work on a demon so powerful. That's why I only have one."

"How's the spell coming?" Celes asked while gesturing toward the paper in front of her red-haired sister witch.

"It's getting there," she answered, without much conviction.

"Hmm ... I think you need to get some rest. We could all probably use a break."

Andrea immediately perked up at that suggestion, and Celes could guess exactly why.

"I am having trouble thinking straight," Ashley agreed.

"Go have a long soak in the bath, and get some sleep, then." She turned to Andrea and twitched her eyebrows. "And off to Blackhawk with you."

The blonde blushed, but also laughed and nodded her head.

"What about you?" Ashley asked as she pushed her chair back and stood up.

"I'm too restless to lay about just yet. I could use some fresh air, though. I think I'll go have another look at that cave. The girls won't leave us alone about going back, so I'm going to see once and for all if I think it's safe."

"Can I go?"

Celes turned to see the youngest clone of Danica standing in the doorway.

Andrea said, "Danielle, Celes is trying to find out if it's safe. She can hardly do that with you there."

Danielle's shoulders slumped, but in contrast to Andrea's words, Celes' eyebrows lifted as an idea occurred to her. "Actually, maybe that's not such a bad idea after all."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward her in surprise.

"Why don't you go get the rest of the girls, and we'll all go. Other than the red ones, I'm not all that concerned about the rest, and I want to try something anyway."

Danielle didn't even wait for her to finish before scurrying off to the other side of the manor. Celes chuckled at the perplexed looks on the faces of her friends.

"I'm going to take a few magical precautions, and I can always mist us all out of there if I need to. I want to see if I can find out how far Danica's girls have come with their mental powers. I think that's something we all might like to know."

"Sure you wouldn't like to come with me?" Andrea asked, having apparently joined Danica's conspiracy to encourage Celes to mingle outside their small circle. "You're just taking a break from work with different work."

"I can't just sit around and wait for things to happen, Dearie. It just isn't me." She winked, waving her sister witches off to their rest.

The waiting was the hardest part.

Ever impatient - and often having the power to make it unnecessary - Zoraster paced the cold stone floor of his abode. His black silk robes swished in the silence, though his mind was anything but quiet.

So many things were in place, ready to weave the strands of his grand design into a magnificent tapestry of power. Still, there were a few crucial elements awaiting the fullness of time to unfold.

It was the current wait that tried his patience more than any of the rest, however. Though only a few short hours had passed since Ebonar had delivered the frail, filthy shell of a man and the walking corpse of his wife, probes of the unstable wizard's mind revealed that his research had indeed borne fruit.

Fruit that could help return to Zoraster what he had lost so long ago to the selfish whims of those who presumed godhood.

In this task, he would trust none other than Ebonar. His cloned servant was the only other being with the knowledge necessary to avoid missing something crucial while gathering up the wizard's research.

A tingling itch in the runes adorning his forehead prompted him to step quickly across the room. He could feel his new weapon - Camilla - stalking a black witch to increase her power. The runes tattooed upon her flesh provided her with protection and deadly magic, but more importantly, a window into her every moment. Likewise, the runes adorning Ebonar's skin allowed Zoraster to stand within inches of where his servant would appear within the lab.

Stacks of books, scrolls, and apparatus appeared when Ebonar's teleportation spell deposited him in the room, but only a single item mattered to Zoraster. Holding out a hand, he demanded, "The locket."

Having been given explicit instructions as soon as his master learned of the item from its creator's mind, Ebonar was ready, and held out the locket by its silver chain.

The moment the chain pooled in his palm, Zoraster could feel Godsbane thrumming within his robes.

Danica opened her eyes and started. She'd been so deep into the use of her mental powers, gleaning the thoughts of the farmers outside the village, that seeing Marlena still wrapped in her disguise as a local had shocked her at first.

"I have a general idea where the village is, but it's not clear enough that I want to risk it. We need to be there when he arrives tomorrow."

Marlena shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we'll have to find someone who knows."

"We'll head north, because I know it's that way. We definitely don't want to attract much attention, though. That means you'll have to do something about the disguise." She gestured back and forth between them. "One of us is going to have to be a man."

"Hmm. There would be the same problem as with our breasts. The illusion will waver a little where it doesn't match reality. Neither of us moves like a man."

"Well, we're missing certain things that..." Danica trailed off as an idea occurred to her. "But maybe I don't have to be."

Marlena tilted her head to the side and lifted her eyebrows in confusion.

"You can make your illusions real now. Do you think you could make certain parts of one over me solid enough to make me aware of them?"

Marlena blushed bright red, the color rising in the cheeks of the illusion wrapped around her. "You mean... ?"

Danica nodded, her lips curling up into a smile. "With all those things knocking around down there, I think it would make me walk a little more like a man."

"I could try, I guess. Let me start with just the illusion, first."

Danica cast out a mental net, seeking anyone who might be observing them. She had chosen the spot for the final probe of the village carefully, and didn't pick up anything. "Go ahead. Nobody's watching."

She felt a tingle of magic, and noticed the skin tone of her hands had shifted back to normal.

Marlena then pursed her lips. "I think you'll need to change clothes. The illusion will have to work harder to disguise your robes to look like the clothes men wear here."

"Pants and a top, then?" She started to pull her bag off her shoulder and another thought occurred to her. "And no panties. I don't think that's going to work too well with all the dangling bits."

Marlena let out a little chuckle. "I suppose you're right. You'll want to keep your brassiere, though."

Danica nodded and took off her bag.

"Just a second. I may as well practice a little." The illusionist spoke the words of a spell, conjuring up a wooden bench next to Danica. She nodded toward it.

Danica sat her bag down, finding the bench as solid as if it had been waiting for them all along in the little depression where they stood. "Thanks," she said, and then went to work removing her robes.

The bench was a welcome convenience. The aroused look on Marlena's face as clothing fell away was even better.

Though most comfortable in her robes, which also provided the best access to the tools of her magic, Danica had packed away a wider variety of clothing for this trip, trying to anticipate any need on what she expected to be an extended journey. She located a pair of pants and a loose, button-down shirt.

Feeling more than a little frumpy and ridiculous once dressed, she nevertheless stood up and said, "Okay."

Marlena waved her hand, causing the bench to vanish, then closed her eyes and began her spell. Danica could feel little chilly pinpoints swirling along every inch of her skin. She couldn't help but jump a little when her hand changed. It was far larger, most certainly manly, and once again darker in tone, matching the average of the local people. With it, she pulled out on the front of her pants and saw something that made her break out into a chuckle. Pulling the pants down, she exposed the perfect illusion of a cock and balls between muscular legs. There was only one problem. The new, alien organ was standing at full - and impressive - erection.

She gave it a flick of her finger, feeling no sensation through the illusionary organ other than a dim sense of attachment that was a testament to Marlena's power over illusion. It did bob and twitch in a realistic manner, though. "This may be a bit more awkward than what we were aiming for."

Marlena covered her eyes for a moment and laughed. "Sorry."

"What could you have been thinking of?"

"Behave," the blushing illusionist admonished before working her magic to modify the illusion.

Danica looked down just as the transition happened, and it made her feel a moment of dizziness. Once that passed, she saw a no less impressive, but flaccid member hanging between her illusionary legs.

"Let me take a look before you try the next part." When Marlena nodded, Danica pulled up her pants and reached into her bag. The spell she wanted to cast wasn't one she practiced often, and so required her to use the material components to focus the magic.

Even reaching into the pouch to retrieve the glass dust proved difficult. She knew that her fingers were the exact same size as always, but the illusion confounded her efforts anyway. Once she managed to gather up a pinch, she fumbled the spell when she saw the unnatural fingers moving through the gestures. Closing her eyes helped a lot, and she was able to complete the spell the second time with a sprinkling of glass dust into the air.

The air shimmered, creating what was essentially a full length mirror in front of her. It was all Danica could do not to look behind her for the strange person she saw reflected in the magic mirror. Her facial features were similar to Brandon's, but with hints of Venaru. Her body was likewise a mixture of the two men, and quite an attractive one. The clothing of the illusion was much like that of the farmers they had already encountered, though cleaner and less worn. She couldn't suppress the tingle between her legs the sight caused, even though she knew that she was looking at herself.

After moving and turning to see the full picture, she let her magic lapse and the mirrored air lost its reflectivity. "I think that will do, if we can keep every woman we run into from drooling all over me. Go ahead and make it real with your gift."

"I've never tried anything like this before. I don't know how well it's going to work," Marlena warned.

"Never know until you try. If it doesn't work, we'll figure something else out."

Marlena took a deep breath and closed her eyes. In what looked to be an unconscious gesture, she reached up and laid her hand over the pendant around her neck - the artifact that enhanced the power of her illusions. As Danica watched, the illusionist slowed her breathing and bowed her head.

Danica sucked in a shocked gasp when the magic took hold. In an instant, she felt an uncomfortable pinch and snapped her thighs apart. In almost the same moment, she had to reach down and adjust the not-so-illusionary manhood, which was sitting uncomfortably in the crotch of her pants.

"Did it work?"

Still in shock, Danica felt her tummy, which was now hard with muscle. As she lifted her hands higher, she was alarmed to realize that she couldn't feel her breasts at all through the broad chest. "Y-yes," she answered in a wavering voice.

"Are you okay?"

Her rapidly pattering heart beginning to slow, Danica blew out a long breath. "Give me a minute. This is too weird. I barely feel like I'm inside this..." She swept both hands up in front of her, and then pointed her fingers at her chest. "This."

Concern evident in her expression, Marlena walked up to her friend and asked, "Should I let the illusion go?"

"I'm not sure. Can you feel my boobs at all?"

Marlena reached out and ran her fingertips across Danica's chest. "No. All I feel is muscle."

Despite the strange feeling of the magic, Marlena's touch triggered a surge of desire. Again, she gasped when a new sensation joined all the others assaulting her.

The tingling she was accustomed to whenever arousal made her wet was there, but along with it was something else. She reached down with her overlarge hands and pulled her pants down to see the cock there swelling and straightening.

"Is that supposed to happen?"

Marlena stared at the hardening member, her mouth and eyes both wide. "I ... The illusion is supposed to respond to things so it looks more real, but..."

The feeling was like nothing Danica had ever experienced. The cock that she knew was nothing more than a powerful illusion stiffened, demanding every ounce of her attention. She could feel it throbbing, and had a nearly uncontrollable urge to touch it to relieve the intense pressure.