"Good day, Sophia!" "It's so nice to see you!" "How's your noble father?"

"Oh, you're too kind; and he's doing just fine, as long as I keep him in check!" she quipped, earning a few knowing chuckles.

Goodness, but the townsfolk were so easy to please. Of course, Sophia had worked hard for that. Her 'father' wasn't really noble, nor was the town he served as mayor of. Blythe simply hosted a thriving middle-class community, and served as a popular address for traders, scholars, and adventurers. That was a blessing in itself, for otherwise, she'd find herself terribly bored.

Sophia would admit some bias, but ever since she'd come to town, the market alone had become a lively place. That had started with her buying her absolutely gorgeous black satin-and-silk one-piece dress from a fine clothier, and making regular visits to shops and businesses like a true mayor's daughter, just wanting to see how the town was getting along. Her regular presence and occasional patronage had led to her affectionate nickname: "The Black Pearl of Blythe."

She was after something else today, though. A little bird—more like a few girls gossiping by the manor—had told her there was a sorceress in town. A full-blooded one, supposedly, who wore the proper clothes to go along with it.

That got Sophia's heart racing! Magic always excited her, especially the prospect of learning more from anyone who also practiced the art. Sophia knew plenty for herself, of course—not that anyone had to know about that. Certainly no one in this blissfully ignorant little town.

Sophia walked among the streets and stalls, occasionally dropping hints; people knew she had an innocent fascination with adventure, and was, obviously, just too frail to seek it on her own. With her luck, some charming lad might think to get in her good graces by volunteering that information to the newcomer. But she was just as happy to find her on her own.

'Hmm... where would a sorceress go?' she wondered. 'The alchemists, staff poleturners, bookstores? Or maybe at the clothier's herself?'

Another couple, another big, happy smile. Izaria painted a smile on her face, and mumbled back her third platitude of the day. "I'm getting on well, thank you."

At least they took that as good enough. Though she'd hoped that keeping her face buried in the map that'd brought her here would keep these… cloyingly friendly townsfolk away. It had not, and many had attempted to start a great deal of idle chatter. Izaria did her best to extricate herself from all attempts at striking up conversation as politely as possible.

Of course, she was tired from the road, and that definitely made it worse. She was nearing the bottom of her coin purse, too, so she had opted to skip the carriage ride into town, and her aching feet so reflected her frustration. She was not in shape by any means, usually relying on her magic to carry everything. Oh, the road was well-traveled and well-patrolled, so she had little to worry about, but that did nothing for her mood or her bunions.

The only reason she was even here was to pursue the rumor that the quaint country town seemingly carried a large body of scholars and free thinkers. She was unsure as to what had drawn them, but for Izaria, picking up an interesting tome could mean adding another tool in her arsenal. All told, despite her short temper, she remained optimistic.

So, on she went, deeper into the town, eyeing the passersby and the inviting stalls.

Sophia's walk was quite pleasant, especially since plenty of people had already seen the sorceress and were keen to give little bits of description. Where she was exactly eluded her for only slightly longer, and she discovered it thanks to several strange stares from people in the market. In fact, she nearly passed right through the center before she caught the more pointed looks not directed at her.

One quick heel-turn, and there she was. All the descriptions matched: youthful complexion, snow-white hair, and a topheavy peaked cap above her lacy blouse, without much except a skirt covering her slender legs.

Oh, Sophia was exciiited! But still, she steadied herself, prim and poised like a proper lady. Then she took a deep breath…

"Excuse me, miss!" Sophia chirped, politely waving one hand above her head.

The stranger peeked up, eyebrows cocked above the edge of their map.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, but word travels fast in this town. Are you really a sorceress? An adventurer?" Her voice tingled with barely-suppressed glee. "I just find that so exciting! And, um, if you'd like, I could help you find something here, perhaps?"

She paused for etiquette's sake; after all, she'd just approached out of nowhere. But she recovered well, managing to still her excited features, clear her throat, and take up the sides of her skirt in a simple curtsy. "My manners... I'm Sophia Blackwell. My father's the mayor here."

Izaria valiantly fought down the urge to sigh. Yet another townsperson with a giddy smile… although this one at least seemed interesting.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sophia." She returned the smile with a polite turn of her own lips. "My name is Izaria. I am indeed a sorceress. I suppose some may call me an adventurer, but that only really fits me incidentally.”

She glanced at her map. It was effectively useless, now, so she folded it up and stuffed it into her breast pocket.

Then she looked back, thoughtfully, to Sophia's pleasant smile. 'The mayor's daughter, huh? If anyone would know about this, it's her.'

"Yes… yes, actually, I could in fact use some help," she continued, briefly looking around them both in a pointed manner. "I’ve heard it mentioned that there is a rather large congregation of scholars and free thinkers in Blythe? That usually attracts merchants of a certain variety… peddlers of scrolls and trinkets, for instance. There should be a place where they amass their collection together. Do you perhaps know where these fellows meet?”

Sophia's eyes shot wide open. Despite her prior demonstration of grace, she clasped her palms together by her chest and trembled, holding back a squeal.

"Why, yes! " she managed without embarrassing herself. "I'm not surprised, there; they do come to Blythe, but typically not to trade in the market. I invite them to the manor, see?"

She pivoted on her heel like a dancer, and lifted a hand from her clutch to point up above the buildings, towards a three-story structure made of cut stone and thick wooden beams. There were glass windows, to boot—a fair extravagance when some shops and houses still used wicker slats and cloth sheets.

"The way it works," she continued happily, "is that they come there to copy down their work, and oftentimes to read what's already there. We've got quite a collection by now, I think! I mean, if it's attracting people like you. "

Sophia chortled musically at that, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "There's lore, and magic, and charts, and maps." She counted them off on her fingers one by one. "I keep a little library of it out of habit; I mean, because it's the most interesting thing to do out here, really. If you want to see it, I'd like to invite you in, Miss Izaria!"

Sophia finished with a proud smile, and slowly extended forth an elegant hand.

Izaria blinked, taken aback by her earnestness. “W-well, yes, if that’s not an imposition. If there is such a collection, it only makes sense they'd come here, and I'd love to see it, too."

All that was true enough, although there was one other thing she wanted to ask. "Are you a sorceress, as well, Miss Blackwell?”

"Me?" Sophia parroted, touching a finger to her chin. "Well... sort of? I know enough. I can read magic texts, detect spells, make lights, y'know... basic stuff. Father used to think maybe I should join a larger academy someday, buuut…" She trailed off with a shrug, sweeping her arms lazily about for good measure. "I dunno, I kind of like it here!"

Izaria normally wasn't one to stare, but she just couldn't help it. Sophia was just so… normal; open and honest, wanting to share for its own sake? And so vibrant, unlike many scholars who stiffly shuffled from one task to another.

She hadn’t expected things to be handed to her on an almost literal silver platter, with the mayor’s daughter, of all people, extending a welcoming hand like she was some dignitary. She glanced up to the manor, and then back, feeling a genuine smile coming on. Eventually, she reached up with a hand to accept Sophia's.

Then, she quickly and half-heartedly dusted off some dirt from her robes in embarrassment, as she hiked up the satchel she had carried at her side. “And what does your father think of all these strangers being invited to his home? I’m not exactly suited for, well, refined company.”

"Oh, that's not a problem at all!" Sophia trilled, and gave Izaria's hand a graceful shake. "Father doesn't mind. He's happy I'm essentially getting an education anyway, from the tutors and scholars who come in now and then."

"Well, not to sell them short, but larger academies are only what you make of them. I've done some of my best learning only once I left." Izaria smiled back at an unseen memory before shrugging. "It's not for everyone, and amassing your own collection is reason enough not to go when most of the standard texts are copied so often and readily accessible."

"I thought much the same," agreed Sophia. "Oh, and I still get to make plenty of friends this way! I know just about everyone in town by now, and I write to a few beyond it. I don't care about a little dust! I know a spell to clean all of this off, anyway!"

A bemused sense of pity tingled on Izaria's lips. Of course. Lights, cleaning; common cantrips, really. She'd long since moved past all of that by now. "Well, if you do want to learn something more advanced," Izaria puffed up her chest just slightly, "I could probably put together some sort of program. But, I'm getting ahead of myself."

Sophia's hand swept back, picking aside a few of her deep black locks that'd gotten astray and tucking them back behind her neck. Not an adventurer? Sophia could believe it. She definitely seemed more the studious sort, without much use for harder work, and her soft, callous-free hands matched that so…

'Perfect.'

Sophia gently released her hand. Then she did a little twirl, sending her satin skirt swishing sideways like a billowing fog.

"Heh... If you're ready, I can take you there now!" she offered swiftly.

All of this, of course, carefully hid the fact that from the moment Izaria showed real interest in Sophia, her subtle charm had already begun to work its way into her mind. Unnoticeable at first, it hardly manifested aside from a gentle nudge towards trust, to believing the built-up facade around Sophia. She knew when to hold back... and the time to push would come soon enough.

Izaria looked around, then shrugged bemusedly, and gestured forward for Sophia to pass ahead of her.

"Lead the way," she said with a nod and a smile.

It was but a trifle for Sophia to notice the pulse of positive emotion rolling off of Izaria. A more disciplined mind might've held back, guarded their thoughts. Her defenses seemed almost non-existent.

She beamed right back, grinning happily and doing a little bounce on her heels. "Happy to!" she cheered, and just like that, she pivoted again and began to walk off, right back the way she came.

The few gawkers who'd amassed gradually began to recede. The sight of Sophia would normally be something on its own, but it was also well-known that she liked to have her privacy with people who interested her. In fact, she'd wormed her way into their hearts deeply enough that hardly anyone would care or raise a murmur if Izaria didn't visit the market again.

She kept such thoughts to herself all the way through the streets, and up the causeway leading straight to the manor's front door. It was bent like an 'L' with the long end facing the town, with room for a wide carriage driveway and a garden between the outside fence and the main wall. The fence was, per tradition, unlocked and wide open except at night. Along the way, she paused only a moment here and there to smile and wave to someone, but her passive, gently hypnotic aura kept them from finding her too interesting at the moment; she really didn't want to be interrupted.

"Oh, and don't worry too much about me right now; I don't want you to think you owe me or anything!" Sophia said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "The library's open, as long as it's to people who'll really appreciate it. You're even welcome to take a room here for a little while, if you want! Father doesn't mind, so long as I take responsibility for them."

"You are kind to the point of recklessness, if you don't mind me saying," Izaria noted wryly. "I have done nothing to earn this trust, but I thank you all the same! Luckily, I'm not one to discard such generous offers. As for debts, I would never have it be said I take advantage of kindness, either. I'm sure I have something that can fill a gap in the collection, at the very least."

As Izaria followed along, she glanced once more at Sophia, chuckling under her breath at the endearing and animated display. The girl was like a storybook princess come to life. Sophia's every motion was sweeping and graceful, and she displayed all her emotions on her sleeve, no worry in the world to drag her down.

Meanwhile, Izaria did a mental tally of her collection. She had the base texts for spellcraft in excess, as she generally used a collection of encompassing building-block texts to barter for more advanced work. Oftentimes collectors or scholars simply went for quantity, and would leave a far more advanced text with her if it meant learning a large body of elementary sorcery as parlor tricks.

She followed on, looking about the causeway towards the manor with a vague sense of trepidation, straightening her robes and trying to settle into a look that did not shout "vagabond." Not that she particularly minded, but she hadn't been invited to a mayor's manor just hours after arriving in a town before.

She admired the garden and exterior as they approached. Bright gold and violet flowers bloomed around the few carefully-trimmed topiary shrubs, too few to form a proper fence, but enough to make a tasteful display. The porch was a half-circle of brick hosting four thick wooden columns, holding up the balcony above it, and framing the rather simple but heavy door leading inside.

As usual, Sophia had to put her shoulder into the door to get the blasted thing open, and didn't quite manage to hide the grunt of effort that escaped her lips.

"Hoh… Welcome! Come on in," she beckoned, waving her soon-to-be friend inside. She watched Izaria walk in, and as soon as she was clear, pushed the door shut with a loud clunk.

The breeze and the sound of birdsong both were hushed within the walls; after all, they were easily thick enough to withstand a very cold winter. The foyer was a slender room reaching to the back of the building, marked with side doors in four places, like some long hallway of polished stone and slotted wood. A single stairwell leading up from the middle split into two in the opposite direction, leading to higher floors.

"Father! I'm hooome!" she called out.

No response came to her faintly-echoing voice. Not even a footstep. Sophia tilted her head to listen for a few seconds. Then she made a noncommittal hum, and shrugged.

"He must be out," she reasoned. "Here, the library's just upstairs."

Sophia smiled angelically to Izaria, then beckoned with her hand again, and quietly started the walk to the second floor landing.

Izaria looked around the hall. Her boots thudded gently on seasoned hardwood. A receiving cabinet with spaces for shoes next to a coat rack sat by the stairs upwards, but she didn't pause, instead heading up after Sophia.

The upstairs landing was clearly designed for guests; a tasteful set of receiving couches trimmed with red velvet rested just off to the side, next to a table set with a decanter of water and several glasses. The space extended into a cozy living area with windows looking outwards, letting in sunlight upon the broad red carpet and its golden tassels. Through a doorless frame near them, the outline of half-empty bookshelves could be seen.

"Phew..." Sophia breathed heavily.

Izaria blinked, turned around, and caught the girl's apologetic look. Something clicked in her mind, then; she looked so darn weak! She'd almost insisted on helping Sophia open that heavy door earlier, but she seemed used to handling things with a frail body; something Izaria could very much relate to.

Then, Sophia glanced aside, and idly twirled two fingers into her shiny black hair. "Can we... rest for a second?" she murmured. "I'm not used to walking so much."

Izaria favored her with a pitying frown. "Poor constitution?"

Sophia's wan, knowing smile said it all. Izaria smiled back, hoping she at least looked encouraging; but she wanted to walk right up and just hug her! Despite being taller than herself, and looking fairly healthy, she had to be cursed like that? No fair. At least Izaria's excuse could be her overreliance on magic, some might say to excess.

"Of course. Far be it from a guest to push their gracious host," Izaria answered as kindly as she could.

Besides, she wouldn't admit it, barely to herself, even, but her own legs were burning. And her feet were crying for a warm bath right now. Yes, taking a load off was so welcome, she almost wondered if Sophia had read her mind! But that was just silly.

Izaria moved to the couches, and the second she sat down, she let out a heavy sigh. They were almost sinfully comfortable, and she would have to be careful; otherwise, she just might fall asleep.

Sophia could have stomached simple reticence or reservation, but that her greatest hopes were realized made her deep violet eyes gleam with mirth. And oh, she liked what they saw. A giggle like the tinkling of a bell flitted from her throat, which she loosely covered with her fingers just to feel the vibration. Her voice was a gentle, velveteen alto, fragile but beautiful, like her pure smile. Her lips opened like twin lotus petals, and she eagerly responded...

"Izaria... I lied."

Those matching purple eyes blinked almost audibly loud.

The sorceress' head swiveled over. “W… What?” she asked dumbly.

A faint hint of longing, near to a croon, trilled through Sophia's voice. She took a seat right across from the young sorceress, fixing her with a cool, angelic smile.

Izaria's brow furrowed. "Sophia, wh—"

"I lied about why I brought you here," Sophia cut her off, dangerously calm. "But I'm flattered you fell for it so easily. Thank you."

What happened next was not immediately obvious. The air changed, growing a little heavier. There was a rush of humidity that blew cool air along Izaria's bare legs and left a misty coating on her skin. The light around them grew muted, with Sophia at the center, her eyes shimmering with the power of a spell!

Izaria sucked in a sharp breath. She shot up to her feet—

Something skin-smooth and wet ran across her calves. Izaria's head whipped down so fast she felt muscles twinge in her neck.

What she saw was a pink-mottled tendril of flesh, capped with a throbbing head like the obscene tip of a cock—

It squeezed, yanking her backwards. " Hunh—! "

Crash! Izaria hit the floor knees-first. She grimaced in pain. Then revulsion. The crazed tendril wasn't alone, there were more and they moved like giant snakes grinding over wood. Were they trying to pull her under?!

She threw her weight backwards, pressing her hips against the couch. That held her for the moment, long enough for her to look up, wild-eyed, at Sophia—who simply stared back in damnable silence, an amused smirk on her lips.

Izaria's teeth ground in rage. 'You bitch. You twisted lying BITCH! '

She clasped her hands together with a loud clap. Her body shimmered with light like a kaleidoscope, blossoming out like a cloud, distorting her figure.

An illusory clone of Izaria sprang out of the cloud, sprinting past Sophia towards the stairs.

But then another Izaria twisted amidst the cloud, a blade of conjured ice springing from her hand as she slashed at the tentacle binding her. And yet another charged straight at Sophia, hands raised…

…and all of them were rapidly shouting out incantations.

Sophia held her smile, even though she wanted to laugh. Ooh, clever. Gain distance and time, try to think of a way out, but attacking at once… almost like a battlemage.

She rose to her feet, meeting the charging Izaria head-on. Without even raising her hands, she walked forward, and…

…it passed right through her, and its voice briefly spiked, before flipping around to her other side.

From the eyes of a layman, the entire spectacle would've held an eerie, dreamlike quality, making it hard to even tell one clone from the other. But there was no fooling Sophia's arcane sight.

Fwing! Riiip!

Sophia blinked in surprise, nearly stumbling in place. Nothing had hit her; it was Izaria herself, suddenly rising to her feet, wreathed in a coruscating barrier of blue light that pushed the tentacles off her legs so fast they bent and broke out of shape.

She couldn't help but feel a pang of disquiet. Another spell so quickly? And one so advanced?

Immediately, she decided to stop playing around. Sophia broke into a run, and was on Izaria before she fully got to her feet. The other sorceress stared back, grimacing, hands upraised and emitting power in an oddly rippling display like jets of water playing over glass.

But Sophia had tricks of her own. With a stark effort of will, she poured mana through her hands, feet, and all through her body. Without a care, she threw herself right at Izaria—and savored the look of shock in her eyes right before they met.

CRACK!

Violet light with flecks of pure black glowed across her body, seeming to issue forth from her eyes. Sophia's charge briefly slowed as their powers met, crackling and spitting like oil and water.

Sophia broke through the shield without even a stumble—and her hands immediately flashed forward, snagging the sorceress' wrists before she could utter another spell.

The barrier winked out without even a whimper. Izaria's eyes flashed with fear. " No—! "

Her cry died in her throat. Sophia threw the girl's arms open wide, and right on cue, the tendrils held back until that moment swept out from under the couch and snagged her ankles. A single heavy tug pulled her off-balance, and Sophia swiftly but gently guided her descent, ensuring she landed on her back.

Sophia dropped to her knees to straddle Izaria's chest, holding her arms open.

"Please, stop! W-What do you want?! " Izaria cried out.

"Relax," Sophia answered in a deep, airy murmur.

Ignoring the girl's pitiful mewls, she draped her satin-clad body right over Izaria's chest, blew one hot breath against her neck… and then captured her lips in a full, gentle kiss.

Her velvet-smooth lips squeezed down. A sultry croon clawed its way from Sophia's throat, pushing a deliciously mnty plume of breath over Izaria's tongue.

Izaria's thoughts flipped over like a tub of water.

She… she couldn't… sense.

Her eyes quivered in fear, but that fear couldn't find a point anymore. She knew, she felt the raw mana pouring out of Sophia's eyes, she could guess at a hypnotic charm when she felt one, but…!

But… she'd never noticed just how dark, deep and comforting Sophia's voice was before. How delicate like a bird's wing the flutter of her heart was. How achingly beautiful her chiseled features were.

Her senses were being hit from every angle at once. Before she could even fight back, Sophia'd already gotten in. Her head felt… so… fuzzy…

Desperately, she tried to wrest some consciousness back, to cast a spell, protest, anything! She was in a fight! Sophia was her enemy!

Izaria's fingers twitched uselessly at her sides. Her body jerked and quivered underneath Sophia's weight, and her legs were too tied up to get leverage. The prone posture made her painfully aware of blood rushing back into her head, pounding… but also how much Sophia was somehow calming it down…

She'd never felt so violated. She wasn't kissing back, but Izaria couldn't stop her whole body from tingling, like she was in a warm, wonderfully insulated cloud.

She inhaled the girl’s wonderfully sweet scent, feeling the incredibly soft skin and warm body astride her as their lips lingered together. She forced herself to twist her body, to try and escape the delicate sensations that screamed of a danger far worse than a simple bolt of fire or stream of lightning sent by an average sorceress.

Sophia languished atop her foe like a lioness with its prey. To her credit, Izaria didn't fall immediately... but the beauty of the enchantment she struggled against was in how deep, how comfortably heavy it weighed upon her mind: a warm bloom of pleasure, like just waking up from a restful nap.

With Izaria’s spells compromised, nothing remained to stop Sophia's first spell, either—and, as she crooned and purred through her kiss, never letting go of Izaria's sweet lips, the selfsame tendril she'd knocked away returned to coil softly around the sorceress' leg yet again. It writhed forward even while squeezing, dragging its smooth surface against her pure skin in several coiling passes. Calf, knee, thigh… and then the head just kept on rubbing, its knobby tip caressing between her legs but not quite able to reach the prize.

Before long, more tendrils just like it joined the fun, and Sophia passed each of Izaria's arms to them in turn, letting them hold her... so she could wrap her hands firmly but gently on her temples, elegant fingers cradling her head and pressing into her ivory hair.

Smch. She drew her lips away with a hushed sigh.

"Mm... good girl," she cooed.

Izaria's eyes trembled in a mix of fear and traitorous desire. Her lips twitched, but only passed a confused mewl.

Sophia giggled at the sight. She dove in again, trading hot breaths together with the stricken girl. She kept it up, fitting in a smooch on those beautiful cheeks or forehead, as if daring her to try and cast again—because she came right back soon enough, stealing that cute voice with another wave of soft kisses.

Izaria gasped gently into Sophia's mouth. She alone would've been bad enough; she didn't need those deceptively gentle things feeling up her body! What even was the creature?

Not that she could do anything about it, anyway. Her arms already felt like lead, and her fingers dangled limply in their grasp. More of those same tendrils coiled further up her elbows, but… almost thankfully, their summoner was distracting enough she just couldn't care about them for long. Not when Sophia's lovely lips pulled away just long enough to let her catch her breath, before coming back to press in as soft as butter. In any other situation, the gentle seduction would have been quite a welcome thing.

Unbidden, the words Stay Calm floated up in her mind. The worst possible advice right now; but the invasive warmth suffusing her entire body had not diminished in the least, and she wasn’t sure she'd be able to walk even if there weren’t a sinisterly beautiful girl atop her, showering her with affection. She could not pull away, and her own lips met the girl’s lips eagerly each time they found their way back, those soft and gentle kisses driving her mad despite everything.

By all rights, she should have been horrified, and that realization was likely the only thing keeping her from drifting away completely. Some part of her mind remained her own. The cold and calculating sorceress she had grown to be knew that there would be an opening: a lull in the spell, or a moment where the girl lost her concentration in victory. If she could only resist the hypnosis until then, the spell would fade, and she would pounce.

Sophia's left hand moved, sweeping along the back of Izaria's delicate neck. Her fingers dove into the silky curtain of her hair, enfolding gently around her scalp, and pressing up to hold her into the kiss. And clearly, it was working. The sorceress’ body responded, drunkenly or no, pressing back against her to feel more. Sophia kept her pace slow to match the smaller girl's inexperienced tongue, guiding her, eagerly encouraging every nudge. She rhythmically parted and swept her lips over Izaria's mouth, tilting her head from time to time to brush against the sides when even her dexterous chin couldn't quite move that far.

Even so... Sophia was not so naive as to think she'd already won. And while that hand attended to her prey’s head, its sister slid lazily downward, taking a rolling path along the plushly-curved side. Her fingers quickly found the sorceress' hips, which she gave one tender squeeze to feel just how soft she really was. Then Sophia let them play along the slip of skin just beneath her stomach. Her lips kept pouring sweet poison into Izaria's heart, but she still found time to lift them up in her usual tease.

"So sweet..." Smch. "I won't hurt you..." Smooch. Right on the cheek. "Mm… here's a reward."

At the same time that her lips reclaimed Izaria's, her hand took a dive, gently pressing down on her thigh and writhing underneath the tiny slip of fabric protecting her flower. Her two longest digits led the way, nails quietly scraping across the edge of her slit.

Mmm... oh, she was warm there. Sophia giggled musically into her pet's mouth. Her hand went a little deeper, stretching to probe the inside, writhing from floor to roof... and then her knuckles joined in the fun, twisting one side then the other, pushing against Izaria's inner walls.

Izaria's eyes flickered in terror. She knew. She saw it coming. She tried, she breathed, tensing her core…!

" Aaaahhn! "

Joyous ecstasy roared through her flesh at the touch, tearing the moan from her throat. Izaria's back arched, but only pressed right into Sophia's hips just above.

She fought for breath, trying to catch herself, but by now it was too late. Deep red flushed in her cheeks, and her now-loose lips shuddered out with moan after traitorous moan.

The hypnosis. It had to be. Not even when Izaria touched herself did it feel this good! Sophia's fingers were terribly skilled, teasing with a knuckle along her folds, then pushing nails inside so deep she wanted to buck and scream and cry out her name.

She… she wasn't gonna last. Izaria felt the warm knot of arousal building already in the pit of her stomach. But her mind ebbed from the fear and violation back towards the moment, savoring Sophia's low hums of praise, the ceaseless affection of her soft, delicate lips.

The probing tentacle at Izaria's thigh finally managed to stretch, writhing along her leg just enough to grab onto Izaria's tugged-loose panties. It tugged on them insistently, slipping them off her hips to bare her sex to the air—just in time for Sophia to begin changing tactics.

Her eyes shimmered just a little brighter—though not quite with the pull of hypnotism—and she kept them focused on Izaria. Seconds later, the air grew thick again, and moist, cool air blew right against the sorceress' pussy, where Sophia’s elegant fingers were already passionately stroking... and then the sounds of several more tendrils, heavy and slithering, filtered in from all around her.

Sophia began to rise, releasing Izaria's head, then holding her chin and lips gently closed. While the few tendrils already out kept her limbs bound, several more leisurely began to wrap up her torso, and one even slipped carefully around her throat, kissing at her collarbone with its cock-tip. With so much of a grip, it was nothing for them all to begin lifting her up. Sophia leaned back, watching first Izaria's shoulders, then her back, lift from the floor, rising up into the air.

"You're safe," Sophia breathed out through her angelic smile. Of course the sorceress was safe—and if she was safe, why would she need to fight?

The hypnotic suggestion wouldn't take hold that easily, of course, but it was another of the many strikes it'd take to mold her mind into the proper shape. Sophia rose up to inspect Izaria—and oh, she looked rather pathetic just then. Legs spread open, body dangling over the floor, arms and wrists bound by wriggling tendrils, and Sophia’s hand gently stroking through her folds.

"I found these wonderful little creatures in the gulf between dreams, a space beyond reality," she continued in a hushed, lusty purr. "They're totally under my control. Your every psychic emanation of pleasure feeds them, spurs them on... but I won't let you cum."

Her fingers slowed; they paused in their writhing and squirming, then mixed up their pattern with simple, gentle presses deep, deep inside her. "I won't let you cum until you've given up... and I'm a very patient lady, Izaria."

Izaria shuddered, looking in disgust at the tentacles snaking their way around her chest. Even so, her arousal continued to grow. She leaned her head back, pulling away from the one wrapping around her throat and tracing her collarbone. Despite this, she could not quite muster the strength—or even feel the need—to truly try and escape.

She clenched her teeth as frustration bubbled in her; she should want to escape, but the odd malaise carried on, combining eagerly with the wonderful arousal. The only victory she was allowed was to swallow down a moan, but it didn't stop her breath from grinding with pleasure.

“What— hah —d-do you even want?" she panted. "Is this... just about a good time? Because there are better ways to— Ahhh, Gods!!”

She closed her eyes and mouth, her expression alight with arousal as Sophia thrust her fingers once more into her. She weakly tried to bring her knees together into a ball, fighting against her own lack of will as much as the tentacles that had pulled them apart.

Biting her lip, she opened her eyes once more, glaring down at Sophia. She had never bothered to make herself physically strong; here simply had never been anything not surmountable by magic. She was paying the price for that arrogance… or was it a reward? It was rather hard to tell as another pleasurable wave of arousal tingled up her squirming body.

“I-if you’re not gonna get me off, t-then what is this? What are you doing… who are you? AH, f- fuck! ”

Sophia giggled musically, savoring every moment. Oh , stars, that look was just too adorable. Izaria might glare, but there was no real force behind it. Her reservoir of strength was already depleted, and she’d melted into the mewling wreck in Sophia’s grasp. Every pathetic attempt to struggle just made the sorceress’ little body dance for her, shuddering like a puppet.

"What do I want?" Sophia tilted her head, blinking owlishly at her. "Well, for one, I wasn't lying about wanting you to share your knowledge with my library. You'll still do it... but..."

Slowly, torturously, she bent her fingers into a hook, then draaagged them out of Izaria's sex. Her nails scraped across nerves and kissed the root of her clit on their way out, coming away slick with arousal. Still, she blocked her prey from orgasm, letting her pleasure build and build upon itself—such a terrible ache. Sophia wrapped her lips around those dripping fingers, humming as she suckled, like a child enjoying a treat.

"Mm... Well," she cooed vacantly, "You'll get to see, soon... but of course, that's not all. You're so, so cute... I think I'll keep you, sweetie."

But before that, she had to make sure Izaria was broken and powerless. It would take time, much time, to truly be sure of that. As she'd said, though, she was very patient, indeed.

Sophia crooked her fingers, and one of the silky tentacles rose up to her palm like a dog seeking to be petted. She clasped its knobby length, and guided the tip—a pronounced ridge of flesh as real and smooth as any human cock—right up between Izaria's legs. It seemed to smell her arousal, for it wriggled its slippery mass out of its mistress’s hand to probe Izaria’s folds, which Sophia had kindly pre-dampened and stretched nice and wide. At first it flicked at her sex like a tongue, but then it found its way through, and pushed, slithering deep into her pussy.

But even that wasn't the end. Sophia, watching the lewd display with an amused eye, then began to walk around Izaria, towards the door to the library -- and all of the tendrils followed after her. They seemed to literally come from nowhere—ripples in reality, like displaced air, out of which stretched so much flesh. And they obediently carried Sophia's captive right behind her, into the faint smell of must and ink, and the sight of stacked shelves and tables laden with writing supplies. Most prominently, though, was the centerpiece: a rectangular, altar-like pedestal, covered in a sheet of soft, red velvet, like a couch cushion.

Izaria tried dimly to parse the ominous response. The beautiful girl’s wide, purple eyes acted almost like a beacon, and they were frankly rather distracting. Equally so was the torturous pleasure as the girl continued her relentless assault. Izaria bucked her hips as the girl’s nails dragged along her inner walls, her breath coming out in ragged gasps.

She ripped her eyes away, trying desperately to concentrate. Even if the hypnotic magic had not been eating away at her, the spiking arousal would have been just as difficult to think through. Her mind felt foggy, a dim buzzing that pervaded every thought—

But a cold stab of fear lanced through her eyes when she saw the tentacle by her pussy.

“W-wait, no, d-don’t— AHH! “

The tentacle plunged deeply inside of her, feeling every inch against her hyper-sensitized walls. It stretched and filled her tunnel, making her traitorous nerves sing in bliss.

“O- okay!! " she shrieked. " Please, ahh…! Whatever y-you want, ahh, p- please let me cum, f- fuck… I-I’ll do what you want!"

Sophia didn't answer. Izaria's eyes jerked around, trying to see where they were going. Towards… an altar?

"S- stop…!" she gasped out. For once, she just wished Sophia would look at her so she could guess what shew as thinking. "I swear, I-I won’t tell anyone abou aaah, this…”

Sophia paused by the altar's side and held out one hand, her palm twisting to guide the tendrils on. They bore Izaria's body upward a little further, drawing her legs-first onto the soft velvet, which unintentionally made her top clothes hike up her back.

Once her feet slid to the far edge, Sophia bade the tentacles tighten around her prey’s legs and ankles like chains, and then ordered the same to those holding her arms.

That left Izaria staring up at the vaulted ceiling, and at the slender rays of noonday sun that filtered through the few windows through which no one could possibly see what was going on.

Sophia stepped away for a moment, leaving the girl mewling on the altar. She gathered up a dark, leather-bound tome from a nearby table, and came back holding it in both hands.

"I'll let you cum," she purred teasingly, standing at Izaria's side to stare down at her quivering face. "But not before you give me what I want."

Sophia took her time opening the book. A book of blank pages.

A book with the hand-and-third-eye pattern of mysticism and control on its cover.

She noted Izaria's reaction. Her eyes darted between Sophia and the tome, but she didn't show any obvious fear. Well, now. That could change rather easily.

As Sophia prepared, her tendrils got a little adventurous, pushing their way through Izaria's blouse to lick at her cleavage. Two more tingled over her stomach, flexing like snakes, trying to burrow up and kiss her breasts... and their insistent pressure eventually caused a couple of her buttons to pop loose, making it even easier.

"This only hurts if you fight it," Sophia warned in a low, almost flat tone. She placed one palm smoothly over Izaria's forehead, then with the other, held the book open and over her chest.

Her voice fell into a low, sonorous chant, oddly reminiscent of a lullaby. Deep in Izaria's mind, she tugged… again… and again.

Sophia was probing, digging into her memories—her spellcraft. But the first thing she found was simple details about Izaria's life. Details like how she was a prodigy of the Imperial Academy, who ran away with great knowledge to strike out on her own.

The pages of the book shimmered with light, and words began to appear that matched the memories. The more Izaria gave in, the smoother the pages flipped on, beginning to copy down what Izaria knew about magic. It would erase nothing, but simply tug the memories up as if transcribing them right onto the page... and if she tried to resist, it would only halt the copying temporarily, and the deep ache would only grow and grow, much like her thrumming nerves held back from orgasm.

Izaria squirmed and shook upon the altar. Her hips rolled with the tentacles, trying desperately to get off. But the deep pressure would seemingly only ever grow, never explode into climax. She was lightheaded, and her throat was ragged as she gasped for breath.

But now, an invasion so much deeper and even more personal than what was happening to her mind.

Memories came forth, unbidden: the first time she had held a staff; Magister Alerien, scolding her for perhaps the fifth time for improper use of the spellcraft; her and John in the carriage, the night after he had found her in that cave…

'NO! NO! '

Her mind recoiled in fury. Pain tensed around her mind, drawing it taut like a rope being pulled from both sides. She took a deep breath.

You Are Safe, a part of her mind reasoned. Relax, another part of her mind commanded.

She wanted nothing more than to sink into those feelings, but the selfish part of her, the part she prided herself most on, closed itself off. These are Private! it screamed.

For a second, it looked like it was working. The pages on the book slowed their flipping—

A dull, tired ache struck her focus like a hammer blow. Then another, almost like the steady beat of a heart. Her mind began to buckle by the third, but she valiantly fought back; Izaria knew barriers, and she imagined one in her mind, protecting the one thing no one should have access to.

As unpleasant as it was, as bitter as the victory tasted, she didn't relent. “D- don't! Those, urgh, aren’t for you! I-I will share any of m-my magic, I-I promise, ahh, GODS! ”

She gasped out in bliss, bucking on the altar. The tentacle kept on thrusting in her pussy, almost, almost reaching that tight knot at the end. She wanted it to break that knot, bring relief, she wanted so much !

“Stay out of my head! " she growled through her teeth. "I p-promise I will do whatever you want!

Slowly, torturously, she saw Sophia's eyebrows lifting up in interest.

Sophia stared at her, frankly impressed. Was she actually holding on? Nice and tight, too. Did the pain help to ground her a bit? Not that it truly mattered. Izaria still couldn't fight it forever, but... hm. Perhaps Sophia could turn this to her advantage, too. Make her think she had something untouchable, something she could hang on to.

So she subtly changed her probe, veering away and easing the pressure off of her deeper, private memories. The sheer glee of violating those too could wait; she was nothing if not patient. The pages of her book ceased their flipping for a moment, re-adjusting to probe much more specifically on the topic of magic.

Predictably, Izaria's thrashing slowed, leaving her gasping for far more physical reasons. She gave her a few moments respite, although the tendril never stopped patiently fucking her wet tunnel.

"Those two spells you used earlier... the illusions, and that barrier," Sophia muttered. She reached out, sweetly petting Izaria's hairline. Her voice was demanding, but oh so silky-sweet. "Relinquish them... and I may just let you cum, Izaria."

She took a sweeping glance over the girl's pathetic figure. Her cape laid limp down her arms, and the eager, burrowing tendrils had finally crawled up from her tummy and taken her blouse up with them. From her navel down, nothing was left but for her boots. Izaria's kicking and writhing only served to wear her out, and she wasn't that strong to begin with, especially not with the slick column of flesh so passionately fucking her, gorging at her sensitive walls, yet never letting her have release.

Coiling tendrils lovingly wrapped themselves around Izaria's chest, squeezing tightly, popping out another button from her top. It was hanging off by only one, now, wonderfully baring her heaving chest, which was traitorously quivering with so many lovely moans. Those were music to Sophia's ears.

Izaria’s mind flooded with relief. However traitorous that relief was, she just couldn't care. The blast furnace of hot pressure in her tummy just wouldn't stop!!

So she swiftly turned her to mind to think of those very spells, trying to swallow her revulsion. The second she did, she felt the pressure in her thoughts slow down. Okay. Okay. Sophia wasn't gorging at her private thoughts anymore, maybe she could bargain a bit.

She closed her eyes, working her jaw as she tried to ignore the tentacles squeezing her breasts, and how they seemed to have an innate knack for seduction. “Mmm, hahh, ok, t-take them, just please…” Her voice was hoarse, her throat raw from drawing ragged breaths.

The illusion was an effective, if short-lived, spell. The incantation was quick, and the associated hand gestures simple. It was all the more impressive for the fact that a user could scale the spell to any size, and add a significant amount of sounds to the visuals. Her mind raced as she thought of times she had used the spell, from practicing it in a dusty reading room in the Imperial Archive just after she’d learned it, to when she had pilfered the Grand Tomes before leaving the Academy.

The spell to craft the barrier was old and quite possibly unique. Unlike other spells, with safety clauses added directly into the incantation, this barrier came from a time when magic was wild, difficult to control, and all the more dangerous for it. If one did not have the energy required to mold the barrier, it would likely kill the user. It was, however, i ncredibly powerful. Izaria had allowed many a Sorcerer to play themselves to exhaustion upon it before quickly achieving victory with a series of simple magical assaults. Up until earlier that day, she had never seen anything pass it, including hexes or curses, fire, wind, lightning, or any other offensive magic. Likewise, any projectile or telekinetic force had proved ineffective. Smoke, magical darkness, any creative spell, and even harmless illusions would typically be unable to pass it.

She felt the incessant tugging of the memories of the spells. It made her feel almost sick, the invasive probe in her mind, but she no longer felt the ache associated with resistance.  It could have been a mistake to have discarded that pain, because she was adrift once more in the heavy weight of that clouded, hypnotic feeling. It had returned—deeper than before, even. Her body was shuddering, hips trying to escape the relentless pace as she had found no release.

Izaria choked back a sob. Her head lolled to the side, staring through half-lidded eyes at Sophia. "P… please… " she moaned.

Sophia didn't waste time gloating. She continued to chant, keeping her hand gently pressed upon the sorceress' forehead. The book was flipping again, glowing brightly, copying words and formulas and theories. Every memory, everything Izaria knew about those spells, the book gently tugged up and wrote down verbatim. It made her relive how confident she'd been, as well, just before the moment when each of the spells had failed versus an opponent as powerful as Sophia.

This went on for several torturously-long seconds. And only when the book stopped, releasing its darkly pleasant fingers from Izaria's mind, did Sophia close it with a profound thunk.

She placed it on the altar by Izaria’s head, and spoke in a soft whisper, "Good, good... you may cum now, my pet."

And, with a tiny effort of will, she released the mental block.

The cock in her aching pussy shoved as deep as it could, then pulled back... and burst out with a series of rough thrusts! Back, in, back, in it went, fucking her fast and hard. It twisted and turned in her tunnel, striking at angles, and then... The assault ended with only a dozen or so thrusts. The cock-head pushed right to the edge of her sex again…

…and then it came.

The whole length throbbed, softly but powerfully, flexing in her walls, disgorging warm and heavy cum straight into her womb. Each pulse brought its length to open her hood, tickling her clit like a fine brush.

" Ahhhhn! AH, AAAAAHH!! "

Izaria’s entire body tensed all at once, carried almost instantly to a crashing orgasm. She arched her back off the altar and screamed. She almost wrenched her arms as she shuddered, her body wracked with the most beautiful ecstasy she had ever felt.

She cried out until her throat turned raw. Her mouth hung open, but no further sound came out. It was as though the wind had been knocked out of her. She shuddered, and her hips rolled along with the thrusting tentacle. She released a blissful moan from deep within her throat.

How long she stayed in that high, she wasn’t sure. Her oversensitive pussy tingled with wave after wave of pleasure, but it was muted, now, drowning in a thick bath of warmth blanketing her body. Izaria could do nothing but just lay there, panting, with heavy-lidded eyes.

“T-that was… amazing," she admitted in a weak voice. "But, please… what else do you want from me? I can tell you anything… but I don’t know what you want!”

So far, the beautiful raven-haired girl had taken by force two things that Izaria would have given freely. It made for an unnerving, alien experience, to be forced to give something that had been offered already.

Sophia grinned; she'd been waiting for this moment. Such a beautiful voice! It filled Sophia with giddy excitement, that cry of pure bliss and betrayal, impotently denying what her body ached for. Her orgasm had lasted nearly a minute, all told, and Sophia had been there to patiently stroke out every last squirm from her pussy. She almost wished she could feel what her summoned tendril felt, pulsing hot cum into the young body clenching and squeezing down upon it... but no. Too much, even for her.

Her fingers got a good dose of Izaria's sweet juices, mixed with a little tentacle cum. She relinquished Izaria's clit, then lazily drew her hand up, and stroked the girl's soft belly.

"Hmhm..." she giggled; oh, was it sloshing just a little? She wondered how much cum that eager feeler had deposited. It might even want to keep going, but... no. That was enough. Sophia dismissed it with a thought, causing it to pull itself free, allowing their mingled juices to stain the velvet. She could clean it easily enough with magic later.

"I want you, Izaria," she said, turning to answer the sorceress' question. Her voice was cool, but lilting, not even hiding an impressed lilt. "You displayed truly remarkable skill and adaptation; had I not had just the right counter, you might've fought me off. But when you can bend the weave of reality as I do, sensory illusions and even metaphysical barriers stop mattering so much."

Her eyelids wiggled up and down, framing the faint violet glow still present within. "Your talents were wasted in a place like the academy, though I'm glad you learned as much as you did from them. But you're not going to come close to the kinds of things I'm capable of, not unless you're willing to make your own rules. Let me be clear:  Izaria, I want you to become my apprentice."

Izaria shivered as the tentacle finally pulled free from her, feeling her captor’s hand petting her stomach gently. Even that feeling was delightful, and reassuring in the strangest way.

It took a moment, again, to parse what Sophia was saying. It all felt dreamlike, and her mind was sluggish both from the afterglow of one of the deepest orgasms she’d ever had, and, additionally, the wonderful hypnotic blanket that laid heavily upon her still. She felt like she was drifting beyond herself, slowly losing any will to even try to fight it. That little part in her head had turned into a worried whisper, wondering if outlasting the effects of her captor was even possible.

Despite how far under Sophia’s spell she’d sunk, Izaria still blinked in surprise when Sophia broached the prospect of… apprenticeship . Immediate and overwhelming revulsion flared in her at the idea of allowing the girl to teach her anything. But that revulsion, much like any extreme emotion, slowly eased away under the calm contentment she was being forced to feel.

It was perhaps not terrible, she reasoned, if it meant gaining the ability to walk through an arcane shield, as well as pierce illusions without even a moment’s hesitation. The girl standing over her was clearly a caliber of sorceress she hadn’t seen since perhaps the Grand Magisters of the Academy.

The ambition that burned at the heart of her alighted once more. The answer was obvious, but haste wouldn’t do. She stared for a long moment into Sophia’s eyes. It was a mistake, as she became quite lost and did not respond immediately. She looked curiously as a vague smile twitched at her captor’s lips. The faintly-glowing purple light behind Sophia’s eyes pinned down her mind anew before she forced her eyes closed and looked away. Taking another deep, ragged breath before responding.

“And why would you want me as an apprentice? Most of my teachers loathed me.” Izaria gave a crooked, rueful smile, displaying an aloof indifference, but her words sounded brittle—almost meek—in the echo of the now-quiet library.

'So like a kitten,' Sophia thought, and her smile swept a little wider.

Izaria was so responsive to every touch, no matter how small. All was calm; the tendrils barely writhed now, with Izaria's body mostly spent. Their mistress, though, knew right where her hands needed to be. One kept gently petting that smooth tummy, making a few circling passes... but then she slid off, roaming to her prey’s wrist instead. Five points of contact gripped around Izaria's palm nearest Sophia, then slid over, fingers clasping her hand in an affirming squeeze.

Then, she flexed her fingers—on her other hand. They pressed into Izaria’s scalp, soothingly rubbing from temple to temple. No matter how much she might violate the girl inside and out, she'd make sure to pay her proper affection when it was over.

Sophia's throat trembled, a musical little laugh rolling out. "Why wouldn't I want you?" she countered. "You're bright. You have very solid instincts. You're clearly dedicated, to achieve such excellence so early; those are quite some high-level spells to master for on-the-fly use. Also, you're very cute."

Much like she stroked her ego, the dark sorceress kept on petting that beautiful white hair, even taking the time to tuck some disheveled strands back neatly behind her ears. "What more is there really to say?" she noted archly. Her eyes had never left Izaria's face as she’d spoken, yet finally her smile did dim a little, as if tensely expecting the answer—as if it really mattered to Sophia, but she couldn't help her curiosity.

"Am I not worse than your instructors? Selfishly, I violated you, and took your spellcraft into my book; but I also showed you just how much farther you might reach, something they seem not to have sated for you. And, here: a little taste of what else I can offer..."

At once, the twin tendrils gripping Izaria's breasts squeezed, and the dripping-wet one at her thighs brushed along her aching folds once, like a lapping tongue.

Izaria almost lost herself then and there. The delicate, soothing hands ran along her belly before making their way up, brushing against her hair. Her captor’s soft response played against her ears so convincingly, she almost passed into sleep.

She found herself rather abashed, wishing she could cover herself, to make the situation as wholesome as it felt. But as it was, she was still very much pinned to a dark altar.

The sorceress could teach her, that much was true. She pulled against the restraining tentacles as if to remind herself they were still there. She had to acknowledge the reasoning—would she have respected someone who had not asserted themselves so dominantly? Likely not, and, much like her previous teachers, she would slowly have grown to find Sophia’s presumption of teaching her to be overreaching, and a rift would form. As it were, they had much to gain from each other… and if this was the price, well…

“Ahhahh, Mmm, n-no … please…” Izaria mumbled in protest as she jumped, feeling the tendril brushing against her overstimulated sex once more.

The warm, silky tendril felt ever-so-wonderful, but entirely too much. She was still very much bound to the altar, and something that had been pushed deep down screamed of danger. But what was there left to fear? The girl could do whatever she wanted, and had proven so. If an apprentice was what she was asking for, it was frankly less of an ask than other things. She waited for another few moments, as if to give the appearance of consideration, before nodding slowly, looking up to Sophia.

“Y-you make a compelling argument… I don’t think I could possibly say no.”

Sophia was poised, excited, and smiling on the verge of a grin. She'd have started bouncing on her heels if it wasn't so unladylike! She’d known Izaria's answer before she voiced it aloud, and when it happened, she burst into a fit of pleasant chuckles, affirmingly squeezing Izaria's hand and pressing on her scalp simultaneously. The tendrils stopped their sudden attack as soon as they'd begun, giving Izaria a reprieve.

Her voice soon dropped into a thick, sultry purr. "I'm sooo happy to hear it."

One by one, she dismissed the other tentacles that kept Izaria’s body tied down to the velvet altar. Yet still, she held her steady in those deceptively powerful hands.

"Why not get some rest?" Her eyes gently pulsed like glowing amethysts. "We can continue this discussion later. I'll set up a guest room for you. For now, you should sleep..."

Sophia trailed off, and pressed the heel of her palm into Izaria's pretty forehead, then continued her darkly gentle whispers. "Sleeeep..."

Izaria nodded… She was so tired; her eyes were growing heavy. She didn't even need the push, but the overwhelming power of the hypnotic commands into Izaria’s spent body sent her drowsy mind into a deep trance.

Warm and content, while pleasantly sore from the overwhelming activities she had gone through, she fell into sleep, her eyes fluttering momentarily before her body melted, breathing deeply in and out as her head slumped to the side.

Sophia had done everything to reach this moment: to watch Izaria reach perfection in her hands, to savor the moment she went limp as a doll. Izaria softly moaned once, and then her breathing evened out, her heartbeat finally slowing down.

Sophia watched it all. And then... she took a deep, long breath. Her eyes lidded for a moment, before opening, and the light within faded back to her normal hues, like the contents of a dark wine glass. She released Izaria's limp hand.

Her next task was almost blissfully simple in its domesticity—gently divesting the slumbering girl of the rest of her clothes. She tugged off her cape and her blouse. She collected her shoes and socks, and the panties that'd gathered around her ankles. Soon, Izaria was totally naked, and smelling so heady and rich from sexual exhaustion.

And oh, she let the girl sleep as promised. She needed it badly. Sophia took her time cleaning up, and when it was all said and done, she had a few tentacles carry Izaria’s limp body by the shoulders to her personal bedchambers.

They were dominated by a rather simple yet cozy king-sized bed. It did take up most of the room, but Sophia had insisted on the luxury, and she was ever glad for it now.

She positioned herself leaning on the headboard, with Izaria lying back, hands folded over her own chest with her head resting in her new mistress’s lap.

"Izaria..." she breathed.

Once one mastered the creatures who prowled the ethereal sea surrounding them, dreams were so easy to see, to enter, play with... even change. Tracking down the root of one's subconscious was... a good bit harder. Sophia didn't relent, though. A dreaming state was perfect fertile ground for the changes to come.

She found it. Now... all she had to do was give it a little stroke. A pet... to twist her hypnosis in deep, as deep as it could go. For mixed in with the real Izaria, there was that side of her that had so deeply wanted to just give in, to mewl and submit and give up her pride. She'd touched it before, fed it the red meat of bliss. It might've been pushed back down into Izaria's subconscious given enough time, but that submissive side was still strong… and Sophia, gently extending forth her hand, pumped even more strength into it. More presence.

But the fact was, Sophia wasn't just exaggerating a part she wanted. No. In truth, she was lovingly crafting a different Izaria. A little seed to take root in her mind. A more obedient, even reliant girl, who still wore her face. The true Izaria wouldn't even know what was happening by the time she woke up; it'd all be just a dream…

To some, such a dream would be a nightmare. Izaria thought of it fondly, like a friend she only visited occasionally, but whose company she always enjoyed. She already thought of it as a dream she’d had several times before. Already, Sophia had convinced her that something new and insidious was something old and familiar.

Izaria stood upon a small plateau, with weaves, shimmers, and the thrum of magic surrounding her. They formed slowly revolving magical circles, all inscribed with vivid incantations of abjuration arcana.

Below her, many varied faces, most cast in shadow, clawed and slavered at the defenses. They threw themselves upon her magic, and broke upon it. Time and again, no creature or foe was able to set foot past the shimmering and beautiful display.

There Izaria sat, in the middle of the great workings of magic. She paid the foes no heed, idly flipping the pages of an old tome. The tome, in truth, varied from page to page as her memory filled in the blanks of the dream. It was dog-eared and careworn—clearly a fond and oft-returned-to work that provided the dreamer with a deep comfort.

“Izaria…”

Izaria looked up with a frown, closing the book. She stood up, glancing at the foes futilely attacking the magic circle. And she focused on one; the face of a bandit filled in the shadowed figure. He had attacked her when she had first left the borders of the Empire. It had been the first time she had used magic in a setting beyond a training capacity. And it had sung then as it did now; the bandit had fled in terror, images of great slavering beasts chasing him, nipping at his heels. She shook her head; he was not the source.

She frowned as the echo of her name reverberated against the barriers. It seemed to keep the sound from escaping, reflecting over and over.

“Izaria… Izaria… Izaria..”

She circled the small plateau, yet found nothing. What’s more, the magical patterns weaved and fluttered, shifting into a beautifully distracting purple hue. She looked at it, transfixed, as the rest of the dream faded into the background, dull and muted compared to the bright and beautiful violet pattern.

Where Izaria stared, Sophia was staring right back. She'd already found the source of her dreams, so locating her actual self had been a treat indeed. What power! Watching her deal with so many threats, that was truly something—that threats like that existed in reality, and that this girl who'd gone down so quickly to an unprepared-for threat had managed to hold such a vast area.

An area that, all around Izaria... began to shift.

Warm purple filled in shapes, like light pouring into a furnished room. Then, the shapes slowly began to resolve themselves.

Runes twisted and blossomed upward, becoming green pine trees; and the circles expanded, revealing a snow-stricken landscape that had just gotten its first kiss of true winter. There was hardly any birdsong, for most had already flown far south. A chilly wind brushed the needles over her head, occasionally tumbling bits of snow loose to drop on the grass. She stood on a rough dirt path, where behind her lay a rather familiar little town with a manor on a hill; but before her, walking worriedly towards her, was Sophia.

"Izaria!" she exclaimed, eyes flashing—but with worry and concern, not hypnotic light. The two of them did indeed have such similar eye colors, with Sophia's a deep violet, and Izaria’s a lighter purple hue.

No longer clad in her beautiful ball gown dress, Sophia appeared to have traded it for a thick woolen overcoat across more simple clothes. "Dear sister, you'll catch a cold! What would father say, you going without your cloak?"

Izaria's form here was much the same, with her blouse, cape, and bare legs feeling a definite chill in the nippy air. As soon as Sophia caught up to her, she shucked off her black coat, and held it high. With Sophia being a good few inches taller, it was a tad big, but that would help her legs all the more.

"Here, put this on," Sophia instructed. A thin smile came back to her lips, knowingly warm. "Little sister, I... I know you want to watch me train. I'm not going anywhere, okay? It's just that..." she winced, "the kind of things I do, no academy could teach me. I'm... being careful, I promise. No one I've practiced on has told a soul. I just need to test it a little more; I know I can master it."

These were ‘memories’ of things that had never happened—relationships that had never been. However, it didn't matter. Sophia actively filled that void with pieces of her own memory, using the forest outside Blythe for a reference, and then simply nudging away the reasoning part of Izaria's subconscious that might question the difference. What stood before her was Izaria... but with the vibrant, thriving seed she'd planted sinking deep roots through her heart, resonating with her every word, guiding her thoughts towards different lines.

Izaria had wrapped her arms around herself, fighting down a shiver as she had trudged along the trail. She looked up with a gleeful smile when she saw her sister, but forced her excitement down into a cool façade.  Likewise, she willed her body to stop shivering, even as her teeth began to clack together.

Izaria scoffed, even as an indulgent smile forced itself back onto her face. Gods, but her sister was always the worrier! She took the offered coat, grumbling good-humoredly as she put it on. It did help fight the cold, not that she’d admit such a thing so quickly.

“I’m fine , sis, really! And anyway, father doesn’t need to know, does he?” Her tone turned conspiratorial, a playful look in her eye.

“I just wanted to watch… a-and make sure you’re safe! You have to focus when you cast, so I can be the lookout! I’m going to the Academy soon, too, even if it is just a bunch of old codgers. You got what you needed and then left, right? I’m gonna do that too.

“Let me stay, pleeeeease? ” She pouted slightly, pursing her lips and looking up at her sister with wide, sad-looking eyes. She knew it was unfair because it always got Sophia to relent, but she wanted to see that cool magic!

Sophia's lips wavered from more than just the cold. She stared for a second, then... she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Heh, you're right... I mean, we keep enough from him already, don't we?"

The elder sibling smirked, leaned in... and then planted a moist little kiss right on Izaria's lips. It was chaste and quick, but decidedly loving.

The pair had some time ago begun to share in the bliss of their bodies, typically simple things like making out on the couch. Her sister had become so needy ever since, but she'd hardly ever seen her happier. Maybe the wholesome, physical attention really was good for her.

"Okay, okay... you can come." Sophia gave a playful little pout. "No fair, you know I can't say no to you."

She ran her palm down that silky white hair. Then she pressed down on her back, and started walking back the way she'd come, deeper into the woods. Her head lolled to the side, making a cozy nook for Izaria's head to rest. Goodness, her sister was cuddly today. Sophia chuckled richly, the sound thrumming through her delicate throat.

It didn't take so long to find what she was looking for: a black hole like rotted ground. Grass still seemed to grow there, but it was waving back and forth against the wind, as though it were alive.

That wasn't far from the truth.

Sophia paused at the edge, and languidly disengaged her embrace. "This is my secret spot," she said. "I have to train here, else it's just too dangerous. Here... nice, easy steps."

Sophia walked right onto the patch... and immediately, her feet began to sink. The 'ground' gave way around her, almost like quicksand. She looked back, smiling without a care in the world, and tugged on Izaria's hand to draw her in with her. They slipped in, pressed tightly to one another, and Sophia used the chance to lay another few kisses on her cheeks and forehead. 

"I need you to be brave, okay, sis?" she breathed—her smile had waned somewhat, and there was an odd edge to her eyes. "This is gonna be really scary at first, but big sister's got you. Big sis always looks after you..."

Izaria hesitated, watching her sister slowly sink into the quicksand with worry. She had thought they were headed into town. It seemed wrong, but the careless confidence her sister showed slowed her worry. What's more, she was being pulled by Sophia. It couldn't be bad, if she was letting her come with. Izaria nodded, stepping close to her sister, heart leaping in her chest at their proximity.

“O-ok, I can be brave.” Izaria clung to her sister, her body tense with fear despite her words.

What they'd just stepped into was an abscess—a hole in the subconscious dream world, which placed one dangerously close to the very edge of that little bubble. What they entered into, they couldn't even see, but they could certainly hear. There were loud heartbeats, the squick-shhlup of flesh, some distant moaning from multiple throats... and that last sound was muted, coming through the thick membrane of the pod.

Sophia didn't even need to call the tentacles this time. They sensed the dreamer, and they came. Eagerly writhing tentacles poked out from the sides of the pod, and began licking, playing around their bodies and looking for limbs to wrap around tightly. But Sophia claimed Izaria's mouth before one could get further than her beloved sister's cheek, and she stared, unblinking, into her eyes.

The unseen, tentacled creature lurked just beyond the darkness, licking and playing, toying with the both of them. Izaria pressed herself against her sister, trying to avoid having her arms wrapped by wrapping them instead around Sophia. In the darkness, she found her sister's eyes, bright and reassuring, shining in the darkness. Those familiar lips pressed against her own. She made a small noise of fear, despite her conviction, in response to the odd creatures in the darkness. But she also wanted to be cool, to not be worried, to be brave and unconcerned.

She blushed, as she always did, but melted into the kiss. Sophia always knew what to do, always knew what she needed. Those beautiful dark purple eyes looked down protectively, as they did whenever they were together. Those eyes that ran so much deeper than her own, that knew so much. Izaria had always been jealously possessive of that deep violet—that knowing, loving look Sophia always reserved just for her. This didn’t seem like any training she had heard of, but she trusted her sister, keeping their eyes locked together, trying not to let fear get the best of her.

A concept like 'clothes' was just that, in the dreamscape: a mere thought. Where the tendrils touched, they left slime, and that slime ate away at their clothes, melting Sophia's jacket and the coat she'd lent Izaria. It did not harm the skin, however. Indeed, it merely tingled, almost pleasantly, as it laid there. Clothes were just a metaphor for the shields protecting one's subconscious, and once those were down, much, much deeper changes could be made.

Once Sophia had Izaria snug and tight in the abscess, instead of shifting about randomly, she had the aid of the many dream-tentacles lovingly stroking her young body to help. In her fear, Izaria latched on completely to Sophia, pouring all her love and trust into her.

It was time to reward that trust. Izaria and Sophia were both nearly naked, writhing gently together in their little flesh-pod. Sophia breathed. Her bare chest heaved, swaying against Izaria, and her throat rumbled with a beautifully soft moan right against the smaller girl's throat. Not once did her hands let go. She held her as close as she could, legs rubbing on one another below. At last, when one of the rubbing tendrils started to probe Izaria's innocent, pink little flower, readying to plunge... Sophia made her move.

The tendril was already cumming before it even penetrated, and it didn't stop. Through the warmth flooding dream-fake-Izaria's walls, Sophia began to lovingly plant false memories—events that had never happened; people that had never been. They would form a buffet of context for her inquisitive mind to digest, to make sense of the dreams. While the true her would still have her own original memories wholly intact, and not recognize a thing that had happened, the fast-growing seed she held so tenderly would be fed enough memories to make sense of a life she'd never even lived.

...they would both surely become gifted sorceresses, just like their beautiful mother, from whom Sophia had inherited her long and dark hair, and the both of them the striking gems of their eyes. But she had left some time ago, to take an important job protecting the hinterlands from dangerous monsters that could overwhelm normal men, and only a few times a month could she return to her family. Izaria had fairly clung to her, though, ever looking up to how strong she was. The poor thing had tried to be brave then, too. But no one in Blythe brought up their mother around her, for fear of bringing back the cold and emptiness and loneliness—feelings her older sister Sophia was all too happy to soothe, to guard her fragile heart.

They'd picked up their little trysts in earnest after Sophia had returned from the Imperial Academy. Izaria had been so happy , so relieved to have her back! Now, Sophia was the bedrock holding her up. Maybe she'd been too coddling, or maybe they both needed each other to stay strong. Sophia didn't care. She loved Izaria with all her heart. She didn't care how dependent she was on her. She'd still share a bed, train with her to shore up her confidence, and listen to her every concern.

Dream-Izaria’s eyes dilated from the strange influx of information being fed to her that, somehow, she had always known. She had memories of living them, of course, and of course they were not new. But she remembered them all for the first time. Emotions weighed on her, appropriate to the memory: strange mixtures of mourning, sadness, and elation. She’d been so broken when Sophia had left; it had felt so personal! But then Sophia had come back from the Academy, and those times alone had felt like a bad dream. Her sister had made up for leaving and then some, taking care of her so well. Sophia had even taught her some cool magic! Izaria had had a sneaking feeling her sis was holding out on her though, probably just being overly protective like always. She just had to prove she was strong!

It had been good for a long time after that. She’d done everything with Sophia. She hadn't needed other friends, and they just hadn’t really understood how she felt. Only Sophia had ever seemed to want to listen—to care. It had mattered a lot, even when she herself had admitted certain problems were just a minor issue. Everything, big or small, that she’d confided in her sister had been met with the same level of care, interest, and excitement.

Sophia was so warm, so soft and protective! Izaria loved being wrapped up in her big sister’s arms, just like she was now.

Even so, she shuddered as she felt something press against her nethers—so alien-like, warm, gushing and unpleasant.

She whimpered in fear, clinging to her big sister, trusting her to keep her safe. She pressed her head  against Sophia’s shoulder, nuzzling in and closing her eyes as if to hide from the invasive sensations. Her head reeled and she felt so very wrong.  This was nothing like she'd expected for magic. But she was with sis, so it was going to be okay.

"You're doing good, sis, good," Sophia cooed. "Just listen to my voice. This'll be over soon, I promise..."

And Sophia didn't break her promises. She'd always been there for Izaria. This was just a spell, and her big sis was in total control. The fear would pass. Nothing could ever break the bond between them, least of all the hot, throbbing tentacle violating her flower. This was Izaria being a good girl—Izaria helping her sis to practice her magic, her control over these things, and everything would return to normal, normal, normal.

Pulses of cum in her tummy ran in time with that word. Yes... their love, it was all so blessedly normal. How could it be otherwise?

The memories just kept stretching back and back: playing hide-and-seek in the manor as kids; Mother heroically saving Sophia from a deadly landslide in the wet season, and Izaria comforting her through her stricken tears; and Sophia practicing her magic hard for an edge in the academy, but finding time to kiss and soothe and sleep with her darling sister before their time temporarily grew shorter.

Tme flitted lazily by in that pod together. Sophia kept the tendrils from touching too much—just enough to nearly cocoon them both in softly writhing, pulsing coils. By now, they were pressed so tight that each could easily hear the other's heartbeat, distinguishable from the chaos around them. But at last, Sophia's mental count ended—right about when she felt the pressure of Izaria's soft tummy, engorged from so much warm cum, push out against her body. That was it; she couldn't push her subconscious too far. It had enough memories to digest for a good long while, now.

"Good girl," Sophia breathed; and the tendril slithered back out. But not a drop of cum leaked out of her this time.

What happened after that was a blur. Sophia willed the tentacles' cuddle-nest to release them, and then the coils that'd bound their bodies neatly pressed together to push them up and out. But they did not emerge from the abscess into the forest again—or at least Sophia didn't. That was the point where she withdrew herself from the dream, but left fake-Izaria to dream pleasantly on her own. She had enough memories for context, now, and the lifelike image of Sophia remained to hug and support her. Everything was stable. Normal.

Sophia fell back against the pillows. Fwump.

Exhaustion burned at her neck, the back of her eyes, her fingertips... agh, she'd used so much mana. She'd come too close to the edge, and took another subconscious with her... dangerous work, that. If she'd lost control…

But she hadn't. And it was sooo worth it.

"Unn..." she moaned tiredly, shutting her eyes.

Her fingers absently played with the girl's cheeks, stroking her soft face... all while the lovingly-crafted lie frolicked in Izaria's mind, stabilizing, growing stronger. She'd bring the real one back later, of course... but she couldn't rush this.

Izaria’s dream now flitted from scene to scene, fragmenting, multiplying, filling the void where an  identity ought to have been with Sophia etched into every inch. Identities neither of the mages held, but would be assumed, like a familiar blanket drawn over them both.

She was panting, hands on her knees as sweat beaded down her head. She glanced up with a determined expression on her face, her sister giving her that same worried look. She would get this right; it wasn’t even supposed to be hard! But she hadn’t been born with her sister’s natural reserves. She could maybe do a few spells. They didn’t come easy, but she held her hands once more, the inert ice slowly forming a small intricate pattern… before shattering once more. She fell back into her chair, hearing her sister tell her that was enough for one day, rubbing her back gently.

|This was wrong, all wrong. She knew more advanced magic than this! She even remembered the lesson she was seeing being taught, and it certainly wasn’t by—|

She was elated, nervous and excited all at the same time. It had started off innocent—touches that had lingered, hugs that had held for longer than normal—but that was before. She watched as her sister’s face grew closer, a warm and kind expression upon it as their lips locked. It had been an argument, but Izaria’s tears had stopped the moment her sister’s hands had wrapped warmly around her cheeks, bringing them both close. She stiffened; she had never had a kiss before, but it was so nice, so warm and gentle. She wanted more; she wanted her sister all to herself. But upon hearing Father’s footsteps, both of them parted quickly, out of breath and blushing brightly, their eyes lingering on each other.

She was crying, again. She knew it wasn’t a big deal, but she thought they had been friends! Her sister sat, her expression a mixture of kind sympathy and tranquil anger. She had told her sister about how they had pushed her. Izaria knew they hadn’t meant for her to fall in the mud, but she’d gotten her favorite dress all dirty! Why did boys have to be so mean? But her sister knew just the right thing to say, the right things to do. She forgot her troubles quickly in her sister’s arms. She always forgot her troubles in her sister’s arms.

A hundred more scenes stretched backwards and forwards from the moment with Sophia in the pod. It wasn't quite a lifetime of memories, but a facsimile close enough to assure none could ever know otherwise, not even herself. They all pervaded and filled her, stretched out and full. She loved her older sister!

All told, Sophia only laid there, softly panting, for about a minute. Ignoring the ache of exhaustion, Sophia slipped herself away, pulling a pillow right underneath Izaria's head. Then, she took a moment to slip out of her chemise and her panties, making only a faint rustle meanwhile. Now naked as when they'd shared that pod together, Sophia at last let herself lay back.

"Ahh..." creaked a sigh from her throat, deep from the bottom of her heart. A little smile crept on her lips.

She turned, pressing herself against the deeply slumbering girl. Ooh, right here... nudge, under her hip, yes. Sophia scooped Izaria up gently and turned her over, then pressed her breasts to her back, holding her sister like the cutest little spoon there ever was. Her legs likewise found a home writhing gently against hers, toes idly twitching before settling down. One last sigh, blowing Izaria's white hair gently about. This was perfect. Izaria's meek, needy and loving new side would blossom so beautifully... and all while her true self remained suppressed, unaware. There was just one last test.

But that one could wait a little bit longer. Sophia gently unraveled the sleep spell, allowing Izaria's body and mind to wake up naturally. There'd be a decent naptime's worth before she did, most likely, but if all went well, then her new personality would be so strong that it would be the dominant one. That was critical. First, it had been born in a dream; then granted memories, a reasonable basis for life; now it was time to see that well-cultivated stability in reality, before she let the real one have a foothold again.

Of course, Sophia wasn't above 'helping' her along. She ran a finger softly along Izaria's pretty lips, savoring her breath blowing over her skin. She poked inside to tease her tongue, and stole little rubs of her chin for good measure.

Izaria mumbled in her sleep, still clearly dreaming as she rested comfortably with Sophia pressed against her back, the two of them providing each other a comfortable warmth. Her tongue worked and lapped against Sophia’s finger, suckling on it gently as the girl played with her mouth. Her eyes fluttered momentarily. A soft groan worked its way out from her throat as the spell lifted, before she fell once more into sleep.

Digesting the new identity took time, for the dreams were both happy and sad, forming the experience of an innocent and naïve younger sister. This new persona shifted and breathed out gently, sleeping in Izaria’s psyche just as her body slept. A smile crossed her lips as a particularly fond dream played out. Vaguely muttering as she giggled before mumbling and falling silent once more.

This stretched out for some time before her eyes slowly fluttered open. It had been a deep rest, and one she'd really needed. On an empty-schedule day like this, though, she loathed having to get up. Her body still ached deeply, she paused for a moment as sleep began to leave her. She furrowed her brow, thinking back on the events of the previous day. She remembered that she had spent all day yesterday trying to bewitch the knocker on the front of the door to play the beautiful sound of a bell rather than a deep banging. She had been at it for most of the day before she’d slumped to the ground, grumpy and sore from exertion.

Sophia had dragged her to bed, wearing that same worried expression that she always had about her. But it hadn’t been anything that a bit of rest couldn’t fix! Izaria raised her head gently, giving a pleasurable squirm as she felt her sister holding her protectively. She stretched her legs out as far as she could, chasing sleep away from her body as an involuntary groan forced itself from her lungs. She sighed contentedly as she fell back against the bed, not wanting to leave her comfortable little hideaway from the world.

Sophia's musical giggle answered the girl's tired voice. Their skin brushed together with that little stretch, making warm tingles dance through her body. Her arms shifted a bit around her breasts and soft stomach, but then she gently tugged Izaria back—right into the cozy flesh of her sister's silky curves. The ivory maiden was smaller by a good bit, so their hips fit snugly together, thighs kissing in a bow. All of the pair's little movements tickled Izaria’s chin with a rush of lovely white hair, and Sophia affectionately nuzzled right back: a twist of her nose, a brushing of her cheek, a press with her forehead. After several lazy moments of this, she nudged herself up, and lavished her mirthful, throat-rumbling chuckle on her sister's adorable finger-suckling. Not to be outdone, Sophia began to pepper her face with warm little kisses, down her smooth jawline, over her cheek.

"Mmm..." she murmured deeply. One last giggle escaped. "You're such a heavy sleeper, sis," she teased. But she knew just how to entice her to wake up, oh yes she did. Sophia gave Izaria's breasts one last soft squeeze each, and then she slowly disengaged herself from their mutual embrace. Doing that hurt, as she wanted little more than to just stay there... but she still had to put 'Izaria' through her paces.

Still naked as a baby bird, Sophia slinked off the bed, taking a second to straighten out her long, silky hair. Then she stepped quietly to the room's single window to the outside... and started to spread out the curtains, undressed, right in front of it. Waning afternoon light played lovingly across her fair skin and smooth curves. Through the window, down below, people could clearly be seen in a more sparse area of Blythe, reasonably far away... but still!

"Izaria, how about a game?" Sophia smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. "Please crawl over here; don't worry, they shouldn't notice you. I'm aching for your tongue..." she trailed off warmly, then splayed two fingers on either side of her slender pink flower, pressing just wide enough to open it a little.

Izaria giggled to herself victoriously as her sister pulled her close. She always liked to make a game of it, inching away just enough so her sister felt compelled to pull her back. She loved the possessiveness; she loved being reassured that her sister was just as greedy as she herself was. She was Sophia’s, and no one else's.

She half-whined as she felt her sister leave the bed—nothing more than a plaintive noise of displeasure. That noise carried on as the afternoon light streamed into the room. Goodness, she had slept right through the day! She pouted at the thought of having missed breakfast…

…but Izaria quickly forgot all about that when her sister turned back around, that delightful body on full display, backlit like a literal goddess with a body to match. Not only that, but that goddess was calling her over. A thrill of excitement coursed through her entire frame. 

Smiling excitedly, she eagerly slinked out of bed. She thought for a moment of the people below, a worm of jealousy burrowing through her brain that they might get to see Sophia, too. It didn’t matter, in the end; they were out there, while she got to be right in front of her sister. She crawled up to Sophia, staying close to the ground. She’d be well out of the lines of sight of any gawkers down below.

She didn’t start with her sister’s waiting pussy. Instead, she wrapped her hands around her sister’s legs, giving a small kiss right above her knee, and then the other one, letting her lips trace slowly— achingly slowly—up her thigh. She let her tongue drag along them, leaving behind a cooling trail, then up to her hip, where she planted a warm kiss. Passing right over from one hip to the next, her breath trailing out, she gave another warm, firm kiss.

She smiled a devious little smile as she slowly—so slowly!—pressed her lips gently, against Sophia’s pelvic bone, laying small kisses before trailing down, her hands working up her legs before giving one long lick against her sister’s waiting fold.; She closed her eyes as she dragged her warm, wet tongue with a final flick, hitting the very edge of her clit. She looked up to see her sister’s reaction, wishing she could frame every moment that she pleased her sister.

Sophia's composure didn't last long. At first she stood poised and straight, but as her sister crawled closer, she fidgeted. Her smile tucked in on one side. Her leg twitched, pulling back halfway through rising to try and cover her weak spot.

"I-Izaria..." she breathed warmly; but her voice was almost begging! Was she a kitten or a predator? Oh, that confident smile! Izaria knew just what she wanted! Sophia shuddered under that loving gaze.

Then, contact. "Hnn- nnf...! " Sophia's heart leapt in her throat, squeezing out little squeals along with her heavy breaths. Oh, that... ooh. Oh, no. Now she was the one getting teased? Starting at the knees? That, oh, that was clever. Those little licks, even moreso!

Happy trills sang through her skin in a chorus with Izaria's talented lips. Her leg fidgeted again, reflexively picking up and rubbing lazily against her sister's cheeks and shoulders. But then the show rose to her stomach—no, below that. Glee captivated her heart. Sophia's breaths quickened.

The first lick was like a wave of relaxing bliss crashing on her thoughts. Stars, she hadn't seen to herself much, had she? Her folds were so sens—!

" Haaahn...! Ah! Ah...!" The moans tore from Sophia's throat, first loud, then softly, lovingly. Her whole body twitched this time, and she fell back to lean against the windowsill with one hip. Sophia's head dipped forward, eyes closed, onyx hair spilling from her shoulders like rain to dance against her heaving breasts.

"Don't... nnh... don't stop, please..." she crooned in a quiet voice. Her pussy was a formless abyss of tight, grasping flesh, rhythmically gripping and sliding against nothing, searching for that tongue but never finding it. It was maddening. She wasn't expecting Izaria to be so skilled! Sophia's smile turned wide and happy, eyes half-lidded, smoky with warmth and love. Encouragement for their love. Pride for her sister, and savor for the pleasure only she could give to her.

Izaria almost cried with delight, feeling her sister twitch and writhe, and those noises she made! She wanted more; she was so eager to please; she wanted to make Sophia as happy as she made her—ever so happy for the opportunity to display her love. Sophia was so caring, always attending to little sister’s needs and ignoring her own! Izaria wanted to make up for it, and please her caring older sister. It was made easier by the fact that servicing her  was such a wonderful feeling! Her sister’s taste, her smooth, warm skin, those amazing noises… everything about Sophia made her crazy!

When Sophia begged her not to stop, her breath caught in her throat. She would sacrifice anything for her older sister, continue down a path even if it pained or frightened her. But this request? It was all she could do not to start giggling. Such an easy request! Why would she stop? She pressed her tongue forward once more, one long delightful stroke, renewing her efforts as she felt her sister fall back against the windowsill.

Her sister’s reactions spurred her greedily on. Letting her tongue pick up its pace, she began lapping at her sister’s pussy eagerly, savoring every twitch, big or small. She continued on, letting her tongue trail against her pussy. She hummed with delight all the while, those vibrations traveling down out of her throat and along her tongue. She would slowly work deeper with each lick, flicking just barely against her clit. Her hands would cling around her sister’s legs, desperate to feel as much of her sister as she could.

Lick… Lick lick lick li—

"Ahhhh! Nnh...!" Sophia's bliss-stricken cries erupted with force, making her whole body tremble like a leaf.

What a soooft tongue! Like a fine brush, it struck her nerves perfectly. The eighth or so time it hit her clit, Sophia's knees buckled—and she only just caught herself in time, propped with bent legs against the window. Her hand flashed up to sink into Izaria's pretty hair, holding on tightly. She wanted sooo bad to pinch her thighs down, but her beautiful sister pre-empted her by grabbing firm hold of her legs, holding her up from falling any further

And so she hung there like a gorgeous painting, an image of gasping, moaning beauty against the wall. Sophia slipped in a wide smile only when she could, as fresh waves of pleasure crashed against her mind and rolled up her throat in another soft outcry. She lost track of how long they were there, and stopped caring about being spotted; no one in Blythe would say or do anything to seriously embarrass her anyway. Her thoughts, her whole world collapsed in on her sister, to whom she'd almost literally given life. Sophia's rapturous face bore nothing but pure trust and acceptance.

And the rewards eventually came. It started as a knot of pressure, heat blossoming in her stomach. She knew what that meant. But raising her voice to even a low, husky alto took her several bliss-drunken breaths. "Ahh, I-Izaria, it's, I, I'M! "

White-hot lightning bolts of pure bliss shot all through her body. Desperate for friction, she tried to buck her hips forward, but Izaria held her fast. " Nnnnggh!! " Sophia grit her teeth and clenched. Her overstimulated walls squeezed Izaria's tongue, adding even more to the pleasure that'd already become unbearable! Sweet, warm cum leaked out into her darling sister's talented mouth. Sophia's fingers tightened on that tender curtain of white hair, and she immediately clasped hold of her own breast with her other hand, trying to hold herself in and ride it out.

Eventually, Sophia simply collapsed. She urgently moaned, pressing against Izaria, right before her knees finally gave out and she dropped, hips striking the fluffy carpet. "Haah... ah... ahn..." Sophia's breaths came hard and fast, taking their time evening out from how incredibly sensitive she still was. For once, she was the vulnerable one, thoroughly spent, sprawled out and at her sister's tender mercy.

A shy smile crept onto her lips. "Y-You... oh, sis, I... ium..."

Izaria tried to catch her sister when she felt the girl buckle. She had never been able to carry much, owing to a relatively weak frame, so all she could do was slow both of their descents and cradle Sophia’s head as they fell back on the floor together.

She gave her forehead a sweet kiss, stroking that beautiful black hair as they laid there together, whispering gently into her ear.

“I love you, Sophia. You take such good care of me, and I’m so happy you get to feel even a little bit of what I feel when I’m with you.”

Izaria fought back tears of happiness as she held her sister. There was nothing but this moment: her sister completely spent, literally collapsed from bliss. Some of the boys and girls from town had mocked them for their clashing hair, saying Sophia should be Izaria’s shadow. She knew the truth, though, and they had it backwards; Izaria would always depend too much on her older sister to truly be out of her shadow. Not that she wanted to leave it; even the mere thought of the possibility made her feel anxious. Her breath caught in her throat with a rising panic before she fought it down. No one was leaving, Sophia was right here where she could take care of her.

Izaria shifted, slightly extending her arms, hugging her sister as she buried her face in the girl's neck, closing her eyes and letting her take in the girl’s scent. She ran her fingers against her back, gently feeling every inch of the girl as she came down. Izaria rose up, finding those lips with her own as she gave her several small kisses. She knew what it was like to feel this, and it was always intense right after. She wanted to make sure her sister knew she was there for her.

Although Sophia's eyes were only lidded, she still hardly saw the blur that was her sister's body—gripping her, supporting her fall, bearing them both down gently to the carpet. She nearly dozed off right there. She had not been expecting such a powerful orgasm; Izaria was a marvel, one who could seep through even her defenses! But then, Izaria's heartfelt words did get through... and sank right to her heart.

Sophia's eyes flickered to life. Right here... only now, in the afterglow, did she really admit to herself that she did want this. Something so wholesome, not just another pet. She really did want a sister. Not an equal, but as close as she was comfortable with. Someone who'd always, always love her, and even beg to stay by her side. And... someone Sophia could finally let her guard down with, even if only for a little while.

When Izaria kissed her, Sophia kissed right back, suckling those soft lips... ahh. She cooed, still so sensitive, and... Wait. She tasted herself, her own fragrance on that tongue! This girl had...!

Her eyes shimmered and blinked open wider, as if just now realizing it. But then Izaria moved, nuzzling her—

"Ah -ahn.. . hehe, hehmm..." she giggled! Oh, it felt good to laugh! Her neck was a weak spot, too, her sister knew that. But she, too, could play games.

Her only warning was a subtle tightening of her hands, sweeping low along Izaria's naked back... and then Sophia abruptly pushed, gently rolling her over and swinging herself on top! Pressed chest to chest, breathing heavily, Sophia dove in for the prize—opening her mouth wide to suckle the sweet flesh of her sister's neck. Her cheek brushed along her chin. Her black hair fell down in a soft curtain, tickling against Izaria's skin. She filled her lips with that supple throat, savoring the tremor of her cries and deliciously sweet breaths…

But Sophia still didn't linger long. She pulled off with a very wet smack, and rose with a smile brimming with energy. "Izaria," she started, pulling up until just the ends of their breasts were touching.

"I... I actually have a present for you, and it's one I've been wanting to give for some time. I've been researching ways to try and help you cast spells, because I know you have issues with your energy levels... but I think I've found a way to alleviate that." She pushed herself up, shuddering when her still-raw labia grazed her sister's thighs, and started to stand up.

"I need to thank you properly for that... amazing treat. So let's head to the library. And..." she winked slyly, "...we don't need to have our clothes just yet, either. Father won't be back for some time."

A startled giggle escaped Izaria's lips as her sister spun them both around, Izaria now looking up at her in admiration. Her sister, looking at her so! It was enough to melt as she wiggled in joy, hearing her older sister giggle. If she could, she would make Sophia laugh and laugh, that wonderful noise! That smile! All of it was hers to enjoy.

The next thing she knew she saw stars, gasping in surprised pleasure as Sophia lunged for her neck, driving sweet sensations with her mouth down to her core. It was over all too soon—perhaps as punishment for teasing her before, Izaria reflected—but so very worth it.

She whined as Sophia stood up, their bodies parting. She stayed poised on the floor, limp and dejected like a spurned lover. She kept one eye open to see her sister’s reaction, and a poor attempt to keep herself from smiling as she draped her arm over her forehead dramatically.

However the theater was short-lived as both eyes popped open excitedly at the promise of a present—a magic lesson, no less!

She jumped up, her attempt at drama forgotten as she looked to the direction of the library, keeping herself from sprinting ahead as if it would bring the lesson faster. “What did you find? Was it from one of those strangers who always likes to give you stuff? You know how I feel about those people…” She glanced sidelong at her sister, casting all those who took up or wasted any of Sophia’s time into one great net of the same judgment in her mind.

She hummed curiously, thinking about different ways that magic could possibly be used to increase arcana supply. If anyone could figure it out, it was her sister. She grinned privately to herself. She would get all the best from her sister, and no one else would get anything. It wasn’t fair to them, but she would be sure it stayed that way. She followed along behind Sophia, trying not to run ahead or get overly excited.

Sophia slipped from the bedroom with sister in tow, both still completely naked; but she wasn't worried at all. If any other minds existed in the manor, she'd have felt them, or any attention directed specifically at her. So she strode with confidence, bare feet softly striking the floor, breasts shifting a bit when she made a turn.

"No, no," she reassured with a quick shake of her head. "Didn't need any of my 'suppliers' for this. Do you remember that day last winter, when you found me practicing in the woods?" Sophia affected a mild blush at that. Her hand absently twitched towards her thighs. "Well... I did learn something from that, thanks to your help; and your courage."

She leaned in closer, offering a kiss—just a quick peck—on the girl's forehead.

They found the library much like Sophia had left it. Izaria's old clothes were still neatly folded on a waiting table, cleaned of any cum or slime stains, just like the fateful velvet-draped altar had been. Waiting there, too, was the same book she'd used to copy Izaria's memories—but that was the old Izaria, and the new one had never even seen it before. "Here," she breathed. Sophia cradled the book in one arm, then flipped it open, finding the page where she'd started writing down the formula and pattern of a certain illusion-crafting spell.

Izaria's own spell.

Not that the false personality would recognize that, of course. All that was important was that anyone could read the knowledge within and have it imprinted in their memories. Her dear sister would get back at least one of the spells she'd forgotten, and it was quite an advanced one; nothing beyond Sophia herself, of course.

"Read this for a minute," Sophia instructed, setting the tome out on the altar, wide open. "Focus on the text. Absorb it into your mind. But do not turn the page," she warned in a low voice.

She left her to that for the moment, walking over the cool tile floor to collect a deep cup from the waiting tray near the water container. But rather than fill it there, she held her hand out, palm open, lazily trailing in the air... which then began to swirl. Ripple.

Space itself folded at an angle, and then seemed to tear like a membrane—admitting the very real form of a thick, hunky, purplish-pink tendril through the tiny tear in reality. It poked around Sophia as if sniffing the air. It could no doubt sense her body, and the lingering afterglow in her mind as well. But though she ran her fingers around its length, she hadn't called it to have any fun. Instead, she pointed its already-pulsing cock-tip straight into the cup she'd collected, and stroked the tentacle hard and fast. It soon began to cum, yielding pulse after pulse of creamy white straight into the vessel, filling the air with its sickly-sweet smell.

Izaria followed along in her sister’s wake, trying to be professional and cool and not watch the subtle sway of her hips or lovely bare rear. She looked up when Sophia turned, making sure not to get caught staring.

She nodded, thinking back to last winter’s excursion. Mostly, she was proud she had helped her sister. But the way those tendrils had poked and prodded incessantly still left her with a strange feeling in her head. The memory alone nearly made her sick to her stomach. But with a quick peck to her forehead, all her worries dissipated, and she smiled, relieved.

Before, that was deep in the woods. She was warm and safe in the manor now, and in one of her favorite rooms. Her heart beat fast at the promise of strengthening her magical power. Maybe for once she could stand tall next to her sister, actually help her!

She began to read, the back of her eyes already starting to ache at the fairly advanced, unfamiliar formulae and equations. She was adept at magic theory, and could read much in arcana, but the higher elements still escaped her. Nevertheless, she plodded on. There was much regarding waves—warping and twisting light waves or sound waves, or both. So that meant… Illusions!

She excitedly continued, lips parting and saying the incantation under her breath, reading out the syllables and copying the gestures without sinking any of her mana into it so as not to trigger anything.

After a moment, she looked up, feeling the ringing imprint of the spell in her mind. It was not so difficult, truth be told; its power lay in the creativity of the user. She thought about different things she could craft, sounds and dancing animals, all sorts of little pets. Before long she glanced at her sister, enthused by the notion of trying out a spell.

“I’m happy I helped you get this! It’s a weird spell, but I think it could be fun!”

Sophia waited patiently until the glass was filled, though her hand got quite slimy in the process. Once, Sophia had thought of this as demeaning work—that dealing with such disgusting creatures was pointless. Their true nature had done more for her than she’d ever imagined, now, giving access to a wealth of exciting possibilities!

A quick look confirmed that Izaria was still doing okay, which was a relief; this was really quite risky, but she couldn't take pages from that book without them losing their magic. She was such a good girl, though! Smiling beatifically, she crossed back to her, and waited for her to finish reading.

Then... "Drink this," she said, holding out the frothy, viscous liquid with both hands. Sophia even chuckled and rolled her eyes, as if to say 'I know, this is ridiculous, but it works.'

Her fingernail tinked on the lip of the glass. " Niiice and slow. It'll give you a boost of magic energy, which should be enough to cast that one and then some. If it works, you can thank me properly later." She winked slyly.

Just to make sure Izaria didn't jerk and drop it from sheer unfamiliarity, Sophia held onto the glass, and tipped it invitingly to her sister's lips; it still smelled a bit funny, and was thick like oatmeal, but the taste was warm and fresh and sweet and oh-so creamy!

This time, Sophia wasn't even really lying. The tentacles' cum was a bit of a power booster, and quite nutritious, too—a side effect of the will of who summoned them imprinting on how they shaped themselves in reality. Mostly, though, it was a placebo; Sophia would subtly relax her suppression of Izaria's natural power as she drank, giving her a fraction of her original arcana, plenty to build up her confidence.

Izaria set down the book as she contemplated the illusion, and the requisite formulae. Her cheeks flushed as Sophia winked at her. Well, at least she had proper motivation, she thought, as her mind wandered away from the task at hand, eyes roving over her sister’s body.

She made a face as one does when forced to take their medicine but complied meekly, drinking from the cup obediently. It wasn’t really bad, per se; it  just wouldn’t be her first choice, or second… or third. It was quite slimy and viscous. The liquid was strange, and the taste lingered in her mouth after she finished.

It was warm in her stomach, and laid heavily. But she did as her sister requested. Sophia had clearly been at work, trying to find out how to help her, after all! If this was what Sophia believed would work, who was Izaria to judge? She'd always taken care of her before, and now was no different. She did feel herself warm slightly, like after a light workout where one’s heart rate increases and blood pumps through the body, and tingly as well.

She glanced at Sophia in wonder, a smile pulling on her lips as she looked at her hands, as though staring at them would confirm what she felt.

Izaria wasted no time in trying; she closed her eyes, and clasped her hands together like the spell instructed. First step was visualization, then the incantation to call forth power, then focusing on her palms to mold it into what she wanted.

The magic in her body manifested, taking illusory form as an adorable white kitten, running and tumbling around the room as it let out little mewling squeaks. Izaria clapped excitedly, letting out a little yell of triumph as she saw the spell successfully take shape. To her, it was dull and see-through, almost like light smoke. But to any other, it would be visually indistinguishable from an actual kitten.

She turned to Sophia, face flush with elation, as she felt her own mana. It was by no means brimming anymore, but she could probably cast a spell like this several times a day! She threw her arms around her sister, knowing how much she had worked and spent on this, when she could have focused on herself instead. It moved her to tears. “Oh, thank you, Sophia! You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Amused, Sophia watched the show. Ooh, a kitten? How adorably appropriate, since that fairly described Izaria right now. Child's play or no, she dearly loved seeing her so happy!

"Hmhm...!" she chuckled, which blew into a full-on giggle when a splash of warm naked skin ran against her front. Sophia's arms curled around the girl's back to wholeheartedly reciprocate. She absently began to sway her hips, rubbing their bodies together like partners at a slow dance.

Sophia's beaming smile fell just as tenderly on her sister's face, first narrowing to smooch her cheek, then opening for a quick kiss on those beautiful lips. "Mm... We're going to be unstoppable. " Sophia's voice was husky, and trembling with warmth. "I always wanted us to grow stronger as a pair, sister. To take on any problem with our twin wits and strength. Mother always wanted that for us, too; we were never meant to be apart."

She fell into a longer kiss, lidding her eyes, sighing longingly against Izaria's tongue. Though her angle rocked Izaria's head back a bit, she swiftly raised a hand through her silky white hair to clasp her scalp and hold her steady. Ooh, her body was deliciously warm! Too warm. She wanted to stay. Wanted to just keep doing this. Having a sister, a beautiful kitten... it made her heart race, her body shift on its own. She wanted more, but she also knew she had to have patience. So, with considerable effort, Sophia pulled back, breathlessly moaning, a thin string of wetness connecting their lips before it broke and fell upon their breasts.

"Ahhh... hah." Her smile widened through her purrs. Eventually, Sophia took a strong enough breath to speak. "Now that I know how to help you, your power should start to grow steadily. It'll take time, but I know you'll eventually have plenty of magic, Izaria. We'll be such a perfect pair, sister and sister..." she trailed off, and her smile turned wan, apologetic. She soothingly stroked Izaria's hair, bending her fingers to thread those soft locks through her hand. "Of course, we aren't there yet.

"Now that I know this'll work, I can take bigger strides. I want to follow up by doing a ritual that will greatly strengthen your baseline power, so you won't need to rely so much on boosters." Sophia nodded at the nearby altar. "I'll need to put you under for a while, though. I can start that now, or..." She flushed a little brighter, but didn't look away. "I can give you your gift, in return for earlier, first. Gentle, or intense... your choice how big sister takes you."

‘Always pulling back ,’ Izaria whined in her head. ' Always leaving me wanting more.'

She panted lightly, feeling almost light-headed with glee despite the end of their embrace. She would savor every second together. She closed her eyes, lost in the moment as her sister ran her hand through her hair. It was always the best feeling, it was so reassuring, so tender and loving. “Thank you for this, Sophia, I hope you make sure to spend time growing your own ability instead of spending it all on me… I don’t want to be a burden…”

Izaria glanced at the altar, excitement bubbling at the prospect of being able to finally bridge the gap even a little bit between their abilities, despite her misgivings at her sister’s sacrifice. However, the excitement she felt about the second option—receiving her gift early—immediately supplanted the excitement she felt about the first, indeed dwarfing it. Her heart leapt. Her sister had always been so gentle, as though scared of breaking her. But now? An offer to receive all of her sister’s love?

Seeing Sophia there now, staring at her hungrily and… blushing, oh that made her quiver. How could she deny her sister anything when she gave so freely? Izaria looked down, blushing in turn. She couldn’t even look at her sister for too long when she was like this; it was like staring into the sun.

Her whole body tingled with anticipation. A shy smile pulled at her lips as she eyed her sister momentarily. “I want your love, Sis, all of it, always… you know that. I want as much as you can give me.”

Oh gods, she wished she could hide her face from her sister’s gaze! That was so embarrassing, but it was true. It had always been true. She stepped forward, pressing her body against her other half. That’s what they always had been: twins, black and white, two halves of a whole, with that wonderful violet connecting them both. She shivered as she looked up desperately into her sister’s eyes.

Sophia's eyebrows flashed up like blades ready to fall. Her smile peeled open to a wide grin, but her glee was still tempered by the tender warmth that lay in her eyes, a look reserved only for her darling sister. She gave a short, profound nod, and then disengaged, pushing herself back from Izaria. Her hands traveled further up instead of leaving, then smoothed out on her shoulders. Then Sophia pressed down, firm like heavy weights. "On your knees." Sophia's voice was quiet, but forceful and dripping with sultry intent.

It was time to show Izaria what she could really do.

Sophia's legs shifted. She moved briskly, taking a few steps to cross right behind Izaria. Then she swept her arm out, palm open, eyes glowing with power. There was a dull sound like some huge heartbeat—a very familiar heart. The air turned warm and moist, then began to ripple. A whole plane of space before Izaria shifted like rocks hitting a pond. The light bent and warped, obscuring the bookcases behind the anomaly. Then shapes started appearing...

Sophia wasn't idle during the process, either. She crouched down right behind Izaria, breathing, muttering right by her ear. " Beg me." Her hand eagerly sought out the prize—her sister's warm, sensitive folds. She didn't waste time on probing, instead sinking two fingers straight in and hooking to drag back along her inner walls.

"Beg me, sister; beg me to make you mine. Swear that you'll always love me. Always trust big sister, you don't need anyone else..."

The only warning before what happened next was the appearance of a huge, bulbous protrusion with a purplish-pink hole, like the rotted end of a banana. Then it pulsed with life—and an enormous web of sticky white cum-strands erupted forth! Sophia stepped back just in time, but her sister caught the full brunt of it. A huge and heavy glob smacked her chest with heavy force, splattering her lovely skin with the slimy, musky stuff; and then the webbed ends closed in like a claw, fastening tight around her chest and stomach and back!

From the ripple emerged one; three; six; eight tendrils֫—no, tongues. They were broad and moist and pulsing, each a fleshy pink mat of strong muscle. One tugged the cum-cord upwards, yanking Izaria up, threatening to make her feet leave the floor and rise up to the mercy of them all.. Her curves were plump and her muscles were soft from underuse, making it contemptuously easy to overpower the poor girl.

One tongue made a weird squelch and seemed to shrink in on itself, growing shorter and narrower. Then it flashed forward, licking her cheek... demonstrating its soft-as-velvet texture, and the tingling moistness of its slime. It slinked around her head, matting down her hair, then made a pass over her eyes, sealing tight like a fleshy blindfold. Its brothers slowly descended, licking lazily along her body.

"Trust big sister," Sophia droned huskily, watching the show with a smile. "You're not alone. Be brave for me..."

A happy thrill tensed through Izaria. She was always glad of her sister’s direction, and now was no different! She let herself be firmly pushed down onto her knees, a shaky breath of excitement escaping her chest. Oh how animated Sopha was now! Her reward was going to be great, she barely kept herself from giggling with glee at just how much she managed to get under her sister’s skin if she was being so forceful!

Then, she instantly tensed. A moan forced its own way out as she felt her sister bury her fingers into her folds. “Nnaa ha hh… S-Sophia, please, I want to be yours, only yours - make me yours, I need to be yours, all that I am… ” Her voice breathy, meaning every word and thick with passion as she felt her sister inside of her.

She blinked with shock as the world morphed apart in front of her, a horrible inhuman creature emerging from a wound in reality. Before she could say anything, she was spattered with thick, sticky webbing, the odd slime pinning her arms to her sides. A course of adrenaline surged through her even as she fought herself to stay calm. This was her sister’s magic, she reminded herself. This was her reward for being good.

Then, suddenly, the world went black. Her eyes had been sealed shut, and everywhere was warm and wet as she felt soft but strong muscle press in from all sides. It felt so violating, but so wonderful all the same. The utter helplessness she felt, to be so very at her sister’s mercy, was intoxicating. Her heart thrummed away in her ribcage. The creatures still gave her such a scare, but knowing such beasts were under her sister’s control gave the scare an exciting edge, like an extension of her sister’s love.

Anxiety pulsed through her body nonetheless. It was a natural thing—a fight or flight response. Seeing as how she could not possibly do either in this state, the feeling left her a wreck, the pleasure mixing with the fear.

That was until she heard her big sister to the side, asking for the simplest thing in the world. She looked in her sister’s direction blindly, panting gently as those giant tongues ran along her body, nearly lifting her off her feet with each pass. “I— ahnmm. .. trust you. S-Sophia, I love you.. I am yours.”

Sophia chortled happily through her excitement, adding a pleasant coo now and then. Oh, it was sooo satisfying, seeing what was once a proud and powerful sorceress turned to mush! But even better was knowing she hadn't fully given in. There were still depths for her beloved sibling to fall into—but to reach those properly, she had to be taught exactly what it meant to embrace all Sophia was.

The monsters were obedient enough to Sophia as it was, but when they got to feed on the pleasure pouring from Izaria's unshielded mind, they pounced like sharks. In no time, the tongues coiled around Izaria's plump legs and spread them open, while one more slithered over her stomach, around her back, and then all the way up to form a long squeeeezing coil around her chest. The pulsating flesh eagerly lapped and licked her tits, smushing them into ovals, savoring that lush, soft skin! Its every twitch made its coils writhe all over her body, which fast became cocooned in more and more tongues, all of them writhing, wriggling, licking, tasting her. To them, the girl was just food, to be milked for her psychic emanations.

Two more tongues hung by her thighs, twisting in on themselves and narrowing their tips. They re-molded their flesh even as they stroked her, and started to probe her thighs, by then each being roughly as small as a cock, yet still engorged, and pulsating hotter than any cock ever could. The first probed Izaria's pussy—for all of two seconds, and then it plunged! Warm, velvety flesh streeetched her walls, yet not enough to hurt. Constantly it writhed, oozing slime-cum to lubricate her further so it could lick and lick and liiick.

Its brother was not idle; that one went for Izaria's supple buttocks, stretching itself between them smoothly, craning like a hook over her lower back. It seemed to realize its hotdogging motions weren't getting through, though, for it soon fell back, curled, stuck its tip against her entrance... and then sliiiithered inside! The tongue was lush and easily yielding, but it also filled every inch of space it found to brush and stroke her nerves, happily lapping inside her soft ass.

All the while, Sophia kept a firm mental block on Izaria's pleasure. Not only would she stop her from cumming, but she’d also stop it getting so far that the poor girl would utterly black out. If it got too dangerously pleasant, those feelings would be gently tamped down and spread out over her body. "Beg me!" she repeated in an urgent, breathless croon. Her fingers dipped down low to absently stroke her own pussy, filling her voice with little loving moans. "Ahh... You love being so weak, don't you? You, uhhn, you love me controlling you! You'd give anything to be with me for ev errr!"

Sophia grinned with pure glee, standing in her spot to watch her 'sister' dangle and moan and be fucked. Her feet pushed up and back down in steady rhythm, hips swaying sensuously, hands writhing together in her lap so tightly that her arms pinched her tits together atop the tight shape she made there. None of the tentacles came for her. All of them focused on Sophia's prey.

Had her sister not been actively keeping her from climax, she would have been brought crashing into one in all too short a time. Every inch the tentacles touched left a wonderful tingling and, in her blind state, every touch was enhanced to a surprising degree. Not being able to anticipate where next she’d be fondled, caressed, pressed, prodded, or licked added to the feeling a hundredfold. Those wet muscles targeting her most sensitive areas brought her to the brink within the first few moments, and then they, plus the magical block kept her there. She cried out in pleasure. Every new feeling was like a beautiful assault on her senses.

Then, it only got worse—or better, depending on one’s perspective—as she felt two tentacles bury themselves within her, penetrating her more deeply and fully than she could ever have thought possible. It was unlike anything she’d ever felt, those wonderful muscles plunging and lapping against her walls, both in her ass and pussy as she shuddered and twitched, being unable to cum yet far past the point as it already was.

She gasped and moaned, blind and utterly helpless as the tentacles had their way with her. “Ffaa… mmmm…” She could hardly bring herself to speak. It was completely overwhelming, utterly too much as the sensations against her sensitive breasts, white-hot spikes of pleasure sent up and down as they pressed against her. If she had been able, she would have tried to escape that overwhelming pleasure. It was almost torture—so utterly alien, and completely targeted to every sensitive zone in her body.

The final, and most overwhelming of all, was when she heard her sister moan out those words. She arched her back in ecstasy, moaning out her Sophia’s name. “Ohhh nghhh g-gods AH… S-Sophia… I love you… ahhmaaa… I love you protecting me, c-caring for me, loving me – I ahh, never want to be apart from you! I’d do whatever -hah- it takes to be with you!”

She was panting out now, her breath coming in quick gasps as she twitched and pressed her hips, rolling with the tentacles in her rear and her folds, feeling her walls pressing wonderfully against the tentacles, despite filling her fully regardless. Quivering as she begged and lavished her sister with praise. “Please, I love you, I love you, I would give everything to stay with you, please don’t leave me, stay here and protect me, own me, everything!”

The sight was so obscene that Sophia couldn't help but giggle, but it was also so glorious. Izaria's defenseless form bobbed like a cork, fucked so hard from below, and—oh! Her sister was enjoying it! She watched those plump hips move, smashing back into the tongues, and her throat just kept tearing loose with those adorrrable cries! Her captor enjoyed it, too; something deep and dark just past the ripple in reality purred with naked lust. It was drinking freely from Izaria's pleasure, eager to milk out more, and its sounds easily carried through each of its tongues to vibrate gently all over her body. They licked her feet, completely cocooned her thighs, coiled her arms, and lapped like hungry kittens at her slime-soaked tits.

Izaria's heartfelt words made her mistress' heart skip a beat. Yes—mistress. Sisters or no, the sorceress was so drunk on love that her whole life revolved around Sophia. Slave. That's what she could be reduced to like this, and still not care. She knew nothing else, needed nothing else.

Sophia whispered a quiet command, and the tongue-tendril covering Izaria's eyes relented, slithering away down her slime-moistened hair. Her beautiful violet eyes were revealed, mere inches from Sophia's beaming face, which boasted a wide and proud smile.

"Good girl..." she cooed, lovingly stroking her pet's head, brushing out ropes of white cum that the tongues had oozed forth. "Big sis is sooo happy to control your life, make the decisions for you. You belong to me. Now... cum."

With those last soft, soulful words, she immediately threw her arms around her sister and squeezed her to her naked chest, caring not a whit if she got dirty. Nothing would stop her from seeing Izaria succumb to bliss. And then, Sophia finally relaxed Izaria's mental block—and let the full force of her orgasm crash over her like a tidal wave.

‘Ughnn! Ahhh- AHH!! ” Izaria cried hoarsely, burying her head into Sophia’s shoulder as she thrashed, crashing into a thunderous orgasm as she saw her sister’s smiling and proud face. Wrapped securely in her arms, Sophia telling her to cum, and she did. No better feeling existed. Her vision swam, and she grew lightheaded. Her sister owned her, heart and soul, and Izaria giggled drunkenly at the notion. Nothing  felt more wonderful than the idea—the knowledge—of that dark-haired beauty controlling her, protecting her, ravaging her.

She arched her back, throwing her head back as she gasped, struggling against the restraints as wave after wave pulsed up. Feeling her sister squeeze her tightly, she was grateful, then, of her presence It kept her in the moment, and kept her wrapped up snugly. She was happy, of course. No one was better suited to protect her than her own sister, and there in her arms as she quivered and moaned. She couldn’t feel safer.

She barely had time to come down, those wonderful thick tongues still attacking her in the most wonderful ways. Whatever entity behind these appendages was, it was altogether quite skilled, and deeply hungry. All too soon, on the heels of her first orgasm she was sent spiraling right back up. She thrashed, trying to escape the oversensitive feelings as she came again. “Mahh S-Sophiaaa, ahhhh gods! ”

She leaned forward, desperate for Sophia’s  lips as she greedily pressed herself against her sister once more. She locked lips with her, moaning into her mouth as she came again.

After several long moments, she finally untensed, the telltale pressure in the pit of her stomach slowly rising a third time. She whimpered slightly, the feelings growing and growing. Still, though, she trusted Sophia completely. This was her reward, and what a reward it had been! She pulled back to stare into those intense violet eyes, those possessive orbs that held such a look of ownership. She squirmed in pleasure, oh that look, that wonderful look reserved just for her. She was Sophia’s, and no one else had the privilege of belonging so utterly to her sister like her. It made her spitefully proud. Arousal bloomed once more, those appendages unrelenting as she slowly resumed panting, unable to pull away from the sensations between her legs. A part of her didn’t even want to.

Sophia met Izaria's kiss just right, and their lips squeezed tightly together. One of her hands quickly flashed up to steady the back of her still-bound sister’s head. Sophia breathed, and let every rise of her chest swell against her sister's overwhelmed body. She held and kissed her every second of her orgasm, then throughout the next and the next. Never letting go. Always there for her through the intensity, to burn this memory forever into her soul.

When her third peak finally crested and fell, Sophia decided enough was enough. The monsters would just keep on feeding if she let them, until her sister’s mind broke and she became absorbed into the eternal orgy beyond—and she would not let that happen. Izaria was hers. And so she ordered the tongues away... though she found that a good bit harder after they'd glutted themselves on raw ecstasy. Had she not had the strength of will by now to resist them herself, they would've turned on her, next.

As it was, they lazily unwound themselves, slithering away from Izaria's limp body. The final two lingered in her holes for some time, streeeetching deep within her walls... then finally, they exited, uncorking twin streams of cum-slime to splatter the floor. The tongues had not ejaculated, but they’d secreted the stuff nonstop within her, just as their kin had coated the vulnerable girl’s entire body.

Sophia was waiting for her. She stretched out both her elegant arms, and caught her up by the knees and back, affectionately cradling her right up to her chest. Izaria was incredibly moist, dripping cum, and red in some places from the incessant licking. Sophia just smiled at all of it. She didn't care how dirty she got. Her sister needed comforting, now.

"Big sister loves you... so much," Sophia breathed. She gently swung her arms, rocking Izaria like a baby. Back, and forth... baaack, and forth. Nice... and slow. Then she stepped forward, her bare feet squishing through puddles of cum. She sat down atop the altar, continuing her arms' tender swing. She was quite content to keep this up until the inevitable occurred—but she didn't wait long to lean down, plant her broad smile on Izaria's forehead, and kiss her, looong... and... soft. Smch.

"I'll see you very soon, I promise," she purred lovingly. Rock... baaack, and forth. Baaack... and forth. "When you wake up, you'll be brimming with magic, and you really will be my perfect little sister..."

Of course, that would take some time and patience yet, for she still had one uppity little sorceress to deal with. Whether or not Izaria fell asleep on her own, Sophia's next spell, beaming from her warm violet gaze, gently suppressed the false Izaria's new consciousness... taking her down, down... tucking her deeeep into a cozy spot of her mind to sleep, and wait.

Once that was done, she began the process to awaken the true Izaria, letting her rise back up... although she knew it might take a little while for her poor body to recover from such overstimulation, even if her mind hadn’t experienced it.

Sophia was ever a patient young woman.

Izaria smiled placidly. Her entire body ached in the most wonderful way—a deep soreness, but it was not unpleasant. The afterglow of such an intense experience was far too rich and full to allow any real pain from slipping through. She may regret it tomorrow, but right now? She was warm, safe, and so wonderfully folded into her sister’s arms. She hummed gently as her sister rocked and comforted her as she came back down. The world was swiftly shimmering, as her eyes already drooped. The wonderful high, as well as the adrenaline, was slowly circulating out of her body, leaving only a deep tiredness.

As if that were not enough, her sister’s wonderful smile beamed down. She could be moved to tears, seeing her sister look at her like that. Being rocked gently as though she were a child again, small, caring kisses pressed against her forehead, she wanted to stay in this moment forever. But, as she felt her eyes grow heavy, it was not to last. A contented sigh left her as she dropped slowly into sleep once more. She had just woken up, but there would be time to try her new magic more later. With that last little push, she was cast down into sleep and suppression, warm and happy.

|Somewhere deep in her brain, that barrier opened timidly. She looked out and saw the foreign invader had left, slumbering softly in its own corner. She stepped forward, claiming once more what had always belonged to her.|

The first thing she noticed was how sore she was. The second, as her eyes fluttered open, was how she knew, somehow, she had not been asleep. But she also had no recollection of the past few moments. All she knew was that she was wet as a hand came up, slick with goo. A repulsed expression came across her face. The third thing she noticed, as her eyes narrowed, was that that same sorceress was standing over her, a deeply satisfied and loving expression cast across her face.

She did not immediately say anything as she looked back at the girl. She remembered the betrayal, and the horrid creatures she had used, and the violation of both her mind and body. Much of it was a blur. She remembered, though, that a heavy fog had pervaded her body and mind. A buzzing and distracting weight that anchored her as the woman standing over her had pilfered memories and promises.

She jolted slightly, her body groaning in protest as she rolled off the altar to her feet, legs bent in a defensive stance. She nearly buckled, her knees weak. A feeling in the pit of her stomach indicated she was incredibly overstimulated; every nerve tingled almost painfully as she breathed out.

“Wh— mmhn .” Her voice cracked; her throat was spent and pained. “What did you do? Who are you?” she asked hoarsely.

Izaria didn’t even know where to start, what to say. The woman was such a powerful sorceress, yet why had no one heard even a rumor of her? She remembered Sophia stepping right through her arcane barrier without so much as a flinch. Nothing in this world escaped some myth of its own creation; some strange story would always be told. A sorceress of this caliber, sitting in the middle of a large town—and the mayor's daughter, no less? No, likely not; Sophia was probably a parasite that inserted herself here. Still, whatever she was, how had she avoided any rumor?

Belatedly, Izaria realized Sophia was naked. Izaria blushed, unable to stop her eyes roving over her body. When had Sophia stripped?

Regardless, she was unsure of how to proceed. Perhaps the girl’s strength had finally failed her, which was why she was now awake. Meanwhile, a quick internal assessment revealed that Izaria was brimming with mana, oddly enough. But her body had surely been put through its paces.Her muscles burned with a tender ache, and an odd, slimy feeling just wouldn't leave her skin.

Sophia opened her mouth as if to laugh... then, she paused, blinking bemusedly "Well… I suppose an explanation is fitting," she noted meaningfully.

Sophia settled her hips against the altar, idly kicking her legs. She tapped her chin with a finger, letting out a contemplative hum.

"I'd have to say... two, three years ago was when I came to Blythe. Hardly anyone suspected a thing. I had a good start on my mental spells then, but I needed a safe, quiet region where I could practice the art in peace. A small and peaceful town, reasonably far from politics or local wars? Perfect."

Sophia wrinkled her nose, then, as if finally noticing the state of Izaria's dripping mess of a body. She nodded to herself, then slowly stood up and walked daintily across to a waiting cabinet, where towels and sheets were stored as shelf and table covers. She produced a wide cotton blanket, unfurled it until it draped on the floor, and then lazily walked over to offer it to the girl. Of course, she could clean her up the easy way, but she wanted to keep her stained and smelling of musk and monster pheromones just a bit longer.

"And when I truly came into my own, I had the entire town mesmerized, Izaria." Her voice dripped with a radiant, dreamlike wistfulness, matching her tiny smirk. "All it took was some hours of enchanted singing with my Siren's Call, plus laughing and chatting with all the villagers individually... and they all fell for me. To this day, no one's dared to break my secret. That's the beauty of group-reinforcing charms—the more people there are, the stronger it is, and the longer it lasts.

"Mayor Alistair Blackwood wasn't the first to want me, either, but all I had to do was geenntly move myself towards him, and he gave me a safe spot to stay at this lovely manor. I've lived here for years now, and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoy it. Blythe's becoming a popular place for scholars and journeymen mages like yourself, as I'm filling out our library week by week. You just happened to interest me enough to want more than just a spell or two, Izaria Caedys."

Sophia's smile faded at that, but a smoky intensity still smoldered heavily in her eyes. She walked back to the altar, sat down, and crossed one leg over the other. Then she waved her hand in a simple cleaning cantrip, causing the dregs of cum still clinging to her skin to start falling, leaving her body pristine and shining in the light.

"So."

She flung the word into the air like a falling rock. Sophia leaned her chin on her palm, staring at Izaria like a cat watching a mouse.

"I'm a selfish, coercive mistress and socialite, who's happy to bend some rules to ensure her black arts aren't discovered."

Her tone was silky and light, flippant through her words like she cared nothing for the vices and sins to which she’d confessed — or did, but practically dared any consequences to try and stick to her, much like that flaking cum dripping off her toes.

"But I can teach you far more than such simple tricks. I can have you focus your mind to stave off sleep and ignore pain. You'll be able to lucid-dream, using a full third of your remaining life otherwise wasted to practice and study in your dreams. You could contact beings from other realities, or none at all; I'm sure you know the company I keep, as you felt their touch yourself." Sophia winked slyly.

"Knowing all that... I can't let you leave and just go tell everyone. But if you become my apprentice, you'll know everything... and more."

Izaria accepted the towel warily, eyeing the girl with unmasked suspicion.

Still, her body was even messier than she'd thought. Turning it down wasn't an option. Izaria listened as she dabbed off the slime, never taking her eyes off the seemingly carefree sorceress. Sophia had worn that same expression when she'd effortlessly broken through her barrier, and her illusions—some of her best defenses.

Even so, she was a moment away from offense. Izaria already had a dozen spells in mind, including a desperation move that could leave the whole manor as nothing but a vacant lot.

'No more tricks,' Izaria quietly swore to herself. 'No more letting my guard down.'

Once she'd cleaned off the worst, Izaria wrapped the damp towel around herself. Modesty seemed an afterthought at this point, but she'd take anything to not feel exposed and vulnerable under her attention right now. It also didn't escape her notice that Sophia had utilized a cleaning cantrip for herself, leaving Izaria with only a now-soiled towel that had mostly served to spread the mess around, drying her, but failing to clean much.

That made Izaria's brow twitch, but she didn't say anything, not allowing her opponent the satisfaction.

So, Sophia had bewitched the town; small wonder, then, why no rumors had ever escaped. She was a spider sitting in the middle of her web, ensnaring any and all who wandered too close. Izaria cursed under her breath. She was still very much trapped, even if she was free to move about. The grin told her as much.

Worse, Izaria had no counter—nothing she couldn't call 'as reliable as tissue paper and prayer'. She might get as far as the edge of town, but all Sophia—and the entire town at her bidding, Izaria reminded herself—had to do was run Izaria out of stamina and drag her back here.

The offer for apprenticeship was likely genuine, but it dripped with strings - slimy, foul-smelling, monstrous strings, among others.. Worse yet, there was no reason behind it. Itsmacked of whimsy, something she'd dreamt up on the spot. How could Izaria refuse, though? She bit her lip in frustration, thinking through the likely consequences if she refused.. The sorceress could just put her under again, or she could use that spell to rip her memories from her mind, or summon those horrific appendages once more.

Or, Izaria could step forward willingly, which carried its own implications. Such contracts, particularly power dynamics, were dangerous things when magic was the backdrop. Sophia wouldn’t be tempting her so aggressively if there wasn’t a huge catch.

Izaria blinked, catching herself; she'd been quiet for quite some time, lost in thought.

And so, she glanced down at the floor, before responding in a quiet voice, "And should I refuse to be your apprentice? Will I be one of those mindless slaves below? Living out some facsimile of life, ready to fight in your personal army?”

Now Sophia really did giggle. She doubled over in place, uncrossing her legs, holding one arm around her middle. "Hah...! You do have an imagination!" she cooed. "No, dear, not an army. I'm not a storybook villain; I have no dark designs or dreams of empire. I'm just a selfish girl who wants to enjoy her power for as long as possible! Why would I invite conflict to my doorstep? That defeats the entire purpose! I didn't create all of this just to throw it all away on a gamble."

Now that, she thought, may have been the first completely honest thing she'd said all day. 

Sophia preened like a cat, giving her luxuriously shiny hair a toss against her shoulder. But then... she blinked. A deep frown creased her features, as if she hadn't considered the full implications of what Izaria was asking. Leave? Hm... if she were being honest, then she'd admit that she'd gotten so used to the dream-Izaria proclaiming her devotion, that the idea of her leaving sounded terribly alien. Scary, even. It shouldn't be, rightfully, given their differences in power... but the sharply contrasting personalities were still so jarring.

"Should you refuse...?" she demurred, drawing out the last syllable... and then she clicked her tongue. "Well... I'll have to remove your more… embarrassing memories of our encounter, of course. You'd simply remember us having a polite conversation, sharing a bit of your magic, some tea, a night's rest, and then leaving. You'd continue your life as though nothing particularly interesting had ever happened. Why, you ask? Because it leaves fewer questions for curious people, who might disturb my peace and quiet."

Sophia stretched out both legs, then gently swung them forward and rose up to her feet. She went to grab a sheet for herself just like Izaria had, wrapping it around her beautiful figure. She didn't care a whit about modesty, but did it more as a gesture that she was done with her little game—for now.

"Now, then, all this talk and magic-use has made me quite famished," she said congenially. "I'd like to invite you to stay for supper, though I understand if you'd rather eat apart from me and father. Do you know a cleaning spell like the one I used? If not..."

Sophia trailed off thoughtfully. She took a blue book with gold trim from a nearby shelf, titled "Everyday Cantrips," laid it down on the table, and tapped her finger on the cover.

"Then I suggest you learn quickly, if you intend to accept my offer… of hospitality," she quipped, with a knowing twinkle in her eye. "Or you don't get to eat."

Izaria blinked. She… had not expected that, truth be told. The sorceress could be lying, of course, but why lie when the truth would better serve her purpose? No, better to assume that everything this… girl, this manipulative socialite said was weaponized. She had deceived Izaria into being here when truth would have been as effective in getting the raven-haired beauty what she had wanted.

She wasn't ashamed to admit that, either. Even now, as she looked over Sophia's wonderful frame, she felt a rather deep stirring in her chest. She knew her taste in women would do her in one day. She hated to admit it, but Sophia might’ve gotten much, much more out of her than just a few spells if she’d tried to seduce her, rather than having skipped straight to kidnapping.

As if on cue, her stomach grumbled, her body conspiring against her once more. Her cheeks glowed faintly red. At the very least, cleaning herself and getting food would not be harmful. Perhaps playing into the game would give her time to think about how to escape her situation.

She chuckled, embarrassed, as she pressed a hand to her stomach. “Well, ah, I guess that my first decision is being made for me.”

She stepped forward, glancing at the cantrip. It was an odd little spell. She had never wasted time on what she considered frivolous magic—but, frankly, it felt like anything but at the moment. She glanced at Sophia, considering her once more. No, there was likely nothing to glean from the girl about whatever she may have in store. She would have to plot her own course and be ready for anything. One thing was certain: she would not be a plaything for some girl.

“I… will join you both. I would like to see what exactly you have set up here for yourself at the very least. As for your offer… I will do you the courtesy of not answering in haste. I think we both wouldn’t want to rush to a judgment based solely on first encounters.” She narrowed her eyes significantly at Sophia, a light frown indicating her current feelings.

She took the spell, her eyes focusing. It was simple, likely made so on purpose for everyday use and elementary learning, a tool for servants and a stepping stone for students. It seared into the back of her eyes as she blinked, the gesture a simple wave and molding of mana. She tested it out experimentally on the towel—it quickly dried, and all the filth fell away from it. She did the same on her body afterwards, leaving her skin feeling tingly and warm, as if stepping out of a hot bath and drying in the sun. Huh, well, maybe she should indulge in the frivolous more often.

Sophia blinked in surprise. Even for a prodigy like Izaria, that was remarkably fast to learn a spell so deceptively complex; one had to reject contaminants that weren't part of their body, but doing that with clothes wasn't as easy, considering the differences in materials and the distance from the core of one's aura.

She smiled earnestly, and clapped her hands together slowly in polite applause. "I rejoice to hear it!" she cheered. "And I also agree; I don't mind giving you some time to answer, as long as you don't plan on talking yourself out of it. Ah!" She snapped her fingers in realization, then turned around to walk along the wall a few steps.

Folded neatly and tucked in the cupboard were all of Izaria's clothes, freshly cleaned, ready for use again. Sophia smiled as she brought them out for her, remembering just how much of her legs the dainty things left exposed. Plus, her wide-brimmed hat was very cute.

Sophia took her time putting her own clothes back on, panties, skirt, lacy black gloves and all. It was as much a symbol of who she was as a pretty ensemble. She did notice Izaria eying her body, of course, and it was even spicier knowing she was trying to focus on other things... but the time would come to make that move later.

Soon enough, Sophia led the way to the dining room downstairs, off to the right of the entry door. The day was clearly wearing on now, as the blue sky gave way to the warm orange haze of dusk. A graceful dark hardwood table dominated the center of the dining room, with several chairs sitting in twin rows on either side. The gentle tick-tock of a mantelpiece clock played beneath the sound of their footsteps. Already on the table were plates and forks and glasses of wine, although water was available as well.

"Fath-errr!" Sophia called in a bright voice. "We have a guest today; won't you come say hello?"

The sound of heavy boots came from the opposite-side kitchen. Sophia sighed; of course, he hadn't changed clothes from his work. He'd probably thrown himself into cooking as soon as he came back.

And there he was coming out, bearing a thick crockpot in his brawny arms. He was still in his outdoor leathers and wool shawl, although he at least wore the red vest laden with silver trim to more properly identify his status. Not that anyone in town could miss the man on sight, for he often came to check on local businesses to ensure all was running fine. Everyone also noted that, ever since he'd adopted Sophia three years past, he'd pulled himself out of his longing and lonely state and was a much more enjoyable person to be around.

"Sophie!" he called back, flashing them a grin. His malachite-green eyes shifted over a step, and he let out a knowing  chuckle. "I see she's making new friends."

Thunk. He set the crock of meat-and-vegetable soup down on the table, alongside the loaf of fresh bread and pot of honey already present.

"Father, this is Izaria Caedys, a sorceress from out of town," Sophia introduced with a wave of her hand. "Izaria, this is Mayor Alistair Blackwell."

"Good to meet you, Izaria," the man offered warmly.

Izaria's internal clock was wrong, she was sure of it. A much longer time had definitely passed. Based on her own perspective, she had arrived in town a little after noon, and had been invited and put under a sleeping spell of some sort a little prior to evening. That that evening now seemed to only be dimming left her with a strange feeling in her head. Her soreness likewise left her with a great deal of questions. Much of her body ached as if from strenuous activity, though she also felt quite energized, a familiar feeling from the morning after a rather romantic encounter. She fought down a creeping blush that did not seem to want to stay away from her face.

She tried to do the mental math. Such a small amount of time had apparently passed, but how was she feeling like she had been awake far longer? She was also rested, but when she’d come to, it had been nothing like waking up. She silently contemplated all of this as Sophia’s ‘father’ appeared. She glanced at him, frankly somewhat unimpressed.

It was almost comical, she reflected, how dissimilar they were. From the outside, it looked like magic at play, here. The man greeting her sported long brown hair and green eyes. The long, severe features contrasted with Sophia’s to a laughable degree. Still, it would not do to be rude.

She painted a vague smile on her face. “It is good to meet you too, Mayor Blackwell. I wanted to thank you for having me in your home and extending your hospitality to me.” She dipped her head lightly, hoping she sounded genuine. “Your daughter is quite… excitable when it comes to magecraft, and when we ran into each other in the market, she was quite persuasive.” She wasn’t sure what to say or not to say, or why she should even keep Sophia’s secrets? Should she be forthright? Would it even matter? She forced herself to keep a polite and neutral expression on her face as she decided how she would interact with this man. For all she knew, he could be completely complicit with her.

"Oh, the pleasure's all mine! And Sophie always likes showing off a little!" he agreed heartily, grinning just like a normal man happy to gossip about his children. "One time she made a kid's stick glow like a torch, so he got to lead his folks back home at night. What'd she do for you?"

Sophia cleared her throat. Her fingers idly twisted together in her lap. "It was nothing," she demurred. "Just some basic tricks I picked up; though I'm surprised they don't teach them at higher-class schools."

Her eyes flicked over to Izaria, a smirk glowing within, but her face remained passive. For a moment, she considered revealing just how under her spell the man was... but decided she would let Izaria find that out for herself, if she wanted.

"Wellll... Ah, take a seat, take a seat!" Alistair smoothly sat down, and reached for a nearby bread knife and a deep ladle. One by one he cut off slices of bread and filled wooden bowls, then passed them on trays, first to Izaria, then Sophia, and serving himself last. Salt and honey sat between them, ready for spreading to taste. The soup was fresh beef and vegetables, laden with rosemary and basil.

Bidding him a quick thank-you, Sophia pulled out two chairs, and claimed one for herself. She dipped generously into the honey pot, drizzling it onto her bread. "Did they fill your arms with bags again, father? We've barely eaten through the last batch," she quipped.

Alistair chuckled. "Maybe I'll bring a cart next time. The farmers are doing better than ever since you taught them all that..." he waggled his hand, lips scrunching tight.

"Proper crop rotation, foraging burdock roots and cattails to supplement crops, among other things? You give me too much credit. You know it was the scholars who kindly wrote those secrets down here; I just served as distributor."

He frowned. "You shouldn't do that, you know."

Sophia blinked. "What?"

"Deflect a compliment. You got the ball rolling. You had the drive to do it. When everyone's busy living how they know, they don't have time to think on how to do it smarter."

Sophia flushed, lips parted.. But she soon blinked and recovered, letting a thin huff pass her lips. She settled instead for a dip of soup, blowing calmly on her spoon before taking a taste.

"Really, I... I appreciate it, just doing what I can," she said quietly. "I'm glad I get to meet so many talented people this way. Izaria," she turned to politely regard the girl, "you alone could fill out our magic section tremendously. But are you sure the Academy would approve of you sharing such powerful spells? There won't be trouble, will there?"

Her gaze smoldered with a dull intensity, yet a knowing twinkle also showed at the edges. The real question was whether Izaria herself might become a liability for some jealous mages guarding their secrets.

Izaria watched the two of them interact as one watches a piece of theater. Stage direction, line recitation, choreography, she examined it all like a critic. Not that any of it was rehearsed, she knew. Sophia likely didn't know what the Mayor would say next, and that added to the chemistry a hundredfold, letting natural reactions spill out. She truly was a master of her craft.

She sat, allowing herself to play the role of a guest. She’d play the part as well, still wondering if she should use her own script or Sophia’s unspoken one. The meal was rather wonderful, actually, the soup sitting warm in her belly. She found herself even hungrier than she had thought. More and more she raked through the encounter and then her coming-to. It seemed increasingly likely that a full day had passed while she was out. What had happened in that time? She glanced at Sophia as she chewed on a piece of bread, watching the girl allow herself to be showered in compliments.

She dipped her crust in the broth, not bothering to stand on much ceremony or etiquette; she was far too hungry, and still sore. She had never bothered with physical exertion, but now she wished she had a little more muscle in her frame. She simply had never expected her magic to fail completely. Her legs had felt like jelly walking down the manor’s stairs; her arms felt like lead to lift. It was all a pleasant soreness, but an unwelcome one at the current moment.

Then, she was brought back to the present once more. The Imperial Academy? She took a sip from the broth, savoring the heartiness of such a rustic meal. 

“Well…” she contemplated as she set the bowl back down, meeting Sophia’s gaze, “the Academy trusts its associates and members with discretion, but likewise values the proliferation of magical knowledge, so long as it's done with care. More than anything, it looks after its own. I was, well perhaps still am, something of a prodigal child. My mentors love to miss me, and when I’m around they don’t get the opportunity to do so.”

Sophia listened intently. So… they might miss her. It sounded to Sophia like Izaria really didn't care, though, and preferred her peace and quiet—and independence—as much as she herself did. Was there a kinship there, maybe? Enough, certainly, for Sophia to feel her smile turn a bit more honest.

She decided, then, she could show her ‘guest’ a little mercy from her usual teasing ways. It just wasn't as fun without others in on the joke. Plus, she could appreciate the relaxing domesticity of a home-cooked dinner as much as the next girl. There was such a thing as too much stimulation, even for her.

She cast a knowing eye towards her father. "Speaking of mentors, I've been trying to get you to learn a thing or two. At least a light spell to get around in the dark."

"I'm not really one for all that stuff," said Alistair, apologetically shaking his head. "I mean, the kids in town like it, but most of us are too set in our ways. What was it you said? You gotta focus and know what you want for it to work, can't let your mind slip? I felt like I was trying to drive an open-top wagon filled with water up a hill without spilling it."

That was as close to her real method for reality-bending magic as she was comfortable getting. Sophia gave a simple nod, but kept a careful eye on him. "I'm afraid the most we can hope for, 'proliferation'-wise," she said as she turned to Izaria, "is maybe to attract a tutor to stay in residence here for those who want to learn. I mean, you talk about being set in your ways, but you taught me supply and demand. I'm afraid I've... created a bit of a demand," Sophia quipped, with her musical little chuckle.

Alistair chortled back, though he took his time spooning up a couple more bites of soup, and taking a nibble of bread before replying. "You wouldn't happen to be in the... 'tutoring' business, would you, Izaria? I mean, I hope I'm using the right word; I don't know a thing about learning spells. My daughter thinks we should open a whole public library, though."

Izaria shook her head, locking her jaw. “No, I don’t believe tutoring is the right word for how Sophia learned magic from me. Though she is certainly… voracious. ”

She glanced at the girl, her expression neutral. She took a long drink from her cup, washing down the meal as she sighed. It would do her some good, even if it was drugged.

“As for a library, well, I would certainly be eager to reach out to some of my friends in the Academy. As you know, there are several branches in cities around the Empire. If you’d like, Mayor, I’d be more than happy to tell my some friends all about Blythe and the new interest in magecraft that has cropped up these past couple years. Your daughter’s collection could be the start of a wonderful annex academy. They would love hearing all about how Sophia got the ball rolling on all of this… with your permission of course.”

She turned to glance at Sophia, a polite but empty expression. “I’m not implying anything extraordinary, but with a large supply of the elementary level instructional manuals and other basic theory, the cultivation of potential mages out here in Blythe could potentially shift the landscape. And I know the Magisters are always eager to find a diamond in the rough.”

Izaria shrugged, a front of indifference. “It is, in the end, beyond my paygrade. I left as soon as politics began getting in the way of advancing my own magical growth. You’d be surprised at how certain ‘concerned individuals’ want someone to curb their growth after a certain agreed-upon point. No matter where you go, there are always those stuck in their ways, even when those ways seem fantastical from the outside.”

She stopped, putting on an air of accommodation. “But, with clear interest, the prospect of immediate initial profit, and the promise of local assistance, it could be done. The Imperial Academy’s influence is always its first concern.”

The mayor gave her a steady look, a considering hum rumbling in his throat. "It's a ways off," he said simply, then paused to take another bite of soup. "I mean... profit? I'd leave that to others to figure out. I will say, though, we don't have much worth coming out here for. Just farming and logging and quiet."

"I thought the same thing," Sophia supplied. "It would certainly attract a lot of people, and the ancillaries that come with them."

Her eyes flicked between him and her 'guest' intently, if not cautiously. Sophia's smile was certainly relaxed, as she wasn't really worried if she tried to get too close to the matter. But it was fun to see her so tense, suspecting everything was a trap. A very sharp mind, to be sure, and one who hadn't wasted her talents—although she could still be so much more...

But Izaria's speech left her questioning her own confidence, just a tad. She clearly had a good enough grasp on the situation, and was even starting to probe for weak spots. Sophia had played a very strong opening hand, but if she took too long, Izaria may just find her own way out. She had no intention of letting that happen.

"Why don't we move on, though?" she suggested at length, and her attention slid back to her father. Sophia dipped a bit of bread into her soup, and nibbled at the edge. "Hm... This year's peach harvest wasn't doing so well, right?"

Alistair nodded, his expression turning grave. "It's that fungus again; I told them to try garlic extract like you said, but it was too late to save much. Still, it brought that family closer to the garlic farmers, so there's a silver lining..."

Supper progressed in quite a smooth fashion, though the tension at Sophia's end of the table was palpable—at least to herself. The soup was good, and she wound up eating quite a bit thanks to having worked so hard on Izaria before.

All in all, she had to wonder if the young sorceress was disappointed. There were no drugs, no tricks, nothing—just a polite repast together at the table. Alistair regaled them mostly with local stories, with Sophia supplying the occasional anecdote, until eventually the food ran out. The man insisted on cleaning up the dishes, since Sophia had... business to take care of with her newest friend. He simply shrugged and went back to the kitchen, mumbling something about 'magic mumbo-jumbo.'

"Isn't he a wonderful man?" Sophia said with a bright smile.

Then she turned, almost lazily, to look at Izaria. Her voice dropped to a quiet muttering. "I know what you're thinking, but the only real spell I used was a simple suggestion, years ago. I wanted him to take me in, so I chose him; and he did the same for me, after realizing he didn't want to be alone anymore. I'm not totally cruel, you know."

Izaria took another helping of stew and bread, smiling, half-embarrassed, as she ate her fill, listening to the two of them converse about the goings-on of the sleepy town. Much of it was empty discussion. The Mayor was a kind enough man, and she could see why he’d become the leader of this small backwater. He was plain and inoffensive, but possessed a bland sort of charisma that left a good taste going down. He was the kind of man who was barely remembered, yet only ever fondly. It was a pleasant enough dinner, but she found herself fidgeting slightly. The slight lull left her on edge.

She finished her second bowl, sighing rather contentedly despite her misgivings. It was just the meal she needed, and she was surprised at how much better she already felt. She had allowed a lull in the least magical means possible. Should she have mentioned her current situation to the Mayor? It felt overwhelmingly like bait, yet as she watched him turn the corner it felt also like a missed opportunity.

As Blackwell took his leave, she dipped her head. “Thank you for the wonderful meal, Mayor Blackwell. I was famished. I greatly appreciate your kindness and hospitality in sharing your home with me.” She then turned to Sophia as she began murmuring to her.

“...I’m not totally cruel, you know.”

Izaria regarded her a moment in silence, a frown on her face, her own voice also a mere murmur. “That is what makes this all so very confusing to me, Sophia. You are not overly cruel; I admit that freely. Yet you took by force what was freely offered. You improve lives under your care, but you care for them only so long as they don’t interfere with your studies. I do not judge the nature of your studies. Even I know the study and practice of magic ultimately tolerates no morality. But your use of said magic is still used for subjugation.”

She shook her head, a frown on her face. “But yet, you could have done far more horrible things with less. I am unsure, and perhaps that is where you wish me to be.” After all was said and done, thought Izaria, she was still speaking to her captor—a girl who had defiled her mind and body.

Sophia considered Izaria for a long moment. The smile, thin as it already was, drained steadily from her face... and in the end, she gave a neutral nod. Sophia breathed in slowly, leaning back in her chair, hands folded relaxedly in her lap.

"I did take you, and your spells by force, and I don't regret it," she admitted in a low voice. "But from the moment I laid eyes on you, I had a feeling you could be more than just another scholar inscribing spells for the library. I judge character easily, thanks to my... talents. "

At that, Sophia let a ghost of a smirk flick at her lips, but then it was gone immediately. "But that wasn't to take something from you, Izaria. That was to gauge your limits. It was to see how well you could fight, and how far you've yet to come. I could have done things in a kinder way," she admitted shallowly, "but it's more honest to see that nakedly, without overthinking and conceited indolence getting in the way."

Sheeen. Sophia pushed her chair back from the table. She moved to stand, smoothing her hands down her dress.

Before stepping away, she took a waiting napkin and dabbed at her face, just to catch any lingering bits of soup or crumbs that might be present.

"And you passed my test quite well." Sophia assumed a thin smile, and her voice gained a quiet arch to it. "You were able to resist the pull of my book, so you do have decent limits. But what do you want, Izaria? What drives you to seek out magic? Be honest with yourself. You're already seeing ways that my power—which is hardly limited to subjugation—could benefit you, aren't you?"

Izaria looked away furtively. They both knew the answer. “Yes, of course, " she snapped quietly. "I hadn’t even read of the things I’ve seen you do in so short a time. We seem, at least physically, of the same age. You have to understand that I've yet to meet a magical equal who wasn’t decades older than me—and, to be honest, I’m still not sure I have. I’ve always worn that as a badge of honor."

She scoffed in wonder, shaking her head. "Yet, here you are, seemingly my age, outpacing me by… leagues. It’s infuriating… and incredible. Of course I want to learn your secrets!”

She was quiet for a long moment as she considered the other question that she had skipped over. “As for what I want… Why do I seek out magic? It’s not so surprising, truth be told. Magic, in the end, is action caused by knowledge. We are only limited by what we know. I don’t care for power. Power is a byproduct, a result of the combination of will and knowledge made manifest. A fulcrum with which to exert influence needed for greater change. What I want is to find where it ends—those lines that none but gods cross."

She looked down, staring at something very far away. “It’s why I study barriers. How they can be pushed, extended, bypassed, changed.” She looked up. “Of course it would benefit me. Unregulated magical research to this extent? Completely free from scrutiny? It is all I can do from leaping wholeheartedly into agreement with you. But…"

She shook her head, almost in disappointment. “Where did the time go, Sophia? How long was I out, and what happened?”

Sophia wanted to scoff. Of course she'd grown so fast. She hadn’t done it alone, really. Well... most of it, she actually had. Sophia's primary gift was that of supernatural focus. It had allowed her to memorize magic, and to train with it, faster than almost anyone; she expected only people like Izaria could really match her in intellect, now. But then, she'd extended that further by absorbing memories one at a time, letting people think for her, extending her knowledge more and more and more.

What should she tell her? Did it really matter? Sophia could just take her now. End the charade.

But... no. Some part of her implored patience. Izaria deserved more than that. And so… Sophia took a deep breath, and opened her lips.

"You were out for almost two hours, after you collapsed from exhaustion in the library," she said. "I was using my powers to view your dreamscape, as I didn't want to miss the show. You were... exquisite, fending off dozens of beasts, using something quite like that barrier you showed earlier."

Izaria fought down a vague sense of panic. That couldn’t be right. She wracked her mind; something was missing; something had to be missing, she had to have remembered something. Time had passed, so much more than two hours. She wanted to scream, cry, flee, and fight, but she fought her response down to a curt nod.

That dream… she knew that dream. Its setting always remained the same, even if the beings she defended against were different. The truth to Sophia’s words seemed ironclad; she couldn’t have seen that dream otherwise. Izaria tried to reason it out in her head, that she had only arrived into town today.

Then Sophia smiled disarmingly, holding up a forestalling hand. "Oh, don't worry, I saw nothing private. I merely nudged your subconscious towards demonstrations of your skills. I could never do like you did; you're far more proficient at combat magic than I. Like my father said, I'm... a little set in my ways."

Sophia stepped slowly past Izaria, her dress swishing with her steps towards the door to the foyer. The meal was very pleasant. She smiled wider as she looked to the windows. By now, the light outside was growing quite dim; cool night blues were quenching the bright oranges that yet lingered, bit by bit.

"I'm heading back up to the library in a moment," she said, craning her head to look over her shoulder at Izaria with those knowing violet eyes. "If you're ready, I can give you a hand up, unless your strength has recovered enough. I don't mind you exploring a bit, of course, but the manor's rather mundane otherwise."

Then she paused, finally turning around halfway. She stood still by the door, framed in shadow like a graceful statue. She dropped her voice again, low but deeply intent. "I expect a decision before midnight," she said coolly. "Like I said, overthinking is a bad sign. I've laid my cards on the table. I don't need an apprentice who can't keep up with me; and trust me, when we're done, at your current level of growth, you'll certainly outpace me and my silly little rustic flair."

Desperately, Izaria tried to force herself to relive the memory. She had sat, rested for a moment on a couch, and then Sophia had been on top of her. Everything seemed so dreamlike: strange tendrils, a deep and heavy malaise had coated her entire body and mind. Then the Altar, the spells and that horrible aching pleasure. Something in the pit of her stomach turned pleasantly at the memory, but she reacted with a frustrated frown.

She was startled out of her reverie as Sophia brushed past her. “No, I can walk just fine,” she responded, rolling her eyes before grimacing.

Should she just make a break for it? Throw up as many anti-magical barriers as she could and flee? It could be different, she reasoned, when she was prepared. She knew what the girl could hit her with and how, and fine-tuning the barriers wouldn’t take too much work.

But she was looking at this the wrong way. She wouldn’t have let her have free reign if she wasn’t confident about her being there. No, she was deep in the spider's web, and there likely was no getting out without playing nice. She nodded, hoping her expression looked genuine as she looked up at Sophia, following along behind here. “Right behind you, lead the way.”

As they started the walk back up those fateful steps, Sophia turned a kind smile to her guest. "Since you've been so patient and indulgent with me so far, Izaria, I'll continue to be the same." Her voice arched pleasantly, matching her relaxed body. "Why don't we go over something simple together? You won't need to give me your answer for that. I'd love to show you just what you could accomplish with my powers!"

As they headed back into the library, Sophia suppressed a smirk. Without realizing it, Izaria was almost there. Only a bit more of a push was necessary. She waited, still like a spider hanging in its web, waiting for the prey to stick itself fast.

But for now, she had to keep acting the part. So she stepped over to a well-dusted bookshelf, focusing on a set at near shoulder height that looked like a section of dull biographies and family histories. Sophia ran her finger along their spines, murmuring unintelligibly, eyes narrowed as she looked for…

There! The sixth volume in one set, with a red cloth bookmark sticking out of the center. She tugged it loose... and, far from the more dramatic like a secret passage opening, instead the book itself transformed. Its muted brown cover shifted and scintillated with color, becoming midnight black, with gold trim and a beautiful violet flower emblem in the middle which expanded out like a starburst.

"From my private collection," Sophia cooed as she withdrew the book, idly flipping through the pages. "Let's see... something basic, but important..." she paused to give Izaria an affectionate wink, "...only the best for my possibly-to-be sister in sorcery."

Sister... Sister…

That single word thrummed in the girl's mind, tickling loose a light, warm flush of pleasant feelings. There were no memories to associate them with, other than the lazy thoughts that bubbled up from somewhere very deep in her subconscious. Sisters in magic study. Kindred spirits. Becoming unstoppable together... But Sophia's eyes had already turned away, back to scanning the book, and they weren't glowing or showing any signs of magic at all.

"...Ah! Focusing charm!" Sophia chirped happily. "This is how I saw through your earlier illusions. See this pattern here?" She jabbed her finger into the page, and held out the book for Izaria's perusal. There was a simple but elegant caricature of a gemstone surrounded by wisps of dispersing clouds, resting above two closed eyes.

"It opens your third eye to let you discern imperfections in spells—weak points—feeling the arcana like you would an object to probe for fractures. You could make an effective counterspell with that, too, without needing a blanket ward. Why not try seeing if you can find the other disguised books on this shelf?"

Sister... The inner feelings tenderly throbbed again, weaker now, but still so very warm. Feel... aura…

Izaria allowed herself a private moment to enjoy the embedded illusion. A conditional spell was no small thing, and it was a fine work of magic all on its own. Such illusions could make for wonderful cascading effects, creating a looping pattern if properly maintained. It was one of her favorite branches of illusion magic, and she smiled appreciatively despite herself.

She rolled her eyes as Sophia winked at her. The other sorceress already presumed much. She would likely… not… be completely opposed to the idea. If an understanding was reached, the two of them could truly do amazing things. Her thoughts began running away from her: ideas of how to best build trust, grow their relationship, accumulate more and more magic and knowledge. Of course, the Imperial Academy could never be alerted to their presence here. She had threatened Sophia with the idea at dinner, but if this were to work, potential rivals could never be made aware. Oversight, as well, would be imposed on them, which would defeat the whole purpose. It was a giddy feeling: having met someone who understood the desire for freedom, to chart their own path.

She almost jumped. The girl had asked her a question as she looked down, taking the book and examining the spell. She hummed, examining the workings of the spell. It seemed to be built on other workings that seemed to grow upon itself to reach the power described, so it was fairly intricate and complex. She considered such spells unwieldy, but useful for niche situations. A perfect counter against much of her own magic, of course.

Izaria nodded. This could work. Not just her learning the spell, but the entire idea. They would bridge the gap, perhaps even become equals, and then go from there, growing the collection. And, she thought with a pleasurable internal squirm, she wouldn’t have to keep walking everywhere!

“No wonder… it was over before I even had a chance. Makes the whole thing a little silly in hindsight, me throwing out illusions and all...”

She forced herself to focus, which seemed… hard. Her heart skipped a beat and she almost attacked Sophia on the spot. She was being influenced by the girl’s magic right now, wasn’t she? Everything seemed to be going too well; she was too comfortable, too pleased with the situation. It couldn’t be her feelings alone. She still had misgivings—far too many to already be planning ahead like that. She clenched her teeth, saying nothing. She did not have a good counter against mental intrusion, but at least whatever it was seemed to recede lightly with awareness of the effect.

She closed her eyes for a moment before setting her mind to the task. Taking some time to review the spell, she slowly murmured under her breath before pouring mana into the work, lighting the spell up in her mind and crafting it as her eyes flashed. She looked around as instructed, glancing for additionally disguised books.

Sophia only bore a bemused look at the girl's inner struggle. Truly, her resistance was impressive, even considering the fact that she knew what was going on. But nothing could last forever. She didn't realize it yet, but she was flailing in quicksand; the more she fought, the faster she would sink. The more she denied the feelings, the stronger they would pulse, insidious whispers masquerading as her own thoughts. There was no stopping the slow, inevitable cascade as soon as Sophia had said that trigger word.

"You couldn't have known, sister," Sophia said softly, a smile rising on her lips. "There's no shame in losing to an inscrutable foe, unprepared and off guard. If it makes you feel any better, I was never really that good at traditional magic anyway, least of all combat applications." She glanced away, looking wistful. "My mother was always the better mage. Strong and smart, much like you. She encouraged me to stick to what I knew in my heart, and find happiness therein."

It was all she could do not to reach out to pet that glorious ivory hair, but Sophia held back. Her eyes returned, watching her not-quite-apprentice work. There were indeed a handful of other books much like the one she now held, which first appeared as shimmering violet auras, but would shift when focused upon.

Perceiving the illusions didn't break them, but it did show her plenty. As her mind touched the aura, felt its surface, it also revealed to Izaria just how elegantly soft-yet-strong it was. While she wasn't familiar with it, something else was, and the gentle, ethereal heartbeat in her mind grew a little steadier. The beauty of it, though, was that it could just as easily be confused for her own bruised sense of pride.

"What do you think?" Sophia prompted, her eyes smiling along with her face now, although there was still no glow or spell of any kind within—if there was, Izaria would have been able to pick it up.

Izaria's eyebrows raised, not able to fight away a look of amusement as she looked at Sophia. “Sisters, now, are we? That is adorable, but we are a little too dissimilar for that.” Something in her felt rather sad, at saying that. It had felt like smacking a hand reached out in aid only to spite herself. She knew that they weren’t sisters. She also strongly suspected that that idea—‘sisters’—was a part of Sophia’s insidious game. Still, the bitter feeling ached in the back of her head, almost like a longing…

She shook it off, forcing herself to remember her own parents; their own encouragement at entering the academy; and support for when she had left to strike out on her own. That was her true family, and no sister had ever been a part of it.

“My own mother was much the same, always wanting to see me grow, to move forward. I would like to meet your mother someday, see where you got these ideas from.” She looked around the room, doing one final pass as the colors and auras manifested. It was quite an experience, beautiful in its own way. She nodded, glancing back at Sophia. “I think I would like to learn more. I will agree to be your apprentice… conditionally.”

This was dangerous, she knew, but the girl likely had contingencies in place that made going forward the best course of action. Escape was unlikely, and so was defeating her on her chosen ground. She had obviously planned for this, and defeating her in this library, in her place of power, would likely be nigh-impossible.

“My conditions are simple; do not use any of your magic on me, and I will do the same. That includes those… appendages.” She blushed, uncomfortable and embarrassed at the subject as she moved quickly past. “Do not use magic on the villagers anymore. You have embedded yourself well enough. There is no need to control them anymore. Finally, Mages passing through have to voluntarily give us access to, or trade, any magic they may know. We don’t need to take what is freely offered. Deal?”

Sophia's eyebrow cranked upwards, although what kept it there was simply bemused interest, rather like she were observing a colorful butterfly flitting about the yard. The notion that Izaria would make conditions hadn't been far from her mind, though she'd surprised herself already by letting things proceed like this.

To her credit, Sophia did not cross her arms. She merely tapped a finger to her chin, frowning thoughtfully.

"I suppose you're right about the villagers, not that I've needed to charm them so much of late to begin with," Sophia mused through her frown. But at the latter, she really did scoff. "But really, Izaria. Do you think I make a habit of that with everyone who crosses my door? Nearly all the mages who came here did volunteer their magic. I simply look for the interesting ones, like you."

She paused. Her frown remained, but slowly warmed, like ice melting off a window in the sunlight. As they'd spoken, the light outside had dimmed even further, and now the cool embrace of night washed in, moonglow seeping through to bathe the floor and illuminate them both with its gentle caress.

"May I amend the first condition," she began archly, folding her hands lazily in her lap, "to simply be 'only use magic consensually and after asking nicely'? That may also include my..." Sophia wiggled her eyebrows, "... appendages. That's reasonable, no, sister? Oh, and don't lie; you enjoy that name as much as I do. I have to have some fun with this. But yes, I think we have a deal."

With that, Sophia slowly reached forth her hand, palm open and beckoning... an elegant hand so velvet-soft, full of promise, yet at the same time gently firm and guiding.

Izaria nodded, meeting Sophia’s eye. She knew her conditions were rife for abuse, full of loopholes and hardly binding, but they were just as much a test. Had the girl accepted without bargaining her down, she would likely have made an attempt to flee, no matter the ramifications.

Part of her wished Sophia had attempted to bargain her down more, if only to show she took them seriously. It was not nothing, however, that she asked for an amendment. As things stood, it was a foundation that could be slowly worked out. Perhaps it was all a front, but the girl in front of her seemed reasonable, and even eager to work with her.. She could slowly push her down a more moral path while still getting exactly what they both wanted. She took the girl’s soft hand and shook.

“It’s… reasonable. You have a deal.” She released the girl’s hand, rolling her eyes. “No one would believe we’re sisters. We’re almost quite literally different as night and day. But if that’s what you want to refer to me as, I won’t object.’ She had to fight down an almost physical warmth. She liked it a lot more than she cared to admit. It was strangely intimate and caring. She would not quibble with such a minor detail if the girl seemed to enjoy it as much as she did. She glanced over the girl once more, wishing not for the first time she was taller, though she did not mind having to look up slightly to the beautiful girl, now technically her teacher. That was going to be weird.

“So, where do we start? We still have plenty of time to dig into… any of this.” She tore her gaze away from Sophia, looking around the library eagerly, finally able to do what she had come here for to begin with.

Sophia's fingers tightened, eagerly clasping Izaria's palm. It was such a shy touch, really... she already missed her true sister. But not for much longer, she reminded herself. Patience. "I'll make sure you don't regret it, sister," she cooed, offering a flash of bright smile before letting go.

On cue, Sophia regarded the book they'd just been using for reference with a meaningful nod. "Now that you can perceive my auras, that makes the next step much easier. To practice, I want to teach you how to properly detect a masked aura. With those, you can trick someone into believing a spell is something it's not, or fool a magic symbol's trigger that way, just for starters. But if you're good enough at perceiving one, you can usually still see through the mask."

Sophia reached to the middle of the bookshelf, and procured a long and broad ribbon of red cloth from which new bookmarks would be cut. Then she held it out at length, close to Izaria's head level. "With your permission, I'll temporarily blindfold you." A faint hint of a smirk tugged at her face. "Then, you'll use the focusing charm to try and feel the auras I'll produce when simply channeling mana.

“I promise not to use any actual spells," Sophia added poignantly.

She gave the improvised blindfold a little flip, letting it fall over Izaria's hair and shoulders like a bright red streamer. "Hmhmhm!" she chuckled. Just a bit of harmless fun!

She stepped back a smidge, and then held her hands apart at forty-five degree angles low, palms spread open. "When you're ready, sister, I'll start. Just face my voice, and tell me on which side of my body I'm 'holding' the disguised aura."

Of course, it was a ploy to continue letting Izaria feel her magic, to give the pretty kitten a light on the wall to chase. It was also legitimate training, though. It trained the third eye to see without seeing, and to detect not just the presence of magic, but where it was coming from. Assuming Izaria was feeling cooperative, Sophia would simply channel mana into both of her hands, but one of them at random would always be veiled, with a different color emerging from the velvet if it was done properly. Left, right? Right... right, left... and sometimes she would change her hands' positions, just to challenge her focus more. And the more she focused, the further she slid...

Izaria fought the urge to roll her eyes. Right, straight into trust exercises, hm? With a great deal of hesitation, she assented to being blind-folded. The lightly smirking raven-haired beauty across from her had nothing to do with the decision, she swore to herself. In any other situation she would be praising the gods, having this girl tie a blindfold on her. Why are all the pretty ones crazy, evil sorceresses? She fought down a blush as the blindfold was tied around her eyes.

She muttered the incantation under her breath and crafted the spell once more. “Ok, I’m ready.”

She saw the world light up around her as before, seeing the sorceress’ aura flash. She followed the lights, each time saying where they were held. Each time they changed position, sometimes shifting or changing to try and trip her up. Sophia seemed to be having fun, extending the game out and moving around, so she indulged her. Following the masked light, she called out each time, focusing on Sophia’s masked aura and blindly moving her head to the light wherever it moved.

“Right, Right, Right, Right, Right, Right …" she sighed, "... Sophia …. Left, Right, Left, Left, Right…”

Izaria hadn't taken Sophia for the drilling type of instructor. But maybe that was the point, she reflected—to stay focused even when things threatened to blur. It was by no means rigorous, which was a relief; the spell was designed for upkeep, so the drain on her own mana was minimal, almost negligible.

It was also exceedingly useful, and she knew she had yet to even wrap her mind around all the possible scenarios in which the spell could be utilized.

Sophia smiled giddily; she was suitably impressed. The test might seem droll to onlookers, but really, even with a simple spell like this it wasn't so easy to maintain focus and peel back an illusion—even if you knew one existed. Being able to do that quickly and consistently was the key, especially during a tense situation, which was why Sophia kept changing it up, steadily making her masks just a little bit thicker as things went on.

But Izaria proved a highly capable student, and it didn't take long to hit the limit of what she could do with such a simple test. "Good!" Sophia cheered, quenching the lights on her hands. "You can take that off, now."

Click-clack. She headed back to the shelf they were using as a platform of sorts, flipped through her book of spells, and came to the exact one she'd just been crafting—how to mask an arcane aura.

This was the real test. Following lights and seeing patterns was child's play, but it was also about finding the truth—something Izaria had been rather focused on lately, which may have given her an edge. But to make an effective mask required the caster to lie.

To hide the truth from her.

Izaria took her time removing the blindfold. Her eyes were a little blurry, despite not seeing anything; channeling arcana through them wasn't something she was used to.

She quickly noted the spellbook, open to a new page. Then, Sophia reached out her hand, palm up and open.

"Are we switching?" Izaria asked, handing over the velvet wrap to her.

Sophia nodded congenially. "And feel free to be creative. Refer to the formula as needed, take your time, then do your best to hide any aura from me, sister."

Izaria's eyebrow twitched.

She held her tongue for now. Izaria watched as Sophia looped the blindfold around her face. Even though she knew it had no holes, she couldn't escape the feeling that she could see her.

Considering the spells Izaria was learning now, that probably wasn't far off.

She squared her shoulders to Sophia; who, she noted, took a step back to create some space. Yet another considerate move, as though Izaria could forget everything she'd done.

But her nerves didn't need that right now. What she needed was stimulation, something to focus on—ironic, considering the material. So Izaria skimmed the volume, taking in the formulae. 

Then she channeled her own aura into both her hands, attempting to mask it in one and then the next, mixing it up, moving her hands, even traveling in a long semicircle around her. There was definitely a pleasantness about the whole situation. It was much like early days in the academy, poring over research, when she’d still had that spark about what the infinite possibilities magic could be.

She was actually enjoying herself.

Sophia had been plain from the beginning that she was interested in her beyond the norm. If things remained above-board, Izaria thought, she could see herself staying for a time. There was a… homeliness to the whole encounter she found settling in her bones. There seemed to be no enchantment or hypnosis laid upon her.

There was a faint whisper, then: that ambitious sorceress that walled itself off, whispering that she had studied barriers to prevent people from getting close. This girl’s introduction was betrayal; her first interaction was deceit. It said she should shut the girl in a barrier and flee. But Izaria shook her head. This was too nice, and perhaps, for once, things could actually work out. She smiled hopefully as she looked at the girl, tied in a blindfold, so very proper, holding herself as a noble even in the midst of a routine training exercise. Maybe she just needed direction.

She shrugged, dispelling the thoughts as she called. “Good work, I think I have the hang of this, it is most appreciated!”

Even with the blindfold on, Sophia effortlessly shifted her focus, filling the black void before her with light. She saw not only the books and other auras in the room at first, but of course Izaria herself; but that was too much. She held her attention solely on her apprentice, appraising each and every aura. Not only that, but this was still Sophia's touch—the gentle caress of her aura, pressing against Izaria's, gliding over the mana in her hands vaguely like the soft touch of fingers against skin. And...

Oh, the girl was a terrible liar.

Her masks were sloppy and watery, too much power invested and not enough intent to keep them in line. Sophia effortlessly spotted almost every one, but in the interest of not totally scuttling her confidence, she was patient, taking her time pointing them out with her finger.

Even so, she, too, couldn't lie to herself; this was still so very fun! Sophia chuckled airily, her finger waving about. "Left... left, now right... ahh, it circled around... Ah! When did it get to your shoulder?"

Izaria's heartfelt words made her jaw go slack. Thanks to the blindfold, she couldn't see her blinking lashes fluttering on the cloth. "Oh, well... you're very welcome!" Sophia tittered out, a little flustered. Blush rose to her cheeks, and she didn't fight it. "And you're quite a good student. I'll, uh, I mean, I could really get used to this." She finished with a melodious laugh, lips pulled wide in a grin.

But at that point, Sophia just couldn't take it anymore. The girl was too adorable, she wanted to squeal. Calm. Stay calm. She went through a few more wooden motions of pointing, calling out directions... "Left... left—"

She gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. No! No, that one was on the right!

"Y-You—!" Sophia sputtered as she undid her blindfold in a rush, staring long and hard at Izaria. "Agh, no fair! It compromises my sight if I'm... feeling anything! I, I... ugh."

Sophia wrung her hands and pouted, before finally getting enough of a grip on herself to grimace, willing a little patience back in to cool things off. She breathed in shallowly, gazing at the floor for several moments... then she turned back up with a sly smile gracing her flushed cheeks. "Okay, sister... I-I'll just say it," she muttered out. "I've been holding myself back, but you're just... you're just too warm. And pretty. And, I would very much like to share a kiss with you. Please...?" She took a shy step forward, wrists tucked behind her back, shaking herself gently side-to-side. "Pretty please with cherries on top?"

It was fun, she had to admit, even if this was mostly for her own benefit. Of course Sophia already knew both of these spells so, much like a teacher, she was likely indulging Izaria. She chuckled as she moved around the room, channeling her aura in her hands and attempting to mask them. She didn’t seem to succeed at any of them except…

Izaria stared at the pouting girl in surprise, ok, she had not expected this. She tilted her head curiously at the girl wringing her hands together. It was the most human thing she had seen from the sorceress yet, and it made her look so very alive with those flushed cheeks and grimace on her face. The vaguely unkempt look as she stared at the ground… was she pouting? It was so very striking, so real and delightful compared to the façade, that aloof beauty, that giggling sonorous alto illusion that this girl had apparently put over herself.

Well, Sophia seemingly hadn’t been lying about her attraction, Izaria reasoned. But it was frankly incredibly flattering to have that much of an effect on anyone. A slightly cocky grin emerged; she couldn’t help herself, as she walked slowly up to the blushing girl. She wanted to make the girl lose her cool again, it was adorable.

Stopping in front of Sophia, her smile lingering on her face as she looked up at the girl. She wished she had been taller so she could look down, just this once. “Well, it certainly pays to remember your manners, hmm? Asking permission, even with a ‘please’!” She teased, unable to stop the grin. She slid a hand along Sophia’s waist, resting there, her own face still a mask of curious contemplation and tilted to the side. “I’m not sure, you didn’t succeed in your lesson, after all…”

This is a terrible idea, something in the back of her mind warned quietly.

Who cares? she snapped back.

Sophia flinched. Ooooh, no. No, this girl did not get to... ugggh. She shivered at the touch, that delightful hand snaking around her hip while she was focused on those eyes, so similar to her own. Her eyes flicked about like a trapped animal, though her face stayed mostly wooden and blank. Oh, and Izaria was coy. Was there a dominant streak in there, somewhere? Someone was clearly enjoying themselves, looking all proud and confident in the moonlight, playing along their oh-so sensuous body...

"Nn... Hmph," Sophia grunted, trying to recover her composure. It was harder than she’d have liked. Her jaw felt rigid, her lips twitching spasmodically. "Well, I... I wasn't even really trying, so it doesn't count," she countered in a pouty murmur.

She slinked her elegant fingers around Izaria's body, barely fighting back a shudder at how warm she was. Her hands found purchase on her lower back and shoulder blades, gently pressing down to hold herself steady.

Her heart was beating fast, her nerves giddy with energy. Oh, she liked this. Maybe she'd even keep some parts of this persona around... But for now, she managed to reassume a little bit of her usual smile as she teased, "Sure you don't want me to put the blindfold back on, sister...?" in a low, breathy coo.

The hand caressing Izaria's back traveled lazily upwards, fingers threading through that beautiful hair, then breaking the white to settle her palm softly against her neck. Sophia tilted her head in turn. She didn't even need magic for her eyes to shimmer in the moonlight like flawless amethysts. She brought her lips down, releasing a warm breath against Izaria's face... and then closer... closer…

Well, that was short lived, she thought as she rose, pushing herself up on her toes as she met the girl’s lips with her own, abandoning the gentle teasing. It was good to know, and perhaps a fun little weapon for later to try and see if she should evoke a similar reaction. Any thought or reasoning beyond the moment went out the window quickly as she pressed against Sophia.

She reveled in the feeling of those wonderful lips on her own, letting her tongue work forward ever so slightly, a quick lick at the girl’s lips before pressing forward again. Her hand rubbing against her hip, the other hand coming up to cup the girl’s cheek. She eagerly worked forward, letting her soft lips meet against the girl’s cheek, then jawline, peppering her with soft kisses before returning to the girl’s lips.

She leaned back, breaking their embrace as she caught her breath. “You’re awfully hard to say no to.” The girl was intoxicating, even without the hypnosis; everything about her was cool and soft. She wanted to get under the girl’s skin, break that calm and collected nature, but it was just too much. This girl felt soothing, while Izaria felt herself grow altogether too warm, losing her cool quickly as she took her hat and tossed it to the corner of the library.

She returned her attention to Sophia. She let her hand gently angle the girl’s head, gently running her lips against the girl’s neck, giving it a quick and playful nip, before soothing the flesh with her tongue, working her way down to where her neck meets her shoulder, lingering there as she parts her lips against her neckline, nuzzling against her.

There was such a beautiful moment right before it happened, where Sophia felt her eyes go smokily-lidded, her heart sped up... and then contact. Her face flickered, quickly softening in bliss... and she gently returned the favor, parting her lips and squeezing them down against her lover's. Blossoming heat tickled her throat, and she let out a giggle. Sophia tightened her arms and brought her chest and stomach into play, kissing with her whole body, plus the caress of her silken dress.

Oh. Oooh... Her eyes flicked briefly to Izaria's hand, and she nearly swooned. In her element or no, this was intense. But then it got worse! "Ooh! Ahh, hehe, heh, nnm..." she cooed and purred, loving those little touches on her neck. That was her weak spot! Did Izaria remember that from her dreaming self, Sophia wondered? How much of her was breaking through? Time to find out...

"You're so warm..." Sophia replied, simple yet sultry. Her fingers lazily trailed up, five points of gentle pressure crawling over that pretty scalp. She found a good hold and pressed in, using her thumb to sweep away the bangs from Izaria's forehead. Smooch... smch. She gave a good pair of long kisses there, then sliiid her lips to her cheek and suckled, pulling up a bit of skin to give a tug and a few gentle licks.

It was time to take the initiative. Sophia simultaneously pushed and pulled back, gently nudging and kissing all the way, extricating Izaria slowly from her now-very-tingly throat. She met her forehead with hers in a little brush, staring directly into her eyes. "Hold on; let me get this off first," she whispered huskily.

She pulled herself back a little, enough to move the hand from Izaria's back up to her own shoulders. Then she quickly found the straps that kept it together, and dipped her body to either side to release them both. It flopped open like the petals of a flower, revealing her slim chemise nightshirt just beneath, clinging loosely to her body and covering nothing on her arms. After that, it was only hanging by the sash around her waist...

Smch. Sophia pressed back in and reclaimed Izaria's plush lips. Top, chin, a flick of the tongue... she danced gracefully between her steady breaths, making their mouths a sauna of twisting tongues and hot exhalations passing to and fro. Her questing hand found its way back to Izaria, only this time meaningfully clutching at her blouse...

Izaria took the opportunity to remove her overcoat, letting it drop to the floor. She moaned gently against the girl’s lips. That wonderful hand against her head, those lips and mouth, left her completely breathless. All the while she felt the girl clinging to her, a wonderful weight pressing against her, anchoring them together.

She let her hand work its way up from the taller girl’s hip, feeling her gentle, sweeping curves against the soft fabric. She squeezed and fondled, petting against the girl’s back as her other hand worked its way down, her fingers tracing against her neck, until  both arms were draped around her shoulders, her entire body clinging desperately, pulling against the raven-haired beauty..

She slowly drew her arms back between them, an end of the red ribbon clenched in both hands as it pressed against the back of Sophia’s neck, tugging them ever so closer together. Not allowing her to pull away as she returned those kisses greedily, wanting more, wanting all of Sophia desperately.

Finally, she pulled away once more, not letting Sophia lean back as she herself panted for breath, eyes locking together. Her heart hammered away in her chest; she was sure it would smash through. She couldn’t remember such an intense moment.

There had been fumbling trysts in the academy, a young lady in a tavern, an altogether innocent boy she had met on the road. None of them compared. Izaria’s face flushed in arousal, eyes fluttering as she tried to get herself under control. She failed, and then she stopped trying, and then she stopped even pretending to try. She pulled the girl against her with the ribbon once more, pressing their lips together, tongue meeting tongue.

Sophia was thoroughly in her element once more. She gave the greedy girl exactly what she begged for, throwing herself into every kiss, passion burning in her gaze. Izaria had ferocity and guile, but Sophia had reach and firm strength, able to twist in place with Izaria while brushing her legs against her lover's. She didn't hold back. Sophia purred on every exhale, showering her lips with affection. Izaria's tongue may be inexperienced, but she was so eager!

The girl was already given over to lust! She could almost taste her Izaria—her sister—breaking through, that heartbeat reminiscent of a baby chick hatching from its egg. More... she just needed to spur her on a little more, then she'd be subsumed, unable to even tell where one ended and the other began. But hers would come out on top in the end.

"Mmm...! Mmnh," Sophia fended off a handful of kisses and counterstruck, licking along her chin and smooching those adorable cheeks before returning. She suckled on her lover's tongue while pouring hers through, wrestling with her while her hands roamed free and squeezed, getting a feel for her shapely rump right below those plump hips. The second she felt an opening, Sophia nudged herself free while muttering, "Izaria, Izaria... please." Her voice was dripping with need. Those cool amethysts didn't sparkle now so much as they blazed, eager to devour the fly caught in her web. "Please, I need you in my bed, right now. "

Sophia immediately went back in for another kiss for the insatiable girl. But her eyes inevitably slid off to the side, and her legs began to move, as she waited for the right chance to grab Izaria's hand and lead her to her room. She was already being as patient as she possibly could, sticking to the sorceress' own rules, but they were still so fun! She grinned and giggled and squeezed her lover, always keeping her head nuzzling that beautiful ivory hair.

Breathlessly, Izaria pulled back, nodding emphatically as she tried to gather her thoughts for what to say. She drew ragged breaths, fighting against her own arousal for each one. She opted instead to just let herself be led to the bed, the taller girl guiding her by the hand as they both walked, ran, then walked again, forcing themselves both not to sprint to her room.

They barely made it to the bed, tumbling down as they resumed right where they left off, where Izaria positively threw herself into Sophia’s arms. She brought her hands up against Sophia’s sides, her fingernails scraping against fabric and skin gently, up and down as they embraced.

She forced herself to a slower pace, leaning back once more. She let her fingers trace up, fingers lacing underneath the thin straps keeping up the girl’s nightgown and working it down, eyes drinking in the moonlit-splashed skin. She cupped the girl’s breasts, letting her thumbs rub against the sensitive flesh, teasing her gently.

She moved back in, slower this time. Her lips hovered right in front Sophia’s, their faces millimeters apart, before a gentle, softer kiss. Passionate and tenderly entwining together as she settled herself into a soft rhythm. Working down the cheek, murmuring into her ear as she gently nibbled and kissed at her ear lobe. “You are absolutely intoxicating," she breathed, lustily tracing the rim of the ear with her lips.

Sophia panted softly through grinning lips. Ooh, this girl was just too adorable! So flustered! Sophia didn't waste time giggling like a lovestruck girl, though; she simply led her right to her room. The door was barely shut before their kiss resumed in earnest. She squeaked happily at the girl's touch—so soft, so hungry! Sophia's own hands remained around Izaria's hips, lazily pressing in, savoring the feeling of how at any moment she could just sweep the smaller girl up... Which, when they walked to the bed, was just what she did.

Pomf! She let herself fall down back-first, carrying Izaria atop her. Her legs and shoulders immediately stretched out onto the soft sheets. Her palms eagerly swept around to envelop the girl, taking handfuls of her blouse and tugging it loose. Izaria's own efforts bore fruit, assisted a little by Sophia dipping her shoulders, and she slipped that thin nightgown right off.

Their stomachs met with a wash of plush skin, so verrry warm. It made her chuckle deeply through her purrs! That delved into a gasp when her chest scraped fabric, then skin as Sophia slipped the top loose from Izaria's body. Sophia's chest was fair, soft but not overly large, each mound so comfortably firm.

No sooner did their breasts meet than Sophia gently turned to her left, spilling Izaria gently over to rest beside her in a tangled web of writhing legs and grasping hands. A squeeze of Sophia's breast elicited a shudder, and she returned the favor by burrowing one hand right through Izaria's skirt to grasp the plush mound of her rump. Their hair danced together, just a light brush tingling Sophia's chest and neck between them, but to her stimulated nerves it felt like resting in hot lava. She grinned and kept on kissing, touching, feeling. Izaria was giving herself freely.

Still... her lust cooled just a little, sensing Izaria's own change in pace. Sophia beamed the fullest she had since last seeing her in this bed, lips pulled wide, teeth glinting like pearls, and her eyes simmering with a coaxing, encouraging need.

"Hmhm...!" she giggled, deeply satisfied. Again, her hand rose to reciprocate on the soft root where her head met her neck, cupping that lovely head as she rolled in close, pressing her body against Izaria's and lavishing those beautiful lips with soft, gentle kisses.

Smch... smch. She moaned softly at the tug on her ear, followed by another musical giggle. "Hey," she breathed quietly. "I'll let you decide, since you're so, ah... so nice, so soft... Mm. What'd you like me to do first? Hold you close and touch you? Or... maybe you'd like my little friends after all?" Her eyebrows wiggled teasingly, though her smile remained patiently indulgent.

Izaria laughed, a light trilling as she was pulled down atop of Sophia. This girl was so clearly used to taking what she wanted, being in control, on top, dominant, Izaria reflected. She controlled the room when they were alone together, she dominated the dinner, and even now she was directing everything.

Not that she minded in the least. Izaria shuddered in pleasure, feeling her blouse pulled away and her white hair spilling down like a curtain. Any hint of soreness had washed away as they moved together. She was too eager, and the feelings too wonderful, to pay any heed.

She swallowed at the choice; the memory of those appendages, wrapping around her whole body, resurfaced. They had completely immobilized her as one had had its way with her, the memory mixed oddly between humiliated arousal and indignant horror. Over the top of it all was the girl who had straddled her, now beside her, coaxing her on all the while. The experience had been incredible; she could not deny that.

But to actively request that? To be completely helpless? Bound and at the mercy of the girl? Even the negatives made her squirm with need. It felt nice, even if she should know better, to let someone direct her, place her where they wanted. It was a thrilling and scary thing, to submit to someone like that.

Still though, she distanced herself from the memory, those tendrils that moved completely of their own volition, wriggling obscenely inside of her. She whispered against the girl's ear, almost pleading, her voice ragged and eager. “Hold me too tightly, let me feel you against me. Touch me, make me yours.”

Sophia demurred only for a moment, subtly tightening her hands, buying time while she thought about how she wanted to do this. Roll her over? That'd give her hands more freedom, but leave Izaria in the cold. Front-to-front was much tighter, but she had a reach advantage as it was... Yes. That would work after all.

"Hold on tight, and look straight into my eyes," she breathed, husky with lust. "I want to see you feeling this..."

She gently pressed her body in, clamping her firm chest and yielding stomach against the girl like the silkiest vise. For now, she simply held the girl tight, savoring the warmth of her skin... the plushness of those hips. Then her hand skillfully wriggled beneath her skirt, giving the already-loose slip one last tug, finally pulling it loose to reveal her deepest secrets. But before she made any further moves, Sophia's legs swept in next. A foot writhing underneath and a little prop-up pinched Izaria's weaker limbs firmly in those elegant bars. Her feet danced effortlessly over Izaria's ankles and brushed her soles, proving there wasn't a single part of her Sophia couldn't reach.

And then her naked hips, owing to her greater height, pressed in to fit around the girl's waist like a glove. Her arm curled over, rolling over her lover's side, then dipped down between them into the pocket just above their kissing thighs. It took her hand a moment to reach, stutter-stepping to its goal in the press-and-release of their bodies.

But once it did, she very easily found Izaria's inner thigh... then curled lazily up, finding her pussy with the edges of her index and middle fingers. She turned her splayed palm into a C-shaped hook, probing open Izaria's folds with steady left-to-right motions, then stroooking her way forward... and on the apex of her touch, her hand shifted, slithering back to open her clitoral hood and rub like a soft blanket right on that tiny button. The push-and-pull of her own body helped provide force to press her fingers deeper, tickling Izaria's walls like a brush. She flexed her knuckles, scraped gently with her fingernails in graceful backstrokes... every trick she knew, she used.

Even though Sophia's mouth wasn't entirely idle the whole time, she still kept her kisses gentle, with plenty of room for her lover to breathe. A smooch here, a longer push there... But most importantly, she kissed with her whole body. Her other arm had curled lazily around the shorter girl’s back, and every time she nudged forward, she tensed it down to drag their chests together, letting Izaria feel her pulsing heart right up against her.

"Sister..." Sophia crooned lovingly, her smile shivering with need. "Tell me how it feels..."

As soon as she saw that hungry grin, Izaria’s heart jumped. Perhaps it wasn’t the best course of action—requesting that a master enchantress ‘make you hers’—but it was certainly rewarded. She felt the girl clamp down on her like a vice. Her legs were pinned down by the girls’ atop her, while their torsos pressed together. All the while she stared into the taller girl’s eyes, the shimmering violet reflecting a purple moonlight, the effect utterly dazzling with no need for magic. She gave a pleasurable wiggle, feeling their bodies press and grind together. She kissed at Sophia’s shoulder and collarbone as the beautiful enchantress bore down on her, pinned as she was.

Sophia was far from done, however, getting rid of that last little barrier between her and her goal and pressing in. Izaria gasped at the long strokes, before finally feeling the girl enter her. Those skilled fingers working against her walls, moaning, her mouth pressed against the girl’s shoulder, reaching around her and hugging her tight, savoring that feeling of being so intimately explored; played with by those digits. She dragged her own fingernails up and down Sophia’s back, gently enough to avoid any scratching, teasing the nerves.

“HhhaaHAh!!” She gasped, bucking her hips, and arching her back as Sophia found her clit, pleasure thundering out and up her body in waves. She closed her eyes in ecstasy, feeling the raven-haired girl play and stroke away at her sensitive button and press ever deeper, her walls gripping and squeezing against those fingers. She had no way to escape, and could do nothing except endure the wonderful attentions of the girl.

Sister. The word rung so oddly every time; it should have been a mood killer but it was anything but. The taboo word in such an intimate setting gave her a little excitement, the strangeness contrasting wonderfully with the erotic way it was whispered, reverberating in her head long after it was said each time. “Ngaahh… K-keep going, right there… ahhH,” she whispered out, meeting the girl’s eyes once more as her fingers continued their steady rhythm. The swaying above and their bodies grinding together matched the motion of the fingers against her.

She had her. The spider in the web had her fly, caught in sweet paralysis. Her fangs injected their blissful venom deeep inside, striking Izaria's most vulnerable spot. She explored further and further, grinding her digits along every wall in search of the little treasures that were her densest bundles of nerves. The clamping of Izaria's sex made her hand tenderly ache, but then her steadily leaking juices slicked up her skin and let them slip almost frictionlessly through into her depths.

Oooh... Sophia's eyes sparkled happily. Had she found it? She focused on that spot, or any spot that got a rise out of the girl, making such a light and tender press with her fingers... scraaaping softly at first, then accelerating with pressure. It was all to get more of that sweet voice, her prey's not-quite-struggles. Her constant twitching and twirling, the moaning, the breathing, all of it were just lovely to see and hear coming from her. When her hand reached its limit, the 'C' became a 'J', fingers dug in all the way to the hilt, hooking back towards her and probing Izaria's roof. Her thumb finally got leverage now, fulfilling the girl's desperate wish with a touch directly on her clit, careful to keep it to little brushes from root to tip with the pad of that tender digit.

Izaria wasn't quite fighting back, but the way she clung so desperately to Sophia, like a life raft, filled her with glee. She quivered and moaned heavily enough that her breaths flicked at her lover's hair. She was poised, powerful, in control. But she also felt so warm, so rapturous to be the one to give this to Izaria.

"I'm not letting go, sister; I promise," she said in a sweetly affectionate purr. Sophia held her gaze tight, reaffirmed the grip of her legs and swell of her hips, then stroked her harder and smoother and longer. She added little encouraging smooches onto the moaning girl's forehead and cheeks. "Just let it all take you..."

She twisted and worked her hips against the girl’s hand, feeling the fingers exploring every inch of her. The sensitive walls, each fold and nerve stroked wonderfully by Sophia. She bit her lip, eyes closed as she once more felt that deep knot of pleasure working up from the pit of her stomach, all too quickly rising in a thick and desperate need

Izaria gasped as Sophia changed her pace; the result was immediate as she plunged, stroking her fingers longer and deeper.

“Mmhhaaa, ng ghhh! ” she fought for words to say, her whole body clenching and writhing, dancing to every touch Sophia gave her.

The tight embrace!... she had never been tugged so close, and yet still felt the girl above her hold her closer, kissing every inch she could reach, every inch inside and out touched by the girl. It was all so intimate and desperately wonderful. It was all she could do from crying out.

She moaned again, bringing her hand against the back of Sophia’s, pushing their mouths together as she felt the girl’s lips dance around hers. The encouraging and whispering in her ears and head threatened to overwhelm her. She needed an anchor, something to hold and grip, and she used Sophia, forcing herself to ride out the beautiful feelings, embracing them and enjoying them as she closed her eyes, panting for breath. “Please—mmhahh, gods—l-let me cum!”

It was only in Sophia's fingers that the real passion of the moment laid, for the rest of her was still, acting as a tender vise to secure her lover in place. She cooed airily when Izaria gripped onto her in turn, knowing what that meant. Even though her hand was getting tired from so much at once, she kept on going, rubbing and caressing, pushing her closer to her climax...

...but then, she stopped.

Sophia ceased rubbing Izaria's most sensitive spots, but didn't pull her fingers out an inch. She simply rested there, letting the building pressure simmer, holding her on the edge of the waterfall. This gave the ache in her fingers a chance to settle in, and start to slowly drain away... though she had no doubt it'd be roaring back in just a moment. Sophia kissed softly along Izaria's jawline, lingering at her lips, stealing away any protest with a warm kiss.

But she didn't keep her waiting long. "Sister," Sophia murmured, soft and lovingly. A few seconds passed, and... poke. She verrry gently touched near Izaria's clit... a few more seconds... Poke. 

Sophia didn't giggle. She didn't tease. Her eyes implored the girl earnestly, yearning to hear it in her voice.

"I want to hear you say it," she continued. "'Sister, please let me cum'... please, please say it..."

Izaria groaned in dismay as she fruitlessly wiggled, right at the peak as she twitched and jerked. She helplessly tried to slip her own fingers between them to bring herself over as she gasped, as though in pain.  But pressed together as they were, she merely found Sophia, pinned against her. Just as before, she had been brought to the brink and kept there, over and over. Each touch brought her right back, over and over, never letting up, never allowing her to fall back. Her stomach clenched and her legs stiffened.

“Ahh, mmm… P-please, w-we aren’t—mm gahhh! ”

It seemed to stretch onwards and onwards, such caring and earnestness combined with such merciless torture. The pleasure ached in her belly, her overstimulated nerves firing over and over as her clit was teased. Still the girl’s eyes seemed so utterly loving, so devoted. To have a lover look at you so desperately, wanting nothing else but to make you cum, would send anyone over the edge. Yet each fall was sharper than the last, each time her release was denied.

Finally, Izaria couldn’t take it anymore. She would say nearly anything for release of that enormous pressure in her gut, that deep clenching knot. “Ahh Fffu- F-fine! Please! S— Sister, please let me -hahh-  cum!” She shut her eyes, trying to block out that desperate, devoted and eager look as she was driven to the brink once more with such delicate ease.

Sophia's eyes opened. Her lids slowly swept apart from her sparkling gaze, and a pure, ecstatic gasp tugged gently through her wide smile. It was the smile of weightlessness, rapture—of bringing a treasured lover right to the summit, so grateful to hold them through the plunge.

And what a plunge she gave.

Thrust. Sophia tenderly slithered her hand in, then out. Back in, this time hooking up, ahhh there it was! She rubbed her sister's densest spot right on the roof, flick-flick-stroke, baaack and forth. Her thumb pressed her clit, rolling like spray around a rock, writhing against the root. She alternated spots, first her deep and achingly wet canal, then her clit, back to her fingers, her thumb pad... and she didn't stop. She didn't stop. Sophia rubbed and stroked and went faster and longer.

"Cum," Sophia purred, soulfully warm. "Hold me, look at me! I'm here, I'm here... cum. "

She nuzzled in as close as she could, but offered only the lightest of sparing kisses. Her gaze bore straight into Izaria as the arm coiled around her back slid up a bit to cradle her neck.

Izaria clenched Sophia’s arms, pushing away and pulling closer simultaneously as her legs pressed against Sophia’s own, trying to curl up even as they were held down. Her chest heaved, pressing soft flesh together as their bodies jerked in tandem.

Her back arched and her eyes fluttered as she was pushed deep into a crashing orgasm that seemed to go on and on. She flung her head back against the bed as Sophia kept going, working her over and over as she writhed beneath her. “Ahhhmm, ughnn! Gods, I'm —!”

She did not come down far, as she felt the pressure already steadily working up - and crashing down a second time as she felt Sophia’s fingers, deep and ceaseless, pressing into her. She stayed out even longer, her orgasm teased out as she found her vision swimming and her breath hot and panting.

All the while she kept  her light-violet eyes latched onto Sophia’s, desperate and eager. She could barely breathe or think as it stretched on and on, only finally coming down after what felt like an eternity, going limp and almost deflating, sinking into the bed as she drew ragged breaths, half-giggling groggily. “Ahh…haha… fuck…”

Sophia had promised, and she delivered. She stayed with Izaria through every torturous second of her climax, never once leaving her side. The ivory-haired sorceress’ small body thrashed and shook like an erupting volcano, and her deep honeypot clamped down until Sophia’s fingers ached so tiredly, but Sophia just kept on smiling that beautifully kind smile. She breathed calmly, eyes fluttering in awe, little encouragements like “it's okay” or “I'm here” flitting out as the tiniest whispers.

Before the end, Sophia felt her own body rocked like a cork from how much Izaria thrashed. She was so thankful for her soft chest and yielding shoulders, giving the girl a safe place to snap back to. Her muscles burned just from holding the girl! When Izaria’s summit finally fell into the gentle valley of afterglow, Sophia was there as well, nuzzling in... hardly even kissing or licking, just rubbing her nose and forehead against the panting and stricken face before her.

Finally, with a long and happy sigh, Sophia relaxed. Her eyes momentarily fluttered shut, and the vise-grip she had all over Izaria's body relented. She sliiid her fingers out, taking care not to touch off another orgasm. They came away numb and aching, but also dripping with sweet juices. Sophia's gaze cracked open to follow them as she brought them up, and dipped them into her mouth for a taste…

...and then she wrapped her lips around both, suckled the fruity cum off with a low purr in her throat... and moved in close to lay her mouth right up against Izaria's. She held her head a tad higher, letting a bit of Izaria's own warm cum slither out and onto her tongue. Then she tilted her neck back on the sheets to swallow, making sure Izaria could see her elegant throat shivering with delight at absorbing her essence, recoiling back to show her bright and cheerful smile once more.

"With your permission..." she began trepidatiously, "...may I please use a little magic on you? Just a mild bit of hypnosis to enhance your afterglow. You'll feel amazing, sister, I promise."

Izaria lazily stretched her arms around Sophia, smiling lazily and enjoying her calming attentions. The easing of that vise-like grip was welcome, even if it had been wonderfully enjoyable. She took a final breath before sighing out and grinning shyly at Sophia. “I was about ready to start giving up state secrets. You have that down to a science. Not sure if I love it or hate it.”

Passing a hand through her hair, twirling it out and to the side, letting it sprawl out as she fidgeted for comfort. She took a long look at Sophia, considering her question. She was too wonderfully spent, too warm and content to start quibbling. Part of her wanted to remain on guard, but it was so exhausting to keep being wary around the girl. She could have taken her under at any point, but hadn’t. So maybe a little trust could go a long way. Plus, she reasoned, she wasn’t really in a hurry to lose this feeling.

She nodded in assent, pushing away the anxiety of trusting someone, anyone. She willed herself to be vulnerable. She fought the urge to force barriers between her and her lover, be they metaphorical or magical.  Not forcing a barrier between them, metaphorical or real. Letting herself be vulnerable. She closed her eyes, continuing to rub up and down Sophia’s back with her fingers, savoring the moment.

“Mmm… don’t break anything irreplaceable, I’ll be the first to know…” Or so she thought.

Sophia lounged like a lazy cat, right back to giggling and smiling so mirthfully again. She kept her voice very light, all the better to let Izaria rest. The poor thing had just gone through mind-shattering bliss at her hand—and now she was quite vulnerable, and also tempting like that, a mess of loosely tangled limbs and floppy ivory locks. She really just wanted to relax and keep holding her like this... but then Izaria would have time to recover, and who knew when she'd next let down that troublesome guard of hers? It was time to slip her hooks in, and slip them deep.

Her face gave nothing away. She barely even moved. Her first reaction was just a bloom of warmth in her eyes, followed by a whispered thank-you. Then she swept her hand down Izaria's pretty head, took a low breath... and focused on her eyes. A dim glow shone around her pupils, softly quivering like the reflections of water on the bottom of a pool. But her use of mana was quite low, even as she poured her spell into Izaria's receptive gaze.

But Sophia kept her promise this time, too. She reached into the well of Izaria's sensations, that bubbling cauldron now relaxing, slowly cooling down. The act was akin to dipping a rod into that pot, then twirling it about... and when she did, Izaria's nerves would tingle, just a gently rewarding rush caressing her temples and sweeping down her neck. Every second, the feeling spread. Sophia very slowly stirred it up, while at the same time adding more heat, but only just enough to keep the 'temperature' of her ecstasy right about the same.

Izaria's afterglow did not recede, but rather grew. Sophia's eyes poured in the little bits of magic, and her body eagerly responded, carrying her existing sensations smooth and wide, and slooowly increasing them... bit by bit... nerve by singing nerve. It built, and built, and built. Sophia never let go. She kept on loosely snuggling the girl, adding in a little touch on her side or kiss on her cheek to keep things steady, but all her focus went into making Izaria feel as good as possible.

It built... and built... tingling sooo gently in her stomach, her legs, down to her feet... a pure, never-ending caress. Only after she was confident it was strong enough did Sophia lean in once more, smiling so beautifully and lovingly... and her lips alighted on her sister's in the softest of kisses.

Izaria let out a low hum of delight, meeting those lips once more. What a beautiful spell! She could feel every prod and touch of Sophia’s magic digging through, pushing past her eyes and past her mind, to the base of her skull, and from there reaching down through her entire body. It warmed incrementally, carrying that feeling on and on. She felt like she was sinking into a warm bath, all her muscles easing, unclenching in a tingling euphoria.

She raised her eyebrows, impressed as a lazy smile tugged at her lips. “Now that is a nice trick. That’ll be on the docket to learn, that’s for sure.” She giggled gently again, not able to fight the giddy feeling, that wonderful headiness pervading her whole body that did not fade or dissipate. A light tingle, not intense or irksome, washed over her again and again.

She closed her eyes, alight in the afterglow. “This may just work out, you know? She certainly has her own way of doing things, but maybe she’s just not used to receiving some faith, so she had to lead by demonstration. She’s cute and innocent in her own way…” Izaria murmured, chuckling to herself.

Then she blinked, her face reddening as she hesitated, glancing at Sophia furtively, quiet for a moment. She assessed her reaction. “Did… I just say that out loud? Please, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Sighing once more, opening one eye at Sophia, she said, “I’m gonna have to think of an appropriate response, you know. As payback for that sister thing and keeping me on the edge like that. You’re in big trouble.”

Sophia barely held back a laugh behind her subtly widened eyes. Ooh. That was an adorable slip! Mmmnh! She wanted to lick those cheeks sooo badly! But she hesitated, just lying there and smiling like a happy cat—right up until that delicious bit of snark.

"Oooh, uh-oh!" she groaned melodramatically, a worried furrow in her brow. "But I don't want to stop teaching you fun things, either... mnf. I guess I'm caught in my own trap!"

She whined plaintively through the last words, then broke into a soft giggle, and finally let herself slide forward to rub her nose against Izaria's cheek. Honestly, she did love this. This wonderful cuddling, little teases... It made her feel so giddy, so strong! Life was good. Life was always good to her, and she loved sharing her gifts with others.

Even so, it didn't take her long to get back to those other, shadowed thoughts behind her sparkling eyes. It still wasn't enough for Izaria. She was melting, but still had too much of her normal disposition. Sophia had to take her deeper, and she couldn't just mask or suppress her regular self all the time. She needed Izaria to willingly give up, even if dubiously, in such a way that she couldn't even tell one side of herself from the other anymore. If not, this side would always be there, lingering in her sister's mind like a parasite. She needed her to be whole, without such distractions, without needing constant oversight.

Sophia patiently stroked the back of Izaria's head. Then her fingers slid down, tracing a line over the girl's arm, seeking out her hand to clasp it in a tender embrace. "Want me to make this even better? " she offered, keeping that same patient, abiding smile on her face.

"Hmhm... you seemed to like the blindfold thing. I can use this trick to gently suppress your other senses, too... even balance, or gravity. It'll be a bit of a trip, but you can tell me to stop anytime. Does that sound fun?"

She rolled her eyes at the sarcastic reply. She gave her an affectionate nudge with her shoulder, leaning her head in to meet the girl’s kind nuzzle. As far as lovers went, Sophia seemed absolutely determined to please her, and completely devoted to her atop that. It was intense, considering they had only known each other for hours. She was rather attached to Sophia already. Whatever rocky start they’d had, this moment, the warm bubbly feeling she had, overtook it completely and then some.

Izaria regarded Sophia, almost embarrassed about being seen through about that little detail. Nothing escaped her, it seemed. She did enjoy that blindfold, even when it was a game. This seemed far more intense…

…but… she was in this far; why not go all the way? She nodded, self-restraint seemingly being thrown out the window. If it crossed her mind that she still knew nothing about this mage and why she herself was being so trusting, she discarded it; the thrill of putting oneself out there, the risk was rather exhilarating.

“Sure, we did something similar at the academy with wind magic, let us feel weightless and floating around. Nothing quite so intense as that, though.”

She propped herself up on her elbows, which was easier said than done. She didn’t want to move at all, and atop that, Sophia was, well, atop her. But it gave her mind a little kickstart from the sluggish euphoria. The idea of her senses being toyed with gave her pause, but she had already given herself to the girl, let herself be vulnerable. This could be fun, anyway!

Sophia shifted away, just enough to let her go. But she quickly adapted by pushing herself up as well, swinging one leg across Izaria to settle herself down in her lap. Her chest swung gently with the motion, as all she had left on her body were her slim silk underwear; happily, she didn't expect to need those much longer either. "You're right; this'll be a bit different," she admitted quietly. "Just try to relax, and don't look away from my eyes; that would break the spell too early."

With that out of the way, Sophia wriggled her hips over Izaria's thighs, finding a decent spot to rest. Then her arms swept around the girl to hold her steady, one hand rising to support her head, as she would need to look up into Sophia's eyes now—which were already beginning to glow brighter.

She smiled warmly, and beamed that unbroken gaze straight down, pouring it into Izaria's mind. The steady hypnosis that kept up Izaria's blissfully gentle afterglow remained, only built upon further with this next trick. She'd already committed to sensory hypnosis, and now it was a simple matter of extending her tendrils further. Doing this required absolute precision, and willingness from the subject, both of which Sophia had in spades.

She latched onto Izaria's sense of gravity first, by far the easiest and less intense one. Izaria would feel nothing, especially not with the pleasure already so deep in her body. Or... she'd feel nothing at first. Not until Sophia tightened her hypnotic grip, which she did slowly, biiit by bit... cutting off that flow of information to her senses.

When she made the final cinch, gravity just... vanished. Without that, the most obvious change would be her body's sudden lack of a compass, unable to tell which way was up. Were her head and feet the same thing?

But it went further than that; her heartbeat reacted to it as well, confused, not knowing how much or how little blood to pump. That would naturally lead to a bit of lightheadedness, although Sophia would never let it get so far as to scare her; her body simply latched on to Sophia's directions in place of that sense, and soon evened out, starting to beat in time to Sophia's own heart.

It was that subtle realignment according to Sophia's directions that helped with the next step—balance. This one she was much more careful with, taking her time over the better part of a minute... tightening... tightening. The most obvious consequence of this would be stomach distress, which was why Sophia suppressed any such ill effects first, her own mind telling Izaria's nervous system that everything was fine—everything except for what else naturally followed.

When Sophia finally cinched it off, there was no more telling where anything was in relation to Izaria. The room would start to spin in pleasant, dizzy spirals. Poor thing... luckily, Sophia was right there, the one pure constant in all of it, two shining amethysts right before her, never moving or letting go of her body.

Izaria's heart leapt, and her stomach lurched. Everything became completely askew as she grabbed Sophia’s forearm and gripped as hard as she could as if holding on from falling. She took a deep breath in and held it. She fought down panic that threatened to break through as vertigo flipped in her mind, images of herself whirling around uncontrollably flew across her mind's eye.

It was intense, a rush she hadn’t anticipated, but it slowly receded back. She was grounded mostly by Sophia, their heartbeats slowly acclimating, beating together in time, letting blood return to her head and extremities. The weightlessness combined eagerly with the wonderful extended afterglow. The entire effect was like a beautiful high. The headrush was intense from the pumping blood, but her entire body was weightless, warm and tingling. She started giggling in excitement, looking at her own body as if expecting it to be floating, almost surprised that it wasn’t.

“Mmph that is… wow, hehe. “ She released her grip from Sophia's arm tentatively, wincing in sympathy. “Er… sorry. This is… great, Sophia, have you tried this?” She gave herself an experimental wiggle, and the spell’s effects made her feel as though she'd set her body into a spin. Ok, bad idea. She reacclimated and knew that she was still staring into Sophia’s eyes, not spinning uncontrollably around the room.

If not for their matching heartbeats, or even for the warm and pulsing glow in chest that continually radiated outward, she likely would have fully panicked. She remembered vaguely the effect from before, that earlier hypnotic charm, that warm blanket that had kept her down. This was almost the complete opposite, feeling herself floating up and up, yet her eyes told her she was not moving an inch.

Discomfort lancing up her arm forced Sophia, keeping her tight and sharp, though she readily adjusted herself. "Yes, I have," Sophia said smoothly. "It's helped me to concentrate, especially with reality-bending magic. Knowing what a lack of senses is like helps me know how to react, and not to panic. Just relax..."

She took a moment to ensure Izaria was okay; having balance completely stripped away made it very important to have some kind of anchor. Luckily, her eyes were still beautifully present, and the hypnotic tendrils stretching out from them were as strong as ever. Sophia's smile perked up, deeply satisfied. Yet there was still more to do.

Next, Sophia targeted Izaria's sense of time. Another psychic grip, another slow, delicate cinch... and it slooowly winked out.

"You're doing wonderful, sister..."

Without time, Izaria's ears couldn't gauge the gap between sounds, and so she couldn't tell which directionSophia's voice was coming from. The moments blurred together, her mind unable to tell where one ended and another began. All of her sensations seemed to stretch on forever and ever.

Izaria was now simmering in a bath of raw euphoria, completely focused on Sophia in body and mind. And with that last important sense removed, Sophia at last made her move.

Perception, of course, was a lens through which one viewed reality. But for Sophia, reality itself was already a plaything. The trick was in making the changes so subtle that Izaria couldn't feel the shift, and, with her senses riveted onto Sophia, that was an easy task. Even better, her mind could interpret the weakening veil around them as the blissful lethargy before dreams... yet neither of them fell asleep. The doors to the world of dreams yawned open, tenderly calling to her—but Sophia never let her go, and she didn't slip through those ethereal gates...

...but something did.

It was then and there, in that beautiful moment, that Sophia finally stirred Izaria's second personality. Her home was in a dream, nestled in the girl's subconscious, and the conditions were finally right for the two to press together. Her dream sister was pure joy, euphoric submission, selfless desire... and those same qualities began to bleed into Izaria, to meld with her mind. They were one and the same. They were all her thoughts, her honest feelings, steadily leaking in. Distinguishing between the two was impossible here... and soon, there'd be no ‘two’ at all.

‘You’re doing wonderful, sister…’

Izaria must have been daydreaming, but she came back to the present hearing the echo of those delightful words. It was so important she do well for the girl. It was so wonderfully cozy, and what's more, she came to staring right up at the girl…

…or should she say, her sister, of course! They had been playing; she remembered that much. Her sister had been doing all sorts of cool magic on her, and before that, clinging so delightfully tightly together! She still felt the effects of the warm weightlessness, completely adrift in her mind, her body disconnected from any sensation save delight.

‘You’re doing wonderful, sister…’

A broad smile came to her lips when she looked into her sister’s gaze, and heard her words. She could feel it stretch into her mind, winding and weaving, doing all sorts of wonderful things. Whatever it was she was doing, her sister was deep in concentration. Izaria knew better than to interrupt when her sister had such a look. It was caring, like it always was, but there was a bead of effort that she never wanted to interrupt!

‘You’re doing wonderful, sister…’

It echoed… or did she just hear it for the first time? It seemed to stretch on and on. Whatever it was, it was so very reassuring that she was doing wonderful. She wanted to do something great for her sister! Though, hadn't she already? Or perhaps she would soon.

‘You’re doing wonderful, sister…’

She let out a contented sigh and a little murmur of happiness. It meant the world to hear those words from her sister! If someone like Sophia thought she was doing wonderful, what else could it be except true? She would make sure to keep it up, even though she sometimes felt like her big sis was coddling her. It didn’t matter, in the end, so long as she kept getting that praise!

Sophia's eyes opened the slightest bit more. Her neck tingled with bliss. She knew she'd just seen that. That was her smile! It worked! The personalities were melding, and, just as she hoped, her sister was the stronger. Sophia stayed with her every second, never looking away, always being her rock, her pillar—her kind, beautiful sibling.

"I love you, sister," she cooed, soft and warm. The hand around her head gently flexed, adding the lightest bit of pressure to her temples. It was hardly necessary; her afterglow must have grown to such a state by now that her senses were drunk with euphoria. This was just affection, affirmation of what they shared together, and what they'd continue to share no matter what.

"I want you by my side, always," she continued, lazily petting Izaria's hair. "Nothing brings me more joy than your beautiful smile… Please, please be my good little sister forever..."

Slowly, without even leaving a hint that anything had changed, all that was Izaria either became a part of the new Izaria or was simply snuffed out, rejected as a part that didn't fit her true persona—rather like a silly idea thought once and then tossed aside. The new, melded persona would gain access to all of Izaria's magic, her memories... except, as Sophia carefully guided her away from, anything that didn't fit her identity as her sister. Every year she'd spent at the Imperial Academy, erased. Everything before or since, overwritten by her new life. A life that revolved around Sophia.

Sophia was her everything.

She almost started crying. Of course she’d stay by her sister’s side; any idea to the contrary almost brought her out of the stupor. A surge of adrenaline prepared to fight it off like a literal attacker, though it wasn’t enough to sober her by any means. No one could take her from her sister. She kept her safe and warm and happy. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle up and learn and grow so she could protect her!

Seeing Sophia plead to stay together was more than she could bear; Izaria started welling up with relief and gratitude. Part of her, an unacknowledged terror creeping somewhere in the back of her mind, considered herself a burden. Sophia did so much for her. She wished so desperately that she wouldn’t distract Sophia so she could focus on herself. She remembered trying to explain that to her sister once, but the selfless girl wouldn’t listen to a word of it. How like her: too selfless to even admit to being too selfless.

The other part of her was greedily and selfishly happy with the attention. She wished Sophia would spend more time with her, and less time with the villagers who always bothered her! Izaria knew she was so patient and kind to those villagers, but she was indulging them; she was too kind to excuse herself or decline all those requests, but Izaria knew. Plus, they sometimes even took her away from the manor to go do things! Sometimes it was scary, because it left Izaria alone again for hours, with nothing to do but worry.

But she wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. She was so happy, with every sense buzzing, that weightless, drifting warmth, that amazing sensation awash in every nerve and radiating with a slow pulse. Then she felt a brush against her temple, felt that familiar hand pet her head. Oh, how she wished this would stretch on for eternity!

Before her eyes, Sophia watched in awe as Izaria—the old Izaria, with all her memories and personality—ceased to exist. Her persona re-aligned itself to fit the new truth: the former lie that had spread and taken root in every recess of her subconscious. Izaria was like a perfectly-cut gem, now. Her old self was forever purged, yet her knowledge was absorbed, forming a cohesive whole. There was no more duality, no more chance of her sister's wonderful serenity being threatened from within.

It was so, so, sooo incredibly beautiful!!

"Snff...!" Sophia's breath cut off in a choked sob. Her radiant gaze grew watery with saltless tears, and her lips trembled in purest joy. It was all she could do just to gently bring her sister down from the trance, first by relaxing her spell to allow reality to fold back out and re-assert itself properly. She noted with interest that her hair flopped down on her back; when had it moved? Had it started floating in the ether without notice? That was the most likely reason, but…

But she pushed that thought from her mind, and focused on unraveling the last bits of the trance. Her balance, sense of time, and gravity all returned to Izaria one by one, and though she noted some wistfulness at feeling the girl's heart beat on its own time once more, that was also a wonderful metaphor for how thorough the changes had been.

Finally, Sophia... reached for Izaria's face…

...and slowly listed to the side, falling in an exhausted heap on the sheets.

Her eyes lidded tiredly, and her breath came in dull, heavy moans. "Ahhh... hahn... hoh..."

That had taken a lot out of her—but not so much she wouldn't be right as rain after a good rest. Sophia's head lolled over, a warm and full smile gracing her lips. The glow of her eyes was now back to normal. She laid a hand weakly over her chest, feeling the rise and fall of her breath steadying out. "It worked," she laughed, deep in her throat. "It worked! Owww..." Sophia winced, grabbing for her head, but still kept her beaming grin. "I... oww. I'm okay... h-how do you feel, sister…?"

Sense slowly returned to her. Ah, it had felt so wonderful, floating in that in-between, that clouded euphoria. But the physical reality felt most familiar. She could do things, think and react. All things in moderation! She fought back a giggle at the phrase. Neither of them had ever bothered with moderation, but such excesses had benefited them; they were strong and smart in ways few others were—particularly her sister, who was smiling fondly as she caressed Izaria’s cheek… only for Izaria to see her collapse!

Panic SURGED through her! She leapt up on her knees, fighting back a wave of terror.

“Oh- oh-oh! Sophia? What’s wrong? W-whats wrong?” Trembling, she touched gently against Sophia’s hand. “What’s wrong, Sophia? Why are you smiling?” She looked her sister up and down, trying to ignore her mostly-naked body despite a faint blush rising to her cheeks. Izaria hopped out of bed, moving around to the side to see if she could position her sister better, or help her in any way.

She was shaking, breath coming quickly as she inspected her sister. Nothing seemed physically wrong with her, which made her even more frightened. Had she spent all her magic somehow? She had heard somewhere that that was fatal.

“Never mind me! I’m f-fine. What can I do? How can I help?”

Sophia blinked in bemusement, and a little guilt. She tried to follow with her eyes at first, but her pounding head made her ache again. She winced, and held her head. But still she smiled, bathing in that beautiful voice caressing her ears... that wonderful, caring lilt. Oooh, it was delightful...

The guilt pounded back again, much colder this time, piercing down to her gut. How close had she come? Was it further or less than the other dives she'd taken into surreality? Sophia knew that if she hadn't practiced this before, what she'd just done for Izaria would have been quite dangerous—even moreso than falling victim to her own tendrils. It was her intent to keep herself whole, to always come back in one piece that drove her on, but still...

Sophia almost started crying again. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to risk losing herself, not like that, not now. She wanted to feel Izaria's love, her sister's love, for as long as possible. The magic she practiced was very risky, but... it wasn't until now she truly felt like she'd done enough. She had to stop. She...

...she couldn't bear to make Izaria worry.

"Snff..." She bit back a quiet sob, then took two slow, calming breaths. Then Sophia re-asserted her smile, and turned over to meet her sister, now that her headache had subsided enough. "I'm just fine, Izaria, I promise," she soothed. "I... helped you. I unlocked your magic. I... I-It took a lot out of me, but... I-I... um..."

Blast it... Her throat tightened up. Sharp tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked them away softly, yet they kept coming. "Can... j-just hold me, please," she begged in a quiet, scared little voice. Sophia promised herself right then, she'd think three times before trying something that dangerous ever again. " Gods, I'm so tired... I'll be okay. I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Big sis keeps her promises, okay?"

She flashed a confident grin, and this time it reached her adoring violet eyes.

She hopped back on the bed, slowly, so slowly, like one would approach a startled faun. She settled herself on her knees, grabbing a pillow and slowly lifting Sophia’s head, letting it lie back against the soft pillow. Sophia had done this for her countless times, and she remembered how much it helped each time. Sophia needed her now, though.

She slowly ran her hand against her sister’s head, rhythmically petting her, soothing her. She gently reached down and stroked away the tears, reaching down to stroke her cheek with just her thumb. She’d tell her off later; they both knew she shouldn’t have gone to such lengths! But now she let the quiet sound of their breathing fill the room, humming a soft, quiet tune, the words of which she didn’t remember.

“Shhh, you don’t have to worry, neither of us are going anywhere. We’ll always be together, no matter what. Just rest and sleep, it’ll be better after you sleep.”

She did not stop, intent to lull her older sister into what appeared to be a much-needed sleep. She would protect them while she slept, even now; she felt the fullness of her power, a deep well of mana just brimming with the potential of what magic could do! She would cordon them off from the world; it was the whole reason why she’d studied barriers! Just her and her sister, alone together in a shielded world all their own. Her dream now seemed so very possible.

But that was the future, and this was now. She hummed, stroking and petting that beautiful raven hair, letting it spill out onto the pillow and coaxing it through her own fingers. Letting her fingers gently run down her scalp, her other hand softly closed her sister’s eyes.

“Sleep, my lovely sister, it’ll all be better in the morning.”

Yes. This felt... right. Good, and true. Despite the risks... Sophia only regretted causing her sister such distress. But it was all to make sure she would always have her sister, come rain or shine.

"Nnh..." she moaned, her voice so soft even she almost couldn't hear it. Ah... a pillow. Izaria was so considerate... and where'd she learn such a pretty lullaby...? Butterflies, dancing in moonlight, fanning their wings on deep purple flowers...

Her dreamy state pulled gently back, though the wonderfully pleasant lethargy remained to squeeze her frazzled mind into euphoric nothingness. Sophia said nothing, letting sweet silence be her gratitude. Her fluttering eyes shimmered up at her sister's beautiful smile, the purest thing she'd seen in a long time. And then her gaze shut out... ahhh. Good... her lids were so heavy...

Sophia's breathing grew steadier, her heartbeat thumping its own little lullaby for her ears. Her chest calmly rose... and fell. Up... and dowwwn . Breathe... stars above, that felt so good...

She lay right there, the calmest peace she could imagine shining through her lips. Sleep came for her with its tender blanket of blissful oblivion, and she surrendered to it with open arms. Within a minute, Sophia fell into blissful dreams, guided by Izaria's loving voice and steady touch. A beautiful black-haired angel resting her tired wings.

Izaria stayed there, smiling down at her sleeping sister, basking in this moment. So beautiful, so wonderful and innocent and sweet. Her devoted sister gave up so much for her! She sighed quietly, relieved. It had been so scary seeing her sister like that. Even now, the fact that she had faded so quickly! It brought back a thin layer of fear. But it was short lived. The room was warm, they were in the middle of their house, and everything was going to be ok.

Izaria wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she had jerked back awake. Her head had been drooping, and her knees and thighs ached from the position they were settled in. Slowly, ever so slowly, she worked her hands under the pillow, wiggling out from underneath it as she lowered it back down to the bed.

Then, crawling back into the bed, she rested on her side, gently draping her sister’s arm around her. Instinct demanded she be the protective big spoon, but she knew her sister; and she knew Sophia loved waking up to the sight of her in her arms. Her sister had told her that once a long time ago, and it was all she could do back then from pouncing on Sophia in eagerness. It had been that way ever since, nestling into her sister’s embrace, her arms draped over her and feeling her against her back, her breath warming her neck ever so delectably.

She wiggled and situated herself, breathing deep. It was scary, seeing her sister like this. But she had done well! Everything was ok, and they were drifting off to sleep together like always. Everything was ok. In the morning, it would all be back to normal.