CHAPTER 19

Awareness flowed back in slowly, bringing her to that comfortable twilight place which came just before fully waking. The game, her fight against Gella, and Violet’s plot clambered for her attention, but they were distant and faint. She focused on the here and now. On the soft, intimate warmth of another woman’s lap, and the faint whiffs of perfume, sweat, and fabric. She let each part wash over her, unconsciously sinking into them.

“--not ready in the slightest!” The sound of Gella’s voice, colored with tension and anxiety, flowed in from beyond her little circle of safety. “Like throwing a newborn into a pond and expecting her to swim.” Gella continued. Whoever else she was talking to was inaudible to Celia, and she just let the voices weave together into an interesting tapestry of indistinct noise. Another thing to focus on to keep her from getting pulled toward the distant awful thoughts.

It proved to be too much sensation to sustain her blissful twilight dozing, and Celia was pulled out of her slumber with a groan. Attempting to hide from the world a little longer, she turned to nuzzle into Lauren’s stomach. That elicited a soft giggle from the pinkette, and careful fingers started petting through Celia’s hair. “Don’t want to wake up just yet?” She asked, tenderly.

It might have been childish, unbecoming of a warrior, but right now Celia didn’t feel like a warrior. She felt like a young woman trying to put off a difficult reckoning. She shook her head.

“Would you like me to send you back to sleep for a while?”

More magic to control her, Celia groaned internally. But when she cracked an eye open and looked up into Lauren’s face, she only saw genuine concern for her. Whatever else might have been influenced and controlled about her, she trusted Lauren. She gave a drowsy nod and shut her eye again, clinging a little closer to Lauren. “Dormez,” she breathed quietly. The spell settled over Celia’s mind, a heavy weight pulling her back down into peaceful sleep. “Rest, Celia.” Lauren’s voice already sounded distant, and Celia had just enough strength to give a tiny nod before she slipped back asleep.

________________

Little flecks of awareness thawed and were coaxed together by a deep, powerful hum. Eyes fluttered open. There was a ceiling, and eyes observing the ceiling. After a long moment the eyes blinked and then there was Celia. She felt impossibly distant from her body. Numb in both emotion and sensation, she simply observed without motive to do anything else. The hum increased incrementally and Celia could feel magic combing through her mind. It wasn’t unpleasant or painful, so she had no reason not to accept the feeling while continuing to stare at the ceiling.

“How are you feeling, Celia?” A voice – calm, collected, and interested. Gella’s voice.

“I feel fine.” The words left Celia’s lips without her even considering willing them to. She hadn’t even felt them move. Feeling vaguely curious about that, she attempted to move them herself. They remained closed. The same with her arms, her legs, every part of her body save her eyes. Once her curiosity was sated, she let the totality of the ceiling consume her limited attention again.

“I think we can do better than fine,” Gella said. “Sùilean ròs pinc,” she cast, and the feeling of magic in Celia’s mind changed. Ideas and perceptions shifted around and there was a sensation of pressure before…

Celia sat up and took a deep breath, filling her lungs with a smile on her face. First she looked down at herself. She was dressed in one of the soft nightgowns that flowed like water down her body. When she moved her head, she felt her unbound hair tickle her back, prompting a few giggles. She let them out with a contented sigh, and her smile grew a little wider as she looked around the room.

They were back in Gella’s workshop. The shelves of books, the arcane devices along one wall, the workbenches, and the candles – everything that made it uniquely Gella’s – were joined by a hazy glowing nimbus of patterns that floated in the air. She looked at it in abject wonder, grinning like a child. It was intricate and beautiful, full of tiny lights zipping through a haze of soft glowing blue. Some of the lights traveled together, little clouds of embers moving almost in formation. Others clustered at the edges of the haze, solitary and insular.

“That’s beautiful,” she breathed out. “What is it?”

“Your mind.” Gella said evenly, stepping into the haze and parting it like smoke. “More accurately, it is a way to show you how I am affecting it.” With a gesture from Gella the displayed glimmers and haze shifted. One group of lights grew in prominence, a cluster of them ringed by a sphere of luminescent Pink. A Pink Celia was very familiar with. Before she could vocalize the thought, Gella simply nodded. “Yes, the exact same as dear Lauren’s eyes. You’re under the same spell she is.”

That was wonderful of Gella. The mage had wrapped her mind up in Pink and the world was so nice like this. Gella’s magic was awe inspiring, the woman herself was both kind and beautiful. A warm tickle of heat began to pool in her stomach, sending a flush to color her cheeks. Gella was using her magic on her mind and it felt amazing. Her smile deepened. “Does it always feel this good?” She asked dreamily.

“That particular spell does,” Gella noted. “I want to talk to you about what happened while I was… occupied, and this will make that much easier on you.” She pulled a glittering crystal from her no-space and tapped it twice. “A recording crystal, as we agreed.”

Gella had Celia’s mind in the palm of her hand, and she was still honoring the letter of their contract. Celia could feel how agreeable she was, and knew how powerful the mage was, and still she was making sure to keep Celia’s preference in mind. The warm, safe feeling grew, prompting a faint twinge of discomfort. She frowned at the same time Gella looked deeply into her eyes, concentrating on something Celia couldn’t see. “What was that?” She asked.

“I have several spells acting on your mind at the moment, and one of them needed some reinforcement.” Before Celia could ask what, Gella held up her hand. Celia fell silent with a soft swell of delight. It spread over her mind, settling like a light mist of arousal. The feeling made her want to stretch out to bask in more of it, and she felt the frown melt as she smiled anew. She was a good girl.

Gella’s expression shifted, a slight smile playing along her lips. “Part of me is quite interested in what caused that particular smile, Celia.” The answer was again stopped by a single gesture from Gella. “But we must follow the rules, after all.” She gestured and cast a spell to draw a roll of parchment to her. Looking from the words up to Celia, she waited with a quill poised. “Tell me about Violet’s game.”

Celia nodded, and easily launched into the explanation. She described how the elven maid had taught her so many things while making her feel so amazing – urged her to seek out the maid and later Lauren when her desires got too much to handle. The memories sparked echoes of that amazing pleasure, so much so that Celia found her fingers lightly brushing her nipples at the recollection. Gella had looked deeply into her eyes then, and the pleasure faded to a distant but pleasant buzz.

At her questioning glance, Gella gestured and the model shifted, showing other glimmers outside the sphere of Pink being dimmed and slowed. “Just to keep you from getting too distracted, Celia.”

Gella really was very thoughtful. Celia nodded at her and continued telling her story. It was easier to focus on how Violet had trained her with pleasure, making it feel so incredible to do as she was told – to follow her special phrase. Violet had been masterful, Celia considered, first pairing Lauren’s well-earned trust with trusting the elven woman. It wasn’t exactly the kindest thing, but all things considered it had been very effective.

She told Gella how she had taken Lauren into a trance with fire as an induction, how Violet took the adorable priestess into her care. Gella kept writing, asking questions for clarification and at one point pulled glasses of water for them both from her no space, which Celia happily used to soothe her throat.

When she got to the party in the Grotto and how they had taken Tabby, a tiny prickle of worry wormed into Celia’s cheerful mind. “What Lauren did to Tabby, you can fix it, right?”

Gella stopped and looked up with a confused expression. “Oh!” She suddenly exclaimed. “Yes, I can help her later. I wanted to focus on you first though.”

A bright swell of happiness rose like the sun over Celia’s spirit. “You… You did?” She asked, beaming. It made her feel good, it made her feel… treasured. The faint discomfort made itself known again, only to be banished by Gella’s focused gaze. Celia looked into her eyes while the mage concentrated. They were deep and focused, the eyes of a master at work. And they were working on her. Does that make me a masterpiece? She giggled at the thought, earning her a raised eyebrow from Gella.

“I did,” Gella agreed. “Does that surprise you?”

Celia nodded. “It does. I thought for sure you would want to help Lauren or Tabby first!”

Gella gave a small shake of her head. “You needed my attention more. Violet tried her best – I am sure – but she lacked refinement.” She studied Celia a moment longer. “Now I want to talk about what started all of this. Tell me about Aversa.” There was a harder edge to her voice, this was obviously something she was unhappy about.

Glancing at the representation of a Pink sphere now hovering in a different part of the projection Celia nodded firmly. Gella had her under this spell to help her, to make talking easier. It seemed so much easier to just go with that flow, letting it guide her. She began with sneaking out of bed that night. The way everything led right to Aversa’s room, the demoness playing with her mind and body, and finally losing her sword. Talking openly about it with the wonderful Pink around her mind, she felt better. The worry and the shame of losing her prized blade were distant things here under Gella’s influence. She smiled softly at the mage – Gella was being incredibly kind to her.

She watched Gella make a few more notes on her parchment. “We will have a discussion about that once I lift this spell from you, Celia,” she declared and even under the Pink she heard the frustration in Gella’s voice. Well there was nothing for it. She had upset the mage and would face the consequences head on.

“I understand,” Celia said softly. “I know you can’t keep this spell on me forever.”

That got a small smile on Gella’s lips. “No, though I am sure Lauren would be thrilled to have another pinkette in the house.” That got a puzzled look from Celia until Gella summoned a hand mirror. Her eyes had faint pink rings around the rim of her irises, but what really surprised her was her hair, which had a few vivid streaks of pink running from root to tip.

Celia smiled at the cheerful woman with the fetching scar reflected in the glass. Pitching her voice a bit higher and softer she threw out her arm dramatically. “In the name of Lady Shala, I will provide this manor with the best hugs possible!” She declared, before collapsing into a fit of giggles.

Once she had composed herself she found Gella looking at her in wry amusement. “Oh, to see the look on your face when you play this recording back.” She mused thoughtfully.

Celia had to concede that Gella was correct. Trying to put herself in the mind of how she felt and thought when not under this amazing Pink was a challenge, but not impossible. “Maybe make sure I am away from anything I could throw at you… or any large amounts of alcohol I might abuse,” she counseled.

Gella smiled warmly at that before taking a deep breath. “That brings us to the last thing I want to talk to you about.” She gestured, and the projection again shifted. There, picked out in Orange and Red, was the Door. Gella had made it about the size of an apple, and even at its diminutive size, Celia could feel the malice behind it. She pulled her legs up to her chest, hugging herself while gazing at the baleful sight. “This is what I have been reinforcing in your mind, Celia. And it’s taking ever more ragira to keep it contained.” As she spoke a coruscating lattice of energy formed over the door. “I have seen trauma before, Celia, but never like this. I want to help.”

Celia heard Gella’s words distantly. The hateful angry energy behind the door had her attention, but thankfully the shield of Pink was keeping it at bay. A shield that she knew couldn’t last forever. “I…” She trailed off. Gella wanted to help, and Celia knew she could. Only… She shook her head, long hair tossing wildly. “I don’t want you to. It’s too much.” She looked pleadingly into Gella’s eyes.

The mage looked back and silence filled the workroom. Finally Gella nodded and Celia let out a sigh of relief. “I am not letting it go unattended, though. I have an idea, but it will require Lauren’s assistance.” She shut her eyes for a long moment, and Celia guessed at it being mind to mind communication. “Lauren will be here soon,” Gella confirmed. “Before that, I want to clear up exactly what Violet was doing.”

Celia leaned forward, excited to hear what all of the elf’s scheming was for.

“She wasn’t exactly lying when she called it a game, but she wasn’t being entirely honest either. From time to time she likes to test the manor’s security, and over time that has become something like a game.” That made sense to Celia, practicing threats before any real ones happened. “For this particular scenario, Violet was of the opinion that leaving the manor without adequately controlling you or shielding you from external control was a security risk.”

Celia thought it over. It made a certain kind of sense to her, even if it was mean of Violet to exploit the trust Lauren had built with her. She would have to do something about that. Maybe rig the next challenge one of the other girls made against her, she thought with a smile. “So she just picked Aversa because…"

Gella looked at Celia intently. “That is something I will need to look more closely at.”

She was interrupted by the arrival of Lauren. From the solid pink filling her eyes, Celia assumed she was under the same spell Gella had demonstrated that first day. The arousal and desire that Gella helpfully kept distant rose enough to be noticeable when Celia saw how she was moving. It was mechanical and precise – smooth, without a hint of wasted motion.

Celia distantly recalled the horrified desire she felt the first time Gella had displayed her control like this, turning each girl into a living statue. It already felt like a lifetime ago. Now she approached Lauren with a sense of wonder. She found herself imagining how it felt to be made idle like that, held paused in time. “Does she… think anything when you have her like this?” She asked softly.

“Yes,” Gella said, simply. She gestured to Lauren. “She is still aware of everything going on around her. But I have trained her to be so still and passive that – unless it is a threat – she lets it pass over her without sparking anything else.”

Celia reached up to touch Lauren’s arm, but paused.

“I assure you she won’t mind, Celia,” Gella said, confidently.

Celia’s fingers brushed feather soft over Lauren’s cheek, feeling the warmth and softness of the pinkette’s skin. There wasn’t a single reaction, and while Celia appreciated the care and skill Gella had, the lack of reaction was mildly creepy. “I think I prefer her awake.”

The mage nodded and moved behind Lauren to whisper something in her ear. Lauren’s eyes slipped shut before she stretched her arms up and over her head. Twisting and sighing in apparent satisfaction, she opened her pink-rimmed blue eyes. Eyes that widened in surprise and delight when she saw Celia.

“Oh, wow!” She exclaimed happily. “Celia! You’re smiling!”

“I’ve smiled at you before, Lauren,” Celia retorted, feeling the grin on her lips. It had been hard not to smile since Gella put the Pink on her mind. But now that she was looking at Lauren, and Lauren was looking back at her? Now it was unthinkable not to.

“Sure, but never that kind of smile,” Lauren continued, throwing her arms around Celia in a hug.

It was like being embraced by delight. Lauren was warm, and invitingly pliant against her body. She smelled of delicate blooms and the faint woodsy aroma of effort that sent a wave of arousal through Celia’s veins, and pulled a giggle from her lips. The warrior relished every sensation, reluctantly pulling away to let Lauren slip free. “Oh Mistress, she looks so happy like this.” She turned to Gella. “Can’t she stay like this?

Celia blinked in surprise. The Pink was a wonderful feeling, but could she really just stay like this? Lauren managed it well enough, could it be something she got used to in time?

Gella looked at the priestess thoughtfully. “As much as I appreciate how much of a weight has been lifted off her shoulders, I need her to be able to fight to be my champion.”

“I can still fight,” Celia interrupted. She focused on her inner flame, and while it was a deep Pink, it still pumped strength and determination though her body. She could easily imagine the warm sun on her skin, the pure exhilaration of movement while she drove her body to the limit. It would feel amazing, she knew – the building ache in her muscles as she strove for more, the sweat cooling with the breeze, the pride she always felt in her skills. She nodded at the mage in pure determination. “I know I can fight.”

Gella studied her for a long moment. “Oh I have no doubt you would train with all your heart and soul even under the spell’s influence. Harder than normal, perhaps.” Celia grinned, nodding along. “But, answer me this – can you imagine actually facing a foe? Striking with anger and killing intent.”

The grin faded from Celia’s lips. Trying to imagine her blade slicing into living flesh made her shudder. The will to visualize it was fleeting and soon she stopped even trying, shaking her head at Gella. “No,” she answered, honestly.

Gella nodded. “I don’t need a tournament fighter, Celia. I need someone that can defend me and my Treasures.” She turned to Lauren. “But that does link nicely with what I need your help with.” She led the priestess to the tiny door. “Something happened to our Celia in the past. Something she can’t face right now.”

They both turned to face Celia who nodded. “I…” She couldn’t get the words out. She knew with all her heart that Gella and Lauren were doing this to help her, but she felt inches away from some unknowable danger. Thankfully neither of them pressed her further.

“This isn’t like what your mind was like, Lauren, after I rescued you. Nothing was sealed off like this, so I can’t just insulate it with Pink.” Lauren nodded and looked at the manifestation of Celia’s mind picked out in the glowing blue. “I was able to identify the area easily enough. However – constructing a barrier was considerably more difficult. I’ve had to reinforce it twice since she woke up.” At her gesture the sparkling cage around the door grew in prominence. “It is a considerable ragira drain, though. I suspect it would exhaust my reserves in just a few hours.”

Lauren looked at the sparkling cage, obviously seeing something that Celia could not. The priestess made a thoughtful noise. “Lady Shala would more than likely happily intervene – add some of her own ragira directly? I’m sure this falls under her purview.”

“I would prefer to avoid direct divine entanglements,” Gella said firmly. “It wasn’t that long ago we had that business with that Heartwarden.”

Celia blinked and looked curiously at Gella. “A Heartwarden? One of Ishara’s angels?”

Gella nodded, not looking up from the conjured image. “Yes, I had the chance a few years ago to acquire one.” A look of disgust quickly flitted across her features. “When I saw what – and who – the sale involved, I quickly decided against it.”

Celia felt her curiosity grow. “You can’t just leave it at that! What happened?!”

The mage rolled her eyes but she smiled indulgently at Celia. “The Heartwarden – Seeker – was being sold by a particularly loathsome demon by the name of Gorance. He had his claws in a human woman that the Heartwarden cared for, and he was selling both off, touting one as a means to control the other.” She looked contemptuous at the memory. “He was a shortsighted fool, and I wasn’t going to have any part of it.”

Lauren giggled. “Except for turning around and letting me help after everything plunged into Pandemonium,” she said adoringly.

Gella gave her a firm look before it softened into a caring smile with a self deprecating chuckle. “It made you smile, that’s all the reason I needed.”

“You lead such a wonderfully exciting life,” Celia offered, looking from mage to priestess and smiling.

“And we will be happy to have you along, Celia,“ Gella said firmly, gesturing back to the miniature door. “And that starts with keeping this from hurting you any further.” She looked over at Lauren. When the priestess nodded Gella gestured for Celia to sit back down. “I am going to lift the Pink spell from you. Are you ready?” As much as she didn’t want the spell to end, Celia nodded and Gella clicked her fingers once

The Pink haze lifted from Celia’s perceptions. She looked at Lauren and still saw her friend, but also felt the sting of betraying her to Violet. The pinkette seemed like her usual self – cheerful and helpful – but she had seemed the same way when Violet was in control, too. Then she looked at Gella. She felt a mix of gratitude and respect for the woman, as well as the waning suspicion she had grown so used to. The mage had kept her word, kept records of everything, and undid the alterations to Celia’s perceptions willingly.

“Celia I–”

Celia cut her off with a swiftly raised hand. Gella lifted an eyebrow, and a subtle feeling of shame crept over her mind. She pushed past it though, putting it aside. “Just… Just give me a few minutes, please.” Gella silently nodded once, leaving the three women in silence.

Finding her center proved difficult. She was a mess of intrusive thoughts, and she found herself second-guessing if whether was actually feeling a certain way. “Damn it,” she quietly swore before looking up into Gella’s eyes. “Is everything Violet put in my mind out?”

“The direct commands and conditioned responses are. I assume that – since you are asking the question – you don’t trust her as much as you trust Lauren anymore?”

Glancing at Lauren, Celia quickly shook her head. Violet was a snake, a well-intentioned one perhaps, but still a snake. The more she thought about it, the more upset she became with the elf for taking the liberties she did. Lauren had earned her trust, and anger flashed hot and fierce when Celia thought about the aloof elf trying to co-opt that. “No, I don’t think I will ever trust her again.”

Gella took that declaration with a simple nod. “The trigger phrase she gave you has been robbed of its power as well.” She smiled just a little. “Stand on one foot Celia, if you please.”

Celia remained sitting. Nothing forced her to obey, and yet there was a reaction. A brush of desire. It was a fleeting thing, only running once over her, but enough to unnerve her. “I still felt it,” she murmured with a confused look.

“Yes, I’m not surprised,” Gella mused. “She used pleasure to make the suggestions stick, after all.”

There was a kind of dark logic whispering in the dark corner of Celia’s mind. She had denied herself pleasure, and no-one had used it against her then. She could – no. Just before the whispered Logic of Samuel and Deborah would have reminded her that she deserved to feel pleasure, she reminded herself of it. What Lauren and even Tabby made her feel – how she felt with them – she wasn’t about to give that up just because Violet had used it to her own ends. “That’s going to stick around?”

Both Lauren and Gella nodded, then looked at each other and shared a smile. “It will,” Gella began. “Not because Violet was especially skilled, but because of you, Celia.” She pointed and Celia swore she could feel a phantom pressure from the gesture. “Before we go any further, I want to address this with you.” She glanced at Lauren who nodded back. “You are submissive, Celia.”

A hot spike of anger made Celia grip the chair harder, made worse by her not knowing quite where the anger came from. She widened her eyes and glared. “The hells I am,” she growled.

Before she could continue her tirade, Lauren laid a delicate hand on her shoulder. “Celia,” she began. “We talked about this before, in New Gyr. Remember?”

The anger dissipated slowly while another kind of heat – soft and enticing – took its place. She remembered how Lauren had coaxed her to obey, to surrender, and how amazing it all felt. She flushed and unclenched her grip. “That… That was different,” she managed to stumble out. “Being soft sometimes isn’t being a submissive,” she argued.

“Indeed it is not,” Gella said evenly, seating herself across the workbench from Celia. “Being soft, as you put it, is part of it. However, you also enjoy doing as you are told,” she declared, looking pointedly at Celia.

She tried to hide the flush and the small intake of breath that sparked in her. The teasing heat that glowed for a moment between her legs and brought such distracting images to mind. “Witch,” Celia said, the word falling flat without rancor behind it. “I thought you wanted someone to fight for you, not some submissive… pet,” she challenged, still feeling mildly upset.

Gella’s expression shifted to confusion. “Why on Eitheris would one cancel out the other? My Tabby is a warrior from the tips of her ears to the end of her tail, and is quite a submissive little kitten as well.” Having seen a small taste of Tabby’s skills, Celia nodded along. “And I have it on good authority that some of the Heralds have that same dynamic. Clara and Electra in particular, I believe? Is Electra any less of a warrior for it?” Gella’s voice drew her back, and again Celia found herself without an answer. Electra was a superb warrior, and in her time at Cair Dwemor, she and Celia had already dueled to a standstill many times. She shook her head at Gella.

“What does any of that have to do with helping me though?” Celia shot back. Questions about herself rose from the depths of her mind – questions she didn’t want to deal with.

“Because part of that will be submitting to me and to Lauren,” Gella stated firmly. “You’ll be opening yourself to our magic, and it will be much more effective if you do so willingly.”

“Violet was overzealous,” Lauren added after a long, silent moment. “And she took your submission.” She gestured to Gella and back to herself. “We are asking for it.” She smiled that warm, welcoming smile, and Celia felt it fill her with trust.

“Being submissive doesn’t make you any less of a proud, strong warrior,” Gella slipped in. “When you need to be, I know you can be very strong and very brave.” Her smile shifted, became something much less guarded and far more genuine. “You were smart and skilled enough to get past my defenses after all.” She slipped from behind the desk and looked into Celia’s eyes. “You were incredible.”

The mage’s gray eyes were filled with earnest appreciation. Celia could almost feel Gella’s appreciation. She swallowed and, not trusting herself to speak, just nodded.

“Lauren and I are going to weave a few spells together over whatever is causing you this pain,” Gella began. “She will work her wonders to keep you comfortable, while I–”

“It’s going to hurt?!" Asked Celia. She blushed as soon as the words were out, embarrassed that… What? That she’d interrupted Gella – or that she’d gone soft enough to be put off by the idea of being uncomfortable?

Gella sighed, and rolled her eyes. “It might if Lauren and I were incompetent. But we are not. She will work the spells she’s best at, and so will I. And together I believe it should be enough to keep it from weighing on you until we can face it together.”

Celia’s expression remained one of unease, until Lauren quickly chimed in. “You aren’t going to forget anything!" She soothed. “Everything will be right where it is.” She pointed at the tiny door. “Think of it like us replacing that door with a much much stronger one.”

“Do you trust us?” Gella asked simply, looking into Celia’s eyes. “For this at least. Do you trust me?”

The gentle pinkette who had first showed her that submission could feel wonderful, and the mage that wanted to tame her. Celia felt poised on a steep cliff. Lauren, even after everything Violet had done, was still someone that Celia trusted deeply. And then there was Gella, who had taken nearly every opportunity to assure Celia that she had her best interests in mind. Words still felt thick and uncooperative, sticking in her throat. Despite that, she pushed one word out – one that she needed that crystal on Gella’s desk to hear.

“Yes.”

________________

Celia’s eyes were shut, she was fairly certain. One of the first spells Gella had used had utterly captivated her – made her feel so incredibly relaxed. Lauren and Gella had guided her back to a cushioned table while the beguiling shimmer of colors followed her gaze. It pulled her attention far more effectively than any flame or candle, and she happily let it capture her.

A luscious heat then flooded out from Celia’s core, rendering her body an almost molten state. She could feel each muscle melting beneath it, all becoming one with its power.

The heat collected and pooled between her legs, making Celia sigh appreciatively. It wasn’t demanding – simply warming while tantalizing thoughts dripped across her mind. She was really, really starting to enjoy this. Opening herself up – letting herself be this vulnerable – it felt so nice. Even when it had been scary with Aversa, she had felt that heat mixed in with the fear. A distant part of her mind attempted to signal the danger there, but that part belonged to a waking and vigilant Celia.

Landscapes – impossible and enchanting – spread before her. Verdant forests, high and majestic mountains, even the vast oceans – each beautiful and endlessly fascinating. Then it smoothly dropped away, replaced by a blue sky and endless clouds. They piled up in massive towers or stretched impossibly long while others formed shapes much closer. And there in the center was the great roaring pillar of fire that was her inner flame.

“Where are you right now?” A voice spoke over her. Gella’s voice.

“In the sky,” she murmured back, voice soft and dreamy.

Celia could hear a conversation, but didn’t feel the need to focus on it. She was perfectly content to drift here. A small part of her wanted to slip her hand between her legs – slowly stroke herself, but her arms felt far too leaden. Fortunately, there was a pleasure to simply feeling the heat pulse in time with her heart, sending little muted echoes all along her body. The clouds shifted a little as she watched – memories playing out

She recalled the party, all the amazing ways she had found to feel good. It all blended together here, ratcheting up the sensations slowly while Celia just let it wash over her. The more she watched, the more she felt little whispers of Violet’s sensations wrap around her, echoes of pleasure and mounting desire building until she let out a quiet moan.

“What’s the matter, Celia?” Gella’s voice again, and she let that meld with the Violet as well.

“Feeling so turned on,” she mewled, shifting a tiny bit while the heat washed over her.

“I see,” Gella replied coolly. The background hum of magic increased, sending a tingle through Celia’s scalp.

There was another stretch of unimportant, murmured conversation, and a different voice spoke close to her ear. “Celia,” Lauren’s voice slipped around her attention, capturing it. “While Gella works, I am going to give you a fantasy, something I’ll tailor just for you. Would you like that?”

The slow lazy smile on Celia’s lips widened. “Yes, please.” The words slipped free, pulled without Celia needing to worry about them.

Silky soft lips pressed a delicate kiss to Celia’s forehead, and the sky and all the clouds took a Pink-ish hue as a result. They gathered together and pulled the warrior deep within. Hot, humid Pinkness engulfed her, pulling a pleased purr from her lips. “You’re perfectly safe here, you surrendered to us,” Gella’s voice slipped into her ear. “Just nod, and let go.”

Celia felt herself pulled along with the mage’s voice, feeling wonderfully helpless before it. She had agreed – surrendered to Gella and Lauren. Feeling completely immersed in warmth and security, she nodded.

Power and magic flowed over her like a waterfall. There was a feeling of pressure and rising tension for just a moment and then–

________________

For an instant, there was nothing. Just a vague impression of ephemeral sensations that existed in one moment and then were lost in the next. Past and present were vague – far off, distant things. Things she… Yes – she knew she was a she. She had a name, and it was Celia. A woman, held and comforted by forces she had no concept or understanding of, but didn’t need to know either.

A deep longing arose in her body; an insatiable yearning to be touched, for another to feel her curves and caress her skin. Trickles of knowledge filled in the blanks. All shapes and sizes of people could be there for her. What did she need? A body like her own. Soft skin, swaying hips, enticing breasts, and slick wetness between her legs. She groaned in desire, and then there was another holding her.

Hands that glided over her body reverently, radiating the warmth of another body. Lips pressing to her own, soft at first but growing hungrier and needier. Lips Celia surrendered to, let guide her.

Hot breath washed over her – nothing but air at first, then lightly scented with things Celia had no names for. Kisses left her lips, moving to her… her scar. Celia had a scar, an imperfection on her face. It was part of Celia, she knew that much beyond anything else. Sensation flowed along her body, a need that melted into pleasure and slipped from her lips in the form of sighs and moans.

A face resolved on the other, the other woman. A kind smiling face with a waterfall of pink hair. Blue eyes rimmed with pink looked adoringly at Celia, and soft, pale lips made a trail down her neck. Slender, careful fingers trailed slowly down Celia’s tummy, finding the soft tuft of blonde. They slipped down further, two fingers slowly rubbing her clit. Sparks of delight arced along her body, forcing deeper expressions of joy. There was nothing else to focus on, nothing else to do. Just this moment – skilled fingers coaxing such sublime pleasure from her body.

The kisses resumed, each a quick, bright spray of sensation along the towering wave that was building in her body. The two fingers slipped inside her, curling up and gently pressing. Her body shuddered, bucking towards the other woman. She cried out wordlessly, lost in the hot ever-present now. Every slow stroke, every kiss added to the waiting surge – a thundercloud just waiting for the right moment to burst.

The electrical current of sensation thundered through Celia's veins in time with her pounding heart. The fingers stopped moving, leaving her quivering right at the edge of release. Something else, a need deeper and more intrinsic unfurled itself. She needed to ask. The how and the why didn’t register, but that deep need to ask for – to earn pleasure – held her in its grip. “Puh-please,” she managed, unsure if it was a thought or a word.

The moment she asked the thundercloud broke with a deluge, drowning the little sparks of awareness Celia had in pleasure. The pink-haired woman with gentle eyes was swallowed up, melted into a more thick heated desire. Celia drank it all in deeply, riding the torrent as it blotted out the idea of others, then finally it blotted out Celia, leaving just she before that was washed away too.

________________

Satisfaction and a general sense of well-being were what Celia first encountered when she next awoke. A cooling wetness between her legs let her know that at least part of the surreal experience had been real, and if the sweet smile on Lauren’s lips was anything to go on, the rest of it had been, too. She smiled back, stretching her arms over her head. “Thank you,” she said, happily.

Gella walked around the couch Celia was relaxing on with an appraising look. She felt a small twinge of embarrassment, but Lauren’s presence kept it contained, a tiny prickle that was soothed easily enough. “Everything is looking good from here,” the mage said, peering beyond Celia to something she assumed was only visible to magesight. “Strong and stable,” she added with a satisfied nod. “I think every connection is properly shielded as well.” She held a beat, looking thoughtful. “Celia, can you tell me where you were born?”

“The grasslands east of Lord Krilick’s land in Remere,” Celia answered and then blinked. It had been an innocuous question and she didn’t have any reason to withhold the information, but usually she wasn’t so forthcoming. She waited while her mind brushed past the memory and… nothing. There should be something – even if only the memory of the pain – but it was no more difficult to recall than her favorite color.

Gella smirked and nodded. “Fractal recollection is good. Can you tell me about it?”

Celia swallowed, and before she could even speak, the memories were uncoiling. The way the grass moved in the breeze, the smoke from the cookfires, her humble hut, and the… Her… She felt her eyes begin to sting. Her parents. Lauren moved to hold her hand, providing a silent anchor. Celia felt it and squeezed back while Gella’s smile widened. “Don’t try to control it, Celia. Let the memories flow where they will,” she encouraged.

Time had dimmed her image of them, but she could still see her mother Lillian and her father Lysander in her mind’s eye. The time spent with them was hazy and indistinct, but she felt the distant warm echo of love. “Fantastic, Celia,” Gella said, sounding distant but very pleased.

Memories flashed past, images and sounds and smells of her life as a young girl. All the things that had once been shoved aside now cautiously returned. Learning her letters and numbers with the other children. Exploring the wooded glens with a simple stick as her sword and a handsewn cape as her armor.

She picked through the recollections like priceless fragile artifacts. The warm familiarity of Lillian brushing her long hair. The pride when Lysander first gave her a simple belt knife. There was a background thrum of magic to it all, Gella’s spells guarding her in this haze of recollection. She felt the tears fall, a happiness she hadn’t known in years rising over her spirit like the dawn.

She wiped away the tears and looked at Gella. The suspicion and unease with being tamed by this woman remained, but those feelings were pushed far aside by sheer gratitude. Before she could stop herself, she flung herself at Gella and wrapped the woman in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

The enormity of what Gella had returned eluded Celia’s ability to express it, so she just kept hugging the mage and hoped the intent would carry through. “Thank you,” she repeated before Gella returned the embrace. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” The pair stayed like that for a long moment before Celia slipped away, looking into cunning gray eyes with new admiration. “I still don’t know about all of this,” she gestured to her silver bracelet, “But–”

Gella brushed a gentle finger across Celia's lips, sending an electrifying sensation through her body. The urge to yield to Gella and obey her commands overwhelmed Celia, and she found herself giving in without resistance. "There is no need to think about that now, my knight," Gella said soothingly. "This was for you, because I wanted to give something back.”

There was doubt about that, feelings she could sort though later. Right now she just felt that pure happiness warming her from inside out, and a brief fantasy flashed across her mind of kissing Gella as freely and passionately as she had with Lauren, of actually letting the mage who had stolen her away into her heart.

She found the idea very, very appealing.