Sisters of the Mists Ch. 01

There was something else, a great hunger gnawing in the demon's belly. It could sense that the means to sate that hunger lay within this new ability. Hunkering down, easing back farther into the shadows, C'seka continued to explore the possibilities, a toothy grin of anticipation breaking across the creature's face.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Celes sat watching the girls at play, amazed by how quickly they were maturing. In only three months, they were advancing from wild abandon to sophisticated games. They were quickly learning to read, and proving to be just as interested in learning as the women from whom they were cloned.

Sensing someone entering the room, Celes turned to find Andrea walking in. "You look a lot better."

"I guess I really did need the rest," Andrea remarked and laughed.

"No, over there," one of the girls called out. It was the young clone of Danica, called Danielle.

"Okay, sorry," another clone of Danica named Damika said, and moved to the place her sibling indicated.

"Danielle there seems to be running the roost. It's a little odd to see the youngest of them, at least in appearance, taking charge," Celes remarked.

Andrea stifled a laugh and nodded slightly in one of her clone's direction, kneeling down to whisper to Celes, "Angela doesn't seem to like it much. She used to be at Danielle's side all the time. I wonder what happened."

"I get the feeing it's a bit of a lover's spat. Their relationships are getting more complicated as they learn. They really are different people from us. I can't believe I never saw it before. Danica's girls, other than Danielle, seem to be holding on to their childhood the strongest."

Andrea watched the girls start their game, whispering to Celes, "I think they were treated far worse than the others, and Danica had her own problems to work through, too. I hope Danica is okay."

Celes nodded. "Me too, but I'm sure she's fine. She'll probably brighten up once she's taken care of hiding away the people who have been in her nightmares."

"I've been having dreams too. Nothing frightening, but they keep happening."

Celes turned toward Andrea, raising her eyebrows in curiosity. "Dreams about what?"

"They're all about nature, and I feel like it's a special time of the year in each one. It's never the same, or in the same place, but those two things are constant," Andrea explained.

"I've been having almost the same dreams. I didn't pay much mind to it, but now that you've pointed out the connections, I see where mine all fit with yours. I think we'd better talk with Marlena, and we all better start telling each other our dreams from now on."

"Do you think someone is manipulating our dreams?"

"I don't know. Maybe something is trying to guide us, like the dreams that brought us here. Except for Danica's nightmares, nothing seems dangerous about them. Let's go talk to Marlena." Clapping her hands, Celes said, "You girls behave. We need to go talk to Marlena for a while. Wash up for supper as soon as you're done playing."

The dozen clones all called out their acknowledgement, and then returned to their game. Celes gestured toward the door. "We need to get started on supper, anyhow. Without Danica here, it's going to take a while. We can talk while we cook."

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

As soon as their things were stored away, Tonda and Jaron immediately returned to the village. They felt more comfortable there, and wanted to help in constructing their new home. They would sleep at the school for a few days, but they planned to spend their days in the familiar setting.

Danica was proud of herself for resisting her primal urges, but the couple's excitement about the move distracting them from such thoughts actually had more to do with it than Danica's willpower. After saying her goodbyes, Danica took a walk around the school with her sister.

The size of the school stunned Danica. On her previous visit, she had been too busy to pay attention to just how many people studied here, or how extensive the place was. It was every bit as marvelous as Zoraster's complex, and a far friendlier place. Beyond the main complex, many of the senior workers of Art also had their own places on the isle. Marvelous towers sprouted like a forest beyond the school, each one unique.

Looking out a window at the homes and towers, Danica asked, "Do you have your own place here?"

Devan shook her head. "Not really. I have my own room, when I need it, but it's not much more than I had as an apprentice when I first moved to Destindale. I sort of unofficially took over Darkni's old tower in Egoria, and people more or less call it Devan's tower now. I've made it my own with Darkni's blessing. I need more than shop talk to survive, and it's nice to be a few flights of stairs away from a bustling capital that goes all night."

Noticing that Devan had a distant expression, Danica asked her, "Are you okay? Actually -- what's wrong? I can already tell that something's wrong."

Devan's chuckle had a harsh edge. "Since you popped back in here, I've just been staring into a mirror, and I'm not liking my reflection much."

Her brow furrowing, Danica took her sister's hand and said, "I don't understand."

Holding up the hand that Danica clasped, Devan sighed and explained, "Things just like this. I used to care. I used to reach out. It was a long time ago, but I'm starting to remember it. I also know that I smothered that part of me on purpose, for a lot of reasons. After a while, I got so used to it that I didn't even have to suppress the urge to do things like offer a kind word, or a hug..."

"Serhan." Danica pulled Devan's hand to her lips and kissed it after saying the name.

Devan raised her eyebrows. "Serhan -- there's a name I haven't heard in a long time. What do you mean, though?"

"That's when you started pulling away. It's when you pulled away actually; there was no start to it. The change was almost overnight. You hid it pretty well from Mom and Dad, but I saw it."

"I didn't think I really started fighting it until I moved," Devan mused. "Did I really change that much after..." She paused for a moment then, growling and squeezing Danica's hand. "Okay, maybe that hit me harder than I remembered. Just the thought of him makes me want to go find him and disintegrate him."

"You were in love with him, and he used you." Danica stroked Devan's arm, squeezing the hand she still held comfortingly at the same time.

"And the way I dealt with it was to become just like him," Devan lamented, closing her eyes and sighing.

Danica's voice took on a chiding edge, "You were never anything like him. He hurt people, Devan. It was probably him who tried to rape me, and I know that I wasn't the last. The last I heard, he'd been in jail for years. They caught him raping a blind girl."

"But all I've cared about for years is power. I used people to advance my magic. I used people for sex. I used people to enhance my reputation." Devan hung her head, shaking it sadly.

Leaning down to look up at Devan, Danica said, "You didn't try to hide it, though. Everyone knew that everything you did was for you. You never pretended to love anyone, or used your magic to make them do things that they didn't want to do. You never hurt anyone to get what you wanted."

"Does knowing that you're being used make it any better?"

"Well, no, but at least they had a choice. They did what they did because they were getting something they wanted, too. They knew what they were getting into."

Tears rolled down Devan's cheeks. It was the first time in over a decade that Danica could remember seeing her sister cry. Danica's eyes welled up too, and she wrapped her arms around Devan, leaning her head on her sister's shoulder.

"It was so much easier being cold and hard."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," Danica softly said, kissing Devan's cheek.

Devan sniffled and then laughed. "No, it's okay. That's my problem; I'm always looking for the easy way out. I'm lazy, Danica. I never had a problem with boys or magic, and I just got lazy. Once I figured out how to use my body and my magic to make everything else easier, I didn't waste any time looking for another way."

Taking Danica's hands, Devan spun until they were facing each other at arm's length. "Look at you. You've worked hard for everything all your life, and now it's paying off. From what I've heard, and what you've told me, I don't know if I'd want to cross spells with you any more. You have friends and lovers that want to be with you -- for you -- not just for your body."

Danica started to respond, but Devan smiled through her tears and shushed her sister before continuing, "I have power, and respect, but that's it. You have that now too, and everything else I ever wanted before I locked those needs up in my heart and froze it solid."

"I would still be scraping for a meager existence in Destindale, if Zoraster hadn't lured me in and enslaved me. I had my own problems, and I didn't really do anything to fix them. It was all forced on me."

"You certainly fixed the problem of Zoraster," Devan chuckled in response. "Okay, enough of this. Maybe you're what is supposed to force me out of my rut, to do something different with myself too. Right now, I need to think, and I'm not ready just yet to have anybody wandering through the halls see me blubbering like a heartsick teenager."

Danica leaned in to hug her sister tight. "I should really get going. I have a long, hot, dry journey ahead of me."

"Go on then, and don't hesitate to call if you need me. You were still making a bad habit of not doing that, the last time I checked."

"And you were still a smartass, the last time I checked."

Flipping her hair, Devan smiled and said, "That's never changing."

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

"I never realized how much we leaned on Danica in the kitchen," Marlena commented as she wiped her brow, while stirring a pot of stew.

"Well, we'll all just have to make due with a few simpler meals until she gets back, or we need to start planning earlier," Andrea said in agreement. "We just don't have her ability to come up with ideas on a moment's notice."

Celes concentrated on the last blackened loaf, teleporting it with her power outside the manor. "Or her innate sense of when the bread is done, as opposed to burning. I managed to save enough for us all to have some -- I think."

Andrea lifted her spoon and took a taste, closing one eye for a moment as she let the flavor swirl over her tongue. She then frowned and reached for a seasoning pot, shaking a little more salt into the pot and stirring again. "I think we're beyond the point where we can do any more damage. All we have to do is stir the stew now, so go on, Marlena."

"Come check mine and make sure it tastes okay to you. I'll stir yours in the meantime," Marlena requested.

The two women switched places, and Andrea cautiously began, "Maybe just a bit more..."

Marlena laughed, saying, "Just do what needs to be done. After Danica, you're our best cook. Anyway, there's not much more to tell. Mists just swirled around my illusion, and the next thing I knew, the goblin was real. I mean, it was still an illusion, but I could feel it, smell it, hear it, touch it, and even knowing I'd created it didn't dull those sensations at all. So then I..."

Celes looked over when Marlena paused, noticing that the other woman was blushing. "Go on, Marlena, it may be important."

"I really don't think it is. It's just the same thing, my illusion was so real, that even I couldn't tell the difference between it and reality."

Andrea dipped the spoon back in her pot with a smile, happy with the flavor now. "You started to tell us something, are you sure it isn't important, Marlena?"

"You're turning awful red, dearie," Celes laughed. "Let me guess, you have illusions that are so good that you can't believe they aren't real, so you tried for a dream?"

Marlena's blush deepened, and she nodded.

Celes smirked a little, but Andrea let out a beatific sigh and asked, "You made your dream man, didn't you?"

Marlena's sigh had strong notes of longing. "Yes, and he was so handsome."

Andrea leaned over toward Marlena and mimed whispering, "Was he any good in bed?"

Marlena let out a little moan and confessed, "Incredible. I was so angry when I woke up alone in my bed."

Stopping for a moment in the midst of slicing bread, Celes gestured with the knife for a moment and said, "It seems like whatever is sending us these messages -- and I'm almost positive that's what it is -- is using our natural dreams, and just molding them a little. That's why all of our dreams have sexual elements, and something to do with cheating our way out of work. We've all been neglecting ourselves, and it's creeping out in our dreams."

"So, what should we do?" Andrea asked, taking a final taste of her stew. With a grunt of effort, she hefted her pot over to an area that was cooler, as it was done and ready to serve.

"I think that as soon as Danica gets back, we sit down and talk this all over again. Then, we all take a break from studying for a while. We've been at it non-stop, and we can't keep up that sort of pace," Celes stated with a note of finality.

"I just feel like I have to, for some reason," Marlena said, stepping out of the way so Andrea could check the other stew pot.

"We all do," Celes agreed. "I think that's the same as our dreams. Something is pushing us to study. I know that we might need all the power we can muster if the seer's predictions about demons come true. We also know that Zoraster's death won't stop his schemes, and his minions are dangerous ones too, but I don't think the urge is all ours. Whatever is sending us these dreams is also pushing us to gain power."

Marlena frowned. "I don't like the idea of being manipulated again -- not at all."

Celes snorted and gathered up the bread. "Neither do I. So, we'll just take a break when Danica gets back and see what happens. If whatever it is tries to stop us, we'll just rebel more. I'm not going to be a pawn for anyone, ever again."

They all heard Andrea's stomach rumbling, even over the sound of dishes clanking and the fires burning in the stove.

All three women laughed, and Celes said, "Let's get the table set."

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Danica stepped out of the Hellgate into the temple of Sekmamun, immediately feeling confused by the dim lighting and unusual silence. After a moment, it dawned on her.

I forgot how far east I am. The sun went down here hours ago. It's probably closer to dawn than dusk. I knew I shouldn't have let myself get distracted by the students tossing their first fireballs.

After the heartfelt, nostalgic conversation with her sister, Danica had been unable to resist watching new workers of Art trying to master their first powerful spell. The sight had taken her back to when she and Devan were in their shoes.

Sighing, Danica wondered what she was going to do until the city started waking. Walking over to the shelves and looking around, she decided that she was far too tired to consider looking for new magic to study. Something caught her eye, and she smiled when she found a map of the nation.

Perfect way to pass the time. I can plan out a route for the trip.

Such was not to be, however, as Danica dozed off shortly after sitting down in front of the map.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

Andrea stared hard at the candle, willing the wick to burst into flame. When that didn't work, she took a deep breath and gestured at it, something Celes did most of the time when she used her powers.

Still no luck.

Celes sat quietly next to Andrea, understanding fully the frustration Andrea was feeling. Moving things without teleporting them was Celes' bane. For Andrea, it was her fire power.

A crooked grin crept across Celes' face. Their powers were triggered by their emotions, and Andrea's ability to control fire lay in arousal. When Andrea opened her eyes to stare at the candle again, Celes lay her hand gently on the blonde's thigh and moved it upward.

Andrea gasped, shivering from Celes' touch, and the candle immediately ignited with a pop.

Celes traced the crease of Andrea's thigh, drawing a moan from the woman. Andrea turned toward her raven-haired fellow witch and softly said, "That's cheating. I have to learn to summon up my power, not have it triggered."

"I wasn't trying to help you light the candle," Celes whispered sultrily, "I think we should start our break a little early -- right now, actually." Her finger slipped over Andrea's mound, slowly bunching up the skirt the young woman was wearing.

The candle burned even higher, obvious evidence that Andrea's arousal was building. A moment later, Andrea stood up and gestured, blowing out the candle with her power over the wind. Celes stood with her, and then followed only a step behind as Andrea walked back to her room.

"It's getting a little warm in here," Celes said when they both reached the bed, the temperature slowly, but steadily rising.

"I guess this is a good test for controlling my powers then," Andrea replied, offering a coquettish smile. "I wish Danica was here, though."

"We'll make it up to her," Celes whispered, and then leaned in to kiss the beautiful young woman.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

C'seka snarled in frustration. He had felt the portal open, and he could sense the woman from the moment she stepped inside of it. Then the focus of the portal changed -- and it vanished from the demon's senses.

His claws dug into his palms as he fumed, but he slowly mastered the anger. Another would open a Hellgate soon, perhaps even this one, and he would learn more.

As his fury drained away, C'seka considered another curious development, his growing identification with the male gender. Such things were meaningless to his kind, as they took on whatever shape proved useful, and did not procreate. They were born with a new Hellgate, and died with its master. Such appeared no longer to be the case. Being pulled into the real world had changed much for C'seka.

He sensed that even more changes were to come.

{*****~~o~~0~~o~~*****}

I hope you've enjoyed this first chapter of Book II in Danica's trilogy. Please take a moment to vote/comment, as that is the bread and butter of a free author — it's what keeps us writing!

Big thanks to Roust Writer for his editing. I don't know how I got along without his keen eye, quick wit, and insight.