Orstelia was quite pleased by the bathhouse. The aesthetics were quite nice and the humid and warm environment pleased her. She didn't know why that was the case but it was. She was currently stripping herself of clothes in the small changing room before the bath. Fulger was giving her unsubtle glances as they both undressed. Why she had no idea. She understood that she was beautiful, but was it to the point that someone who was a stranger hours before couldn't stop staring at her?

She could admit that Fulger's body was quite nice, like a work of art come to life with its seemingly perfect proportions. It was almost like a god had made it. But she wasn't as obsessed with her as Fulger was with her. Despite that, she felt a draw to her. Like some unknown force was trying to drag them together. She secretly thought that it probably wasn't so bad. After all, they were both people hiding what they were from the world at large. Which was something that grated on her pride.

It felt so unnatural to stoop down and hide herself like a criminal, but she had to do so anyway. Because she was weak. Anger bubbled inside her until it rose itself to the surface of her mind. She unconsciously grasped her bare right arm, and with her nails, clawed shallow bloody furrows into her arm which soon regenerated leaving not even a scratch on her. Why was her pride showing itself now? Was it because of the demon? No that didn't feel right. She was fine before she talked with Fulger. Maybe she just had time to think about everything that happened since then. Either way she knew something was up with her. She was being uncharacteristically prideful. If she didn't know better she would think that it was due to the demonic curse but it was the wrong sin.

As the turbulent storm of thoughts raced through her mind a single idea shone itself like a lighthouse at sea. If she was weak she had to hide herself. So she shouldn't be weak. It was that simple. If she got strong enough then she wouldn't have to hide herself. The same goes for Fulger. If they got strong enough then they could go around as themselves and not have to worry about what others say or do. So she swore to herself that she would get strong enough so she would no longer have to hide like a thief in the night, and anyone who still bared their fangs at her she would crush them with her tail and devour their heart, and for those that were unworthy to even become her food she would throw to the Saber Hyenas, for they would still be useful as food for nature.

Orstelia's thoughts were disrupted by her shoulder being shaken. "Hey, are you alright Orstelia? You've been staring into the void for the last minute." Fulger asked concerningly.

Orstelia let a small smile reassuring smile take over her face. "I'm fine Fulger. I was just lost deep in thought." she partially lied. She wasn't fine at the moment but she felt that she soon would be. She just needed a good soak in hot water and a good night's sleep to be completely fine. At least that was what she kept telling herself.

Fulger let out a worried sigh. She felt something dark growing inside Orstelia and was very concerned about it. But it was probably just her jumping at shadows that weren't there. Yeah, that was it. Nothing else.

"Come on, let's get in the water before it cools down!" Fulger excitedly cried as she grabbed Orstelia's hand and started dragging her to the door. Orstelia quickly caught herself from falling over by the sudden movement before they both started giggling like kids excited to open presents on their birthday. The dark thoughts in Orstelia's mind were gone. For now at least.

The bath was exquisite. The water was the perfect temperature and whatever additives were in it relaxed the two girls so much that they sat in the tub not doing anything for around thirty minutes before Orstelia started to feel sleepy and wanted to leave. Fulger was a bit upset at this as she wasn't able to have an excuse to pamper Orstelia, although she was just as guilty for relaxing in the bath as Orstelia. The pair then dried themselves off, got dressed, and then left after paying for their bath. Something they forgot to do when they arrived.

The way back to Fulger's home was uneventful except for Orstelia rapidly falling asleep as they walked and she almost tripped over her own feet multiple times. When Orstelia tripped and almost brought Fulger down with her she decided that she had had enough of that and carried Orstelia on her back. She was barely able to stay calm enough to maintain her transformation with the cute, drowsy beauty on her back. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest and her mind raced with all sorts of, to her, wild fantasies.

As the pair went towards Fulger's house several pairs of eyes were watching them. One from an amateur thief trying to size up his mark, one from a Hunter, watching the pair with amused eyes as he brooded on the rooftop, one from someone who dealt in all sorts of exotic goods who was more interested in Fulger's outfit than anything else, another from a black cat being pet by a child who watched them briefly as they walked down the cobbled street, and finally one of much darker origin and intent.

Its slender serpentine body watched silently as it followed the pair, its master also watching from the creature's eyes. It followed them until the house before dissolving into black dust, its mission now complete. The master of it had to start with phase three of its plan now that phase two was finished. Soon its dark project would be complete, all it had to do was a little nudging in the right direction.

It vanished into the shadows of where it resided. It needed to find a certain being before the sun rose, as then it might draw unwanted attention from the twelve who manipulated the strings of fate. They were busy with their annual meeting which it had planned around and they wouldn't look this way for a while. An unnatural baleful smile could be seen under the large hooded cloak it wore. Everything was going as planned so why wouldn't it be a bit joyous?

Fulger carefully set the drowsy lamia on the only bed, the latter already getting ready to fully undress and slip into a nightgown that she was told she could borrow.

"I'll be right back Orstelia. I need to grab something from downstairs for you." Fulger said while grabbing a spare blanket from her closet. They had both 'agreed' in the bath to let Orstelia use the bed. It was more like Fulger was so insistent about it that Orstelia just found it easier to not argue it.

Fulger went downstairs, set the neatly folded blanket on the sofa she had, and went to grab a small pitcher of water for her guest. She returned to the room shortly after she left with a small silver pitcher of water. She saw something and a small but warm smile sprouted on her face. Orstelia was face down on the bed, sleeping soundly in a short vibrant red silk nightgown, all her previous clothes in a neat pile at the foot of the bed. Fulger carefully set the pitcher on the nearby nightstand and then put her hand over a small crystal lamp that illuminated the surroundings when it was given mana. It was a simple piece of magitech, something anyone could find at any decently sized market, bazaar, or store. But their invention has improved the lives of just about everyone who can afford one.

Fulger cut off the lamp's mana supply and then started to move away from the bed when a hand shot out and grabbed her arm. Before she could comprehend what was going on she was suddenly pulled into a warm and scaly embrace. After she pulled away slightly from whoever was hugging her she quickly understood what was going on. Her limited night vision saw an untransformed Orstelia in all her glory who, still half asleep, grabbed her again and drew her into a warm hug, during which Fulger let out a small startled yelp. One she couldn't escape as Orstelia proceeded to wrap both of their lower halves in her tail. Not tight enough to cause damage but enough so they couldn't separate.

 "Mmm, you a good warm pillow," Orstelia muttered softly before passing out completely. A confused Fulger looked at the now fully asleep Orstelia.

'What just happened?' she thought to herself. She tried to fruitlessly pry herself out of her predicament with little luck. She collapsed dejectedly onto the bed before looking at the slumbering lamia next to her. She started to heavily blush, almost her entire face turning crimson if one could see her in the dark. She sheepishly brought Orstelia into a hug as she undid her transformation and returned to her true dragonkin self. She went to sleep soon after. The pair cuddled each other through the entire night, neither wanting to let go of the other for completely different reasons.

*****

The land was dark, and not from it being night. This land was bathed in eternal shadow. Just like how most denizens of this land liked it. Most. I found this eternal dark to be annoying and more of a pain in the ass than it was worth. And just because I could see perfectly fine in it didn't make it any better. Despite being a creature born in this eternal dark I craved the light and the colors it brought with it. That's when I found out about the mortal plane.

A place of cyclical light and dark in perfect harmony. One never overtook the other completely, each waxing and waning as the seasons changed. Seasons were not something known here in this shadow-kissed realm, it was always just a wispy blackness. Sure life did flourish here but everything was drab colors of grays and blacks. So the stories of the mortal realm always fascinated me when the elder demons told us younger ones about it. I grew up and lived with only those stories for thousands of years. Then 'The Sundering' happened.

To us demons, it was known as "The War for Mortals", at least to those in my layer, and the other layers as well, for the lesser demons like me. We could only grow stronger by corrupting and twisting mortals into giving themselves over to us. The stronger demons monopolized the other methods so that left us with only that one, but the chances of us getting summoned to the mortal realm were practically nothing. So we jumped at the chance to leave through the great rift between planes.

What I saw when I emerged was breathtaking. All of the other demons cared little for what I saw, which was the first sunrise I ever saw. The light and beauty of it rising over the horizon transfixed me and rooted me in that spot for hours. When I came to I found the rift I entered through closed and no other demons around me. So I wandered. On and on I went, fascinated by all I saw. That was when I met my first mortal.

She was a child who, with hindsight, was probably only around six winters old. Her entire village had been razed by demons. All I felt for her was pity and compassion. So I offered her power as long as she had me in her body with her. She agreed on the condition that I helped get her revenge against those who razed her village. We did eventually. She lost an arm and an eye in that battle but she lived on and eventually had a family of her own. When she died peacefully in her sleep I left, longing for a mortal experience of my own.

I did many things from skinning mortals and fashioning a skin suit of my own to forcibly possessing others. They never lasted long as the powers of demons could not be forced into mortal flesh. I found that children would last the longest as they couldn't fight back with mana unconsciously yet like most adults could. Eventually, I found a way to get the mortal experience I so craved. I had to be invited into a body and they would have to relinquish control to me. Then I could live out my wildest fantasies as a mortal.

I bounced from life to life, experiencing a lot of things in the world and developing my own preferences for hosts. I found humans to be the best hosts. A long enough life to accomplish much but also short enough that it wouldn't become stale. They were also the smartest and stupidest race you could find on the face of this world. They could and did so much but also so little at the same time. There was never a dull moment when they were around.

But eventually, I grew to want a body that could take my power as I assimilated with it fully. So I did my little games of human before an opportunity presented itself. I could feel the mana in the world growing restless, a sign that an Ur was about to be born. If I could possess that body I could finally twist and shape something into my ideal form. Which has led me to my current place in the world.

I sat atop a mountain overlooking the city of Goldtusk, my serpent constructs spying within as my mortal flesh suit slept peacefully on its subpar bed. Eventually, I found it, the new Ur. She was dozing off on the back of a disguised dragonkin while she was disguised as some sort of elf-adjacent being, but she couldn't fool these eyes which had seen this world several times over. She was some sort of half snake half humanoid creature that was similar but different to the Naga found only in Helostriope. She was also my favorite animal as well. Truly an auspicious sign.

I laughed to myself as I planned how I would corrupt and possess her. She had a minor curse of sin on her which would not be a hindrance to me. I should still be able to influence her with it there as it's not from a greater demon, or something stronger. Should I come to her from a random encounter that isn't random over and over again? What about trying to bring her into bed with me? Oh, approaching her as a traveling companion sounds much more fun! I laughed to myself loud enough to startle some roosting seagulls nearby. This would be the most fun I've had in a long while.

PlagueDaddy

Sorry about the lack of a chapter earlier this week. Unexpected snow and the first week of college had made things a bit more hectic in my life. Stay warm, and may the stars watch over you all.