TTW: Nine -- Enchantment and Transformation: The Refinement of Geas (Patreon)

Esmerelda Devereaux walked with the ladies' of the coven down the hill, and through the housing area. Walking was quite a different chore now, than when she'd been Lydia. She had to take much smaller steps, and her knees ached, her hips hurt, her back felt like it was on fire, and she couldn't put her shoulders back.

"We shall give you some remedies for the elderly ailments," Agatha said as they made their way through town. "You will learn to use your magic to embue your body with more agility and function."

She nodded, feeling the magic in her mind like a new toy. It beckoned, wanting her to use it, but Agatha said she needed training, to use it properly.

Finally, the salon came into view, and Esmerelda barely had enough energy to lever each foot over the threshold.

"Darlings, I introduce you to Esmerelda Devereaux, the thirteenth member of our Coven!"

Esmerelda gave a smile, trying to keep her lips closed. It was difficult to always remember, and she found herself slobbering more than once.

"Today we create a vision for her geas. Help her find her amazing new outlook!"

Several people squealed in delight, rushing forward.

"Oh! It's been ages since we fashioned a geas!" one small person said. She could only have been three feet tall with pointed ears, and a little tail that was furry and long.

"These are the Gremlings." Agatha pointed at each in turn. "Bobbi, Salli, Birdi, and Gigi."

Esmerelda nodded. "Enchantée"

They babbled at her, whisking her away to sit in a chair, where one of them, Salli, she thought, leaned her back and began washing her hair. The warm water felt so soothing and nice. She was still a bit raw from the Emergence the previous evening, so the gentle hands soothed her. When she closed her eyes, she was able to open her Eye and perceive the beings as they truly were. Each was a different creature, Bobbi appeared to be a fox, Salli a cute little squirrel, Birdi was, of course, a bird, and Gigi…Esmerelda paused a moment, trying to ascertain…ah, yes, Gigi was a serpent, or snake of sorts.

She could also see the magical plane around her, and how each of the beings coated Esmerelda in different layers of magic. It invigorated her, healed her, made her joints less achy, her feet less painful.

"Oh, good, you're here, already." Agatha said, shimmering into view beside her. Beatrice and Dorothy also shimmered, though not as strong as Agatha. Esmerelda wondered how she appeared to them.

"Today we start your first lesson in magic, dear," Agatha said. "We have precious little time to prepare, so I'm afraid we're going to have to streamline some of your teachings."

"I think I saw the being you mentioned last night during my Emergence."

Agatha looked at her, surprised. "Oh? Do tell."

Esmerelda related what had happened. The tentacular form, the inky blackness, the gigantic maw, all of it.

"In fact if you hadn't started my heart and lungs when you did, it would have pulled me in."

Agatha nodded. "It's much as I feared. Already it exists at the portal of the Universes, eating everything that passes between. We'll have to escalate this as quickly as possible, dear. We need you at full strength very soon."

"Well, tell me what I have to do."

"First things first," Agatha said. "This salon, as you can see replenishes our pool of magic, enhances our wards, and reinforces our magical armor. Each item you choose to wear, from your hairdo, to your footwear, will be used for either offensive or defensive purposes. The larger a hairstyle you wear, the more protection it offers. Some of us choose to go wild…" she glanced at Dorothy. "While others of us prefer a more refined look."

Esmerelda nodded.

"So tell me, what would you like to project? Remember, once chosen, this becomes a part of your geas, and will magically regenerate anytime you desire. You only get to do this once, so choose carefully."

Esmerelda thought back to when she'd been in the palace of her father, William the Conquerer. She'd worn heavy velvet dresses with a bustle, petticoats, and corset. Each had been a part of her protection as a witch in the past, and each had served different functions.

She projected an image of herself from ages before, turning slowly in front of the coven.

"Goodness, you will be quite the flamboyant showpiece with that," Dorothy said.

"It will come to suit me," Esmerelda responded. "Plus, each layer adds more protection. I have runes in every stitch and powder. Some invisible, others less so."

"Wonderful, we'll get the dressmakers working on these now."

As the day wore on, Esmerelda spoke to the women in their head space, while the beings treated their skin, hair, nails, lashes and brows, with expert care and guidance.

Agatha came to her in her mind. Her voice was gentle, yet firm as she sat across from Lydia in the dimly lit room of the coven’s sanctuary. The air was thick with the scent of hair product, incense, and perfume casting an otherworldly aura around them.

“My dear, the geas you’re experiencing is not just a simple spell,” Agatha began, her eyes reflecting the flicker of candlelight. “It’s a complex weave of magic, binding the essence of Esmerelda Devereaux to your very being. Think of it as a bridge between her ancient wisdom and your vibrant energy.”

Lydia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling the weight of her new, aged body. “But why does it change me so much? I feel like I’m losing myself to… her.”

“That’s the nature of the geas, Lydia. It’s a powerful enchantment that connects two souls across time. Esmerelda’s memories, her powers, her very essence are merging with yours. But remember, this process doesn’t erase who you are. It’s more like… an expansion of your being.”

Lydia rubbed her temples, where a dull ache throbbed. “It doesn’t feel like an expansion. It feels like I’m being overwritten. I look in the mirror, and I don't see Lydia, I see … someone else.”

Agatha nodded sympathetically. “The initial stages are the hardest. You’re gaining access to Esmerelda’s magical abilities, her experiences. In time, you’ll learn to harmonize these two identities, but it requires patience and understanding.”

“But what if I don’t want her life, her identity? What if I just want to be me?” Lydia’s voice cracked, revealing her inner turmoil.

Agatha reached across, placing a reassuring hand over Lydia’s. “The geas does not aim to replace you, Lydia. It enhances and deepens your own abilities. Esmerelda was a powerful witch, and her strengths are now yours to command. Yet, how you choose to use them, how you let them shape your future, that’s entirely up to you.”

Lydia sighed, feeling the ancient power of Esmerelda coursing through her veins, a constant reminder of the transformation she was undergoing. “And what happens if I reject this… union?”

Agatha’s expression turned solemn. “Rejecting the geas could have unpredictable consequences. It’s a delicate balance of energies. There is another, more drastic ritual, but those are for worst-case scenarios. Rejecting the geas might lose the magical abilities you’re gaining, but more importantly, it could cause a rift in your very essence. It’s a path we tread with caution.”

Lydia sat in silence, absorbing Agatha’s words. She could feel the dual pull within her, Lydia’s youthful spirit grappling with Esmerelda’s ancient wisdom. It was a battle of identities, a dance of two souls intertwined by a force greater than either of them.

Agatha’s voice softened. “Give it time, dear. You’re at the beginning of a profound journey. Embrace it, and you’ll discover strengths you never knew you had.”

As Agatha spoke, she closed her eyes, letting the flickering shadows play across her mind. She could sense Esmerelda’s presence, not as an invader, but as a mentor woven into the fabric of her soul. The path ahead was shrouded in uncertainty, but for the first time, Lydia felt a flicker of curiosity light up within her. Maybe, just maybe, this fusion of past and present could be the key to a power she had never dared to imagine.

"Now that we've settled your geas, I suspect you'll need language magic. I didn't realize the entity was from France. I think your husband was greatly disturbed by that."

"He'll learn," Esmerelda said, waving her hand.

"We can't take away the accent, but we can at least train your mind to translate faster. French will be your base language, but we all can speak English, Dutch, German, Spanish, and of course, Latin."

Esmerelda nodded.

"I suggest starting with English, so you can communicate with that gorgeous boy of yours," Agatha said with a grin.

Esmerelda felt herself blush. "Don't you all have mates or partners?"

"You met what remained of mine, last week," Dorothy said.

"Who?"

"Joe, the wood nymph."

Esmerelda blinked. "Joe? Was she a man before?"

Dorothy cast her eyes down, nodding.

"How did…"

"A tale for a later time, I'm afraid," Agatha said in a stern voice. "For now, I have loaded your mind with some runic primers. They should get you started with the translation magic. You can access them by focusing your vision on the top right corner, and winking with your right eye."

Esmerelda did as instructed, and heard a hiss from Gigi as she was working on her lashes. "Pardon," Esmerelda said.

After the wink, several items opened up in Esmerelda's field of view. She could see runic writing, similar to what had been in the cave…

"Did you leave those runes in the cave for me?" Esmerelda said.

Agatha smiled. "I leave runes near all the entrances to our portals in case a magically powered individual happens by."

Esmerelda nodded, smiling.

"Now, study the runes, and add them into a layer of clothing. I usually add translators to jewelry."

With a flick of her wrists, Esmerelda sent the runes into her earrings that had just been affixed to her ears.

After working on her hair, makeup, nails, eyelashes, and eyebrows, Esmerelda and the other witches were put under hair dryers.

As they started up, Esmerelda gasped. Not only did they gently blow hot air onto her rollered head, but raw magical energy flowed out from the dryer, and into each strand of hair. She realized this was defensive magic, building a bubble of energy around her to protect her frail body against magical and physical attacks.

As Esmerelda walked back with the women, feeling a thousand times better now that her geas had been refreshed, energized, encapsulated, and fixed, she thought about poor, simple Lydia, wearing sweatpants and hoodies, and rolled her heavily made-up eyes. She would never be simple again.