Monthly Drawing 43: Serving to a desire (1/8) (Patreon)

Analise followed the butler down the hall of carved oak. She was more nervous than she expected she’d be and the butler wasn’t helping. 

He was pleasant enough, courtesy and decorum itself but, as she watched him move down the hall, the hairs stood on the back of her neck. He was only of average height and not overly muscled but, the odd, fluid grace with which he moved made her feel that he was a dangerous person. And, if the servant was dangerous, how dangerous was the employer, her commissioner?

Until this moment, Analise never paid attention to the stories. That the Duchess Velda Tivianni was once a bandit queen or an adventurer who amassed a fortune through blood and conflict seemed just silly tall tales.

Until this moment. 

The butler knocked on the door. The knock had an odd rhythm that sounded random but, also practiced at the same time. 

“Enter!” came a muffled female voice from within.

The butler opened the door and stood between Analise and the room. 

“The wizard Esilana, your grace.” he intoned.

“Lovely! Show her in, Torval.” the voice, deep but intensely feminine sent small tingles wending their way down Analise’s spine.

She was so enthralled by the room that she barely noticed the door closing behind her. 

The room was not dark but, strategically lit. Numerous and expensive beeswax candles cast perfect shadows around the oak-paneled room. Tapestries hung from the wall beside a large doorway to a balcony. A suit of battered leather armor stood displayed near a bookshelf. Books! 

Analise had never seen so many books outside of the University library. The Duchess must have at least a dozen. and a half, not to count the scrolls. Her employer was erudite as well as bing rich and dangerous. A shadow stood, detaching itself from a cushioned divan.

“Welcome, Esilana.” The Duchess said, “Your proposal was as professional as I’d expected. But, I did not expect you to be so cute, into the bargain”

Analise blushed. The voice, deep and commanding, was not mocking or condescending. She’d grown used to that, or so she told herself daily. Though she was a fully-grown adult and graduate of the Unseen University, her stature often caused her to be mistaken for a child or an elf (and once an anorectic dwarf). If it wasn’t for the mandates against random magic, she’d be surrounded charred corpses or frogs trying to extricate themselves from piles of clothing. 

Analise was lost in her self-pitying reverie when the shadow moved forward and resolved itself into the shape of the Duchess.

“Oh, gods. She’s…” Analise gasped, biting her lower lip and hoping the look of stunned longing would go unnoticed in dim light, “…beautiful.”

With a grace as dangerous as her butler’s the Duchess sashayed up to the small, young wizard. Analise watched, mesmerized, as the tall, lush, extremely feminine figure moved towards her, full lips in a genuine smile. Her fingers twitched involuntarily as she longed to feel the strong muscles under the soft, slightly jiggling flesh.

The Duchess stopped, towering over Analise; who hoped the Duchess would do the talking until Analise could find her own tongue.

“I’m so glad you could make it tonight. Everything is as you asked” The Duchess said, “Rosemary in the brazier, window open to the full moon and, of course, your subject,” she gestured with the small, gray cat that Analise only now noticed,”soon to be my new guardian.

Analise watched in fascination as the Duchess lifted the cat and rubbed its nose on hers. There was a long scar running from just beside her left eye down to near her jaw. Analise wondered how she’d gotten that. 

“Please, make yourself ready, Esilana, I’ll just put Ash in the circle of sage you requested.”

“Yes, your grace,” Analise managed as she put her satchel down near the door and began to take the cover from her staff. 

“Oh, please, when we’re alone, call me Velda.” She had put the cat down and looked back at Analise with a smile that made the wizard almost whimper.

Instead Analise steeled herself and walked over to the sage circle where the Duchess was still petting the cat. Analise stood closer than she probably should, the crouching Duchess’ head was just below hers. Analise could smell her skin; a hint of myrrh that didn’t help her concentration. 

The Duchess stood and Analise stepped quickly back. 

“Does the circle meet your specifications?” The Duchess asked.

Analise looked down. It was a perfect a circle as any wizard could want. Oddly, the cat sat perfectly still in the center, looking up at its mistress with loving eyes.

“It’s perfect,” Analise added with a shake of her head, “the cat’s unusually docile. Is it drugged?”

“Oh, my gods, no!” The Duchess laughed as she walked back to her divan, more visible as Analise’s eyes grew accustomed to the light, “She’s naturally obedient and attentive. Strange for a cat, I know but, perfect for what she’ll become. She might not even need the collar.”

“Oh, um… I uh” Analise stammered, “I wouldn’t recommend that, your grace!”

“Velda, dear” Chided the Duchess who was rummaging around her divan.

“Velda, sorry,” Analise continued,”It’s just that she may obey you but, if someone else collared her, they’d have control of her. Use her against you.”

“I was just joking, my pretty,” The Duchess turned and she now held a large leather collar with golden fittings, “Made to your exact specifications. Would you like to examine it?”

“No, your- Velda.”Another heart-melting smile from the Duchess at this, “You are, um, very thorough.”

“Oh, yes. That I am.” The Duchess said, taking a position off to the side, “You don’t get to where I am being sloppy. The way my path has been, you end up sloppy, you end up dead. Anyway, to be thorough, could you walk me through your process?”

“Certainly, Velda,” This is getting easier, Analise thought to herself, somewhat giddily, “To get the mystical guardian you want we first need a subject. That we have.”

She gestured to the cat, still sitting placidly.

“And the collar.” Which the Duchess held up with a small, almost condescending smile.

Analise gathered herself. It was time to be a professional. 

“I will intone the spell, using my staff as a focus. The transformation will begin slowly and the build up speed until it is complete.”

“Will it hurt her?” The Duchess asked, a slight edge to her voice, “I cannot have that.”

“Oh, no no no no!” Analise waved a hand, “All of the sources say it’s quite painless. In fact, a good many of the pain mitigation spill-words are for pleasure.”

“Spill-words?”

“Um… they’re, like, sub-vocalizations during certain parts of the spell. Sort of like…” Analise hunted for the words, “spice… to certain parts of a spell.”

“Interesting. Do go on.”

When the spell is complete, the subject’s eyes will glow yellow and they’ll stay perfectly still for three dozen heartbeats. Before that passes, you must attach the collar. When the subject’s eyes return to normal, you must be the first thing they see. Then you must hold their gaze and tell them “You are mine.”.

“You…” The Duchess said, looking directly at Analise, “are mine.”

Analise bit her lip again and in her mind whispered, “If only i were…”

She took a shuddering breath, held it for a moment and then let it out. Picking up her staff she walked to a position a few feet away from the cat. 

“Let us begin.” She said, as professionally as she could.

She began to chant the spell; a mix of Quirmian and ancient Kushite. She didn’t stumble over the words but, she could feel her concentration was not as focused as usual. Not wanting to harm the cat (and face the Duchess’ wrath) she added a few more pleasure spill-words in the right places. Her staff glowed with power as a small circle of green flame appeared around the cat, who herself appeared totally unconcerned. Analise uttered the final phrase of the spell’

“Bind myself to my mistress…”

With that, the magic flames around the cat pulled into a ball and then began to run in a line towards Analise. 

It was then, that Analise realized that she’d been saying “I” and “me” and “myself” the entire spell. Instead of casting the spell on the cat she had, distracted by the Duchess as she was, cast it upon herself.

“Oh, puckernuts…” She whispered as the magic reached her feet…