Calistra Silvercrest
The children called already. Well I guess I would probably be interested by a magical item myself, if it was not something I knew how to create on a whim. Such as this “Bender” that I’ve been searching for. The libraries had no information on ANY magical artifacts, and the magic they did have note of was simple and uninteresting. I did note that the body I was in had two of the bender marks on it. One was a matching scar to my old body on the arm. The other was on my lower back, that hadn’t been very obvious when doing self examinations, until I maybe had spent some time flexing shirtless in the mirror to see just how the front desk girl had seen me…
Dale confirmed with me that this not only meant that the body was not mine, but didn’t even belong to the person who stole my body. Whoever they were, they were fairly comfortable as a woman, so it didn’t make me that surprised to know this was a common theme for them. It did make me worried for whomever the body did belong to. It meant that I could not simply revert our positions and then kill the body snatcher in this body. That would be unfair to whoever was still trapped in the body this monster had originally stolen from. I hoped for their sake, they weren’t dealing with the confusion of being stuck in the wrong sex’s body as I was. Though again, the monster seemed all too comfortable in the skin of a woman.
It was Fiona reaching me via the coin. She had apparently not believed a word of what Derek had told her. I didn’t blame her, I knew I was blowing his mind as it was, and he was hearing it first hand! I took the time to explain myself to her, and let her know the coins were theirs. She was worried at first that I was lying. She was more worried that I would take them back with the same magic I had used to gift them.
Finally, her voice lost it’s fear and anxiety and instead a sense of intrigue filled her speech. “And… How did you learn all this magic?” Her disembodied voice questioned.
“I read it in a book. Well, a few hundred books.” I kind of chuckled to myself, but she heard every noise I made loud and clear as if I was simply talking in her ear.
“You read it and then you just HAD magic?” Wonder was evident at the idea playing in her head. “Can… Can I read the books too?” She asked, starting off a tad hesitant, but then as she decided to fully form the question, it all slipped out of her mouth at once like a damn breaking.
I looked at Dale who was unaware of the other half of the conversation. “I think I need to ask the person who wrote the books that first. It seems like something he would be very interested in, but I need to make sure he’s not going to throw a hissy fit for even speaking with you about all this.” The cat hissed at my terminology, though this only served to make me laugh at the hypocrisy of his feigned anger. I could even see the smile on his face as he knew he gave me that smile. “I’ll get back to you on that one, dear.”
The child paused. She was lost in thought. “So… if I had magic, I could just live my life, right? But like, I wouldn’t need to struggle to find money or pay for food? And… Would I be as powerful as you are? Would I be able to fly? Could I teleport? Could I change my body to look like someone else? What are the rules?!” she sped up as the questions began to bubble up to the surface and she seemed like she might be so excited she could pop.
“Like I said, dear. I’ll have to get back to you on that.” I tried my best to temper her expectations. “I don’t know what the limits are for knowledge of this stuff. Dal-The author might not want so many people learning his craft so short a time apart from each other.” I cut off his name as soon as I realized I was saying it, but it was mostly out there already.
“Are… Did you say Dale? Like… THE Dale? Like the Dale from the fairy tales that everyone said was the strongest wizard of all time? But… I thought Dale died, like hundreds of years ago! This…” She continued to ramble on but I lost concentration and found myself staring at the cat.
This Dale? He couldn’t be THAT famous if I hadn’t heard of his stories until now. But if a street urchin knew his name… “Where did you hear this fairy tale about ‘the Wizard Dale’?” I asked her, stopping her mid sentence.
Dale’s ears perked up the moment it left my mouth. “My mother told it to me before she died.” The child’s voice was MUCH softer than it had been a moment ago. The thought of her mother clearly dampened her excitement.
“I’ll talk to Dale. I doubt it’s the same wizard you’re thinking of, but I do think he might just like to teach you himself.” The gasp would have hurt my ears if it had hit my eardrums instead of being transmitted directly to my brain. “BUT! Please don’t get your hopes up until I ask him, okay? I don’t want you losing hope right after you were given such an opportunity to build up your life in a more average way. Money still runs the world, Fiona.” I disconnected the call from my end, but was still able to hear her before she moved the token from her ear.
“I’ll wait then, but I do have hope.” I could hear her start to fade, as the chip slipped from behind her ear. “Derek, did you hear that?! What if I could meet DALE! just think of all the people I could help with mag-” and the disembodied voice was no longer in my head.
That was hope enough for her, but I still needed to gather some hope myself. “Dale” I turned to the feline, who stood close and was waiting for some explanation of the situation that had just played out. “You would really like her. She’s very smart, and seems almost too kind, if there is such a thing.” Smiling to myself I watched the cat nod as if to say he already liked her.
I was talking to myself just outside the rusty roof with an illusion over me to appear as nobody important. It was pretty easy to simply slur a word or two, and continue talking towards Dale in public when the children called, so that anyone who was confused by my half of the conversation would simply think me a drunkard talking to his cat. When I reentered the building, I let the disguise vanish into thin air. Nobody outside noticed, just as I had intended.
Most were too busy with their own lives to think about some nobody. But when I walked into my first performance arena with my signature robe on, it was as if the whole bar stood still. Chanting began quickly with “Mage Cali!” “The Great Mage!” and other iterations of my stage name began echoing around me in an uneven smattering. I simply laughed and waved to the people, letting some flowers grow from my palm, before quickly pulling them out to hand to a few of the ladies who had been standing on the stairway closest to the entrance.
They swooned in unison, but I was mostly only there to build my appearance. One more showcase of my generic magical power to the people here, and a few more shows around the city should be enough for my plans to succeed. I needed them on my side. Though, I had presumed that the people would have known a bit more about the princess’ predicament, which was the main reason I felt the need to win them over as I was. It would make switching back bodies publicly, a lot more helpful in restoring my name.
Though, if the monster’s true nature was hidden within the castle walls, it would be easier to make the swap less public… But making sure the people within the castle walls trusted me as I am now would still require a great deal of popular opinion, so being flashy and kind would benefit me later on, regardless.
The letter was an open invitation to the castle. With that being said, I took my time. Traveling around the city and performing for hundreds of people. I was talk of the town, and by the time that I was even on my way to the castle, all the guards seemed to know my face and my name. Most had seen me perform, and the others had been told of my arrival. They were ready for me, and one of the guards at the castle gates stepped inside with me, leading me towards the castle with haste. The relief of being home again was only overwhelmed by the knowledge that I would be in danger if the monster saw me here. I had to visit the king first. I had to see Regina and my Father.
This was a few days short of the 2 year anniversary of when I lost my body. The castle looked just the same as it had when I was taken, almost 2 years ago. The fury that pumped through my veins was only quelled by the knowledge that a simple vendetta would not lead to anything more than being stuck in this body forever. And maybe get some people hurt, or worse. I was not there to hurt anyone. Not even the monster. Not just yet. I focused on the beauty and the familiarity of the castle grounds to calm my nerves.
Dale watched me closely as I breathed deeply, clearly aware of my inner turmoil. He purred and rubbed against my neck from his perch on my shoulders that had become his routine spot over the last week or so that I’d spent in Aetherion. His fuzzy face was a calming presence to have so close. And his knowing eyes seemed to hold all the answers that I was too slow to grasp on first look at any given situation. I was glad he was with me.
The guard passed through the portcullis. I followed. The guard entered the main thoroughfare, and I followed. Dale vanished into a shadowy corner, promising to be nearby if I needed him. The guard then walked me to the throne room. My father was there, Regina was there. And the monster was there…
I moved close enough to the throne to be heard clearly, then gave a deep courtly bow, before I spoke. “Your Majesty, Your highness, and my dear Regina.” I put a bit of charm on the last bit, but while Regina resisted a blush, I believed for a moment I saw the king’s face grow angry for a split second. It had to have been my imagination, as he was looking normal and kind within a fraction of a second… I know I hadn’t done anything wrong in my greetings, even if I was a little too formal with Regina’s name… It wouldn’t have done to call her maid when I knew her name… Titles were for royalty, not the help. I shook off the thoughts and continued with my plan.
Despite my rough introduction to my father, it was the beast that had me laughing internally. My familiar face was now contorted into one of the most terrified and hideous scowls I’ve ever witnessed. The monster balked at me for just a moment, before she had spoken in a shaky voice, filled with panic. “Father… Could I have a few minutes with this… Mage? I don’t trust him here with you so close, if what they say about his power is to be believed.” She gave me a cold glare.
Then the funniest utterance I had heard in my life followed and it took contracting every muscle in my body to avoid bursting out in a fit of laughter that would have landed me in the brig at best. King Alaric Silvercrest of Aetherion laid verbal hands on the monster he believed was his daughter; “My love, It’s no secret that you have a pet guard. It would be a terrible look for the kingdom if a mage ended up in a similar position. Especially one so loved by our people.” his eyes were boring into the girl, and her face was beet red before he had even gotten half way through his oral riposte.
She turned and quickly fled the room, “Fine! Don’t call for my help when you’re being strung up by your own innards by this… Filth.” she shouted as she stormed out, heels clopping on the stone floors with as heavy an impact as my 125lb body could possibly make.
Alaric turned to face me. His face was slightly red as well. Likely from having to admit, for what may have been the first time, that his daughter was holding a captive in her room. He cleared his throat and I struggled with every ounce of my being to maintain my composure. “Do you have any children, Mr… Cali was it?” He smiled in an honest attempt at leveling with me.
I shook my head in earnest. “I don’t but I wasn’t aware you asked me here for parenting advice. I may have been inclined to refuse your invitation.” A smirk lit up on my face before I could help myself, and was shortly thereafter tamped down.
The king sighed and gave a curt nod. “I assumed as much, though.. I have heard some interesting stories about you handing off a coin purse to a child at the market. It was assumed he was at least on an errand for you.” the sly smile on his own face was devious in it’s own right.
“He is not my child, but I will be keeping an eye on him and his sister from now on. They were simply living off the street, and I found it in my generosity to help them fund a home away from the rats. And if you have any problems with them going forward, please ask them to call me, so I may be present. They deserve an adult to guide their growth and maturity as much as any other children do, with parents or not.” With the children being brought into this, I did my best to maintain my smile, though the authenticity of my emotions was.. more akin to rage than the joy my face tried to present. I knew my father would not harm children for no reason. I also knew he felt that children without parents would lead to crime, and he would rather lock up a child for a minor crime than behead an adult for a major crime. He called it pragmatic, but I called it problematic. He had always known my stance on the matter.
In fact, he knew my stance on the matter so well that my request to be present must have struck something within him. I saw an emotion I couldn’t pinpoint alight in his eyes. He quickly pushed it down, and continued. “Well, regardless of your hand at… guardianship? I do have a request. And I do hope you answer openly and honestly. Your first show, Regina was there for. She said you ended it in a most peculiar way. You made direct reference to our princess, and that she had called you here.” he took a second to try his best to read my emotions from my face. A face, currently masked with illusion magic to keep him from reading me the way he wanted. Even in a new body, I would be no match in hiding my emotions from my own father without the help of magic.
I didn’t know yet if I could fully trust him. I wasn’t sure if he had told the princess about my comments or not. I wasn’t sure if they had told her anything at this point. But I could tell that I would be in hot water, if he had decided to trust the monster. Letting her in on my plan could spell doom. The king finally continued after a minute where the only change to my face was my raised eyebrows as he continued to attempt looking through my magicked eyes, into my soul.
“You know her well, to be able to create a perfect illusion of her. You claim she might not like you, but that she called you here. I need to know what that means. I need to know who you are, and I need to know what you are doing here.” he relaxed, having gotten it all out, but as his back leaned into the chair behind him, his eyes only focused on my face with more fervor.
“I would like to answer a few of those with a question of my own, if I may. For I doubt you’d be able to believe me without some shred of evidence… Have you by chance, noticed a change in her highness?” His eyes lit up instantly. “About 2 years ago, it would have been.” I finished, watching those eyes burn, though with rage or hope I could not tell. He masked his emotions almost as well as I did without the use of magic. I hoped desperately that he was not about to have me beheaded. “I believe your reaction to my question says it all, as far as an answer to that question.” I shuddered under the weight of his silent gaze.
I continued with a quick fluidity to my speech that kept him from truly responding. “Do you by chance know of any new markings on the princess’ skin? Something like this?” My sleeve rolled up on it’s own, and I turned just enough for the king to see the mark on my arm that matched his daughter’s. Eyes wide, and panic becoming evident on his face, the king looked about 2 seconds from calling the guard to come arrest me. His body even shifted forward from his throne. I sighed. “Again, you’ve told me all I need to know there. Seeing as you’ve been aware of the happenings here in the castle. Let me fill you in on my side of this tragic tale. Though, I do hope you’ll not try to have my arrested for blasphemy when I tell you what has happened.” Regina and the king leaned forward in unison.
Alaric Silvercrest
And he did. He told me everything. He told me of waking up in a foreign tower. A tower that was enchanted with magic that was unlike anything that had been seen in this world for hundreds of years. Magic that was impossible, or so it was thought. He told us of a mentor whom he refused to name. He told us how he learned to wield wild magic without so much as a spoken word. He told us story after story. Regina was crying when she realized what he was saying before I could wrap my brain around it.
The most interesting story was the reason he brought up blasphemy. A story I would throw anyone in prison for so much as beginning. And it wasn’t just his questions that he had opened with. It wasn’t even the way his stories started almost 2 years ago. It wasn’t the innate understanding of things beyond the possibilities of a mortal man’s knowledge. It was the reaction he had given when I brought up his adopted children. It was the way he spoke of giving them a chance at a happy life. It was the way his eyes grew defensive, and his smile taught. She would have done the exact same thing.
She would have given her whole allowance to those children. She would have been there with them through thick and thin if she had any ability to provide such promises. She would have asked for guardianship over them, to defend them from me, had I put them to shackles. At least, the her she was 2 years ago would have. The her who I learned had been trapped in a tower. The her I learned that had been taken from me and replaced with an impostor. The her that I had been missing, dreading the loss of, and praying for her redemption without ever realizing she had been missing at all.
The princess who now happened to be trapped in a man’s body; finally and once again, standing before me. My daughter, the most powerful sorcerer the land has ever known.
Calistra Silvercrest
“All that we’ve discussed, we cannot allow the… Princess..” my stooping to calling her this caused a physical reaction on my face, but I pushed forward. “to know what we have planned. She needs to think you sent me off without believing a single thing I’ve said. She must believe that you’re taking her side, because the cruel magician who claimed to know her has proven to be a simple illusionist with no real power.” I said calmly to the king, quietly as we had discussed the whole time. “And if she asks to meet me in private, I hope next time to oblige her.” That last line I gave a sly smile. One that clearly sent a shiver down the spine of my father. He was still reeling at the idea I was who I said I was. Regina had been onboard surprisingly easily. I guess she had gotten more of the brunt of the monster than the king had.
“And what if she traps you?” Regina said, worriedly at my idea to meet her alone.
“I have shown you a fraction of my true magical abilities. I almost destroyed that tower on more than a few occasions.” smiling at my own braggadocios boast. “She couldn’t hold me still for a moment, even if she knew half the magic I do. And from what I can tell, the only thing she knew how to do was abuse a magical relic.”
The king shook his head in worry. “Don’t destroy your own body in an attempt to free yourself from her. She may be evil, but she’s still the princess, at this moment. Oh and, speaking of this.. Tower you destroyed…”
“I haven’t fully destroyed it yet. I managed to patch up the magic protecting it from my devastation before ripping the tower to it’s foundations.” The king looked a bit off for a moment. “The tower’s invisibility has been reset though. Anyone who had previously visited can no longer see the tower… Has she asked about the forest out her window?”
The expression on my father’s face was priceless. I could almost see the fear the monster had portrayed when she noticed, as I watched the relief in his sigh. “it’s all starting to make sense now.” He leaned his head into his hands. He stood from his throne, and stepped down to me, standing face to face with me for a moment. His gaze was warm and hopeful as he wrapped his arms around me for the first time in years. I teared up and hugged him back. He returned to his throne, and Regina skipped forward and caught me with a hug before I could even notice her movement towards me.
I giggled through my teary eyes at the interaction, and watched her also teary eyes meet mine before she said “You had better get back to your body soon, missy. This kingdom has NOT been the same without you.”
They both stepped back to their places before he yelled for the guards. They came running in and grabbed me by each shoulder, then hauled me out, dragging my heels on the ground behind me I simply lowered my head as if in mock shame, and disappointment. This of course served to thrill the monster.
I was dragged out the door and two hallways down, and she was running back down the stairs to get a good view of my failure. She slowed to walk around the corner when she saw me, “STOP!” she shouted to the guard holding one of my shoulders and said “Give me a moment with this ‘mage’. I want to know if my father is right, and I should add him to my collection.” the guards were weary of the idea, but quickly let go of me, dropping me to the floor in a heap when she said “No? I could always use another guard to break. The last one behaves too well after so much time in my service.” The two guards gave me a sad look as if they were worried for the stranger they were about to cast out of the castle a moment ago, before wandering off down a hallway.
“You recognize my face, don’t you?” I said to her. “I recognize yours.” it came out more snide than I intended, but I did nothing to correct my emotions.
“Too bad for you, that father will never recognize your face.” she gave an evil cackle and followed it with “I’ll be honest, you had me worried for a few minutes, with how long you held his attention after I left.” She twirled in place. “But who could deny their own beautiful daughter? He’s always spoiling me rotten.” the last words were practically spit in my face. I simply sighed and gave her nothing to work with. Her face turned to cold and confused contempt as she followed up with, “And you… What did you do to the tower?” I smiled at that one.
My smile curled out from my teeth that seemed to rot in my mouth as my face melted into a sickening skeleton of what it was just a moment ago. “I learned from it, princess. I gathered more knowledge than you could ever hope to embody. I read every book. I read every scroll. I practiced every spell until it was perfect, destructive, explosive, and DEADLY.” I stared into her eyes, mine now pitch black with green clouds swirling in their depths as I moved up from the ground and towards her face, in what had to have been the most sickeningly horrifying experience to ever rock the monster’s cruel world. “Just so I could get payback… On. you.” I reached out and poker her gently on the tip of her nose. She cringed, but could not figure out how to move. “Oh you’ll die alright. You’ll die excruciatingly. Slowly. Miserably.” the words themselves became lower pitched as my face continued to melt into a skeletal being.
Her face, MY face, was trying but failing to pull herself back, away from me, and the horrors I had become before her very eyes. “But you will first watch as I burn the whole kingdom down around you. First I’ll slit the king’s throat. Then pull the entrails from your maid… Just so you can watch everything you stole from me die, and when you’re begging for anyone, or anything to save you and there’s not a soul left alive … I’ll be there to put a dagger through your left leg. Then a sword to slice your right so you can’t run from me any more. And an axe to chop off your arm, but your other arm will BURN!” I continued my spiel as I let the monster run now. She who was too filled with terror to even look away, and ran into several walls on her path away from me, as my voice boomed down the halls, filling every inch of the castle she had taken from me with my threats.Hollow threats, yes… But I doubt she would know the difference. When a monster comes face to face with a demon, the demon will still steal it’s soul.
The guards found me sitting on the floor, laughing a jubilant laugh, as the princess was nowhere to be seen. They didn’t hear my echoing yells, for they were only directed at the princess. It was all in her mind. They only saw a silly boy in a robe, unable to stand through the giggling he could not stop.
“What was the joke! We missed it!” One guard laughed at my contagious joy, reaching down to pick me up off the floor.
“I’m so sorry, I just said something stupid and silly that spooked the princess. The look on her face was priceless though.” I took a deep breath and looked at the guards, my face still cracked in a smile, but the laughter halted. “Has she always been this rude? She said something about trying to lock me up in her room!”
They both looked at each other and huffed. “What she is doesn’t leave the castle, but… No, she’s not always been this way.” He left it at that, and I nodded in agreement.
“The king let me know I would be beheaded for speaking ill of his daughter around town. I hope he’s at least giving you better treatment for having to deal with her regularly.” I said, hoping I could pry out of them that they had been given a raise for dealing with the monster. They shrugged and continued to walk me towards the exit of the castle.
I turned to face the guards as they tossed me out the castle gates. “I do hope you know, I hold no ill will against you or the king. Please, feel free to come by my future shows! I’ll be happy to show you what magic should look like!” I said with a flare, throwing some doves into the air from what appeared to be my sleeve. They flew off into the evening as if they had homes to return to and weren’t just conjured specters.
I watched the guards watch them fly, and one leaned in to the other and said “I didn’t feel any birds in his sleeve when I was carrying him. How did that work?” And they both marched back into the castle, leaving the outside guards to keep me from reentry. I bowed to them as well.
Dale returned to my shoulder, and we walked back to the inn where I was staying. Alone again in the small room, I figured it was time to reach out to an old friend. I knew where to find her, at least. Dale decided to go wander while I met up with her. I believe he still thought I was talking about Sarah when I said I was meeting a friend.
Her face lit up when she saw the magician walking towards her. The stories had preceded my arrival as they often had lately. I smiled back at her with a wave, and she turned to look behind her, then once satisfied I wasn’t waving at someone else, her eyes met mine again, and I could have swore I saw something there. Something I had last seen when she was recounting a story of a fling during one of our sleep over parties.
I could only assume, since it was the same face I had seen on Sarah when she eyed me at the door to the inn, that it was lust. This body was NOT that attractive. Not to me at least. Not when I was wearing it, and forced to be a part of it. Not when I knew the last occupant was such a horrendous being. But I guess she couldn’t have known that. I hadn’t yet told her. I had happened to be planning to, though.
“Hello Deena!” I smiled and bowed low, a formal greeting for a noble born lady. Her surprise was evident as I pulled myself back from the bow. “My name may be foreign, but my manners are not.” I replied simply, as she no doubt questioned how I knew her name. I had no reason to take things slow here. Deena was not part of my plan. She in fact held no part in it at all, so meeting her in her favorite tea shop was just for my sake. A slight respite from the pain of the way things have been going in my life.
She clammed up and couldn’t quite figure out words for a moment, and I reached out a hand, palm up in a request for her own. She gingerly granted me her hand and I pressed my lips to the back of her hand, winking up at her as she very clearly swooned. She would laugh thinking of that when I told her who I was. “I have much to discuss with you, my friend.” I admitted, and she looked confused as she had when I first approached.
“I-I know you said m-my name, but I still worry you’re looking for someone else.” She nervously chattered.
Still smiling, I shook my head. “No my dear, you’re the girl I’ve been looking for. In fact, you’re the only one who I can trust. You’re my best friend, after all!” I motioned for her to join me on a walk. She didn’t even hesitate, and spilled her tea on the table on her way out. Dropping a silver coin on the table, she followed me to the street.
“Have you guessed yet? Who I am?” We stopped at the corner of the street, and I faced her, with expectation written on my face. She looked confused at me, yet no less deterred. That would vanish soon I assured myself. She was after all, very much fond of boys. She had only ever told me stories of the boys she had been with or wanted to be with. Aetherion was open and accepting of all, so it would feel silly to assume she wouldn’t tell me if she had a crush on someone of the same gender. And while I may have the body of a man, I was still her girl friend at heart. And she mine.
“Who? You’re Cali!” She said as if that was the whole story.
“What if I told you Cali was only half of my name, and that this..” I pointed down at my body. “Was just part of an elaborate ruse.”
“Quite the handsome ruse.” She purred, leaning on my shoulder. “Does that mean you’re going to tell me more about you than you’ve told the other girls, or is this just how you hit on women?”
I laughed and shrugged. “Possibly. Though, I’d rather fill you in with a trick that will only work on you. How would you like to know me in an instant? More of my past, my childhood, my personality, and my being than anyone could ever describe, all from a single word?” I made my hands wave in a way that looked like a child’s silly idea of magic.
She was leaning in even further now, trying to figure out the magic trick, trying to keep from missing a single detail. And with that, it was very clear that she missed the whole point. “It’s Alakazam, isn’t it?” She giggled and then she began to blink up at me. “Try me.” she said firmly.
“I. Am…” she leaned in so close our eyes were Inches apart, locked on to each others. She looked as though she might try to kiss me… “Calistra.” Her lips pressed to mine firmly, eyes closing and as she began to pull my lips between hers. I froze solid, unable to process what had just taken place, but she was processing something else at the same pace.
It took half a second to realize what I had said but when she did, her eyes shot open and she pulled back. “WAIT! Hold on a second…” I blushed at the momentary kiss, unable to help but bite my lip as our eyes met again. “You.. Can’t be though… Calistra is at the palace. And a GIRL! And… I…” the gears in her head were turning in rapid fashion. “I think… We should find a nice quiet spot to continue this chat… But that doesn’t mean I believe you!… Not yet at least.” she said, clearly starting to believe me. I knew she would.
I took her back to my room at the inn, right past Sarah who again began to pout, but said nothing to us. Thank goodness. I don’t think I could handle the two bickering over this body that wasn’t even mine. It hardly even felt flattering.
She shut the door behind us and then we were alone. I pulled a chair out from the table in the corner of the room, and took a seat at the next chair over when she was seated. “I wasn’t trying to… Take you to bed exactly, but I guess I did ask for privacy.” She blushed.
“Well.. I need to know.” Deena was now staring me down “What did you mean by saying you’re Calistra? You’re clearly not her. You’re a man! Not THE princess.”
“You still believe me though. I can see it in your eyes, Dee.” the genuine inflection to my voice was potent and her nod was almost imperceptible. “I had my body stolen from me. By the soul that used to occupy this body. It’s been about 2 years now. You remember when the Calistra you know started acting a fool?” I went straight into the facts.
“Yeah, it was 2 years ago. almost… almost to the day.” She shuddered at the thought. “A man is in your body? We… We had a sleepover… And you.. She… I-I didn’t feel comfortable around you ever again… It all kind of makes sense now.” she started to tear up.
Horrified by the new found knowledge, I immediately moved from my chair to pull her into a hug. “I’m so sorry. She’s been terrible to everyone, but I had no idea that she had done that to you.” I started to cry for her. My friend being taken advantage of was easily one of the worst things to happen in this whole fucked up situation. “I won’t let that… Thing get away with this. I hope you know that disgusting monster will never disgrace your presence again. I swear to it.” My rage towards that monster only increased, heartily. I might not get back into my body if I come at her with this much hatred. I might end up killing her in my own flesh…
“I.. I believe you, Cal. I believe it’s you in there, because you’d never have done something like she did. But what can we do? Can you go back to your body?” Her red eyes met mine as she pulled back with a determined look.
“I have a plan, Dee. Don’t worry.” I nodded with equal conviction. “I’ll be back to normal before long.” And she pulled me back in close with the hand around my neck. What I didn’t expect was the second kiss. As we came back for another hug, she moved her head at the last second to intercept mine. Her lips crashing into mine with a needy fervor. I flushed even more red than the first time and froze, letting her move back from me on her own time.
A worried look spread across her face as she met my eyes. “I.. Sorry. I know you’re my best friend in there, but in the moment.. I had missed you so much, and.. Well, It felt… right?”
I put a hand on her shoulder, my face still red as an apple. “I can’t say I mind it, but I do want to warn you… You know this is the body of the person who abused you, right? This is the body of the person who… Was at that sleepover.”
“So I had better get these feelings out while the soul is someone I love, huh?” she blushed as deeply as me and leaned closer. “Do you mind if I were to, um, keep going?” she whispered as she leaned in for another kiss, this time waiting ever so closely to my lips for permission. her eyes were closed and her breath was tickling my lips as she hovered centimeters away.
“I… I haven’t really thought about you like this before, Dee.”
“That’s not a no, girl.” she smirked, bumping her nose into mine with a playful attitude. Being called that in such a lighthearted way was a breath of fresh air in the years I had been loathing this body. It seemed so simple, and yet it meant almost everything to me in that moment. My heart fluttered and I thought that someone truly understood me. She believed in me. And in that moment, I was so happy.
I couldn’t help the sultry voice that replied to hers, the tone almost contesting the words that I spoke. “I might have enjoyed that last kiss..” I muttered under my breath.
“Let’s make sure, then shall we?” She took the comment as permission, and pressed her lips to mine firmly. She grabbed me by the face as she stood up and backed up to the bed. We crashed blindly to the sheets together before her face pulled back from mine for a moment and she stared into my eyes.
“I did always like you Calistra. You were an amazing friend, but I always wanted more.” She blushed, then the kiss continued and the only two thoughts going through my head were ‘Of fucking course Dale was right. When was Dale ever wrong?’ and ‘This giddy feeling in my heart all because of that one sentence… Is this what love is like?’ And I finally gave in, and kissed my childhood friend back with the as much of the same passion as I could.
We had an interesting hour and a half after that, filled with lots of passion. I loved her as a friend before this. And much of tonight was simply lust, not love… But I had a lot of emotions to go over when all was said and done.
After a few minutes, she managed to mostly recover, and her bright red face turned to me “Yo-You didn’t even need that thing between your legs…” she looked me up and down as if I was something surprising to her. “Now, how can I get you back in the body of the princess? And could you please, please, please, please…” The begging lasted a few moments too long, until I raised my eyebrow at her and we both giggled. “Please let me return the favor when you are back? I want you to feel like you made me feel tonight.” We both giggled again and it took me a few moments before I blushed at the realization.
“Do you really want that? With me as.. Well as me?” I questioned.
“YES!” She shouted, pulling my face in for another passionate kiss. She finished the sentiment as soon as our lips parted. “I want you. For you, not your body! … No matter how skilled you are with it.” The praise drew a giggle from my lips.
“I’m worried after our time tonight, we may need to find a way to… halt a pregnancy.” I admitted, blushing even brighter red. We were two cherries in a bed together.
“I’ll worry about that. You worry about being a princess.” She said with a determination that left my deep and loving smile plastered on my face. It felt goofy that my best girl friend would need worry about child after a tryst with myself, but the way things played out, it would be hard not to worry about.
“Okay, love. I’ll take care of my trials, and you please let me know if you need any help with yours. I can help however you need me to.”
I gave her a worried look, but she returned a wholesome smile. “I count on it! …But did I just hear you call me love?” Deena giggled.
“Y-yeah, it… Felt right in the moment, you know? Sorry.” I sputtered.
“Don’t you dare be sorry, love.” she countered. With another long and desperate kiss we held each other for some time.
And that was the first time I’ve ever had sex. I was starting to wonder some things about this magic artifact, and the body I now resided in. Wonders that lead to questions which could pull my whole plan into disarray if not addressed.
Leave a Reply