“Would you take the circlet off for a bit, demon?” Cecelia asks.

  I had stopped laughing, still a few snivels though. Cecelia had turned me around to pull me into her embrace while Mags covered the mirror. They both were looking at my horns. “Fine, but please don't say my name.” I couldn't bear to correct them. I feel I would actually force Mags to say it. They nod understanding.

  “There sweetie, isn't that better?” Cecelia coos. I smile and nod.

  “I'm sorry you had to hear my laugh and saw my horns.” I said morosely.

  Both Cecelia and Mags tilt their heads at me in confusion.

  “You need not be, lady Cea. I am certain they felt exactly how much you value them.” Ophelia's voice comes out from the doorway.

  “All I felt was warmth and a bit of envy, sweetie.” Cecelia answers.

  “Warmth, sadness and hope.” Mags hugs us both.

  “Anger and respect with a hint of gratitude and warmth.” All three of us look at our host. “What, I felt left out.”

  Gently, Mags is the first to ask. “Do you know why you look like this?”

  “I just lived a hundred soul days of her life.” I shudder. “Is my soul conforming to her ideal? Is it my ideal, now? Am I even still—”

  “Shhhhhhh slowly sweetie, slowly.” She gives me a squeeze and puts her forehead to mine. My horns cut her forehead but she says nothing as it heals.

  Slowly. “I have at least two hundred years of her life inside my soul.” I breathe, “I hadn't expected my body to change so much so fast. I don't know why?”

  “You must not have noticed but your body has been rapidly changing since you left the dungeon.” Ophelia.

  “You speak of when I split into two to hug them both.” I glance at her.

  “Amongst other things.” She deadpans.

  I frowned and Mags laughed. I just become more confused.

  “Sweetie, after you recombined into one body, you um weren't matching me initially, until you were.” I began to blush as I understood her words.

  Another laugh from Mags, “Amazing how you manage that without a heart. Could you explain why you removed it?”

  “It was her heart, I don't have one.” I glower at the object in question.

  Mags starts, “That had to of—”

  “Why do you still have a hole in your chest!” Cecelia looked down her chest and into mine.

  I blank for a moment as I stare at the hole. Hollow again. Nevermind. “I don't heal anymore…” I trail off. She immediately begins pouring life magic into me, to no avail.

  She begins to panic “No, I can't heal you. We need a blood mage. [Lady] Griugar, please send for—”

  Her panic steadys me, “Mom, mom. I'm fine, watch.”

  The hole closes before her eyes. She looks at me very cross. “If this is your idea of a joke S—”

  Mags places a hand over her mouth, “Don't say her name, Cecelia.” Mags looks at me, willing me to explain.

  “What I did wasn't healing.” I look at my hand, the fingers separate from the palm held up by tendrils of blood, they pull back together. “I simply changed my form to not have a hole there.”

  “You didn't wince this time.” Cecelia stated, right I had caught the hem of her dress one time with a thrown hand. I look back at the notifications for [Embrace Thirst] and shiver.

  “I don't feel pain anymore. It just translated into thirst. It was why I was so convinced I was in her body. I wasn't feeling pain when I was carving out my heart.”

  “Sweetie, can you change yourself to not look like her then?” She asked. I smile at the realization. A hand landed on my shoulder. I looked at Mags, finding a hard look.

  “Before you do, I want you to consider leaving some of her features.”

  Cecelia lets go of me and grabs onto Mags night grown pulling the Tibyder to her while I fall to the side. She radiates a primal hate. “Why would you ask that of her, Magdeline. Explain.”

  Magdeline gives her a sad look. Then turns to me, “You know as well as I that you're merging with her. With Cea.” I can't bear to look at her, I simply stare at the floor. “You need to come to terms with it, you will be Cea but also Sara.” I grit my teeth, holding back my desire to correct her. It wasn't a direct naming. “So you need to be both, more than both. Cea with the compassion of Sara. Sara with the experience of Cea.”

  I look at my mother, scared. She mirrors the look in her eyes even if she has a brave smile to go with it. I bark a laugh. I really have become Sarcea. No, I'm Sara and Cea, if there is anything Sara needs to influence it's my bad naming sense. My soul lets go of a knot it's been holding. A relief perhaps. I couldn't be opposed to myself for so long.

  I changed my hair to be curly again. Only a few of the strands were my dirty blonde, the rest my silver. My eyes gain an elven glow while my ears become cat ears with dirty blonde fur. I reset my bones to be mithril but leave my skin pale and elven, no scales. I give a smile with Vampire fangs while my proportions match my moms. I don't replace the heart. Cea has a heart but ignores it while Sara doesn't and is burdened by it.

  You have gained [Blood Magic 3] Apprentice 1

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Apprentice - Your flesh is as fluid as your blood

  Gain 10 exp

  No longer changing based off of [Body Morphic Magic]. I find Cecelia looking at me with sad eyes, her rage forgotten. She comes back to me. “Sorry for knocking you over, sweetie. Should we call you a new name?”

  “My name is Sanguine, mom. But I still have my vow and must insist you call me Cea until I finish claiming myself.” She has tears but nods. I hugged her. She returns it. Acceptance and to be more. I look at Mags, “Thank you mother, you have pushed me further again.”

  She embraces us both again, “I'm sorry I have to keep doing so.”

  I shake my head, “You keep giving me the perspective I need to move forward.”

  Ophelia was no longer at the door. She was being considerate again. I disentangle myself and pull myself up. My nightgown was rather torn, showing off my prodigious cleavage. I'll need to get some funds from the guild to repay Ophelia. But first I need to make some new robes. Cecelia interrupts me before I can engage my fire tail.

  “Sweetie, I'm ready to move forward.” She has a look of determination. I go back to her while Mags shuffles to the side. I go and cup her face in both my hands. Her strong gaze is met by my sad one.

  “I am in no position to push you forward. Not until my soul core is back would I risk such.”

  She gives me a look of dismay, “But I need blood magic to heal you.” She pleads.

  “If that is all then perhaps I will steal another priestess from the Soul Tenders.” She looks at me, not understanding.

  Mags barks a laugh, “First yourself, now my latest. You are greedy, dear.”

  “You're welcome to join me in blood as well, mother.”

  She nods, “Then let me offer my order to you, to make this proper.”

  She steps next to Cecelia and lowers her head to me. Cecelia copies and kneels to me next to her, head prostrate as well. I don't feel this is right, I hug them both instead of standing over them. Their blood red horns grow as I feel a fundamental shift in myself. I let go to see my new [Head Priestess] and [Priestess]. I give a sad smile as I see the realization on their faces.

  The title [Laughing Demon Sanguine Head Priestess] becomes [The Twin Goddess Sanguine]

  The Twin Goddess Sanguine - A permanent title slot. You are the twin goddess of blood magic and rebirth. Whether Singular or Twin you command a duality. Both the originator of blood magic and of constantly redefining herself. You are at the beginning of divinity. Choose how you will proceed, as a saviour or a demon. Those who worship you can provide blood to gain your attention. Should you listen to their pleas or ignore them? Only those with the deity stat can see this title unless you allow them.

  Deity raised to 7

  Deity raised to 8

  Laughing demon automatically slotted into empty title slot.

  I bark a laugh at that. Why not both, system?

  Mags was about to speak, I placed a finger on her mouth. “Shhhh, you know she is still listening.”

  “Of course, Cea.” Her smile was bittersweet at saying it.

  I nod. I give her a coy smile before turning and picking up the discarded circlet. “Sweetie?”

  “I still have much to regain. I need the tier gains and quite frankly I might kill your grandfather if he tried to train me.” She huffs a laugh. I still need to talk to her about that and my first death. I put on the circlet and return mana to it.

  “Seems I can't use this magic on myself or offensively.” Mags says while looking to the side.

  I walk up to her, her gaze locking onto me. I can at least do this much. My body shifts, the skin and hair becomes a dark blood red. As does my left horn. I cup her face and pull her into a kiss. My blood, my bliss floods her mouth. She is surprised at first but accepts. Her fangs shift from tiger to Vampire, and her sense of smell grows. She writhes a bit but I let her keep the part of my soul she holds.

  “Sorry for making you wait two years, Magdeline Sanguine.”

  You have gained [Vampress Matriarch] Apprentice 5

  Gain 20 exp

  “Red, why did you let me keep it all?”

  “Now, now, I still need you to call me Cea. I can't be crippling my tier six daughter. I need her to protect me afterall.”

  She barks a laugh, “Listen here you, I'm still older and your mother.”

  “Nope, you claimed I had to be Cea which firmly makes you but a weee babe in my shiny Elven eyes.” I shift back to my previous form. Mirth in my face. “I'm a bit thirsty, either of you care for some axen blood mixed with my girlfriend's blood in it?”

  I walk to my barrel humming to myself as they sputter. I shudder at the bliss. They will be interrogating me until the sun comes up, I fear. Seems I have missed the day and found myself before the dawn. Thinking of interrogations. But first I engage my fire tail. There is a bit of a pause before my mothers begin laughing at me.

  -----

  After making a new blood red priest robe, I look down at it. Mags was the only one in the room with me now.

  “What’s wrong, dear.”

  “I'm thinking of maybe taking up Ophelia's offer to work under her after all this.”

  “Gave you the torture is necessary bullshit huh.” She said in a rather derisive tone.

  “I couldn't come up with a reason why it wouldn't work.”

  “Exactly as she wanted you to think.” I frown, she gives me a patient smile. “She gave you a way to figure out what someone believed and then show you all the ways to elicit what you needed, right?” I nod, “Ever think of other ways to get what you wanted from someone?”

  “Well compelling removes their ability to think. You can only ask a compelled person what you know. Also its just another form of torture.” She nods, not faulting my logic. “If I can't force someone to answer, I can't tell if they are lying.”

  “Why do you need a confession?”

  “Why wouldn't you?”

  “Did you not lose your personal knight to a confession?”

  I grow wide eyed. Sir Timotran. “He was compelled, surely we could…”

  “He was interrogated by knights with [Detect Falsehood]. Still think confessions are a great idea.”

  I shudder and shake my head. “How would you handle determining crime and guilt?”

  “Most crimes have an injured party, asking them can get a good amount of truth. In turn just asking your suspect questions can lead you to whether they are guilty or not.”

  “But they could just not say anything.”

  “Which raises suspicion and requires more questions and investigation. At no point do you need to break the suspect.”

  “But.”

  She has a sad smile, “It comes down to one question for me, dear. How many innocents am I willing to be tortured to guarantee I catch every criminal?”

  “But you can never catch everyone.” I frown further.

  “And yet you will torture innocents in trying to do just that.”

  I frown some more as I look at my priestess robe.

  -----

  “Lady Ophelia Griugar, I can't continue working in your offices.”

  She looks at me with a critical eye. Then to Mags, “It appears you have had a change in philosophy.”

  I nod, “Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Ophelia. I will be moving back to the adventurer guild until I can learn the next dungeon I can proceed to.”

  “I see, I will need you to return the circlet then.” She catches my frown, “They are the property of my office and not mine to lend.”

  I look at my status screen, my mental resist is still two while void is one. I don't wish to subject my mothers to the arduous task of leveling my resists. I'll have to forge new ones.

  “Thank you for the use of them.”

  “Of course, Lady Cea.” She says as I return the circlet. She touches my robe as she retrieves the item.

  “That is quite luxurious, Cea. Might I inquire where I can procure my own.”

  I gave her a smile, “It will be a while yet before I can open my store again.” She raises an eyebrow, I explain. “They are made from my personal silk. I must focus on training my resists instead of couture."

  She looks at the circlet on the desk, and then me. “Perhaps we can come to an arrangement.”

  I place a hand on Mags.

  Are there laws against bribing officials?

  What's a bribe?

  I bark a laugh at that.