The housekeeper's clothes

Aaralon knew exactly where to look for the kind of clothes he had in mind. His business conducted, he gleefully returned to the library. When he stood in front of the door, he hesitated briefly. Aww, what the fuck... let's bring it on. Cautiously he pushed the door open. It wasn't locked. And the room was empty.

Aaralon stepped inside. "Pursha?" he asked warily. A moment later she appeared around the corner of a book shelf.

"Ah, well met, sweetheart." the succubus purred. "Did you find anything?"

Aaralon tried to look as sheepishly as possible. "Well, I didn't want to linger too much, looking for a perfect match. Therefore..."

"Just give it to me" she snapped indignantly. He handed the pack of clothes to her and watched as she unpacked it. Stifling a malicious grin he watched as her pretty face became a little bit weirded out. "Is that all you could find?"

He raised his hands in innocent defense. "You said to be quick about it..."

"But that's so... peasant." She held the ankle-length colorful skirt made of rough linen in her hands as if it stank. The simple, white wool-shirt and the brown leather vest with the horn buttons didn't fare better. The succubus definately didn't look that happy. Could it be she was as vain as any other woman? Aaralon had a hard time not to roll on the floor laughing, her perplexed expression was one to remember for ages. Yet, she pulled herself together quickly, and accepted his souvenir with a resigned sigh. "Ah, so be it."

A short time later she stood in front of him, dressed in those peasant clothes. She looked everything like a poor maidservant from the countryside come to town to earn a meager wage in some wealthy townfolk's mansion. Especially since the skirt and the shirt were at least one size too big. But then she straighened herself just that much and she looked all the demoness he had come to know her. Fascinated by her ability to bear herself like a beautiful dark princess even in these shabby clothes, he watched as she moved her lips in arcane incantation. Amazed, he noticed that the outline of the long skirt blurred and its shape changed. It virtually melted around her slender legs, becoming shorter and more fitting with each syllable she formed with her gorgeous mouth. The same happened to the shirt as well as the vest.

When Pursha was done, Aaralon was left marvelling, his mouth gaping wide open in admiration.

The skirt now hugged her shapely legs down to her calves like a tight-fitting wrap-around skirt, sitting that low on her hips it perfectly accenuated her feminine curves. The shirt was still white and plain, but now it firmly strained against her chest, leaving enough open looks to her flat stomach and her neckline to catch any man's attention. And the baggy vest had shrunk to a diminutive accessoire doing nothing but cover the tips of her breasts and highlight her slender waist. Pursha looked stunning.

"My, stop drooling, sweetheart" she mocked him. "It's nothing special."

"You're beautiful" Aaralon stammered stupefiedly.

"Thank's for the flowers, my little sorcerer" she said charmingly. "But I'm a succubus, did you forget again?"

"No, no, I didn't" Aaralon jumped at her remark, trying to assure his awareness of her nature. He tried to assume a more businesslike bearing, still he couldn't help but ogle at her now and then. It was simply too amazing what the right choice of clothes could do to enhance a beautiful women's charms.

"Anyway, let's get to work" the succubus proclaimed. "First I need to know a few things about this school of magic." In the next minutes Aaralon gave her a brief sketch of the college's organization, its daily schedules and, of course, a quick description of the most important wizards. At that point she listened intensely and when he was done, she looked at him with sincere expression.

"Before I assign your next task for today, we'll need to do one more thing together."

The gravity in her dark voice made Aaralon frown from concern. "That is?"

"No need to worry, sweetheart" she purred reassuringly. "Unless you can't keep your curiosity in check. As a very rare exception I'll let you have a look into my mind."

Aaralon gaped at her, shocked. Images of the pain she had caused in his mind as punishment for his mind probing her just a few hours ago flooded his senses. "You must be joking, right?" he dared say.

She shook her head. "Have I ever been joking on a subject that grave?"

"No."

"See? I really mean it, Aaralon." Her ebon eyes fixed on him. "It'll be pretty simple. Maybe you noticed the magic pattern I had been studying when you took your liberty to... probe me."

Aaralon nodded. "It was a copy of the magic veins wrought within the walls and corridors of the college."

"Ah, you're familiar with it. Very good. Then you happen to know the wizards who are responsible for them? Would you be able to recognize them if I pointed out certain strands and circles?"

He tried to answered truthfully. "I think so. Though there is always a chance for error" he added cautiously.

"Of course. Though it'd be much better if you didn't err on this behalf." She hesitated and took a deep breath, as if she was about to do something she'd rather not want to do. "Well, it's gonna be tricky and I really hope for your sake that you can focus on nothing but the pattern once you're in my mind. I'll try to indicate the geometries that are important for our next step. Memorize them and immediately withdraw your psychic probe, is that clear?"

"Yes. I'll keep my stay as short as possible." Aaralon didn't intend to share that she-devils mind longer than absolutely necessary. He was too afraid what harm it could cause him. On the other hand, he wanted to proof his worth to the succubus. With sincere determination he looked at her. "I'm ready."

"Well then, go for it."

Aaralon closed his eyes and repeated the procedure that let him probe her mind as he had done before. Again he didn't encounter the least barrier, and he found himself back on that strange plain. But this time, a huge, flickering wall of **** blocked his view across the vast expanse of this plain, and limited his perceiption to a tiny quarter within this space of mind. Still, as he cast a quick glance at the wall, he noticed that it wasn't as opaque as he had thought initially. Here and then his perceiption broke through and allowed him to realize that the plain was still as barren as he had seen it before. Or, more precisely, that it was just now in the process of becoming as barren as he had seen it before. That was very strange.

Then a feeble pattern of illuminated lines and shapes emerged within the scope of his psychic vision. He recognized it at once. He scanned it quickly, but he couldn't find any alterations compared to the last time he had studied it. Had Pursha been wrong? He was about to withdraw when a spacious triangle of massive arcane lanes, that had been covered by many smaller, overlapping strands, glowedly strongly.

See this triangle, Aaralon?

Aaralon almost fumbled the mental link when her voice resounded in his mind. Reluctantly he sent a short mental message back to that frightening psychic presence.

Yes. It's the master string that keeps the arcane web together.

The triangle faded and another set of lines started to glow. Unlike the massive master string, these threads were of much finer design, both playful and artistic, yet also radiating with power.

And these?

Aaralon knew them as well. And it scared him.

E'fandriel.

Good. Now leave!

Aaralon didn't hold the link a single minute longer. With utmost relief he withdrew from the she-demon's mind. For the briefest of moments he saw the wall of power dissolve, or rather crumble. And he thought he could hear a thundering roar. Then he was back in reality and he opened his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was a heavy bead of sweat on Pursha's forehead. Wasn't there also a faint silhouette of small horns? Astounded he watched as she took a few seconds before she also opened her eyes. The ebon was as impenetrable as ever, but he thought he caught a fraction of tiredness on her sculpted cheeks.

"Is everything alright?"

The succubus head flew around. "Human!" she snarled. Her wild, haunted gaze bore into him, and he feared for his safety. But as quick as her outburst had come, she caught her breath again. This time she averted her eyes. "Yes. Everthing's fine, sweetheart." Her words sounded reassuring, but her voice contained a slight tremble. After a silence that lasted like an eternity, she turned around again. "So, you know the owners of the two arcane structures I showed you?"

"Yes" Aaralon confirmed. "That triangle is the master string. Or at least it looks like one string. In fact it's a bundle of magic threads, clustered from fibres added by all the wizards that ever head-mastered the college. It's the one structure that keeps all the other veins together. Destroy it, and the whole magic construct surrounding these walls will collapse. The ensuing wreackage would be devastating."

"I figured that much. Who is the current head wizard?" Aaralon told her and gave her a quick resume of what he knew about Lastran, the head wizard. Pursha wanted to know some weird things, but in the end she seemed pleased. "And the other set?"

"Ah, that's very unique" Aaralon said. "It has been wrought into the arcane web by one of the finest warmages ever to reside in the college. Her name is E'fandriel. And those very strands you depicted would be her shield against the planes. A powerful enchantement that keeps unworldy creatures away from the college and traps them if they happen to enter it." Aaralon grimaced. "As you might have figured out, this library chamber is situated in a small niche of her web. That's the main reason why I performed my conjuration here."

"I see. Very smart." Pursha sighed tensely. As she tilted her head in thought, she suddenly looked haggard and worn. Could a creature of demonic nature tire, or become exhausted? A fascinating idea sparked into life in Aaralon's brain. Maybe the succubus had limitations? That would explain a lot of things. But before he could continue to analyze his observations, her moving caught his attention. Swiftly the succubus went to the only table in this room. She produced a small note of paper and handed it to Aaralon.

"I've written down a set of ingredients for a certain potion we'll need. When you've collected all the components you shall mix them together as I have described and brew the potion. It doesn't take long, so you should be able to complete the brewing during break time. For the other parts of this day, you'll pursue your regular daily student business." She paused. "Just don't let anybody sip from the potion... it would do no good."

"I see" Aaralon took the note and vanished it in one of his trouser pockets. "When should I come back?"

"Around the same time as you summoned me yesterday. Would that work out?"

"Should."

Pursha grabbed his hand. Her hand was surprisingly cold. "As for the other things..."

Aaralon grimaced and said with biting voice "I know... I've learned my lesson."

"Good."

The apprentice sorcerer turned around and left. The instant he was gone, dark wings flapped. Pursha barely managed to cast a quick spell that blocked the door again. An enraged scream filled the room, so full of ire and frustration, it rocked the rows of tomes. Then she slumped against a book shelf and wrapped her arms around her body to keep herself from trembling violently.