“Ow ow ow ow!” Yaser screamed through clenched teeth. Stupid tall one and her cursed eyes. The dagger was firmly planted in his shoulder and sliced more with every movement. Yet, he was too close now. As he stumbled in through the hidden doorway, he removed the bottle’s stopper with his sharklike teeth.
The shadows of the room pulse with excitement.
Yes! Give it to me. Give it to me and I will grant your wish. Give me the life you hold. Her hunger screamed in Yaser’s head.
Her desperation almost gave him pause but there was too much momentum. Adrenaline coursed through his body. The plan was happening, after so many disappointments. It was now. He dodged around the desk and swung his arm upward. The glowing contents of the potion splashed out across the rich fur of the cloak. For a moment it shined there, white and green, shining in droplets against the twinkling darkness. Then it soaked in and the cloak fluttered on its own, two tentacles extended from the hood, like tassels.
Hide now. The Lady whispered, but no longer tickling the back of his mind. It came from the cloak itself.
“As the lady wishes. Yaser obeys.” Giggling he pulled the dagger from his shoulder and steeled himself for the embrace of the shadows.
****
“Stay with us, big B.” Cinder attempted to steady the knight against her. “You sure we don’t have any more antivenom Illiana?”
“Used that dealing with those blue frog things back on level one.” Illiana sighed, checking her pack just to be sure. The labels on their few remaining potions swam and were difficult to read.
“Sss’ Fine.” Barnaby slurred, “K’arl pro…tects.”
The knight had a pale, sweaty pallor that did not say fine.
“We’ve got two healing potions left.” Illiana held thrust out two vials at Cinder. “Otherwise we’ve got to get our backup plan back.”
“Don’t nee-” Barnaby was cut off by shoving a potion into his lips.
“Drink it you idiot,” Cinder said, fixing him with a stare. He swallowed the red liquid. His color improved a shade but still wasn’t good. She stepped away and after waiting a moment to make sure Barnaby didn’t immediately keel over, she turned in the direction the cloaked figure ran.
Illiana peered down the hallway to the right of the one they’d entered, opposite of the one they’d been making their way toward. “What's the chances there's a spot we can hole up in down that way?”
“Zero. I’d rather follow that goblin.” Cinder said.
Illiana blinked, “Uuuh isn’t that where he went?”
“Nope.” Cinder stepped forward and began feeling along the wall beside the entryway. “He went through here. He’s probably trying to lead us into a bunch of traps. I know you and B are spent, but I’d rather take my chance with traps instead of a monster at the moment.”
“What if he’s got friends?” Illiana asked.
“We’d be smelling them. Ah ha.” Cinder pushed on a brick that was about thigh height. “Come on. Let's see what that Gobbo is cooking up.”
Illiana and Barnaby look at each other, shared a brief nod and staggered after their friend. Barnaby held his hammer and shield, but his shield was used like a crutch. Illiana felt the claws of the mana burn stabbing through her mind with every step. Yet they both moved. When the solid-looking wall swung aside they followed Cinder inside. Illiana found her gaze on the way Cinder’s butt moved as they walked down a curved passage. How did she get her cloak to cling like that?
“Oh wow.” Cinder whispered.
Light flared, and not from Illiana’s light spell. She looked up to find the familiar illuminance of glow crystals suffusing an office of some sort. Books, the archmagus’s books? Illiana felt her heart beat faster, then it lept into her throat as she saw the display. A unicorn head? With an intact horn?! Was that a balrog’s head?
Twinkling pulled at her eyes and her vision shifted, focused on the thing in the center of all the trophies. Fabric decorated with shining stars as if it were woven from the night sky itself. Could it be? A cloak of stars. That alone would have made all this worth it. Who cared about the school’s destroyed seal? The power of the Archmagus’ eye was neat but doubted it be a candle to a garment made from the hide of a Glitch Saber.
Illiana stepped forward but found her way blocked by Cinder’s arm.
“Oh no you don’t.” She hissed.
“I need that cloak!” Illiana hissed back.
“I bet you do. That’s bait, you idiot. Even if it isn’t cursed, wearing something like that is a death sentence. You’ll get mugged by the entire wizard’s guild.” Cinder stepped in, blocking Illiana entirely. Her strange red irises blazed. Still Illiana met her gaze.
“Its the find of a lifetime Cinder. I’m not going to just let it hang there. It will be a huge help once we get to the burial chamber.” Illiana said.
“You stay right there until I clear this room. That Gobbo wanted us to come here.” Cinder stepped into the room carefully.
“Maybe he thought it was too dark for you to see him duck into the hidden passage?” Barnaby offered.
“If he didn’t want us here, then he’d be objecting in some violent manner.” Cinder stalked around the room and wrinkled her nose. “If I had a guess, he’s been sleeping here.”
Peering around the desk, she nodded to herself. “There’s his bunk.”
She stooped and picked up her dagger from where it lay in front of the tropy display. “I’m not seeing another passage, either. Illiana can you sense if he used any magic in here?”
“Any detection spell is going to be swamped with that cloak. It's radiating magic.” Illiana said, feeling the cloak pulse with power. Calling to her. It had mana to spare, and invited her to share it.
Please, I’ve been here so long. I miss the sky. Please take me. A voice, soft and insistent threaded through Illiana’s mind.
“Is it evil? Maybe we should destroy it?” Barnaby suggested as he leaned against the entryway, watching this through glaze eyes.
“No!” No!
The whisper and Illiana cried out at the same time. Illiana stepped into the room and made to block the knight from the cloak.
“That would be like me destroying your hammer! To a wizard that’s like a sacred object! To have any idea how incredibly rare Glitch Sabers are? One with so many stars in their fur that they form galaxies?
“Illiana get back over that threshold.” Cinder scolded. “I don’t trust this one bit.”
“Arn’t we due for a little bit of luck?” Illiana countered, walking further into the office.
“The way your acting doesn’t make me any more comfortable, Illiana!” Cinder near shouted. “You haven’t even touched it yet.”
Hurry. I don’t have much time. The whisper urged.
“You don’t understand!” Illiana pushed past Cinder to stand in front of the cloak.
“This is a bad idea!” Cinder insisted, but crossed her arms and stepped back.
Illiana held out her hands and slowly extended them until they met the velvet fur. She sighed, so soft with a slight crackle of magic sparks leaping into her fingers. It rippled beneath them, stirring from an unseen wind. Illiana clutched the fabric in her fists. It pulsed with life. The cloak was alive somehow. That didn’t make any sense. Magic items, even powerful ones, didn’t have heartbeats. So warm, so inviting.
A small part of her wondered if Cinder didn’t have a point. The sheer mana the cloak contained dwarfed hers when fully rested. But it didn’t stop her from lifting the cloak off the wall and pulling it around her shoulders.
Thank you! Finally. Life again.
It was the immediate embrace of a blanket combined with a lover. Mana poured into Illiana’s deep spaces as a torrent. The rush of it triggered a flutter of pleasure that gripped her being until her body shook with the force of a sudden orgasm. In that, knowledge budded in her mind, the swirling power of the skies, the cloak held within its fur. They shined, offering themselves up to her. Itching to dance as they once had long ago.
“Illiana!” Cinder shouted nearby, breaking the communion. “What’s going on?”
“Oh!” Illiana blinked and gave a weak laugh. “I was just attuning it.”
“It… kinda sounded like you were having sex.” Cinder said.
Illiana coughed, suddenly aware of the moistness of her loins and the warmth cascading through her body while heat collecting at her cheeks.
“Its… just a lot of power. Wanna see?” Illiana asked, turning to Cinder with a smile.
“What does it do exactly?” Cinder asked warily.
“This!” Illiana pulled up the hood and closed her eyes to concentrate. Her own body disappearing within the long garment and its deep hood. Then the supple leather drew itself tight against her body, grasping her subtle curves. The stars of her cloak pulsed and stars swirled from the cloak and into the space beside her. Then a second Illiana opened her eyes next to the first. This new one composed of stars and shimmering light. A wave of disorientation swept over Illiana as she saw out of both sets of eyes, but it quickly subsided as something steadied her. The two Illianas turned in opposite directions and she savored the new viewpoint. She saw herself, her eyes glowing with starlight out of the hood’s shadow, only her lips and soft chin protruded. “Oh thats amazing.” Both selves whispered.
“Those shiny eyes are spooky.” Cinder looked from one to the other. “Can you do the other thing?” Cinder asked, her voice hushed.
“The other thing?” Illiana asked. Her two bodies looked back at Cinder, enjoying the view from both angles. Her leather armor mostly blocked out her natural shape, but the belt around her waist hinted at the hourglass figure Illiana knew lay beneath it. Her brain clicked onto Cinder’s question a moment later. “Oh! Yes.”
Illiana flicked a mental switch that had appeared in her mind. There was a buzzing pop and her perceptions changed subtly. The starself felt solid and her original body now felt floaty, weightless. The body and stars had switched places.
“Ha! Just like a real Glitch Saber!” Illiana exclaimed. With a surge of mischief, threw her body at Cinder.
Cinder reacted on instinct to block or catch her.
<fzzzst> Illiana glitch swapped, her starself passed harmlessly through Cinder and reformed on the other side. Switching again to swat Cinder’s bum.
“Gotcha!” Illiana giggled as Cinder jumped and wheeled around.
“Hey careful!” Cinder said, forcing a knife holding hand down to her side. “Thats a real good way to get stabbed.” Her cheeks flushed.
A mate makes everything more fun. A voice whispered in Illiana’s mind just below her conscious thoughts.
“Are you two… girls done with the naked flirting yet?” Barnaby asked.
“Naked?” All three, Cinder, Illiana and the slightly buzzy voice of the starself, asked all at once.
“She’s not wearing any clothes!” Barnaby pointed at the starry copy of Illiana, shielding his eyes with his other hand.
All three of them looked and found he was technically correct. The star version of Illiana wore no clothes, not even the cloak. Her small breasts were modeled very accurately, down to the nipples. Illiana tried to will a shirt onto it but felt a resistance to it. Illiana didn’t know that much about Glitch Sabers but she doubted they were a big fan of clothes. Maybe the cloak didn’t know how to do them? Maybe that's why the Archmagus put on the wall instead of wearing it? He didn’t his enemies to see him naked in a battle. Ah well. She dismissed her starself with a mental shrug. The stars quickly returned to their homes on the cloak.
“Even on death’s door the man is still a prude.” Cinder chuckled.
“I just need some rest.” Barnaby said.
“Doubt that will do it.” Illiana said, “Fortunately for you, we’ve got one of the greatest cures in the world here. A little bit of ground unicorn horn will fix you right up.”
“Uuuuh?”
“Just a little.” Illiana assured him as she slung her backpack onto the desk. It creaked under the weight. “I’ll mix it up in a jiffy. Cinder, you want to set up the heat stone and boil some water?”
“You want to make camp here? That goblin could lead gods who know what back here. I still haven’t figured out where he went.” Cinder protested.
“You got a better idea? I got a jolt from the cloak, but my own mana well’s dry. Barnaby’s about to fall over…”
The pair of them argued back and forth for several minutes, but Cinder couldn’t think of a better place to camp and eventually conceded. “Well, if we’re all brutally murdered and rise as skeletons, I’m using your head when I want to go bowling.” Then sullenly started unloading the cooking gear.
Illiana hid her grin. It wasn’t often she won an argument with Cider. She understood Cinder’s concern but couldn’t muster up any worry of her own. Something about this office felt safe. They tended Barnaby’s wound, ate a meal of boiled noodles and salted meat, then bedded down. Cinder, still agitated, volunteered to take the first watch. She perched on the desk, twirling her reclaimed knife between long dexterous fingers.
“I swear to the gods, if you spring out of some cubby gobbo I will gut you like a fish.”
A chuckle rose against Illiana’s lips and she swallowed it down as rested her head on her bed roll.
Your friend is a good hunter.
“The best.” Illiana whispered as sleep took her.