There were forty-six blocks of stone that made up the wall opposite her. Twenty-four made up the wall to her right and eighteen the wall to her left, an iron door having subtracted six from the total. Forty-two made up the floor and forty-four made up the ceiling. They were all roughly cut and grey, filth and insects making their homes in the multitudes of cracks upon the surface of the stones. The dim, flickering candlelight beaming in through the tiny bars upon the top of the door was the only source of illumination. Honestly she would have much preferred living in complete darkness, at least then she couldn't stare at every disgusting and revolting detail of the cell.

This was day fourteen. At least going by the regular meals that was what she assumed. She'd counted almost every stone within the cell in those days, curled up on the thin mat that was her only bedding. Each day she counted one wall over and over, moving onto the cracks upon the stones. The current one on the floor she was tracing her bare toe over in a circle possessed nine cracks. An odd number. She never really enjoyed odd numbers. They always seemed to be... wrong to her. Things should be neat and tidy.

The wall at her back remained uncounted. She was saving it. This was fixing to be her longest stretch in the cell after all and she would need it when counting the same stones grew too maddening. That was growing to be rapidly the case. She forced herself to stop moving her toe in a circle along the stone, the motion stank of neurosis. Instead she drew her legs up closer to her chest and lowered her head, thinking towards something else. Anything else really. Anything but the same walls.

Fourteen days. Three hundred and thirty six hours. Twenty thousand one hundred and sixty minutes. One million two hundred and nine thousand six hundred seconds. Hmm, how long had she been alive? Seven hundred and six years. Eight thousand four hundred and seventy two months. Thirty six thousand eight hundred and thirty seven weeks. Two hundred fifty seven thousand eight hundred and fifty nine days. ...How many hours would that be exactly?

So many centuries. She was fast approaching the middle age period of elven life. It was the time when she was to watch her children blossom into productive members of elven society and gossip with other women her age over this and that. Not so old where she could put her feet up and stop worrying about work but it was getting there with each new decade. A bitter chuckle left her lips as she thought of her daughter caring for her in her old and infirm year's centuries from now. The very idea of that eventuality was so laughable it was pathetic. Pathetic enough that it stabbed at her heart and brought the sting of fresh tears to her eyes.

The threat of madness was not the only reason she counted. No, it was because when her mind was silent it turned to her. When it turned to her it was hard to prevent the tears from flowing. After one hundred years of this... life one might have expected she would no longer have tears to shed, instead she found they came all too easily in her private moments. She mourned. She mourned for her and what she had once been. She mourned for the bright and loving green eyes that had once stared up at her in wide-eyed wonder.

The salty drops dribbled down her dirty cheeks, dripping to the filthy mat below. She sniffled miserably as a sob forced itself from her chest. That wonderful child was gone. In her place was madness born from magic. A hollow creature with her face and her voice and some sick shadow of her former mannerisms. She regretted her part in what had made the madness possible. She regretted never seeing the signs. She was truly deserving of this. Of every indignity placed upon her. She felt as though she was the worst person in the world.

Clattering steps sounded outside of the cell, followed by the bolt outside of the door sliding out of place. The elf whimpered and raised an arm as bright light flooded the dark cell, a shadow stepping into the doorway. Sunken green eyes hesitantly rose towards the figure, pupils adjusting to the change in light. A pair of her own green eyes stared back at her, the orbs alight with cruel mischief. It was her.

Alicia. Her daughter, her failure, her mistress. The youthful elven maiden wore a toga trimmed with purple today, a pair of belted sandals upon her feet. Red hair was allowed to hang about her head in twin pigtails. Her form was perfection and her angular face was the product of some chisel of the gods. Compared to her, Lilisila felt utterly inadequate. Her pale skin was dirty and stained and her clothing was little better than a large and ripped prison tunic. Her red hair was matted with filth and sweat and she possessed a perpetually saddened expression upon her similarly shaped face.

Alicia smiled as she entered the cell, a wooden box in her hands. Lilisila dared not to speak. The stinging memory of her daughter's anger was still very fresh in her mind. She was merely her apprentice after all. The mistress would command her to speak when she wanted to hear her voice. Her eyes turned downwards, averting her gaze away from her daughter. Most daughters feared their mother but in this situation it was most certainly the other way around. Alicia was unpredictable and that was why she so feared her.

The daughter placed the box down on the floor at the side, the sound of light pounding and squeaks within telling Lilisila all she needed to know about the contents. Alicia knelt before the dirty and ragged elf, a child-like smile upon her lips. She wrinkled her nose as she got a good whiff of Lilisila and squeezed her thumb and forefinger against her nostrils. The older elf had gotten used to her own stench from being stuck here, clearly Alicia had not.

"Blech, you are all smelly and gross, Mommy!" She exclaimed, her squeezed nose giving her voice a nasally quality to it.

Lilisila bowed her head slightly. "I apologize, dearest daughter. My cell lacks much in the way of bathing facilities."

The sound of her own voice surprised her. Most of her two week stay here had been in silence. Her voice cracked slightly here or there as her vocal cords shook off the atrophy of the past two weeks. She hated how weak she sounded. She was pathetic, dirty, and without an ounce of control over the most basic aspects of her life. As much as she hated it her head still remained bowed to her daughter, the gesture reflexive by this point in her life.

Alicia grinned. "Well I brought along some helpers to get you all cleaned up!"

With that the elf stopped holding her nose and removed the top of the box at her side. The squeaks and cries from before became more clear and audible as Lilisila's eyes fell upon four tiny and naked humans. Three males and one female. Their little eyes were peering up in fear at the women looming above their prison. The older elf almost pitied the poor creatures. At the moment they were even lower than she was. Considering her lot in life and how far she had fallen to get there that was saying something.

Alicia hummed a little tune and upturned the box upon Lilisila's prison mat. The little humans screamed as they tumbled out of their prison and were sprawled out before Lilisila. Her daughter giggled at the sight, her green eyes glinting with half maddened glee as she leered down at her tiny victims. They lay in a pile of tangled and squirming limbs, trying to disentangle themselves from one another. Alicia cleared her throat, immediately drawing the attention of the tiny beings upwards fearfully.

"My Mommy is all dirty and disgusting. Clean her up or I'll send you to join your friend. I think I can still feel him wriggling in there!" Alicia said, her voice managing to still come off as cheerful as she rubbed at her slim belly meaningfully.

Lilisila watched the frantic squirming of the human grew. The first to disentangle from the pile was a young blonde haired man, who scrambled up to her right foot and started drawing his tongue and fingers over the filth upon her sole. Just from that immediate action the older elf could tell he'd been bred for his role. The other three seemed much more hesitant about their duty. Probably slaves taken from the recent invasion if she had to guess. A quick look back to her daughter was all the prompting they needed to join their companion in his work.

The acts tickled at her feet as she had two working on one and two on the other. Her toes wriggled slightly at the sensation, one that was not entirely unpleasant. Of course to the humans it was probably hell. Her time in this filthy cell had left every inch of her covered in dirt and grime and sweat. No doubt the work was rancid and revolting. Indeed, the brown haired young woman below looked as though she was about to retch as she took in mouthfuls of unspeakably disgusting dirt. Lilisila stared down at her without an ounce of emotion on her face, watching as her form became covered in the filth upon her foot.

Once upon a time she might have enjoyed this treatment. Once upon a time she had enjoyed tormenting humans. She had taken part in the war to bring their kind to heel after all. Her parents had been slaves to the old human empires as most elves had been. She had plenty of reason to smirk and torment the pitiful little creatures as they toiled away. Once upon a time she had passed the time in squeezing them between her toes or suckling on them like candy within her mouth.

Now however, she had perspective. Lilisila knew well what a slave's life was really like. She knew how hopeless it felt and how very helpless one really was. As such there was a small bit of pity in her heart for humans. They were bred and bought and sold like cheap pets and food on the open market. At least three of the ones working diligently to clean the filth from her feet had once possessed hopes, dreams, and families of their own. Now they were playthings, toys, even food.

"There we go. Lick it allll up, little humans, that's your food for a while! Fill your little tummies while you can!" Alicia giggled.

The younger elf's attention turned to her mother once again, her sweet smile still in place. "Anyway, Mommy, it's been two weeks! Have you learned your lesson yet? I hate having to put you in time out, but sometimes you can be so dense!"

Lilisila felt Alicia's knuckles lightly tap at the crown of her head, her stomach twisting into knots at the patronizing gesture. Even still she kept her gaze lowered, watching the humans as they worked for all their worth. The female could no longer keep going it seemed and this time she actually did fall to her knees and vomit, the filth and dirt from her efforts coming right back up. Alicia was paying them no mind.

The Apprentice licked her filthy lips. "I- Yes, dearest daughter. I have learned my lesson and apologize for my transgression."

"Oh? And why are you sorry, Mommy? What did you do wrong?"

Lilisila felt her gut twist again and again, revolted at what she had to say to escape this cell. "Alicia, please-."

Fingers roughly curled around her tangled mess of red hair and Lilisila whimpered as her gaze was forced to the still smiling face of Alicia. The smile was so brittle that she knew it would shatter at a single wrongly spoken word. Behind her green eyes the madness flared up and looked ready to consume the mind of her daughter once again. The mother didn't mind admitting that she was afraid of her.

"What did you do wrong, Mommy? Come on, you want out don't you?"

Lilisila swallowed whatever shreds of her dignity remained and choked out what Alicia wanted to hear. "I-I forgot to change your sheets and pillow case."

Such a simple thing. Minute. Insignificant in the larger scheme of things. Something one would simply shrug their shoulders at forgetting. Not Alicia. Lilisila felt her cheeks sting from the memory of her anger. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes as she stared into her daughter's eyes, the toils of the slaves at her feet forgotten.

"That's right. You forgot, like a bad Mommy might. You don't want to be a bad Mommy do you?" Alicia asked, her tone lowering dangerously.

"No! Please, forgive me daughter!" Lilisila pleaded, sobs wracking her body and her movements knocking a few of the humans at her feet upon their backs.

The younger elf held Lilisila's gaze for a time before releasing her hair and smiling brightly. Her mood swung about effortlessly, to a degree where it was more frightening that being yelled out. Alicia hugged her mother, her arms squeezing tightly around the filthy elf without a care for her clothes getting dirty. Lilisila slowly raised her arms up and returned the hug, tears dribbling down her dirty face.

"Shhh, it's okay, Mommy. I love you." Alicia said, letting out a coo of pleasure as she snuggled against Lilisila.

Lilisila felt her heart ache. There were times when she contemplated ending it all, freeing herself from this torment. However that most simple of emotions was the reason she couldn't bring herself to do so. Love. She loved Alicia. She remembered the sweet child she had once been and the bright eyed and optimistic young woman she had grown into. There were still fragments of her that occasionally showed. They were twisted and sinister beyond all belief but she still held onto hope she could get her back. She needed to get her back.

Alicia drew back and turned her gaze to the humans below, most of which looked quite sick from their task. The human female was curled into a ball and sobbing silently near a puddle of her own vomit and the slave-bred human was retching on his knees. The others frantically licked at the disgusting flesh of her mother's dirty feet, trying desperately to please the maddened elf they knew well to fear.

"Hmm... I'll forgive you, Mommy. First though, I want you to eat all four of those humans. Filth and all. Consider that your punishment. Then we'll leave together and I'll let you take a nice bath and read me a story before bed." Alicia said, drawing back.

As soon as she delivered her ultimatum, she flexed her right hand. A purple cord shot out from her index finger, exploding into a shower of translucent strings. They paralyzed the helpless humans, keeping any of them from so much as blinking. Lilisila had flinched from the effortless display of magic, her eyes turning downwards towards the paralyzed and helpless creatures at her feet.

Each and every one of them was coated in filth from head to toe. Their expressions were one and all of naked terror. The mother tried to imagine what kind of disgusting hell they had just been through. They had licked and ran their tiny fingers along her dirty soles, lapping up filth, sweat, and dead skin. Under normal circumstances, given how clean she liked to be it wouldn't have been horrible. Lilisila might even go so far as to say some of her past slaves had come to enjoy licking and caressing the smooth and supple flesh of her feet. Compared to the uses most elves could think of for humans, hers were considered tame.

Despite how disgusting they looked and her sympathy towards their lot in life she plucked up the blonde male first. Alicia allowed him movement once more and he started squirming between Lilisila's fingers furiously. Without another word she opened her lips, strings of saliva breaking as her dirty maw opened wide. He screamed and cried and begged but Lilisila blocked it out. It was her or him and she knew that if she had to spend another two weeks in this cell she was going to start talking to herself.

"Wait, please don't-!"

Whatever pleading he'd been about to scream out was muffled and lost as Lilisila shoved him into her mouth, closing her lips around him. Immediately her taste buds felt like they were being stabbed. The rancid and disgusting filthy he'd been working with scouring from her feet was now in her mouth and she had newfound sympathy for the humans. How long had they been at licking it from her feet? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Each second they'd been forced to swallow mouthful upon mouthful of the filth. She couldn't imagine it but she was getting a literal taste of what it had been like right now.

He struggled and squirmed against her tongue and tried in vain to grip onto anything. The older elf flicked him towards the back of her mouth quickly and forced herself to swallow. Her throat muscles protested at the act and truthfully she nearly gagged but she choked the squirming human down with another swallow. Tears stung at her eyes from having to actually taste that and it felt like even if she brushed with a wire brush her mouth would never be clean again.

Alicia put two fingers on her mother's throat, tracing down the passage of Lilisila's revolting snack. He kicked and struggled the whole way down. They always fought the inevitable. In the end it only served to speed his descent and soon enough she felt him arrive in her stomach, little fists pounding against the walls of his prison. Alicia caressed at Lilisila's belly, letting out a low sigh of pleasure.

"I love watching you down human, Mommy. I bet you ate a bunch when I was in here, didn't you? It would explain why I think they are so yummy!" Her daughter said.

Lilisila didn't trust herself to speak without immediately vomiting so instead she plucked up the next human, another male. This time he barely got off a scream before he was shoved into the elf's mouth. This time Lilisila immediately pushed him to the back of her mouth a swallowed hard. The taste wasn't as prevalent this time and another swallow sent him down to join his friend in her belly. Normally she didn't mind eating humans, indeed what Alicia said about her eating quite few during her pregnancy was true. Now however they were settling poorly in her stomach and their struggles were threatening to upset her stomach even more.

"Two down, two to go! Keep going, Mommy, you can do it!" Alicia cheered, giggling as Lilisila picked up another male.

The older elf stopped for a moment, holding the struggling human up as she put a hand to her stomach and groaned. How was she going to be able to keep four of them down? She considered chewing this one but figured that would only spread the filth on him around further. Better to just suck it up. Just two more. If she could just choke down two more she could leave this cell. She took a few deep breaths and opened her mouth again, plopping the third human onto her tongue and swallowing hard again.

This time the human managed to get caught in her throat however and Lilisila made a few choking sounds, gripping her throat and swallowing hard again. That seemed to get the struggling and squirming meal going again as her throat muscles work him down. Tears leaked from her eyes as she breathed easier again, the man arriving in her belly to add to the number of struggling humans within.

There were no words she possessed to describe how sick Lilisila felt. She was a few moments away from vomiting up her meal upon the floor, kept in check by the knowledge that if she did Alicia would probably make her down them again. That mental image very nearly set her stomach churning. The frantic struggling in her belly didn't make matters much easier. Her green eyes turned to the remaining human, her dirty fingers reaching down to grip the frightened woman.

She started struggling as soon as Alicia allowed her, screaming and crying just as the others had. Lilisila opened her mouth but the very thought of putting another filth-covered human on her tongue closed it again. She couldn't swallow another one or she'd throw up. Maybe she could keep three down just long enough for them to start digesting but four would be too much. She dared to look Alicia in the eyes.

"I-I can't eat another one, daughter. Please, just let me out. I'm begging you." The older elf said, her lower lip quivering.

Alicia's smile immediately left her face and her eyes narrowed, freezing the blood in Lilisila's veins. "Well. I suppose you can spend a bit more time out of my sight, you worthless little weakling. If you can't even manage to choke down four measly little humans you aren't much use to me!" She said, standing up and walking towards the door.

Lilisila immediately released the human in her hand and tried to stand, ending up doubling over and holding her protesting stomach with a groan of agony. Alicia opened the door to the cell and turned back to her mother, her gaze dispassionate. "I suggest you try to keep the ones you eat down, Mommy, that's all the food you get today."

Her daughter departed the cell, the door slamming behind her with the sound of a lock sliding into place sounding out soon after. Lilisila crawled over to the door and banged her fists against it frantically, tears streaming down her face. Wretched and raw sobs of desperate sorrow were torn from her lips. Her protesting stomach took a backseat at the moment as the crushing despair that fell over her was even more sickening.

"Alicia! Please, come back! Please let me out! Don't leave me in here! Oh, gods, please... please..." Lilisila cried, Alicia's footsteps fading from her hearing.

"Please! Daughter, please I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, please let me out! Please! Alicia..."

Seventeen days now. Seventeen days in isolation in the cells beneath the Grand Spire. It wasn't an odd punishment for Apprentices who displeased their Masters. The mages of the Grand Spire tended to police themselves as opposed to answering to Elsira at large. The Dungeons tended to find a frequent guest in Lilisila however. She could say that this was most her longest by two days and that it was up there in terms of being the worst. That was saying quite a bit considering what hell she had experienced in this place.

Lilisila sat cross legged upon her mat, eyes closed to the dark cell around her. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. This cycle of breathing calmed the buzz going through her skull from her isolation, providing something to focus upon besides counting stones or years of her life. More than that it calmed the storm brewing below her skin, taking the edge off of her powers. Her veins beneath her right arm shifted and slithered beneath her skin, dancing rhythmically like snakes.

A cough sounded out from across the cell. Her eyes opened and the slithering halted as the green orbs fell upon the only other occupant of the cell. On the other side of the cell huddled a tiny and dirty form, staring wide eyed at Lilisila. Most likely she was staring at her half shifted and rather monstrous hand. Black talons sprouted where nails had once existed, long and gnarled fingers twisted at unnatural angles with joints not normal in a hand. She allowed a tiny ghost of a smirk to adorn her face at the reaction.

"Elder magic is not pretty, is it human?" She said, smirking.

The sound of her voice startled the tiny human who turned her eyes towards her legs, averting her gaze from the massive creature. Lilisila shook her head slightly, willing her arm to slowly revert to its normal flesh and blood nature. Bones popped and flesh twisted like it was a liquid rather than a natural solid. Dark talons shrank and reverted to long and dirt encrusted fingernails. With that done she flexed her fingers, sighing in pleasure as her body was returned to its natural state.

Her... companion had run to the other side of the cell as soon as she had gotten the chance. Out of some sense of pity Lilisila had been leaving bits of her meal and water out for her, so she hadn't deteriorated. The fact that she hadn't gotten sick from her licking at filth and dirt was a testament to how hardy she was. It was impressive really. A highly valued quality in humans given what most elves could do to them.

Still, talking to her was better than talking to herself. "It is an unfortunate part of the magic. Few aspects of it are aesthetically pleasing. My daughter is one of the few that possesses mastery over one that is."

"Hmm... stay right there. Don't move." Lilisila said, standing up and moving towards her fellow cellmate.

The frightened little brown haired woman looked like she was considering fleeing the second Lilisila stood. Indeed, the moment the elf set one foot down in a movement in her direction she did just that. Her tiny little legs scampered as fast as they could along the wall, stepping over cracks and through puddles of filthy water. Lilisila snorted at the futile gesture, slightly adjusting her course to intercept her. Her steps created tiny ripples in the puddles of water, unnoticeable to her but no doubt only adding to the terror of her cellmate. To her, Lilisila wasn't so much another person as much as a monolithic titan. One that could casually pop her under one dirty toe.

Such movements were out of fear no doubt more than an expectation that she could escape. After all, what did one do but flee in the face of such a creature lumbering towards them? The elf set her bare foot down before the fleeing human with a loud slap, the sudden movement paralyzing the human with fear. A faint squeak was the only audible sound Lilisila's keen eyes could make out from her. She reached down quickly and managed to grip the human between her fingers, lumbering back towards her mat with her prize in tow.

Now it was much easier to make out the human's voice. "Put me down! Please, don't eat me! Please, please, I'm begging you anything but that! Oh gods please no!"

It was always the same with humans that could actually speak. The begging was one reason her daughter enjoyed captured humans over bred ones, it was so much more 'fun' to crush their spirits. Lilisila knew what it was like to beg in vain so she possessed some kernel of sympathy in her cold heart for the human in her fingers. She sat down upon the mat, crossing her legs and allowing the brown haired woman to slip down into the palm of her hand. Her eyes stared dispassionately down at the naked form trying to get its bearings upon the surface of her hand.

She was in her early twenties by the looks of her and her form was certainly something to be envious of. Were she not dirty and so miserable looking perhaps she might even be called pretty. Then again Lilisila had very little room to speak. The elf's gaze did not go unnoticed for long and, with a squeak of surprise, the human covered herself up as best she could. Her right arm flew across her ample breasts and she sat and crossed her legs to make herself somewhat decent. Well, more so than if everything was hanging right out.

Lilisila chuckled. "Most humans are naked in Elsira, minus the odd mage or favored pet of a noble."

With some amusement she noted the woman made no attempt to surrender that bit of dignity. She certainly had spine. Perhaps stupidity. The two often mixed together in Lilisila's opinion.

"Suit yourself, human. What is your name?"

The question seemed to surprise the little woman, her gaze becoming more wary than it was frightened for a moment. "A-Are you going to eat me?"

A snort escaped the elf. "No. You look entirely unappetizing. I would also then be out the only possible source of conversation aside from myself. Then where would I be at?"

The woman said nothing for the longest time, likely searching for some trick in her words. Considering she had been bought and likely toyed with by Alicia such a response was not entirely unwarranted. Unlike most elves, Lilisila patiently waited for the human to make up her mind. Certainly tormenting her could past the time as much as talking to her would but Lilisila felt like speaking to a... relative equal. At another time it would have been insulting to be compared to a human, now however she knew well the slave's life.

"Gloria."

Lilisila sighed and set her head back against the wall, staring down at Gloria. "Pleased to meet you, Gloria. I am Lilisila Tylsiva. Lili will do."

The elf extended the pinky finger of her free hand down towards Gloria, causing the human to nearly fall over herself. The digit hovered near her for a bit until the message sank in well enough for her. Timidly the human extended a hand to the digit, placing her tiny fingers upon the nail. With that ridiculous looking formality out of the way Lilisila moved her pinky away and gave Gloria back her space.

"How were you captured, Gloria?" The elf asked calmly.

The human winced, as though even recalling the memory was painful. "M-My village was attacked by elves and me and my Ma were taken captive. T-They d-did something, some magic to make us like this. I-I don't know where they took my mother, do you, maybe...?"

Lilisila closed her eyes. "She was probably sold to a pet shop, a breeding house, or an establishment that specializes in human based dishes." She said.

"Y-You mean she could have been eaten!?" Gloria cried, despair thick in her voice.

"Yes, very likely in fact. Sitria Soup, for instance, calls for ground and peppered humans upon the dish. Quite expensive and usually enjoyed by more well off elves." Lilisila answered, not an ounce of humor in her voice.

The woman looked stricken at that revelation. Perhaps she had thought she and Alicia isolated and extreme examples. Lilisila knew quite well that Alicia was particularly voracious, stuffing her freckled cheeks with as many squirming treats as she could and she was hardly unusual. The breeding facilities kept the population high enough to where it was rather easy to sustain a large population. Most humans tended to react as Gloria did when they found out their most popular use.

"You are one of the more fortunate ones honestly." Lilisila commented with a shrug.

Gloria looked at the giant elf as though she were crazy. "Fortunate? I watched that-that monster eat someone and then you almost ate me after I had to lick the dirt from your feet! How the fuck is that fortunate!?" She screamed.

A shrug was the elf's immediate answer. "You weren't eaten and you aren't about to be killed immediately."

The human blinked. "Y-You mean I'm going to be your slave then?"

Another shrug. "Maybe. I don't eat or kill mine with the relish my daughter displays."

"I feel so much better."

Lilisila actually chuckled at that. "You are fortunate I'm as low and insignificant as you in the eyes of most, otherwise you'd be a red stain in the hands of most elves for that lip."

Silence reigned in the air of the cell for the longest time. Gloria seemed content to study her much larger cellmate and Lilisila simply closed her eyes. It felt comforting to actually have a conversation partner in her isolation. Admittedly she was human but beggars could not be choosers. Her lip was amusing and at least she wasn't a whimpering wreck, pissing herself at the sight of the elf.

"Are you a slave?" The human asked carefully.

Lilisila chuckled. "Technically no, though in practice most certainly. Officially I am my daughter's Master Apprentice, her right hand. However all that amounts to is being her glorified slave."

"But you're her mother." The human stated, clearly confused.

"Yes. Yes I am." Lilisila stated, a sigh escaping her as she clearly desired to sever that thread of conversation.

Gloria caught the hint and shifted the conversation towards another subject. "So, I'll be your slave. What does that mean?"

The elf actually thought about that for a moment. "I might opt to wear you. You look like you'd fit well on a good necklace or bracelet. Not exactly stressful, you'd just have to look pretty."

Lilisila pondered what piece she'd best fit with. Brown hair, pale skin, rather appealing form. Hmm... the pearl encrusted silver bracelet her daughter picked out for her a few months back seemed a good idea. It was still unadorned by a human and had a slot designed for a human female. If she wanted to set herself back in Alicia's good graces wearing it might help. Of course she'd need to clean Gloria up a bit. She was just a little skinny so it might avail her to plump her up just a bit as well. The elf imagined the tiny human set upon the bracelet just so and nodded to herself. A fine addition to her attire really, she would really complete the item.

Gloria's face paled at that, tears rising in her eyes. "W-Wait, can't you just let me go back home? Please, if you're a slave then you have to know how scary it is!"

A shrug was Lilisila's answer. "Your home is gone and soon enough I suspect the homes of all humans will be gone. So your choices are food, breeding, pet, or jewelry. I could always squish you if you want it over quickly."

The look upon the human's face was one who had just had their whole world destroyed. "I-Its not fair! I had a family! A life! You all took it from me!" She cried, tears spilling down her face as she pounded her fist against Lilisila's palm over and over.

There was very little the elf could say to that. Instead she stared coolly at the woman as she screamed and cried out her anguish. Alicia probably would have driven the knife home with glee but Lilisila simply laid everything out as it was. Aside from the odd human mage, most humans weren't exactly drowning in options for life in Elsira. Honestly the elf wouldn't fault Gloria for asking for a quick out, though being out a conversation partner wouldn't be good. She would take her life if asked however.

The human curled up and continued to weep, spilling her sorrow out on Lilisila's hand. With a sigh the elf lifted her pinky and started slowly stroking along Gloria's back, the woman stiffening briefly at the contact. She relaxed and let the woman continue to lightly stroke at her back, her sobs growing more and more quiet. Lilisila started humming a low tune, a lyrical and soothing sound that echoed through the cell. The tune was mired in bittersweet memories of Alicia's earlier years. For now though it seemed to give Gloria some peace of mind, quieting her sobs.

For the longest time Lilisila was content to stay like this, gently stroking at the human as she hummed away. She wasn't even sure why the urge had risen in her. Gloria was a human after all. Getting attached to her was folly. Still, she was younger and she looked so lost. Perhaps it was some misguided maternal instinct to protect something small and helpless. Or perhaps it was practical to keep Gloria's mental state intact as she was the only other occupant of the cell. Whatever the case was the elf continued for a bit, until Gloria sat up on her knees.

"T-Thank you. Sorry about that, must have looked really pathetic. A grown woman crying like that." She said with a sniffle.

Lilisila shrugged. "I just told you that your race commonly garnishes dishes and suggested making you into jewelry. If you didn't feel distressed at that I might have been worried."

The tiny woman managed a wan smile at that. "Yeah, right. You could use some work breaking that news to people."

"I'll be sure to practice delivering world shattering news to people on a more regular basis." The elf deadpanned.

Gloria actually managed a chuckle at that, putting Lilisila slightly at ease as conversation seemed to be back on track. She didn't know how long she'd be stuck in here given how displeased her daughter was at her failure. She noticed Gloria hadn't mentioned how she had been prepared to eat her for a way out. The elf knew in the back of her mind that if Alicia asked her to finish of Gloria to escape this cell there was no question the human would be eaten. It was a thought that soured her mood slightly as she knew well how much of a coward she really was.

Twenty-one days now. Twenty-one days in the darkness of the cell. Lilisila currently stared up at the ceiling, occasionally feeling a bit of squirming between her breasts. She sighed, the rise and fall of her chest halting the movement for the time being. The elf wondered what it was like to be so close to her heartbeat, to have its gentle thumping and breathing fill her world. Gloria seemed to like it, having request to be nestled between Lilisila's breasts most of the time. She had blushed so brightly but Lilisila didn't mind, honestly she enjoyed keeping her cellmate close.

The days had passed with very few incidents. Alicia hadn't visited her again though it was not surprising to the dirty elf. Gloria was her only company and typically they passed the time talking. Rather Gloria would talk and Lilisila would listen, occasionally interjecting her own remarks. She was now aware of the name of her home village, the names and appearances of all of her immediate family, who she was named after, the main export of her village, and more than she had ever wanted to know about milking cows.

They were inane little things but the elf listened to each and every topic, indulging in the conversations just to keep sane. Very little about them was actually of interest to her. Honestly they were rather dull and Gloria's life had been horridly uninteresting. The most interesting thing that had happened to her was, ironically, her capture and enslavement. Her tales of witnessing one of her friends devoured by her daughter didn't surprise her at all. Apparently she'd taken her time, tasting and toying with him on her tongue before swallowing. The little human had found it horrific, Lilisila, who was no stranger to devouring humans felt very little.

Gloria squirmed a bit more, signaling to the larger woman to let her out of her little shelter. The elf's fingers dipped between the valley of her breasts and plucked the tiny human out, setting her on the ground beside her head. It was easier to talk to her when she was near Lilisila's triangular ear. Her hearing was keen but when she was right there she could hear her clear as day. The giantess wondered idly what the conversation topic would be today. Maybe pig wrestling or boys she had liked.

"Morning, Lili! How'd you sleep?" Gloria inquired with a yawn.

Lilisila shrugged. "Well enough. You?"

"Great! You never seem to toss and turn so it's like heaven. Can only imagine its better without the dirt." Gloria said.

Lilisila opted not to mention why she never tossed or turned. Insomnia had long kept dark circles under her eyes and she longed for the rare nights when she could sleep. She had felt every squirm of the human when the tiny creature slept, every toss and every turn. She envied her really. The elf envied the human for her ability to fall asleep whenever she wanted. Lilisila felt so tired all the time. So very tired.

"So... Lili... can I ask you something?" Gloria said, her tone unsure.

"Ask away, we have nothing but time after all."

"It's about... Alicia."

Lilisila winced as her daughter's smiling face entered her mind. "That is a... personal subject."

"Well, who am I going to tell? Didn't you say I was going to become a piece of jewelry?"

She... had a point Lilisila supposed though she doubted Gloria understood why she had a point. Regardless the elf let out a weary sigh. Talking of her daughter was... painful. Just thinking about it hurt. Talking made it real. Even still she knew that talking was something she had to do eventually. Might as well talk about such matters to one that was never going to repeat it to another.

"Very well... what do you want to know?" Lilisila asked.

"Well... how did she get all... ya know..." Gloria asked, suddenly seeming a bit careful of her word choice.

The elf chuckled bitterly. "Insane? Crazy? Barking Mad? A few swords short of an armory? I have heard it all before."

"There was no... one incident that pushed her to madness. It was gradual. Slow. However perhaps I should start at the beginning."

She took a deep breath and let it out, preparing to lay out her sins before a witness. It was so hard to find the proper words even as she had long thought over how to phrase the tale. How exactly did one describe what Alicia had once been and what she had become? How did one describe a fall into the blackest of madness from the greatest of heights? No one word could capture it and any amount of them seemed insufficient.

"I remember, when I discovered I was bearing Alicia, I was so happy. I was young back then, much younger than you see now. For the longest time I knew I wanted to be a mother. I bore my daughter happily for a year, feeling her grow inside of me. There was pain bringing her into this world but such bliss when I held her in my arms." Lilisila started.

"I was the Mistress of Elder Magic before she held the title and her father was a brilliant scholar. It only made sense that we would bear a gifted daughter. To call Alicia gifted, however, would be an understatement. Whatever field of magic she attempted, she excelled at. She was my equal in Elder Magic by her first century and possessed access to many other branches as well. Of course I was proud. However... it wasn't good enough."

"What do you mean? She sounded perfect." Gloria interjected.

Lilisila swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. "She was. Oh, if only I had seen how she was. Alicia was such a perfect child, so loving and gentle. She didn't used to delight in tormenting humans; she treated them gently and cried whenever one died near her. For all her gifts however, for all the power inside of her, my daughter was insecure to an extreme."

"Insecure?"

"Mhm. She never thought she was good enough. I certainly didn't help matters there. I was always pushing her, I was sparing with my love and in showering her with affection. I wanted her to succeed, because through her was my validation. She was my legacy. So to please me, Alicia devoted herself more and more to magic." Lilisila said, blinking back tears.

She remembered well the long hours Alicia spent training, researching, throwing herself at her magic with barely a thought given to sleep or food. She remembered how icy and cold she herself had been, stringent with her approval. If she messed up then she was berated, if she succeeded then she could have done better. More and more Alicia had grown desperate, her gleaming green eyes so very wild with desperation as she toiled away.

"Magic is dangerous, not just to the target of a spell but to the user itself. It feels so good, addictive, like a drug in some ways. To abuse magic is to abuse one's soul. Alicia abused it. She abused it over and over again, the power seeping away at her sanity. Slowly she grew more erratic and more eccentric. I remember watching her down her pampered and cared for pets like nothing one day."

What a jarring memory that had been. Her daughter had abstained from human based meals on principle for the longest time. However she had devoured her little pets with a relish and glee Lilisila had never seen. One after the other she had popped them in her mouth and swallowed them down. The elf had simply assumed Alicia was simply discovering how good they typically tasted and felt squirming down. It had been brushed off at the time. Humans were eaten all the time after all.

"Eventually she discovered the soul strings, refining her control of Elder Magic to its finest point and that was when she made the true plunge. That was when she decided to take control..."

_____________________________________________________________________

The manor was eerily quiet as the full moon was newborn in the sky. Lilisila stepped inside, the door creaking ever so slightly. She looked around the foyer and found no sign of the servants and all of the candles were extinguished. It was so quiet that if a pin had dropped the woman would have heard it clear as day. The darkness was not unbearable as the moonlight dappling through the curtains was more than enough to light her way for the time being.

"Edion? Alicia? Are you two planning something? The Council meeting wasn't that bad honestly, no need to go to any trouble." Lilisila said, a slight smirk upon her lips.

Her purple robes swished around her slim form as she walked away from the door. Her eyes searched around until her sandal splashed into something. The woman looked down and immediately regretted it. Blood. Fresh blood by the looks of it. It had been drawn upon the floor like a little finger painting, an arrow pointing down a nearby hallway. Lilisila's arm was morphed and transformed within a few seconds, black talons gleaming in the moonlight as her grotesque Dark Arm rested at her side.

Assassins perhaps? It wouldn't be the first time. The logical thing would be to search out a battlemage in the city. However with the blood on the floor and her husband and daughter here the woman was not willing to just leave. They could be injured or worse. Immediately she rushed off down the hall, finding further arrows pointing her along the path. Her heart was pounding as her talons flexed, prepared to tear any assassin to ribbons. They would learn the price of crossing a Councilor of Elsira.

The arrows turned down the hall and into a nearby corridor. Before turning Lilisila moved her Dark Arm around the corner, the eyelids upon the appendage blinking open. Wide red eyes stared out at all around, their eyes connected to her own sight. No ambush so far. The arrows seemed to lead down the corridor and into the dining room. Not exactly the best place for an attack. Close quarters was where she excelled.

Lilisila turned the corner and stopped beside the door to the dining room. She moved her arm out to take a look, and immediately wished she had not.

The room was a mess. The table was cracked and splintered and the chairs had been tossed around the room. The servants of the household were strewn about the floor, certainly dead. Some had slit throats, others looked to have stabbed themselves in the gut, still others had been sliced open by their fellows. Sitting in the only upright chair was Alicia, gossamer purple strings stretching out from her right hand. They were connected to a well-dressed and handsome male elf, Edion, her husband.

The mother turned the corner and entered the room, her steps halting as she got a good look with her natural eyes. They were all so mangled and torn and bloody. Edion didn't look up from his place on the floor though Alicia did smile widely at Lilisila's entrance. She clapped her hands together and giggled.

"Mommy! Your home! Sorry about the mess, housecleaning sure can get messy." Alicia said.

It was then that Lilisila got a good look at her daughter's eyes. They were bright as they always had been though they were alight with something sinister. Something dark. Madness. She was dressed in her little cotton nightgown, which was stained in blood. Blood was also upon her fingers, likely having been used to paint the arrows in the halls. It wasn't as though she was lacking for blood to use. The look in her eyes was so... evil.

"Ali... what have you done?" Lilisila asked, trying to remain calm.

"Hmm... Well, the servants always messed up my dinner, were behind in changing my sheets and stained my best dress. Really horrid servants honestly. So I opted to show them that their services were no longer required." Alicia said, turning her gaze to the ceiling.

The older elf's eyes flicked to Edion who was still bound by the strange purple strings extending from Alicia's fingers. Just what were they? Lilisila had never seen such a magic before in her life. Was he dead? She prayed it wasn't so. Surely her daughter was not too far gone as to do that. Then again... the scene of murder all around her told her that Alicia was already quite out of the loop of sanity.

Her daughter lifted her right hand. "Pretty aren't they? I call them Soul Strings. They give me direct control over a person's body and spirit through commands pulsed out from my spirit along the strings. Daddy likes them, don't you Daddy?"

Apparently he was given enough command over his mouth to speak when Alicia twitched her pinky. "Lili, run! She's gone-!"

Another twitch cut off his vocal cords once more. Alicia narrowed her eyes at her father and kicked out, her heel smashing into his jaw roughly. That was what prompted Lilisila to finally move. She ran forward, her Dark Arm ready to restrain her daughter. The only warning she got was an explosion of gossamer threads before she found herself frozen in place. Alicia's left hand was held out and more threads were extending into Lilisila's body.

It felt so... wrong. Like most elder magic it felt like it was violating every natural law just by existing. This was most certainly elder magic but of a caliber that Lilisila had never imagined possible. She could only stare out with eyes that were no longer her own, she couldn't even blink or breathe without Alicia allowing her to. Such magic like this was so far beyond her own that it was laughable.

Alicia stood and let out another unhinged giggle, her eyes rolling around in her skull as her lips were turned up in a childish grin. Lilisila's hand morphed back into a normal flesh and blood hand, her magic now under the control of Alicia. She felt afraid of her. Of her daughter of all people! Never would she have imagined Alicia doing something like this. Certainly she had become a tad... eccentric these past couple of years but nothing out of the ordinary for a skilled mage.

Her daughter reached out and caressed at Lilisila's cheek, staining it red with blood. "You know, Mommy, for the longest time I was trying so hard to figure out what would please you. What might make her happy, I wondered? I thought that if I was like you, if I was as good as you then you might love me more. You might hold me close and tell me how proud you were."

Her fingers strayed from her cheek to her lips, dragging over them down to her chin and then down her slender throat. "However... I had an epiphany. You see, I realized that being like you wasn't the answer. I had to surpass you. You always told me I could be the greatest, Mommy, so I figured I would follow through."

Alicia drew in and whispered into Lilisila's ear, her breath hot upon her skin. "Aren't you so proud of me, Mommy?"

Lilisila felt her vocal cords being set free and she swallowed hard, fear flowing through her veins like ice. "Ali, release your father and I. You can't-!"

Immediately her voice was stolen from her and a sharp slap was delivered to the side of her face. Alicia's face was twisted in fury as she stared into Lilisila's eyes, the madness having vanished in favor of anger. The sharp open handed slap was followed by a vicious backhand and she felt the strings tug her to her knees alongside her husband. She couldn't even look to her husband for some form of comfort.

"Can't!? I can do whatever I want, Mommy! You can't tell me what I can do anymore, I'm better than you now. The superior mage. I'm the Mistress now!" The younger elf shouted, spittle flying in Lilisila's face.

Alicia spun away on her heel, her breathing heavy and audible as she pinched at her temples. She took deep and calming breaths, not speaking for the longest time. Lilisila could only stare ahead at her maddened daughter, listening to the sound of her heart beat drumming in her skull. Her cheeks still stung and out of the corner of her eye she could see a trickle of blood dribbling down her husband's chin where Alicia had struck him.

"Anyway, Mommy, Daddy was quite mean to me earlier. What did you call me? A 'monster'? A monster! Me! His own daughter, just because I opted to take out all this trash!" Alicia said, her expression one of genuine hurt.

At the moment Lilisila was inclined to agree with Edion's assessment and that most certainly hurt. This wasn't Alicia. This couldn't be her daughter. This was some monster wearing the skin of her daughter. Most mages were eccentric in some ways; Lilisila herself could be a tad detached. This however went beyond eccentric. This was insane. This was the madness most mages were warned away from.

Alicia narrowed her eyes at Edion and flexed her fingers. "You're a bad Daddy! A good Daddy wouldn't hurt his daughter like that. I don't want a bad Daddy around."

Her voice had lowered threateningly and Lilisila listened in horror as Edion let out a scream of pain, his voice freed. She wanted to beg Alicia to stop but her voice was no longer hers. Why was this happening? Tears formed in the corners of her eyes as she listened to her husband scream over and over, the sound strangely becoming fainter and fainter as the moments passed by. This was a nightmare. This was a bad dream. She was going to wake up and find her daughter and then hold her tightly.

The pain fading from her cheeks told her that this was indeed real. Lilisila watched Alicia pad across the dining room on bloodstained bare feet, the younger elf stooping down and plucking up something from the ground. Lilisila watched her hold Edion's squirming form between her thumb and forefinger, her lips turning up in a wide grin. Madness danced in her green eyes as she regarded the tiny elf writhing against her massive digits. She squeezed slightly, earning a sharp cry of pain from her father.

"I like you much more like this, Daddy. Am I still a monster, huh?" Alicia asked.

"Ali, please, stop this! Don't hurt your mother!" Edion cried, pushing pathetically against Alicia's fingers.

"If it was Mommy in my fingers she might be able to escape with her magic, you on the other hand are so weak. Not a bit of magic in you."

"Why- ah, are you doing this!?"

Alicia rolled her eyes and giggled. "Because I can. I'm in control here. Mommy will only be proud of me if I'm in control, silly."

"Do you think she'd proud of this!? Of having made these people kill each other?"

That's what Alicia had done? She'd forced the servants to just murder each other with these strings? This power of hers chilled at Lilisila's blood. She felt like a passenger in her own body, as such she couldn't imagine how horrifying it might be to hurt another when not truly meaning it. If not for the circumstances of the displaying of this power Lilisila might well be proud of her daughter, for having surpassed her in ability.

Alicia merely shrugged at the question noncommittally, like it didn't matter. "Let me ask you something, Daddy. Would you die to save Mommy from a terrible fate? Do you love her that much?"

"Of course!" Edion shouted.

"I'm happy to hear that. Maybe we should test that." Alicia said.

Lilisila felt her limbs jerked and watched as she rose to her full height. Her daughter held her father up by his legs and dangled him over Lilisila's head. The older elf tried to stop her neck from craning back. Alicia licked at her lips as she willed Lilisila's mouth to open slowly, strings of saliva breaking as her silky velvet tongue lolled out. It was at that moment that she realized exactly what Alicia had planned for Edion. Judging from the screaming of her husband he realized it as well.

"I'm so jealous, Mommy, I've wanted to try shrunken elf for a while after discovering how yummy human could be. I bet Daddy will taste sooo good!" Her daughter said with a giggle.

"Wait! Ali, please, don't do this!" Edion begged.

"Keep squirming like that, Daddy, it'll make you feel so good going down."

Lilisila was not a religious woman. She was one of magic and logic. However, at that moment, she found herself mentally begging for a miracle as she stared at her shrunken husband struggling a squirming above her mouth. Her stomach had claimed many humans over her centuries, however that was different. Edion was her husband, her lover, the man she had chosen to share her centuries with. The idea that she was going to be forced to eat him was enough to make her want to retch.

"Let's count down, it'll be fun! I'll start us off. Three..." Alicia started.

"Ali! This is wrong, please, I'm sorry for what I said!" Edion screamed.

"Two..."

"You don't have to do this, please!"

"One!"

"Ali-nooo!"

With her final count she released her hold upon her father and allowed gravity to take hold of Edion. The tiny man fell towards the dark and moist hole below, screaming all the while. His screams were cut short as he landed upon Lilisila's moist tongue, his wife's lips snapping shut at Alicia's direction. She could feel him on her tongue, squirming and pounding as he tried to desperately escape the dark and humid hell of her mouth. Alicia giggled and forced her tongue to start toying with him.

Lilisila's tongue swirled around him, coating him in a thick coat of saliva. She got a good and long taste at the tiny elf. To her eternal shame he actually did taste better than a human might. She pressed her husband against her cheek, storing him there for a bit. Tears form in her eyes as he struggled against the inside of her cheek, quickly being pressed hard against the roof of her mouth. Saliva formed quickly, filling his mouth and lungs with the fluid. Her eyes were locked upon Alicia, a pleading look in them.

Her only response was a wide and childish grin as she forced Lilisila's tongue to toss the elf to the back of her mouth. No. No, no, no! This wasn't going to happen! Lilisila tried to break free from the strings that held her, desperate to save her husband. His struggles were weaker now, likely having been exhausted from being tossed around like candy and drowned in his wife's saliva.

"And down he goes~" Alicia sang.

Lilisila swallowed. Her heart sunk as she swallowed, feeling her squirming husband squeezed down into her tight throat. He was still squirming all the way down and she felt Alicia's finger trace his passage down. It felt as good as when a human struggled vainly against their inevitable fate. There were few sensations she found as relaxing as a human sliding down her throat but in this case it was a horrifying feeling

Alicia slipped a hand behind Lilisila's robes and rubbed at her stomach as Edion arrived. He struggled and squirmed in her gastric juices, no doubt trying to escape his fate to no avail. Lilisila felt it, she felt everything. She felt every little tickling motion he made inside of her stomach, the desperate scrabbling to escape pain and death. It was to no avail of course. If countless humans couldn't escape Edion wasn't going to.

"Mmm... bye bye, Daddy. Now he'll always be part of you, Mommy. I bet he tasted so good for you since he loved you so much." Alicia said, pressing her fingers against the soft skin of Lilisila's slim belly.

The strings binding the older elf slackened their hold, allowing her to fall to her knees. Her eyes widened as what had just happened finally sunk in. She had just eaten her husband. Immediately she opened her mouth and tried to stick her fingers inside, hoping she could induce vomiting fast enough. Her arm froze with a flick of Alicia's fingers, preventing her from doing anything to release Edion.

"P-Please, Ali, please let me release him! Don't do this! He's your father!" Lilisila begged, pressing her face into the hem of her daughter's nightgown, weeping into the bloody fabric.

Alicia knelt and took her mother into her arms, hugging her. The older elf cried into the cook of her daughter's slender neck, clinging tightly to the monster in elven skin. Her fingers curled into the fabric of Alicia's nightgown as she wept and cried anguished tears. Slowly she felt her husband's struggles begin to die down. Soon enough she felt them cease forever. That only made her cry all the louder.

"Shhh... Mommy. Daddy was bad. He didn't really love me. He stole so much of your love, which was why I barely got any from you. It's better this way. Now you are all mine... forever." Alicia whispered, her arms tightening around Lilisila possessively.

Lilisila finished her tale, tears steadily leaking from her eyes as sobs were ripped from her chest. Gloria said nothing, her silence telling the elf all she needed to know. One hundred years later she truly was Alicia's loving mother, along with being her obedient slave whether she liked it or not. She sniffled miserable as the vivid memory continued to play out in her head. The nightmare had only continued from that night onwards. It was still going on to this very day, becoming Lilisila's whole existence.

It took a good few minutes for Lilisila to regain the ability to speak. She closed her eyes and took a few shuddering deep breaths. She hated her new role but had come to accept her place. Alicia was her mistress, her owner, her everything. In this way she still had her daughter close. She could see her bloom into a powerful mage. Her madness maligned her perhaps but Lilisila honestly had come to believe Alicia truly loved her in her own twisted way. That love had to be the key to getting her back.

"She forced you to eat your husband, her father." Gloria said simply.

"Yes. After this she easily managed to take my place on the Council and as Mistress of Elder Magic. I was forced into becoming her Master Apprentice and the rest is history." Lilisila finished, switching her tongue to elven subtly to confirm her thoughts.

Gloria didn't disappoint. "Wow... it seems so unreal."

Lilisila switched back to common very quickly with her next words. "Indeed. However... there is the story. No doubt you are pleased to have the rumors finally confirmed."

"What do you mean?" Gloria asked, her tone taking on one of confusion.

Lilisila sat up upon her mat and sent a rather dead look towards Gloria, who was squirming slightly. The elf crossed her arms under her breasts and lifted a brow to the human at her feet. Very subtly she willed a bit of her spiritual energy to shift into her right arm, veins blackening and starting to slither beneath her smooth skin. It was a movement her little companion was likely to notice however that was very much the point.

"You can drop the act. It was quite convincing honestly, however you were bound to slip up eventually." Lilisila said.

Gloria took a very subtle step backwards. The look in her eyes wasn't one of confusion any longer but rather one of calculating intelligence. Any of her earlier doubts were dispelled completely at the look, the look of a cornered fox searching for a way out. It was impressive she had lasted this long honestly. Likely if she had not just finished her tale the tiny woman would have caught her slip of the tongue. She opened her mouth to try and act in confusion however it seemed as if she realized her slip just in time.

"Damn. Elven. Didn't think anything of it. You are as clever as they say, Lili." Gloria said with a chuckle.

Gloria walked towards the middle of the room, her flesh starting to shift and change like a liquid. Flesh expanded and turned into a paler color, hair becoming as black as midnight. Triangular ears sprouted upon the sides of her head. All signs of dirt and grime vanished from her skin, joints and bones grinding together audibly. It looked extremely painful however Lilisila knew well that the feeling was just the opposite. Shifting Magic was quite cathartic as far as she had been told.

Eventually a tall and naked elven man stood before her, his angular features arrogant and rather cruel. She didn't blink as he stood before her, unsurprised. Gender for Shifters was something that was often shed quickly. They were such a strange lot, though they made for excellent spies or assassins. Lilisila licked her lips as she allowed him to get used to his body after so long as a tiny human.

"Lisendros is my name. The last you will be hearing, Master Apprentice Lilisila Tylsiva." He introduced, bowing theatrically.

An assassin. Not surprising though odd in that he was planning on killing her of all people. Politically it wasn't like she was overly powerful anymore. Her influence was directly linked to Alicia's. Alicia would make more sense honestly; it wasn't as though her mad daughter was for lack of enemies. Lilisila didn't flinch or change her expression at the assassin's confidence, her blinking being the only movement seen.

"I must know, when did you first suspect me?" The man inquired, leaning against the far wall.

"When you didn't get sick from being forced to ingest all that dirt and filth. Furthermore I've seen humans born on farms before and had a few as my slaves. They typically have callouses from the hard labor, which you lack. You had a good story but were missing a few key bits of the act. Understanding Elven only confirmed it." Lilisila said at length.

"Risky, playing a human. I suspect Alicia was your initial target, no? She'd eat you and you'd tear her apart from the inside out? Only you ended up stuck here with me. Am I right?"

The male elf inclined his head. "Indeed. I suppose killing you will still achieve my objective. I imagine without your stabilizing influence around Mistress Tylsiva will worsen to a degree where even the Council will not be able to excuse her appetites."

Not a bad plan really, the man was insightful at the very least. Despite being a glorified slave she supposed Alicia was still rather cripplingly attached to her. Removing her from the equation would make her already quite unstable daughter even more so, enough so that her enemies could justify removing her from her position and killing her. Not a bad way to make up for a botched mission.

The man's hands and feet started to shift, flesh flowing like a pale liquid as talons emerged from his fingers and toes. He adopted a low stance, like an animal waiting to strike. Lilisila simply stood and kept her arm at her side, the wide eyes upon it focusing upon her opponent. A fight in these close quarters wasn't much of a problem; this was where the Dark Arm excelled. She rolled her shoulders and waited for the first move to be made. Such a pity, she was about to lose her only conversation partner.

"I was planning on slaying you while you slept but since you don't seem to sleep we'll have to do this the old fashioned way." He growled.

"You weren't exactly complaining, nestled between my breasts."

A chuckle came from that. "A perk to the job."

With that he came at her. His speed was unreal and within two steps he was upon her, his claw raking down. Lilisila raised her Dark Arm and held it before her like a shield, the claws slicing into the eyes upon the arm. They popped in a shower of gore and fluid, spraying blood upon Lisendros' claws. He dug his claws in and kneed Lilisila sharply in the gut, sending her gasping to her knees immediately.

However as the assassin tried to remove his claws from the Dark Arm he slowly understood just what he was fighting. The flesh around his claws started to shift and snake up them, holding him fast in place. There was no pain from the damage done to the Dark Arm; the loss of the eyes was superficial really. Lilisila's free hand held her abused stomach as her monstrous arm slowly started to work on the claws of her assailant.

The man jerked back with all of his might, his claws rending through the dark substance as he jumped back. Lilisila smirked. He clearly had been expecting a declawed weakling to be all that was left in her. She intended to show him just why she had been a Councilor before her daughter had. She poured her energy into her monstrous arm, willing it to stretch and extend. Her clawed hand shot out, talon's outstretched and wide.

Lisendros jumped to the side, the hand smashing into the wall hard. The claws of the aprendage shifted and extended backwards and impossible angles, five more clawed hands forming from the original. The shot out towards the assassin, who ducked and dodged and weaved his way through the five. Unfortunately for him it was not over as the talons on those five quickly became twenty five claws, each one as big as the original one had been. His eyes widened in fear as they struck him, pushing him against the wall and pinning him there.

"What are you!?" He cried, his eyes fearful for the first time since they truly met.

"I see. This must be the first time you've encountered the Dark Arm discipline of Elder Magic." Lilisila commented.

The multitude of arms slowly melted away and were absorbed back into a single arm, Lilisila walking a bit closer to her pinned and trapped assailant. There was no rush as there once might have been in such matters, only slight disappointment. Her opponent likely had been prepared to deal with most anyone else. He hadn't properly studied her capabilities while he was the same as any other Shifter in combat. Get in close and tear away with natural weapons. Predictable sadly.

"The Dark Arm involves offering up part of one's body to the Astral Plane, in exchange that limb can shift back and forth through the planes. It is capable of things no natural limb is as it doesn't adhere to the laws of this plane. They also evolve differently for each user. Mine, for instance, is called Magic Stealer." Lilisila explained.

The woman closed her eyes and focused, feeling the thrum of the man's magical energy. It was quite potent really. She had no doubt he hailed from a magically gifted family and had likely spent decades perfecting most of his forms. Magic was probably his entire life. Even so, there was no mercy or pity in Lilisila's heart when she willed her arm to slowly sap away at his magical presence in the world.

He screamed of course. He howled and struggled and pounded at the unnatural arm holding him against the wall. Lilisila felt her bruises start to fade and her skin regained a little color as his energy revitalized her own. She sighed as she felt tolerably elven once more, though she was still rather dirty. The process was too slow to ever work on someone like Alicia; her strings would bind Lilisila the moment she tried. However most other mages could be affected by the art, which had certainly earned her fear in the magical community.

When the process was over he stopped screaming, though his magic was now gone from him forever. Magic Stealer was perhaps inaccurate, Magic Ender sounded a bit better to her ears. Lilisila considered just killing him and having done with it. However then she would have nothing left to entertain her until Alicia showed up. Then of course she remembered a friend of her was always looking for fresh humans, especially ones that were virile...

_______________________________________________________________________

After twenty two days of imprisonment, Lilisila walked the streets of Elsira's capitol with newfound vigor. She smiled slightly as she looked around the open market, stalls selling this or that product. The sound of hundreds of people talking all at once filled the air, soothing at the older elf's deprived mind. Her daughter was working on this or that experiment and had dismissed her early. Hers was not an easy life but at times it could be vaguely tolerable when her daughter was busy.

She was clean and dressed in a lovely set of white and gold robes, her sandals clacking with each step. Her hair was done up in a high ponytail and her eyes were actually gleaming and vibrant as opposed to dead. Her hands were shoved into the pockets of her robes and her posture was rather relaxed. Freedom tasted sweet after so long being kept in a stone box. It was her longest stint yet and she had no intention of trying to beat that time.

Her steps bought her to a small shop tucked into the corner of the Market Square, the small sign above it reading "Loving Arms: Human Breeder, Tamer, and Pet Shop." It had flowers hanging out near the windows and comical red hearts drawn upon the sign itself. It was also painted pink, making it nearly impossible to miss the rather garish design. Her daughter absolutely hated looking at the place nowadays, much less stepping inside. That typically made it a place Lilisila frequented whenever she could get the chance.

The elf stepped inside and was immediately assaulted by the pungent scent of very strong floral perfume. The pink color outside became a deep crimson inside. Pretty red and pink flowers hung about here or there, and the decorum was decidedly... fluffy. Cushioned chairs were arranged here or there and a few ornate tea sets were set atop beautifully carved end tables. Portraits of beautiful flowery meadows were a frequent presence along the walls. There was even a set of porcelain dolls set neatly beside each other on a shelf. Her daughter had looked fit to vomit the moment she had stepped in, but to Lilisila it was a wonderful sight after her dreary cell.

"Just a minute! Be right with you!" Called a lyrical voice from the backroom.

A moment later the door opened and in stepped a rather... eccentric looking young elf. Oh she was without a doubt beautiful even by elven standards. Her form was as full and womanly as they came and her angular features were so very heart achingly perfect it would have many throwing themselves at her feet for her favor. Her dark hair was glossy and silky smooth, curling gently around her face. However it was more how she dressed that might throw one off. Namely in a floor length green dress that included quite a few peacock feathers in its design. She even had a pair of feathers sticking out at either side of her head.

The busty and oddly dressed elf took one look at Lilisila and let out a squeal of delight. She bounced over to Lilisila, her bare feet slapping loudly against the wooden floor, and crushed the mage in a tight hug. Given that the young elf stood a full head taller than Lilisila herself the older elf found herself quickly suffocating between her ample breasts. She squirmed a bit, pulling herself out of the death grip with some effort only to find two quick kisses planted on her cheeks.

"Lili! I haven't seen you around for almost a month! I'm so happy to see you!" The tall and rather excitable elf exclaimed.

"Apologies, Essira, my... work kept me otherwise occupied." Lilisila said.

Essira puffed out her cheeks. "You mages need to stop working yourselves to death, it's not healthy. I missed our weekly visits, you know."

"Well, I'm here now. Perhaps if you have the time we could have some tea?"

Any signs of mock anger fled Essira's face, replaced instead by a wide and happy smile. "Certainly! Let me go finish up checking my darlings in the back. I was just about to set out a few on display in the windows."

With that the woman was off to the backroom, humming happily the whole while. Lilisila sat down on one of the overly cushioned chairs, practically sinking into it. The Loving Arms was a rather successful establishment due to its flexibility. Essira handled breeding, raising, taming, and selling all under one roof. She was rather famous herself for turning the most rowdy of pets into dutiful and obedient little things. Her prices were fair enough that less well-off elves could afford her while her work was quality enough that the higher end clients frequented her. Only two centuries old and already quite successful enough to think about expanding her business, Lilisila was quite jealous honestly.

After a time Essira returned from the back room with a couple of cages. Inside each was a trio of humans, little pink ribbons set around their necks. One had all males and the other all females. Lilisila stared at them and each one looked at her rather nervously, perhaps wondering if she was their potential owner. Essira set the cages up upon the windows to show off her little darlings and then left into the backroom again, returning with a fresh and steaming pot of tea.

She sat next to Lilisila and poured them both a cup of tea. "Fortunately my work isn't so stressful as all that. I do so love working with my little darlings, they are quite rewarding."

Essira waggled her fingers towards one of the cages, earning a few eager waves back. Lilisila opted to clear her throat at that point, smiling gently to her host as she sipped at the hot tea. "Actually your work is what brought me by today."

Essira's eyes lit up, a cunning edge to them. "Oh? Were you looking to buy one of my darlings? As you know they are the most well behaved and well trained in the city. The ones I've set out would give you all the affection and adoration you could ask for, Lili." She said.

A smirk curled across Lilisila's face as Essira slipped into the mindset of a skilled merchant. The human trade was quite a cut-throat business and to be successful one couldn't be a bubble headed fool like many to Essira for. "No, actually I was hoping you'd adopt one of mine."

With that Lilisila removed her hand from her pocket, producing the squirming and writhing form of 'Gloria'. The little 'human' pushed against her fingers opening and closing her mouth as though to say something but nothing escaped. Essira leaned in, interest clear upon her face. She opened her hand and Lilisila promptly dropped the squirming woman into her hand. Her attempts to rise were foiled when Essira pinned her to her palm by pressing a single finger against her stomach.

"Hmm... a pleasing form. Clean. Ample breasts. Good head of hair on her as well." Essira noted cheerfully.

The elf promptly pinned both of Gloria's legs and spread them, looking closely between them. She probed invasively at the cleft between the tiny human's legs, using the long nail of her smallest finger to spread the folds ever so gentle. That really got her writhing, trying to escape the massive elf touching her in such a manner. Lilisila simply sighed in contentment, sipping at her tea with no small amount of amusement. Considering the now tiny human had tried to kill her she was rather enjoying this.

"Relatively untouched down here. I assume she hasn't borne any offspring yet?"

"None that I know of."

"Her tongue seems to be missing! Oh, what happened to the poor dear?" Essira said, ceasing her probing and instead gentle caressing at the tiny human in a manner meant to comfort.

"Ah, Alicia owned her previously. She cut out her tongue." Lilisila lied.

There were few things that could make Essira legitimately angry. Abject cruel treatment of humans was on the top of the list. As far as Lilisila knew she didn't even eat humans or human based dishes. The manner in which her face darkened typically occurred whenever Alicia was brought up in a conversation with her.

"That daughter of yours... you really need to crack down with her! She is so very mean and cruel and spiteful! How anyone could be so hurtful to such helpless little things is beyond me." Essira gritted out.

Lilisila felt slightly bad for misleading Essira though in the larger scheme of things the human tamer would have a gain here. At the mention of cracking down Alicia she nearly laughed. If only the woman knew the half of it. Part of the older elf wished she was in 'Gloria's' position. Essira was the sweetest, kindest, and most gentle elf of any when it came to humans. Really ending up in her care was a blessing of sorts. The assassin deserved to be sold to a cheap food stall but this seemed much crueler to the killer.

"She's certainly a wild one though! Well, I'm certain I can fix that. What is her name?" Essira said.

"She couldn't exactly speak it, though she understands elven well enough."

"Hmm... well, I'll just call her... Marie. That's a good human name! Anyway, I think she'd work just wonderfully. Give me a month and she'll make some young girl a very happy owner! Are you intending on selling her?"

"Not at all, she's free; just make sure she finds a good home." Lilisila said, smirking at the pleading look the newly named Marie was giving her.

Essira nodded and promptly took the tiny human's arms above her head between her thumb and forefinger. She then gentle set her between her very ample breasts, squeezing them together playfully. This knocked the wind from the human and soon enough she was trapped between the two massive mounds of soft flesh. She squirmed and writhed to try and escape her prison, tickling at Essira and earning a giggle from her.

"She is a squirmy one! Definitely not home-bred, the poor dear must have had such a hard life out there in the world." Essira said.

"Undoubtedly."

"Well that ends today, I'll make sure she is well fed, cared for, and loved. You have my word on that Lili. You can even check her progress next time you visit."

"I'd like that very much. Have you considered breeding her perhaps?" Lilisila inquired with an angelic smile.

The words earned an increase in the desperate squirming of the woman between Essira's breasts, but the shop owner paid it no mind instead placing her finger on her chin in thought. "Hmm... perhaps. She's young enough and has the body for it. Her lack of a tongue is a tad undesirable as a window item, maybe she'd do better as a breeder. I have a few darling males I know would mesh quite well with her. We'll see. I'll keep you in the loop of course!"

With that subject out of the way the conversation shifted towards fashion. Eventually Essira removed her newest adoption from between her breasts and deftly set her between her soft bare toes, dangling her above the ground. She squeezed slightly at the tiny human squirming below, likely enjoying the sensation of the squirming woman between the digits. She pounded and fought and beat against her prison, only prompting Essira to slightly flex her toes a bit, knocking the wind from her briefly.

The whole while Lilisila would watch, glancing down on occasion to watch the would-be assassin set between the toes of the gentle woman. Her feet were no doubt much more pleasant that Lilisila's had been though in this instance she'd likely be getting much more acquainted with those titanic toes than Lilisila's. The mage locked eyes with the now human briefly, seeing all the desperation in them as her struggles paused briefly. Her eyes then shifted back to Essira, smiling as she commented on the newest fashion of mages. No need to pay much mind to a mere human after all. This moment made those twenty two days almost worth it.