Prologue: the Riverban

Petra and Gail sat on the sunny banks of the Agarash river one summer day after training. Both women were barefoot, their toes soaking in the gentle current while their boots lay where they had been tossed moments before. Breaks were few and far between during the Vigilancy's guard program, especially for female cadets, whom their instructors did everything in their power to force them to quit. Nevertheless, both had sworn to each other not to allow the other to fail. Consequently, they were both bushed.

"You've got to be a sadist to drive human beings this hard during Midsummer." Gail commented. She was a tall, blonde woman, lithe like a dancer with breasts to make your garden-variety succubus jealous. Perky, firm, and big, they were crowd pleasers among the Vigilant, city law enforcement. Even Petra caught herself ogling them from time to time in the locker room where they changed.

"Its for our ultimate good." Petra replied. She was not the long and lean type popular among the men of Othügar. Petra was shorter by a hand's breadth. She had the look of someone who had lost weight quicky due to an edge she had over Gail. Inside her blood, an ancient power gave her incredible abilities, primarily command over elemental fire. It woke in a torrent in her early teen years during a robbery. Her assailant thought her easy prey until fight or flight triggered an explosive reaction. Forensic alchemists never could identify his ashes.

Consequentially, her powers consumed an enormous amount of calories. Before her Awakening, Petra was a chubby girl who did everything she could to try and lose weight. Soon afterwards, excess fat melted away faster than her brother could replace her clothes. Since then, it was hard to find underpants that fit her correctly without either being too tight or sloughing off as she moved. The latter happened during a school athletics meet when she was fifteen. People who knew her still called her Droopy Drawers.

Now, with greater control over her abilities and graduation at hand, things were looking up. Petra had finally balanced her diet in order to maintain her curves and muscle mass. Better yet, she was a mere week away from beginning her dream career.

"Ultimate good my arse. They're trying to kill us. You'd agree too if your magic didn't shield you from the heat."

"Heat or not, you can't expect criminals to take a day off just because its hot outside." Petra knew that from experience. Her brother, a career criminal, preferred to use weather to his advantage. Heavier-armored Vigilant were reluctant to chase thieves during heat waves. He even subscribed to a farmer's almanac so he could plan his more daring escapades.

"Well, they should." Gail complained. "I could really go for a swim right now."

"We don't have time" Petra replied sullenly. The cool water of the Agarash river looked inviting. At its warmest, it never rose above sixteen degrees.

"There's at least an hour until we muster again. Come on, it doesn't take us that long to get dressed. In and out and we're all the better for it. What do you say?"

Petra wanted to say yes, but she heard a musical trill on the air say "Of course, Droopy Drawers never misses a chance to lose her clothes."

She knew without looking that her nemesis Eliza Bennett had arrived. Her and her usual cronies were carrying their laundry to wash their clothes in the river. To teenage Petra, Eliza was everything she wanted to be. Raven haired, ruby lipped, perfect skin and a cute figure without even trying, she had been the most popular girl in school growing up. While most people find that level of infamy fades, Eliza had become middle-class society's favored daughter. Rumor had it she was engaged to a wealthy young lumber baron.

Clearly

, Petra thought

, Eliza is living proof there's no such thing as karma.

"Aww, you don't look happy to see me." The newcomer mocked. "What did I do to warrant such a glare."

"Well, you

did

steal my underwear that meet" Petra snarled.

"And there was that time she dumped shrinking potion on your dress." One of Eliza's followers chirped. Petra remembered that, too. Her

male

teacher had to cut her out of her clothes to keep her from being injured. Her whole class saw it.

"I liked the time where she made you walk home in your bloomers." Gail said.

"You're supposed to be on my side." Petra hissed.

"I am, but you were so cute holding onto your undies like that." Her friend smiled kindly. Petra blushed in spite of her anger.

"Whatever, one of these days, you'll get what's coming to you, Eliza, and I hope I'm there to see it."

"Oh I doubt that, Droopy Drawers. Unlike you, I

know

how to keep my clothes on."

"Do you have a point, or are you here to test my patience?" The temperature in Petra's immediate vicinity spiked. A furnace-hot emanation centered on the sorceress swirled around her. The presence was enough to bring hardened crooks to their knees. Eliza, however, was merely amused

"Temper, temper, I wouldn't dream of making you angry."

"Since when?"

"Since I've known you, silly." Eliza replied, causing Petra to snort. "I'm serious. All I've done is get you the kind of attention you crave. You wanted to be popular, and you got it. The boys from our grade

still

ask about you."

"Tau-shit, all you've ever done was humiliate me."

"I see," Eliza said solemnly, as if the comment hurt her feelings. The reaction was brief, only enough to catch Petra off-guard. The next instant, the black-haired beauty perked up," Well, I am sorry that you feel that way. Just to show you I mean you no ill will, I would like to make you an offer."

Petra tensed. "What kind of offer?"

"Since you insist on playing the victim, how about I give you the chance for some payback." She looked out over the river. "You've been training. What say you and I have a race? And if you beat me-"

"When" Petra corrected.

"Fine,

when

you beat me, you can have me at your disposal. Anything, and I mean

anything

you want, and I will grant it."

"What's the catch?"

"The catch is should you lose, I get you." Petra's startled expression made Eliza smirk. "Of course, you have all that magic and your physical training. How could you lose?"

"Um, Petra? I don't think this is a good idea," Gail said hesitantly

"Yeah, too good to be true." Petra agreed.

"You're right, Droopy Drawers. If the most promising female cadet is

afraid

she won't win, that's alright." Eliza said, "You've never won before, so why would you now?"

A more humble person wouldn't have taken the bait. However, being one of the few women taking Vigilancy training, Petra had been subjected to enough gender-based taunting until she learned to shield herself with stubborn defiance. Which is why, against her friend's advice, she replied, "When and where?"

"Well," Eliza paused, surveying the surroundings. She pointed towards an ancient willow tree rooted firmly in the riverbank. "How about there and back?"

It seemed easy enough. The river shores were sandy and comfortable on her bare feet. Without being burdened by her armor, her training would prove a strong advantage over an aspiring debutant. Petra nodded and said, "Let's go."

Unbeknownst to Petra, she was doomed from the start. Minutes before showing up, Eliza imbibed a potion of haste she purchased from a local vendor. It had taken great difficulty and superb acting to disguise the effects of the transmutation (people under the influence of a haste potion tend to do everything quickly, including blinking, talking, and even breathing), but she finally was able to let loose.

Petra and Eliza formed up at the starting line. Without enthusiasm, Gail signaled the start. Petra rocketed out of the starting position as fast as her legs could carry her. Beside her, Eliza kept pace. She glanced over at her nemesis and saw that Eliza didn't appear to be struggling at all. In fact, she barely seemed to concentrate on the race, preferring to flash that annoying smirk every time they made eye contact.

With her early lead evaporating, Petra pushed herself harder. She touched the willow tree as she rounded the trunk for the home stretch with Eliza a pace behind. To Petra's horror, the other woman began closing the gap. Little by little, Eliza pulled ahead despite her best efforts to keep pace. When she finally arrived at the finish line, Petra doubled over in exhaustion. Eliza had remained unphased.

She took a moment to catch her breath and examined Eliza with her supernatural senses, a process the magical community calls kenning. Sure enough, she noticed the thrum of power from the fading spell lingering in Eliza's aura. Petra wheezed, "You...cheated..."

"Did I? I don't recall saying you couldn't use magic. I merely used the potion before hand to put me on an even footing with you." Eliza said with a grin. "You could have flown if you wanted to."

And if I could fly, I'd be out of here this instant.

"I guess that's fair." Petra said reluctantly.

"Mmm-hmm, now for your punishment." She tried not to flinch as Eliza made a big show about considering the options. Petra knew full well Eliza had something in mind already, elsewise why go through the effort? "It is so hot out here. How about you strip off that uniform and go for a swim?"

"But-"

"You agreed, Petra. Besides, weren't you both just talking about enjoying the river today?"

"Listen, its too public. I can't be seen skinny dipping within city limits. I'll lose my job." Petra pleaded.

"That's the beauty part." Eliza said with glee. "You won't be in uniform. We're the only ones who will see, and we'll be too distracted with your pretty, white bottom to care whether or not you're in the Vigilancy."

"I see," Petra muttered. Like a fool, she had rushed into the challenge and got tangled in the enemy's well-placed webs. Eliza had put a lot of thought into this fresh batch of torment. All she was left was to either go back on her word or, gods help her, follow through.

"She's actually doing it!" squealed one of Eliza's cronies, Petra paid no attention to which one. She didn't dare look into the mocking faces of her childhood bullies as she unlaced her corset. Once free of its confines, she tossed it aside and pulled her shirt over her head. The corset was enough to support her breasts during her training, but now with this many eyes on her bare chest, she wished she had bound them this morning like the more endowed women had to do. Her pink nipples jutted out and tingled in the gentle breeze. With a quick gulp of air, Petra turned her attention to the running skirt the department requests women to wear during training, loosening it and letting it pool around her feet. Beneath that, a pair of trousers she wore for modesty, and then white bloomers. She added them all to the pile. She closed by loosening her long, auburn hair from the ballerina bun she kept it in, causing it to roll down her shoulders like a river of flame.

She stood rooted, naked as the day she was born, intent on hiding her embarrassment. She resisted covering herself in the face of the heckling and wolf whistles from Eliza's group. Her skin was so pale it seemed to glow in the afternoon sun. Worse than her pallor and the rising color of her cheeks was the warmth spreading in her loins. It happened before when Eliza's friends dragged her out of the communal bath and into the boys' changing room. That, at least, had been indoors. Now, outside in the light of day, beneath the eyes of her bullies, the feeling of arousal was amplified.

"My, Petra, you're all grown up." Eliza said as she reached out and pinched Petra's nipple. She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain, or worse, pleasure. Her nemesis kept her grip and stepped uncomfortably close so she could croon, "If only the rest of the class were here to see how much of a dirty slut you've become."

"That's enough, Eliza." Gail said, her hand rested on the hilt of her estoc. "Let her go for her swim and be done with it."

"But she doesn't want to be done with it. Look at how wet she is." Eliza's fingers crept down Petra's front, to the thatch of red hair between her legs.

"Now." Gail said firmly.

Eliza frowned and released Petra. "Your friend is no fun, Droopy Drawers. Best get a move-on" With a sharp slap against Petra's butt, Eliza sent her on her way.

Trying to maintain what little dignity she had left, Petra descended into the water. She shivered slightly as she stepped into the water, but nearly cried out when the cool waves lapped against her sex. As she descended, she heard the sound of splashing approaching her behind. Gail trudged up behind her, also naked, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I hope you know that you've made a terrible mistake accepting her challenge." Gail said.

"Then why are you here?"

"Because you're my friend. I'm not letting you go through this alone." Gail smirked. "Besides, I'm the one who wanted to go swimming in the first place."

"Gail?" Petra said at barely a whisper. The other woman looked Petra in the eye, anticipating the next sentence with a touch of fear. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, now let's get going. We've got some swimming to do."

"Go to the other bank and back." Eliza shouted above her cohorts' snickering. "You can have your clothes back afterward."

With no more to do, both Gail and Petra submerged themselves. This bend in the Agarash river was naught but twenty-five meters. Petra herself swam longer for fun. It didn't take her long before her attitude changed. The water was refreshing, and being watched nude made her loins throb and charged her nerves with excitement. Then and there, she decided that if she had to be naked for these people, she might as well enjoy it.

She glanced over to Gail, who had a worried grimace on her pretty face. Petra smirked and splashed her friend, kicking off a short water war. Then on a whim, she stood up and waved to her tormentors, granting them a generous view of her naked breasts.

"Come on in," she shouted. "The water is perfect."

And it must have been tempting because a few of Eliza's cronies stared back in silent longing, either for the cool kiss of water against their skin or the naked woman beckoning them within. Petra hardly new the difference. However, Eliza called back, "Finish your swim. We'll talk about that when you've returned."

"Are you crazy?" Gail said. "You don't really expect them to give up their advantage without consequences."

"I know. I'm playing a long con." Petra smiled. "Once their clothes are off, I'm setting them on fire and walking away."

"After you get our clothes back?"

Petra blushed. "Of course."

"You're dead set on making them walk home naked, are you?"

"You remember what it was like, Gail. How many times had those same bitches humiliated me?" Petra said. "I have power now. Power to turn the tables. Can you really blame me for wanting to do it at least once?"

"Not really, but this isn't like you. The Petra I know would get even, yes, but she wouldn't use magic to bully people. Maybe scare them a bit-

"Gail, they have a basket of clothes each. I'm not burning it all, just making them squirm."

"Oh, in that case, do you girl." Gail said.

The key to this deception was to make them think nothing was wrong. Lazily, Petra swam across the river, alternating between a languid backstroke to more serious swimming when the current got stronger. Still she made it to the other side without any problems.

However, Petra's troubles began on her way back. Though there was little evidence to an untrained eye, she spotted trouble. There were three, count them, three associates with Eliza for a four-girl total when Petra and Gail had started their swim. Problem was, they were light one airhead for the return trip.

"Petra?"

"I see it." She replied. Her tormentors were whispering among themselves. Problem was, without extending her senses, Petra couldn't make out what she was saying, and that required concentration. She stopped mid-swim and focused carefully on the girls.

"-very lucky Droopy Drawers decided to goof off."

"Oh, I wouldn't have let her walk away so easy. Not before our guests arrived." Eliza said with that annoying self-assurance.

"Why do those guys from the Vigilancy want to see her naked-"

"Oh shit." Petra said, breaking the connection.

"What?"

"She's bringing our coworkers into it. If they catch us-"

"They won't." Gail said firmly. "Focus Petra; you've got a few tricks to ruin their fun. What are we going to do?"

Petra didn't respond. She already had a plan.

* * * * * * * *

"Why do those guys from the Vigilancy want to see her naked? She's flat as a board."

Eliza rolled her eyes. "It all comes down to dominance. Petra is a problem for these guys. She hurts their poor egos by not taking their nonsense. Having a bit of blackmail on her would turn the tides in their favor."

"Why though?" said another vapid cohort. Eliza decided that Melanie (or Melody, whatever her name was) had to go. "I mean, you've been playing this game with her for years. What do you get out of this?"

"What indeed?" Eliza's eyes sparkle. She turned her attention back to the nude swimmers. Only, they weren't swimming. Petra and Gail were merely staring at them now, and a strange fog was gathering.

* * * * * * * *

It didn't take much effort. The air was humid enough. The rest was simple heat manipulation. Soon enough, water began to condense into a thick, obscuring mist. Once beneath their foggy cover, Petra took Gail by the hand and lead her forward.

* * * * * * * *

"No fair, Droopy Drawers is cheating." Shouted another of Eliza's companions.

"She had to get smart some time." Eliza said angrily. She watched the cloud roll in and cover any chance of further humiliating her target.

Whatever

, she thought to herself,

there will be other chances. I know where you live, Petra Yakobovna. More than that, I know what makes you tick.

At that moment, the girl to her right let out a horrified shriek. Before Eliza could ask the new girl what was wrong with her, girl to her left began screaming. At first she was going to berate them for being excitable children, but then she felt the prickle of tiny legs moving under her dress. She looked down just in time to see a large, bulbous spider crawl out of her bodice.

With a grunt of revulsion, she swatted the arachnid off her breast. Problem was, the little beast wasn't alone. Hundreds, nay, thousands of spiders moved beneath her clothes. She slapped at the movement, but never fast enough as the number of legs skittering over her skin seemed to multiply. She shook out her skirt, causing more spiders and a large tarantula to fall onto the ground.

On either side of her, the girls tore at their garments in an effort to free themselves from their spidery confines. Since no options were available and the spider legions had no end, Eliza all but ripped the fabric of her dress from her shoulders. She cut the laces from her corset with a short bodice dagger, allowing her breasts to bounce free. Soon enough, Eliza had stripped off every layer of clothing faster than even the handmaidens who dressed her could manage.

It wasn't long after that when Eliza noticed that she and her two friends were naked. Furthermore, the mist that once shielded the entire riverbank from sight was gone. On top of those problems, the new girl, Melody or Melanie (whatever her name is), returned with several slack-jawed men from the Vigilancy. They tried to cover up, but it was too late. The Vigilant had seen everything.

* * * * * * * *

"Tell me again why we couldn't just run and get our clothes?" Gail asked as she and Petra ran between the alleyways of Reprieve.