--- Day 12 ---
Aurelia awoke to darkness. An inky blackness stretched out for an eternity in front of her eyes. The murky shadowy void held her in place, wrapping around her. She tried to sit up, but the silky umbra blocked her movements.
With all her strength, she leaned forwards, but only made a few centimeters of progress. The soft shadows pushed back against her, gentle but insistent. She thrashed against the darkness and light suddenly flooded back into her vision.
"Phwa!" She leaned back, gulping in lungfuls of fresh air. "Huh?"
Aurelia lay on her stomach, atop the Lamia's gray bed. The void had been nothing more than pillows and sheets. Unlike normal, she had slept face down instead of face up.
"That's right..." Yesterday, she had completely failed. She challenged the Lamia's endurance, only to exhaust herself along the way. Then she fell asleep in that awkward position.
Rolling over, Aurelia pushed off a troublesome blanket and looked around. Between the endless dark-gray ground and murky sky, she saw no sign of the Demoness. But as she turned her gaze downwards, something did catch her eye.
On her belly, she still bore the mark of yesterday's defeat. The cursed brand glowed softly, shining through her thin white robes.
Aurelia traced her fingers over the mark. It appeared to have no effect, and she could probably exorcise the curse with magic, but the Lamia's words echoed back to her.
"Feel free to dispel that, if you're scared."
Aurelia tightened her lips and pulled away her hand. She could dispel it at any time, there was no reason to rush.
-
Leaning back into the pillows, Aurelia pulled out her Book of Truths. The magic pages provided an endless stream of unique parables for her deliverance.
Today, the scripture told of a priestess, not unlike herself. Demons captured the holy woman and endlessly sodomized her-
Aurelia blinked, blushing at vivid descriptions. But her holy book always contained a hidden "truth". There must be something more to the story. So she read on, searching for meaning behind the words.
Over and over, the demons violated the priestess from behind. Each time she submitted, their demonic energy corrupted her a little more. Yet the woman within the pages cried out in ecstasy.
How ridiculous, Aurelia thought to herself. Who would find pleasure in such acts?
Yet a familiar heat blossomed in her loins. As she imagined the scene, her chest flushed, ears turning crimson. A strange tension slowly built up with each page. Her rear puckered at the graphic descriptions.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Eeep-!" Aurelia started as the Lamia's voice called out from beside her. "How long have you been there!?"
"I just got here actually," the Demoness smiled. She rested her head on one hand, laying inches away. Her lower snake half brushed against Aurelia's calf, curling off the end of the bed.
"That sure was an adorable scream," she continued. "Whatcha reading?"
Aurelia snapped her book close. "It's not good to surprise people. Although, I guess manners are too much to ask from a Demon."
"It's not too much to ask at all, I'll be more careful in the future."
Aurelia stared at the Demoness. Something about that response just annoyed her more. "I didn't dispel the curse. Would you mind telling me what it does?"
"I like to think of it as more of an enchantment than a curse. But I suppose some people might consider it that way," she replied, wriggling closer.
"The curse has some effect on my holy book, doesn't it?"
"I don't think the enchantment should, why?" She leaned towards Aurelia, pressing her bare chest into Aurelia's arm. "Did something change with it?" She asked, looking at the book.
"It's nothing," Aurelia replied. She stowed the holy text away, out of sight from the Lamia's prying eyes.
"Oh, this could be a fun game though. How about this," the demoness smiled. "If you can guess what the crest does, I'll let you go early."
Aurelia's eyes briefly widened, then she concealed her emotions once more. "Your hubris knows no bounds I suppose."
The Demoness giggled in response. "I'm just one hundred percent sure that you'll never guess it on your own."
"As I said, hubris."
"Listen," she replied in a gentler tone now. She squeezed her warm body tighter against Aurelia. "I think we got off on the wrong tail with all this..."
The Lamia was so close now. Her fiery-red hair framed a pair of ruby-like eyes. Her pink skin furrowed along her brow. Before Aurelia knew it, she was staring at the Demoness for several long seconds.
"I don't think there is any misunderstanding," Aurelia replied, turning to face forward.
"Hehe, that's the first time you've looked in my eyes right?" The Lamia laughed. "You don't have to be so cold, you know..." As she spoke, the Demoness slowly stroked the top of Aurelia's shoulder.
Her fingers played with the strap to Aurelia's robe. Under it, she massaged the chafed skin directly. "You can relax around me," she continued, rubbing Aurelia's shoulder.
Strangely, heat rose to Aurelia's cheeks. The Lamia's soft eyes stared back at her with a gentle intensity. So she turned to face forward once more.
"To a rushing river, the oceans may certainly appear calm. But one must remain cautious, for the currents still churn beneath the surface," Aurelia quoted a line she read only a few days prior. She might appear cold compared to a warm-blooded Lamia. However, she just needed one chance-
"Haha, what is that? It sounds so deep." The Lamia slapped Aurelia as she laughed. She leaned closer, the scales on her breasts pushing into Aurelia's own.
Despite the Demoness' warmth, Aurelia's nipples stiffened beneath her robes. But she forced herself to keep staring straight ahead. "Are you just going to waste my time? Or are we going to begin today?" She finally asked.
"I dunno, what do you wanna do?"
Aurelia blinked. "Huh?"