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Witch's Bane - Chapter 2 (Commission)
🕑 Added 2020-05-26 23:50:24 +0000 UTCPart 2 of a commission for RaptorMajor.
Vivian fumed silently, plotting her revenge.
She still could not fathom the sheer arrogance, the ridiculous stubborn pride that led to someone as weak as this Wizard challenging her in her own home. Worse, she couldn’t comprehend in the slightest how he’d beaten her.
That could all be figured out later. For now, she needed to escape, or at the bare minimum to avoid the humiliations he had set out for her. In that moment, she would have settled for being given a fresh diaper and some clothing.
“You should eat,” the wizard chided, gesturing to Vivian’s bowl of stew with his spoon. He’d apparently been unperturbed by the smell coming off of her, and was nearly at the point of scraping his own bowl clean. “You used a lot of power today, and you won’t be getting it back in the manner you usually employ.”
“I’m no’ hungry,” Vivian sullenly lisped. The Wizard raised an eyebrow, and she added, “You told me to tell you how I was feelin’.”
That got a smile out of him, playing at the corner of his mouth. “That’s good, but you should still eat a little. It doesn’t matter if the smell is off-putting to you, you’ll have to learn to deal with it eventually. Might as well start now.”
At the reminder of her diaper’s state, Vivian squirmed uncomfortably, but she still stubbornly refused. It wasn’t just a bit of petulance, or at least that’s what she told herself, it was a test of his rules. He hadn’t given her explicit instructions, only a suggestion. If he didn’t call her out for breaking a rule here, then she would know how far she could stretch disobedience before being in trouble.
Setting down his spoon, the Wizard sighed. “Very well, then. Move your chair back.”
“What?” Vivian asked, reflexively, but she caught herself and covered it with a better question. “H-how fa’ back?”
Snorting at the coverup, he pointed. “A couple feet.”
Pushing with her heels on the floor, Vivian obeyed, scooting away from the table, uncertain what the wizard was playing at. He didn’t seem angry, but she still felt apprehensive. He’d shown sudden swings in demeanor before.
His intentions became clear a moment later when he leaned over the table, picked up Vivian’s bowl and spoon, and scooped up a mouthful of stew. “Open your mouth.”
He can’t be serious.
She stared in disbelief until his eyes narrowed, and she realized she was quickly approaching some sort of punishment. She opened her mouth.
The Wizard directed the spoon between her lips. “Close your mouth.”
Vivian obeyed.
“Swallow.”
She swallowed. Admittedly, once she got over the overpowering smell in the room, the stew was pretty good. No doubt he’d used a bit of magic in the cooking process; enhancing the flavors with a bit of spell work. It was a common trick, even for lesser talents like his own. The Wizard had made himself quite at home in the small kitchen, all things considered.
He scooped up another spoonful of stew and raised it. “Do I need to instruct you through every bite?”
Blushing, she looked away. “No.”
“No, what?”
Her blush deepened. “No, sir.”
“Good.” He moved in with the spoon, and she swallowed another mouthful of dinner.
I’m not cowed by him, I’m just waiting for my opportunity. I’m not afraid.
She kept telling herself this as she ate dinner one bite at a time, stopping occasionally so that the Wizard could wipe up a bit of broth before it could dribble down her chin, and once to get a drop that had fallen onto her exposed breasts.
“Good girl,” the Wizard said, wiping up her face thoroughly with a damp rag, ensuring she was clean from ear to ear. “Don’t you feel a little better, now that you’ve eaten?”
Vivian wasn’t sure if he could tell when she was lying, but she didn’t want to risk getting in trouble over something so petty. She nodded her head, feeling sheepish, and the Wizard smiled.
“Now, let’s talk about your evening chores,” he said, taking his own bowl as well as hers and walking them over to the sink. Vivian noticed, idly, that he hadn’t disabled the plumbing spells that she had set up running through the fortress - hot and cold running water were still available on tap, and he used that to begin washing out the wooden dishes. “You made quite a mess of the throne room with your tantrum earlier today.”
“My tantrum?!” she started, exasperated, but she caught herself before following it up with anything else. You came to duel me! That wasn’t a tantrum!
“Yes, that,” the Wizard confirmed. “Much of the decorations were destroyed, as well as the tile, and there’s dirt and debris everywhere. We can’t have that. You are to clean it up tonight, as much as you can. We can work on fixing the damage later, but first we’ll have to get all the rubble out.”
Vivian was stunned. She couldn’t remember exactly how much of a mess the throne room had been, but she could remember how much magic she’d been throwing around. Even with magic, it would be no simple task, and he expected her to do it all manually.
Still… it would give her time, and simple manual labor couldn’t be that bad. Commoners in the town did it all the time, after all, so how hard could it be? It’d be time consuming, perhaps, but that’d just give her time to plan.
“Yes, master.” The words were bitter in her mouth, but she saw no point in trying to argue. She’d obey, for now.
Getting out of her chair, Vivian cringed as she felt the slowly-cooling mush squish against her thighs. There was no way she could put that out of her mind.
“Wait,” the Wizard said, setting down the bowl in the sink and walking over. Vivian stopped, uncertain what he was going to do.
Reaching down, the Wizard put a hand on the seat of her diaper, squeezing it a little and making a ‘hmm’ in the back of his throat. Pulling back the crinkly waistband, he said, “It looks like you need a diaper change, Vivian. Let’s get that taken care of before you get back to your chores.”
Thank the gods.
He took her hand and led her out of the kitchen. They were in the fortress’s equivalent of ‘servants quarters’, though as it was Vivian who only lived there, this part was only rarely used. She could conjure anything she needed, after all, and keeping a staff around was an unnecessary hassle. If she wanted people to gawk at her beauty or power, she could go out to a nearby town to threaten them.
Still, she knew her way around, and knew they were walking towards the nearest bathroom. To her surprise, though, the Wizard opened the door to show that the toilet was simply gone, replaced by a changing pad on a raised shelf.
“Hop up and lie down,” the Wizard instructed, pointing. “We’ll get you all clean.”
Vivian wasn’t about to argue, not when she was taking a step towards getting what she wanted. It was a baby step, maybe, but that was still progress. Clambering up onto the table, she lay down, the waterproof material of the pad rustling under her weight.
Reaching under the pad, the Wizard opened a shelf and produced another thick, fluffy diaper, identical to the one she was wearing save for being clean. Setting it down within arm’s reach, he retrieved wipes and powder, then finally began untaping Vivian’s old diaper.
For her part, she crossed her arms, lifted her butt when she was instructed to, and generally tried not to think about what was going on. Given the mix of sensory inputs - cold wipes, sweet-smelling baby powder, soft fresh padding - it was hard to completely forget, but she did her best.
Once she was in a fresh diaper, she expected to be sent off to work straight away, but the Wizard had other ideas. Sticking down the last tape, he said, “Wait here. I won’t be long.”
It was a test, obviously. He was going to leave the room, wait just outside the door so that she thought he was gone, then see if she would use magic or try and escape. He wouldn’t really wander off to some other part of the fortress and leave her to her own devices.
Vivian was willing to play that game. She did as she was told, laying back on the changing mat until the Wizard returned, knocking on the door once before pushing it open and stepping inside.
Folded over one arm, he was carrying a bundle of clothing. Conjured, obviously - he wouldn’t have really walked off to retrieve it from his belongings, Vivian knew. “Since you’ll be working, I decided you should wear something more appropriate. Stand up.”
She got up, eyeing the clothes warily. Folded up, it was hard to tell exactly what he’d brought for her to wear, but there was an abundance of pastels that she didn’t care for. Reaching into the bundle, the Wizard produced a bright pink shirt.
It was made of heavy cotton that was soft but strong, and Vivian slipped it over her head without complaint. It breathed well enough, though she would have preferred something more silky. Tugging the sleeves to her wrists, Vivian accepted the next garment, unfolding it so she could get a good look at what it was.
She’d been handed a pair of plain, purple overalls, light and dainty enough to be ‘pretty’ while still being durable and heavy. There was a pair of pink leather gloves in the pocket, managing to strike a balance between utility and childish cuteness just as well as the other clothes. She stepped into the leg holes, but reaching back, had to fumble and flail to try and grab the straps.
The Wizard stepped in, setting down the rest of the clothes and pulling both shoulder straps into place, buckling them securely in place. “Too tight?”
“It’s… it’s fine,” Vivian said, eyeing the bathroom mirror. She looked like a child dressed up to help with choring, not a supremely powerful witch who had terrorized most of the realm.
“Sit down, I’ll get your shoes,” the Wizard instructed.
“I can get them myself.” Vivian reached for one of the shoes, but the Wizard blocked her hand.
His voice was firm, more than it had been a moment before. “I didn’t ask.”
Vivian shivered, afraid of another spanking, and hopped up onto the changing pad so he could reach her feet easily.
Two pairs of cotton socks and a pair of pink leather shoes were placed on her feet, tied with a bunny knot. Stepping back, the Wizard looked her up and down, nodding contentedly. “That looks good. If you get too warm, we can try something different, but it seemed rather chilly in the throne room when I was there last. Do you need me to walk you there?”
It’s another test. Vivian wasn’t sure what he was trying to test her on, but it was a trick question, certainly. If she said yes, would he suspect that she was up to something? Or if she said no, would he think she was being too independent and punish her?
She couldn’t decide. There were possible negative consequences no matter what she said.
After a few seconds of rushed consideration, the Wizard cleared his throat. “I’m not trying to trick you.”
That’s what you’d say if you were trying to trick me. Still, if it was a convoluted test after all, there was little she could do about it. “I’ll go by myself.”
“Alright. I don’t expect you to get finished tonight, but I do expect you to do your best. No slacking.”
She almost walked away without another word, but that seemed dangerous. “Yes, master.”
He smiled at her, nodding. “Good girl.”
Flushing red, Vivian hurried out of the bathroom, navigating her way through the halls and towards the throne room.
Her outfit wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but it still took some getting used to. The snug fit was vastly different from her preferred clothing - or, rather, her preferred lack of clothing, and the thick padding added a waddle to her step that she had yet to get used to. She felt ridiculous, she looked ridiculous, and it was all that Wizard’s fault.
Still… she couldn’t hear his footsteps behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she couldn’t see him approaching either. While illusions weren’t out of the question, she couldn’t feel anything stirring in the currents of power that ran through the fortress. That wasn’t definitive information; he had plenty of talent to do subtle veils that she couldn’t detect. Still… it really seemed like he had genuinely left her to her own devices.
That was probably a test in and of itself. She couldn’t sucker punch him, since that would require the magic to travel to his position, and any wizard worth his salt would have warded planar travel so that she couldn’t escape through another dimension. After their last battle, he was confident that she couldn’t beat him in another duel.
It was Vivian’s chance. He certainly couldn’t counterspell her from across the entire fortress, not if she kept her magic small and localized. It would take some cleverness, but it was an opportunity.
Just in case, though, she’d do the work as well. She could plot her revenge and sweep up rubble at the same time.
There was a small stack of tools waiting for her. A wheelbarrow, a shovel, a broom and dustpan. Surveying the throne room, Vivian was struck by just how much damage she’d managed to do. Great gouges of stone and marble were carved out of the ground and walls. The tapestries were in tatters on the ground, and the red carpet running to her throne was completely shredded. A little magical mending would fix them, but the deeper structural damage would take more powerful conjurations - or weeks of labor.
An entire pillar had fallen, shattered to pieces. It’d have to be broken apart and carried out by hand, if she was expected to deal with it without the use of a spell. That alone would take weeks, by the look of it.
Since she didn’t expect to be under the Wizard’s thumb for weeks, she decided to start small. There was a coating of dust across most of the floor. It was a superficial issue, but he’d left her a broom and dustpan. She’d start there. It couldn’t be that hard, could it?
…
“Oh, gods this is hard,” Vivian groaned, trying to straighten the kink that was forming in her back.
She just wasn’t built for manual labor. Her hands were soft and smooth, and even with the gloves they were sore from holding the broom for hours on end. Her back hurt from bending with the dustpan repeatedly, her feet ached from walking up and down the floor for hours, and she’d barely gotten anything done.
He can’t possibly expect me to clean this whole place up on my own. It wouldn’t just take forever, it’d kill me.
Then again…
Setting down the broom, Vivian walked over to the entry doors, still hanging loose in their frame from all the force that had been thrown around. Peeking her head through, she looked around in the hallway.
“Wizard?” she said, at a middling tone. She didn’t want to shout, but at the same time, she wanted him to hear if he was close.
No answer.
Stepping up to the nearby side rooms, she looked inside. Empty. He really had left her alone.
Vivian considered making a break for the door. If she could get outside, she could escape, and come back when she had even more power. There were continents she had yet to explore - once she’d subdued them completely, she could return with the strength of gods and crush this wizard like an insect.
That was probably what he was expecting. He would be waiting by the exit, ready to trap her once more and use it as an excuse to bring about more humiliations.
With that in mind, he wouldn’t be able to tell if she used a little subtle magic here in the throne room. Nothing overt, nothing that he’d be able to sense from so far away, just a bit of conjured wind to sweep up the floor for her.
Walking back into the throne room, Vivian looked around. If she did the whole room, it might be too obvious, but half… that would be okay. He’d never know, and once the spell was done, she could sit down and wait it out until he came knocking.
Putting together the magic she needed, Vivian conjured power. She couldn’t chant, not with the lisp that had been forced on her, but she didn’t have to. It was simple, quiet magic, and she released it with a flourish of her hand and a-
The power left her, touched the ground, and vanished. It wasn’t resisted or dispelled, it was simply gone, so perfectly matched by counter magic that she couldn’t even feel a trace left behind.
Disturbingly, she also couldn’t tell where the counterspell had come from. The wizard was either so perfect in his control that she couldn’t sense it, or he really was on the other side of the fortress, but still exerting his mastery through hundreds of feet of stone walls and open air.
She felt a sinking pit of fear form in her belly. Having just used magic, and been shut down… he was going to be coming for her.
Rushing back to the broom, she picked it up, hastily sweeping in a circle. Maybe, if she looked like she was working, she could pretend it was a fluke. I’ll tell him it was just a rune built into the wall, or some pre-laid enchantment. Maybe he’ll buy that, maybe-
The door creaked open, and the wizard stepped inside, his plain apprentice’s robes swishing dramatically around him. Looking up and down the room, inspecting what she’d gotten done, he asked, “How are things going?”
He knows. I can’t trick him with a stupid lie. “How do you think? This is impossible for one person to do, and you know that!” No. Stop yelling at him, you’re only making things worse. Shut up, before- “If you want to force me into failing, just do whatever you will without the pretense! I’m not going to play your damned games!”
The Wizard watched her carefully as she yelled, face betraying no hint of anger or even surprise. He took a step closer.
Vivian flinched, but she didn’t run. Running would only delay the inevitable.
The Wizard walked over, purpose in his stride. Whatever was coming, it was going to be awful, Vivian just knew it.
Reaching her, he put a hand on the seat of the overalls, squeezing slightly and frowning. “Well, you don’t need a change, and I know you ate recently… I think someone needs to get some rest.”
Vivian’s eyes widened in confusion. “Huh?”
He explained in a calm, patient tone. “That’s why you’re so fussy. Children who don’t get enough sleep are always cranky, and you’re no exception. It’s your bedtime.”
It was a ridiculous suggestion - she was mad because of how he was treating her, not because of any lack of sleep - but if her punishment was going to bed she wasn’t about to complain. That was about as mild as things could get, and contradicting him to explain that she wasn’t tired could only make things worse.
Nodding sharply, hoping not to make a misstep that would cause the Wizard to change his mind, she said, “Fine. I’ll go to bed. I can find my way to the bedroom.”
“Then show the way,” the Wizard said, “But I’m coming with you. I need to tuck you in.”
What does that mean?
She’d find out soon enough. Still fuming about the ridiculous cleaning chores, she shuffled her way through the fortress, crossing the short distance to her master bedroom. It was the pinnacle of luxury, the softest of mattresses, the most elegant of decorations, and-
And it had all been replaced. Of course it had, he can’t let me keep any dignity, can he?
The bed was gone, replaced with a large, expensive looking crib. A waist-high fence was assembled to one side, surrounding an arrangement of wooden blocks and simple children’s toys, and another changing pad had been added by the wall. Pastel blues and puffy white clouds had been painted on the walls, with a smiling sun in one corner. The door to the master bathroom was shut, but she imagined it had been similarly redecorated.
Her wooden dresser was still there, at least, but she suspected that instead of tight leather and flowing silk, the contents would be something rather more juvenile.
Vivian gaped, staring at it all. She almost missed the subtle currents of enchantment laid in the furniture, and even when she noticed them, the purpose of the enchantments was beyond her. The only magic she recognized was the simple werelamp spells she’d conjured, to keep the castle lit.
“Take off your work clothes,” the Wizard instructed, walking towards the dresser. “We’ll get you into pajamas. You’re still dry, so I think a diaper change won’t be necessary.”
She continued to stare. The Wizard really was leaving her no aspect of her old life. “B-but… what…”
“Well, hurry to it,” he said, pulling a purple pair of footie pajamas from the bottom drawer of the dresser. “Unless you need my help, that is.”
That was a challenge, and Vivian wasn’t about to let the Wizard make good on his threat. Glowering, she began to strip out of her clothes, starting with the shoes and ending with the adorable pink shirt.
Accepting the cotton pajamas, she stepped into them, but quickly realized a problem. The zipper was on the back, and no matter how much she fumbled to grab on to the metal tab, she just couldn’t get to it.
Admitting defeat, she faced the Wizard. “I can’t reach.”
“That’s no problem,” he said, stepping behind her to zip the pajamas in place. “Now, get into your crib, and we can say goodnight. Tomorrow’s a busy day, so I want you to get your rest.”
She eyed the crib, warily. “What are the enchantments on it?”
His tone sharpened once again. “Do as you’re told.”
Fearing reprisal, Vivian nodded sheepishly. “Yes, master.”
Walking to the crib, she felt around the latch on the side, dropped it to lower the bars, and stepped in.
One small comfort: The mattress was just as soft and plush as her last one. The Wizard had, at least, left her that small creature comfort. As she laid down, testing how far she could stretch without bumping up against the bars, the Wizard raised the side of the crib and latched it once more.
Immediately, Vivian knew what the spells did. The ambient magic in the air around her snapped sharply, feeling somehow stale and dead. The bars of the crib glowed for a moment as their power was activated, subtle runes that were otherwise invisible becoming light.
It was a binding cage. A witch trap. Inside the crib, she wouldn’t be able to use magic even if the Wizard was asleep on the other side of the world. Even though there was nothing covering the top of the crib, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get out, either, unless the lock was left open and the side was lowered.
To be fair, it was the most comfortable, cute binding cage she’d ever heard of. Most were lined with spikes and cold, brutal steel, to make the witch unable to rest or grow comfortable. Some were out-and-out torture devices.
This one, on the other hand, was cozy and warm, and she couldn’t help but sink into the thick layers of mattress that the wizard had left for her.
Touching the werelight, the Wizard doused it, bringing it to a soft, gentle glow that was little more than a dim candle. Enough to keep the room from being shrouded in total blackness, without keeping her awake.
It was a nice gesture. Unfortunately for Vivian, the light had never been the thing to keep her away from sleep.
The night went by in fits and starts. Her mind kept running through the circumstances of her defeat. She’d think of something she could have done differently, a method of possible escape, and her brain would try to play it out in a half-dreaming fog. No matter what she thought of, her dreams always turned back to defeat, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t turn her mind away from the subject.
She had no idea what time it was when the delirious fog cleared from her mind. There was no way of telling in the fortress, not unless she checked with a spell. At the very least, she knew why she had awoken.
Vivian needed a bathroom. Desperately.
It was hard deciding what to do. Normally, she would think that the Wizard couldn’t possibly know if she had to pee or not, unless she was to the point of doing a potty dance. He’d instructed her not to hold it, though, and she doubted he’d make a threat that he couldn’t follow through on.
Aside from that, though, she didn’t just need to pee, and no matter what humiliations had been forced on her through magic, she wasn’t about to humiliate herself like that deliberately. She had no idea how soon the Wizard would come for her, and being trapped in a cage in a stinky, heavy diaper for gods-knew how long was not something that Vivian Elegon would ever stoop to.
And, if she wasn’t going to do that, then she may as well hold everything. There was no point in half measures. Either he could tell she had been holding it, and she’d be in trouble, or he couldn’t, and she wouldn’t. Peeing in her diaper wouldn’t really change that, one way or another.
Besides, I’ll hear him coming and I can just-
The light suddenly grew bright, and the Wizard stepped inside. “Good morning.”
She did her best not to squeak in surprise. “Uh- hi. Hello.”
He approached, lowering the side of the crib and leaning in, pressing a hand to the front of her diaper without preamble. “Hmm. Did you sleep well?”
No point in lying to that question. “No.”
He nodded, standing up straight. “Have you been holding it in when you were supposed to use your diapers?”
Here’s where we find out if he can tell. Vivian took a breath, trying to sound convincing. She had little practice in lying; she never needed to do it when she had all the power. “... no.”
Again, the Wizard nodded. “Do you know the punishment for little girls who lie?”
Oh no.
“Follow me.”
Heart sinking, Vivian followed behind the wizard as he walked her into the master bathroom. She was unsurprised to see that the toilet was simply gone, with a small shelf where it had once been, but she couldn’t tell exactly why she’d been brought inside. It was otherwise still a normal bathroom, with a tub and sink, a vanity mirror, a small cupboard for her toiletries.
Once she was inside, the wizard shut the door. “Open your mouth.”
Would there be any benefit to fighting?
She already knew the answer to that question. Helpless to stop whatever was coming, Vivian opened her mouth.
In a single, smooth motion, the Wizard picked up the bar soap from the side of the sink and placed it between Vivian’s lips, holding it deep enough in that she couldn’t help but taste the lavender and lye at the back of her throat.
“Do not spit it out,” he warned, pulling his hand away.
Vivian wanted to gag, but she bit down, trying to pull her tongue away from the soap bar.
“I’ll let you rinse your mouth out once you show me that you’re sorry for lying,” the Wizard explained, simply.
“Ah tho’y!” Vivian tried to say, the soap gagging her voice and rendering the words illegible. He didn’t even have to explain that the apology simply wouldn’t do, Vivian could tell from his expression.
To make matters worse, he let a tingle of magic spark over his fingers, and without warning the soap began to bubble and lather in her mouth, foam dribbling out her lips and multiplying the desire to gag and retch.
How am I supposed to show I’m- Oh.
The explanation came to Vivian in a flash of fairly straightforward insight. She had lied about needing to use her diaper, so the obvious solution was…
Blushing over a mouthful of soap foam, Vivian released the pressure in her bladder. The subtle hiss of urine was audible in the room, even if he couldn’t tell purely from her humiliated expression, but he didn’t move to remove the soap.
“P-pwagh!” she begged, completely unable to speak with the lather foaming in her throat.
The Wizard only watched.
He’s going to make me do it, isn’t he?
Vivian was out of options. Legs bending slightly, biting down on the soap bar with unconscious effort, the witch who was the scourge of humanity grunted and began to deliberately fill her diapers.
The foaming stopped before she could even finish, and as the lump of mush made her diaper sag into the back of her pajamas, the Wizard took away the soap and stepped aside so she could get to the sink.
“Rinse out your mouth, and meet me in the bedroom,” he instructed, watching Vivian hurriedly comply, turning on the water and spewing out the foamy bubbles. “We’ll be dressing you for travel today. It’s time we went into town.”
