Taking a deep breath, Ophelia inhaled the fragrant smoke of the incense that permeated the air in her tiny hut. Clearing her mind, she focused on every word of the incantation she was about to start chanting, letting them materialize in her mind and imbuing them with purpose. As they became clear, she started to recite them in low, even tones, pouring her intent into each syllable.
It was the first time she was using the unfamiliar incantation. Normally, she would have done extensive research on every aspect of the spell, but she didn't have that luxury this time.
The forest she called home was under threat of being burned to the ground. Two kingdoms, long at war with each other, had turned their gaze on this place for the site of their next battleground, and Ophelia would rather die than let them destroy it.
The spell she was attempting to cast was one she had written herself; still somewhat of a novice witch, she knew better than to cobble together a spell from several pre-existing ones, but she was desperate, and had decided that she had no other choice.
Feeling the energy building within her as she chanted, Ophelia waited until her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest. Then, taking a small, sharp dagger, she dragged the tip along the outer side of her forearm from her elbow do her wrist, letting the blood flow down her arm and collect in her hand. When she felt she had enough, she lifted her hand and clenched it in a fist above the runes she had carved into the wooden floor, letting the blood spatter across them.
Almost instantly, the hut was plunged into darkness. The runes on the floor began to glow, and Ophelia felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
There was the sound of a thunderclap, and a glowing circle appeared around the runes, seeming to spin and rotate while contracting, until it was a whirling disc of fire, spitting sparks and embers into the air around it. There was another boom and then a shock wave that knocked her on her back as everything went dark.
As Ophelia watched, dumbfounded, from where she lay, two long, twisted black horns emerged from the disc of flame, followed by the head and shoulders of a being, the like of which she had only ever seen in books. He had one of the strangest faces Ophelia had ever seen. It was the face of a man, beautiful, with high cheekbones, delicate lips, and a chiseled jawline. The irises of his eyes were the palest gray she had ever seen, their light color thrown into intense contrast by the red sclera that surrounded them.
As he further emerged from the portal, she could see that body was lean and muscled, looking powerful but not bulky. Except for his torso and the front of his neck, he was entirely covered by dark red scales and…completely naked.
Ophelia was so shocked that she was at a loss for words, and simply stared at the being before her, her brain scrambling for some idea of who or what he might be and how she should deal with him. This was nowhere near what she had been expecting, and she was afraid her spell had gone horribly wrong.
The being, now standing fully before her, was staring back with a keen look of interest, his eyes lighting up as he perceived the confusion in her eyes. When she still didn't speak, he smiled-a wide, horrible smile that revealed two rows of brilliantly white, razor sharp teeth-and addressed her, his arms folded over his chest: "Well little witch, what do you want?"
"W-want? From you?" she stuttered, his gaze making her feel like a mouse being stared down by an adder "N-nothing! I was trying to cast a spell to help me defend my forest, I didn't mean to summon you! I'm so sorry if I disturbed you, my lord." Ophelia had had no prior experience with demons-which was what she decided he was-but knew enough to be as respectful and obeisant as possible with beings that carried such power and had a reputation for malevolence.
"So, you need my help." his voice carried no indication of whether this was a welcome assessment, and he continued looking her over as if he hadn't decided what to do with her yet.
"No!" Ophelia cried "I mean, I do need help, but I would never think to impose on you like that. I'll just fix my spell and try again." she could feel his eyes raking over her body, as if peeling back each layer of clothing to see what she was hiding, both literally and metaphorically.
"So, you summon me here and then have the audacity to say it was a mistake and just expect me to go at your whim?" His expression was unreadable, but Ophelia was instantly mortified.
"I didn't mean it like that!" she protested frantically "I just-I know demons don't give anything away for free, and I have nothing to offer you, I'm sorry."
"You know, do you? Tsk, tsk. 'Demon' is such a dirty word." he said admonishingly "It's exceedingly offensive, and if you had any knowledge of dark beings at all, you would know that I am an elevated deity of the highest infernal echelons. One of your paltry 'demons' I am not."
Ophelia's eyes grew even wider, if that was possible, and she scrambled up from where she still lay on the floor and threw herself down in front of him. "I'm so sorry! I never intended to be so rude, and I had no wish to offend you! Please know that."
Ignoring her apologies, he continued to look her over "You say you have nothing to offer me for my help, and yet you did indeed summon me. That is the initiation of a contract, regardless of intent."
Ophelia was about to interrupt and repeat that she had nothing to give him, but he held up his hand to silence her. He seemed to be considering something, and as he did so, Ophelia couldn't help but notice how large his hands were "They're bigger than my face!" she thought "He could throw me across the room with one hand. I'd better not upset him."
"It remains to be seen whether you can offer sufficient payment for my help. Take off your clothes and I will consider how much of my power to offer you."
Ophelia blinked "What? What do you mean? I'm not taking my clothes off!"
"I may accept your payment in flesh if you please me, and then we can forge a contract based on how valuable I find that flesh. You are clearly not knowledgeable in these matters. Therefore, I will set all parameters."
A chill ran through Ophelia's body "Is there something else I can offer you? I'll give you whatever you want."
"I just told you what I want," came the impatient answer "your body is mine to claim, and I will have it."
"Please-" Ophelia was not used to begging, and the word caught in her throat "could you give me some time? Just to prepare myself for whatever you're going to do to me."
"We are past negotiating. Had you summoned me purposefully, and been ready with your terms, I might have allowed you a say. Now, we will operate on my mine alone." He fixed her with a fiery stare that told her he had no intention of changing his mind.
Ophelia's panic overtook her. Without another thought, she leapt to her feet and whirled around, preparing to sprint from the hut and put as much distance between herself and this being of darkness as she could. She didn't make it far.
Just as she reached the door, she felt something sinewy catch hold of and wrap around one of her ankles. A hard yank brought her to the ground and she was dragged backwards on her stomach, her skirts bunching around her hips. Twisting her head around, she saw that he had snared her with his snake-like tail.
Dropping her in a heap at his feet, he released her ankle and flipped her onto her back, setting one of his cloven hooves lightly on her chest.
"I appreciate some fire in my thralls, you may make an amusing addition."
"I don't belong to you!" Ophelia gasped, shoving his hoof away and rolling back onto her stomach. Gathering her legs beneath her, she was about to make another escape attempt when she felt him seize her by the waistband of her skirt and yank her back once again. She writhed in his grasp, twisting and turning with all of her strength, and doing everything in her power to wrench herself free, but her efforts were futile.
"You hardly have a choice now."
The prehensile tail wrapped around Ophelia's wrists and held them fast as her captor lifted her easily, and brought her, still struggling, to the low bed in the corner of her hut. He kept her hands immobilized as he tossed he face down onto the bed.
"I do love to get a taste of my contracts before I claim them." his voice was smooth and silky as he spoke in an almost purring tone, ignoring her protests "Just to be sure they are worthy to bear my ownership."
Grabbing her by her hips, he lifted her up, hooking her legs over his shoulders, and settled himself in a cross legged position, so she was hanging upside down, her face uncomfortably close to his cock.
Ophelia wanted to shout that she had no intention of submitting to him, but felt his sharp claws digging into her ass, and thought better of it. Not being used to exerting herself so strenuously, she stilled for a moment to catch her breath and see what he would do. She soon felt her skirt being lifted from where it covered her ass, making her squirm uselessly against his iron grasp. It had been a long while since Ophelia had been so physically close to another soul, and his touch did nothing to calm her.
"No undergarments? What a strange human you are."
Clawed thumbs slid up Ophelia's thighs, and hooked themselves in the crease where they met her hips, while the ones digging into her ass spread her, fully exposing her to his scorching gaze. She instinctively tried to shrink away, doing her best to put as much distance between them as she could, as she could when she felt his hot breath on her sex, making her twist and writhe all the harder.
"Are you sure you have to do this?" she whined "I haven't been with anyone in so long, I'm sure it won't be enjoyable."
"So she's fresh," Ophelia could feel his approving chuckle rumble deep in his chest as he pulled her legs apart "even better."
"No, don't! Ah!"
Something hot and wet had slithered through the lips of Ophelia's sex, and trailed lightly over her clit, making her go rigid and then begin to thrash about, doing everything in her power to get away.
"Shh, calm down. No one can hear you from here, and even if they could, do you really think they could save you from me?"
His words sent a chill down Ophelia's spine. He was right, there wasn't another soul for miles around, and she couldn't think of anyone who would do something so foolish as to risk their life to help her.
"Such sweet flesh," he murmured as he ran his tongue over her again "it has been many ages since I tasted a human, and so soft a human at that."
Goosebumps rose over Ophelia's skin; her body was responding in ways she had never felt before, and she didn't know how to deal with it. She desperately wanted to get away, but a scorching heat was building deep within her and she was terrified of what it meant.
The hands clamped around Ophelia's thighs slid upwards, spreading her apart once again, and all of a sudden, she felt her captor close his mouth over her sex and begin pumping his tongue deep inside of her with long, full strokes.
Biting down hard on her lower lip, Ophelia silenced the desperate moans that were threatening to spill from her lips; she'd be damned if she'd show him anything akin to enjoyment. Taking a few ragged breaths and forcing herself to focus, she lifted her head and looked around frantically for anything she could use to defend herself. Her hands were still restrained by that accursed tail, but she knew that if she concentrated hard enough, she might be able to summon something to use as a weapon.
With a flash of hope, her gaze fell on the knife she used for her blood rituals. "If I could just call it to my hand, I could make him release me and then I might have a chance."
Despite never having had to use her magic for violence before, Ophelia knew she had no other options. Gathering all of her willpower, she shut out the fear, panic, and throbbing between her legs, and reached out with all her power to summon the blade to her grasp. As she called it, she saw it tremble, once, twice, and then fly from its resting place, straight toward her. Her heart leaped in her chest for a single fraction of a second, before it shot past her and landed in the raised hand that had just been gripping her ass.
"Did you really think I would make it that easy, little witch?"
Ophelia gasped at the harsh sound of his voice, only to feel the end of his tail wind into her hair and yank her head up, forcing her to look straight ahead. As she watched, the basin of water near her bed emptied, and the liquid rose up in front of her, coalescing into an oval mirror.
Seeing her reflection in the water made Ophelia's stomach turn over. Her captor was holding her hips up to his eye level and she could see the knife clenched in his upraised hand. She hated that her mouth went dry at the sight, hated that her inner walls clenched at the feeling of being devoured by this beast.
"I should punish you for such insolence, but I do love it when my prey tries to fight back; the challenge just enriches the reward. Now, let me show you what your body is capable of." he sucked hard on her clit, making Ophelia cry out in despair.
"No!" she wailed "Just stop! Please!"
"You should have done your begging while I was listening," his tone was almost savage "now I have to teach you a lesson." He returned to his task with a ferocity that had Ophelia gasping for breath and unable to make a sound as her orgasm crashed over her.
As she went limp, he casually dropped her from his grasp, his tail unwinding from where it had held her wrists immobile. "Maybe you do need a little punishment; something to remind you of what happens to little witches who think they can fight their masters." Grabbing Ophelia by the ankle, he dragged her back to him and rolled her onto her side.
Not knowing what to expect, Ophelia remained motionless, until she saw the flash of the knife in his grasp as he twirled it expertly in his claws. Screwing her eyes closed, she held her breath and waited to see what he would do. After what seemed like an eternity, she opened one eye to check, and was greeted with a toothy grin.
"Again. I will not make this easy for you."
The knife flashed again, and Ophelia let out a squeal of shock and pain. Looking down, she saw swirling pattern of red appear on her hip, which stood for a moment, and then began to melt across her skin. Looking away, she was blinking back the tears that had sprung into her eyes, when she felt the pain disappear and be replaced with a warm, wet feeling. Looking back, she saw the same monster that had just opened her skin, drawing his long tongue across the wound until the blood was gone, and all that was left were the thin red lines that indicated where the blade had touched her.
As she lay catching her breath, her skin covered in a sheen of sweat in a little pile on the bed, Ophelia prayed that he was finished. She didn't want to think about all the other things this creature could do to her-make her body do-and wanted nothing more than for him to leave.
Just when her heartbeat had begun to slow, Ophelia felt two sets of claws sink into the fabric of her skirt, the sound of popping seams and tearing threads filling the air as the garment was slowly ripped from her body. Once she was naked, the same claws slipped under her arms and she was again lifted up, though this time, he set her on his lap with her back against his chest, and his cock between her legs, where it rested rigidly against her stomach, his tail again winding around her wrists and preventing her from putting up a fight. Gripping one of her thighs in each of his clawed hands, he pressed them together tightly around his cock and lifted her, sliding up his erection, the fluids that had gushed out of her at her orgasm, providing the perfect lubrication as it coated his hardened shaft.
"Isn't it wonderful how your body responds to my touch," he whispered in her ear, his voice full of arrogance "you're soaking wet and getting wetter. That cunt of yours is happy to submit to me, whether you are or not. It will soon be ready for me."
Ophelia's stomach clenched at his words "Ready for him?! I was hoping he was almost done! And it's so big! It'll never fit no matter how "ready" I am!" Her despair did nothing to mitigate the fact that he was right-her body was responding to him.
As if reading her mind, the demon laughed, low and sinister as he continued to pleasure himself between her thighs.
"I won't be finished with you until you're a dripping, boneless mess, laying at my feet and begging me to let you be my slave forever so I'll never stop fucking you."
A ragged sob escaped Ophelia's throat. "That will never happen!" she croaked out "I'd rather die than give myself to you willingly."
At her defiant words, he laughed again and squeezed her legs together even harder around his length as he slid her upwards, making it press firmly against her clit and dragging a whimpering gasp from her.
"Of course, if I completely spend myself and you're still being obstinate, I will be forced to continue conquering you at a later date. But by all means, resist as long as you like, it makes this so much more interesting."
Picking up speed, he slid Ophelia up and down his length with increasing force, each stroke dragging her closer toward another release, much to her dismay. She didn't want to respond this way to the touch of the abhorrent beast beneath her, but she was no longer the master of her own body, and its response was enthusiastic, and she was soon involuntarily clenching her legs around his engorged cock as her orgasm ripped through her once again.
Her release aroused him even further, and with several furious pumps, his warm seed came spurting out, shooting high enough to splatter over Ophelia's breasts and run down her stomach and thighs.
As he lifted Ophelia off of his cock, it was obvious to her that his own orgasm had done nothing to diminish its hardness, and despite still being in the throes of her climax, her heart sank at the prospect of his considerable stamina. "If I can just get through this to where he's satisfied himself, then he'll leave." she wasn't considering his promise to come back on the occasion of not getting what he wanted, but all she could think about was getting it over with and being able to formulate a plan to deal with him.
In her planning, Ophelia had let her mind wander, and stopped paying attention to what was being done to her. At that moment, she felt the dextrous tail release her wrists. Even though the demon was still holding her up, it felt so good to have command of her hands again, Ophelia neglected her vigilant watch of her her arms were lifted above her head and secured with a strip of fabric torn from her skirt. Snapping out of her reverie, she found that he was lifting her toward the lamp holder that hung from the center of her hut. She only had a moment to struggle, before the cloth binding her wrists was secured to the lamp setting, and she was suspended by her hands from the ceiling. She was about to protest, when a large hand was clamped over her mouth.
"No need for that." he told her, his voice almost soft in her ear "Now, let's see how ready you are."
The claws of his free hand drifted down her neck, over a breast and down her side, running lightly against her skin and sending shivers rippling over it as he went. He halted his movement briefly when he reached her hip, running a claw along its seam, before slipping it down and gripping Ophelia's knee to bend it and bring it up, again exposing her.
The tail that had held her in place now curled around to brush lightly against one of her nipples, tracing around the sensitive flesh and making it pucker up before slithering down her body. When it reached her stomach, Ophelia got a shock when she realized where it was heading, making her start violently, trying to wrench her knee out of her captor's grasp.
"That's enough," she heard his voice and stilled involuntarily "Relax, it won't hurt."
Relaxing was the last thing on Ophelia's mind, and she continued to struggle in his impossible grip as his tail delved between her legs. She felt the blunt tip of the snake-like appendage probe against her outer lips before sliding into her, its girth giving her a slight stretch and making her squeal as she writhed against the demon's chest, her cries muffled against the hand covering her mouth. He was right though, it didn't hurt. Even though he was covered in tough scales, his tail was smooth and slipped into her with ease, aided in no small part by her wetness which, after having been forced over her peak twice already, was considerable.
Ophelia could feel his erection pressing against the small of her back as he stilled the movements of his tail for a moment while he ran a hand down her body, stopping to fondle her breasts for a moment. He seemed to relish the feeling of her skin under his fingertips, and the surprising lightness of his touch as he explored her body made Ophelia unconsciously hold her breath in anticipation. He also enjoyed making her squirm, a fact that became clear when he discovered that running the tips of his claws lightly over her stomach made her writhe and throw her head back as she tried to stifle the whimpers that sprang to her lips.
"Trying to hide your pleasure, little witch?" he asked, finally sliding his clawed hand down to grip her other leg and spread her into a split. "You won't be able to for long." right after he said it, he began to undulate his tail inside of her, stroking her inner walls in a way she had never experienced before.
Ophelia grit her teeth together, nothing but her pure sense of pride kept her from moaning like a whore, her body getting worked beyond her control. Her assailant was clearly enjoying the way she was responding and, wanting to see more, nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, sticking out his long tongue and licking her neck from her collar bone to her ear.
"I had nearly forgotten how delicious humans are," he crooned in her ear, his hot breath making her shiver "and you even more than most." his grip on her thighs tightened until Ophelia whined in pain, fully aware that she would bear his handprints once her blood settled. "Now, let me hear that voice of yours again. Come for me, tiny human." He began pounding his tail into her at a furious pace, curling it forward with every thrust, the stimulation of her most sensitive areas making her arousal flow freely and drip down between his hooves.
As much as she tried to resist it, he knew all too well the tricks that made her eyes roll back in her head and her body convulse in involuntary ecstasy. She felt the fire that had been building low in her belly rush through her whole being and consume her, a scream tearing its way out of her throat, as she was rendered almost lifeless and hanging limply by her hands, only supported by the hands gripping her legs.
When he let her slip to the floor, Ophelia lay there, trying desperately to catch her breath, and feeling as if she had run a thousand miles.
"You really have no stamina," he laughed "but I suppose that is to be expected of a human, and such a delicate one at that." he rubbed the heel of his hand over her back in an almost tender gesture. "You will grow stronger in time, but for now, this."
The hand planted on her back grew warm, and Ophelia felt a strange magical energy rushing through her body. It took a moment, but she began to feel the soreness seeping from her muscles, replaced by warmth and a feeling of refreshment. Sitting up she rubbed her muscles and stretched, feeling almost as good as if it had all never happened. Glancing up, she saw that his cock was still standing tall and when their eyes met, the same deep hunger that she had caught a glimpse of before, burned there, throwing out sparks as he looked her over.
Ophelia could never say why she did it; she had no hope of escape and knew it, but that didn't enter her mind for some reason. When she dropped her gaze, intimidated by the intensity of his, she spied the silver dagger that he had marked her with just minutes before. On impulse, her hand flashed out and she seized it, leaping to her feet and plunging it into her attacker's abdomen.
Instead of howling in pain or letting out a rageful roar, he simply stared at her for a fraction of a second, then at the weapon protruding from his body, and threw his head back, letting out a peal of laughter.
"Hahahaha! What an excellent human! To have the courage to attack me when you are fully aware that you have no hope of escape! I love that fire!"
Still laughing, he yanked the dagger from his body and lunged toward Ophelia, snatching her up and hauling her, kicking and screaming back to the bed and tossed her down, kneeling down one knee in preparation for better leverage, one hand on the back of her neck forcing her face down into the mattress while the other yanked her hips up into the air.
"Get the fuck off of me!" she yelled, thrashing as hard as she could.
"How is it possible that I want you even more now?" he said, ignoring her protesting and still laughing "It's not every day a deity like myself finds a human so bold as to make an attempt on my life when it is clearly so futile. I have truly found the most perfect of humans to bless with my ownership."
Gripping one of her ass cheeks in the claws of one hand, he dipped out and rubbed his face against the other before sinking his teeth into her supple flesh.
Letting out a pained hiss, Ophelia wriggled beneath him but said nothing.
Pushing her legs apart, he opened her up, and she sensed that he had taken his cock in his hand and was lining it up to enter her. She then experienced a shock; instead of just feeling the head of his cock begin to slide into the folds of her sex, there was also something that felt identical to it pushing against her ass hole. With a start, Ophelia let out a gasping yelp as she felt both of her holes begin to stretch with the double intrusion.
"What are you-ahh!" her teeth snapped together, an involuntary reaction to the steady, unyielding pace, as he wasn't waiting for her to grow accustomed to his size. The one positive was that he seemed to have made sure that he was well-lubricated before starting; despite Ophelia tightening her muscles, he slid in all the easier, not halting until her ass was firmly in contact with his stomach.
He only paused for several seconds, but Ophelia was still grateful, and took the opportunity to try to catch her breath before he really started to fuck her.
As soon as he was ready, he clamped his hands down on her shoulders and pushed her hard into the mattress as he began to move, his thrusts starting shallow, but soon building to the point where he was pulling back almost far enough to fall out of Ophelia's slick heat, and then slamming back into her.
Ophelia could feel her stamina quickly leaving her body, and she started to sag against the bed beneath her. She was losing her lucidity; the only thing she could comprehend was an overwhelming fullness inside of her; the pain having ebbed away, her body was now on fire, with every cell of her being craving to be filled and taken over, no matter how much she struggled against it.
He must have noticed that she was starting to drift away, because he pulled her up by her shoulders and put her on her hands and knees "Stay with me, little witch, I want you to feel everything I'm doing to you. Know that I can make your body do whatever I want."
Se felt his tail sliding up her body once again, making her twitch and writhe, and leaving a wet trail wherever it touched her skin from still being covered with her arousal from before.
He coiled his tail around her neck and then pressed the end against her lips "Taste yourself. In addition to my power and protection, this is what you have to look forward to."
Ophelia tried to turn her head, but he tightened his grip on her neck and pushed his tail harder against her mouth, until she opened it the slightest bit, whereupon it surged inside, making her taste the salty tang of her own fluids.
Flipping her onto her side, he brought her leg up over his shoulder and held it there as he again started to thrust into her, his tail keeping rhythm with his hips as he filled her every opening.
As exhausted as she was, Ophelia could feel him stoking her orgasm once again. She'd never been so thoroughly fucked in her life, her mind a blank other than the feeling of him occupying every one of her senses. Dropping all pretenses, she began to moan around the appendage sliding in and out of her mouth, her animalistic sounds muffled, but clear in their meaning.
"That's right, little human, let your pleasure out." he crooned as he picked up his pace, one hand sliding over the bulge in her stomach that his cock made every time he thrust into her, while the other twisted in her hair, pulling her head back so he could watch her facial expressions.
Her eyes began to roll back into her head as she rushed toward another release, and she started sucking on the tip of the tail filled her mouth, earning a growl of approval from the being fucking her.
Time seemed to run together, and Ophelia had no idea how long she'd been there, it could have been hours or days, and she could have reached her climax a hundred times already. All she knew was the steady pounding of her holes being filled and forcing her over her peak again and again.
But not even dark gods can last forever, and eventually, his movements began to stutter and he came with a roar as he pushed into her as far as he could, his tail almost squeezing the life out of her as he exploded inside of her, releasing the floodgates of his pleasure, his cum pouring into her and overflowing down her legs.
She could still feel him spasming as he pulled out of her, an action that made her whine at the sudden void within her, and, yanking her up, he slid a claw between her teeth and pulled her mouth open, holding his cock up to it so he could fill her mouth too.
It was then that Ophelia saw that his cock had split into two, and that's what he had been fucking her ass with. She was immediately distracted by a mouthful of his hot seed, and had to fight to swallow it and avoid choking. She still didn't catch it all, and a considerable amount just hit her breasts and dropped down her body.
Once he was done, he dropped her to the floor in the puddle of his cum, and as she sat there panting, he stood over here "Our contract is complete, now I will imbue you with the power you need to fulfill the purpose that forced you to summon me in the first place." Dropping to one knee, he slide a hand under her hips and brought them up, before taking one of the talons of his other hand and carving a sigil into her skin right around her groin area.
Ophelia was so exhausted she could barely react to the pain, but once he was done, it disappeared.
"Now you can save your little forest and destroy all those who threaten you. Just know that I am the one who owns you, and I will be back whenever I see fit. You belong to me now, and I will enjoy my possessions. And if for some reason, any of my lesser brethren is foolish enough to take interest in you, tell them you are the property of Lucio and I will protect my holdings without mercy." he stepped into the summoning circle, and after a long look, disappeared amidst flames and smoke.
Sitting up, Ophelia instinctively knew that she would be unable to move the next day. Her body was covered in red marks and new bruises from all of his attentions. She reached out to grab the corner of her hearth to pull herself up, and almost let out a scream when an arc of fiery red energy leapt from her fingers and blasted a hole in a vase that had been unfortunate enough to be in the way.
With an oath, she stared at her hand in shock as the realization dawned on her. "This is the power that he gave to me? Holy fucking shit." and then, after thinking for a few minutes "Those assholes planning on destroying my forest are going to wish they were never born!"
