Episodic Entrancement 4: The Lure of The Caspain

     The sound of running footsteps could barely be heard on the beach, not while the crashing waves were right next to him. Khamza had one job, to look after the tourist and make sure her visit to Plyazh Marrakesh went without a hitch. This woman, Nona, had an odd fascination with an old Soviet device, The Caspian Sea Monster. She had many other odd quirks about her, but this one prevailed over most. She must’ve come to see it be towed from the depths, but according to the Russians in town, it wouldn’t happen for another 6 months. Was he really supposed to believe that the tourist would stay that long?

“Come on, Nona, where have you gone?” He asked himself. It was already late into the evening, he knew he should’ve kept a closer eye on her, and yet, here he was, searching helplessly on a dark beach, with an even darker sea beside him. It was no more than a few minutes later that he spotted a light and his heart flicked with a bit of hope. He ran to it, praying that he would run into Nona, and to his delight, his prayers were answered. She was seen flickering a light into the sea. He ran at full speed to catch up with her.

“Nona! What the hell are you doing?!” He asked. He was indignant at that point, his frustration at her absence clear as day. Nona didn’t respond, flashing her light in a strange rhythmic pattern into the ocean.

“Nona! I asked-!” His angry words were cut short a brief moment later, the moment he stared into her eyes. There was not an ounce of light there, only a void of ever-expanding darkness. The iris, the sclera, and both eyes were pools of darkness that seemed to match the black sea shore before them. Nona stopped flashing the light and slowly walked toward him. Khamza slowly backed away until tripping on the ground and fell backward. Nona towered over him, looking down with her vacant eyes.

“I am calling…” She simply said before going back to flashing her light. Khamza lay there, confused by what he had just heard, but heard a sound coming from the ocean, one that overpowered the rocking waves. It was a large splash, but it was so dark that he couldn’t tell what made the splash. He looked and saw Nona continuing to flash the light, and decided to follow the beam into the darkness. For the briefest of moments, he saw something in the flashing lights, a tentacle, or was it an arm, a leg, a wing, a hoof? He couldn’t tell, but he somehow knew deep within, that this thing, this illusionary amalgam or parts, that’s who Nona was calling out to.

Khamza knew he had to do something before Nona brought this thing to shore. He got up and ran to her, attempting to wrestle the flashlight out of her hands. He got it out of her hands with almost no resistance at all, but now that he held it in his hands, he felt an extreme heaviness course through him. The flashlight felt like it weighed a ton in his hands, and this force moved from his arms to his torso, then to his legs, and down to his feet, pulling him down. Nona simply stared, her voided eyes meeting his. It felt like blankets of darkness were being put on top of one another. The night, the sea, and Nona’s eyes drew him deeper into the layers of darkness that were pulling him in.

“Use the light,” Nona started, “Call him. Call our lord.”

“Who… who are you talking about?” Khamza managed to choke out fearfully.

“The Caspian… The lord of these waves many years ago… We must free him, bring him more to join our kingdom below.”

Khamza didn’t know what to think of this information. “The Caspian?” Is that what the sea was named after? He had always thought they were a group of people. Suddenly, a chorus of voices could be heard, and as Khamza looked once again to the ocean, he saw the amalgamated forms sway in the water, beckoning Khamza and Nona to the sea. Khamza began to flicker the light, just as Nona did. They started to walk toward the voices, toward the arms and tentacles in the ocean, toward the sea, toward The Caspian.

The following morning, another man walked along the shoreline and saw something that made his jaw drop. After years of being trapped in the sea, the Caspian Sea Monster was free from its watery restraints, resting on shore once again as it did 40 years ago. The man went to the Russians stationed in the town who came to get the aircraft, and after a few days, it was returning to Russia once again. While everything went smoothly from there on, they couldn’t help but hear something, a voice of some sort.

“He will return,” some witnesses claimed to hear. The government, not even the local authorities took it too seriously. That was until one day, a body washed up on the shore. When they went to check on the stranger’s eyes, they were as black as the ocean in the night.

Episodic Entrancement 3: Up and Down

     It was another long office day, another day full of stares. Celandine couldn’t help that she was an elf, or that she was born in a world where humans outnumbered elves 15 to 1, it didn’t give them a reason to stare at her as she worked. She got a report that she had one more elevator to inspect before the day was over. She had to go over to the Glint-Age Hotel to investigate their elevator. She was already tired enough but could handle one more hotel. When she went over, she noticed that the lobby was quite pleasant, its walls were painted a mint green, and everyone, both employees and guests alike, had a pleasant aura around them. To her surprise, many of them were in various states of dress. 

“Ugh, exhibitionists,” Celandine said as she went to the front desk to speak to the receptionist, who herself seemed to be in only a pair of bra and panties.

“Well, hello there, sugar!” The receptionist started. Celandine was taken aback by the forwardness but composed herself.

“Hello, yes, I’m with Bell Chine Inspection Services. I’ve gotten word that your elevator seems to be faulty. I’ve come to test it.” Celandine said curtly but seemed rather distant.

“Oh, how nice!” The blonde receptionist started with delight, “It’s an honor to have such a cute-looking elf inspecting our nifty elevator! It’s over to your right!”

Celandine cringed at the comment but went along her way. She gathered her tools and got to work. Despite her work being rather cursory, nothing seemed to be amiss when it came to the elevator. All the wires seemed in place, and everything was clean inside as if people were actively tending to the inner workings of the elevator. She was perplexed, why call her out for a job like this? She wasn’t sure, but all she had left was a practical test. When she pressed the button for the top floor, she slowly climbed up. At first, everything seemed rather normal, even the slowly spinning spiral on the ceiling didn’t bother her, but then she began getting warmer. It was as if each time she went to another floor, her body got warmer and warmer. By the time she was on the top floor, she was practically sweating.

“Fucking hell, what’s with this thing?” She said to herself, quickly jotting down some notes about temperature before pressing down. As she went down, she noticed the spiral was spinning in an opposite direction now, which seemed rather… what was the word that the receptionist used? “Nifty?” Yeah, it was that. She slowly felt herself forgetting about the struggles of the day, and then she made it to the bottom floor, feeling relaxed, but also confused. She was getting ready to get out, when some men and women came into the elevator, preventing her escape. They pressed “Up”, and just like before, it got warmer again. Celandine noticed that the other people were feeling this way as well, one man being bold enough to take off his shirt to let his torso breathe. The sight flustered Celandine and she looked away.

As the people filed out of the elevator, she went to push “Down” again, and just like before, that pleasant sensation washed over her. She had forgotten why she was so bothered a moment before. Just like clockwork, before she could leave again, she was stopped by another group coming in, and the cycle started all over again, but now in different stages.

Going Up - She felt warmer and warmer, so she took off her toolbelt.

Going Down - She forgot why she was bothered by people staring at her.
Going Up - Her vest and top came off.

Going Down - She forgot why she didn’t like her job.

Going Up - She was down to her bra and panties.

Going Down - She forgot she had a job.

Going Up - She’s joined the nudists in the lobby.

Going Down - She’s joined the nudists in the lobby.

Celandine clumsily stumbled out of the elevator, her elven body was slick with sweat. She looked around, trying to find someone who could direct her. She saw the receptionist again and walked over to her.

“Hey… do you know what I was supposed to be doing here? I think I was supposed to be doing something important, but I can’t remember. Oh, and some wiseguy left their clothes in the elevator.”

“Oh, sugar, you don’t remember? You’re going to the auction tonight. They’re gonna sell you to be a temp-maid!”

“Oh, that’s right,” Celandine said, as if she had forgotten common knowledge, “I forgot I was selling myself tonight.”

“It’s okay, sugar, many people do. It’s alright though, just go on down and pass those curtains. The handlers will take good care of you.

Celandine nodded and went beyond the curtain. It didn’t take long for her to be cleaned up and put on display. She heard the employees talking about hypnotism or something like that, saying it would only last a week. What on Earth did that even mean? She decided it wasn’t something to worry about as she strutted on stage. She noticed some of the other hotel guests were here as well, not only as purchasers but to be bid on as well. Celandine was bought for a very exorbitant price. It made sense, elves were rare after all, so why not pay a pretty penny for one? She noticed that half of the money was going to Bell Chine Inspection Services. This information made her rather happy, even if she didn’t know why. She would begin her week-long maid duties without any trouble whatsoever.

Elevator Report: Everything is normal here. The Gilt-Age Hotel has a fine elevator, and all concerns and worries have been proven to be unfounded. On an unrelated note, I will be on work leave for about a week, I trust the company will manage during my brief absence.

Episodic Entrancement 2: Fun with Aquatic Friends!

 Zavanna sighed as she headed toward the aquarium, specifically the octopus enclosement. Something about the way that the octopus looked, or, maybe it was how it looked at her, made her feel off. Her manager, Sander, had walked toward her with a smile on his face.

“Mornin’, Zanna! Ready for another Splash-Tastic day!”

“Oh, you know me…” Zavanna said wearily, “You know I just LOVE being with sea creatures.”

“Zavanna, they’re not just “sea creatures”, they're our Aquatic Friends!”

Zavanna nodded, wanting to get the conversation over with, she didn’t know if she’d rather take her chances with Sander of the octopus.

“Right, but Sander, why was I tasked with the octopus today? You know that guy gives me the creeps.”

“Savanna,” Sander started, his tone softening as he walked around the enclosure with her, “Firstly, his name is Larry. Secondly, I put you in charge of Larry today so you can get out of your shell. Thirdly, the pun was totally intended.”

Savanna rolled her eyes, not amused by the pun in the slightest. Sander began heading to the door, giving her a clipboard as he was exiting.

“Now, remember, you just have to complete these few things and then you’ll be done. Trust me, I know Larry’s size can be intimidating, but I know you can do this!”
“‘Intimidating’? Sander, he’s twice as large as the previously recorded largest octopus!”

“That’s why Larry is so important to this aquarium. I know you can do this, Zavanna, I know this isn’t exactly… your scene, but I know in my heart you can do this.”

That was about it, once Sander gave his heartfelt speeches, there was nothing that would change his mind. He smiled and gave a small wave as he went to check on the rest of the aquarium, leaving Zavanna with Larry. Larry continued to eye Zavanna in a way that all animals seem to do, just that blank stare where you can’t tell what they’re going to do next. Despite Larry’s gigantic size, they let some other animals swim around him, namely some cuttlefish that seemed to mind their own business, floating along gently in the water without a care in the world.

“Alright, you big creep, let’s get this over with.”

Zavanna did what she needed to do for the most part, making sure that the water was clean, feeding the octopus pounds upon pounds of crab, and checking that the fluorescent lighting was at the correct level so as not to harm to octopus or other “Aquatic Friends”. During her process, she couldn’t escape the ever-watchful gaze of Larry. She felt something off, in an almost primal way, as if Larry was leering at her body. She was used to the stares, but mainly from creepy human guys, not octopi. She thought was overreacting, but still decided to hasten her process. After this long and tedious list was complete, Zavanna decided to take a break and listen to some music on her phone. A few moments later, she noticed that Larry was doing something, he seemed to be grabbing the cuttlefish, one in each arm.

“What, the crab wasn’t enough for you or something?” She asked, but Larry didn’t respond. He grabbed them all and began twirling, moving in a circular motion with the cuttlefish, the choreography was impressive to look at, especially with the lights those cuttlefish were making. They were just spinning and glowing… spinning and glowing… for some reason, Zavanna felt drawn to the performance, turning off her music to really focus. Her eyes began to follow the gently glowing colors, unable to extricate her eyes from the glowing circular display. She got up and slowly walked toward the tank, unaware that she was slowly beginning to strip off her work uniform. She climbed up the ladder and Larry released the cuttlefish, bringing his large tentacles to the surface to greet Zavanna. His tentacles began to wrap around her body feeling up her large breasts and moving around her waist. Larry began to feel every crevice of her thick form, the slimy tentacles wasting no time in their adventure. Soft moans and gasps escaped from Zavanna’s mouth, her mind still muddled over from the lights before. The sound of a door opening could be heard in the distance, and Sander could be seen walking into the enclosure.

“Oh, Zavanna, I see you’ve gotten acquainted with our Aquatic Friend!” Sander beamed as he walked cheerfully to the erotic display. Larry set down Zavanna, her body slick and quivering with erotic delight as she remained entranced by the lights from earlier. Sander looked down in the tank and gave Larry a rather knowing look.

“You weren’t too rough with her, were you?” he asked. Larry moved his body left and right as if to shake his head.

“Good, she needed an attitude adjustment, and hopefully this will do the trick!” he mused as he lifted Zavanna’s body, her soaking wet form slumped on his shoulder as he walked to where her uniform was.

“You know, I have this rather unruly guy who might need some adjustment next, care to give him a spin in a few days? I have to make sure the programming sticks with Zavanna here first.”

The octopus moved his body up and down this time, signifying a “yes”. Sander nodded with approval and took Zavanna out of the enclosure when he finished dressing her. He put her in the employee break room and put a tablet in front of her, then he pleased “play”. It was the employee training video that all employees have to see on their first day.

“Give this another look, Zavanna, I’m sure you’ll see now that at the Aquatic Friends Aquarium, a bright attitude is the best attitude!”

Zavanna stared blankly at the video, a small smile forming on her lips as she absorbed the information all over again.

Episodic Entrancement 1: The Picture of Obedience

 It had been a month since Eupraxia found the sketchbook in her possession and gained great fame. Admittedly, even she couldn’t tell you how or why, but people seemed rather enamored by the drawings in her sketchbook, she considered herself a good artist, but not THAT good. Her hatching was decent, and she could make out forms people could recognize, but beyond that not much else. Her friend, Dareia, on the other hand, was very supportive of her success.

“So, how is my little witch doing, make another masterpiece yet?” Dareia joked as she walked into Eupraxia’s studio.

“Could you stop calling me that?” Eupraxia groaned, she was already beginning a new sketch in her book.

“Hey, if the sketches are being eaten up by those art snobs in Plaka are eating it up and giving us more Euros than we know what to do with, you might as well consider your work magic.”

Eupraxia smiled at the compliment. She knew that Dareia meant well, she even decided to become her “personal finance manager” when she wasn’t even making a 10-cent coin to her name, so it’s clear she wasn’t ENTIRELY in it for the money. She watched as Dareia plopped on the small sofa and made herself at home as usual.

“I have to say, your sketches DO come out looking really good, it’s like you have this way of capturing the subject right every single time.”
“Well, a lot of practice can do that.”

“Well, keep up that practice. The more sketches you do, the more I’m sure people will eat it up! Speaking of practice, why not do me?”
“It’s not an excuse to get free art, is it?”

“Of course not!” Dareia smiled, “I think it’s good practice. Plus I make the perfect model, right?”

Eupraxia looked over at Dareia, noticing her doing a rather dramatic pose, and smirked at her friend's magnified gesture. She finally caved in and began sketching her, making sure to capture her details to the best of her ability. 

“Oh, by the way, did you hear about the little event in a few days?”

“No, what’s going on?”

“Well, it’s a show that we’re doing we’re featuring you and your works!” She exclaimed. Eupraxia paused mid-sketch, looking over at Dareia with widened eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me? You know I can’t do big crowds!”

“Oh, lighten up. This is your big break, just bear through it for a few hours and then we’ll be living easy! Besides, I knew if I’d say something you’d just chicken out, so you should be thanking me.”

Eupraxia was fuming at the ears, she couldn’t believe her friend’s betrayal. She didn’t know what to do, think, or even say… but she knew another way she could express herself. Eupraxia, in all of her indignation, made a few bold strokes near Dareia’s head, putting a pair of cow ears on her, she even began drawing her with bigger breasts to match the new ears. She looked over at Dareia to continue the rest of her sketch but dropped the pencil when she saw her manager. She now had a pair of cow ears protruding from her long, tangly, black hair. She also had a much larger pair of breasts to go along with it, just like in her drawing.

“So, are you down to do this or not?” She asked, completely unaware of her transformation.

“Uh… sure.” Eupraxia said, taken aback by the sudden changes. She then soon had an idea. “Hey, I need to get something real quick. Just some colored pencils, okay?*
“Oh, gonna try a colored sketch? By all means, go for it!”

Eupraxia rushed over to grab some colored pencils, but also an eraser. She then went over to the sketchbook again and started coloring Dareia’s skin, but she used the color green instead of the olive tone she naturally had. As expected, Dareria’s skin was turning a shade of green, and as before, Dareia was none the wiser. It finally made sense why nobody questioned the quality of her sketches, or why everyone said they were so accurate.

“So, are you finished yet, can I see?” Dareia asked, looking at her hopefully. Eupraxia decided to quickly undo the changes, save for the larger breasts, and show the sketch to her manager. Dareia looked rather pleased with it. “Once again, you really outdo yourself!”

“Thanks, Dareia. I’m… I’m glad you like it.”

“Of course, I do, my little witch. Like I said, everything you do seems to be magic.”

As Dariea got up to leave, Eupraxia was left with her thoughts. She gently thumbed the name on the cover of the sketchbook… “Erato”. How long had she been manipulating reality with this book? To what extent could she change things? She decided it was time for one more test…

When Eupraxia finished a few minutes later, she went to check out Dareia, and it was exactly as she hoped. Dareia was now clad in a rather skimpy tunic, a choker wrapped around her neck that seemed to connect to a leash. The look in her eyes seemed glassy and unaware.

“Dareia?” She gently asked. Dareia turned over to Eupraxia and smiled sweetly.

“Oh, hey there, Mistress. I was thinking, big surprise, about the show in a few days and I wanted to apologize. It wasn’t in my place as your servant to do something like that without your permission.”

Eupraxia was stunned by the attire Dareia wore, but even more surprised by the words that came out of her mouth. She gently grabbed the leash and pulled her closer.

“All is well, slave.”
“Did you want me to cancel? We still have time.”

Eupraxia thought over the idea for a moment. She didn’t like big crowds, but then again, with a power like this, how could she lose?

“No… That won’t be necessary. Maybe it’s time everyone sees what this witch can do.”