[sub]in collaboration with [@shagranoz][/sub]

[h1][center][i][u]"Get Out of Jail Free"[/u][/i][/center][/h1]

Phagora was in a foul mood. The excoriating lashing she'd received from Lorelai still stung, and she hadn't gotten over it. To be threatened with death for showing humanity to a prisoner? Yes, she knew her actions could cost the coven badly, but it still rankled.

She found herself at Elizabeth's office in the tower. Perhaps the best way for her to deal with her issues was to lose herself in work. "General, do you have any assignments for me?"

Elizabeth stared up at Phagora, eyeing her with the least subtle curiosity she could muster. [color=magenta]”Please take a seat, Phagora. I’d like to talk to you.”[/color] She gestured towards the seat in front of her, waiting patiently for Phagora to make her decision.

[color=magenta]”I want to know why you're actually working for me, or at least...under what circumstances? Do you not need to prepare?”[/color] She asked softly, the question that had been bugging her for a while now. Liz knew Lorelai had put Phagora to work for her, but she hadn't a clue as to why. If anything, Phagora should have been getting prep work done for the war, not serving her. 

Phagora sighed, but if this knowledge hadn't reached Elizabeth... well, it was only a matter of time. "I was the one who let Mat out of his cell. Trusted him not to escape, and he abused that trust, to say the least. Now, Lorelai has added you to my contract to serve her. If you're satisfied with my work, I may be able to keep my head attached to my shoulders. The operative word here being 'may'."

She glanced at Elizabeth. "No, I don't need anything special in the way of ritual sacrifices or anything like that. We've got a good supply of livestock here, at least. Have you decided where we are going to put the lines?"

Elizabeth looked Phagora straight in the eyes, unnerving until the explanation was over. The girl's life hung in her hands, all she had to do was give her a bad review and her death was certain. Then, Phagora moved past it as though it wasn't a big deal. Did Lorelai do that a lot? Elizabeth nodded, still working up a reply as she dug through her maps for battle placements. 

[color=magenta]”Of course, everything has been worked out. However, I would love your input.”[/color] She managed, spreading the map out along the desk. She pointed towards the first supply line, stacked between the summoners and the soldiers. There was also a secondary supply line, stacked towards the back near the healers. She wetted her lips, and looked up at Phagora again. [color=magenta]”I don't believe you should die, for your actions.”[/color] 

"I don't either, but then again, I'm rather biased in the regard." Phagora looked over the map with a sense of approval. "Not bad, but I can't help wondering if we have anyone who can carve stone on hand. Stone rune traps buried in the ground would be virtually undetectable. and unlike dirt sigils, they can't be smudged into uselessness. We could shred the hunters before they get near us." 

Elizabeth made a steady decision to ignore the topic of Phagora’s death, at least until she had a proper answer for it. She smiled when Phagora complimented her planning, relaxing a bit in her chair. [color=magenta]”We do have Lenny, I'm sure he could carve the runes, and a few witches could enchant them.”[/color] She wasn't sure if Phagora knew about the giant in their basement, but he was one plausible option to make such runes. 

"Lenny? I know of nobody named Lenny around here. One of the servants Lorelai left you?" Despite her heritage, Phagora knew little, if anything about the denizens of Hell. It was an annoying blind spot in her mystical knowledge. After the situation with the hunters was resolved, she'd have to spend some time reading manuscripts on the subject.

Elizabeth chuckled, she saw Lenny as more of a friend than a servant, but she supposed he was under her rule for the time being. [color=magenta]”Lenny is the giant living in the basement. He used to reside in Lorelai's citadel, now he works in the castle. If we need carved runes, he would be the one to ask.”[/color] She smiled, excited to go on a trip to see Lenny. [color=magenta]”I do, however, have four other ‘servants'. Though, I use that term lightly.”[/color] 

"A giant?" Phagora leaned forward, interested. "How is it that I never knew of someone like that living here? Must be awful quiet for such a big gentleman." She got up from her chair, getting the door for Elizabeth. "Let's go see him, and after that, I'd like do some sparring with you. I could never hold my own against a Dragon Knight, but maybe I could learn something useful from you."

[color=magenta]”I wouldn't say quiet, but he doesn't attract much attention down in the basement.”[/color] Elizabeth said, picking herself up from her seat and exiting the room with Phagora. Elizabeth was excited to get her new spectacles. She also wanted to check on the Giant, and make sure he was okay in his new arrangements. Of course, he would probably say yes, since he didn't do much other than forge, but it was polite to ask either way. [color=magenta]”You know, I had a friend who's family was in the smithing business. If I ever manage to talk to her again, I'm sure she would be impressed to find out we had a giant blacksmith.”[/color] She mused, as they stood outside the door to the basement. 

[hr]After their meeting with Lenny, the pair made their way out to the training grounds. Elizabeth stripped out of her armor in the center of the field, letting the slight breeze carry through the thin fabric of her tunic. She had Beebop run and get her whip from Lorelai's private rooms, and he returned in record time, striding over with the whip tucked beneath his arm.

Elizabeth ran her hands over the weapon, which could be used for the first time today. She turned to Phagora, a lopsided grin on her face. [color=magenta]”How would you like to practice? Dart, whip, or fisticuffs?”[/color] She asked with a wink, attaching her whip to her waist. 

"A whip? Are you coming on to me, Liz?" Phagora couldn't help joking with her. It relieved the tension quite nicely. She took up a longsword. It was a tournament blade, so it was dulled to the point of nonlethality, but it would still hurt quite a bit if she caught Liz with it.

"I've never fought someone with a whip before. Should be interesting." Phagora took up a defensive stance, waiting for Liz to make the first move.

Elizabeth giggled, at least Phagora could make a good joke. [color=magenta]”If I were, I wouldn't have bothered leaving on my tunic.”[/color] She suggested, watching as Phagora chose a longsword from the large collection. [color=magenta]”And I have never fought a witch with a longsword.”[/color] She added, taking up the offensive. 

She began swinging her whip, picking up good momentum for a strike. It whizzed through the air, a blur. She took a step forwards, swinging it at midlength, in an attempt to disarm her foe before the battle had begun. She made sure not to go at full strength, for the blade at the end of her was adamantine, and it could easily cut into Phagora if she wasn't careful.

The good news for Phagora was that she managed to hold on to her blade. The bad news was that she had her sword knocked out of position. She recovered quickly, though, and made a thrust at Elizabeth's midsection, taking enough off of it that Liz would get nothing more than a bad bruise, even if she failed to block.

During the time Phagora was recollecting her balance, Elizabeth had folded her whip, handling the dart as a dagger. She had expected Phagora to take a jab at her, and when the thrust came she skirted to the side, causing the blow to land closer to her ribs. It wasn't enough to knock the air out of her, but it stung, causing her to falter just slightly. Elizabeth propelled herself at Phagora, taking the flat of her dart and attempting a solid whack at her opponent's waist. 

Phagora honestly hadn't expected Elizabeth to dodge. Rather, she thought her opponent would try to intercept the blow. When the counterattack came, Phagora simply wasn't ready, and took the blow straight in the hip. She was in a bad way. A longsword was a great weapon, but the problem in this situation was that it was, well... long. In such close quarters, Phagora didn't have the room to build up to a good strike. She backpedaled quickly, trying to get her distance back.

Elizabeth knew she had the upper ground in close quarters, and she went after Phagora. Her enhanced speed only gave her a meager advantage, so her next attack was strained. She knew that once propelled, she would have a very little chance of deflecting the next blow, so this would have to be a disabling attack. She lunged forwards with a grunt, once again using the flat of her blade. She angled it towards Phagora's hands in an attempt to disarm her. She tried to keep her blow soft, as to not damage Phagora's hands too badly. 

Elizabeth's strike found home, landing right on the tips of Phagora's fingers. The tiefling dropped her blade, and didn't bother trying to pick it up. The game was up, and she knew it. "Well done, Elizabeth. I knew you were going to be too fast for me, but your strength was a surprise. Something Lorelai did to you, or something you worked on yourself?"

Elizabeth picked up Phagora's blade, presenting it to her. She attached her whip to her hip, satisfied with her overall performance. [color=magenta]”I learned most of my techniques on my own, but yes, becoming a Dragon Knight has given me a slight advantage in the field. It's more effective when I carry a demon, like Sousiel.”[/color] She figured she deserved the enhancements, so she wasn't afraid to talk about them. She held out a hand for Phagora, giving her a steady smile. [color=magenta]”You have great skills, Phagora.”[/color]

"Thank you, Elizabeth." A thought came to Phagora, unbidden. "So, from what I understand, you can allow demons to posess you, correct? I wonder..."

Elizabeth cocked an eyebrow, nodding briefly. [color=magenta]”Yes, I can accept most minor demons into my body.”[/color] She acknowledged, wondering where this would be heading. It also brought up a few other questions: could she bring Bob, Beebop, Butch, and Bo into her body? [color=magenta]”What were you wondering?”[/color] 

"You do know who I am? Who my father is?" Phagora's eyes lit up. "I've never been able to possess someone. That magic has always been a little bit beyond me. But if I can tap into the infernal energies running through your blood... Meet me in the ritual chamber, and bring a belonging of yours. Something you don't mind losing."

Elizabeth was apprehensive to say the least, she knew very well what a tiefling was, but she did not know Phagora’s personal family line. She also wasn't prepared to accept another demon into her body, but Phagora looked very excited by the prospect. [color=magenta]”I'll meet you there, Phagora.”[/color] She said softly, striding out of the courtyard to go find a personal belonging. 



The ritual chamber been prepped, at least as far as such things go. Surprisingly, it didn't require much in the way of setup. Just a single pentagram, large enough for both Phagora and Elizabeth to stand in comfortably. A brazier lit with black fire hovered in between them.

Phagora couldn't help smiling at how odd this was. Usually, the target would have been stripped naked and chained to the point of utter immobility, lest their struggling disrupt the ritual. Now, she actually had a [i]willing participant[/i]. If her father could see her now...

Elizabeth walked into the ritual room wearing a fresh pair of clothes, and carrying the dart to her very first whip. It was the only memento she could scrounge up, because everything else was left in her room at Seren’s Folly. Her eyes traversed the room, before falling on Phagora. It was definitely more...specific than her last binding. [color=magenta]”Phagora, are you ready to perform the ritual?”[/color] She asked, handing her the dart.

"Yes." Phagora took the dart and gently placed it into the fire. She then took out her ritual knife, and took blood offerings from both herself and Elizabeth, which were then burned. "Keep your mouth open a little. I need an entry point."

"Blood calls to blood," Phagora intoned, "across the leagues and across the aeons, for I art me, and I art thou, and thou art mine!"

With that, Phagora's form dissolved into a noxious black sludge, which flowed upwards and into Liz's mouth. Eventually, the whole mess had been taken in. Phagora didn't have a physical form anymore, per se, but if she did, it would be grinning from ear to ear. She had done it. She had accessed her true demonic form. But something was wrong...

Elizabeth accepted the ritual, offering up her blood with ease. When Phagora’s form became nothing more than black sludge, Elizabeth willingly accepted it into her mouth. Once the ritual was completed, Elizabeth went into a short coughing fit. It ended with her bouncing on her revitalized limbs. [color=magenta]”Everything okay up there, Phagora?”[/color] She asked, addressing the tiefling in her head, who was surprisingly quiet. 

"No, everything is not bloody well okay!" Phagora's voice was tinged with indignation. "You still have some control. More than me, in fact. This isn't a possession, it's more like... I'm renting your body, and you can evict me any time you wish, if that makes any sense."

"I can't figure out what went wrong, but as long as I'm here, I might as well make some use of this situation. Do me a favor and don't resist me. I swear by the pit, I will do nothing to harm you."

Elizabeth chuckled at the tone of Phagora's voice. Personally, she found nothing wrong with Phagora not being in total control of her body. It was the same thing that had happened when Sousiel had taken over, so she was pleased. When Phagora asked for control, Elizabeth accepted the offer. [color=magenta]”I trust you.”[/color] She said simply, relaxing her body and becoming a viewer. The main reason for that trust was if Phagora harmed her, she would be killed by Lorelai almost immediately. 

Phagora extended her consciousness into Liz's arms and legs, moving each one independently. It was such a strange feeling, moving a body that was not your own. Eventually, Phagora reached the point where she could take several steps without needing to balance herself, and she was rather satisfied.

She opened Elizabeth's mouth and let herself out, first as the sludge, which reformed into Phagora's familiar shape. "I'm still baffled as to what exactly happened, but I know I can do it, under certain conditions. Good enough for me."

Elizabeth watched her body wobble around like a newborn, growing more and more confident with each step. When Phagora was satisfied, she fled through Elizabeth's mouth. This sent Liz into another strange coughing fit, ending with her recovering and looking better than ever. She smiled up at Phagora, clapping. [color=magenta]”I'm glad I could be a good subject. I'll have to test that with friends, see if they can manage it.”[/color] 

"Wouldn't reccommend it myself, unless you [i]really[/i] trust them. Power corrupts, and absolute power means you have no way of defending yourself, should their intentions turn. Wouldn't let a succubus in, either. Let's just say they use a different door and leave it go there." Phagora shuddered.

"In any case, I thank you. It takes true courage to let someone take you over like that willingly. That, and true trust. I think this bodes well for our relationship."

Did Elizabeth trust her squadron of demons? Of course she did, more than she trusted a few of the witches in the castle. They were still demons though, and she couldn't glamorize that. Maybe during the battle, if Sousiel was busy, she could let one of them in. [color=magenta]”Don't worry about them, I have faith in them.”[/color] 

She smiled warmly when Phagora thanked her, something she hadn't thought of. [color=magenta]”Of course, if you need to run anymore experiments, I'll be willing.”[/color] She paused, tilting her head in consideration. [color=magenta]”Speaking of our relationship...from this point on, you are free. I'll make sure Lorelai doesn't threaten you with violence, or go through with any of her plans. Truly, she's just worried about losing the family she has built, and she has turned that worry into anger.”[/color] Elizabeth held out a hand, giving Phagora’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. [color=magenta]”Enjoy yourself before things get too messy, you won't have to report to me unless I specifically call for you. Which may happen...you have a keen eye.”[/color] 

Phagora let out the deepest sigh of relief in her life. No more was the doom of Damocles hanging over her head. She didn't need to fear Lorelai's return any longer. "Elizabeth, that is the greatest news I have ever heard. Once again, I thank you."