Lea slipped down through old air ducts, landing silent as a ghost onto the cold, stone floor, her tail high in excitement and wonder. Treasure hunting was more of a hobby than a profession, but it was always fun, if a bit on the risky side. She shuddered at the memories of her harrowing recent experience with a magick diamond. Now that things were back to normal, though, she was again able to return to her past time of discovering magical artifacts, using them to increase her power. Lizzy had declined to come, still shell shocked by her latest mishap, but thankfully this wouldn’t take long.

Lea started deciphering some symbols that glowed and hummed with a bizarre light. The Wiccan civilization had used these markings as wards and warnings against disturbing secrets. Lea, as a magick user, was generally decent at curse breaking, and gently chanted. The characters and words slowly flowing off the wall, surrounding Lea‘s forearm in gorgeous blue-white light as she absorbed and redirected their power. The magick energy vanished into the aether. Lea sighed, as the runes no longer guarded this entrance. Self assured, she opened the door, fluttering her tail over the threshold just in case there were any conventional traps. Nothing happened.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she crossed into the chamber. All about the room, she could almost feel the magick wards of spells and enchantments, drawn to shield many of the treasures. She had little interest in the weapons, so the sword of Ghlaen Falscho and the Shield of M’uren Fhar would stay protected. She, instead wanted one item in particular. The Orb of Ataraxis glistened behind a golden Aegis of pure magick. This, she was certain, unlike that diamond, was no trap. The orb was meant to empower the spells of its bearer, particularly when worn as a choker or other elegant jewelry. This appealed to her by aesthetics as well as its intent, but greater than any desire to own it was the thrill victory and discovery.

She took a deep breath, smiling and calming herself before she spoke the words. She knelt down, whispering the counter-spell, extending a paw, chipping away at the Aegis, but slowly. This ward was more powerful than any she’d thus far encountered. It was an ancient magic, crafted by tight, empowered script of pure magick. Slowly, very, very slowly, like an elegant dance, the script began to uncoil. Like a serpent, yielding ever slowly, only to reform, coiling softly around her arm, at the elbow, diffusing. Separating. She felt a sense of relief and excitement, as the golden script finally coiled fully around her arm, knowing that soon, it would vanish, leaving the prize. Suddenly, however, her heart sank. The runes reacted in an unexpected way. A long, tail of a symbol suddenly pricked her finger! Lea watched in unexpected horror as the runes wrapped around her arm changed from gold to red! Sounding an alarm! She tried to pull free and ease the runes back to their protective state, but they began to get heavier... surrounding her arm, they turned sleek and black! She screamed as she realized what was happening, but it was too late! In horror, she tried to physically rip the skin tight material off, only to feel her entire body stretch unnaturally!

“Get off me!” She screamed, losing all sense of composure, “Let go! Please, I was... you can’t!”

She felt the skin tight encasement surround her tail and legs! Even escape by running, as futile and stupid as that would be, were impossible as her entire lower body was a prisoner!

“Lizzy!” She screamed out, feeling the rubbery substance wrap around her neck and throat, making it harder to breath as if she was deprived of air, “I’m sorry! I love y...!”
As her face covered, her words died in her throat. She tried to scream, but although she felt the effort of screaming, she could not make a sound! She pulled, ripping at the bizarre substance which now not only encased her, but was her! She tried again and again to scream! Trying to use her magic to free her, but her spells only formed bizarre and unrecognizable runic patterns, only to turn shit down as the symbol of a keyhole appeared over them! Denying her. She grabbed the horns atop her head and pulled as hard as she could, but nothing gave, all the whole screaming. Screaming. Soundlessly screaming. Until at last, she collapsed to the floor.

She awoke what felt like ages later. Blinking, confused, she wondered where her fear had gone. Fear which had been as hard as steel and unshakable only a short while before suddenly vanished. She rose and stood at a relaxed attention, looking at delicate paws wrapped in pointy rubbery fingers. Wondering what was happening. She tried to think of a course of action, but nothing was coming to her. It was as if her action oriented mind had been snuffed out like a candle. She was... reliant on others. Cooperative. Compliant.

She watched as the magick aegis slowly reassembled over the Orb. She knew she wanted it, but the concept of trying to take it baffled her. She tried to speak, and yet found it not only uncomfortable, but impossible.

“Lyminal,” said a voice, and Lea somehow knew the voice was referring to her, though the word was foreign, “You have been evaluated as “High Value” to the Wiccan Protectorate. Your powers will be repurposed, your mind reformatted, and your personality will benefit from reconditioning. You will restore all protective wards and barriers that you removed when you were a person, and you will submit yourself for reprogramming at the nearest Lyminal Reconditioning Center. You will know it by this symbol.”

The center of the room illuminated, revealing a symbol of a Wiccan Pentagram with a lock symbol in its central pentagon.

“Until you are assigned stewardship, you are to consider yourself property of the Protectorate. That is all.”

Lea immediately began restoring the outer enchantment. She tried to wonder why she was following these orders and yet a wave of confusion stopped this in its tracks. She caught a look at herself in a metal door. The sight was shocking. She saw a mouthless skunk, silvery and inky black, yet sleek and shimmering. Gothic points extended from her elbows, fingers, shoulders, and tail. Two long, demonic horns framed the top of her head. For one wild moment, she wondered if she pulled those horns out, if she’d be back to normal, but a sudden thrill of rubbery sensation warmed her body, and killed that notion. She tried thinking of how she would tell Lizzy. Of how her beloved might free her. Her legs carried her past familiar areas she’d slipped in quietly, though now she behaved as if she belonged here. She did, of course. She was a slave now, and as such, she belonged to this facility. The sudden realization that she was a slave made her wish to scream again, and yet she couldn’t. She could feel concern, but not fear. She could feel sadness, but not regret. She could feel confusion, but not anger. It was as if something had been stolen from her....

After finishing the repairs to the magical wards she’d unlocked, she walked out into the abandoned city. The ruins of a once great Wiccan civilization. She remembered vaguely having seen the symbol of a locked Pentagram somewhere within the ruins she passed through. She wondered if she could complete her assigned task at all. Although she was worried about Lizzy, that came secondary to doing as her new owner said. That thought made her sad, but she could not shed a tear. She wandered slowly through the city. Looking for that symbol.

---

Awesome commission I got to work on for  lobolito over the course of a few days on stream, who had also generously wrote this short story for the image in question. A lot was learned talking about lyminal lore and what could be expanded and explored from the concept. Lyminals are suited best for a gothic/organic styled appearance, lots of wiccan and demonic imagery and symbolism, etc.