This Life of Sin

The Road to Bellana

Chapter 2: The Road to Bellana

It was like my senses came back online slowly. As consciousness returned to me the first thing, I notices was the smooth feel of grass on my skin, a cool breeze and a warm sun. A moment later, my brain still lagging, I could smell loamy dirt, tree sap and the damp scent of still water. It was then that I groaned and realized that I could hear. Sight and hearing came right on the heels of one another. It was as I opened my eyes and rolled to my side that I noticed the sounds of unfamiliar birds and the sounds of a breeze through trees. The first thing my blurry eyes picked up were a pair of pale hands laying a top lush, bright green grass.

I wasn't sure if it was because my brain still hadn't kicked in or if I was just disoriented, but I spent what seemed like too long a time just staring at the hands before it clicked that they were most likely my own. They were thinner than the hands I was accustomed to and missing the freckles. The oddest thing though was the black nail polish. Another minute passed before it registered that my nails were painted black, but they were black. The thick, pointed nature of them telling me that they weren't really nails, but claws.

Right, I was supposed to be a demon now. With another grunt I got myself up to a kneeling position. I wasn't in pain, but I did feal stiff and awkward. Like my body wasn't moving the way it normally did. I assumed that was to be expected, however. It was a new, unfamiliar body after all. Suddenly curious as to what I looked like I ran my eyes over pale, toned arms. And, yup, I was naked... two large breasts partially blocked my view of a pale skinned belly. My last body wasn't fat. I didn't get to eat enough for that. But this one was toned and muscled. I could just make out a feint six pack.

A weird sensation on my back side had me confused till I saw the thin, whip like appendage wiggling next to white thighs. I had a tail. This was so weird! I reached out and lifted the thing. It was surprisingly thin, maybe the width of my thumb. And it was long. Id bet it would drag on the ground even if I was standing. I noticed that it wasn't furred like I would have thought a demon tail would be but covered in small, sharp, serrated scales. If I ran my ands along it the wrong way I bet, I could have broken skin and drawn blood. At the tip of the tail was an arrow shaped, black boney plate. Like the scale it was sharp and serrated but appeared to be made of some sort of horn like material.

So distracted by the tail was I that I failed to notice the long black hair fanned out around me. No, not black, I saw at once. It was red. But a red so dark that it looked black unless the light hit it just right. Not a natural color from earth. And there was a lot of it too. I was used to my hair being long but not to my knees long. I was impressed I wasn't sitting on it right now.

I shook my head to clear it, then took in my surroundings. Kradiff said he would have a bag with cloths near by and I needed to find it before someone found me. Bad enough to come across a demon much less a butt naked lady demon. I seemed to have awoken in a forest next to a small lake. The trees were moderate in size and the water was a clear deep blue, reflecting the clear sky above. It was truly a picturesque view. It took only a second before my eyes landed on the bag. It was small and made of some sort of sack like material with a rope draw string.

Still feeling awkward in this new body, I stumbled to my feet and wobbled toward the bag. It wasn't large and whatever was in it was taking up the whole bag. I reached down and lifted it up. At the top of the bag was my new Grimoire. I really wanted to read the thing, but I should probably be dressed first. Beneath the book was the cloths and I wasted no time pulling on the thin pants and grey shirt. I slipped on a pair of leather-bound sandals and wrapped a long cloak around my shoulders. It was nothing fancy but at least I wasn't naked or running around the forest barefoot.