[Mkguild] MK story part 7

[Christian Okane]

The story gets more interesting and a lot more feline!


Chris
The Lurking Fox




   "Are you ready?" Idette asked.

   "I am," Carlisle responded. Again there was a small crowd in a workshop
that held an automaton and a bed. This time Salona was the center of
attention. Carlisle lay down on the bed and settled himself into a
comfortable position.

   When he was ready the mage activated the spell and he felt his mind move
from his body and go towards the metal sabercat. Just short of the body he
was stopped by what to his mind looked like a wall of blue light. He
examined it for a moment looking for a weakness. He didn't see any. Finally
He gathered his mental strength and move forward. The mage came into contact
with the barrier and pushed against it. He heard a loud snarl and a huge
face formed and rushed straight at his throat.

   Carlisle screamed loudly as he suddenly found himself back in his body.
He tumbled from the bed and fell to the floor as fur raced up his arm. Hands
became paws as his mouth pushed out into a muzzle. Foot long saber like
teeth pushed down and out from his upper jaw.

   The new feline stumbled around for a moment before his mind remembered
this form from the last time. Slowly the confusion dissipated and he
regained control. Carlisle walked around in a circle feeling the powerful
muscles of his now feline body. He looked at his powerful, stocky body with
its short legs and spotted fur. The foot long teeth in his muzzle told him
exactly what he had become.

   "I wanted to control a saber cat body," Carlisle said. "But I wasn't
expecting it to be my own."

   Idette looked at the new feline in front of her. "I knew there would be
defenses but I never expected this."

   The sabertooth looked at his altered body. "Very unusual."

   "You look to be a healthy, adult, male Sabercat," Idette said as she
walked around Carlisle. "Can you change back?" 

   "Eventually," the feline answered. "Can someone call my wife. I'm going
to need her help on this."


***************

Three days later


   Gina raced down the corridor. She moved with the speed and grace of the
cheetah she had become. Usually the mage used her human form but the message
from her husband had told her to come instantly.

   The cheetah came upon her husband standing in front of a door. She slowed
down to a trot and finally came to a halt. With a thought she shifted her
form and the body of the cheetah flowed smoothly into that of a woman.

   Carlisle hugged his wife. "Thank you for coming so fast."

   "Are you all right?" Gina asked as she examined her husband, looking for
anything different or new - like a tail. "What happened?"

   "I'm fine," the man explained. "We were again attempting to control
Salona and ran afoul of its defenses. Thankfully it wasn't fatal."

   "You don't have a tail and you're not covered in fur," his wife said. "So
it wasn't you."

   "It was Idette this time," Carlisle explained. He pointed to the door
behind him. "She's in there."

   "What happened? Did she change?"'

   "Yes, at least partly. It's best to let her show you."

   Gina opened to door and stepped inside. In the center of the room was
Idette. She did not speak but simply turned her head to the new arrival and
nodded.

   Gina took a deep breath and smiled. "The attempt to control the body did
not go as expected?"

   "No, it did not," Idette said in clipped tones.

   "What happened?" Gina asked. "My husband said you needed my help."

   Idette took hold of her dress and lifted the hem about a foot. It
revealed a pair of feline paws attached to tawny colored feline legs. The
tip of a long, distinctly feline tail popped from under the dress.

   "How far up does it extend?" Gina asked as she stepped closer.

   "To just below my breasts," Idette answered. She pulled the dress off
revealing legs and a torso that was completely feline down to the row of
nipples on her stomach.

   "Salona did this?" the woman asked.

   "The defense spells on the metal feline did this," Idette explained.

   Gina ran her hand gently along the altered woman's torso. "The spell used
is unusually powerful but relatively simple. It will take some time to
unravel."

   "What I find interesting is that with all the power in Salona's body this
is all the spells did to me," Idette commented.

   "That's all?" Gina asked. "I assumed this was a side effect of one of the
more mild spells."

   Idette shook her head. "No. The mages who created the automaton seemed to
have been a lot more forgiving than I expected."

   Gina ran her hands along some markings in the fur on Idette's back. "Have
you learned anything about them?"

   "Little, a few symbols that could be heraldry is about all we have
discovered."

   "I can tell you that they liked extinct species and knew them well," Gina
commented. "My husband was changed into an saber cat. An extinct species of
cat and you were also changed into an extinct species of feline."

   "Which one?" The part feline woman asked. "I don't recognize it."

   "It's a Cave lion and as extinct as the saber cat is," Gina walked around
the other female closely examining her body intently.

   Idette scowled and gently pushed Gina back. "Can you change me back
without such a detailed examination?"

   "My apologies," the animal mage responded. "This is exciting. I've never
seen a complete cave lion before. There's only a partial skeleton in
Isenport. Not enough for a complete recreation."

   "I am only part cave lion," Idette commented.

   Gina smiled. "Of course but it's the part that hasn't survived on the
skeleton! This is the first time I've seen cave lion bones with flesh on
them."

   "It's my flesh and I'd prefer that all of it be human again."

   "Would you mind if I took some samples of fur and skin?" Gina asked. "I
could use them to learn so much! I could even use it to take the form myself
later on!"

   "You have my permission," Idette said solemnly. "So long as I get my
human form back."

   "This is so exciting!" Gina said. "We can start a breeding program and
recreate the whole species!"

    "Not with me!" Idette snarled.

   "Of course not!" Idette snapped. "Why do you think we would make you
breed with a normal animal? You've been listening to too many of those wild
tales about the people at Metamor Keep."

   "Can Keepers breed with normal animals?" Idette asked.

   "No," Gina answered in an irritated tone.

   "How do you know?" The half feline mage questioned.

   "I asked them," was the simple answer. "I never expected a fellow mage to
ask me about that."

   "Why not? I'm curious. Have many people asked?"

   "We get that question at least once a day," Gina responded. "More when
that fool Guthrey is in town."

   Idette wrinkled her nose in disgust revealing a set of large, distinctly
feline teeth. "I hadn't realized he was still giving his 'evil Demons of
Metamor' rants."

   "Still and always," the Animalia mage answered. "And many people are
listening to him."

   "We have enough trouble here in Marigund without him cause more."


***************


   The Rebuilder representatives arrived on time - all thirty two of them.
The group included 5 bishops, sixteen priests and eleven others including
the official Rebuilder priest assigned to the guild. They seemed to be
remarkably quiet for a group that large. Carlisle recognized two Guild mages
among their ranks.

   Reverend Burtrig stepped forward and pointed to the leader of the group.
"Guild Master Demerest I'd like you to meet Bishop Harson. the presiding
bishop of the Evengelical assembly."

   The leader was a man of medium height whose bare head was ringed by a
thin layer of hair as white as the beard that covered his chin. His face had
the weathered look of someone who'd spent a lot of times outdoors. There was
a modest smile on his face but his eyes sparkled with warmth. He was wearing
a shirt and pants of a simple design and with the subdued colors of brown
and black. The only bright coloring aside from his beard was the gold cross
that hung from a chain around his neck. He bowed deeply to Demarest. "Good
morning Master Demarest."

   The guild master returned the bow with one of his own. "Good morning
Bishop Harson. Thank you for coming!"

   "Thank you for so promptly bringing this issue to the attention of the
Assembly," the Bishop answered. "Let me introduce you to the rest of
committee."


**************


   "I do need to warn you," Carlisle said. "The wards on the automaton are
particularly potent so please do not touch her or cast spells."

   "Can't you control them?" one pastor questioned.

   "How close can we approach it?" Another added.

   "It is safe to get very close but do not touch it," Carlisle explained.
"And we can control the protections so as to be able to handle her but it is
difficult to extend that to others."

   "Meaning you don't want us touching your new toy?" Harson said bluntly.

   "Yes," the automaton mage answered before Demarest could speak. "Salona
is a very potent piece of magic and to be blunt I am not taking the smallest
chance it could be taken by someone else."

   Demarest nodded in agreement. "Until she is fully understood Salona stays
here and under strict control of the guild."

   "That's understandable," a pastor commented. "But we need to know exactly
what it is you have here."

   "I have to admit that when father Burtrig first brought this to our
attention, we thought he was exaggerating," Harson said.

   "It does sound like a child's tale," a pastor commented.

   "When I was a child I remember hearing the stories of the metal dragons
and griffons and thought those were just fairy tales. I never expected to
see one. And yet I have actually helped assemble a real automaton," Carlisle
responded.

   "What of the tales of death and destruction?" a woman pastor asked. "Most
of the tales speak of them laying waste to whole cities."

   "I won't lie," Carlisle said. "I've heard those tales too. And we have
found enough evidence to  prove such massive creatures once existed. " He
walked over to the metal feline and patted it on the shoulder. "Salona is
not such a creature."

   "But she is still a killing machine," a bishop responded.

   "Anyone can be a killer," Idette responded. "Wasn't there a king killed
by a seven year old girl once? It all depends on the person and not the
weapons."

   Harson pointed to the metal feline. "What of that person? Where is the
soul that once resided in there?"

   "It is not in there," Demarest answered.

   Harson smiled. "I know that already. Where is it?"

   "Of that we are not certain," the guild Master said. "But we are
searching for it."

   "I can assure you," Carlisle said. "That we have no intention of
capturing a soul to use in this automaton. Even if we knew how."

   "You don't know?" Harson asked.

   "No. We have recovered much Automata knowledge but that has not been.
Also it is one we have not pursued."

   Harson stared at Carlisle. Gone was the smile and he looked at Carlisle
with an intensity that almost made the mage flinch. After a long moment of
silence the bishop nodded and his face broke into a smile and was all warmth
again.

   A tall, stout woman whose short, curly, black hair told of Suielish
heritage stepped forward and pointed to the metal feline. "Does that work,
or is it merely a large, expensive metal statue?"

   "It is unfinished," Carlisle admitted. "The protective magic is working
but we have no way to animate it. We are working on a way for a mage to
control it. The mage's soul remains in his own body but he extends his mind
and remotely operates the form."


   "Similar to how a golem is controlled?" The woman asked.

   "Exactly," Carlisle answered. "Also I have seen it used to control some
animals."

   "Can you demonstrate this now?" another priest spoke.

   Carlisle shook his head in answer. "No, we have had great success on
lesser mechanical objects but not Salona. The wards protecting her are very
powerful and we're still adapting the needed spells."

   "You call her Salona," a woman asked. She was wearing a simple dress that
was so clean and unsullied that it had to be less than a day from the
dressmaker. Her hair had been carefully cleaned and arranged with ribbons
and a single silver braid. The eyes that bored into his own seemed to miss
nothing. It was clear her mind was as sharp as the edge of a sword blade.
This was no lifelong cleric, instead this was the wife of a craftsman here
in the city and probably a skilled crafter herself. Some Rebuilder groups
had no priests or priestesses instead members of the congregation took turns
doing the duties. She was probably one such person. "Why do you call her
that?"

   "It's her name," Idette said. "We found a small slip of paper that read;
Her name is Salona. Please take good care of her."

   The woman nodded slowly without taking her eyes off the feline. "That's
very tender."

   "Whoever took Salona apart did so with great care. They even numbered all
the parts so as to make her reassembly all the easier," Idette said.

   Harson motioned with his hands and the visitors came together as a group
and huddled for several minutes before finally breaking and turning back to
the mages. "We wish to see this creation in operation before we can judge
further."

   "All right," Demarest responded. "We will be ready shortly for such a
demonstration."

   Bishop Harson bowed deeply. "I thank you for the tour. We'll be back for
the demonstration in three days. Until then we will be keeping a close eye
on this project of yours. Of course you will inform us if and when you
discover the final disposition of the soul."

   "Of course!" the Guild Master answered.


***************


   Demarest watched as the group of Rebuilders vanished through the gateway
and down the street. Hardly had the group vanished from sight when three
servants stepped up to him.

   "Master Demarest, Rabbi Arstein has arrived and wishes an audience with
you about the Automaton issue," the first servant said.

   "Master Demarest, High priestess Delminie and her retinue have also
arrived and wish to see this new project of yours," the second servant
added.

   "Master Demarest, Sir Tahge has arrived and," the woman stopped speaking
for a moment. "His exact words were 'He is here to clarify this latest
trouble the Guild has caused."

   The guild master took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Please send
the rabbi my regards and see he is made comfortable in the Green chamber.
Send the Priestess my regards and have her made comfortable in the Blue
room. Tell them both I will see to them as soon as possible."

   Two of the servants took off on their appointed tasks leaving the nervous
third standing there. "What mood is Tarhge in Wendy?"

   "Well," the woman started. "Angry. When I left he was pacing the private
parlor like a caged lion."

   "Thank you Wendy. You can go back to your work. I'll see to the kings
representative myself."




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