[Mkguild] Flesinoir Truths

[kyle.vernon at gmail.com]

My latest masterpiece, I already know Lurkingwolf hates it *chuckle* what
about the rest of you chaps?


Cedric was bandaged and laying on a small cot in Yariv’s house counting
down the days until he could return to Cornflower, in a new body. He cursed
that horrible woman who raised Claire to become a pikeswoman and come to
worship the false god of war. It was enough to bring his blood to a boil,
though in his boredom he began thinking that maybe he shouldn’t be mad at
his sister.

Afterall, she still meant well and overall acted like a good person. Even
bringing him baskets of fruit and meat that apparently she cooked. Cedric
didn’t touch the fruit not being big on fruits or veggies, but he found it
exotic that they had such strange fruits he had never seen before. Most
curious was this yellow thing called a banana that was shaped more like
half of a bow, or dare he say it, a lewd part of male, as opposed to being
roundish like any fruit he had ever seen. Though that wasn’t even the weird
part of it, the strangest thing was this pineapple. The pine part was right
on as it resembled a pine cone, yet how it was meant to be eaten or if it
even was supposed to be anything more than decoration he had no idea.

Claire brought far more meat than fruit knowing Cedric hated fruit, but she
thought it was good to have it on standby as per his agreement with Yariv
he would take the curse and there was a fair chance he could become a
herbivore. Something the legendary meat eater gagged at as he felt it would
be less insulting to become a finer, younger, and more shapely maiden than
Yariv was. Hell it would be less insulting if he got that and age
regression to the point of being a five year old. Was that even possible? A
cold sweat began to run down Cedric’s forehead as he realized the worst
part of that fate would be if Claire really was the same girl she was back
when the two were kids, and outside of religion, species, and prowess with
a pike than she would never be allow him to live it down. “Oh God Yariv
what the hell have you done to me?” he asked himself before grabbing one of
the breakfast sausages that Claire had brought him this morning.

That was pretty much Cedric’s day for the two he had been here. Eating
meats and thinking about what body he would soon be wearing and for the
rest of his life. Even if he was in good enough of a shape to make a break
for it and avoid unpleasantries, the insult to his honor for refusing to
hold up his end of the bet would be horrendous. Even if it was with a woman
warrior. Things finally changed from this norm when some kind of
man-cheetah showed up at the door and asked to speak with him.

“Hey there buddy, I see you had a bit of an accident.. a friend of mine had
one like that involving the sharp end of a Lutin’s spear.” The cheetah
said, the cheetah was simply dressed and with satchel of letters and
packages on his back.

“I see, and how did that turn out?” Cedric asked trying to make
conversation as he had been quite bored without entertainment. He could
read, but not very well. He had some books to read, a few gems from the
Writer’s Guild though he found the writing too fanciful and the language
too refined for him to understand it past the first few chapters of a fairy
tale called “The Elk In The Sky.” it seemed interesting, but far too
esoteric for his tastes to bother with the trouble of asking Yariv’s wife
to read it to him.

“Well he made a quick recovery, not in time to save him from the curse
though. Our infirmary is never speedy enough for that. It’s almost like
some divine force causes normal humans to just become accident or injury
prone upon entering the cursed lands, like it’s TRYING to find some excuse
for them to stay here.” The cheetah said, contemplating this for a few
seconds before dismissing the thought.

Cedric nodded pretending to listen to the ramblings, but what he wanted to
know was what happened to this friend of the cheetah’s. “What became of
him?”

“Ah he’s just one of the best damn lumberjacks we’ve got here in Metamor, I
mean he’s a beaver now, so go figure.” The cheetah laughed to himself,
Cedric deciding to laugh with to be polite. “Anyway, my name’s Stealth, one
of the couriers, and you’ve got a letter from the Duke himself! Well aren’t
we moving up in the world? Hehe”

“It must be about the Transblade. Did he appraise it and decide a fair
price?” Cedric asked, this was a spot of good news. At least potentially,
this could end in the downfall or salvation of Cornflower. “We don’t have
much of say in the matter, the blade is useless to us, so we’ll take what
we can get. But I am giving up my adulthood, manhood, or humanity for th…”

“Wow wow there chief. I’m just the messenger. I don’t know what a
Transblade is or what business you have with the Duke. That’s between you
and him, you can give me a letter for him or you can go to the Keep and
discuss it with him directly. I am not a Hassan nor married to one.”
Stealth the cheetah clarified. “We keen on that? Yeah you look like a sharp
one. Shall I read you his letter or do you want to do the honor yourself?”

“Can you read this to me?” Cedric asked as he handed the scroll back to the
cheetah. “I can read, but not very well.”

“Alrighty then.” Stealth said with a birdlike chirp, something cheetahs
could do which caused Cedric to jump as he didn’t know they could. “Ahem..
Dear Cedric Bariclauph of Cornflower. I have had my strongest and most
skilled of mages appraise this Transblade as you call it and they find that
although the relic is no more than eight years old the magic used to create
it is reminiscent of an ancient foul magick long thought extinct. So
ancient that we’re actually having trouble deciphering where it came from
or the identity of one that could even have such power. As such we will pay
you a huge fee for the blade and continue to study it until we deem it
safe. As this is a rare, one of a kind artifact with such danger
surrounding it. It is in your best interest and ours that you mention the
weapon to as few parties as possible. Stealth one of our most trusted
couriers.” Stealth chirped again and laughed gaily. “Hey that’s me, oh you
lovable ol’ stallion, you’re not so bad yourself!” he chuckled a bit before
continuing. “As such we feel him most fitting to deliver this, a large
satchel for you filled with enough crowns to feed a small army the most
extravagant of meals and feasts for a decade. 5,000 Gold Coins. This is a
very generous offer. Though it’s more compensation. Despite the risk of
unpleasantries with Cornflower that came with this decision it is
impossible for us to give it back to you. If the magicks are indeed as we
have appraised it we have put ourselves in enough danger taking it off your
hands. To allow you to carry it back to Cornflower could potentially end in
disaster.”

“By Eli’s good graces…”Cedric blinked not following any of that as all that
was said was blanked out of his mind when he heard 5,000 Crowns.
“...Stealth… Where’s the money?”

“I left it with Yariv… That junk was heavy. Though I’m glad I didn’t open
it. Yeesh, if anyone knew how expensive my load was I’d have been targeted.
I mean crime doesn’t happen often in Metamor. We’re well united in that
everyone hates us for being abominations under the gods thing, but no rest
for the wicked ya know.” Stealth said before stretching his arms and
hearing his bones crack. “Whelp I’ve got places to be, letters to give out,
dames to pester. I’ll just leave the Duke’s words with you and be on my
merry way.” The cheetah bowed and, as he said, was on his merry way.

“The mission is nearly done… if I can get the money back to Cornflower I
can make Lord Aereolon proud.” Cedric said as he laid back, his side still
hurting to much to walk around. Yariv’s dagger had gotten more of itself
into him than he imagined it had during the duel.

“IF, you can get it back.” Spoke the soft, yet fearful toned voice of Sir
Yariv who had entered while Cedric closed his eyes. “...Cedric I overheard
everything. My father wasn’t a lord when I saw him last, but I do know he
isn’t a greedy old man. If he thought he had something as dangerous as
whatever this Transblade is he would have his old wizard friend destroy it.
Yet here he is selling it to the highest bidder, and one like Metamor which
is believed by the south to be corrupted by sin and daemons. What’s going
on?”

“I came because my Lord Frelick Aereolon, your father, owns a small town
far south. One that has been struggling in trade and has had to borrow
funds from a town called Mugal which owns a series of mines called the
Mugal Caverns, giving them riches and size far greater than most and
they’ve just been buying up land…” Cedric said rubbing his temples as his
voice became more dire. “The strange thing is though the caverns have
proven fertile with wealthful deposits of magical rocks, no miner has ever
left. Just the carts full of near-mythical substances such as mythril,
pyrock, machinium,  you name it. Any magical mineral, those carts come back
with it. Each time they buy a new land that land’s people become new
miners, yet, though more continue to go in. Not a one has ever returned,
their Duke has refused to comment upon it.”

“I haven’t seen a pyrock since that blasphemous fool Altera kept goldfish,
idiot thought that they were made of real gold! I spit upon his shallow
grave.” Yariv shuddered, repulsed at the memory of the foul lord whom he
once served. “They’re quite rare, for them to continuously mine the stuff…
No no Cedric, I must come with you when you depart. This matter requires
proper investigation.” Yariv stood up and walked to a mirror that she had
requested to her husband be put in the room for Cedric to see his body as
it changed to the will of the curse. “....As does well… My father, he
hasn’t seen me in forever and I’m sure he wishes to know what the curse has
done to me. I prayed he never find out. Now that I am with a messanger of
his I am realizing how selfish this prayer was.” Yariv turned back to
Cedric with big emotion filled eyes. “He is my father and he has right to
know what has become of his… daughter..”

“I… I understand, though if you like you can pose as a messenger and tell
him that you became a mighty lion?” Cedric offered, though dishonorable to
lie this seemed like one circumstance where the rule could be broken.

“No, he needs to know the truth and we have to leave the SECOND the curse
has you. Though I don’t look it for the curse has given me eternal beauty
and thus kept me young, I am actually quite old. If I’m old than you know
that he has been of an age destined for expiration for longer than I’ve had
a woman’s form. He is too close to Death’s door for me to delay.” Yariv
said looking towards a nearby mirror closing her eyes and opening them
again as if to expect to see a man’s visage when his eyes opened again, but
of course he did not.

“What’s it like?” Cedric asked, having a curiosity that was as natural as
it was improper for polite conversation.

“Womanhood?” Yariv asked for clarification, but began to speak again
realizing there was not much else for Cedric to be talking about. “Well,
quite frankly, it’s different. I know that’s plain as day, but you don’t
realize how so. I’m a creature of wiles and beauty. I now embody the
mystery that has eluded male-kind from you to your father, and his fathers
before him.”

“Are you bragging? Are you saying you’ve come to enjoy it?” Cedric asked,
he swore this sounded of a boast.

“That only happens in smut. Surely you’ve read a dozen tales to the tune of
this. Either some shy virgin of a young man or a boastful braggart who
fancies himself masculinity incarnate gets seduced from a mischievous woman
mage who dresses our new former male up all like a proper woman. Taunting
him throughout the night with stories of how much of a stud he used to be
and how he now carries the visage of the most ladylike of cheap whores,
then she is trained to find a mate and is thusly seduced into full
compliance with her fate. I can name at least twenty tales like that, but
the truth is nothing like this perverse fantasy. No instead, I find myself
no longer a man nor part of the world from where they reside.” Yariv said
laying down, no longer bearing to look at the mirror. “It would have been
better had I been a beast. A beast is still something from man’s world. A
woman is someone that a man meets when he ventures to the bridge between
worlds out of natural curiosity, when he and she step out of their own.
Neither of them are ever meant to cross that bridge into each other’s
worlds. It is not what Eli intended. I however have been pushed violently
across that bridge and been blocked off from ever seeing it again…. This is
my true curse. Do you understand Cedric?”

A long winded explanation, but one Cedric nodded at in agreement. He had
thoughts that he felt forbidden that perhaps a woman who once knew
masculinity could answer. “There is… but one reason I would want womanhood,
though it isn’t a strong one.”

“...Do you feel the other world is your true home? I once fought alongside
a knight who confessed that he felt that way. Now she proudly calls herself
Dame Seranima... never saw that one smile before that.” Yariv commented.

“No… Not that. The world of men is where I belong, but well.. I think I fit
in a little too well…” Cedric swallowed his tongue, what he was about to
tell Yariv was something he never told anyone for fear of the rejection,
not even his sister knew of this.

“What do you mean?” Yariv pondered what it would mean to fit in too well.
Could such a problem exist?

“I have read a few books, I’m not the most literate person though I can
read some Galendish, though nothing too fancy. I have noted descriptions of
young men courting women, letting those maidens become synonymous with
their own hearts. The feelings described are definitely real and
experienced by those whose hands or paws as a few I’ve read come from here.
Yet I do not feel these feelings about women. I cannot name a single one
that has made my heart blossom in such a way.” Cedric said recounting his
complete apathy about the female sex. “I feel women have their place and
all, I just, don’t see one having a place alongside me.”

“And this is why you disapprove so heavily of the idea of a woman warrior?”
Yariv asked recalling how difficult it was for Cedric the previous night to
even maintain the illusion of respect for herself and Claire.

“Not at all, I’ve just been raised with Eli’s word and he has different
plans for women is all. No no, what I’m getting it is. Well..” Cedric froze
up and scratched the back of his head nervously. “I feel… these feelings I
mentioned… but about men. I often feel as though I want to share a meal or
a walk during a beautiful night with a man. Though I don’t feel as though I
belong in the woman’s world and I….” The young blonde warrior noted the
look on Yariv’s face and wisely decided to cease speaking further.

“I think there is not a soul in Metamor Keep or even all of Galendor ready
to ponder such thoughts Cedric Bariclauph, I suggest you continue to keep
this to yourself.” Yariv said backing away from Cedric slowly and leaving
the room saying only these parting words. “We leave in a week, you will be
ready.”

Cedric nodded in agreement. “Of course, Cornflower cannot wait.” and with
that he went back to rest, trying to get his mind off the disappointment he
would surely feel when the news came and he was not selected for a body
that at least tried to match his mind.

It wasn’t for a few days that the warrior was able to stand up and actually
walk around he seemed to be healed entirely and yet also in incredible
stress. “YARIV!” He screamed looking at the lower half of his body and
seeing something that nearly made him faint.

Kilometers away at Metamor Keep, Claire was walking around with her Pike at
her side, there was rarely any need for it but Metamor encouraged people to
carry arms wherever possible, it didn’t matter if you were a woman, a
child, a chicken, a deer, a tree, a muffin. If you were a citizen of
Metamor, you needed to be on guard incase of anything. “I am glad your
brother’s getting the curse, but do I really have to come with you to check
on him?” Asked Jack, Claire’s red cardinal husband

“He could use the moral support from someone who the curse has hindered.”
Claire said to her husband as they walked together through the gorgeous
flowers of the royal garden. “I think he might have calmed down a bit
anyway since he’s becoming one of us.”

“I suppose so…” Jack sighed, looking at his wings that had robbed him of
his hands. “Well… there isn’t really a time like the present I suppose.” He
said, stroking the back of Claire’s head as the two waited during their
walk watching Laracin the Tree be tended to by Dan the gardener and a rare
insect member of the keep being a grasshopper. As bad as Jack had it, he
always felt sorry for Laracin and hoped for his sake more than anyone
else’s that a cure was found for the curse, though many had given up on it
ever coming to light for anyone except perhaps maybe when today’s infants
have beards themselves.

“Do you think any of us will ever be human again?” Claire asked, as if
reading Jack’s mind.

“I still hold out hope for it. It just feels temporary to me, polymorph
spells didn’t start with Nasoj after all.” Jack responded after thinking
for a bit.

“I’ve pretty much accepted that it’s here to stay myself.” Claire said,
kissing Jack on his beak and smiling at him “To be quite to the point, I
think I like you better as a bird, you’ve just got an air of handsomeness
about you while still being kind of adorable. The only downside is that we…
can’t have kids.”

“Mhm, and you Claire are more beautiful as a ferret instead of a woman. I
think the crow’s feet and stretch marks would have shown if the fur wasn’t
there.” Jack teased his spouse, earning a prod from the blunt end of the
pike.

A few minutes later Xhyz, the apprentice to Pascal appeared in the garden
in a cute green dress that showed her midriff in a diamond shape, stopping
at her belly button. Though the red panda was normally male she had
sometimes made the use of a gender swapping formula as part of what she
called a religious experience. “Hey there Pascal wanted me to deliver this
to you. It’s really powerful and should help in your travel.” Xhyz said
handing a vial of a yellow liquid to Claire. “It’s for Jack, but you can
hold it better.”

“Oh, the strength potion.” Claire said looking it over. “Right?”

“That’s the one..” Xhyz chirped and hummed to herself.

“Alright then.” Claire acknowledged, pouring the formula into Jack’s open
mouth and hoping it worked who gave what he good of a thumbs up as it had a
bit of a flavor like lemon cake as it rejuvenated him and his muscles to
beyond their normal capabilities. Said muscles began to swell giving Jack
quite the physique.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” Yelled a voice from afar as two of knights approached
Xhyz with spears drawn. “I wouldn’t drink that!” Spoke the voice of one of
the two women threatening Xhyz with sharpness. “This one’s under arrest for
the murder of Pascal Q. Porcupine! She could easily have poisoned it!”

Jack spat out what he hadn’t yet drunk of the potion, although it didn’t
seem to do much good as he had swallowed most of it. “Oh no…”

“WHAT!?!?!” Xhyz exclaimed, shocked at the accusation and the information..
“But I would  never hurt my mistress, I just spoke to her… she can’t be…
no.. This is a joke!” The red panda fell to her knees and started to cry.

“Likely story, but you were the last person seen coming out of the
Alchemist’s Lab and her dying words were ‘Xhyz’. So it looks like you’re
coming with us.” The knight said taking Xhyz by the arm with the aid of her
partner to be judged before the Duke.

Claire and Jack decided to follow them to the throne room which Kyia took
them to in a heartbeat, both worried that Xhyz may have done something foul
to Jack if this was true. Once there a lengthy trial began as a mage on
standby checked Jack for poison. After what felt like an hour of legal
jargon, he said, she said, and people still in shock over Pascal’s death. A
weasel stood forth giving his closing thoughts

“To recap, Pascal and Xhyz were working on a potion of strength for Jack
Itamar Flameheart, Prime Minister Malisa’s assistant when screams were
heard from Ms. Pascal. The guard on duty Dame Edwina went to investigate
and saw the porcupine melting into a puddle of goo and Xhyz had just left
the whole. On top of this, Pascal’s last words were ‘Beware.. Xhyz… is
loose..’ It is believed that she was melted by some kind of acidic potion
being tossed in her direction. Xhyz here claims that he didn’t know about
this until charged with the crime.” The weasel in a very expensive clothes
said, giving a sharp accusing look to Xhyz.

“But… surely it can’t be me… It has to have been the other me! The guard
said Mistress pronounced it Zicks! I know someone with that pronunciation.”
Xhyz cried out in anguish and defense. “He’s a redskinned man like I used
to be, and if he’s loose that’s not good!”

Duke Thomas thought long and hard about this before turning to his aide
Thallberg. “Thallberg, Xhyz is the only red skinned human to come to
Metamor, correct? There are no guests or citizens fitting that description?”

“Mmm...No sire, Xhyz’ Fan Shoar complexion was quite noteworthy, a second
one like him would have been gossiped to Hell and back.” The gator snarled
looking over a scroll of recent goings on in the Keep.

“He’s good at hiding, but he’s real.” Xhyz pleaded. “We must find him
before he kills again.”

“A desperate plea, Xhyz is lying, probably to get some kind of promotion to
head alchemist. If he got us singing along to his Other Xhyz story he could
demand anything..” Thallberg snapped. “Xhyz would have heard Pascal’s
scream and gone back to investigate if he WASN’T guilty.”

“..But I didn’t hear her… I swear.” Xhyz’s ears went downward in distress.

The Duke nodded in agreement. “Pascal was a dear friend of Metamor and her
death is tragic, I see no evidence that suggests Xhyz was anything but
guilty. If he was at the end of the hall his enhanced hearing would have
picked it up. If there are no objections, I hereby sentence Xhyz to public
hanging.” The regal stallion looked around the room and found nothing but
dead silence, broken only by screams demanding he be killed from a few
people in the audience. “Then by the power invested in me, I order this
execution to be carried ou…”

“I have one!” Entered Malisa, Prime Minister and Princess of the Court. “I
came as fast as I could when I heard what happened. Pascal’s a dear friend
of mine as well, she’s been helping me lately… and although her death is
heartbreaking, I highly doubt Xhyz was responsible.”

“Alright my daughter, what are your objections?” The Duke asked, the court
now in a stir talking amongst themselves as they debated.

“Jon had mentioned seeing a redskinned man not dissimilar to Xhyz before
his curse at Sargosa’s Birthday party, a girl who reported her aunt dying
after some strange characters showed up at her house. One of them this red
skinned man. This man was spotted again by him, myself, and Jenn during
mine and Jenn’s outing where I pledged my abstinence.” Malisa testified,
making herself heard throughout the throne room. “I believe this murder,
and the murder of Sargosa’s aunt, Vercetti are related. Before any judgment
is passed, I think we should question Regorez who I believe to be linked to
the only lead we have on this man.”

“...I see… The prisoner we found in Hawl’s Cell.” Dame Seranima who was
present for the trial as she was a dear friend of Pascal’s. “He’s booked at
an Inn until we know more about what his connection to Hawl is… I’ll go get
him if it’s okay with the Duke.” to which the stallion nodded in agreement,
pondering where this could be going.

Malisa nodded in approval. “Thank you Sera., in the meantime, I would like
to hear Xhyz speak as to if he has any knowledge of what a Flesinoir is… If
that’s alright with you father.”

“Under threat of perjury if I lie and say I don’t know, then I refuse to
testify on the grounds that it would present a danger to the Keep.” Xhyz
said before Thomas had a chance to respond to Malisa’s quest.

“Xhyz do you realize how incriminating that sounds?” Duke Thomas asked, his
curiosity now more piqued than ever.

“Yes, but I know what I am doing!” Xhyz stated for the record.

After a few minutes of people demanding Xhyz speak and debating amongst
themselves, Claire finally looked towards Jack to saying something. “Wow… I
knew Hawl was trouble but..all this?” she said with great distress and
bewilderment in her voice as what started as a walk in the garden turned
into the biggest courtroom drama of the year.

Jack however refused to comment on what Claire said, and the two remained
silent until Regorez was brought in. The black cloaked mage of the
flesinoir now under the curse and having the form of a child no older than
five, taking a stand before the Duke he kneeled.

“Name and occupation.” Duke Thomas said as a formality.

“Regorez, Flesinoir Mage.” The child spoke, hearing gasps from the crowd.

“I see, can you speak on what a Flesinoir is and what relation you have to
Hawl?” Duke Thomas asked, trying to remain as professional sounding as
possible despite being a little bit afraid that this could possibly be yet
another problem like Marzac was.

“Well, there isn’t much to say that I can.” Regorez said, pacing himself as
he gathered his thoughts. “I’m from a cult that worships the flesh and
magic that can be used to mend it and reshape it. Metamor Keep has not been
a place of interest to us simply because we saw the curse as having too
little reward for too much risk due to our desire to keep secret and the
unpredictably and irreversibility of the curse.” He looked up at the Duke
hoping this would cover it, but he was asked to proceed much to his panic.
After looking around the courtroom, he decided he had no choice. “Hawl was
a project of ours, along with his father Flynn. We wanted to create a
perfect being that could take any form it wished. When his father was found
rather difficult to work with due to him having two of the curses of
Metamor upon him, we opted to use his son for it instead. Flynn later
helped us craft a powerful weapon known as the Transblade. We have kept our
eyes on Hawl lo these 8 years to make sure he stayed within our grasp until
we were ready to.. uh.. reveal ourselves.”

“...The Transblade was made by Hawl’s father?!?!” Duke Thomas asked quite
taken aback. “Does Hawl know this?”

“No he doesn’t, we kept him in the dark about his heritage and the cult..
We just didn’t feel.. He was ready..” Regorez stated, swallowing and
looking around nervously as if expecting someone to be listening in he did
not want to be. Fear and sweat were highly evident on the child’s face. “I
followed him to Metamor to ensure he would leave it, but he locked me in
your prison and left without me. Now I have the curse, an honor truly as we
value transformation.”

“I see…. are there any citizenship records of a Flynn Enroygall?” Duke
Thomas asked, something about Regorez’s story sounded off and thought that
it was worth trying to find what that could be.

“Mmm… I’ll check with Fox Cutter.” Thallberg said, and left towards the
library.

“Before he continues, I’d just like to say one thing!.” Stepped forward a
female hawk morph from the crowd. “I find this subject quite interesting
and request that I am given the transblade and full amnesty under the
grounds that I…” The hawk slowly changed to the tiger that Dame Seranima
tried to arrest in Glen Avery. “Have the right to claim the weapon as a
family heirloom!”

“OH GO FORNICATE WITH A PILE OF COMPOST!” Screamed Claire at the top of her
lungs.

“Request denied!” Duke Thomas yelled gesturing his guards to surround Hawl.
“The artifact is far too powerful to be given away to someone we don’t
trust.”

“But it is my only link to my father! I know NOTHING about my past you
arrogant cursed little...” Hawl roared, turning into a dragoness and
breathing fire in the Duke’s direction only to be held down by two knights.

“Was that a threat Enroygall!?!!” Duke Thomas asked, getting off of his
throne with his own blade in hand, normally it was only for ceremonial
purposes, though it was sharp enough to defend himself and rather on the
enchanted side. Holding it to Hawl’s neck he looked ready to spill the
dragoness’ organs onto the floor. “You’re on thin ice as it is.”

Hawl looked at the knights and then at the horse and began having
flashbacks to the Mugal Tavern mess that got him sent to Metamor in the
first place. “No your majesty...I was merely emphasising a point… Otherwise
the flames would have touched you.”

“Good.” Duke Thomas sheathed his blade and walked back to his throne.
“Hawl, you are really trying my patience. A little more understanding about
why you’re here will be needed before I can decide what to do with you.
Though if it weren’t for your ties to the Flesinoir I would be tempted to
remove you from this plane of existence myself! Please keep that in mind
before you toss a single ember of your flame towards my presence!” He said
before pointing Jack out of the crowd. “You are still under the effects of
the strength potion, carry Cedric here from Lorland! We will need to hear
more from him.” Understandably Thomas was quite irate, Hawl had been
nothing but stuck up and rude, coming in after breaking out of his prison,
framing Regorez for his crimes and forcing him under the influence of the
curses. The act of putting someone from an unknown cult not only risked an
international incident which the Duke didn’t need, but the fact that Hawl’s
first words after seeing Thomas again were used to make demands and then
threw fire at his face when those demands weren’t met.

“Alright, but, if I may be so bold as to suggest this, your Majesty. I
would make sure the Transblade is here when I get back. I’m guessing
ownership of that item is going to be a controversial subject.” Said the
red cardinal before he took off. The potion was originally intended for him
to carry Claire swiftly to Lorland to visit Cedric, and now it seems it
would be used to carry Cedric straight to Keeptown.

As if right on cue, Thalberg returned with the Transblade in his scaley
hands, holding a citizenship record in the hand that didn’t hold the
mystical blade. “It would appear that Flynn Enroygall was a musician and
warrior, one of the only female soldiers we had before the curse the only
other one of the top of my head I can think of being Lindsey the Lumberjack
back when he was female. Flynn was noteworthy as well for having the third
and second curses rendering him a male cheetah, though we weren’t able to
have him stick around long enough to find out why he didn’t end up like
Quiz. Regardless Flynn was assumed dead after leaving Metamor Keep to find
himself, and never following up via letter or on his promise to return. It
would appear we now know why. Though it doesn’t explain how he had fathered
Hawl in that time who is clearly an adult and should be a child if it’s
only been eight years.”

Hawl used the strength of her dragon form to push back the knights pinning
her down and her wings to dash towards the Transblade which she took from
Thalberg, resulting in more knights surrounding her. “Just let me hold it,
it was made by my father. I never knew him growing up outside of a very
faint memory of him carrying me to Cornflower as a baby.”

“Eight years ago…” Regorez added to Hawl’s testimony. “He shapeshifted into
an adult and forgot, not remembering that he was a child, an infant really.”

“That’s news to me.” Hawl said looking at herself in awe as she went to her
base form, her for real base form as an eight year old boy. “I don’t feel
like a child though… I’ve spent so much time as an adult, heck I’m not even
a virgin. I’m eight and without my innocence! I’ve beat a record set by a
maiden of Pallowtry.” Claire buried her face in her paw after hearing this
reference as she originally came from Pallowtry. Hawl looked back up at the
knights around him. “Let me hold the Transblade for a bit, or I will become
a much larger dragoness, not a morph this time!”

“Again no, and that was a threat, a threat against a royal. If you want to
die, I’d keep talking!” One of the woman guards said, stomping her metal
boot onto Hawl’s stomach. Even though he had the form of an eight year old
boy, she knew enough adults who wore child bodies to justify her attack.

“While what we’ve learned is interesting, we need to remember the original
subject and ask how does it prove a second Xhyz? Unless Hawl was disguised
as Xhyz around the Alchemist’s Labratory and the real Xhyz was further
along to not hear the screams I don’t see too much of a connection. Though
this means Hawl killed Pascal, given that he seems to have no regard for my
life or his own as he keeps making threats upon my person….” Duke Thomas
started breathing heavier as he looked back at Hawl, though given that he
was a confused manchild he was starting to grow some kind of leniency
towards him, but not too much. The whole adorable child appearance he had
now didn’t really have much meaning to Thomas who had seen battlefields
where child mages and kids with metal weapons tore asunder Lutins and
Humans alike flaying their blood and exploding their body parts with high
level arcane spells.

Everyone shot Hawl a tormented and poisonous look at this accusation, only
for Xhyz of all people to object. “Wrong! Hawl and the other Xhyz, Zyhx,
are two different people. Hawl is not the murderer…. nor do I think his
threats are valid. I think Hawl’s just an innocent bystander who doesn’t
really have a clue what’s going on right now. Hell, I don’t think Hawl’s
ever had a clue about anything to be really honest.”

“How sure of this are you?” Regorez asked, breathing a sigh of relief. “It
was definitely Hawl, he’s very immature. Likely did it for fun. Let me take
him back to the Flesinoir so I can punish him properly.”

“Nice try!” Xhyz barked at Regorez. “Hawl’s childish and perverted, but not
a killer!”

“You do realize how objecting to Hawl can be seen as you not wanting to
admit guilt, yet not wanting to blame Hawl either.” The weasel prosecutor
said to Xhyz.

“Actually… this does have a basis in reality.” Spoke Edwina, the one who
found Pascal and the Xhyz walking down the hall. “The Xhyz I saw was male,
while this one is female. How long DOES a gender swap potion take to
effect? Surely not so short that it could happen during a walk.”

Hawl nodded confirming Edwina’s idea. “I escaped Glen Avery in Hawk form
and snuck around the Alchemist’s Tower as Xhyz, male as I saw him during my
trial, but I had no reason to kill Pascal. I’ve met her once and she seemed
like a nice person, not sure why she had six breasts and was made out of a
weird substance I’ve heard is called latex, but still, a nice person.”

Everyone looked to the entrance as the doors flew open, Cedric and Jack
returning with Yariv and a female face Hawl recognized not far behind them.
“That potion really worked, I could carry two people!” Jack cheered,
flexing for Claire who ran up to him smiling. “Another of the knights
seemed to have followed me in though, I hope that’s okay…” Indeed standing
behind him was a woman with white hair in armor that seemed to have been
recently, hastily, and heavily modified.

Duke Thomas smiled at the speedy flight. “A testament to Pascal’s
greatness, the vial from the potion will be kept in a memorial of her.” The
horse nodded before calling Cedric forth. “Name and occupation for both of
you.”

“Cedric Bariclapugh, Warrior, Mercanery, and Aspiring Knight”” Cedric bowed
before the great black stallion. “Jack has filled me on the details of what
happened. I can pick up the rest as I go or you can explain them.”

“Sir Yariv Aerelon, Knight, Former Bodyguard of Altera Loriod.” Yariv also
bowed, refusing to curtsy in her female sex. “I have no idea how much help
I can be in this situation.”

“Cedric, you traveled with Hawl through a journey in a cart up to Metamor.
How would you rate his character? Do you think he could kill someone?” Duke
Thomas asked, looking him over noticing his cursed features. Cedric’s leg
muscles seem much more well developed, atop that his hips were a little
wider to accommodate his noticeably larger rear. It was too early to say
for sure, but it seemed like a sure sign of womanhood.

“Hawl is an idiot, a charlatan, and a trickster! Capable of damn near
anything!” Cedric decreed, recounting his unpleasantries with him. “He has
attempted to seduce me with feminine wiles and he robbed me of the
Transblade.” The mercenary calmed down and looked towards whom he assumed
was Hawl from the spears pointed at him. “But he is not a killer, in fact
he made me vomit up some poisoned radishes when it would have been easier
for him to let me die and get away with the Transblade.”

“I concur!” spoke a second of the two women who came in with Cedric and
Jack. “Sorry for not introducing myself, Leo The Lanceless, Knight, Captain
Of The Guard in Mugal, and Treasure Hunter. I came to make sure Hawl was
still here and not welching on his exile to this place. It doesn’t surprise
me however that he’s a suspect for murder. He’s an idiot prone to getting
himself in trouble, but, not a killer”

“...Ahh.. I remember you, you’re the treasure hunter who caused problems
for Dame Seranima, Pascal, and Xhyz during their trip to restock on herbs.
The one who pestered our quarantine guard with idiotic questions. It seems
the curse took you just as it is taking Cedric.” Thomas noted, shaking his
head. “You attacked one of my knights and both of my alchemists. Not only
that but you endangered many by refusing to leave when you came to our
borders during the plague. You’re not exactly someone we’re happy to see.”

The white haired lady knight Leo nodded in return, looking herself over.
“If it’s any consolation, the curse has pretty much ruined my life
entirely, so I’m not too pleased to see you freaks either.”

“So it has, so it has. No he didn’t break the curse by the way, so, freak,
your life is still ruined I’m afraid.” Duke Thomas seemed to smile at Leo
as he sat in his throne. The horse thought hard to himself before reaching
a new question. “We have ruled out Xhyz and Hawl, as such Xhyz’s claim of a
second Xhyz must be true. However I still need to hear on the Flesinoir.
Leo, has there been any unusual interest in Hawl or about Hawl.”

“Occasionally people in black cloaks ask about him, and other than him
being able to change sex, gender, age, what he’s made at of, and his size
at the drop of a hat... no nothing unusual.” Leo admitted pondering back to
her days of dealing with and cleaning up Hawl’s nonsense.

The trial continued well into night fall with a dinner catered to everyone
at trial, no one wanting to stop for a recess due to how entertaining this
was getting. Eventually it was put on hold as it approached a truly late
hour, many falling asleep in the throne room. Duke Thomas had to call it
quits there. “Alright, what we have determined, is there is a second person
named Zyhx which is similar to Xhyz in pronunciation. Hawl’s the experiment
of a cult, Flynn is a blacksmith of some kind, and not much elsel.. As
such. Xhyz and Hawl are cleared of all charges, related to murder, and…
well it seems I’m going to give Hawl a full pardon and ask that he return
to Mugal with you.”

“BULLSHIT!” Leo screamed.

“He isn’t our problem, he’s yours. You deal with him! You said you exiled
him here? You can’t exile someone to a specific location, that’s not how
that works. We don’t want him here and from how it sounds it doesn’t seem
like he’d ever have come here had you not dumped him on our doorstep!”
Thomas yelled back at Leo before regaining his composure, this trial taking
a lot out of him. “There are a few more loose ends, as much as I’d like to
dismiss them and get to bed there are a few loose ends I’d like to tie up,
such as who poisoned Cedric. Whether or not we can trust the Flesinoir, if
the Flesinoir intends any ill will towards the Keep, and why Pascal was
attacked. Regorez, if there’s anything else you know. Please speak.”

Regorez looked around the room and finally to the ground in guilty silence,
it was finally Cedric who said something. “Regorez gave me the turnips and
tied Hawl to a tree. As such I find him untrustworthy.”

Thomas’ gaze turned to Regorez as he snorted out in a equine manner. “I
can’t trust anyone from Mugal it seems… Sorry Cedric, but he attacked you
outside of Metamor Keep and I don’t want to risk a situation with these
Flesinoir. I can’t charge him.”

“That’s understandable your Highness.” Cedric was incredibly calm about
this.

The trial was over, and everyone else in a timely manner. Cedric, Yariv,
Leo, Jack, Regorez, and Claire huddled together right outside. “Alright, we
will head there tonight! No delaying.” Yariv said

“I’ll stay here and look after Malisa as usual, but I’ll be with you in
spirit.” Jack responded.

“Does Claire have to come? There might be combat and…” Cedric was in the
middle of saying. “Nevermind… I… I don’t think I can restrict Claire’s
right to come…” he said in a huff, looking down at himself.

“Why’s that? Future Little Brother.” Claire asked with a snicker, having
heard that Cedric is under the curse. “Or are you my Big Sister”

“Oh this will be good.” Yariv snickered.

Cedric stepped into a lantern lit to help people see at night and turned
his back to Claire. “Focus on my posterior and thighs, wide and round like
a woman’s, my legs have been getting more muscled too… I will join you in
womanhood… I don’t know if I will give up being a warrior or not, but…”


“...I’m sorry.” Claire said, she wanted to laugh but her voice became
somber. “I hold out hope that you’ll be cheered up soon, maybe you’ll still
find yourself with a body that you enjoy… I have a really good feeling
about it at least.”

Jack was about to laugh, but took a cue from Claire and decided to just
leave and help Malisa get ready for the night so he didn’t risk laughing.

“I am doomed to a life of body dysphoria as Leo and Yariv are…” Cedric
groaned. “Don’t lie to me...  Claire.”

Leo breathed a sigh of relief. “Right now I don’t care, I am not just a
cursed woman, but a blessed one. I’m also free of Hawl, I don’t know where
he is and I’m not going to ask EVERYONE in Metamor Keep if they happen to
be him. Where ever he is, he isn’t my problem.”

The crew aside from Jack rented a traveling merchant’s cart being pulled by
two traveling salesman horses in their feral form who had been heading for
Mugal anyway. The two merchants were being driven by a young teenage woman,
wearing charms to let them speak in that state as Cedric and crew stayed in
the merchant cart it was pulling. “You’re lucky you ran into us, from that
trial and Enroygall family business we decided an ambassador to help open a
trade route would be very profitable. Mugal’s got a lot of magic rocks ya
know.”

“I’m sure it has nothing to do with shirking on your promise to my father.”
The young woman said to the horses pulling her merchant cart. “Oh sure
we’ll look after the boy well during our barter route, he’ll make a fine
apprentice. Oh Metamor Keep on our barter route? Naw don’t worry the curse
won’t hit us, we’ll make a real man of the boy.”

The horses stopped for a second and looked at each other, then back at her.
“..Well if someone didn’t lose the map!”

“Oh, still blaming me for that?” The young woman laughed. “It wouldn’t have
done us any good if I hadn’t. Fred here was the one who forgot to secure
the horses. Besides, you talked about getting a hot girl to help shovel
your crap.”

“You’re not… upset about becoming a woman?” Cedric asked over hearing this
conversation.

“No, my dad had four sons, three of them entered trades and failed
miserably at them. Now that he has a daughter we might not have to be poor
anymore. The dowry for a maiden as fetching as me has got to be a lot. And
by some irony it’s the one daughter of all of us who has yet to fail at her
craft.” She smiled at Cedric. “Please, call me Melody. It was a nickname
from my failed profession as a Bard, people claimed my voice was too
girlish to be taken seriously.”

“I see… Melody.. and you don’t mind you’ll be in a woman’s role forever?”
Cedric asked, feverishly.

“Why should I? I’m a merchant.” Melody responded, with laughter. “Besides,
I’m the only one who can peddle our wares now that they’re horses. So now
my cut shall be more than fair. Unless you equine twins have any objection.”

Theodore, one of the two blonde furred stallions looked at the other, Fred.
“She’s got us there... “

The party stepped to rest for the morning, setting up shop for travelers as
they ate. Claire having cooked some of the less valuable of their meats and
saved vegetables for her and the horses. Though Cedric wasn‘t much in the
mood for eating, instead he watched Melody hoping to emulate her style of
happy-go-luckiness about the change as she drew in a crowd.

“Step right up, step right up, we have wonders from here to there.” The red
head said waving Fred’s old cane at her cart, with Claire’s feral form on
her shoulder disguised as a pet. The cart was one that was empty when it
carried people and yet full of their wares when it didn’t due to an
enchantment upon it. “Jewels, Weapons, Potions, Food, Why our prices are so
reasonable it’d make a horse talk. Right Fred?”

“I don’t believe your deals are that good.” The horse said as a joke for
the crowd of passersby, many coming from a nearby settlement out for a
walk. “No way, no how!”

The crowd Melody had attracted clapped at this though one naysayer asked.
“Wait, those aren’t… you’ve been to Metamor Keep haven’t you? You’re
bringing the curse upon us!”

“You do me too much honor.” Melody giggled girlishly. “You make a this
ventriloquest feel like she knows what she’s doing. No need to fret, just a
poor parlor trick. A child could do it.” she said swaying about in a
feminine twirl as she nudged Theodore. “Right Teddy?”

“Just part of the show folks!” Theodore said laughing hesitantly.

“Now let’s get down to business! I’ve got a tonic will make your hair grow,
the end all, be all cure for baldness! With some other possible side
effects too.” Melody grinned, looking over the crowd which had Yariv in a
dress standing with those gathered around, immediately she pointed at her
and laughed heartily. “Miss, I’ve never seen you before correct?”

The brown haired Yariv walked up and nodded, her hair cut short. “Yes, my
husband just hasn’t looked the same at me since a Warlock cursed my hair to
fall out..” She felt conflicted about this as it felt dishonest, but she
had to pay the fare somehow.

Cedric rolled his eyes, he couldn’t believe a knight would aid in such a
con.

Melody waved her fingers through Yariv’s hair and made a few disapproving
noises. “Tsk tsk tsk, well luckily for you, my Tonic not only restores hair
growth, but it can have a few other benefits as well.” she laughed handing
Yariv a bottle who drank deeply

.

“Wow, it even tastes good, but how long do I have to wait? Three days? A
week? a month?” Yariv asked, playing dumb, he knew full well that it was
nothing but water with sugar added, and a blue food dye to make it look
like a potion.

“Try instantly!” Melody cheered, as Yariv began shifting into her fully
cursed form, becoming not only very long haired, but incredibly well built,
far more than any woman in a perverse sexual fantasy of a curious
adolescent would have.

“Oh my, it works better than I expected. I can’t believe how hot it’s made
me! Does it work on men too?  My husband’s been a little worse for wear
himself.” Yariv giggled uncharacterisitcally girlishly as she helped sell
Meldoy’s act.

“Of course it does, why would I only cater to one sex?” Melody asked
rhetorically, as she looked towards the crowd blowing a kiss. “Who else is
ready to experience beauty and handsomeness in a bottle? No need to go on a
pilgrimage to Velena, just drink up!”

A random man in the crowd stepped forward and dropped two gold pieces in
Melody’s hand, well than more what she was selling it for. “I think this
guy over here needs it.” The man said handing it to a weighty man behind
him.

“Mighty kindly of you.” He said, drinking up. “Oh I can feel it already I…”
and in seconds he was now much easier on the eyes, mostly because he had
now a slender waist and long hair, and a bosom, wide hips, and new private
parts. “...WHAT IN BLAZES!?!?!” much to the surprise of him and everyone
else, even Melody and crew.

“I should have been more specific about HOW it works on men hehehe..”
Melody scratched the back of her head “EVERYONE GET IN THE CART!” she
screeched before jumping in with the rest of her transport and taking off
like a bat out of hell.

“I don’t get it, you said it was fake!” Yariv accused Melody of some form
of witchcraft.

“Which makes me wonder why you went along with the scam.” Claire asked,
tilting her head. “That’s not like you.”

“I had to pay for this ride somehow…” Yariv admitted.

“I’m going to join him soon, I’m going to be stuck with a body I hate…
forever..” Cedric commented, looking back at the angry mob.

Regorez folded his arms in disgust at Cedric’s lament. “Hey I’d rather be a
woman than a kid!”

“I have faith brother, your body will be a good one. I just know it.”
Claire repeated, rubbing Cedric’s back.

They traveled onward, making less frequent stops as Melody and the horses
tried to figure out why the sugar water did what it was supposed to, but
not getting anywhere close to an answer.

A few days of travel with Cedric’s hair getting longer and his rear
becoming more shapely he contemplated killing himself, looking at this
sword to do so. “...I… I can’t live a woman’s life…” he said to himself,
before looking at Claire and breathing in. “No… I can’t….. She would never
forgive me…” still Cedric kept the the blade close just in case,
remembering Claire’s optimism, yet at once how Leo and Yariv hated being
women. He could not find anything redeemable about Melody’s optimism, she
was feminine and powerful yes, but still the deterioration into a woman’s
role over the days frightened the warrior to the bone. Afterall, she was a
merchant, one who gained coin from the crafting of falsehoods, not a
soldier, one who gains honor from the crafting of victories! Though it was
something that would pay off, once he got to Mugal the next day when Cedric
was awoken by Claire.

“WAKE UP Big Sister, the change is complete!” Claire screamed at Cedric
shaking him awake, Yariv and Leo looked over him as well.

“..Oh… no no.. I… wait… my voice is… manly!” Cedric moruned and then
cheered. “Manlier than before, and my manhood feels… bigger not smaller…”
He began to stand and noticed he felt bigger somehow. much stronger and
faster, but with his face feeling funny. “I don’t understand.”

“Well lucky you!” Leo screamed and then exited the caravan bitterly jealous
that what happened to Cedric didn’t happen to her.

“Indeed, you dodged an arrow there Sir Cedric.” Yariv smiled at the young
man.

“What’s happened to me?” Cedric asked looking himself over, noticing his
white fur, his hooves, and his tail. “...I’m not a woman, I’m a horse, my
lower body did that because it was mimicking that trait in horses.. I… I’ve
never been more happy.” He cheered. “Claire, you were right… I.. I don’t
hate this body!” The new stallion said flexing his newly expanded muscles.

“Your confidence came just in time, we’re in Mugal. Dad, Leo, and Regorez
are already in the town. I’ll give you some privacy to enjoy your new self.
But first…” Claire hugged Cedric as tight as she could. “Know that you’re
my big brother bestfriend forever. See I told you you’d be fine. I prayed
every single night we traveled for this.”

“And you wished for this? Even after how I’ve treated you…” Cedric seemed
confused. Why would his sister have wished him well after he disrespected
her family so? It just didn’t make sense, it would have done so if she were
spiteful and had wanted him to be a woman, but here. No, his sister wished
him well and part of him felt that maybe that’s what made him a horse.

“You weren’t a keeper yet, now that you are, you’ll see what you did
wrong.” Claire smiled, leaving the cart as Cedric tried to walk on hooves.

“Me a stallion! This is perfectly befitting a knight!” Cedric laughed,
looking for some clothes that fit his new frame. “Perhaps I could learn to
charge myself into battle?” He said to himself looking through the caravan
supplies until he found armor the more properly fit him that he’d pay
Melody and her stallions for after he got in contact with them again as
they were off peddling their wares in Mugal. The cart parked somewhere safe
and out of the way where no one would find it, though still close enough to
Mugal to let it be known that it was owned by someone. Beyond that Cedric
would lock it when he left. Once he did he left with Claire and Yariv to
settle Mugal’s debts.

“Citizens of Mugal! We wish to speak with your Duke!” Yariv yelled as soon
as Cedric came out and met with his fellow travelers outside of Castle
Mugal, trying to look regal as he nearly tripped on his hooves. “About
Cornflower and the Transblade!”

The Duke, a fat man, with way too many jewels drapped around him came out
of his castle and took the Metamor crew somewhere private with his son
Klaus beside him. Smiling and waiting to talk with them once they were out
of earshot.“So you’re back from Metamor as my spies told me you or at least
one of you were going there as Ambassadors of Cornflower. Most
interesting.” The Duke looked towards Leo and said her name “Leo The
Lanceless… Now”

“Of course” Leo smirked, smacking Yariv in the face with a metal gauntlet
and taking the Transblade.

The Duke’s raspy voice laughed as Leo’s betrayed the caravan. “My plans
involve you not paying off Mugal’s debt, and with the Flesinoir ensuring
both Hawl and the Transblade came back, I knew I would get the Transblade
AND the money. Yet, once you are all killed I will just claim you never
came back.”

Yariv, Claire, and Cedric all drew weapons as Regorez merely walked to the
side of the Duke of Mugal. “Then we’ll just strike you dead!” Cedric yelled
loudly.

“I don’t think we will…” Claire said raising her ear.

“Why is that sister?” Cedric asked turning his head towards Claire’s
direction and looking upon her for only a moment before he dropped his
sword and shield to plug up his nostrils with both hooves as he smelt a
stench that smelled of dung, mud, bugs, and decaying corpses that just
assaulted his nose. Cedric knew as he smelled those things before. “GOOD
GOD! BY ELI’S BEARD WHAT IS THAT FOUL STENCH!?!?!”

“...I smell it too… God, I know you nobles stink of perfume… but… Loriod
didn’t even wear anything that strong..” Yariv commented, before thinking
for a bit. “Actually no… It’s not perfurme it’s..  I haven’t smelled
anything this rancidly repugnant since I came out of retirement for the
Winter Assault.”

At once the familial trio all turned around and to the horror they found
themselves aghast at a sight that had to be seen to believe, and the only
reason it was believed was that fear like that could not be faked. Hearing
it in a Tavern it would be laughed off as superstitious nonsense, but to
gaze upon it was almost more than the three warriors could take.

Dressed in tattered rags where the rotting carcasses of three people who
seemed to have been dead for some time, there was still flesh on the bones,
though not much, there was tons of exposed meat and skull discolored with
blood long since dried. The most horrifying thing was that these corpses,
were standing and holding weapons. “Kill me… Please… Kill me.” one of them
said as he readied an axe. “I’m… sorry..”

Cedric, Claire, and Yariv could not comprehend this horrible sight. “How
is, how is such a monster even possible.” Yariv asked, almost too afraid

“A creation of Count Cloptis’.” Regorez snickered, rubbing his hands
together giddily. “This is what happened to the enemies of his that opposed
his will. They still live, but they are kept alive as their flesh is slowly
devoured. Their actions aren’t their own. They can scream in agony and beg
for death, they can’t see or hear you, their ears and eyes have been
consumed by the bugs controlling them! I haven’t seen them in action in
years.”

“Who is this Count Cloptis and how has he such horrifying power?” Yariv
cried out, still shocked by the sight she saw.

“I’ll explain later.” Cedric said, keeping his large equine eyes on his
opponents waiting for them to strike.

“Am I about to kill again? Eli forgive me!” Screamed a pain voice of one
these walking dead.

“Execute the Cursed Ones” The Duke of Mugal said without a thought. Leo and
Regorez looked towards the Duke with worry prompting him to clarify his
request. “Execute the Horse, the Ferret, and the woman who fights by their
side.”

The three walking decaying horrors descended upon Cedric, Yariv, and
Claire. One with a small battleaxe, one with two fistdaggers, and the final
with a large scythe. To their surprise these abominations were amazing
fighters and had the three warriors immediately on the defensive.

Klaus looked at his father, and back to the caravan. “This isn’t right and
you know it. No one deserves to die at the hands of those things… The bugs
inside of them will just reproduce and overtake the Keepers… We shouldn’t
condemn anyone to that fate”

“Quiet boy, the Flesinoir have done more for both you and me than you can
imagine, if you don’t shut up I will send YOU into those mines.” The Duke
warned his son, the look in his eyes said that he absolutely would not back
down from placing his own offspring onto such a fate if he was angered.
This Duke was not blowing smoke. “Or do you not like the power and
increased lifespan that you possess.”

“I knew you were up to no good.” Cedric declared throwing up his shielded
arm to block the scythe, wincing as sparks flew while a loud scraping noise
went across his shield. “I knew this from the mines, I never expected you
were this bad… when these corpses are freed from their horrible existence,
you will be submitted before Eli’s judgement and I already have a good
feeling about the verdict!”

Klaus looked towards his father with disgust and stepped forward to speak.
“Their weapons are enchanted, if you do not go onto the offensive and kill
them quickly you will suffer a fate worse than death.”

“Got ya!” Claire said in response to the prince, doing a flip backwards,
narrowly avoiding the battle axe and tossing her pike threw the chest of
one of the skull-headed warriors. “Struck through the heart, and I’m to
blame! I give war, a good name!” she cheered as she hit her target. Turning
around to face the Duke she glared at him.

“You think you’ve won ferret?” The Duke asked

“I know I have! I’m a Metamor Keeper! We’ve dealt with Nasoj’s trolls,
lutins, humans, and other beasties for years. You flesinoir types are just
a flash in the pan!” Claire screamed. “When my father and my brother are
done with their opponents you three sons and daughter of whores shall
perish by our paw, hand, and hoof!” Claire stomped as she brandished her
claws. “WHY WAIT! I’M GOING TO MESS YOU UP NOW!”

Claire was met with laughter from all parties except for Prince Klaus who
merely became incredibly worried.

“What’s so funny?” The ferret asked her bravado down. “Is there something
on m…”

“CLAIRE GET DOWN!” Cedric yelled, the ferret doing so as an axe swept over
her head.

“Damn! I love a good decapitation. Another reason to despise you Cedric
Bariclauph!” Leo said clenching her fist as she recalled when she had the
Transblade, she didn’t know what came over her when she had the weapon but
the fact that she could have so much power added to her own and be felled
by this simpleton who had the gall to refuse to fight her based on what the
curse had forced onto her was so humilating. She was further humilated by
looknig upon Cedric’s form and seeing his appearance became far more
masculine, a body truly worthy of a Captain of Knights. It was given to him
while all Leo got was beauty that made her fiance leave her, it just wasn’t
fair. Leo hoped to see Cedric’s blood watering the flowers before too long,
dying alongside this family of his.

“I’ll remember that comment!” Cedric shot Leo a quick evil eye before
slashing at his opponent. Taking Klaus’ go offensive advise mostly because
he had no plans of his own and his shield had become useless actually
getting cut in half by his opponent’s scythe, it was definitely enchanted.
He tried to swipe towards the screaming decaying warrior’s neck managing,
making an incision, things were going in the right direction until a
crunching sound was given off and the blade began to rust, breaking apart
and giving away to dust.

“Oh bollocks, I forgot to mention that…” Klaus said biting his hand. “It
looks like you hit one of the bugs keeping the thing alive which… has
highly corrosive blood… a defensive mechanisms…”

“Highly corrosive seems to be an understatement.”Cedric threw back the
handle as it was useless as a weapon, hoping to hit Leo with it though
sadly he did not. Cedric and Claire were both left on the defensive.
Dodging more than anything.

“Can we touch them or… is that… not recommended?” Claire asked Klaus,
taking advantage of her ferret agility.

“As long as you don’t get the bugs on you, though what I’d recommend at
this point is their weakness, which is the destruction of their… mmmmphh…”
Klaus was in the middle of talking when the child Regorez had tackled Klaus
and covered his mouth with his hand.

“SHUT UP! If you keep helping them we won’t get to watch them die!” Regorez
snapped.

Leo was aghast at this sight, quickly kicking Regorez in the face with a
steel boot. “GET OFF OF MY PRINCE!” She screamed, kneeling over to check
Klaus for wounds. “Are you alright sire? This DISGUSTING child should watch
his tone, even if I do agree with him and humbly ask that you consider
honoring his his…” Leo stopped to think about choosing her words better.
“Rashly worded request.”

“I’m fine, I think you did more to him than he to me… He is but a manling…
well.. he is now I mean.” Klaus said, looking over to Regorez’s bleeding
face.

“You harlot, you broke my nose!” Regorez screamed, holding his nose, his
voice sounding rather silly as a result of Leo’s attack.

Claire had continued dodging, looking over to her adopted father’s
opponent, the one swinging the fist daggers. Continuing to narrowly avoid
the battle axe and loses a few strands of fur from close calls that warned
her she’d really need to keep her focus in this instance. Watching the arm
of the one attacking with fist daggers she waited until there were no bugs
crawling on said arm before gripping and attempting to dislocate it. Claire
had to attempt this multiple times as she saw bugs crawling towards her and
she dared not let a single one touch her. After three tries failing the
fourth is what proved to be the charm.

The creature screamed loudly and violently upon the success of Claire’s
attack. “OH GOD! Please.. please… the skull… Go for the skull…” It pleaded
as it got kicked in the stomach by Yariv who took this advantage to get a
few free hits in, concluding by driving her shield right into the being’s
skull making an crack that was exploited by the sword of Yariv.

“Th… Thank you.” It said as it felt the sword hit its brain, the corpse
fell over the bugs scattering from it in various directions. Yariv began
running around hoping to crush as many of them as she could so they’d hurt
no one.

Claire nodded, and grabbed the enchanted fistdaggers that had been
discarded. Giving a few practice swipe with it she jumped upon her pike
using it as leverage for a second jump stabbing both of the daggers into
the decaying skull of the undead being. “Two down, Cedric, you’ve got the
last one, just go for its skull. Me and Dad are going to go after the
bu…..” The ferret woman was in the middle of saying before one of the black
bugs that seemed to be a strange mix of Rhino Bettle and Scarab Beetle in
appearance crawled right into Claire’s mouth one that she hadn’t noticed
crawling around her back.

“Oh this going to be good.. Now you Cedric get to lose a loved one! Kill
her, it’s the best thing for her at this point!” Leo gloated as the bug
crawled down Claire’s throat.

Cedric glared in Leo’s direction again, this was all the warning he gave
abandoning the fight to beat the woman savagely, giving blow after blow in
the face. He didn’t care what he said about fighting women anymore, his
rage was all that was fueling him at at this point. “YOU THINK THAT’S
FUNNY!?! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY YEARS I WENT WITHOUT MY SISTER!” Cedric
screamed into Leo’s face who was too busy getting repeatially punched to
respond, the maiden had actually lost a few teeth as Klaus was getting
close for a rescue, but backed off when he noticed the dead warrior walking
towards Cedric and had no desire to accidentally get infested by one of its
bugs.

Cedric picked up Leo’s head and slammed down against the ground knocking
her out before doing an awkward handstand to allow his hoof access to the
skull of the creature attacking from behind, telling of its approach by its
foul scent. This knocked off said skull, which was crushed underneath
Cedric’s hoof, now covered in skull and brain, now that he cared. “Duke
Phlomore, Prince Klaus, Regorez… You are all going to die!” he said
narrowing his brow at them.

Yariv looked at the situation and at Claire who began to seem quite
feverish, the Duke looking towards the ferret with some interest. “I don’t
feel so good… There’s… there’s gotta be something we can do.” she said.
Thinknig out of desperation Yariv punched Claire in the stomach with all of
her might, forcing her to vomit out the bug which Yariv proceeded to stomp
on.

Claire fell over feeling dizzy, but no longer in danger from the bugs. Her
hubsnad’s pike was now ruined from the corrosive blood and where it had
broken in half from her jumping on it,  but she grabbed the feather of her
darling bird and put it behind her ear as she looked for the strength to
get up. “...That was unpleasant… but… I think we won.”

“My my, how… stimulating. I’m glad you saved her. I think I could learn to
love Claire.

Cedric smiled, glad his sister was safe, but this didn’t calm his rage as
he picked up the axe from one of the dead warriors before turning to face
Regorez, Klaus, and Phlomore once again. “Her safety changes nothing, beg
for your lives. You won’t get them.”

“How cute, you think I can be felled by you idiots?.” The Duke laughed
looking over his many fanciful rings. “Do you know why I have this weight?”
He asked, rubbing his bulbous gut as his face slowly became more and more
deformed. “The Flesinoir, has blessed me with this…” He said, revealing
himself as a mutated frog-like entity looking sickly, with welts, visible
noxious gasses flowing out of his rear end as he unapologetically passed
noxious gas, his back and face loaded with sores and blemishes, and his
bloated stomach covered in a rash which he scratched. The creature’s eyes
were swollen and yellow with pus dripping of them, his hands were gross
yellowish claws, he had a tongue for a tail he had a tentacle, and finally
the tongue in his mouth was long and purple, appeared swollen too.

Regorez looked up at the Duke with admiration. “I hadn’t seen your true
form yes, You’re beautiful!”

“Mmhmhm.. I know!” Said the creatures licking his lips and scratching his
rash, parts of it breaking out in hives and bleeding. “I have been upgraded
as we all shall be… Gods in our own way. I myself have become a Plague
Bearer, I suffer all diseases at one time without dying. At first I thought
the flesinoir had placed a horrible curse upon me but now I realize how
beautiful I am. So full of disease, plague, and rot. Bloated with rashes,
welts, warts, swellings, visible veins, aches, growths, and some of my skin
has rotted off. I am in constant pain and illness and yet it’s wonderful,
so full of life, life that wants to share itself I’ve grown to love it.”
The Duke farted loudly leaving behind a cloud of death that killed the
flowers around them.

All of the Metamor Warriors covered their noses, Cedric was the first to
attack but the creature’s breathe knocked him out with it’s horrible
stench, his new equine nose. Next up was Claire who tried poking the Duke’s
belly with her daggers, only to have it pop with blood, puss, lard, and
bile spreading out. Covering her and Yariv who became encased in it
paralyzed as the Duke’s wound healed instantly. “Hehehe, I’m unperishable.
Regorez take them to the mines to be experimented on.”

“Father… you know if you give into your Flesinoir side too much you’ll lose
your humanity right? There’s still a way you can control it...” Klaus said,
looking over the human suit his father took over.

“Now that I have the Transblade and Hawl’s around here somewhere. I don’t
quite need my humanity son. The time will come soon when all people are
mutated into perfection.” The Duke said, scratching his rash and licking
the mucus his blubbish body gave off.

“Hawl has to be, I just remembered.. It slipped my mind, but I was cursed
to be unable to leave Metamor until he did. Malakai did that! Oh God where
is Malakai?” Regorez looked around. “If he’s still in Metamor he must be
like me and Leo.”

“It’s not important..” Phlomore said. “We just need Hawl, Klaus… See if he
snuck aboard their caravan. I’d only assume he’d try to be re-united with
dear ol’ dad if he was coming back in this direction. You’re a skilled
mage, surely you can sense him or something.”

“Of course father… I’m sensing something just from the outskirts of town…
That unnatural power of his is very easy to spot when you know what you’re
looking for.” Klaus said, heading off in that direction. “Oh right… and Leo
probably wants her teeth back…” he paused, turning around and throwing a
blue field of energy over Leo who woke up and screamed as her teeth regrew
in seconds.

“Wait… can you fix my nose?” Regorez asked. “It REALLY hurts.”

“...Yes, but I won’t.” Prince Klaus said and with that he was off in the
direction of Hawl.

Klaus didn’t expect it to take very long as though Hawl loved to change his
appearance often it was very rare that he was a good enough of an actor for
his bodily changes to be of much use to him as a disguise. Upon wandering
the forest outside of Mugal for around thirty minutes he came across an
unusual site. A black widow spider that appeared to be snoring on a tree
branch, one that had no web. “How peculiar, I thought it was just the
distance, but the power is faint even now… either he’s been through more
forms in one hour than he’s been through in his entire 8 years or someone
really fought him when he tried to change them… Five hundred times the
normal difficulty, but what could have had….” Klaus thought to himself. “Of
course the curse...  I guess he can’t cure it.“

The Prince of Mugal swallowed as he tried to heal Hawl of his wounds having
to bring himself to near exhaustion just to do so as Hawl seemed heavily,
heavily drained of his power. He had to push himself to his very limits to
do this without taking on his own flesinoir side.

The spider yawned stretching out its eight legs as it got up. “God, I
thought I’d be out for a week.” it spoke in the seductive tone that Hawl
always used when he made himself female. The awkward one Klaus was familiar
with where he, or right now she, tried to give it a seductive flair, but
found herself talking far too fast for it to be effective. “Klaus… Yeah,
umm, listen, I can explain why I’m not in Metamor.. Just don’t squash me
bro.” she said.

“Bro?” Klaus asked before shaking his head. “Oh you and your nonsense
words, listen it took a lot of my Flesinoir magic to restore you.. anymore
and I would have lost my humanity completely… if I hadn’t I think you’d
have been in hibernation for a month…”

Hawl jumped off her tree branch and shifted into a manticore, growling at
Klaus. “You knew this was going on!?!?! The whole time!?! So did Leo? What
about Evan?!?!” Hawl asked frantically.

“Hawl, I thought I could control it….” Klaus said slowly. “When the
Flesinoir appeared me and dad thought we could keep them in line, but it’s
been getting worse. Heck that’s why I bought your stupid I can cure the
curse story. Whether you executed or gone, you needed to get… Leo’s always
been more loyal to my dad than me. I think she only tried to help me keep
you in Metamor because she assumed I knew something she didn’t. I don’t
think she realizes I was having doubts about this plan.”

“Why do they need me?” Hawl asked easing up on Klaus a little.

“To summon Azatoth, their God. The further you are away from here, the
safer everyone is. Honestly.” Klaus sighed, walking away from Hawl. “Let’s
just go to Metamor and forgot about this… Metamor has a powerful magical
nexus, if anywhere can keep you from the Fleisnoir, it’s them.”

“I can’t go back to Metamor, I don’t think it’s allowed.. besides… I need
that Transblade. It’s the only link to my father that I have. I don’t have
any family, but if you or that weapon can help me find him… I realize I
probably don’t deserve it, but, please.. Help me get that and I’ll go as
far as Yamato if you want me to.” Hawl had such determination in his eyes,
Klaus had never seen him this serious, or serious at all.

“Yes…” Klaus responded, looking to the side. ”Okay I’ll help you…. but
first we must rest.. Your power is nearly at its very limits, you use them
too much more and they’ll be burnt out permanently.. and if I exert myself
more my mutations will become visible, and it’s been getting harder to make
it go away..… at least from what I’ve seen. I think the actual Flesinoir
the CULTIST not the SPECIES know how. And do try to be.. somewhat subtle. I
don’t have a completely unabridged list of who's a cultist, who is a
flesinoir mutate, who is both and who is neither… Maybe we should stay in
the forest.”

“Mutate.. So whatever you really are… Not every Flesinoir’s going to be
that...” Hawl said connecting the pieces.

“I knew it was coming....” Klaus said sighing, his body beginning to
deteriorate and fall off leaving behind a grey furred somewhat feminine
shaped creature with a big head, literal sapphires for eyes, an angler fish
light on his forehead and bat wings on his back….  I worry I’ve been
becoming more like dad… This form is starting to feel better to me too…
Don’t like, but I’m a Queen Cavener. I make Caveners and caves…” Klaus
notice Hawl was giving him THAT look and groaned “Yes I’m technically
female, though this form doesn’t really have traditional gender..., and no
you cannot call me Princess K or I will smack you.” His voice in this form
had somewhat of a mystical quality to it, like a soft echo.

“I don’t care I just want to stop the Flesinoir.” Hawl said petting Klaus’
furred head. “They say only a Sondeckis can, well guess what I am!” The
manticore shifted his clothing to blue robes with a yellow belt. The
clothing itself was enchanted to change, a gift from Hawl’s father, the
only thing he had of his.

“Give me a break…” Klaus said rubbing his head, technically he was a she,
but due to being a creature of the Flesinoir gender didn’t really mean
anything to him as he didn’t really have one in the same way humans did.
“Alright, tonight we’ll camp out.. I’ll go meditate and try to revert to my
human form we’re going to put our plan into action for now, we rest, they’d
be expecting an immediate counter attack!

Rest they did, waiting for the perfect moment to strike at the Flesinoir.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.integral.org/archives/mkguild/attachments/20150117/f4952c9c/attachment-0001.html>