<HTML>* * * "Ok, time for your first lesson," Misha said calmly. "Ready?" Cutter nodded solemnly. "Yes." He felt self conscious about standing naked in front of the Long scout but it didn't seem to bother Misha who was naked from the waist down. "Changing into a taur is not so much a new power as it is learning how to manipulate an old one, the Curse itself. All animal morph keepers have two forms; human and animal. A taur is simply a mix of the two," Misha commented. "So if a 'taur is an intermediary form, why were you the first one to discover it? Keepers have been experimenting with the curse right after the Battle of the Seven Gates. If changing is so easy, how come you're the first one who could do it?" "Because no one thought that a 'taur form was even possible," Misha replied, dancing a little to the side on his four legs. "Everyone knows from legends that centaurs were once a real race. And, even from the beginning, people have realized that the curse does not change people into other intelligent species." He waved his paw in the air dismissively. "As for it turning people into dragons, I think that was the fault of Cerulean's magic getting mixed in with things. But what I am getting at, is that since people knew that centaurs were something that the curse could not transform people into, no one ever tried to assume a form like it. As I told you, it was only blind luck that it happened to me. But since then, though, I've come to realize that anyone can do it." Cutter folded his arms before him, grimacing and letting out a small growl of distrust as he shook his head. "Okay, try this," said Misha, clasping his paws before him. He knew his own vulpine behavior well enough to recognize Cutter was close to giving in. "Ever notice how some keepers have opposable thumbs and some don't like Wanderer? How some can see in color like before the change and yet others are colorblind like animals? It's all in your mind," the scout explained. "It's all a matter of how the individual person sees themselves. Wanderer expected to be like a normal wolf and have no thumbs. So he doesn't have any." "In your mind form a picture of yourself as you are now," Misha ordered. "Now in your mind imagine yourself as a foxtaur, a powerful, healthy, and muscular taur with four legs bulging with muscles. Now picture you body changing into that perfect four legged form." As Misha spoke Cutter just let the words flow over him only half listening to words. Instead he concentrated on the rise and fall of the scouts voice and letting his mind wander to his body. Once clean and whole his was now able to barely hobble along, his leg ripped and torn in a bitter fight. He couldn't let think upon that and this thoughts drifted to the form Misha was talking about a fox centaur, strong, powerful and straight legged. With FOUR legs it did not matter that one was twisted and crippled. He could move about easily without the need of that hated cane. Suddenly his skin and muscles seemed to ripple and distort. His tail moved backwards seemingly of it's own accord as his torso below the waist extended backwards, lengthening horizontally, growing thicker, more powerful. Two new, healthy legs grew outward from this bigger body to support it. After a long time his body stopped changing and growing and seemed to settle down to its new form. His first thought was that the pain was gone. For the first time is weeks his leg no longer throbbed with pain. He didn't know where it came from, wasn't even conscious of it coming on, but all of a sudden Cutter realized he was laughing to himself. It was only a soft chuckling, but it left like the first time he had laughed in years. Even the missing part of his tail, a difference he could feel in the now rapidly wagging appendage, didn't seem to bother him any more. Misha smiled back at his fellow fox, his own tail tracing lazy arcs behind him. "This is... extraordinary," the librarian muttered to himself, as he tried to lean and bend to the side to look at his once injured leg. Alas he was not used to balancing a body on four legs as opposed to two and began to list dangerously to one side. With a loud yelp Cutter's legs folded up under him, dumping the foxtaur unceremoniously onto his rump on the floor. This time it was Misha who broke into uncontrollable laughter. "That's... not quite how you do it," he chuckled as he pranced over to Cutter. The librarian had flopped around a few moments, trying to control his suddenly very long body, but had finally managed to arrange himself with all four feet on the floor. Extending a paw, Misha told him, "Let me help you up." Fox just looked at the proffered paw for a few moments before sneaking a quick glance up at Misha. He hesitated a moment longer before clasping Misha about the wrist. "Okay, that's good," Misha replied, a slight smile tilting his whiskers. "Now, just concentrate on doing this one step at a time. Put your front paws down and try to stand as you would normally." Cutter looked down at his sprawled out body a moment before putting pressure on his front paws and lifting himself up. "Okay, good. Now do the back ones." Fox's back end came up quicker, the tail flicking around a bit quicker. "I think I might be getting better at this," Cutter admitted with a smirk. Misha yipped affirmative. "Well, we'll see. I want you to try walking again, only this time don't think about it as much. This body knows how it works, it does not need you telling it how to do things. Just walk like you walked in your non-morphic form." Cutter nodded, letting out a quick wuff before taking a few hesitant steps. The more he took the more confident he became and the wider the smile on his muzzle became. Having reached the end of the room he turned around and began to trot along the walls, eventually working his way up to a slow run. Misha was just about to call out for him to be careful when Cutter tried to make too sharp a turn. His heavy taur rear end didn't come around quite as quick as his front and his rear paws lost purchase, causing the foxtaur to go into a skid across the stone floor, his front claws clattering for purchase. Misha was quick to go over to his friend to offer assistance, but Cutter had managed to get to his feet before the other foxtaur even got close. "I have to remember this body is a little heavier than what I'm used to," Cutter observed as he brushed some dust off of his leg fur. "A lot heavier, you now weigh almost half a ton and are the size of a horse. You have to take that into account. Maneuvering into tight places is a lot harder but with a body this big comes one advantage - Power and speed." And what power!!! Cutter could feel his new body rippling with muscles. Each step was with a firmness and easy that he had forgotten since that dreadful Yuletide attack. A room that had taken him minutes to cross took mere seconds. No longer did he have to spend long painful hours moving at a slow pace. He found himself slowly walking around the room at a faster and faster pace. But the empty room that had once felt so large now too close and confining. In the smallest fraction of a moment he had crossed the room and was through the door and into the hallway beyond. The whole way he was picking up speed. He could feel the power in his new body. Now he wanted to find out about its speed! * * * The new taurs path was easy to follow with Kyias help. The corridors shifted and moved around Misha so he could follow the faint tracks of the librarian. The tracks took him up and down passages, over great, arched bridges spanning snow covered courtyard and through rooms and hall filled only with silence and dust. He passed through a larger courtyard busy with workers who were rebuilding shattered and burnt out walls. He found a spot where Cutter had leapt over a tall wagon, clearing it with easy. Amused he followed the trail back into the dark stonework of the Keep and down another corridor. Suddenly Misha found himself back in that quiet little courtyard that they had discovered before. But this beautiful little place was no longer silent, instead he could here the sound of someone softly weeping. He followed the sound and found his friend collapsed into a heap upon the ground under the stark, bare branches of a birch tree. It's white trunk and limbs looking like the bare bones of some grotesque creature. "Are you all right Fox?" Misha asked softly. All he got in reply was silence. Misha looked at Cutter for a moment then spoke. "Who was killed? Someone close?" The librarians head whipped around and he looked at Misha with shock and surprise. "How do you know?" "I know the look," the scout explained. "I've lost too many friends myself not to recognize it." Cutter didn't answer at first but just stared into space at some spot only he could see. "The woman I loved died." "How did she die?" Misha asked in a soft voice. He didn't want to intrude in the vulpine's grief but he knew that Cutter had to let it out. Having such emotion bottled up in him would only eat him up. As it was the librarian looked to be close to suicide. Misha knew the signs of that all too well. "I killed her." Misha looked closely at his friend hoping that it had been some cruel joke but all he saw was pain and grief. He mean every word, literally. "She was one of those who went after the Duke?" Cutter gave a shallow nod in agreement. "My God." He put his arm around Cutters shoulders and hugged him tight. It was all he could of to do. * * * Sir Edmund walked stood in the doorway to the chapel. His mind was finally at peace. He never doubted his decision to remain at Metamor but he couldn't help but worry about what the curse would change him into. The idea of being trapped in the form of a child worried him. How could he fight if he was as week as a young boy? And what if he became a woman? He tried to understand what it would be like to be a woman but he just couldn't. As a woman he could still fight - he'd known a few tough fighters who were female and wasn't as lioness more powerful then a lion? That left him one great worry - if he did become an animal what would it be? There was thousands of different species in the world and in his short time here at Metamor he'd already seen hundreds of different types. Some species that no one had seen before! How bad could it be to become an animal person that which the Keepers call them morphs? He'd still have be an adult and male and he'd have the addition of whatever the animal gave him. He could be as swift as a cheetah, or strong as a bull (literally), or the endurance and ferocity of a wolf. Maybe even a griffin, like the one that topped his families coat of arms. That would hardly feel odd or strange. He could only hope that he gained that part of the curse. "Good morning Sir Edmund," a voice said behind him. Turning to the sound of the voice laid eyes upon a scene that made him doubt his sanity. The two creatures before him reminded him vaguely of the centaurs of legend but only in the general shape. Instead of the beautiful combination of man and horse these creatures seemed to be some terrible mix of fox and centaur. "How are you doing today?" the one asked in a voice Edmund recognized. This fox centaur had one ear missing and part of one hand bandaged. With a start he recognized it was Misha!!! Instead of the scouts normal two legged form he now had a four legs! FOUR! "Sir Edmund, I'd like you to meet Metamors great librarian Foxeris," the strange looking Misha pointed to the other Fox centaur with him who gave a short bow. "Cutter, this is Sir Edmund Delacot, a paladin of the faith who has decided to stay and help rebuild the Keep." The paladin found himself returning the bow automatically. "Not worried about the curse?" asked the second taur. "A brave knight like him?" Misha answered. "I'm sure he'll become some powerful creature like a leopard or a lion." "Then you must be eagerly awaiting the change." As the two talked the continued to trot towards Edmund at a leisurely pace till they we're even with him. Their massive forms towered over him as they moved passed one on either side of him. It was with great relief that they soon moved away and down the hall their tremendous forms moving with surprising speed. It wasn't till they had passed out of sight with a brief wave of the hand from Misha that Edmund spoke. "I WAS looking forward it." Suddenly being a woman didn't seem so bad. ----- This story is copyright 2003 by Fox Cutter and Christian O'Kane, hardcopy reprints limited to one a person, all other rights reserved. This story may not be distributed for a fee except by permission of the authors, and this copyright notice may not be removed. *****************    I hope you enjoy this and feel free to send comments and suggests to us! I really wish to thank Deranged Kitsune who helped me with this and all my stories.     Chris & Foxeris</HTML>