Abby searched through the vials, but could not find anything bigger or more powerful than a dragon. At least anything that walked on land. She considered taking the dragon vial and adding a little growth or muscle to it, but then she might not be able to fit in the cave. She considered going the other route, and becoming a smaller but strong and quick creature like a tiger, but she wasn't sure if her claws would be powerful enough to pierce the dragon's hide. Her speed would be wasted if her attacks were useless. She was about to give up and just take the dragon vial when she saw it - the Hydra vial.
Hmmm, she thought. Hydras are about the same size as a dragon, I guess. But with the extra heads I should have an advantage over her.
Abby made her way down the path to Sandra's cave. Just outside the cave, she stashed the box under a bush. She left the "Human" vial in the box. She would need Jim's help to return to normal, and she prayed he was till okay. But if he was dead, she was fine in making this sacrifice to get revenge on the beast who killed him.
Abby stood outside the cave entrance with the Hydra vial in her hand. She gulped nervously.
Am I really going to do this? thought Abby. Do I really want to risk becoming trapped as some kind of monster?
She thought back to the time she spent with Jim. All the wonderful times they enjoyed together. She truly did love him, and he was something worth risking everything for. She gulped down the entire contents of the vial.
As the liquid was absorbed by her body, Abby didn't want to admit it, but deep down inside a part of her was very excited. The thought of becoming really big and strong was enticing. When she first saw the dragon, she was a little jealous. Now she was going to be even better.
After several minutes with no change, Abby felt a little silly standing outside the cave. Maybe you had to say some magic words or something after drinking the vial. Maybe whatever magic they originally had was gone. The fire had occurred several months ago. Maybe they no longer worked. Then again, Abby realized she had no idea how long it took them to work. It could require hours, or even days. She didn't relish the thought of slowly changing over the coming weeks, trying to hide her changing body. Jim would be long dead by then, and she would be all alone like Sandra. Would she be just as desperate as Sandra, if their positions were reversed?
She didn't want to think about it. She was about to give up and just take the "Human" vial to be safe when her body suddenly experienced a growth spurt, gaining several feet in height. Her shirt clung tightly to her chest, revealing a flat tight midriff, and the cuffs of her jeans now rested at her knees.
Oops, she thought. I guess I should have taken off my clothes. Too late now. Jim will just have to get me some more before I change back.
She looked at her body. She was taller, but still very lanky. She had kind of wished to be a little more muscular. As if in response to her thoughts, her body began to fill out. Her arms and legs grew thicker as they slowly filled with muscle. Abby felt power slowly building up and coursing through her body.
Yeah, she thought eagerly. Now this is more like it. I can see why Sandra wanted to be a dragon.
Her chest swelled tearing off her shirt. She no longer cared about being nude. Although her chest was wider, her breasts were smaller, receding into her expanding rib cage. Abby's back cracked with a sickening crunch. She hunched over as new vertebrae were added to her lengthening spine. Eventually, she was forced to the ground on all fours. She saw her hands shifting into reptilian paws with sharp claws. She willed them to become even bigger and more deadly.
Grow, baby grow, she thought. We are going to need all the help we can get.
She was a little disappointed in her skin. It was covered by thick scales, but they had more of a slate grey color, rather than the beautiful dark pattern of Sandra's scales.
Oh well, this is only temporary, thought Abby. It's a small price to pay for a little more power.
Abby's different body parts grew in random spurts. Her thighs would thicken, then her back and arms would quickly follow suit to match their size. Or her tail would gain several more feet, before her back extended to a length capable of controlling her flailing tail. Her uneven growth caused her to constantly shift, readjusting her position to steady her strange body. It left large burrows in the soft earth below her claws.
Abby was becoming truly massive. Her chest was nearing the tree tops, and her growth showed no signs of slowing. She didn't necessarily want it to stop. Each growth spurt felt really good. But she was beginning to wonder just how big she would get.
Suddenly, she felt a crick in her neck. With a series of crunches, her neck shot forward as new vertebrae formed and rapidly grew in size. Her jaw tingled as it shot forward into a snout, her nose flattening against its tip. Long sharp teeth pushed their way out of her mouth. She blinked as her eyes changed to reptilian slits. She felt a dull pain, as two curved horns worked their way out of her skull.
The pain in her head did not diminish. It began to increase in intensity. She wanted to place her hands on her head, but her arms wouldn't bend that way anymore. Instead she just grunted, as her head slowly split down the middle into two. It was a little disorientating, viewing the world through two sets of eyes. But as the head finally separated, she found she could no longer see through its eyes. This was a little concerning. She thought that she would be able to control all of the heads, or at least read their thoughts or something. Having an independent head made her feel a little uncomfortable.
"I think this may have been a bad idea, " both heads said at the same time. "Wait .... What?" they chorused.
"You don't think you are the original head, do you? " asked Abby.
"Of course, " said the head. "You split from me."
Abby was about to argue when the headache came back with a vengeance. Soon her head had split again, leaving her with four independent heads. They began to develop different personalities. One head cheered as they continued to grow. She seemed obsessed with getting as big as possible so she could kick ass. Another head expressed extreme concern and affection for Jim. She wanted to rush in and save him. The other head remained silent, as if lost in thought, just like Abby.
Finally, it was over. Her body had become a massive Hydra.
"Okay, this was clearly a mistake. I need to try something else, " said Abby, as she looked down at the box of vials.
"Hey what give? You aren't even gonna try to fight her."
"Please we can't leave her with him. He must be so scared."
"Hey if you are scared, just try another vial. We could get a little bigger, or maybe even add a few more heads."
It was the quiet head that finally helped Abby see the logic. "Quiet you two. Now listen, we couldn't get into the "Human" vial now even if we tried. We are simply too big, and our claws don't have the dexterity. We have to rescue Jim if we are going to have any hope of returning to normal."
"Yea, fight's on."
"Yes, please hurry. We must get to Jim."
Abby sighed. The quiet head was right. She slowly made her way into the cave to face Sandra.