“Duke Charles, I’ve done as you asked.” The strong, sturdy voice of a woman said, a slight hint of a country twang flavoring it. The white haired noble turned his head and looked at the woman. She stood in front, but behind her were several other wounded people. Like them, she carried a sword, though while her companions seemed weathered and wounded. The man could tell that even at the age of twenty-four, the young lady was more capable than most warriors with a decade more of experience. As he stared at them, he looked to her for the report.
“Good, so the other mercenaries are dead?”
“Yes, but they tried to use goblins to help. Needless to say it was more trouble than it was worth. They would’ve been better just to introduce a second force against them.”
“If it was so easy, why are the others so badly hurt?” the Duke asked her. “They seem rather damaged and less than half of them came back with you.”
“I’ll let them explain it to you, but I did as asked and helped keep your enemies at bay and killed the ones who were directly in our way. If you don’t mind, I’d like to collect my payment.”
“Very well. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to stay?” the older man asked her as he snapped, urging one of his attendants to act. The attendant then went to Karen and handed her a sizable satchel filled with gold coins. “From what I heard you were on the fast track to being captain of the knights before you quit.”
“After the king passed I felt I had done my duty to the kingdom. I pledged to protect what he and our kingdom stood for, but his son is making the kingdom into something I can no longer support, and working with you long term means sooner or later I would have to.”
“I respect your decision.” Duke Charles said, “It’s a shame, looks like these others won’t be any help from here on, then again I won’t be needing any since you did such a good job.”
“Thank you sir.” Karen said simply before she departed from his estate. She couldn’t help but notice that her former comrades and fellow mercenaries were all looking at her enviously. The brown haired woman didn’t bother looking at them. Her crystalline blue gaze was ahead. Her athletic, tall figure was soon approaching the horizon as a gentle wind blew.
The next day Karen awoke near a river stream, her long brown locks matting her face and her eyes burning from tiredness. There were still hints of night on the horizon as the sun began to shine, rising from the direction of the woods. Karen’s time as a knight and soldier had made her accustomed to both rising early and sleeping early. It wasn’t too long before she began to pack her bags and items. When she was done she put on her bags, and walked out towards town.
Karen was used to the life of a mercenary and a traveler. Though she had gained some status during her time as a knight, she had to forgo it in order to work freely. Her past training and experience made her something of a commodity for people who wished to hire talented mercenaries. As Karen continued to walk alongside the trail she decided to take in the beauty of the area. In many ways it reminded her of the farm she had grown up on.
Karen was a simple farm girl once; she had been raised by her father all those years ago and had left to become a knight the day after some bandits had taken his life. She had left the farm as soon as she could, vowing to get justice; taking only a young foal with her that eventually became her own horse. For a long time she used that horse, keeping her safe and as the last keepsake of the farm she grew up on.
For a long time she had that mare, all throughout her knighthood, but when she quit she was low on money and could no longer afford her beloved companion. The horse had been sold to some breeder who Karen had looked into. A horse as strong as hers that could still move about so nimbly after being used in battle was valuable to the buyer and Karen was eager to have the funds. Part of her wished that she had kept her horse, but she knew it was the most responsible and practical act she had done. She only wished she would see that mare again someday.
As Karen finished letting her mind wander she saw that she had reached town. Once there she approached a local inn. The place was bustling with people and within many travelers mingled.
Among the congregation was a group of mercenaries, a pair of minstrels and bards trying to sing and make music, a novelist busily scrabbling away at paper while he took a draught of ale, and busy barmaids taking drinks and plates from one table to the next.
As Karen walked in to check the bulletin on what jobs might be new, she watched as a drunken soldier found himself stumbling towards her.
“Well hello there m-miss…You care to h-hic- show one of the king’s men a good time?”
“Care to not make a fool of yourself in public?” Karen replied, brushing him off. The drunken man gave her an annoyed glance.
“’Ey! I’m a bonafide soldier. Ohha-bout you show s- hic –some respect?”
“I don’t respect drunks.” Karen said curtly. “Now go away, I have business.”
Annoyed, the soldier pulled out a dagger.
“Lousy wench! I’ll show ya to give workin’ men respect!” he shouted before he tried to stab her. Karen sidestepped and used his momentum to throw him to the ground before stomping on his arm, making him drop the knife. Karen picked it up and then slammed his head to the ground. Some stopped to watch, while there were cheers and encouragements for Karen to continue to beat him, she stopped and went to the postings, leaving the drunk where he lay. Once there she looked for a job listing worth her time.
It took her a few moments, but eventually she had found one that appealed to her and took it. The job called for her to go several towns over and take a boat, but she’d make it nonetheless, the proposed pay was well worth the trip.
Ordering a bit of ale and a quick breakfast, Karen sat, took in her meal, and left. Along the way she bought several supplies. She had gotten fresh apples, some rope, bandages, and other necessities. Once she had them she went on the road again. Though that was a brief bar fight, Karen recalled a time when soldiers and knights stood for something more. Her memories of her time in service to King Auldron were fond ones. After she lost her father, she joined the king in order to make herself forget, and bring more justice to the realm. Although she expected the king to be an aloof and uncaring man, she was surprised by his warmth.
In many ways he was like a grandfather. He was gray haired and wizened, his eyes a misty blue and his crown almost as great as his height. Even so, he had strength and vitality of a young man and was a father to his men. Though at first Karen simply tried to be a good knight, she discovered he was close to all his men.
Even when she was a simple trainee, he still bothered to speak to her and learn her name. She was surprised, when she was little she imagined royals would be like in the fairy tales, but to as she grew she expected them to not care about their people. Auldron proved her otherwise, idly chatting when he could and hearing out concerns with an earnest interest.
When Karen questioned him about this he replied to her honestly.
“Many a king thinks the duty of the people is to the crown, but the truth is that it is the crown’s duty to serve the people. Taxes are to go towards new homes and apothecaries, not to castles and golden vases. We are to remember our people and do all we can for them. A good king thinks of his country first, but a great king puts his people first. That is all I aspire to.”
The genuineness of his words had enabled Karen to serve him happily. Over the years she was in his service she became a knight, and an accomplished one at that. Her allies were like brothers and sisters to her, and it was as if she had gained a second family.
That all changed when the king died. During that time Karen had served valiantly and was well on her way to becoming a captain amongst the knights, but the king had passed on one night while Karen and a few other comrades were away quelling a rebellion made by an old enemy of the king. Karen had fought off many and helped in the capturing of the rogue knight who incited the riots, but when they brought him back for judgment Karen had received the terrible news.
The king’s son, Eldric, was the acting ruler since his father’s demise. He did not begin his rule until after the king’s funeral and burial, but once he had power his first official act was to let the rogue go free. Though Karen and her brothers in arms had bad feelings about what had happened, they were even more jarred when the prince ordered the rogue knight, Evan, set free. Something about the whole situation didn’t sit well with Karen at all, but she could do little to investigate and even less to contain her dislike for the new ruler. Like the others, she decided to give it a shot, but in time she learned she should have trusted her feelings.
As she continued he trek, bringing herself back to the present, Karen found that she was halfway to her first destination. She wouldn’t make it all the way to the port town, but she was making good progress. She would have to stop a town away, but by tomorrow she would be where she wanted. Though her body was sore, Karen was used to pain. She was able to endure well and getting lost in her memories made these trips faster. Even so sometimes she preferred physical pain over pained memories.
Time passed, and soon she was at another inn. After spending the night there, Karen departed early the next morning, arriving in Seagale a few hours later.
Seagale was a port town, known for the commerce it brought. It was similar to a port town that Karen had visited once before during her childhood. However while that one was filled sailors and fishermen. This one was a trade town where people imported and exported foreign goods. The job that Karen had been called for was on an island, not too far from Seagale. During low tide one could walk there via a land bridge, but low tide had just passed and a literal bridge would have been troublesome towards boats.
Because of this Karen would have to wait and see when another boat would be available. In the meantime her purse was fat with gold and she had spare time. Though she was far from materialistic and usually just bought necessities, she decided it wouldn’t hurt to splurge every now and again.
Heading off through the town, she passed many and entered the shopping district. It was filled to the brim with various tents and stalls, all with their owners shouting to get shoppers to look at their wares. Karen looked about, but the armor wearing mercenary didn’t find anything that immediately caught her attention. Just as she was about to give up though, she heard a voice pierce through the din of noise.
“Hey missy.”
“Hm?” Karen asked, when she saw a raccoon man tending a booth. He had dark gray and black fur as well as sharp amber eyes. He was dressed in a gray and red outfit with a red headband. He looked quite confident and sure of himself. “Were you speaking to me?”
“Of course ma’am. Who else would I be talking to?” he said. “A lady like yourself commands the attention of all around her. I have to say you strike an impressive figure.”
“Thank you, but flattery isn’t as charming as it sounds, especially when it’s all about selling a product.”
“Now now miss, don’t take the truth to just be flagrantly fragranced words.” He said. “I was tellin’ the honest truth, but a lady of your status deserves something befitting of herself. Someone so energetic, someone so good with money and fond of travel.”
“What a charming pitch, what’s next? Palm reading?”
“No ma’am,” The raccoon replied with a nervous chuckle. “Speaking of charms though, I have a real beauty. This horsehead pendant is pure silver, yet more resilient and lustrous than the actual ore. Take a peek at this masterpiece and tell me if something so great doesn’t deserve someone equally grand.”
For a moment Karen paused, placing a hand on her hip and a finger on her chin as she inspected the silver closely. The object was certainly silver or some other precious ore. And it reminded her of the horse she had had when she first left home.
Taking the charm out of its case, she held charm in her hand, Karen felt a connection to and with it. It was as if in some way it resonated with her soul, promising her something she knew she needed within herself.
“How much for this?”
“A simple five golden pieces. Surely you can afford that.” The raccoon replied. After a moment, Karen paid him and put on the necklace. She felt a strange surge of energy within herself. She smiled happily and touched it, while the raccoon hid a smirk. Karen didn't know it yet, but this was where her journey truly began.
Karen was surprised and elated! The pendant she had purchased was so beautiful, and the lovely day that surrounded her only served to elevate her mood.
The aforementioned accessory bounced against her leather-covered bosom, gleaming in the mid-day sun.
She walked through the crowded market with her head held high, completely unaware of the raccoon merchant's grin as she left him behind.
The rest of the market was dull compared to her glittering find, and she spent the rest of her trip scoffing over uninspired trinkets and useless gadgets. Being the adventurer that she was, if she was going to shell out gold pieces for some sort of gadget or trinket, it would have to be practical and useful! The bouncing pendant seemed to contradict this logic, but this seemed to slip her mind as she continued on.
It wasn't until she returned to her room at the inn later that evening that she noticed something was off. She had been scratching at her ears nearly all day; at first, she had written it off as some sort of sunburn or perhaps an allergic reaction, but even though the sun had gone down and she was inside, it had not subsided. In fact, it seemed to have worsened over time.
This prompted her to make a beeline straight for her bathroom, and more importantly, the mirror within. Tossing her bag on the bed as she passed by it, she made sure to light the lanterns along the way. She finally arrived in front of the mirror, brushing her hair back almost impatiently to get a look at her ears.
It only took a moment for her to spot what was off: her ears had grown out to points! They looked nearly elven at the moment, and as curious hands rubbed the fleshy points, they seemed to grow just a little bit longer in the dim light of the room.
Blue eyes grew wide at the sight and hands grew shaky, the stricken adventurer trying her best to convince herself that it was just a trick of the light...
To her relief nothing else strange happened to her. Instead, she spent the rest of the evening in her room trying to relax. Brushing her hair to cover up her ears and changing into something more appropriate for sleeping in a bed, she laid down on her bed, trying to think of reasons why her ears had changed, sleep eventually taking hold of her.
Upon awaking the next morning, Karen quickly went to the mirror to see if her ears had changed at all during the night. Pushing aside her hair revealed they seemed to be more or less in the same condition, which while good, was not completely reassuring considering they weren’t meant to be points in the first place. Sighing in relief, Karen started to get changed out of the sleepwear. As she was getting into her pants she notice they seemed to brush against her hips a bit more tightly than she remembered, even taking a little effort to button them. “Might have to lay off the Pie for a while” Karen murmured as she continued getting ready. Placing the leather vest over her head before lacing up the sides and front, deciding to forgo her shoulder pauldron and hip guards, she didn’t plan on getting into any fights today.
When she went out the next day, she found that the stand she visited with the raccoon was no longer there, another loud merchant taking its place in the marketplace. The curious nature of the stand did bother her, but she figured at the end of the day it was little more than an inconvenience. Heading off to the beach, she saw the figure of the island that was her destination in the distance. As the sun shone and shimmered on the waves, she realized it would be a long trip, but one worth taking.
She soon went to the docks and saw a number of small sailing ships were there being tended to. Karen only needed a small and simple one. She would likely only use the boat for this one job and would preferably like to rent one as opposed to having to buy one and sell it upon her return.
Looking around, she saw a tall and tanned sailor tying one small, but sturdy looking boat to the dock.
“Excuse me, I’d like to rent that boat please.” Karen said to him.
With a silent nod the man watched as Karen took a pouch filled with gold and handed it to him. The man looked at it and smiled before handing her a paddle and showing her how to work the sails. Once she had a basic understanding of how the sails worked, she set sail, waving to the acquaintance.
As she started to sail, the wind picked up speed, sending her towards her destination at a quick pace. In such a small boat it would be a long time, but she would be able to make it before too late into nightfall if the wind kept up.
For now, Karen deigned to simply sail on and enjoy the warmth and the fresh scent of the sea breeze.
Laying down, she sighed and spoke to herself.
“What a relaxing trip ♥” she sighed as she got cozy on the wood. It was an hour of smooth sailing before the first kink in the trip appeared.
The wind ceased to blow and the ship stopped.
‘I hope this wind picks up again soon.’ Karen thought to herself as she looked at the sail expectantly, but all too soon morning gave way to noon, noon to afternoon, and afternoon to dusk.
Karen didn’t know whether to blame herself for expecting things to go easy or for wasting time.
“Welp, guess I better start rowing.” Karen mumbled bitterly. Time passed as Karen continued to paddle, her body feeling strange once more. Her ears were itching again, and reaching up a hand to feel quickly confirmed that they had grown longer over the course of the day. Karen had no idea what it meant, but she found it unsettling that her ears were growing longer somehow.
Besides her ears changing, Karen found that her pants were once again bothering her, the buckle of her belt starting to dig into her middle every time she bent over to row another stroke. She was mystified by this considering all she had eaten today was a few of the apples she had gotten on her last supply run. “It’s probably all in my head” Karen said under her breath as she continued to focus on rowing.
As her trip continued, Karen found that her arms were growing sore. No matter how in shape the former knight was, such a long trip was capable of taking a toll on anyone and she was hardly built for such long term travel. She had difficulty maintaining her pace for a time, until she decided to take a break and sleep. She hoped the respite, however brief, would give her the energy she needed to continue on.
She lay down, looking up at the starry sky. Praying for a safe passage, Karen found herself growing more tired. For some reason her legs were sore as well especially her rear. She wondered if for some reason it had to do with her sitting and rowing. In time her tiredness took over and she was utterly asleep.
When she reawakened, she felt a bit more relaxed, the morning sun casting light on the ocean around her. Sitting up she found that her clothes felt constricting, not just her pants like yesterday, but everything seemed to be hugging her frame a bit more tightly. Examining herself, she neither saw nor felt no abnormal amount of fat on her frame, just he normal slightly muscled figure, which seemed to be a tad more muscled this morning. “I guess all that rowing did some good” Karen chuckled shrugging it off. Deciding to see how far she was from the island, Karen stood up and looked around till she saw it out in front of her little ship. It was perhaps another three hours of rowing, since unfortunately the wind had yet to return.
Though her arms were still somewhat sore, Karen wished to make way to the island rather than wait on the whims of Mother Nature. She resumed her rowing, her clothing becoming drenched in sweat thanks to the sun. She would have to wash before too long. Noticing her necklace was getting coated by sweat as well, she had no choice but to put it away lest it become tarnished as well.
When she took it off, Karen felt a vague, dullness take her over. It was as if something was making it harder for her to think, to gather her thoughts, albeit ever so slightly. The change was not drastic, but still noticeable to Karen, who found it harder to focus on preparing a plan for meeting her contact once she reached the island as she rowed. She went an hour and a half without it before the wind picked up and she was able to stop rowing. Karen sighed in relief as the cool wind washed over her and filled the sail once again. Now that she was done rowing ill she reached the island, Karen place the necklace back on, finding the strange sensation to disappear as it resumed its place around her neck.
It was incredibly strange and bothersome, but even after that she had a strong desire for an apple. Digging one out, Karen ate it happily. In due time she arrived on the island and was grateful to be back on dry land, Karen made sure to drag her boat ashore and hide it behind a collection of boulders, lest anyone steal it.
Still tired from rowing, Karen found it a chore to even walk. The strangest thing of all was how muscular her leg muscles had seemed to have become, despite her exercising her arms mostly while rowing.
Her boots felt constricting around her feet, as well as her usually somewhat baggy pants, which seemed to have lost even more of their bagginess since she woke up this morning. Her legs had bulged and grew muscular to the point that she was starting to look like a bodybuilder, though she never lifted any more weight than she had been forced to in her lifetime. Bending down to redo a buckle on her shin armor, Karen felt the seat of her pants tighten as her rear pressed into them, making her rear more pronounced, something she had tried to avoid buy wearing looser pants, but they weren’t that loose anymore it seemed, thought upon feeling he backside it was mostly more muscle.
It was a strange situation, but she couldn’t figure out how this was happening, or even why. Eventually she attributed it to her walking on such a constant basis and moved along, but why did it seem to manifest itself over the past 2 days so prominently, had she really not noticed till now? Picking up her supply bag and continuing towards the town the island housed, hoping that she would reach the client’s location soon.
The town she reached was called Greylin, it was five miles from the beach in a wetlands like area, the settlement itself still smelling of salt, but being surrounded by trees while lavender peppered the path nearby. Karen checked in to the inn and took to the bath she would need to wash before going to where she supposed her employer would be. While in the tub, Karen once again noticed how strangely muscular her figure had become, though now it seemed to be less pronounced in her hip and stomach than it felt earlier today, the defined edges of her muscles seeming to have softened a bit, poking them slightly she felt her finger sink in slightly before reaching the hard muscle underneath. “Great…” Karen mumbled as she checked the rest of her body, relived to find that these seemed to be the only trouble areas. Karen found getting dressed to be difficult, her pants were now form fitting as opposed to the slightly baggy ones from 2 days ago despite being the same pair. Using a bit of effort to get them up past her hips and buttoned, she remembered why she avoided buying these types of pants. The rest of her wardrobe went on with relative ease, despite her increased muscle mass, only her boots seeming to be a bit smaller than she remembered.
The meeting place was not a tavern, but in fact a hill near the village, quite tall, but nowhere near the size of a mountain. It would allow for a person atop it to see for miles.
It wasn’t long before her client came. It was a brown haired man who had gray eyes, almost as if he was blind. He wore glasses and casual clothes, slightly taller than Karen. With a grateful tone of voice he spoke.
“So you’re here for my job? I have to say I was expecting a man to come.”
“You wouldn’t exactly be the first person to tell me that.” Karen said to him with a smile. “So then, the poster said you wanted an infiltration done.”
“Yes, a baron on this island has been abusing his authority. From what I’m told he is a friend of the king’s who was placed in his position as a favor.” The man went on. “He lives in a large house on the other side of the island. There is a path that will lead you there, but I want to warn you that crossing him may put you in the line of fire.”
“You needn’t worry. I can handle myself well.” Karen said, snickering inwardly. It was ironic. She had just done a job to help the kingdom and now she was doing one that would be considered by some to be treason. Karen however saw it as a favor to the kingdom, someone worthy of the position should be in charge of the island, and not someone placed their through political favor. “So what is he doing?”
“Overtaxing people, insisting that certain establishments need protection despite us not having any enemies or vagabonds on the island. Not even pirates come to pester us.”
“That is suspicious. Either way, once I infiltrate his home, what would you have me do next?”
“Simply do away with him somehow. This is all we need. Murder is a possibility, but not necessarily needed.”
Karen reflected inwardly for a moment, murder was a big thing to commit for pay, even if the target was a overreaching noble, usually she only killed when her life was in danger or if it was truly a last resort. She would have to play this carefully and try for a different outcome. “Alright, just point me in the direction and I’ll be back here sometime next week. Just check sporadically.”
“I will. By the way, my name is Simon. Can I ask yours ma’am?”
“No, that way if things go south, which they won’t, you can say you don’t know me with better confidence.”
“Thank you ma’am.” Simon said simply before Karen took her leave.
Her plan was to simply pose as a maid. One who would do work around the area until an opportunity arose. It wouldn’t be fast, but she would be able to do something simple to hopefully scare him off.
Going into town and buying the appropriate outfit from a tailor, Karen changed cloths, put her possessions someplace safe.
She wore a large black dress with a white apron and a matching white headband and gloves. Karen also applied make up on to make herself more appealing and made sure the tailor made the dress very billowy as well to hide her new figure. Even so her bottom still touched and outlined the dress. Karen could do little about it, but just hoped she was attractive enough to get them to hire her. “At least its comfortable” Karen said as she headed out observing herself in the mirror one last time.
Once she was done she walked up to the manor. Though her heels and feet were sore, she blamed the pair of black shoes she bought. At first they fit well, but after a time the walking became a bit more awkward. To her relief though she spied the mansion through the trees, she wouldn’t have to walk much further.
It was sizable enough, but nowhere near the size of the duke’s and she saw a man in a tacky outfit standing there. He noticed Karen and his guards looked at her. To both her satisfaction and slight disgust, they were intrigued in her.
“Excuse me sir, but I wanted to ask if you had a job opening.” Karen said, taking note of a collection of blue flowers in the front of the manor, as if it was a small garden. Karen could smell their strong fragrance which gave off a pleasant smell. She was so pleased by the scent that she didn’t notice that some of her soreness was gone.
“And who may I ask wants to know?” he asked her with a wide smile.
“Kaitlyn.” Karen lied, trying to sound as innocent as possible. “And you are?”
“A servant of Baron Hugh Larvess.” He said with a bow, his bearded face and matted hair a dull gray color. “Are you perchance a maid?”
“Yes sir. I was looking for work as my former employer could no longer afford to have me.”
“Well I regret to inform you that the baron left to join the king some days ago. It seems he had urgent business. Still in the meantime it is always possible for you to work until his return.
This struck Karen particularly when she heard the King had called the baron away, probably on one of his “expeditions”. During the last days of her knighthood, when she was giving the king a chance she knew he would often go off throughout the kingdom under claims of trying to raise morale and see his subjects, but in truth it was far more likely that he was trying to find a woman or two to share his bed with and excuses to engage in general debauchery. He would often bring a collection of nobles with him to share in the merriments. In Karen’s mind it was an example of how immature and childish the ruler was, and also how he shamed his father’s legacy. She even recalled the final straw was that he asked her to be part of his guard during this time. With little other recourse, Karen had left the kingdom that day to pursue her mercenary career.
Nodding and bowing, Karen put on a false smile. Though it seemed that doing this mission would not be possible, Karen decided she could at least do some scouting beforehand, so she would be better prepared when finally returning once she had word that the Baron had returned.
“Thank you sir.”
“You are quite welcome miss. The house is quite large, be sure not to lose your way.””
“I won’t sir.” Karen said as she walked towards the house.
Unbeknownst to her, the man was looking at her bottom lustily, watching it bob back and forth through the back of her dress, though Karen herself was unaware of his gaze. Once inside Karen decided to peruse the area under the guise of cleaning. She could at the very least scope out the area and discover the baron’s schedule. Finding a feather duster, Karen began to clean around the house, taking note of the rooms and talking with other maids. She stayed for a couple days, gathering an idea of the barons schedule form their gossip. Writing it down as the maids revealed bits of it in various conversations. She had also discovered the letter the King had sent the Baron to summon him to the kingdom; it was filled with accounts of the lavish conquests of his last expedition. It sickened Karen, and only made her grateful that she had left when she did.
When she had gathered enough, she snuck out one night, going back to the hill in the dead of night and telling Simon of her findings.
Though it wasn’t what he wanted, it helped his machinations.
With her business temporarily concluded, Karen left for the mainland.
Changing out of her uncomfortable maid outfit and into her normal attire, Karen found it even tighter than before, having to struggle quite a bit with her pants. “Why, Wont You Button!!” Karen yelled at them as she attempted for the third time to fasten them. Finally succeeding with a huff, looking down she could tell she had definitely grown since donning her disguise 2 days ago, her hips and rear seeming to have been affected the most. Fixing her hair in the mirror Karen could see that her ears were much worse than when she last checked on the boat trip a few days ago, now moving past the elven stage and onto something else entirely. Looking closely she could see what appeared to be faint hairs growing at the tips, “What is happening to me??” Karen huffed in frustration. Sighing she gathered her things and headed back to the boat. Karen’s trip home was far easier, the wind sweeping her across the water at a brisk pace, fast enough to make it back in about three quarters of the time it should have taken, which pleased her.
Karen reflected about the events of the past few days as she rode home, She was starting to worry somewhat, the feeling of trepidation overtake her. She noticed her nails had started to harden and turn darker, and her clothing had been getting increasingly tighter since she began this trip. Even her nose seemed somewhat different now that thought about it. It was wider and slightly larger in a way Karen couldn’t quite explain, not noticeable unless you really looked, but different none the less. Trusting her gut, Karen decided to visit a mage or cleric at some point. Possibly one of them could help her figure out what exactly was happening.
After arriving back in Seagale, she rented a room again at the inn, inquiring about any local mages form the owner. Unfortunately in Seagale there was only one, a “Witch Doctor” the sign proclaimed as she entered. Karen was both intrigued and disturbed by the cacophony of things hanging off the walls, from potions to shrunken heads, it anything and everything could be found in this establishment. A Deep voice beckoned her to sit at a table with a crystal ball on it, and Karen cautiously obeyed. As she sat a large dark skinned woman with long wild dreadlocks and a large feathered hat came from behind a curtain and sat down. Karen spoke to the woman, telling her of the strange things she had been experiencing, and showing her ears and now black fingernails. The witch doctor inspected her practically from head to toe, prodding Karen with various things. Karen rarely trusted mages she didn’t know well; especially if they were as eccentric as this one, but today was a time she would make an exception.
“Hmmm, and you say you’ve been feeling strange?” the woman asked, her green eyes oogling Karen from behind large spectacles. Karen nodded to the feather hatted woman.
“Yes ma’am, that’s right.”
“I see. It seems that you do have a few latent magicks on you. Very curious, but ultimately harmless.” The witchdoctor concluded, to which Karen almost glared.
“Harmless?!”
“That’s correct. Most likely you ran afoul some petty spell slinging whippersnapper and they gave you a bit of a horseface spell. Those usually peter out within a few days.” The mystical physician continued. “In the mean time I suggest plenty of bed rest and some herbs. I can give you a book on ones that can help you if you’d like.” Karen thought for a moment, before looking back at the woman.
“Horseface spell?? What makes you think I have the?” Karen asked
Reaching for a mirror on a nearby table, “Take a look for yourself” She said, handing the mirror to Karen.
Looking at her face she could certainly see the crazy doctor was right about one thing, her face defiantly had acquired an equine tone to its features, it wasn’t beyond human standards, but it was significantly different than this morning. Paired with her ears, she could see where the mage got the idea.
Reaching in a bag and handing the small pocket sized book to Karen, Looking at it Karen discovered she couldn’t read a thing.
“It’s all in runes!”
“Yes, but the important part is the pictures. Just eat the flowers you see there. One is bound to work.” The peculiar prestidigitator insisted.
“How far will the spell go? Will I have the head of a horse in a few days?” Karen asked as she put the book in her backpack.
“No most certainly not, I would say it’s as bad as it’s going to get, though it might worsen slightly. It should clear up in a few days if you stay in bed and rest” said the witch doctor as she followed Karen out, waving to her as she headed down the street.
Karen merely groaned as she looked at the book again, trying to find some plants in the marketplace that matched the pictures. Finding a few, she quickly bought them as well as a new set of pants, since she doubted she would be able to squeeze into her current set by tomorrow if the current trend continued. After picking up a larger shirt as well she headed back to the inn to rest. As she walked she continued to look at the book, noticing that the blue flowers from in front of the Barons house were in it. “How odd…” Karen thought as she had been sure those had been decorative based on their fragrant scent. As she walked Karen also resolved to find a better, more professional and magically talented doctor, if the treatments prescribed by the eccentric mage didn’t cause any effect. Hopefully one who could help her overcome whatever was ailing her, be it a curse or not.
After arriving at the inn, Karen quickly changed, peeling her clothes off her body, and changing into her nightwear, finding it to be a lot more form fitting than when she and used it a few days ago, though it wasn’t nearly as tight as her normal attire. Boiling the herbs into some tea, Karen made a list of the current changes affecting her, as she drank. Hoping she could compare it to what she observed over to next few days and gain of a idea of how fast she was changing. As she finished her tea, she laid down on the bed, allowing sleep to overtake her.
The mid-morning sun woke Karen as it shined through the room’s tiny window, bathing her in sunlight. As she sat up she felt sore, which worried her, standing up and stumbling groggily over to the mirror, Karen was glad to see her face did not seem to be any worse off than before, though she noticed her hair seemed a lot longer than she remembered, she quickly put it up into her half- ponytail, adjusting it so her ears remained hidden. Unfortunately, other things had changed during her slumber, the first thing she noticed was that she was taller, her torso seeming to have lengthened, causing her midriff to be exposed. Some hair could also be faintly seen growing on her exposed stomach, Karen running her hand across it feeling its roughness. As Karen continued her inspection downwards she once again saw that her legs and rear seemed to have grown, making her pants tight against her legs. Karen sighed and started to walk back to her bed, only to stumble and fall.
“What the hell!! Karen said as she looked back to see what had caused her to stumble only to catch sight of her feet.
They seemed to have taken the brunt of the changes overnight, her middle 2 toe’s long and swollen, the whole foot seeming to be longer than yesterday, Standing up, and carefully walking over to her bed, Karen sat and inspected her feet. Finding that they had also grown a faint coating of hair, and her toes seemed to have lost some feeling. As she sat she found herself squirming, feeling as though she was sitting on something. Standing up revealed nothing, yet the feeling persisted as she finished inspecting the changes to her feet.
“I thought that crazy doctor said it wasn’t going to get any worse!” Karen huffed, as she stood back up and walked over to her bag. “I might as well go and find more herbs at the market, hopefully one will help. “ She said as she took out the new clothes she had purchased yesterday. Taking off her sleep attire, Karen stuck it in the bottom of her bag next to her old clothes, chances are they wouldn’t fit by tonight anyway, and she would have to sleep in her new outfit. That wasn’t much of a problem to the mercenary, having gotten used to sleeping on the ground years ago, but she found it nice to sleep in something more comfortable if she took the expense of renting a bed. Pulling her new shirt over her head she was glad to see it was long enough to cover her stomach, hiding the growing hair there. As she slid on her pants she discovered a small nub above her butt, about 2 inches long and sensitive to the touch.
“Great…now a tail.” Karen sighed as she finished fastening her pants, relived to find them still a good fit. Karen then placed her leather vest & pauldron on, once again foregoing the hip armor as she was only going to the market. Her boots however gave her a bit of trouble, her elongated feet having to be uncomfortably crammed inside. Making the boots bulge out a bit beyond the soles. Fastening her sword to her belt, Karen picked up her bag and headed out to the market.
The market was once again bustling with activity, which made Karen relax a bit, the massive crowd allowing her to blend in, making her changed face just a blur in the mass of people. She found a few more herbs that were in the book, only a few of the shop keeps she talked too staring at her oddly for a second before selling her their wares. As she finished up at a herb stand, she felt a breeze across her ears, reaching up confirmed that they had continued to change while she was out, and were now tool long and high up on her head to be hidden by her hair any longer, their furry points having poke through while she was shopping, Thankfully the fur was a chocolate brown, blending in with her reddish brown hair well enough to avoid the eyes of the merchants who were more focused on her money than her head.
Spying a tent that was selling cloaks, Karen quickly bought one figuring she might need it if the changes got any worse. She also inquired about any mages in nearby towns, learning that the small city of Gull Point about 4 days away that housed one. Finding the day already half over by the time she got back to the inn, Karen decided to head out to Gull Point in the morning if the changes continued to worsen. Making some more tea with the new herbs, Karen sat on her bed and relaxed, loosening the laces on her vest, and taking her pauldron off. Studying the pictures in the book, Karen eventually drifted off to sleep as the sun started setting on the late afternoon.
Thunder awoke Karen the next day, the thick black rainclouds blotting out the sun making it impossible to tell exactly how long she had slept. The faint smell of bacon wafting up from the kitchens her only clue that it was still sometime in the morning, and that she had not slept throughout the day. Sitting up, Karen could already tell her changes had worsened, her head felt heavy and she could see her nose in front of her. Looking at her feet they were worse as well, the two middle toes having grown further and merged into one large nail at the end, the other digits seeming to feed their growth. The entire foot was longer as well, and upon standing on it found she had to stand on the balls of her feet to remain comfortably balanced.
Carefully walking over to the mirror, Karen saw how much her face had changed, her nose and mouth pushed out into sort of a proto muzzle, with thick lips hiding larger teeth. Fur was now creeping its way down from her ears, and hairline, for now it was faint, but that wouldn’t last long. Her ears were now poking out of her hair about halfway, and covered in chocolate brown fur, her hair itself now more of a mane, hair sprouting form the back of her neck overnight, her neck itself seemed a bit longer as well.
Looking down, Karen saw she had once again outgrown her shirt, but in more than one way this time. While she was once again taller, her stomach was not the somewhat flat shape it had been when she had fallen asleep, it had instead bulged out, almost comically, into a firm outward curve that now had a good covering of fur traveling up it. Feeling it, under a thin layer of fat, was hard muscle, and if she poked harder it hurt, as if her organs were all gathering in her stomach. Her chest seemed to be barreling out as well, the leather breastplate that was part of her vest tight around her chest. Surprisingly her pants weren’t painfully tight as she expected, though they were defiantly more form fitting than last night. Her tail having squirmed its way out of her pants while she was asleep was now about 6 inches with long hairs on it that nearly doubled its length.
Grumbling, Karen quickly tucked it back into her pants, before pulling on her shirt attempting to hide her belly. She managed to work the tight garment down so only a small hairy band of flesh was seen between the bottom of her shirt and the top of her belt, how long it would stay there she did not know, she only hoped for the rest of the day. Tightening the laces on her vest again as well, she didn’t even bother with her pauldron, quickly attaching her sword to her belt, she donned the cloack she had purchased the day before, the quickly gathered her belongings and leaving.
Hiding her face with the cloaks hood, Karen made her way out of the inn and onto the road, hurrying out of the town before her changes bought attention to her. Her current form not animal enough to pass for one of the anthro horse’s she had seen in her travels and certainly not human enough to pass for human. Rain pelted at her as she walked south along the coastal road towards Gull Point. Walking at a brisk pace, hoping to get as far as she could before the rain let up and other travelers came out of hiding.
By the time the rain had ceased it was night, Karen stumbled off the side of the road, Shivering wet, and exhausted, Gathering some wood, she started a fire with some flint from her bag. Leaning back against a tree next to the fire, Karen sighed grateful for the warmth it provided. Taking the soaking wet cloak off and hanging it from a branch, Karen observed herself in the soft glow the fire provided. The first change she noticed was once again her feet, they seemed to be more hoof than foot now, the remaining toes only small nubs around a giant hoof, the foot had elongated so that her heel was now more of a joint and her entire weight now rested on the hoof. Rich chocolate brown fur now covered them, and disappeared under her pants, presumably on its journey to meet with the fur that was covering her middle.
Her pants appeared to not have long for the world, having grown tight around her swelling form, they creaked and groaned as she tried to get comfortable. Sighing she reached back and freed her now quire long tail from its confines, pleased that she no longer felt the pain of it being crushed against her backside. Reaching down she went to undo her belt, hoping to relive some of the pressure that was cutting into her waistline. But she struggled; she couldn’t seem to get a good enough grip to start to undo the buckle. Looking at her hands she could see why, they had started to change as well, the middle finger slightly swollen and stiff compared to the others. Karen hoped she could get to Gull Point soon, she needed that mage. A second attempt at the belt proved successful, the leather band slipped off and placed into her bag along with the sword it held.
Her shirt had ridden up again, and despite more attempts to bring it down, it would not remain. Instead her belly remained exposed, only her shirt that was trapped under the tight laces of her vest covering the top of it. It actually seem to be less comically protrusive than before, Karen surmised it was more of the top half of her chest catching up than any reduction.
Her face seemed longer, though without a mirror it was hard to tell in the dim light. Karen worked her mouth stretching and testing how it felt, as well as saying a few phrases to see if the changes had affected her speech at all, thankfully they hadn’t.
“What am I going to do” Karen said to herself as she leaned back, taking a deep breath to try and relax.
*Pop*
Karen’s ears perked up at the sound and she released the breath she had been taking. Looking down she saw that bottom lace on her vest had snapped, Her enlarged torso and deep breath just too much of a combination.
Scowling in annoyance, Karen stood up and undid the remaining laces on the vest, not wanting it to be damaged any further. As she went to lift it over her head however, she found that it was stuck, the breastplate squeezing her torso tightly. She grunted and tried again, but to no effect. She attempted to lift from the top, hoping to break it loose, but found her arms no longer had the range of motion to reach there. Grasping the bottom again and lifting Karen leaned forward trying to pry it up.
*Pop* *thunk*
Karen ignored the troubling sound as well as the sudden relief of pressure around her waist, as she felt the vest slowly inch up until it was past her chest and over her head, leaving only her strained shirt on. Sighing in relief, she looked down to investigate the sound only to find her newly released chest blocked her view of her waist, but a quick feel confirmed that the button on her pants had popped off during the struggle, the following thunking sound it bouncing off a tree. Cursing under her breath and going back to her position next to the fire, Karen closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, praying that she would get to the mage in time.
Birds chirping were the sound that greeted her the next morning, rousing her from her slumber. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of a significant bigger muzzle than she remembered having.
“Godt Dammeth” Karen cursed as she stood up, finding her balance to be a bit off. Rattling off a few of the phrases from last night she concluded that she definitely had trouble with some sounds, her thickening tongue and changing jaw shape just not made to produce them as well. Looking down Karen was glad to see her changes had only progressed slightly, the biggest things being a slightly longer neck, and the disappearance of what remained of her toes.
Donning the cloak again to hide the changes from passing travelers, Karen resumed her trek to Gull Point. As she stopped briefly to adjust the cloak her Pendant bounced into view, its silver horse head gleaming in the midday sun. As she looked down at her it, she came to a realization.
‘The necklace! That caused all of this…’ She thought. This had all started after she had bought it from that sneaky Raccoon in the Market. Karen should have made the connection earlier when the Witch Doctor had shown told her she had a Horseface spell on her. Grabbing the pendant and taking it off her head Karen threw it on the ground, continuing long towards Gull Point with a smile. As she did she could feel something was wrong, not with her body but with her mind. She suddenly had trouble remembering where she was going, and why she was going there. The breeze bought along the scent the grass next to the road, which caused her to stop in her tracks and stare at it.
“I ded skip breakfath” She stated as she started to wonder off to the side of the road.
Not paying attention, her hoof caught a rock, compromising her already unstable blance and she fell forward, slamming against the ground. This seemed to wake Karen form the daze, and she started to worry, why was she so mesmerized by the grass, she didn’t have time to stop.
“I’ve gott to keeap going” Karen assured herself, as she got up again, “It shouuld onlie take me a few morrre dayth to get to… to..”
Karen stopped again, where was she going, she knew she had to get there to see someone but whom. Karen paced back and forth, every time she seemed to remember where she was going she forgot who she was going to see, and by the time she remembered that she forgot where she was going again. Shaking her head in distress, not realizing how equine an action it was. Karen felt something bounce off her hoof as she continued pacing, looking down it was the pendant, still gleaming as it sat in the road. Picking it up Karen knew this was connected to her in some way but she just couldn’t figure out how, seeming to have forgotten it was the cause of all her troubles. Figuring she better be safe than sorry, Karen placed the pendant back around her neck, practically feel her intelligence returning to her. She could remember she had to get to Gull Point to see the mage there, everything. She thought it over before at last speaking. ‘This thing is somehow protecting my mind, even though it’s cursed and turning me into a horse. I’m gonna kill that raccoon when I find him again.”
Unhappy that she had wasted an hour wandering around the same 20 feet of road Karen picked up the pace, glad at least she had found the amulet again, as opposed to eating grass at the side of the road until her changes finished and she became a mindless animal.
The day passed, Karen trying to keep up a decent clip, while also ducking into the forest to avoid other travelers as they came down the road. Even with her cloak on it would have been clear to anyone who got too close that something was wrong, the clock itself now tight against her body, outlining her changing figure.
As Karen stopped briefly for a late lunch of some bread and cheese, she let her mind wander. The small pond she was sitting by reminding Karen of her childhood home which had one similar to it. She remembered her father would take her there for picnics in the late summer, right before that harvest. They always had fun, her father watching her play, and sometimes telling her stories about Karen’s mother, who had died of dysentery shortly after Karen was born. It was relaxing remembering the past, being able to drown out her current worries, if only for a short while.
“Hello There!!” A sudden shout from behind her startled Karen from her daydream, looking behind her she saw a wagon grinding to a stop on the road, the man driving waving to her.
“Shuitt” Karen said under her breath, “At least he’s too far away to notice anything” she thought.
Putting her things in her pack, Karen went to go behind a nearby boulder, where she could hide from the approaching traveler sight and hopefully talk him into leaving her be.
As she got up however, her faltering balance caused her to fall, making her large teeth chomp together painfully.
“You alright?” The man shouted, now walking towards her, having dismounted the wagon.
Karen had to hurry, carefully getting up onto her hooves, She had to hold her arms out awkwardly for a few seconds before she found her balance, finding it somewhat difficult to maintain.
Stumbling behind the boulder, Karen shouted at the rapidly approaching traveler
“Levve meh bee!”
“Woah, no need to be unfriendly there” the man countered as he stopped about 20 yards from Karen’s Position, “I was just wondering if this road lead to Seagale?”
“Yesh, Its about two days away” Karen said, speaking slowly and concentrating to avoid slurring her words.
“Thank ya Kindly, Ma’am” The traveler said “Before I go can I interest you in any produce, I have some apples fresh picked this morning”
Karen felt her ears involuntarily perk up when he mentioned the apples, tenting the cloaks hood. Her stomach grumbled loudly as well, making her blush with embarrassment, hoping he didn’t hear it.
“I just ate, how can I be that hungry” Karen thought, looking at her stomach straining against her cloak, before it grumbled again, even louder this time.
Leaning against the boulder with one hand for balance she reached down into her pack and clumsily grabbed a few gold pieces with hands that seemed to be worse off than by the hour.
“Leeav some appplees on theh road, and bee on youor way” Karen shouted, tossing the gold over the top of the boulder.
“Yes Ma’am. Thank you Ma’am” the Traveler said before jogging back to his cart and depositing a small sack of apples on the side of the road.
“Thanks again!!” he shouted as he climbed back into the seat and continued on his way.
Waiting a few minutes, Karen walked out from behind the boulder and preceded to the road, her large nose catching the scent of the apples contained within the sack long before she reached it. Reaching down Karen found she was losing her balance again every time she went for the bag, her heavy head and torso wanting to drag her down. Trying again, she reached down for the bag, and just as she about to grab it felt herself falling. Already too far to try and recover, Karen put her hands out in front of her, thankfully catching herself in time, and saving herself from slamming her jaw into the ground again.
Karen sighed, she did not like being on all fours like this, it reminded her all too much of what she was becoming, even though she found it much more comfortable that how she was just standing, she would not give this curse any more of her humanity than it had already took. Reaching down with her mouth she grabbed the sack and pushed up with her hands, needing a few tries before she reached that increasingly narrow spot where she could maintain her balance.
Taking the bag from her mouth, Karen grabbed an apple before sticking the sack in her backpack, and continuing on her way. Merrily chomping on it, and enjoying it a bit more than she liked.
The sky had turned blood orange by the time Karen decided to stop and set up camp, once again wearily stumbling off the road and into a small grove of trees. Karen was exhausted from travel yet found her pace had slowed considerably from what it had been just that this morning, finding more and more of her energy spent on remaining upright, Any unevenness in the road usually causing her to fall and have to spend longer and longer getting back up. Plopping down against a tree ungracefully, Karen winced in pain as she sat on her tail, taking a moment to adjust herself so it could squirm free.
Karen fumbled with the buckles on the straps of her pack, her hands now sporting a large thick finger with a large nail where her middle and ring finger used to be, the rest of the digits usefulness starting to wane as they fed its growth. Finally getting one side undone, Karen managed to roll her pack off her back before redoing the buckle, she doubt she would be able to get it back on in the morning, her increasingly limited arms range of motion already preventing her from taking it off normally.
Leaning back against tree, Karen closed her eyes, too tired to try and undo her cloak, and secretly not wanting to see the sad state her clothes were probably in, having heard a variety of ripping sounds throughout the day as she strained her body recovering from her many spills. The cloak itself was groaning with strain even now as she breathed in and out.
Karen just prayed for this all to be over, for her to wake up and be cured of this horrible curse. But deep down she knew no help would come from whatever gods were out there, she would have to deal with this burden on her own, hopefully there was a cure to be found. Karen’s deep chest slowed as she drifted off to sleep, her breaths evening out, a light nicker emitting from her every now and again, Dreaming of better times in her past, and hopefully for her future.
Karen peacefully emerged from her slumber late the next day, finding the sun already nearly straight overhead. Looking down it was clear she had changed a lot, her long muzzle creating a blind spot straight in front of her. A quick test of her voice found that other than the occasional mumbling sound she had lost her voice, neighs & whinny’s now freely issuing form her mouth. Her cloak had torn off during the night, seemingly split down the middle as her torso continued its ever persistent barreling, only a very torn band of fabric that used to be her shirt remained around her body. Her pants no more than scraps strewn around her, the remains of the lower legs still hung around her rear hooves. There was nothing to cover anyway, her body now covered in a rich chocolate fur.
Using the tree for support, Karen managed to stand, her hands, now closer to hooves with some vestigial nubs on the side, sliding against the bark. It was uncomfortable to say the least and her back protesting loudly, but Karen was persistent, not wanting to give in to the curse if she could help it. Karen carefully took one step, making sure to not trip on the remains of her clothes. Confidant she took another, her foreleg leaving the tree. Karen could feel Gravity pulling at her, but she resisted, panting with effort. A third step, and she fell forward, landing on her hooves with a solid thump.
It was no use; she just couldn’t remain upright anymore. After several minutes of deep breathing and experimental cantering, Karen at last took her first true steps. Like a newborn foal, she nervously tested her footing. Now she could walk calmly, but she didn’t dare attempt to gallop, not until she was used to the form. Part of her hoped she would never grow accustomed enough to the form to learn the ins and outs of its movements, but fate had other plans in store.
Picking up her backpack in her teeth, Karen continued her journey, traveling in the woods along the road, lest any traveler got any ideas about a free horse. She had no idea what to do now, save for hoping she could get the Mage in Gull Point to help her somehow. Also finding that dirty rodent who sold her this pendant, but that was after she was cured.
As she was, Karen knew she couldn’t communicate with any wizard, and even then if she had she had no idea if the mage would have been of the caliber that could undo what had happened to her. She just had to try and hope he would be able to recognize she was once human.
She continued to walk until dusk, stopping only briefly to drink and eat some of the apples she had bought yesterday. Catching her reflection while drinking, Karen saw she had a 4 pointed white star in the middle of her forehead, and that her eyes still looked human, albeit much larger. Her changes also finished up throughout the day, the remains of her fingers disappearing, her gait becoming a bit more graceful as her body made the final adjustments to her legs, the narrow band of cloth that was once a shirt giving up the fight and snapping off as she finished growing, leaving the pendant the only reminder of her former life.
Karen found a nice rock outcrop to spend the night, offering good cover form the road. Dropping her backpack was a bit of a hassle, having managed to secure it around her neck after stopping for lunch; it took a bit of wiggling to get it off. Knocking the last two apples out, Karen began to dine happily before at last leaving two cores on the ground. Though it was by no means her most dignified or satisfying meal, it sated her need for food.
With her hunger pangs curbed, Karen could now focus on simply her goal. In order for her to go any further though, she would need sleep.
To that end, Karen tried to settle herself, lying down as gingerly as she could in her new form. She was less than happy that she didn’t have a pillow or comfortable surface, the damp cold making her fur wet. She really wished she had taken off the cloak sooner and saved it so she could drape it over herself now, but Karen had gone through far worse. In her time as a soldier, she had gone many a night without a tent or pillow or blanket in both sweltering heat and chilling cold.
As she struggled to find slumber, Karen recalled when she had given her tent to a mother and her small boy when their home had burnt down during a conflict. They weren’t able to find suitable shelter that night and Karen didn’t want either of them to suffer more than necessary. When it came time for her to go at last, she had charged some of her subordinates to guide the small family to someplace safe and report back. Karen had visited them once after and saw that they were doing well.
As Karen looked up at the sky tiredly, she wondered if they were still well. She hoped they were as she watched a shooting star pass.
Watching it go by, Karen wished for good luck.