"Please help me!" comes a call from over the rocky edge.
Amber walks with slow and cautious manner till she can peer over the edge.
Looking for some person in dire need of help all that presents theirselves is a large herd of Walrus on the beach.
"Where are you I can't see you!" calls Amber.
"Here, here!" comes the reply.
In the very back row of that Walrus herd is one large tusked male. He weaves his head and upper body back and forth as she watches it's mouth open and call again, "Help me please help me!"
Amber plops down on her pretty round rear and looks for who really is calling from down there on the beach.
Suddenly the herd roars for the water jumping into the waves with a horrid noise of grunts and screams. As she looks down the one big male Walrus continues to sit there and wave it's upper body and head as waiting for Amber's answer.
"Your a Walrus, what could I do for some big beast like you?" calls Amber expecting to see some young man come out from the jagged rocks below.
Please come down and remove this evil ring in my nose!'comes an answer.
In the dim light Amber can see what looks like a brass ring poked into the bridge of this huge animal's nose.
"Your one big animal, you might hurt me if I climbed down to help you!" calls back Amber. She still looks about wondering who's trying to play her for a fool?
"I'll prove it by laying down and closing my eyes till you come down and help me!" comes the call from on the beach.
Amber waits and to her surprise the great animal lays down and does close its eyes shut. This just too too wild and quickly Amber makes her way down the rocks and comes within inches of the massive form.
Looking ever closer there is a ring stuck into the bridge and nose of this big male Walrus.
"Please take both hands and spread the ring's pointed ends so to remove it from out my nose!" begs the Walrus his eyes still tight shut and laying very still.
Reaching over the huge head and face of an animal if wishing, her hands and arms might be bitten off in one quick move. As nimble fingers took hold to the ring and felt the hot breath of the Walrus she began to cry.
The ring began to part and in a swift move it popped out of the Walrus' big nose.
Amber held the ring up and then said, "It's out!"
The Walrus opened his eyes and slowly went to his normal sitting position. Amber froze of fear as she was now much smaller than this huge beast.
As she stood there the face of a old gray bearded man began to replace the round head of this male Walrus. More and more the animal took a more human form as flippers became arms and hands.
"Thank you, thank you, and please forgive my nakedness!" said the changing Walrus.
Like the melting of a snowman in warm springtime sunshine there soon stood a naked man in his late fifties. Amber stood quite but shaking of fears.
The man knelt down before Amber, "Please accept my deepest gratitude!"
said the Man. "I was Jason Lasandros a fisherman of the isle of Greece!" he said. "I and eleven of my commrades did fish the sea for our livings! It was to you about the year 1670 B.C. when we fished too close to a large island out in the great Atlantic ocean."
Amber stood quite but listening as the man wove a story of his crew and boat being captured and made slaves. They had landed on a cruel island inhabited by a race of men who had powers far beyond those of his time. A great city lay near the seashore and with it a prison for those like themselves. His story went on like a great book of pain and passion till he at last got to how he became a Walrus.
"I was a slave in the house of "Ambius the Healer". Yet he was not a true healer of men but instead with his potions and words did curse so many to become as I, beasts! Monsters first as their potions worked the mircles and men's heads and bodies did change. I, yes I did witness a young Sailor be changed and with evil words become a young male bull. He was a young and healthy lad but in the eyes of that horrid man he was nothing more than a way to higher powers!" explained Jason.
"You were a Walrus!" said Amber in her soft sounding voice.
"Yes t'was true, yet most of those changed from men to beast found their way into a life of bondage and bestial existance. It was bad enough to be kept as slaves, beaten, whipped, and starved. Yet at times, mostly during the night guards would take this one and that one never to be seen as men again. Montisouri, a good friend and companion aboard our boat was taken along with me. Rough treated we were hurriedly cast into seperate cells which stunk of those who came before ue. I had to stand there and watch as that Healer did cut off my friend's ears and with some liquid did attach the ears of some huge boar swine. He cut up that squealing swine until the poor animal it was died before him. Then piece by piece he did cut off and then attach, trim, cut, and add to Montisouri. Bit by bit my friend's face changed to look like a swine's. As the Healer spoke her twirled some spinning stone and with his words bade my friend to drink the "Potion of Beasts." told Jason.
"Did he then change into a swine?" asked Amber here eyes wide with wonder at his words.
"No, no it took several months but even as I did change to a Walrus for their zoo, Montisouri changed slowly and in pain from his human self till he was a large boar. The prison had with it a zoo of it's own! A place were those changed to animals did work as animals in the manner to which aided that culture. Montisouri was a boar swine and did with little urging mount, mate and I think enjoy being a boar." said Jason.
"How, ah why did they do that to people?" asked Amber.
"Money, power, and high standings among their culture, I'd guess!' replied Jason.
"The ring, how?" asked Amber.
"I don't know because during my time with the healer I lost conscienceness and when I awoke the ring was stuck in my nose. I was chidded that if I could remove it someday I'd change to my human form. It took a long time as by their blunder I did escape before they could put me in that zoo. I know what your thinking, how could I survive so long or even live for three thousand years? Well the potion given had some fountain of young within it and caused some who were not made into animals of food did live long and aged slow. I was made a Walrus to replace one in the zoo who fought and lost to another over the rite s to mate." explained Jason.
"But the ring, what does it have some power?" asked Amber.
"Yes it does and best one throw it into the sea!" said Jason as he began to touch his still well muscled body.
"How would it work, do you think?" asked Amber her female mind starting to work.
"By someone wearing it on the hand, or in the ear, nose, or somewhere it would only need a touch of some animal and the ring could bring one to changed as I!" said Jason.
Pocketing the ring Amber suggested he and she return to her home and find him some clothes a food.