Kyle rushed home with his prize, but each moment that passed he felt more and more that he had to have been duped. 27.50 for a magical collar of transformation? Put it on ebay and get thousands. Millions even.
As Kyle reached his dorm he was sure he was cheated, he still liked the item remembering how his eyes traced over the intricate symbols as though there was something just underneath them. An ancient pattern he could almost see... hear, taste, smell! it was primal and raw, and stirred something in him!
Kyle went back to the bag and pulled out the package. He ripped it open and stared at the collar. The images had the same appearance but it seemed to be more... of whatever it was, outside of the plastic packaging. He traced his fingers across the surface and felt connected to something.
Just then his roommate came in jarring Kyle out of his intense examination. "Hey Michael, does anything about this pattern look, um... seem, weird to you?" Kyle handed the collar to his roommate who stared at it for a second before saying no and tried to hand it back.
Clearly he wasn't looking close enough, Kyle reasoned, "No, like a magic eye but deeper." Michael looked again and pulled the collar closer and farther from his face, staring intently, then he suddenly went pale and winced in pain. "Ow, it's giving me a headache, I don't see anything, but I'm running late. I gotta go."
He handed the collar back to Kyle and dropped his bookbag in its usual spot, grabbed his toiletries, a towel, change of clothes, and went to the communal coed bathroom.
Recalling that the small boy became as tall and large as a man, Kyle changes into sweatpants and the largest t-shirt he has. Biting his lower lip in nervousness, he wraped the collar around his neck, slipped it into the buckle... Nothing yet, he tightens it, slipping the clasp through one of the holes... Nothing, He slides the excess through the loop to secure it.
Suddenly everything is dark. Kyle looks around and there is nothing but blackness. He could somehow see himself but he was floating naked. "Ahh my chosen has come to do my bidding." A rich and resonant female voice echos through the darkness. "Who's there?" Kyle's voice betraying is fear and confusion.
"I am the Goddess of Magic and you, Kyle, have come to my realm seeking my gifts!" There was a blinding flash of light and Kyle couldn't help but shield his eyes. As he slowly opened them he saw a radiant woman form floating before him as if in water. Her hair spread away from her head, undulating in unseen waves, nearly creating a halo, glowing in the light that seemed to come from her directly. She appeared timeless, flawless, and 20 feet tall.
Kyle was overcome with shock and awe, his mouth fell agape. Finally, he spoke, "Y-you... know my name?" he barely stammered.
"Of course Kyle, you were chosen at the dawn of humanity to receive a gift from me. Magic courses though your veins. Waiting to be sparked. You serve a purpose, my purpose, to bring magic back into your realm. All that needed to happen was for you to come into contact with a device that would astrally project you here so you could receive the blessing you had chosen." The collar suddenly manifested before him, floating weightlessly.
With the flick of her giant hand the collar began glowing and sputtering sparks, out of it floated ethereal symbols, seeming to be made of cobalt blue mist, chained together, and the sputtering and glowing stopped. It settled before the Goddess' face and she appeared to read it. "Hmm, an interesting choice." She squinted at Kyle seeming to measure him up. "Now you." She finally said as she flicked her wrist again.
Kyle was in sudden agony, he fell to the ground and cried out as his body began glowing and sparking just as the collar did. After what seemed like hours but was less than a minute a similar mist pulled itself from Kyle and made its way to the goddess, His mist was yellow in color, but if that meant anything, she didn't let on. Kyle was left silently crying on the ground, he felt immensely empty, and as though something deep within him was amputated and raw.
The yellow string was bigger and much more complex than the red strand, which still floated before her.
"Ahh, you were one of my elite chosen, not only will you bring magic into the world but you will spread it making way for my return. Good, I've been waiting millennia for one of you to find your way here. You will be my first herald." she exclaimed proudly.
She moved her hands gracefully and the two strands responded by moving in response, Kyle recovered to watch this dance as she coaxed the strands to dance together intertwining and spinning within one another. When she was finished she gasped at the result.
"It's beautiful" she exclaimed pushing the spinning ethereal mass towards Kyle to see. It was true, It was beautiful in the purist sense. The gaps in the yellow strand were clasped onto and supported by the blue strand, though the pattern still seemed incomplete.
Kyle having regained his bearing, spoke his thoughts freely. "Of course its incomplete, let's meet your companion." The goddess said without hesitation. though a second later she approvingly commented, "Good eye, most wouldnt have noticed. You would make a fine wizard."
"Being a wizard was an option? Wait, my companion? What companion?" Kyle questioned but the Goddess had pulled the elaborate string of magical energy back to her face and was busy examining it, manipulating it and appeared to be pulling something out of the air and adding the nothingness to it. After a time Kyle began to get bored and cautiously flapped his way closer like he was swimming and although it took a bit of effort he managed to get closer.
As he drew near, Kyle could see that there was a green strand growing and filling in the gaps that were left. It filled all the crevices and holes the other two strands seemed to leave. The intricacies created a pattern that seemed to hold innate beauty such that it practically sang. The final stand was green in color and he noticed the blue was just beginning to merge with his yellow and make the same color.
Once finished the Goddess spoke words in an unknown language and the new green strand glowed brightly. There was a sucking feeling below Kyle as energy seemed to be getting pulled together. Slowly a huge shape faded into existence until it was as solid as Kyle. It was was a 10 foot tall wolf mottled with spots of white, gray, brownish-red, and black. It was beautiful and terrifying.
"This is ... Luca, your companion." She said as though that explained everything.
Kyle stared at the creature who looked just as confused as him and didn't notice as Mystra weaved something else into the mix and kissed the entangled mass and each strand quadrupled in thickness. Both Luca and Kyle shivered as she did so.
Without as word, the giantess grabbed the floating form of Kyle and forced the whole colorful mass of energy into his body before tossing him to the ground. Kyle hit with a thud suddenly feeling very heavy. As he looked up the giantess said, "Luca GO!" Immediately Luca lunged at Kyle, plunging into him. Kyle braced himself and felt immense pressure as though he was being crushed, and everything was really warm. a second later he was still okay and cautiously opened his eyes.
His arm is massive and muscular, covered in mottled fur like Luca's. He is back in his dorm room. His tongue confirms his teeth are sharp and his nose confirms there are many humans around. Only a few seconds have passed. What does Kyle do now?