Alex didn't know what to do. He sat in the alley with his back up against the wall. He must have looked a mess, even looking down at himself he knew he looked disheveled. Still dusty from the road, muddy from rolling on the ground in the alley. Hell, he probably stunk to high heaven. He was naked, lost, and alone with only a few coins. He should have stayed with Bo, or better yet stayed with Roc and Raf. At least they were welcoming.
"Who's there?!" Came a gruff shout from the mouth of the alley.
Alex had been so lost in thought he didn't notice anyone had approached, he looked blearily up at the figure standing in the alley entrance. He was dressed like one of the town guard but his gear looked a bit shabbier and not well fitted, and he had a club at his side instead of a sword. The other reason the guard stood out from the others Alex had seen was he wasn't human. He was large and brawny, his head like that of a bull though with a shorter muzzle and more human expression to his face. One horn stuck out from the side of his head a good foot, while the other had been snapped off about halfway down. He was covered fully in short black hairs and stood on a pair of hooves. His hands were like Alex's in that they only sported two fingers and a thumb each. His expression was harsh, but once he got a look at Alex it softened a bit.
"Aww shit." The bull looked around like he wished someone else were around to deal with this but then looked right back at Alex and sighed. "You alright?"
Alex shook his head.
"Were you attacked?"
Alex stared for a moment and nodded his head. What else had the elf done to him if not attacked him.
"Can you talk? Walk?" The bull stepped forward and extended his hand.
"I think so." Alex said, sounding better than he thought he would. His mouth still felt strange and weird, but speaking seemed to still come naturally. He took the hand, and the bull practically hauled him to his feet.. hooves. He knew he was no lightweight, and being turned into a donkey seemed to have added even more bulk to his frame from his last human form. The bull handled him with ease.
"Damn it. You'd think we'd at least be safe in the Sty." The bull said as he steadied a wobbling Alex. He had to adjust his stance a little, he kept wanting to fall back on his heels and walk like a human. These hooves would take getting used to.
"Sty?" Alex asked curiously.
"The Sty. The beastmen neighborhood." The bull motioned around him. "Now that I think about it you don't seem familiar. You from out of town?"
"Yes. I came from.. Roundbottom Port." He grabbed on to the name he remembered from his talks with Bo. "I thought this was the Foreign Quarter."
"It is." The bull confirmed, letting Alex get his bearings, and waiting patiently. "The non-human races live in the foreign quarter, the beastmen get relegated to the Sty." Alex must have shown his confusion as the bull rubbed his chin. "We beastmen usually leave our own alone though."
"It was an elf." Alex said with a soft tone. "Magic."
"Worse for you then. They already ignore most crimes in the Sty, not worth going after an elf for one. Sorry, friend, be glad you made it out intact. I think we should get you checked over, I know a healer."
Is that what Alex was now? A beastman? He looked down at his body with a flinch. "Beastmen live in the Sty? I saw minotaurs and satyrs and... others in the.." He looked back in the direction he had been led from.
The bull looked at him like he was simple. "Humans may call them beastmen in passing but the real beastmen are us. They consider us little better than animals that walk on two legs." Alex tried to take a step and stumbled. The bull guard caught him and shook his head. "That elf must have done a real number on you." He leaned down so Alex could throw an arm over the bull's broad shoulders. The two started walking along slowly. "Now I definitely want you checked over. I may only be here as a token guard, but I still swore to protect the people here."
"Thank you." Alex said as he started feeling more steady. He found it easier to walk if he didn't think about it. "My name is Alex."
The bull snorted softly at the thanks, he almost looked a little embarrassed. "Evin."
Eventually they came to a door and Evin knocked. "Who is it?" Came a voice from the other side.
"It's Evin, open up, Geff. Got someone I need you to check over."
The door swung open to another beastman standing in the doorway in a pair of baggy trousers tied about the waist and a small vest. This one was a fox, his body sleek and thin, a large fluffy red tail flicking behind him. His ears twitched as he took in Alex with a quick gaze, then over to Evin. "Another stray, brother? Sit him down." Geff scurried into another room further back in the house.
"Brother?" Alex asked with a confused glance between the bull and the fox.
"I take after our sire, he favors our birth father." The bull said with a shrug, like it was the most normal thing in the world for two so different to be brothers.
"Oh." Alex said, though he was still a bit confused.
"I think he took a blow on the head, Geff. His memory seems a bit off." Evin called back into the house.
The fox returned with a bowl of steaming water and a towel, setting it on the table near Evin. "You get him cleaned up, I'll check him over." As the fox reached out, his hands started glowing with a soft light. Alex instinctively pulled back as the tingle of magic fell over him. The fox pulled his still glowing hands back with a frown.
"An elf assaulted him with magic." Evin explained, looking between Alex and his brother. He dipped the towel in the warm water and started cleaning Alex's face, his touch surprisingly gentle. He felt his ears heat up at the contact, like a blush.
The fox gave a soft sigh and nodded. "It's just a delving spell, let's me make sure everything is working." The fox ran a glowing hand over his own arm. "Harmless." Alex gave him a nod to go ahead but still flinched when he felt that tingle he now associated with magic flowing through him. "Ah.. good."
Evin was still cleaning the mud off of Alex's chest and back when Geff lowered his hands. "He's in fine health. Shaken, but there's nothing wrong with him a little food and rest won't fix. Do you have a place to stay? I wager not. I'll finish up here Evin, can you get the spare bed set up, I'd like him to stay so I can keep an eye on him."
Evin stared at his brother for a moment, but eventually handed over the cloth. "Sure." The gruff guard headed towards the staircase and clomped upstairs.
Geff fixed Alex with a suddenly very stern look. "Were you going to share that you were human? Took me a moment to figure out what that spell residue was. Powerful magic. Forbidden, very forbidden. Leave it to an elf."
Alex looked down, his ears drooping. "I.. didn't mean to hide it, I just.. I'm confused and I don't know what's going on." Then he looked up. "Can you fix it?"
The fox sighed and dipped the towel in water again, continuing to help clean off Alex's grey fur. "No. It's beyond me. Beyond most wizards. That type of magic takes centuries to learn." Geff's expression softened. "I'm sorry, friend. This isn't just some curse or blessing altering your form a little that can be undone. This type of magic changes you at your core. This is you now, I would have never known except the residue was still fading. It'll be gone by morning and then no one would be able to tell you were anything other than a rather handsome donkey."
Alex lowered his head into his hands.
"Don't worry. I'll keep this between us. Healer's oath. Most of our kind forget we originally came from cursed humans, sometimes some still join our numbers that way, but knowing what you were may make some jealous, or angry. Best keep it to yourself." The fox patted him on the leg and disappeared into the kitchen, coming back with a bowl of steaming stew that he placed in front of Alex. "Don't worry, it's all vegetables. We don't eat much meat in this household." Geff said with a point upstairs to where Evin could be heard clomping around.
Alex picked up the bowl of stew and spooned some into his mouth. It tasted wonderful after most of a day with no food and the heavy labor of pulling a cart along a road. Through the window, Alex could tell night had finally fallen and he was glad to be indoors with friendly faces again. Evin came back downstairs and sat himself at the table, having changed out of his guard gear and now wearing a pair of linen trousers much like his brother's. Geff placed a bowl of stew in front of his brother before sitting down with his own meal. Though they ate in silence Evin kept taking furtive glances Alex's way, which seemed to amuse Geff somewhat.
Placing the empty bowl on the table he looked between Evin and Geff. "I.. I'm sorry I don't have much to pay you with.." He looked at the small leather pouch on the table that had his few coins and pushed it towards the fox.
Geff pushed it back. "We're just doing our jobs. If you want to pay me back, well, you can help me with some things tomorrow." Geff hopped off his chair and motioned Alex to follow upstairs. "You should get some sleep, you'll feel much better come morning." The upstairs was divided into three rooms, the smallest of which Alex was directed to. There was a cozy looking bed layered with blankets, a chair and a table with a window looking onto the street below and not much else. But the bed looked wonderful. Alex walked over and sat on it.
The fox patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. But, maybe it won't turn out so bad. Get some sleep, we'll talk in the morning." Geff closed the door behind him as he stepped out of the room.