'So this is how it is,' you think. 'I'm now an immortal goddess cow statue.'
You heard a playful laugh. You knew instinctively it came from a clear glass statue with patches of different colors within it. A short small chested woman whose hair was so long it formed a draped over he entire being. She was in a a peaceful sitting pose with a playful smile.
'Oh you're so silly! You're not the statue! Anymore than a player in an MMO is their character! It's just an avatar for you to interact directly with the mortal plane! You don't have a body, you're a FORCE now more than something physical. The statue is basically indestructible, and intelligent life aligned with you truth will instinctively seek it out even if they have to cross galaxies. Oh, right, sorry, haven't introduced myself. My name is Gratiae. I'm happy times, celebration, good cheer, you get the idea.'
'My, thank you for telling me. That is very informative. It's nice to meet you. Will we be able to communicate with each other once my statue is sold to a mortal?'
'If we both desire it, and I'll take that as a yes, you do want that. Pretty sure the mortal destined to buy my statue is actually due here soon. I think he's a aimless socialite who just wants to see people happy.'
'Good luck, may you inspire mankind in finding happiness in their lives.'
'It's what I exist for.'
A new voice boomed, 'I can't believe you're welcoming this abomination!'
This voice was linked to a statue made of brightly polished wood. A mature woman with motherly sized breasts, but not inhumanely gigantic as the ones that adorn your statue. Her face was stern and hard. Her hair was carved into curls. She sat in a yoga-pose, she was carved as if she'd grown out of her wooden base.
'I'm sure you've heard of Demeter, this incarnation of her is-'
'Call me Yarani. I am goddess of the forest! And you, Happal, are an abomination! Do you have any idea how much forest is destroyed and species wiped away all in the name of animal herding? How they are the primary source of all green house gases compared even to humanity's machines? Herding was the greatest mistake humans ever made rather than sticking to simple farming! And the hypocrisy! Humans would be horrified at a dog being stabbed and bled out, but a pig is just fine.'
'Dogs are food animals in China.' You said simply. 'Humans farmed where they were able, and herded animals where they were able, it was not a moral decision.'
'It is now! And if you had a speck of decency you would obliterate yourself!'
'My blessings will enable humans to need LESS land and resources to support themselves.'
'They should all eat tofu.'
'There are humans who are allergic to tofu. And animals in your forests eat each other.'
'They don't have a choice. Humans do!'
'And they chose a balanced diet, hopefully, they are omnivores, not herbivores nor carnivores.'
Though another door, two twin women walked through, with black bowl cut hair and brown eyes and ghostly pale skin.
"Just this way sir, we believe this is what you have been searching for."
In came a middle aged man wearing dirty pants and jacket with a five-'clock shadow. His eyes instantly centered on you. He came closer, his eyes widening, before he finally fell to his knees.
"So it wasn't just a dream... you're real after all. I wasn't sure. I thought maybe I was just going crazy... But you're here... just as I was told you'd be... Happal, bovine goddess of livestock... my name is Ralph Milling... My parents ... my parents. They, are no longer with me. They left me with their farm... but I have no means to pay the inheritance tax, unless the harvest is nothing short of a miracle. I ask you for a miracle. And... and I'm yours. I'll be your servant."
A ghostly imagine of your statue's form as a 'flesh and blood' creature overlapped with your statue, but only to Ralph's eyes.
You spoke, and he alone heard you.
"Swear yourself to me, and allow your farm to be in tribute to me, and it shall be as you plea. However, all things require sacrifice, even if you are not the one making the sacrifice. You will become my creature, my avatar, my voice among mortals. Your flesh, your very self will be remade, but all mortals will lay eyes on you shall think of your transformation as 'normal'.
"My power will flow through you, and you will be able to bring others into my fold. And they too shall bear the burden. Know that it is the fate of herd animals to support humanity with their wool, their milk, their flesh. All that is asked is that while they take breath, they be treated as living things rather than machines as your factory farms do. You will make their lives comfortable, and then bring swift painless death to them once their flesh is called upon so mankind may focus on reaching the stars and other such lofty dreams. Do you accept this Ralph Milling of your own free will?"
"... " Ralph's body clenched. "For the sake of my parents, their farm, their love, their legacy, I give myself to you."
Ralph's body grew. Muscles bulging and covering his body, growing taller, looking like he could lift a tractor if he fancied.
Brown fur covered his body. His clothes ripped and tore, then vanished. All that remained was a belt for tools and his wallet around his waist that hide nothing.
His feet morphed into hooves. A long brown tail with a black tuff at the end formed out of the base of his spine. His hands while still nimble, became bigger and thicker and covered in armor-like tips at the end. His face morphed, his entire head, becoming that of a horned bull save for the spark of intelligence within. On an amusing note, his manhood also grew in size and became all the more prominent.
The minotaur knelt on one leg and lowered his head. "My goddess, I am ready to serve."
"Then let us be off, there is much to be done."
"We're happy to see you found what you were looking for sir, we'll help you with the paper work so the statue is legally recognized as the property of your farm so none might steal your sacred relic."
"Thank you," replied the minotaur standing up, actually taller than your statue now.
+++
Hours later, the spa staff had secure your statue to the minotaur's truck. The truck itself morphed in size when he touched it, growing to accommodate his new bulk.
The minotaur drove you to the farm of that had belonged to his parents. You filled the minotaur's mind of what he'd need to know to properly manage the farm. He also wrote his 'effectively immediately' self-termination notice from his old job. He was now tied to his farm's fate, and so were you. If you couldn't even save one farm, how were any humans supposed to follow you?
After some experimentation, you very much concluded that you did NOT have the power to up-lift animals to sapience nor give them humanoid form. Nope not in the least. Guess this wasn't that kind of story. Then again there were already plenty of those. Best to accept it and move on.
You found Ralph's parents had been getting on in years before their end, and the farm, like many not in the hands of corporate empires, got by year by year. You would need to breath new life into it.
Ralph put an ad in the newspaper, asking for lifetime commitment, plus free room and board. You own mental influence reached out to those whom society had failed or who had failed their fellow Man.
The first was a homeless couple, they made no reaction to see a naked bull man being in charge of the farm. After introductions were made (Carla and Fred), and employment contracts were signed, Ralph offered them some glasses of milk, from you.
They drank it, the effect upon them would not be the effect upon all, only those you wished it.
Their skin turned deep black, their feet became hooves, and their hands became hoof-hand hybrids, their bodies were covered in wool as their clothes vanished (ironically the wool hiding modesty). They became shorter and tiny tails of puff formed behind them. their heads shifted into those of sheep save for the look of intelligence in their eyes.
The two stood at attention, and said firmly together, "We belong to the farm oh goddess Happal, we exist to service mankind. We will do all that we can to aid you."
Ralph nodded. "Welcome to the family."
That night, Carla and Fred got to work on expanding their flock the old fashioned way.
+++
Meanwhile... in another part of town... in her little ground floor apartment with a back door to the garden behind, a woman was on her hands and knees, gritting her teeth, tears in her eyes that fogged up her glasses.
Yarani statue stood where it had been placed after the spa had moved it there... all had their role to play in the shaping of things. The woman, Flora, had had to order the statue online, unable to get time off from her job that day, but KNOWING she had to have this statue.
"...Yarani. Oh Yarani... the forest that I loved as a child, that I saw so much LIFE... it was destroyed just for the sake of apartment buildings... more greedy humans wanting space... please... help me stop their endless thoughtless expansion."
Yarani's spectral form spoke to her, "Animals kill other animals for living space, plants kill other plants for living space... all without regret. Why do you see vengeance in this way?"
"At least humans don't kill for greed."
"Then become my messenger Flora Cage, become my claws and fangs, let there be blood, as is the law of nature, eat or be eaten, and push back against a species that has no intention of ever stop expanding and has no counter."
Flora Cage howled, her body swiftly covered in green fur, his feet turning digigrated, his feet becoming paws, much like her hands save for her thumb. Her nails replaced by claws that could rend bone. His muscles grew to where he could rip a man limb from limb. Her clothes were torn to pieces, but she had no sense of modesty now. Her head became that of a wolf as her form hunched over, her form forming last.
The beast on all fours flowered its head towards its goddess.
"Now let us hunt down those most responsible for the destruction of the woodlands you love with all your heart."
The beast growled in acknowledgement.
+++
As Ralph was shopping in that market that day for supplies and replacement for worn out equipment... he heard his goddess speak to her.
'My minotaur, I sense a goddess whose duties and responsibilities are in opposition to mine has found her first devoted and remade them into a instrument of their will as I have you... our herds and flocks and other such beasts will need a protector, a guardian, it cannot always be you. Find one whom you see is worthy, and let my power remake them,' you told him.
Ralph visited the local bar... there finding a large, bald, heavy set man he'd known in high school.. he'd sadly not had much in job skills... and had the kind of face only a mother could love and would make anyone run out in fear of any fast food restaurant he tried to find work at. And he'd always just been to NICE to be a bouncer.
"Hey Benny," Ralph greeted.
"Hey Ralph," the big man said not making any reaction to Ralph now being a giant bull man. "Nice for you to drop by."
"I've...recently inherited my parents' farm... "
"Oh, sorry, mate."
"Thanks Benny... I'm very worried about people wanting to trash the place and harm the animals... think you'd want to help?"
"You offerin' me a job?"
"Yes. Still remember when you got claw marks protecting a kitten from an owl. On a promise you won't quit."
"Fuzzy lived a good life. ... Heh, so job security? What a steal. Sounds like a plan."
"So Benny, you're willing to protect animals from wild beasts whom many are destined to die anyway to fill the bellies of Men? Knowing they can experience pain and fear?"
"That's grim way to put it, but yeah. Herd beasties only fight over ladies, the only thing WORTH fightin' over as my old man said."
"Then welcome to the farm, Benny Blakes," Ralph said putting a hand on Benny's shoulder. Your divine will shined into him.
Benny's clothes vanished, but was at the same time covered in long white curly fur, making it easy for him to blend in with the herd it was his fate now to protect. His feet however, became paws. Given his size, his height and muscle mass only increased slightly. His hands became huge fingered paws even as he continued to stand upright. A tiny black nose replaced his old one his ears became long and floppy, all his teeth became sharp. His face became a muzzle.
No human at the bar so much as gave Benny's change a second look. He stood at attention.
"Happal, Ah'm ready and willin', the flock is mine to protect for ya. Them dang wolves don't stand a chance against me!" He stood proudly.
"Come on, let's get you to your new home."
"NOT BEFORE YOU PAY YOUR TAB!" Shouted the barkeep, looking none too happy.
Benny looked at Ralph, the sheep dog anthro grinned sheepishly. The minotaur cringed and reached into his wallet.