It was just before noon, now. Thanks to the market being open, the streets were bustling with activity. Vendors hawked their wares outside the marketplace. Apparently the market stalls had sold out so they had no choice but to sell on the sidewalks. Guards were collecting taxes from them, but no one was going to be dragged to jail. This was good for the local economy.
The Tiger’s manor was near the center of town in one of the more wealthy neighborhoods. There was a park in the middle, full of lush grass and shady trees and a swingset. Children were rampant on the playground, their parents watching on benches. The manor was one of a row of town homes.
“There,” Hagerd pointed at the granite three-story mansion. “His parents are rather elderly.”
“What’s his name?”
“Simon Bloomesbury.” Hagerd replied. “The Bloomesburies are a family of Plumers.”
“What’s a Plumer?” Geoffrey asked.
“They specialize in feathers. Generally, arrows and dusters, but also plumes for garments.” Gregory explained. “It’s not a major business, obviously, so it’s no wonder he’s a lesser -born noble.”
“Alright, so…” Hagerd gestured. “What next?”
“Geoffrey, myself, and you are going to the back.“ Charlie replied. “You and I will quaff the orca’s essence. Palseks and Gregory will take the front. Gregory needs to be nearby the kobold because…I honestly don’t know if he can control her otherwise. It’s a risk. She’ll take the Tiger’s essence and then open the backdoor for us.”
“Then we loot the place?” Geoffrey asked.
“Selectively,” Charlie admonished. “We aren’t running in there looting everything that isn’t nailed down, morons. Take select pieces. Jeweler, money, magic items. Things with immediate value if they were broken down. Expensive paintings are nice, but unless you have a buyer lined up already, they are worthless.”
“How do we know which items are magic?” Hagerd asked.
“I can sense it, but not identify them.” Charlie explained. “We’d need a magic user for that. If I say take something, take it.”
“Understood,” Geoffrey said gruffly.
“I’ll follow your lead, then.” Hagerd said.
Charlie pulled out the jar of Orca essence. It was a vibrant thing, glowing a light blue color and sort of shimmering gel-like, quiescent in the jar. Carefully unscrewing the lid, he took a quick sip. The taste was…incredible. Nigh-indescribable, like the ocean and sweat and the flexing of muscles and a cock that fucked and the taste of fish on his tongue and-
The wolf’s dark-furred features began to change as the flavors pounded into his mind.
His shaft began to swell. It grew with every throb of arousal, longer and thicker. A steady dribble of precum spilled out of the tip of his engorging cock. At the same time, his balls swelled, growing larger and fuller until they were nice and round, bouncing in the sack.
At the same time as his cock grew thick and his balls sagged to his thigh, Charlie’s body stretched taller and wider as it swelled. The scent of iron weights entered Charlie’s mind as his ropy muscles began to thicken. His pectoral bulged, abs popped out and his thighs swelled.
His clothing shifted along with his body, leather armor becoming nondescript gray tunic and pants. Within moments, his pectoral grew into massive rocks with perfect nipples that perked up, tenting his tight tunic. By the time the growth started slowing, the former wolf was almost 7 feet tall.
New memories entered his mind. A love of water and swimming, diving deep. Memories of a small fish shop near the docks and the delicious fish they sold. He… the orca had moved to this town specifically because it was on the coast and he loved the water.
While Charlie was dealing with these new thoughts, his furry wolf tail suddenly exploded in length, growing an extra three feet. The new growth was furless and sleek, with two crescent-shaped tail-fins at the end. His exposed skin was rubbery, the markings black and white. At the same time, his face flattened out and grew broad. It took on a streamlined, rounded shape. At the top of his head, a blowhole opened and a small fin formed behind it, while his ears shrank into to tiny non-descript holes on the side of his head.
Charlie moaned as all his fur fell out at once, revealing the same smooth, rubbery black and white flesh. His cock changed color from red to black. Silvery marking appeared on his skin all over his body, resolving into glittering tribal tattoos. The former wolf blinked, and when he opened his eyes, his yellow irises had turned a watery blue.
Changes finished, Charlie examined himself.
He was muscular, tight, and rather horny. The orca managed to suppress his erotic thoughts and the shaft grew flaccid a minute later. Charlie looked towards where Hagerd had been just moments before, only to get a bit of a shock as he stared at… himself? No, he realized, he was staring at Hagerd or, rather, the person who used to be Hagerd before he had taken a swill out of the same flask as Charlie.
Caught up in a narcissistic lust of their own perfect form, the two orcas just stoof there for a moment as they admired each other.
“This will work nicely,” Charlie’s new voice was deep and sonorous.
“I do not understand why I had to change as well.” His twin spoke in an equally powerful voice, no hint of an accent remaining.
“Hagerd is well-known. You can’t be seen.” Charlie said.
“Are you two done?” Geoffrey growled. “I hear footsteps.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the door unlocked and swung open.
A rakish tiger wearing decent, if cuffed, silken formal attire greeted them with a cocky grin. He stepped aside, revealing Prince Gregory’s slinky mink form behind him. The party followed them into a kitchen.
“Where is everyone?” Geoffrey asked.
“Asleep.” Palseks, the tiger, grinned and held up a packet of powder, “Turns out he’s really into recreational drugs. A bit of this in his parent’s wine and it was lights out.”
“What about the staff?” Charlie asked.
“Dismissed for the day.” Gregory said impatiently. “We don’t know how long these essences last, so let’s make it quick.”
The two orcas nodded. Charlie was feeling rather odd. This body wanted to go swimming in an ocean. Being all the way out here with no ocean in sight was wrong. But he quickly pushed the errant thoughts aside and followed the tiger to the safe room.
They got to work.
By the time they were done, they had several cases of jewelry and some decent wine from the cellars. Of the cash in the safe, they looted half of it-wouldn’t do to make the family paupers. 500 gold in total. Also in the safe was an ornate feathered cloak, which Charlie identified as being both valuable and magical.
Laden with loot, they quickly left.