(Might be a bit changed details and such, but heck... it's a good story and it seems no one have continued on it so I took the liberty to add something more to it.)
The eerie feeling dominated, the brightly turquoise glow from the water underneath the strange and naked woman illuminated her beautiful feminine shapes. You would almost dare that she was probably the most outstanding creature you’ve ever seen. Miller and Kevin were still grunting and adrenaline was still raging inside them so shortly after their change you assumed. The sky was brightly orange and the depth of it, the clearness… was definitely not something would expect from the real world. Moreover, you notice that there seem to be other creatures looming in the dark… the statues surrounding the unwilling party of hers had drastically changed you noticed. The usual, blank surface you would expect of marble statues had suddenly disappeared. They didn’t move an inch… but there was obviously something strange going on.
“…what makes you think that I’m going to help you out after you have done this...! I would rather smash your pretty face straight away for doing this to me… or us rather! It’s-“
The woman made a short sweeping motion with her hand without making a single change in her sad face of hers. Miller’s throat suddenly churned and grew a bit thicker just while he was speaking, and his daring speech turned into loud coughs and brays. His nostrils was flaring, but he regained control slowly. Kevin just stood awestruck on weak legs and slowly turned his pretty unicorn head towards the lady with control…
It was alarming to see her power, and you couldn’t achieve a single motion as the overwhelming silence that now took the overhand became almost unnatural.
“…Miller, Kevin and Marcus of the human world. Listen to my story.”
Kevin swallowed loudly and shifted uneasily on his legs and swayed softly with his tail. You were a bit surprised to hear her mention your own name… but since she knew your other two misfortunate companions name it made sense.
Miller the hart made an unsatisfied grunt, and sat down on the grass near the pond. Although he was gravely hurt by her action, he had enough reason to at least hear her out it seemed…
Me and Kevin soon joined him and sat down on the soft green grass after short hesitation. We glanced at each other and I saw their blank expression looking back at me. It was pretty scaring just to look back at basically an animal who I knew had been just as human as I have been..
“Indeed, it has been proven that you have just the proper sense by your actions just now. But for now… lets continue with my story.
I have has guarded a secret since the dawn of everything. The first man and woman on earth during the Paradise Era were my companions and brother and sister in the endless paradise. For how we loved the earth back then, it was pure and content. The essence of living had not been corrupt as it is now, and everything lived for the beyond the sake of living. There was something more that I now wish I could have in some way… in any way… that I would want to have back! Human souls are well… maybe a bit different in the way they are built. As I was in my younger days when my roots grew on the flowing ecstasy of earth, a humble soil and pure water that sprinkled my every leaf! He even gave me this human form, even though a fake one… it made my exploring easier. I grew to fall slowly in love actually with the first Man, something that I dared not to tell my creator. I did feel the passion running through my veins, not that much unlike you humans… a cursed blessing. What I know now is something I should have known back then. For the creator had actually given me the sole and perhaps unfair trial of passion, an experiment in this world he would create. All the other creatures in the garden, could not appeal my senses for some reason. I tried and tried to find what I was missing inside of me, and could not refrain gaining feelings towards to the creator’s most precious work… man. I tried to approach this eminent and astonishing creature… but my very soul was attached to my original body! The flesh wanted to move, but my drinking and stretching, tout and bark covered body was hopelessly stuck. I tried everything to call his attention.
I drew every bird in the forest to mighty crown, since I was the most astonishing being in the whole garden, and asked them to sing their best for my Adam. But God poured rattling rain upon me so the enthralling song of my friends was drenched in a constant rain for a month. The punishment was severe; I was in my worst mood I had been in for my whole time in paradise. However, my passion grew even hungrier, and I lied to the creator about my feelings. With envy I watched Eve, her position with my Adam who she had so unfairly gained by chance… I grew even more impatient… and it slowly went to hate.
I whispered around the ivy and my roots sent my message to the very snake that I wanted to tempt my dear Adam with the Fruit of Passion. Adam came, and with glee I saw how my achievement changed my dear’s feelings. But, after we had made love near the bottom of my being, underneath my looming crown… Adam suddenly wanted to share this gift to Eve! I was in shock, but I lied to him… to bring her to me in a day… only then would I share a fruit to her.
The next day, I did actually give her a share of my passion, but when she were going to walk out of the grove, the snake whom had helped me out… I imbued him with my hatred, and the snake killed Eve easily, and I actually rejoiced when I heard her neck snap. But there are no actions without consequences, and my body was destroyed. But, along with Adam’s outcast I followed him… invisible… in a little shell I would dwell in for a thousand years. Eve of course regained her life, but her pure soul could not hold back the confession of love to Adam and the fact that she had taken a bite out of the apple…”
Bewildered, we just sat on the grass patch on our furry behinds. Me myself, I had dropped my jaw.
…after several moments… Kyle spoke.
“…what…”
I couldn’t blame him… how could anyone really take this story seriously? But it was actually real. We are listening to a inhuman being, we are changed… I spoke up, almost in a whisper.
“Which role do we play? Why us?”
Miller dropped his head and sighed deeply, he seemed sceptical.
“You, I have asked since how deeply you may even believe, there’s not that many other beings that could handle a matter like this. Animals of all shapes and types have since long ignored my pleas over the last decade. My revival has not been for long, but I have to take action if I want this burden off my soul. I had to change all of you before I could approach, for I would surely love you to your death. Now, that you are all beasts, I could no longer feel any passion for your flesh, which makes my request easier to bring forth.”
I began to cope with the fact that I could try and help her out. I felt a bit excited and stood up hastily.
“Would you be so kind and state your problems then, I do feel that we are honourably chosen for this. And-“
Miller abruptly jerked my long horns, and looked menacingly at me. I got his point, but I could not help myself but to feel that I would want to continue this quest of hers. As I was about to open my mouth, she spoke once again and laughed silently.
“Marcus, Miller, I will tell you all what to do early next morning, but for now I would want you to rest once again. It’s much too late. You can sleep by my stem, it has been so long since I could feel living warmth, and I hope you can do me that pleasure. I’ll cover the ground with leaves and prepare a meal for you tomorrow when you wake up.”
“Oh, and Miller, when you have regained enough of your honour there will lie a plum among the leaves that will help you out of your silent lament.” She smiled at him, and gracefully turned her back on us. I was still firmly convinced that she had to be the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen… and sighed silently.
It was actually really dark outside, the orange sky was since long gone, and the only thing glowing in the dark was clear blue pond. The statues were actually gone, and the three of us looked worryingly around the grove for some trace of them… but found none. But anyhow, she was done adjusting the leaves for us; she waved for us to come near the tree. The next moment she was gone, and I could only faintly hear her laugh echo in the hedges.
The faint glow mirrored itself in the great tree crown above us, and we sat silently in our new hybrid forms that she had given us, leaning towards the tree… it felt very peculiar. Miller juggled the plum in his hands, as if he didn’t care.
“How…awkward this is…don’t you think guys?”, I said…shattering the silence.
Kevin was brushing his horn, but stopped and looked back at me.
“You tell me?”
He slapped his thighs and leaned his head back, and sighed deeply while looking up in the vast crown and the darkness beyond.
“She said something about “reflecting character” or something… as if…”
Kevin said once again as he almost in trance began to rub his horn again while he stared into nothing. Miller seemed to have had enough, for when I looked at my right he lied on his side with his back turned against us.
“Well, the fact that I’m a Minotaur… which I don’t have a clue about… and that the deer hunter here on my right have became a deer doesn’t make sense as well, doesn’t it? Nah…seriously, I want to see where this leads us, if she is lying…there is not much we can do about it, can we? The Maze seems to be impossible to find out of… it is after all magic we are dealing with here…”
Kevin stopped his absent rubbing and stretched a hand towards me.
“Kevin, Kevin Osaac… nice to bump into you…”
I nodded and smiled a bit. “Marcus Matthews, ditto.”
Shortly after, we both fell asleep, a bit more confident that the whole situation wasn’t as bad it seemed at first.