The desert moon hung in the sky, a giant mirror shinning down on two groups.
Tamthis' bright red orange fur remained from her vixen form, making the she-
wolf look all the more intense with her crimson eyes. Her platinum blond hair
making hair in the night air added to this effect making her look like some
alluring wolf goddess.
Alexandra blinked as she shook her head. Sand? What was she doing
outside the castle? Slowing coming back to her senses she looked around in
shock and dismay, where -was- the castle? She remembered her queen
accepting her vow of wishing to serve, and ... being made special... being
made something larger than just herself..but that feeling was gone now, and
she felt rather small.
It was very hard to fully grasp what was happening around her. The castle
was nowhere to be seen but she was far from alone. She saw the master's
concubines standing alongside a strange vixen with just one tail and wings!
She also saw the wolf things, and saw in each of them the features of
someone she knew at her home.
She also saw the odd sight of a four armed she-wolf and a four armed vixen.
But these things all fell away from her brain like leafs in a gail. She saw a
eight tailed she wolf who was equally tall! She also dressed like the queen!
Even this though didn't matter in a couple seconds as she spotted a demure
two tailed vixen wearing the clothes of,
"Master! What has happen to the Master?!"
The eight tailed she wolf blinked a red eye at Alexandra. "My dearest prince
wishes me to bring him pleasure, to enjoy me." The she-wolf temporally
shifted into a massive muscular male wolf whose attire for a second shifted
into something just as revealing and exposing as Karther's own before
becoming again the royally dressed she-wolf. "This is the manner in which
that I shall please him."
That made some sense to Alexandra's mind, after all, the prince was known
for being 'creative' in his bedroom endeavors. But, "Where is the castle? Why
have we left it?"
"The intruder has proven much, -much- more dangerous than I imagined.
Absorbing the castle's presence was needed to reclaim my second body."
She gestured to the almost tail-less vixen with feathered wings.
Alexandra tilted her head, something about the odd vixen's features were
familiar.
"The intruder bears a slight resemblance to your companion Janice my
queen."
"Eh?" Tamthis' insane mind struggled to remember who that was exactly
before coming up with an answer. "Ah, the old name of my second body. Yes.
But the intruder has taken my second body for it's own." She spun for
Alexandra and herself.
Alexandra gasped at this blatantly evil deed.
Janice groaned listening to Tammy spell out the half-truths and wondering
how many of them Tammy herself believed. Tabra knew better than to try and
convince Alexandra of anything else. After all, Tamthis was Alexandra's
queen, superior only to Karther, who was in no condition anymore to relay -
her- point of view anymore.
"Let me fight alongside you my queen! I am your weapon! Use me as you see
fit!"
Tamthis seemed to consider this for a bit before lifting up the female Karther
and handing her off to Alexandra.
"This is your task and duty: Take care of our lord and prince as I attend to
these matters." Tamthis said firmly.
Alexandra stood at attention. "As you command my queen! I shall protect the
master with my life!"
Karther merely stood by Alexandra's side, allowing Tamthis to do what
needed to be done. But she looked at her queen longingly, and for him to be
inside her.
"I burn to be with you my love," Tamthis said dearly, "But soon we shall be,
and we shall repair the damage done with this unlawful invader!"
"Can I puke?" Janice asked calmly.
Tabra replied in kind. "I'd join you but this body is new, we have nothing to
toss out."
"Do not worry my second body, I shall cure you of talking to yourself, soon you
shall be as you should be." Tamthis said smiling, she glanced at the
concubines. "All shall."
'Over my dead body.' Vicki didn't know about the other former slaves, but she
was prepared to kamikaze herself, if it distracted this, this THING for even a
split second then it had do some good! Luna was already thinking the same
thing, just hoping Barbera was able to take care of the rest of their sisters. She
had seen two of her sisters become those wolves. She wouldn't let it happen
to any of her others.
The wolves meanwhile were not quite sure what to do with themselves, rather
like Gene. Gene's quickie brainwashing had come to a complete program
freeze, unable to comprehend who her target was. After all, it sensed it's
mistress/master in just about everything around it now. The Shiva vixen
altered mind just wasn't allowed enough freedom to deal with this, thus, it
simply lay on it's knees looking at events dumbly when it awoke, it's swords
were gone anyway, adding it's inability to figure out what it was supposed to
be doing.
The wolves as a whole meanwhile waited for instruction from their alpha
female on what they were supposed to do next including Robert, Lucy and
Natalie. This was a knife in the gut to Tabra, she had been so sure that once
outside the castle the possession around the transformed wolves would
vanish, but now Tamthis carried the castle within her. Thankfully the
possession wolves had all been absorbed by Tamthis, but sadly this did
nothing for those already changed. Alexandra had been the only member of
Karther's normal staff still under his mind control that had avoided the wolf
things. The rest, guards and maidens alike had been converted in wolves of
their respective genders. It was a rather chilling sight.
Janice got ready for the fight of her life, there was no turning back now. She
felt Tabra summon up two weapons from their infinite cache. Their arms
raised and Janice felt what they were before she even eyed them. Blade
fans? She felt Tabra charge magical energy into them. Their body twisted
once, and spun around, creating a blinding sand storm, blocking out the
mundane senses of Tamthis, Karther, and their wolf pack.
Then the wind became a gail force!
Tamthis covered her eyes, she felt Karther shield herself behind her. Good,
her prince was still fine, after all, it was her ultimate goal and purpose for
living to make him/her happy after all.
A slight side effect of Tamthis having eaten the castle, was that she could no
longer use it to tell where her other body was, it was like it had just gone,
through of course Tamthis knew this was impossible. However, because she
had to rely on her mundane senses to pick up the location of her other body,
she prepared herself for an attack from all possible direction.
She waited one moment, then the next, time seemed to stretch on forever,
finally, the wind died down... and they were gone! Her loyal pack of wolves
was still here, as was her third body, but the concubines not yet converted,
and her second body, were all gone! What was this?!
++++++
Janice heard the faint dripping of water, and the cold air nipping at her un-
furred nose. She unconsciously wrapped her wings around herself, what
happened?
"I gave us a quick escape." Tabra said out loud. "Wasn't sure that was going to
work. I haven't used those fans since my last visit to Japan, 1611 in spring
time I think. The sakura sure were nice too look at."
Janice repeated her question. "Wha-what happened?"
"You fainted. Slept right until morning. I almost keeled over too. I was on
empty. I burned through all my emergency reserves to teleport that many
people at once. It's supposed to be used for only one or two people at once.
So just be glade no one's brains got swapped."
"Wait a minute." Janice said clearing the cotton from their brain. "Are you
saying you... RAN AWAY?!"
"You make it sound like I did it to save our hide. Janice, if we had fought Her
like we were. Worst case scenario we'd have ended up her spare body again.
Best case scenario we'd have been forced to kill her and likely take out half of
Karther's victims in the collateral damage . . . I grabbed who I could and used
up everything we had left to teleport us to one of my safe spots I mentioned
before."
"So where exactly are we?"
"Well first try opening our eyes." Janice started and realized she indeed still
have her eyes closed, when she opened them, she was stunned.
The cave was made of sand, lost of it, but running along in it a short distance
off was a river that started in one spot and flowed off down a tunnel. Why
wasn't it pitch black? She didn't see any lanterns or skylights.
Janice realized the slight glow that was illuminating everything was coming
from her wings.
Tabra pipped in. "Take a look at my memories, it'll be faster."
Janice feeling a little apprehensive, did so. She was stunned twice.
"We're a half-mile underneath the desert surface?!"
"I told you I knew an oasis several miles north that was a safe spot. Even if
Tamthis could still sense us magically, she still couldn't find this spot in a
million years. This underground spring had gone unknown from the human
race since you got kicked out of the garden."
Janice groaned. "PLEASE don't start that again."
"I am what I am. And in a way, so are you now. This spot hasn't been even
radar scanned for water deposits. We have a chance now to rest, recharge,
and like you've been so adamant about pointing out, customizing some of my
body armor to fit this figure. One of us sleeping it off did wonders for healing
us up."
"Where's Vicki and the rest?" While Janice had been among the newer
members of Karther's harem, she had had time to learn the names of some of
the girls inbetween... ugh... she shuddered remembering all the different ways
she had entertained Karther. That -thing- inside her, and her rewired and
wrapped brain actually enjoying it! Janice felt ashamed.
Tabra shuddered too from remembering with her, she could understand why
Janice would rather die than become a pleasure slave again.
"You weren't you," Tabra said, "What happened was not your fault in any
way."
"Am I me right now?" Janice wondered.
Tabra hugged herself, and thus, hugged Janice. "If you weren't, you wouldn't
be asking that question."
"So where ARE Vicki and.... and..." She meekly said the last two words. "My
sisters."
"There's nothing wrong with feeling fellowship with them, they've been
through the same thing as you, some much longer than you. The other vixens
are busy collecting their own thoughts, first chance they've had too since they
were de-brainwashed. I took the time to give them the load down on what
happened between us while you were regenerating."
"They believed you?"
"After everything they had experienced, and seeing everything go to Chaos, it
wasn't really that far off to their imaginations. They're in another part of the
safe spot. It's a little crowded, this place was meant to hold or two angels. Not
one angel with a roommate, and over half a dozen anthro vixens."
"So... where is Tammy, Tammia, Tamthis now?"
"By now she's undoubtedly enjoyed herself with Karther, as the vixen or the
fox I have no idea or the female or female wolf for that matter. She hasn't go
beyond the spot in the desert where the castle was yet. But since she lacks
pretty much even what little self control Karther had, I doubt she'll stay there
for long."
"How long will take you... us... to be back up to full strength?"
"Normally seven days, but between the two of us, three and a half. Not
counting last night, you were out like a log. But I'm not sure we can really wait
that long. The longer Tamthis is out and about, the more her original self is
more and more buried under the mass of magic, new personalities, and
conflicting essences. Plus, there's a bigger problem."
Janice didn't want to know, but had to know. "What?"
"If she picks up where Karther left off, then we'll be in deep deep trouble. My
higher ups won't like it if the middle east ends up being turned into one big
collection of anthro wolves and vixens. And they believe in permanent
solutions."
"You're joking... right? ... Right?!"
". . . We were wary of this agreement to begin with. Karther's entry was
supposed to part of Operation Return."
"Okay, that was it, that was where Janice drew the line, no thanks, that was it!
"You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!"
"Not -that- return! Geez! Look, a lot of people have been saying that instead of
magic causing less trouble and being more helpful by being behind the
scenes and being in the hands of a few, it was causing more trouble, only
those who abused it had fewer people to answer to. Basically those in charge
of controlling magic realized that prohibition had been one big mistake. So
Karther was going to be a test run to see if we could safely allow magic to
work out in the open, or rather, if it would cause LESS damage. Karther was
going to be allowed to do his thing on the condition that he didn't kidnap any
ladies who didn't want to knowingly and willing be part of his motif, since he
was a straight pervert they didn't think to include men in the deal."
"Big mistake."
"You don't need me to tell you that."
"Seriously though! Maybe you guys should have just left magic stay in the
back ground!"
"Sunnydale syndrome."
"Huh?"
"Sunnydale syndrome is the modern name for it. Basic translation means that
if people see something outside of their range of mental possibility they
pretend they don't see it."
"And how does that apply here?"
"When a child's favorite toy is stolen by some child mage whose parents
wouldn't get him one, the child might say what happened but his parents think
he's lying and think that toy was just lost. A lot of the people and things that
vanish are victims of people who have the power and abuse it. Insane artists.
Zoos wanting to skip paying for new animals. Or just some nature preserver
thinking the numbers of humanity are in the surplus. Be VERY happy, since
Karther was technically sponsored by us, you weren't 'covered-up.' "
"I don't like how you said that."
"Basically it means to keep people happy and ignorant that magic exists you'd
have, along with the other vixens, have been -erased- from the memories of
all who knew you. But here, when everything is said and done, you'll still have
a life to return to if you wish to peruse it, and while your family might not know
your face, they WILL remember you."
" . . . . how could you?"
"I don't make the rules. And my main job is just to make sure that people
always remember their have a choice about what they do with themselves.
That's what called me to Karther's castle in the first place, the violation of so
many people's free will just got too loud for me not to hear it."
"Okay, I only got, like, a third of that. But basically you were lifting some out
dated bans, and Karther abused the system?"
"That sums it up. And it wasn't really me. I had little to do with the decision. I'm
hands on."
"So after we heal up, how can we see to my, sisters?" It was an odd thing for
Janice, she had never had any sisters of her own before, just brothers.
"There are some remote villages in japan where people still care more about
their beliefs than science. I can give the concubines a free trip to one or two of
them along with a crash language lesson, they'd be treated as sacred spirits if
nothing else. No one would dare harm them."
"I know I wouldn't want that. I'd settle just for my species and gender back!"
"And trust me, we're sharing the same body, I can sympathize. Together, we
can repair some of the damage. But I'm an angel of freewill, transmutation
was never my specialty outside of non-living things like our weapons."
"Can't you call in a 'professional' then?"
"To be perfectly honest. They consider stopping a guy whose stock just
crashed from pulling the trigger to be more important than revising the current
state of someone's utterly transient mortal form."
"So if I threatened to cut our wrists-"
Tabra roared. "YOU WILL NOT FOLLOW THAT TRAIN OF THOUGHT IN ANY
SHAPE OR FORM! And we have more important things to worry about than
your STUPID human vanity! Your best friend has gone insane and is
brainwashing innocent people, or did you suddenly forget that?!"
Janice had had enough of this pompous bible breather. "How dare you?!"
"How dare you!! .... Why... do you human always have to treat Jehovah like
he's some kind of vending machine?" Tabra was sounding dismayed now.
"Who?"
"Other name for God, ya know, the guy whose the big believer in free will and
lets you do stupid things because it's your own choice." Tabra continued
before Janice could say it, "I know, I know, you think he's just imaginary, go
right ahead, I don't care anymore, seriously. But the fact remains, you and I
are going to sooner or later become one person the longer we stay in this
single body. And unless we want whose left behind we were to be totally
screwed in the head and in no shape to save Tammy, we need to resolve this,
if we keep fighting, it won't do anyone any good."
Janice thought about it, and weather she liked it or not, Tabra was right.
"I... " She said the next few words like she was pulling teeth. "I'm sorry. I-didn't
mean to upset you."
"I've seen so many people ignore every word I said and murder themselves.
You touched a very soft nerve."
"I didn't know."
Tabra sighed. "That seems to be the answer for everything these days."
Janice stuttered. "I-I promise to stop being such a bitch. But, you can't just ask
me to change what I've believed in my own life at the drop of a hat."
"And I don't expect you to. Just understand that what I say is my nature. It's not
meant as an attack against you."
Janice looked at her arms, scratches, she had hurt herself during her shouting
match with Tabra. There a meaning in there somewhere she was sure even if
she didn't get it.
"Welcome to the world." Tabra said in reply to Janice's last thought.
Instead of snapping back or laying some back handed retort, Janice merely
smiled. "All right. Can we see my sisters now?"
"Works for me. The socialization is bound to help both our sanity's."
"Then can we get to work on that armor?"
"I'll guide you through the entire process, you need the practice."
"Yeah, I guess I do."