The purple flames engulfed the knight and Gabriel felt a stabbing pain in his gut. Slowly his body changed. His hips pushed out and his shoulder and waist became smaller. His whole body became curvier and his skin became softer. His nose shrink and his lips became fuller, while his blonde hair grew down to is waist. All the time Tramorn was laughing while he watched the knight winding in pain. Now the main changes took place. Gabriels chest pushed out under his tunic and formed two globes while he felt a sucking in his crotch, but he couldn't really realize the whole meaning of all this changes.
"Now last see if you can still kill me in your new form", said Tramorn while he drew his sword again. Gabriel was still so fascinated with his new form that he saw Tramorn's blade at the last moment and dodged his stroke.
"Now matter what you do to me, I will still stop you from terrorizing this lands.", replied Gabriel with his new high voice. The fight began again and after a few swifts and strokes and counterstrokes Tramorn must accept that even as woman Gabriel was still a hard rival. She even landed a second hit at his calves. Time for a last trick.
"Surrender, Tramorn! You can't oppose me, no matter what tricks you try!", shouted Gabriel and with a last stroke he drove Tramorn against the wall in the back of his throne room and disarmed him. "Your reign of dread is now at end! Change me back and will be mercy!"
"Okay, you got me!", laughed Tramorn and raised his empty hands, "I surrender. But before you bring it to an end let me say some last words, kay?"
"Well, but do it fast and then cancel your curse!", exclaimed Gabriel.
"Rule One of being an Evil Overlord: Have always a plan B.", grinned Tramorn and pulled at a torch holder next to him. Immediately a magical portal opened behind him and he stepped through it. The last thing Gabriel heard from Tramorn was a last warning: "I would leave this place soon, if I were you. This castle will be only ruins in a few minutes."
Directly after Tramorn's vanishing the walls began to rumble and dust felt from the ceiling. Gabriel knew that she has only a few moments before the whole Fortress of Darkness will be crumbling down but without Tramorn to lift this curse, perhaps he find something in his castle. She ran out of the throne room and looked in all rooms next to the main corridor. But the most were storage rooms or sleeping halls for the guardians. She knew she ran out of time and was just about to leave, when she suddelny here a voice in the next room. "Hey stop, take me with you!"
The room looked like a mix between a junk room and laboratory, noone was in this room.
"Hey, I am here. Take me with you! Here, in the cage!"
Than Gabriel noticed a small cage on a shelf. Inside was a squirrel. "Okay, I know I am a talking squirrel, but could you stop starring and take me with you. These walls could be falling down any minute."
Without any further hesitation Gabriel took the cage and run out. They just leaved the main gate when the ceiling was crushing down and the whole castle collapsed into a ruin.
"Whoa, that was close. Eh, if you don't mind, could you please open this cage."
Still bewildered by the talking rodent, Gabriel took her sword and smashed the lock.
"Thank you. I am in this cage for a long time. My name is Nathan, by the way.", said the squirrel and stepped out of the cage.
"I am Gabriel, and I have no time for someone like you. I must find Tramorn and punish him for his crimes."
"Gabriel, eh? Didn't sound like girl's name for me.", said Nathan.
"I am no girl. I am Sir Gabriel, Paladin of the Holy Order, and to my shame Tramorn cursed me before he fled. So I have one reason more to hunt him down, so stay out of my way."
"Hey, perhaps can I help you. You know talking squirrels aren't something you find in nature. I was once Tramorn apprentice, till I angered him and he cursed me into a squirrel."
"You was his apprentice? Then you know something about magic?", asked Gabriel hopefully.
"Yeah, but I can't perform magic in this form, otherwise I have freed myself a long time ago. But I have some knowlegde about spells and curses and the safest way to lift a curse is to kill the sorcerer he spelled it on you.", answered Nathan.
"So I must still hunt him down and kill him." Gabriel took his sword and walked down the path.
"Hey, wait for me I want to accompany you.", said Nathan and rushed up to Gabriel and crawled up his leg and on his shoulder.
"Why? You are a squirrel how can you help me?"
"I want Tramorn's death as much as you, for obvious reasons. And I have still arcane knowledge to support you."
"Okay, but you care for your self, I don't search nuts for you or something.", said Gabriel while they walk along.
"Hey, I know how to find food. But can you carry me on your shoulder. If got kinda short legs.", asked Nathan and tried to get a better hold on Gabriels tunic. "Hey, but don't scratch me up there."
"I thought you were a paladin and not a whiny little girl.", smirked Nathan, "By the way, Gabriel doesn't fit to you anymore. You need another name when we reach some villages or a town, nobody will remember you now."
"Okay, if this is really necessary. Than call me Gabriella, but don't exaggerate it. Otherwise you can walk alone.", answered Gabriella. In the meantime the were a few miles away from th ruins of Tramorn's fortress and reached the first crossing.
"Which way shall we take?", asked Nathan.
"Well I need some new equipment and armor and we need some informations or rumors about Tramorn's new hideout.", answered Gabriella. "I think we shall take this way..."