Jess listened as Mercedes spoke on the phone to her subordinates. She found her larger pig ears much more
adept at picking up faint sounds, she could hear things very well, even on the other side of the phone. After
a while, though, she found it difficult to concentrate. There was still food to be eaten, and her stomach
craved it. As Mercedes spoke, Jess dug in, her changes resuming and accelerating. Limbs shortening, human
curves filling out into a pig's shape, face lengthening into a more full snout. By the time she completely
finished, there was mere traces of humanity left.
"Ahh, good," Mercedes nodded her head. "Well, my pig's just finished her meal, so I suppose it's about time
to teleport home. I'll see you shortly, my love."
Mercedes hung up her phone and looked to the mostly pig Jess, who sat awkwardly in the chair due to her now
quadripedal nature.
"Well, look at you, my lovely pig. You look amazing."
"Want be good piggie for magic lady," Jess grunted, her tail wiggling beneath her. Her thought processes had
simplified, her brain's language centers having a more difficult time working out human words.
"And you are, my dear, you are. Now, let's go home. You've given me enough power to make the jump," Mercedes
placed her hand on Jess's shoulder and with a blink of light, they were gone...
***
"What do you MEAN our test subject is gone?" a voice roared out in a fairly dim, dark laboratory setting.
"I mean precisely that, boss," a second voice answered, calm and collected in contrast to the fury of the
first. "We sent the vials out yesterday, and the subject showed promise. Chose an odd species to settle on,
but... well, that's not what matters. We recalled the vials and prepared for collection, and by the time we
looked... no trace of her or the two she roped in."
"Do you realize what a setback this is? We cannot afford to lose her, we cannot afford to... wait, wait...
what species did she pick?"
"Pig. And she got a male and a second female to join her."
"Pigs. Then I think we know who's responsible for our missing subject."
"What should we do? If it is who we think it is, then... we cannot penetrate the mystic barrier protecting
their home, we'll never sneak in and steal the pigs back."
"Then we are simply going to have to infiltrate them," the first voice said, calming down significantly.
"Prepare a shifter pig and set him or her up to be collected. That'll be our way in."
"Yes, ma'am."
***
Mercedes and Jess rematerialized in a place that Jess could only comprehend as paradise. The air temperature
was perfect, there were sweet smells in the air and a pig-pen in every front yard. Where this place was, she
could not know and frankly did not care. It was perfect.
"Come along now, Jessica," Mercedes smiled as she began to walk down the cobblestone road. Jess eagerly
trotted along behind her mistress. "Our home is down this street."
"Feel horny," Jess announced shamelessly. "Want mate Rob boar, is home too?"
"Yes he is, my dear. And I'm sure he is very eager to see you again."
They made their way down the street, when Mercedes was interrupted by another member of her order rushing up
to her.
"Clarissa," Mercedes greeted somewhat confused at the younger woman's apparent distress. "What's the matter?"
"I think... I think you're going to want to take a look at Mary, milady. Her aura... I've never seen anything
like it, and neither I nor anyone else know what to make of it."