"Whatever you wish!" Ellena blurted, scared for her life before the crow. "I can grant your deepest desires, friend. Surely that is worth my life."
"Indeed!" The crow nodded, smirking devilishly behind his beak. "It would be a waste to feast on your flesh if you can grant me the one thing I've always desired."
"Your reason is commendable, winged one. I assure you, I can. Please, tell me your wish."
The crow drew back, and seemed to look to the sky. "I am the leader of a group of my kind, fair princess, but I desire more. So much more. If you can bring me closer to becoming a human being I will spare your life."
"I... I can do that for you." Ellena gulped. "It is possible for me to grant you a more human form. To apply the shape of a man to your body."
"Splendid." The crow seemed to vibrate with anticipation. "Then do so! Just remember, we are watching you. If you trick me, or harm me, I doubt you'll get far."
"I expect that is true." The princess gulped. "All I need from you is to relax and let me work."
"So be it." The crow nodded her approval, resting on his haunches and staring at the elf evenly. "No tricks."
"You have my word." Ellena nodded. "I will begin at once." Indeed, she did. Closing her eyes, the princess summoned forth her will, charging her hands with a strange blue and white glow. The crow sat before her, watching in fascination, as she began to utter the spell.
"Magic, do as I will, transform this strong willed crow into a handsome mix of bird and man. Make him larger, stronger, let him lord over his kind in this forest. Grant him the wisdom befitting his new body."
The crow nodded his approval quickly. "Yes! Yes!"
The princess concentrated harder, and with her hands she projected the building energy from her hands to the crow, surrounding him with the same blue / white haze of energy. When all the magic had transferred from her body to his, she staggered back, grasping her head, and straightened to watch her handiwork.
The spell began to work. With a grunt of slight pain, the crow began to tremble harder as the changes started to wash over him. His legs began to grow larger and longer, he sprouted hands in the middle of his wings, and his stance began to change as his torso morphed. Soon, he was a rough aproximation of an anthro crow, but it wasn't nearly complete. Popping and snapping, he let out a cry of anguish as he began to grow in size. Raising his beak into the air, he shivered as his flesh and bone pulled him upright, now standing in a perfect humanoid bipedality, while all of him began to grow into itself, gaining proportion and size. His wings, however, continued to blossom and grow, reaching the size they'd need to be to still carry his enlarging form in the air. His muscle began to inflate beneath his silken black feathers, rounding him into fine male shape, while all the while he now grew larger and larger, approaching half the size of a man.
The crow let a final groan escape his beak as he swelled even larger, the ropes of his muscle firmed and tightened further, and he at last collapsed gasping onto his hands and knees, grimacing as the energy surrounding him crackled one last time and then vanished.
"There." The princess approached the agonized crow morph, gently brushing her hand over the side of his beak. "Look at yourself now, my lord. You're truly a sight to behold."
The gasping crow opened his eyes, looked over himself, and his cool yellow eyes opened in shock. He stood, stretching to his full height, and examined himself for a few moments. "Gods!" He gasped. "This is wonderful... I-I'm... gorgeous." He outstretched his wing arms, finding their span some seven feet tip to tip, and though he was still small for a human, he was a giant to other birds. "Incredible." At last, he looked down at the tiny princess, and felt deeply humbled.
"T-Thank you, fair princess." He bowed. "Y-You've granted me the body I've always desired. I humbly apologize for threatening to eat you. That nature is no longer in me, I feel."
"I know." Ellena beamed up at the giant handsome creature before her. "You're now the keeper of the birds in this forest. Their protector and ruler. Use your new status wisely, my friend, and care for them as your own."
"T-Thank you, your highness." The crow bowed again. "I shall. And should you need my protection, do not hesitate to summon me on your travels. Good luck with your exploring."