“Can you come here for a moment?” Shari tugged at the effeminate young man’s loincloth, leading him over to a quiet corner as he continued to enthusiastically quiz Tobi about her hair. “Dad!” Shari interrupted forcefully, looking him in the eye. “Do you remember me? I’m your daughter! Damn…. no, your son?” she stuttered in confusion.
“Son?” the young man stared at her open-mouthed. “Did… I have a son?” Distant memories flickered on his face for a moment, then he abruptly broke into a fit of giggles. “I don't know, my mistress is everything to me now. Hey, that’s a pretty necklace you’re wearing! Can I try it on?”
Shari turned desperately over to Tobi. “They’ve changed my dad into a wimpy boy toy. Can you help him please?” But before Tobi could respond, a small group of soldiers lumbered up, and their leader placed his hands firmly on the young man’s shoulders. “Come along, Nicky!” he barked. “The captain wants her back rubbed right now.”
“You let go of him!” Shari flustered. “He’s your Lord! How can you treat him like this!”
“Not any more he isn’t.” the leader sneered. “Just a pathetic slave boy now. And pray what are you doing up here? Shouldn’t servant girls be down in the kitchen?” He stepped forward and tried to grab hold of Shari, but suddenly found himself unable to move. “How dare you try to molest my sister.” he heard Tobi say in a steely voice.
The leader felt a dull throbbing at his groin as his manhood shriveled and withdrew into his body. His frame grew slender and willowy, his hair cascaded down to his shoulders, and his newly ample bosom pushed out hard against his armor, which dissolved into a flowing flaxen tunic. His comrades tried to flee, but found themselves immobilized, their bodies rapidly losing mass and substance before crumpling to the ground in a heap.
“Don’t you have a pair of wee munchkins that need feeding and changing?” Tobi asked the bewildered peasant woman standing before her. “Of…. of course.” she stammered, gathering up the fallen nappies around her and hurrying away. Tobi then turned around to find Nicky, but the young man had slipped away in the commotion. “Probably obediently rubbing his mistress’ back right now.” she shrugged at Shari, who had tears in her eyes.
+++++++++++++
“Excuse me?” Ander turned around, and blushed when he saw Zoanna. “Haven’t you noticed that these are self-healing fortress walls? All the boulders, fireballs and lightning bolts you’re flinging at it, well they inflict some initial damage, but afterward the wall just repairs itself.”
“So you’re saying that we should concentrate our fire on one spot?”
“You could, but that will still require a lot of effort to break thru. Haven’t you noticed something else unusual about this fortress?”
“Urm.. no?”
“There is no moat around it. They probably couldn’t build one because of the nearby river. And you know that means…”
“we can tunnel under?” Ander looked admiringly at her and smiled.
+++++++++++++
“Archers! Fire!” Atelia ordered as a rain of arrows drove the berserkers back from the fortress walls.
“Mum! Let me help too! I’ll turn into a wolf, leap down and rip those berserkers’ hearts out!” Amber shouted. She’s just as rash and pig-headed as I was at her age, Atelia thought to herself as she sighed. “You will do no such thing!” she replied sternly. “If you really want to help, why don’t you go fetch our family heirloom from my chambers?” Amber scowled as she ran off to do as she was told.
Now to take care of that ogre and those troublesome wizards before they wreck my walls, Atelia thought to herself as she readied a spell. “My lady, surely you don’t need to soil your hands dealing with that rabble scum?” Marge interrupted smoothly, drawing out her transformation stone.