Marge roared with laughter as Jak, a massive ogre she had just reduced to a weak, asthmatic halfling, dropped the boulder he had been about to fling at the fortress walls, nearly crushing his own foot. Scanning the battlefield, she tried to find the pair of wizards, but they seemed to have disappeared. Her attention was caught instead by a sultry female warrior who was picking off Atelia’s archers with a longbow. Raising her transformation stone, she tried to change the warrior into a blushing flower girl.
But to her surprise, the stone had no effect, as the warrior was wearing Lyra’s protective necklace. Frowning, she tried pointing the stone instead at a ferocious berserker that was bashing the fortress walls with his battle axe. Again, nothing happened, as the dragon tooth that had created the berserker absorbed the transformation magic. Turning red with embarrassment at her apparent impotence, she raised the stone again with a flourish, this time targeting the acolyte who had rushed forward to help the wheezing Jak. But to her chagrin, nothing happened again, as the high priestess’ amulet the acolyte was wearing deflected the spell.
A muffled chortle rang out from behind her. Marge whirled around, glaring furiously at a lieutenant who had his hand over his mouth and a sheepish look on his face. “So you thought that was really funny, did you?” she thundered, pointing the stone at him.
“WAIT! I’m sorry…” he stammered, but it was too late. He felt his body shrinking, as his muscles melted away and his armor dissolved into thin air. Moments later, he had been reduced to a naked little stableboy, dizzy and disoriented by how large everything had suddenly become. “This can’t be happening...” he whimpered, staring with shock at his puny little body, caked with layers of dirt and grime. A pair of flies buzzed noisily around his disheveled hair.
“Why you still standing there, you stinky boy!” Marge barked. “Perhaps you prefer to become a scullery girl instead?” she raised the stone threateningly. “NO!” he squeaked in panic, reflexively clasping his hands over his groin in a defensive posture. Turning around, he scampered haphazardly away in the general direction of the stables to assume his new duties.
“Captain!” a soldier burst out from a stairwell, panting hard. “The enemy… the enemy has penetrated the fortress from within! We need reinforcements!” Marge immediately gathered her men and rushed down to meet the new threat. In the confusion, Shari managed to grab hold of Nicky and drag him over to a secluded corner. “Tobi, can you please change my dad back?” she pleaded. Tobi sighed, and reluctantly restored the duke back to his natural form. “Dad!” Shari exclaimed with delight and flung her arms around him. Baffled, the duke stared down at the little girl clinging tightly to his legs.
“Hen… Henric?” There was a definite resemblance, but… “But…why… how… you’re a little girl? Who did this to you?”
“But, Dad! I love being a little girl! It’s so wonderful and amazing.” she beamed radiantly.
“Would you like to try it out as well?” Tobi asked innocently.
“NO! And who the heck are you?” he snapped.
“Well, well, well. What a sweet little family reunion. Mind if I join in?” Atelia smiled malevolently.
+++++++++
Frenetic screams and the clanging of weapons rang out from the Great Hall. From her vantage point above, Marge watched acolytes pour out of a gaping hole in the floor, led by a pair of wizards who were causing mayhem with fireballs and lightning bolts. Cursing heavily, she pointed her stone at one of the wizards.