Gerkka to Gert
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 118769
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Arahim clothed her in in a simple dress, marveling that this was not only the same creature as the ogress that had served them for five decades, but also the same creature as the weeping waif he had transformed all that time ago. She was still a very slight woman, but she was well past full grown, and seemed so peaceful as she slept. When she woke up in the cot in Arahim's workshop some time later, she was initially horribly confused at how... frail she felt. So much of her was missing, it seemed. She looked down, and aruound, marveling at what she saw. That's right... she was human again. Whatever that meant... Presently Arahim came in, smiling gently. "It might take some readjustment," he said. "But you'll get used to the feeling again. You've served your time, and are free to reenter society as you please. I'll ask one more time... do you remember anything about who you used to be?" She thought for a very long time, because a small part of her still clung to Fred, the only identity she had to work with, but she had long accepted that he was only an old trick she'd once played on herself. At last, she shook her head. Arahim nodded. "Then I recommend the name Gertrude, or Gert for short. It's common in these parts and close to the name you're by now used to." She nodded, acquiescing easily, not really caring. "All right," said Arahim quietly, with a reassuring smile. "I'll get some things together for you - a bit of food and an extra outfit. The king is quite generous that way. You just get your head on straight, and let me know if you need anything." He left her then, and went to gather the things he'd promised. Like a prisoner being released after a long sentence, she would be reentering society with little to nothing to call her own. In her very special case, she really would not have anything at all, except what items the king decided to give her. As an unmarried woman in her forties, she would be considered an old maid. When she left some hours later, she felt... so very strange. She had no idea how to build a life for herself, and she was becoming reaccustomed to the feeling of being human, but even that would take some getting used to. She no longer had a dumb ogre brain, but her human brain was... extremely rusty and untrained, so though there had been marked improvement, she was far from sharp. And with no money at all, it would be next to impossible to learn any useful skills. After spending a single night on the street, she decided...
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2/16/2022 12:30:43 AM
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