Just two won't do!!

Belboz

Watching through the eyes of one of my newest . . . test subjects (could almost call them "toys" but "test subjects" sounds more . . . professional) I can hear through Astra's ears the source of inspiration.

....

Yes, I thank the Powers that I spent more time on . . . . little additional spell "features" onto my pet princess whilst she'd been out after her capture. Oh she did not remember ever being out long enough for that (was too careful to let on to just how "compromised" I had her, now), but that is besides the point! With this, I'm going to be able to further my magical knowledge and…

....

"Oh, let's be truthful with yourself," I mutter to myself, happily, as I watch through the scrying pool, "You're having WAY too much fun here!"

He makes a promise to himself (the only person with whom there will be a real chance of being kept) that after whoever shows up next in his vision here (one person or the whole annoying group he'd just left behind), he'd "gift" them with a form that would surely show the extent of this new trinket's power!

After that, he’d put aside his new toy for the moment and try to work out the ritual that would finally (he was sure) restore himself to his former vigor and power.

Powerful though the dragon mage still was, his vitality was still being taxed by that connection to the Glider’s land (and thus his appearance as an old man whilst in human form). If left unchecked, soon the withering would start to show in his wyrm form and THAT would not be tolerable at all!

Thus, unbeknownst to Astra (i.e. the formerly mute Astra now female tengu) is unknowingly guiding Belboz/Minestus towards Belboz's next victim!

Thus, when one of the other parties wanders in from the chamber from which she fled….things get interesting. See, whilst perhaps one could argue that the elfin lass named Artizza (still frantic to see just Where her husband has gone off to, after vanishing into thin air) was the first to come upon Checkers, it just doesn’t matter! The first person that Tengu Astra sees is Checkers, and NOT Artizza.

….

Would have been better by far if Artizza had been the first, but such as bad luck (as welll as the fact that Artizza the elf is rather....quiet by nature in her tread)! Belboz (even with the Crystallic), cannot use the special Matrix alteration powers upon a Champion (which Artizza was). Would have made Belboz wonder if his new toy had just gone on the blink, it would!

Instead, he sees (through Tengu Astra’s eyes) Checkers!

Tengu Astra and Fred are still in shock from what has hit them (the pain and alterations, of course). So in something of a daze, they’d followed (chirping a bit in response with their new, inhuman throats and mouths) it back to Checkers.

She recognized a pair of tengus, but NOT the people underneath the feathers and beak. Whilst the transformation had left both tengu‘s faces uncovered with feathers (and Astra‘s breast as well, if you want to be picky), that is not to say that what was left of the face (the part not changed into bird beaks) was enough to hint at former human identity. Point in fact, the faces were rather . . . Oriental (i.e. Japanese).

As the still stunned tengu look at the Glider, they begin to feel a… nibbling at the back of their minds as their new bodies begin to….begin a soft but (over time) an increasingly loud and seductive siren’s song that if resisted at the critical juncture--exact timing varying from victim to victim--would result in permanent (and dangerous) madness. But right now our Tengu aren’t aware of this as they look at Checkers…

"Oh, God, how did they get in here?" she thought. Tengus (from what she’d heard and seen) were not known for deeds of heroism, and would be expected to avoid the dangers of the caves.

She then shivers and shakes as. . .something sweeps through her very being as she locks eyes with the female tengu and Belboz casts yet another transformation magic upon a victim and THEN gets back to his studies, believing his "guests" are safe enough left where they are, amusingly enough.

Oh, it might have been amusing to perhaps toy with the minds of the would be do-gooders (like perhaps literally changing their minds into something else). In the past he’d toyed with the idea (as Astra had suspected in 22593) in changing Tengu Astra into his idea of the perfect woman. He’d been almost there until recently (having not gotten around in changing the now tengu Astra into something softer in strength AND much more…compliant, personality wise).

Back to studies, not knowing that his "toy" might be useful in unlocking the very transportation system he’d uncovered so long ago (and hope soon to use to break the curse upon him).

…..

Or, let’s make that it would have been useful, if the slipgate system hadn’t been so much in disrepair…..

Such as life!!

Back to Checkers!

At first, nothing seems amiss, but here is the thing! Checkers was no longer a proper Glider but….

1. The Mythical Changeling, which becomes whatever the first person to see it wants it to be. So, in this case, it happens to be a proto-Dark Elf looking for her husband who sees the Changling!!

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