| "The short of it was that the Regent was informing me that I was going
to be given a modest piece of land in the land in her land," Zular laughed.
"Said that I also was going to have my face magically altered, for my own
protection. Seems that my analog here was less than popular back in Aqualaria.
"I was informed that it was for my own protection," the young duke muttered.
"Just another line of Loki crap, really. But the dragoness was kind enough
to give me an hour to meditate or pray or whatever to prepare. I was able
to escape the guards and reach a slipgate outside of town....."
"And you ended up at our meeting and interrupted us," Zerm interrupted.
"All on the hopes that you couild appeal to us to avenge your hurt ego,
and in return for?......"
"I have connections I could pick up in this worlds Syndicate....." Zular
began.
"Don't think so," Zerm laughed, changing his voice and appearance to
a middle aged, balding man known only as the Crimson King (leader of the
Black Market Cult/Syndicate). "I have everything I need from them....even
now. I don't need a pretender to take over a minor flunkies position, boy!"
Zerm returned to his original form, and smiled at his audience. Zular
had been allowed to come out of his spell haze and remember the entirety
of the interview....and what one of Zerm's many aliases were. With a sinking
feeling, the duke saw he had nothing to offer. Nothing at all.
The ghosts of the mages looked at Zerm goggle eyed for they hadn't even
seen Zerm make a magical gesture or word in his transformations.
"Comes from centuries of practice," Zerm smiles. "But first there is
YOU, Zular. Consequences..."
"I wish I had that tool that Uncle Tesla used to have," Zerm mutters
as he traces arcane sigils in the air. Zular screams as similar sigils
appear on his body, and burn into his skin (and soul). The world blurs
and fades as Zular's Matrix begins to mutate....
A black feathered and furred griffin stirs and looks blearily around,
and then screams in horror as it looks at itself in a clear stream.
It remembers being human. It remembers it's life before awaking (and
being reborn) in this glen.
Dextrous claws/hands (the part that fade to bird on what would be forepaws
of a loin) as it feels the beak and face of the black eagle head he now
wears.
Zular eventually find that he can even speak, but he sound nothing like
a human, and has a tendency to give off bird like squakes at odd times
(mixed with hissing the 's' and rolling the 'r' in every word he speaks).
Right at the moment, Zular now has two enemies to get revenge upon.
The magic users who did this to him is one group. The other is the family
and friends of the family who's family crest bears a striking resemblance
to the form he now will wear for the rest of his life!
-
 While the new griffin looks
himself over, Zerm explains his actions to his curious friends....
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