| Belboz, meanwhile, is running down the tunnels in a blind panic
when his panic flight brings him to the lair of his friend, the Dragon
of the Southern Caverns!
Ebonwing, turning in surprised delight at this unexpected visit (Belboz
had been away for months on a little project he'd found while helping with
an archeological project for his Guild) and then her eye's fall upon the
evil book the mage is carrying, and her draconian heart leaps into her
throat!
"Necronomicon!" she whispers hoarsely, knowing the danger to
herself.....and to her friend!
Meanwhile, the necromancer still must run away from those figures that
all mages know of.... and hope to God never to meet in the flesh! Therefore,
he is too occupied with running to dodge the green dragonness' tail that
lashes out and sends him sprawling! The book goes flying and lands with
a thud some dozen feet away.
The Necronomicon, sensing itself in danger, summons it's "owner"
and bids it to once again do the books bidding! In addition to slowly driving
it's user insane to satisfy the artifacts dark sense of humor, this version
of the vile book also has the ability to extract control of it's user....making
the user change into various creatures under it's control while the owner
sleeps. The book had looked into Belboz's mind, seen the friendship with
Ebonwing, and had then struck on a plan that would lead to the dragoness'
death.
Each night Belboz slept, he would transform into a dragon is similar
coloration (if not sex) as Ebonwing and wreck various forms of chaos upon
the surround area. Ebonwing was basically being framed by the book so she'd
be hunted down and killed by the very best of dragon slayers of Allaria
(Fred was one of many). The transformation of Fred had been a bit annoying
for the book, for it delayed the eventual happy death of the mage's dragon
friend (who'd saved the necromancer's life once.....long ago.....forging
an unlikely friendship).
Now, however, the very dragoness was about to destroy it!
Belboz gives off an inhuman roar of rage as he feels his body warp and
swell. His mind recoils in horror as he feels an evil presence take control!
However, as quickly as this is happening.....as quickly as the Necronomicon
rushes to defend itself via Belboz.....it's not swift enough! The dragoness
breaths flame upon the fell book, and Belboz hears the book shriek in pain
and anger as it turns to ash. He feels the evil fade.....and then feels.....more
clear headed as the madness that had been creeping in and clouding his
judgement......vanish.
Belboz then stares down at his transformed body....and finds that while
he can assume a human seeming form......he can feel that he is still very
much a dragon (note: dragons, once they reach wyrm age status, can alter
their form to assume various shapes).
"Belboz, just what the Hell were you doing with the Necronomicon?!"
the dragoness snaps. "Don't you know how Deadly Dangerous that thing is?!
And what in the name of your god were you running from?"
Belboz shifts back into dragon form (his default form, he finds) and
blinks in confusion. The last thing he remembers was a servant excitedly
saying something about this new book he'd uncover in "the dig" and had
dropped it into the necromancer's hands.......
"I.....don't remember," the dragon necromancer says quietly.
He and Ebonwing would find that the last few months of Belboz's memory
were gone. They'd also find that he was now and forever more a dragon.
Making the best of it, the dragon and dragoness moved in together and soon
were the proud parents of a clutch of dragon hatchlings!
That's another story for later.
Later, in a forest elsewhere.....
-
 Later,
Hannah yawns and finds the unicorn looking soulfully and worshipfully up
into her eyes. She and the unicorn then jump in surprise as they hear the
soulful crying of a young girl off in the distance.
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