Tales of Erogenia: Book 2 - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Enchanted

Zenaria lay at the bottom of a well of pain and darkness. Somewhere very far away people were speaking, but what they were saying made very little sense.

"Just what were you trying to do, Dendar?"

"I thought I was casting a spell of immobility, but something corrupted it. The result seems to have been to been to fix them in something resembling their true natures."

"I can see that," the first voice said. "It is a most interesting if not puzzling result."

"Puzzling enough to keep them alive?" Dendar asked.

"I don't think we have much choice. The Orb of Power has disappeared. We need them to get it back."

"I see Junal's vile hand in this," Dendar said. "He seems to have made sure that even if we captured his hirelings they would not be able to speak."

"Perhaps we can find a way," the first voice said. "Between the two of us we should be able to think of something."

"I hope you are right, Alzid. If Junal has regained the Orb of Power he is certain to use it against us at the first opportunity. We must get it back and these two animals are our only link."

The conversation ended. There was the closing of a heavy door and then silence. Something that one of the speakers had said stuck in her mind. Alzid. It was a name she remembered form somewhere.

She opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the straw covering the floor on which she was lying. It was clean straw, which was somewhat reassuring. What she saw next was less comforting. Directly in front of her was an iron grid that extended from wall to wall. Even more unnerving was the sight of a huge cat-like beast that lay regarding her with strange blue eyes. The fact that it was chained to a stone wall was hardly comforting since she was lying within just a few feet of it. It watched her with an unblinking stare, but made no move to attack.

Slowly she pushed down with her arms and rose to a sitting position. It was then that she got the shock of her life. Her armour and clothing were gone replaced by a tight-fitting garment that covered her body like a second skin. It took her a few heartbeats to realize that it actually was her skin.

"Brrrowwrr!"

The sound that erupted from her throat frightened her. She had heard that sound before, but not from a human throat. What in the name of the Moon is wrong with me? she thought, her gut clenching.

She ran her right hand over hand over her left arm and got two more shocks. The first that that her skin wasn't skin; it was fur; and the second was that at the end of each finger, where her fingernails should have been there was now a curved, razor-edged claw.

She looked again and saw what she should have seen immediately, her entire body was covered with the unmistakable markings of the snow leopard. Hardly able to believe what had happened she scrambled to her feet and tried to twist around to see what was behind her. But she knew what she would see even before she saw it. Sun and Moon, I've turned into a leopard. The discovery was so overwhelming she could hardly stand.

Fearful of what she would discover she reached up and touched her face. Her fingers brushed against whiskers and then an elongated muzzle. Moving her fingers to her jaws she touched her long fangs and then moved her fingers higher and traced the outline of her rounded leopard ears.

It was almost too much. I've been turned into a leopard, she thought. She spent the next few minutes investigating what had been done to her and found that she was more a leopard-woman than a true leopard.

She still had the body of an Erogenian warrior, tall, shapely, and voluptuous, but she had gained a leopard's tail and pelt as well as a leopard's head. It explained why she had lost the power of normal speech. She was capable of making an impressive leopard's yowl, but nothing more. Her fingers and toes ended in claws instead of fingernails and her musculature seemed to have changed. She suspected that she was much stronger than before but in the limited space in which she was confined there was no way of testing that. And then there was the iron collar around her neck and the heavy length of chain that secured her to the wall opposite the cell's only other inhabitant.

Anger replaced her bewilderment and she unconsciously lashed her tail. She had been tricked and betrayed and was now caged and chained like some sort of wild beast. A growl rumbled in her throat. From the other side of the cell the other cat-like beast returned the sound with a deep-chested rumbling roar of its own.

She stared at the huge beast. She judged that it was probably three times her weight with a huge head and large black mane that flowed over its massive shoulders. It radiated male strength and power. In spite of its fierce appearance, however, there seemed something familiar about it and she suddenly realized what she had been missing. She knew those eyes. "Sir Varden," she muttered, or would have if her leopard's mouth and tongue had been capable of speech. Instead what came out was "Roowwrr!"

The dark-maned animal answered with another growl of its own as if to confirm her suspicions. The fact that so huge a cat had not attempted to attack her was confirmation of who it was, but it was galling that because of their transformation she and Sir Varden were unable to communicate. Once again anger and frustration swept over her. Junal, she thought. Junal would pay for what he had done.

But first she somehow had to get out of the cell. And that was going to present a real problem. The cell consisted of three stone walls and a heavy barred grill consisting of straps of iron riveted together. Even if she had been in human form she would have had a very difficult time escaping. There was no way out except through the iron grill and Zenaria could not even figure out how it was opened. She couldn't see any hinges or locking mechanism, leading her to suspect that it was probably raised and lowered like a portcullis.

Now even more frustrated and angry Zenaria prowled back and forth in front of the grill, her pacing resembling that of the cat she now resembled. Finally, she stopped, realizing that her impatient pacing was getting her nowhere. She stopped and surveyed the cell, resisting an almost overwhelming urge to lick herself, especially in places that had once been beyond reach.

From outside came the sound of feet marching toward the cell. Zenaria sat down, curling her tail around her ankles and waited to see who was coming. It turned out to be two guards. They peered through the bars, keeping a respectful distance as they did so. "The other one is awake," one of them said. "Tell the Master."

The one who gave the order waited while the other guard left. He said nothing but continued to watch her and what had once been Sir Varden through the bars.

A short time later the guard returned with a man in what Zenaria now knew were magician's robes.

The magician moved close to the bars and stared hard at Zenaria and Sir Varden. "It is good that you are awake," he said. "My name is Dendar. Can you understand me? I could get nothing out of the lion."

Zenaria nodded, making the motion slow and pronounced so that there was no mistaking it. Now she knew what Sir Varden had become, a lion. She wondered where such beasts lived in the world.

Dendar seemed pleased by her response because he smiled slightly. He was younger than Junal, appearing to be only in his mid-twenties. "Very good," he said. "Now, can you talk?"

Zenaria shook her head.

Dendar frowned. "That is unfortunate. It will make communication difficult and I think there is much you need to tell us. However, perhaps you can merely signal yes and no to my questions and that will help a bit. First off were you sent by Junal to steal the Orb of Power?"

Zenaria nodded yes, guessing that the artefact and the Orb of Power were probably the same thing.

"And you and the lion; you were hired by Junal to steal the Orb?"

Zenaria shook her head no, emphasizing her reply with a low growl.

"I see," Dendar says. "That sounds as if you might be somewhat angry with Junal. Is that correct?

Again Zenaria growled, nodding at the same time.

"That is interesting," Dendar said. "You don't work for Junal, but still helped him steal the Orb. I can only surmise that you were either tricked into it or Junal has some power over you."

Zenaria vigorously nodded her agreement and Dendar smiled. "Very good. Let's see what else you can tell me."

Dendar was a skilful questioner. Question by question he managed to get most of the details of Zenaria's story although the details of her background and that of Sir Varden remained sketchy at best. Finally he seemed satisfied that he had learned about as much as he could. "I will return later. Perhaps Alzid can think of a few more questions to ask you. In the meantime I have decided to keep you alive."

He turned to the guard. "Bring them food and water. Raw meat I think, and make sure that it is free from maggots."

"Yes, Excellency," the guard said. He immediately moved off to carry out the order. Dendar stood looking at her for a few more moments and then he too left.

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A short time later the guard returned. With him were two servants carrying two large chunks of raw beef, complete with bones. He pulled a lever on the far wall and with a screech of metal the grillwork rose up from the floor about six inches. It was just large enough for the servant to push the beef under along with two pannikins of water. As soon as the food was forced through the grill was immediately lowered.

With a growl, the lion that was Sir Varden pounced on the largest piece of beef. Zenaria wasn't about to argue with him and in any case she wasn't sure she could eat her meat raw. That concern lasted only a few seconds. Her mouth watering, Zenaria picked up the bloody lump of flesh and ripped it apart with her teeth. She made short work of it, even cracking the bones to get at the marrow. When she was finished she lapped up the water from one of the pannikins.

Her meal finished she moved into a corner of the cell. Without thinking she began to clean herself, licking her fur to clean away the blood. Only when she began to clean her muzzle by licking her hand and wiping away the blood did she suddenly stop. What am I doing? I'm not a leopard. She looked toward Sir Varden and noticed that he was licking himself in places that would have been impossible in his human form.

Zenaria felt a sudden sense of acute apprehension. What if she and Sir Varden were stuck in their altered forms permanently? They were already acting very much like animals. Would they continue to become more animal-like the longer they remained in their animal shapes? It was a worrying thought and one that Zenaria could only calm by using her tongue to give herself a thorough grooming. This isn't good, she thought. If I keep it up I'm going to have a hairball.

Continued in Chapter 10

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