I've been writing a story lately. Here it is, all 15 chapters of it. Spoilerified for convenience and space saving purposes, of course.
[spoiler=Book 1: Prologue]
[spoiler=Chapter 1]
I had just finished fighting off some bandits when I crested the slope I had been climbing, and I found myself looking at a small town seemingly out in the middle of nowhere. I felt the need to warn them about the bandits. That, and I needed a place to stay for a while, as I had been on the road for quite a while. Before entering the village, I stopped off at a nearby pond to wash my hands and blades. As I did so, I looked at my reflection in the water. I was young, and my face seemed more feminine than masculine at times. Those features must’ve come from my mother. I had short, brown hair, and mesmerizing green eyes. My nose was small, as were my ears. Other than that, I was quite normal. My fresh wounds and my bloodied blades were all the townspeople needed to see to know I was to be trusted. I was taken to see the Mayor almost immediately upon arrival, after relating my harrowing hike to this mountain community. One of the townspeople, a tall, heavyset man named Antonio, took me to the Mayor’s residence, which was a scenic walk down the main road, all the way on the other side of town.
As we walked, he told me about this community I now found myself in. Mainly a gold miner’s town, it possessed two inns and a general store. People with weapons were rarely seen, as everyone got along with each other. It was one of those places where everyone knew everyone else, and if something happened on one side of town, it was known almost instantly on the other side. I discovered this firsthand when we had walked about 5 blocks on the way to the Mayor’s residence and found that citizens were already pointing at me and whispering to their friends. I could imagine what they were saying. The boys were probably in awe of my swords and wanted to touch them, but their fathers nearby wouldn’t allow them. The girls would be gossiping about my smooth look despite my scars that marked me as a man of battle. I asked Antonio where I might be able to get my swords fixed up.
“Down at the smithy. He don’t really take on weapons work, so iffin’ he refuses, try the butcher. At least he’d be able to sharpen ‘em up fer yeh,†he replied.
“And where exactly can I find those?†I inquired.
“Main Street, about 2 blocks from the entrance to town. The two shops are directly across from one another, so yeh can’t miss ‘em,†he answered.
“Ah, I see. How much longer ‘til we get to the Mayor’s place?†I asked.
“About 10 more blocks. What was yer name again?†he said.
“Taylor.â€
“Ah, mmkay. Strange name fer a warrior, iffin’ yeh don’t mind me sayin’ so,†he replied.
“Well, I never really knew my father, aside from how he was a tailor. And that’s why my mother named me Taylor. I was never really into any of that domestic stuff, but weapons always interested me, especially swords.†I answered.
“Mmm... go on…â€
“Okay… Anywho, as long as I can remember, I’ve always liked swords. I would sneak down to the blacksmith’s place and watch him work with the metals every day. One day, he caught me watching. I was 10 or 11 at the time, old enough to apprentice under him according to my town’s laws, and he bade me take a closer look. So I did. That day flew by. Suffice it to say, he took me under his wing and for the next five years, I learned all I could from him in the ways of making swords and the like. When I was 16, my master suddenly died while working. I tried to revive him, but to no avail. I thought he had just worked to the end, but when he slumped over, I noticed a small dart in the back of his head. He had been murdered!â€
“Really?†he exclaimed. I could tell by his reaction he wanted me to finish the story.
“Yeah. I had learned all I could about making swords, but I had no idea how to use one. My hometown was a peaceful one, and we had no militia or guards or anything. My master and I only made the swords for decoration and for practice. But I felt the urge to use my creations to defend myself, and the ones I cared about. Having no one to teach me in town, I had to go elsewhere to learn. The next week I spent crafting a sword, and preparing for my upcoming journey. I bid farewell to my friends and family, and left. Three months into my journey, I had stopped in a pub and heard talk of a swordmaster who lived nearby. I inquired as to his location, and was ignored until I bribed one of the men with some cash. He took it and told me how to get there. I found his place with little difficulty, and was set upon by the man’s cronies. I managed to defend myself until the swordmaster came out. I couldn’t see him that well, as night had fallen by then, but with lightning-quick movement and blinding movements with a stick he fought them all off. As I was standing awestruck, he told me to enter his cabin. I did, and once we entered the light of the candles, I was shocked.â€
“Why were you shocked?†he asked.
“He looked to be about 4 or 5 years older than me! I didn’t believe at the time that anyone so young could have mastered the ways of a weapon like he had. He took me in and confirmed my suspicions. He was only 21, and had been proficient with a blade since the age of 3, or so he claimed. He tutored me for the next year, and as time went on, I began to believe that he had in fact been skilled at swordplay since childhood. After the year ended, he saw that he might just be able to teach me more. He told me to make two more swords, as the one I had been using since leaving my hometown was on the verge of destruction. He also gave me a powder that would prolong the life of the blades to mix in while the blade was still red-hot. So I went to the local smithy, and worked on the two blades for the next week, sprinkling in the powder as he had instructed. Then, when the blades were finished, I returned to the swordmaster’s place, and he trained me for another six months, until I was almost his equal with two blades. Not long after that, I bid him farewell, and left on my self-imposed odyssey once more. That was two weeks ago. I managed to fend off the bandits just outside your town, and I would like to tell your mayor about them.â€
“Wow. Ahem… then here’s yer chance. Good luck, Taylor. Yeh’ll be needin’ it. Our mayor is a man who rarely believes anythin’ unless it’s starin’ him in the face.†Antonio then waved farewell, and I went to test my luck with this mayor. I had no idea how lucky I was going to get…
I walked into the Mayor’s residence and was directed to his office by one of the workers there. The mayor was a man of advanced age, probably late 70s or even early 80s, with white hair and a patchy white beard. He looked frail and weak, but when he spoke his inner strength and resilience was revealed and one could tell he knew exactly what was going on.
“So, I heard that you fought off some bandits on your way here, warrior,†he began.
“Yes, sir, I did, and I felt it prudent to notify you and your town of their presence,†I replied.
“Good idea, and thank you for that. We’ve known about these bandits for quite a while now, but they’ve never attacked anyone until now. They’re getting bolder, it seems. I’m afraid that it might not bode well for our future.â€
“I can see that. I’m afraid that they might try to invade your little community here… May I ask you something, sir?â€
“Fire away.â€
“Well, the man who led me here, Antonio, said that you rarely believed anything told to you unless it was staring right back at you. Yet you took what I said at face value. Why exactly is that?â€
“Antonio told you that?†The mayor chuckled at this. “Well, there’s a very simple explanation for that. I never believe anything he says. He’s always made stuff up, so I choose not to believe him. He thinks that I treat everyone that way, but he’s our ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf,’ if you know what I mean.â€
“Ah. He didn’t seem to be that honest, not to be rude. I just got that vibe from him,†I replied.
“Well, if you need somewhere to stay for the night, you may use my guest room. There’s a bed and a bathtub in there, so you can clean yourself up as well. Thanks for the warning, by the way. I’ll send your swords to the smithy; he should be able to fix ‘em up for you.â€
“Thanks, sir.â€
“Please, call me Paul.â€
“Okay, Paul. I’ll see you in the morning then.â€
“Okay. Good night then, warrior.â€
“Good night.â€
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 2]
I woke in the morning with my blades by my bed, standing against the wall in brand new sheathes. I could tell by the wrapping that they wrapped around my back, my favorite style. I investigated the work done overnight, and noticed something odd with the blades. Curious about it, I headed out to the town. As I left the room, a maid stopped me and told me the mayor was out exploring the town, and would be back around noontime. I nodded in acknowledgement and decided to ask the smithy about the work he did. I headed to the town commons, and found the smithy right away. He had just gotten in, and waved at me.
“Come on in!†he said, cheerily. I could tell he had been working in this forge for most of his life. He looked to be about 40, and he was large and buff. His arms were where most of the muscles were located, and he must have been able to lift even the heaviest weapons with ease. I walked down the steps and showed him my swords.
“Hey there. You worked on these yesterday, right?â€
“Yep, last work of the day.â€
“Thought so. I noticed something new on them. What exactly did you do to them?â€
“Ah. Well, first I cleaned and sharpened them a bit. They felt a bit dull. Then I added these interlocking gears into the hilt here. See, you press this button on each sword and the gears come out. Then you press the blades together, push down on this lock here, and your two magnificent blades become one masterful broadsword. Thought you might like it.â€
“Wow. I never thought of this. That is a great idea!†I was in awe of his work.
“These swords are extremely resilient. I can tell they’ve been used extensively, yet they bear no weak points anywhere on the surface. They feel almost new; well except for the dullness. Do you know who made these? Would I know of them?â€
“Well, he’s a man who came to this town recently and visited the mayor’s place soon after entering town. And you recently worked on his two blades and added a new feature to them.†I was grinning like a madman as I spoke.
“Wait… you made these?†he asked, obviously amazed at my work.
“Yes I did. I trained under my village blacksmith for five years. I’ve probably learned more about crafting swords than most swordsmen could imagine.â€
“Well, that’s pretty nice. Would you mind testing these blades out for me?â€
“It’s kinda cramped in here…†I said.
“Well, not in here! Come to the backyard here. I’ve got dummies set up; I practice with weapons too.†I nodded in agreement and followed him out to his back yard. I was amazed at the practice area he had set up. The area itself must’ve been at least 100 yards of space. Dummies of all sorts were everywhere; short, tall, thin, fat, and everything between. Some dummies were full of nicks, others full of holes. I grinned. Maybe I was going to stay in this town for a little while longer. A sudden voice brought me out of my reverie.
“So, do you like it?†the blacksmith asked.
“Like it? Are you serious? This is one of the best practice areas I’ve ever seen! I might just have to utilize it frequently while I stay here.â€
“No problem! Want to try out your new sword combo now?â€
“Sure, why not. But you might want to step back a bit…†I unsheathed my blades, took a deep breath, and started practicing with those first. I chose a relatively unmarked dummy for this practice. In a flash of light and blurring of blades, the dummy was reduced to splinters in a matter of seconds. I moved on to another dummy, severed its head, arms, and legs off, and then moved onto a hanging dummy. I jumped up and flipped over in midair; where a dummy hung before only air stood now. I stopped and took a deep breath.
“W-what was that?†inquired the smith, shock and awe evident in his voice.
“Just a little bit I learned from a young swordmaster. Now to try your addition to my swords here.†I studied the system and realized it was quite simple. I locked my blades together, and went back to practice. They held together well, and the two-bladed aspect worked well. On my first attack, I cleaved one of the dummies in half, and cleaved the top half in half once more while it was still falling. Sighting another hanging dummy, this one fatter than the last, I chose to destroy it next. Holding my blade in front of me, I jumped and did a backflip; after landing, I quickly slashed horizontally and four large dummy chunks lay before me. This new addition was quite well done.
I decided to experiment a bit now. I found a dummy that bore a striking resemblance to Antonio. Angry that he deceived me, I chose it as my next target. I stopped feet before it, and prepped myself for the test. I threw my blade straight up in the air, hitting the release before letting go. My blade became two once more and I caught one of the blades before it fell. I swung with it at the other sword, and then I threw it as well. The first blade dug into the dummy’s neck, while the other one landed squarely in its chest. The dummy quivered for a moment, then exploded in a shower of wooden shards. I covered my face with my arm, and let the pointy shower pass. I went over and retrieved my weapons, and checked them for any damage. Surprisingly, there was none to be found, neither on the blade or the gears. I turned around and walked back to the smithy. His jaw was almost on the ground.
“H-how d-did y-you th-think o-of d-doing th-that? H-holy h-hell!â€
“I’ve tried that move before, but it never really worked that well. Your modification was exactly what I needed to pull it off.†I could see he was starting to calm down a little.
“That was… well, epic! How did you get that dummy to explode?â€
“I think the force of the blows, the speed of the succession of impacts, and the pure vibration of the contacts combined to create our brief wooden shower.â€
“Wow… well feel free to practice whenever you want to, warrior.â€
“I will, thanks for the offer.†I checked the time; noon had passed, so the mayor would be home. I left to talk to him. I told the smithy I’d probably see him later, and walked back to the mayor’s place.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 3]
As I left the town commons, I heard a commotion behind me. I turned around to investigate. As I rounded the corner, I noticed a young woman had been knocked to the ground. She was backpedaling a bit, obviously pleading for her life or something. I couldn’t see the assailant yet. As I re-entering the center of town, I saw the attacker and recognized him. He was one of the bandits. A tall, lanky fellow, he had a large scar over his left eye, and a smaller one across his brow. His hair was dark and shaggy, and his clothes were little more than rags. He was prideful, and one of the more difficult bandits to defeat, as I recalled, so he must have been taking out his rage on this young woman. I have a feeling he wanted something she wasn’t going to give him. I ran and stood between her and the bandit.
“You want her, you have to go through me,†I challenged him.
“No problem. Your previous victory was a fluke,†he growled.
“Really? You plan to test your luck again? I doubt it’ll be much better than last time,†I returned.
“I have a feeling otherwise,†he said.
“Okay. Let’s settle this then. You ready to be humiliated once more?†I replied.
“Nah, but I’ve got a feeling that after this all you’ll be doing is feeding the maggots!†he said.
“Okay then.†I turned my head back to the townspeople.â€Hide the children if there are any; this might be a sight they won’t want to see.†I looked down at the woman. She was thin, slightly dirty, and her skirt was ruffled a bit. She had a fair complexion and long black curly hair. Her dress was typical attire; red and white, ankle-length and large. “Get out of here and go home.†She nodded in agreement and ran away. I turned back just in time to dodge a knife headed right for my jugular.
“Quick reflexes, warrior, but will your agility last long enough to save your life?†he spat.
“Are you a smelly thief?†I retorted, obviously striking a sore spot.
“You’ll regret ever saying those words.†He charged at me, and I easily sidestepped the attack. I unsheathed my blades and locked them together while he was recovering from his failed attack. I got ready for the next attack. He decided to drop the knife and got out his own sword. He started swinging wildly, yet I still managed to block every blow. I could feel my arms tiring. He must’ve been able to tell this, as his last blow knocked my sword out of my hands. It skidded several feet away from me. I had no other weapons on me, so I had to go after my swords or I’d be nearly defenseless. As he swung at me again, I dove between his legs and rolled towards my blade. I was getting close to it/when he tried to impale me. I rolled to the side, and narrowly missed the weapon. He kept trying to impale me, and I kept rolling away, making sure I was slowly moving closer to my sword. When I was close enough, I grabbed my blade, rolled onto my back, and threw it back at him, making sure to separate it before releasing it. The blade flew straight at him, and became two en route. He was surprised, but only for a brief second, as they quickly found their destination; one in the neck, the other between the eyes. He stood still for a second, and then fell to the ground, dead, still clenching his sword in his hand.
I waited a few seconds so I could catch my breath, then slowly rose. A smattering of applause began behind me, and after retrieving my blades, I turned around to face me. The whole adult population of the town was applauding my victory, and I noticed that the woman I saved was in the crowd, clapping along with all the others. The mayor was there too. He rushed out of the crowd, and started talking to me.
“Thank you so much for defeating that… ruffian. He was about to go after my dear daughter, and you stepped in to protect her and her honor. Thank you.†He was flustered, and kept shaking my hand.
“It was… nothing… you can stop thanking me now. I just was doing the right thing.†He was leading back to his manor, and I glanced back at the crowd. It was dispersing, and I couldn’t find Antonio anywhere in the crowd. I found that curious. We made our way back to the house, him thanking me over and over and me telling him he could stop. We made an odd pair that afternoon, walking down the path to his home in the pre-dusk light. I hoped that would be that last that I’d see of the bandits. That battle had worn me out, and I didn’t know if I could fight another one soon. I decided to think it over later. However, an unexpected visitor that evening prevented that from happening.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 4]
As I sat up that night rethinking the day’s events, I heard a knock on the door. I told them to come in. It was one of the mayor’s young, beautiful maids.
“Uh, sir,†she quietly said.
“Yes?†I asked.
“There’s a big, strong man asking for you. He says you killed one of his men and he wants payback.†I jumped at this.
“Great. So the bandit leader wants my head on a silver platter.â€
“Yeah, and even though I told him to wait, I think he followed behind me.â€
“What?†I leapt off the bed and closed the door. I looked out the window to check. The house was surrounded by bandits. “Well, this is a fine mess I’ve gotten myself in,†I mumbled to no one in particular.
“What was that?†the maid asked.
“Oh, nothing.†Just then, there was a loud knock on the door. A booming voice full of rage and false authority bellowed out.
“I know you’re in there, wuss! Come and fight me!â€
“He’s here already? I can’t fight him, not in this state, not so soon after that last battle. Is there another way out of this room?â€
“Yes, but it leads to the maid’s quarters.â€
“Hmmm… just a sec.†I gathered several things from my bag together, hid it under the bed, and followed the maid to her section of the house.
“Do you have a plan?†she inquired.
“Yes, but it involves disguise.â€
“What kind of disguise?†she asked.
“Quite simply, my dear, I will attempt to become one of you.â€
She was slightly taken aback by this statement. “You mean a maid? But you’re male!â€
“Well, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to assume the role of the other gender. Don’t worry. Plus, I feel this is the only way for me to wait out the bandits.†With that, I asked her if she had a spare outfit. She nodded, and retrieved it for me. It was just the right size. It was a black dress with three-inch high heeled shoes. The outfit consisted of a conservative V-neck top with a knee-length skirt. The top had a zipper in the back, but it was low enough that I’d be able to zip it up myself. The skirt had a small diameter, so movement would be limited in it, I assumed. With that in hand, I went into the bathroom and released my bundle I had taken from my bag. Within it was some makeup, some black nylons, a bra, two pairs of socks, and a brown curly wig, shoulder length. I applied the makeup, and put on the nylons, bra, wig, and maid’s outfit, and then used the socks to stuff the bra. When I exited the bathroom, I took the maid by utter surprise.
“Is that you?†she asked.
“Yes it is. Pretty convincing, is it not?â€
“Yes, but what shall I call you?â€
“Ah, right. Calling me Taylor would give it away. How about… Cyndi?â€
“That’ll work.â€
“One thing, though. How will you explain the presence of an extra maid to Paul?â€
“He may seem strong, but he has occasional memory lapses. We’ll say that you were hired and he must’ve forgotten. You can stay with me until the bandits leave.â€
“That should work. I have a feeling that they’ll be attempting siege to the town though. They managed to infiltrate the town tonight, so I think that this disguise might be utilized for a few days, at the very least. Is that okay with you?â€
“Well, yeah, but I’m more worried about you, to be honest,†she replied. “Are you even comfortable wearing that?â€
“Actually, more comfortable than what I was wearing before. You know, I never got your name.â€
“Umm… it’s Clarisse.â€
“That’s a nice name.†I heard footsteps approaching from several hallways down. “Quick, we’d best get to your room before they see us!â€
“Okay!†I watched as Clarisse closed the secret hallway, and then followed her to her room. There were two beds, both empty.
“There’s been a vacancy in the maid’s staff for a while now; almost forgot. Looks like you get a bed!†she explained.
“Well, that’s good. Guess it’s time to sleep then, and wait this out, eh?â€
“Yep.†Just then, two of the bandits broke into the room.
“Hey! You seen a warrior around?†one of them asked.
“No I haven’t,†Clarisse replied. The other bandit was staring at me.
“Hey there hot stuff. How would you like to see what a real man could do?â€
“How about not?†I replied. He started to get angry. These bandits were all the same.
“How dare you! If you won’t give it freely, I guess I’ll have to take it myself!†he roared.
“Calm down, we came for the warrior, not to rape some maid!†his partner said, spitting the last word or two out as if they had a bad taste or texture to them.
“Well I need it now! AND SHE’LL GIVE IT TO ME! WHETHER SHE WANTS TO OR NOT!†He was in the midst of a blind rage. This would be easy. He started to charge at me, and I quickly sidestepped. I placed myself in front of the window and waited for him to charge at me. He did, so I sidestepped around him. I waited until he was close to the window, then I kicked him right in the back, giving him the extra push he needed to go out the window, right off the second floor to the courtyard below. Luckily for him, his bandit buddies broke his fall.
“Marcus? MARCUS? ARE YOU OK?†his partner asked. Then he jumped out the window too.
“Well that takes care of them. I’ll close these shades, and that should take care of the hole for now. Ready for sleep?†I said.
“Yeah, let me close the door first,†Clarisse replied.
“Good idea.†I went to my bed, and was careful to not remove my disguise. Until I could retrieve my bag, which I had hidden along with my blades, and get out of this house, I’d have to eat, sleep, and basically do everything else in the guise of a female. No matter; I’ve done it before. Just never for this long. I turned the lights off and quickly fell asleep out of exhaustion. I didn’t think about how the next days would play out.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 5]
Clarisse awoke me at dawn. I was slightly startled, and confused when I noticed I was in a different room, and that I was in a female disguise. I wondered for a second before the previous night’s events were recalled. I nodded to myself and turned to Clarisse.
“So, what now?†I asked.
“Well, the maids all get up at dawn to start the day’s chores. Whether it’s making meals, doing the laundry, or any other menial task like that, we maids do it. If anyone asks, you’re a new maid I’m training. Okay, Tay- I mean Cynthia?†she replied.
“Yeah. Got it. Anything else I should know beforehand?â€
“Well no, not really. Can I ask you something?â€
“Sure.â€
“Are you sure you can work, live, and otherwise exist in that get-up?â€
“Yeah, it’ll be no problem.â€
“Really? And the heels?â€
“While I find them impractical to work in, I can walk and work in them without any problems.â€
“Wow. I had trouble in them first time I came here to work. Why are you so good at doing all this girly stuff?â€
“You know, I’m not really sure of that myself. The best answer I can give you is that after my father left, my mom broke down for about a year, and raised me as if I were her daughter and not her son. But even then, I was good at this. Meh, no matter. We’d best be getting to work, eh?â€
“Right!†she exclaimed, and we hurried off to work. The day passed uneventfully, and I noticed that some of the bandits were around the house, so I could only guess that they had occupied the residence. I didn’t see Paul that day, so I could only hope that he was safe. I went to sleep that night without any problems, and the next day passed the same as the previous. The days turned into weeks, and still I was in disguise within the new lair of some bad people.
One night, two weeks after the infiltration began, I got a chance to return to my old room. By then, all the other maids had welcomed me into their little circle, and were informed of my true identity by Clarisse. I had finished my training with her the week before, and was treated by all the same as the other maids when in the presence of people other than my new colleagues. One of the maids, a young girl right around my age by the name of Trisha, had informed me of Paul’s reaction to my presence. He thought that I had left the night of the invasion, which is the story I told the maids to tell if Paul or the bandits asked them. They covered me flawlessly. So, now in the full confidence of the maids and cover of my disguise, I went to the guest room I had been staying in to see if I could get my stuff out of hiding. If anyone asked, I would tell them that I was cleaning it out. I knocked on the door once, twice, three times. No response. I then slowly opened the door, and looked. No one was in there. I silently thanked a higher power for that, and went into the room. I walked over to the bed, and checked underneath. My stuff was still there! I retrieved it and was about to leave via the secret passageway when I heard footsteps. I quickly threw the stuff in the passageway and closed it off. The footsteps were getting closer. I went to cleaning the room to corroborate my story, and the current resident of the room walked in. It was the last person I wanted to see.
“Hey there, hot stuff. How about staying the night with me?†I slowly turned around to face the man. Sure enough, it was the bandit leader.
“No thanks, I have a lot of other stuff to do. Please let me finish cleaning this room, and then I’ll be on my way.â€
“Oh, no worries. I talked to the mayor; I convinced him to give the maids the rest of the night off.†When he said this, I glanced down to his hands. They were bloodless and dry, so I knew he didn’t harm Paul in any way. He continued on, and started to move towards me slowly. “I was going to go to the maid’s quarters to ask a maid to stay with me, but this will save me time.†He was starting to slur his speech, and he was stumbling a bit. He was about a foot and a half away, but I could smell his breath. He was drunk. I saw no escape from his offer, but I knew that he’d be asleep before he could even try anything.
“Well, for a few hours, at least,†I conceded. Although the thought of having to lead this fat drunk on repulsed me, I knew it had to be done.
“Well then, shall we begin?†he asked. He practically tackled me and started to kiss me furiously. I would’ve tried to avoid them, but I knew that might blow my cover. I had to grin and bear it. He got back up, and gestured towards the bed. I nodded. We walked over there, and I carefully fixed the socks and made sure they’d stay where they were. I asked him for a moment to freshen up. He said no problem, and I went into the bathroom to prepare myself for a possibly horrifying experience. I found what I needed in the lowest drawer of the cabinets. The one thing that wasn’t in my bag; my secret tools. I took out a few things and applied them quickly so my body would look and feel even more female when touched by drunks and idiots. It was the last resort.
I left the bathroom, hoping he had fallen asleep, but no such luck. He was waiting for me, but I could tell by his half-lidded eyes that he’d be asleep soon.
“C’mere, baby, and let’s cuddle,†he said. I strode over to the bed. “Take off all those clothes, they must be hot and sweaty from all your work today.†I did as he said, knowing no other alternative, and hoped my last-minute additions to my disguise would fool him. I had covered the socks with some fake skin to give the appearance, and feel, of actual breasts, and my other tell-tale sign of being male I had covered up with some skin-tight underwear to give the appearance that I was of the other gender. He wouldn’t be able to get that close to check out. I got into the bed with him, and we cuddled for a while. He was feeling me up, and commenting on how firm my “tits†were. His hands eventually started to move lower and lower until… Zzzzz….
Just as I thought he would, he had fallen asleep. I carefully removed his arm from across my waist, and redressed. I ran into the secret passage, being sure to gather my stuff beforehand, and went to my new quarters. Clarisse asked me what happened, and why the maids had the night off. I growled, and waited for the rest of the maids to gather before explaining.
“The bandit leader, who now resides in my former quarters, wanted to have his way with one of us. Unfortunately for me, I was gathering my things when he came into the room. I quickly acted like I was cleaning. I couldn’t very well escape, so I had to grin and bear it. Luckily, I’d had a few secrets stashed in the bathroom. Check this out!†Knowing that the maids wouldn’t see anything I didn’t want them too, and that we wouldn’t be disturbed, I disrobed yet again.
“Wait, did you change yourself into a woman somehow?†Clarisse asked.
“No, it’s just a few tricks I learned on my journey.â€
“Where is your, you know… thing?†another maid asked.
“Tucked tightly in these panties. Trust me, it’s very fooling. Feel my boobs.†I offered. Trisha walked over, and did so.
“They feel, well, real!†she exclaimed.
“Like I said, very fooling. He needed to be fooled, and this was what I could do. After all, I knew he’d want me to be naked, fully expecting to go all the way. If I hadn’t disguised myself so, he probably would’ve been pissed! However, he was too drunk to do that, so I only needed to do this. Enough gossip though, we’d best get to sleep for the next day, okay?†They all nodded in agreement, and I was grateful that I had escaped this close encounter with the enemy. Before turning in, I took a shower to rid myself of his stink, and carefully got back in disguise before falling asleep, wanting to forget that horrifying encounter.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 6]
The next few days passed as usual, except that the bandit leader occasionally saw me, and when he did, there was raw lust in his eyes. On the third day after the encounter, I finally was able to talk to Paul. I was tasked with delivering him his lunch, so I did so happily. He was dining in his private quarters, so I felt I’d take that time to bring him up to date. I took the lunch, a turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese on wheat, along with pickles, and onions, to his room. Once the lunch was delivered, I decided to talk to him.
“Sir?â€
“Yes, Cynthia?†he replied.
“I have something I feel I must tell you.â€
“What is it?†he asked.
“What if I were to tell you that you never hired me at all, that I wasn’t a maid at all, that my name wasn’t Cynthia at all?â€
“Well, what is your name then, if it is not Cynthia?†he said.
“Taylor.†He looked up from his food at this, and looked at me with wonder and amazement.
“I thought you had left weeks ago when these bastards took over my town! I still don’t believe that you are who you say you are. Can you convince me otherwise?â€
“Sure.†With that, I carefully took off my wig for a few seconds, then replaced it.
“Wow, you sure do a great job at disguising yourself. Now, why did you choose to tell me this?†I explained what had really happened, how I had escaped the bandits by disguising myself as a maid, and how I had concocted the story of me leaving that night. I also explained to him my horrible encounter with the bandit leader and brought him completely up to date.
“And that’s everything that’s happened, sir. Please still refer to me as Cynthia, or Cyndi for short, and until I can truly get away, I’ll still be in this disguise.â€
“Who knows about you right now?â€
“Just you and my fellow maids.â€
“Okay. I’d like to be kept up to date, so I’m promoting you to my personal maid. You’ll bed in a room adjacent to mine, and you’ll do tasks given to you by me personally. That okay?â€
“Yes, sir. I’ll gather my stuff to move in.â€
“Okay, see you tonight then.â€
“Aye.†I curtsied to him, and then left. When I got back to the maid’s quarters, all the maids were squealing with delight. Clarisse stepped forward.
“So, you’ve really come far, haven’t you? You’re his personal maid now!â€
“Yep, he wants to be kept up to date. I’m here to gather all my stuff to move to those quarters.â€
“No problem! Here ya go!†Trisha said, handing my bags to me. “Your swords are concealed in the bag!â€
“Okay, thanks!†With that, I hugged the maids goodbye, and went to go to my new room. I arrived swiftly and arrived in the room. It was quite spacious, and quite feminine. There were pink walls and the sheets were soft and lacy. There was an ironing board, and a washer and dryer as well. I checked out the bathroom and saw that the tub was large and spacious, and there was soap and stuff galore all over the place. In the cupboards, around the tub, nearly every available spot in the bathroom was filled with soap, shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath mixture, and everything else imaginable. I knew that here I could take a bath or shower as my normal self, instead of in female disguise. I walked back out to talk to Paul, but he wasn’t there. Clarisse was there to notify me that he had gone to his private quarters. I was crestfallen a bit, but then she told me that I was one of the few people permitted entry to his wing of the house. This brightened my mood considerably. I knocked on his door, and when Paul asked who it was, I replied with, “Your personal maid, sir!†He told me to come in, so I did.
When I opened the door, I saw that the room was quite large. Dark wood paneling and a high ceiling comprised the perimeter, while the furniture was all soft cushioning. I looked at Paul, and saw the last person I wanted to see: the bandit leader.
“Well if it isn’t my favorite maid,†he sneered. “Fancy meeting you here after walking out on me that night! How about we finish what we started tonight, eh?â€
“Not now, Jack. Cyndi, may I talk to you in private?†Paul said.
“Sure,†I replied, and followed him to a rear area in the room.
“He seems quite perturbed that you left him that night, but I can see why. You aren’t really equipped to deliver what he wants. However, it may be best for all involved if you find a way to appease him.†Paul said.
“Hmmm… I might be able to figure something out. I won’t like it though.â€
“I didn’t think you would. I can’t think of any other alternative. In fact, Jack was threatening my life if I didn’t let him have his way with you. I’m sorry, but unless you can protect me without blowing your cover, this is the only way.â€
“I see. Hmm… what to do, what to do,†I mumbled.
“You do realize that as long as you are in that disguise, you have to do what I say, right?â€
“Yes, unfortunately I do realize that. I have a plan though.â€
“Really? Care to elaborate?â€
“Okay, here it is. I have a special device that will allow him to do what he wants to me, unknowing of my true gender. I won’t go into details, but it should fool him. If it’s me he wants, he’ll get it. But he’ll have to wait for it. He seems to be somewhat reasonable; if he wants me, he’ll have to agree. Three dates, then he can do whatever he wants to me.â€
“That doesn’t make much sense,†Paul replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“Let me continue. This will serve two purposes: first, it will save your life, and second, it will give me opportunities to find out his weaknesses and those of his gang as well. I’ll bring it up as simple conversation.â€
“Well, where would you go on these dates? I understand the reasons, but there aren’t any places to really go in this town for that.â€
“This is where I’ll need the help of your staff and my friends, the maids. We’ll set up three fake restaurants. The food will be cooked by the kitchen staff here, and the waitresses and customers will be the maids and some townspeople.â€
“That sounds like it will work splendidly. Hopefully he’ll last the three dates before finishing off what he thinks he began.â€
“If he doesn’t, don’t worry, I’ll be prepared. Now to talk to him.†We left the back room, and saw that Jack was still standing there.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the mayor and his personal !@#$% come out to chat with me.†I could tell he wasn’t in a good mood, as he spat out the words with contempt.
“Well, sir, the mayor here informed of what you were talking to him about, and I’ve decided to agree.â€
“Good, as if there was any other choice…†he grumbled.
“However, if you really want me, you’ll have to go on three dates with me.â€
“Three dates? That’s a bit much. I’ll do one date, that’s final. Otherwise, I’ll kill the mayor right here, right now!†I looked over to the mayor, and he nodded.
“Okay, one date it is. How about tomorrow night for it? Afterwards, I’m yours.â€
“Fine, tomorrow night it is. See you then!†he growled, and quickly left.
“I’ll set up the restaurant in the middle of town and have a maid escort you there. Meanwhile, get yourself looking and appearing as girlish as possible so he doesn’t find you out, that includes the ‘device’ you mentioned, and I’ll have something sent to your room for you to wear. Now, was there something else on your mind when you first entered?â€
“Well, I was wondering who the last person to live in my new room was.â€
“That would be my last personal maid, who was unfortunately slain by the bandits while she just outside of town gathering wildflowers. She designed the room and all the stuff in the bathroom was hers.â€
“Well, I guarantee that I won’t suffer her fate, sir.â€
“Okay, get yourself cleaned up. You have a long day tomorrow.â€
“Yes, sir, I will.â€
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 7]
I awoke in the morning to see that there were new clothes laid out on the dresser. I went to investigate. There was a dress, nylons, and high heels. The dress was somewhat revealing, with a cut made to show off a woman’s curves and features. It was just about knee-length, too. The design of the dress was striking; emerald green with a dark blue around the openings. The nylons were black, and they were thinner than the ones I owned, so I knew that there would be more cleaning up than anticipated. The heels were black open-toed stilettos, and there were two straps to keep them in place. I noticed a pair of clip-on earrings and a necklace too. I went into the bathroom and found a bell that wasn’t there before. On it was a note from Paul telling me to ring it, so I did. Suddenly a maid was in my room. I recognized her from the previous week. She was young and timid, and her face almost always looked sad. She had long black hair tied in a ponytail, and her brown eyes were facing down as she entered the bathroom.
“Umm… hello again, Miss Cynthia,†she said.
“Hi there, Megan, it’s nice to see you again as well. Why did you call me miss?â€
“Because you’re the mayor’s personal maid now. That’s what we should call you know.â€
“Please, if I was a miss, I wouldn’t need a disguise. Just call me Cynthia like all the others do.†She nodded in agreement. “Now, why are you here, Meg?†She brightened up at the prospect of her task.
“The mayor wants me to help you appear as feminine as possible. I may not look it, but I am the epitome of femininity, and I can help you look as beautiful and womanly as possible. It will take several hours, but I’m up to the task. However, you’ll need to remove your disguise so we can begin. We start with a bath; I’ll help.â€
“But I’m male; I don’t really want to expose myself in front of you.â€
“Oh, it won’t matter. I help the mayor with his baths.†I almost vomited at this. Despite her looks, Meg was stronger than me in ways I never thought possible.
“Sorry about that,†I said.
“No problem. Now strip down! We have a lot of work to do!†She was quite commanding, and I didn’t want to disobey her, so I complied.
The day started off with the bath, which was extremely cleansing. It was a bubble bath too, so I let my thoughts wander. Although I didn’t want her too, Megan bathed me, and I came out of the bath cleaner than I had been in a while, and smelling feminine already. Before I left the tub completely, Meg held me down and shaved my legs, arms, and everywhere else I had hair that no female would. I got out of the tub, and Meg said she’d see me later after my next task. As she left, she rang the bell, and Trisha walked in. I quickly covered myself up.
“Hi, Trish. What are you here for?â€
“Quite simply, I’m here to teach you the ways of the flesh to fool Jack tonight.â€
“Okayyy… this might be awkward.â€
“Only if you make it. Now pay close attention.†For the next hour and a half, Trish showed me how to act feminine in many different ways while under the covers. When she left, it was about noon. Clarisse brought in a meal for two.
“Wow, I don’t think I’ll ever look at Trish the same way again,†I told Clarisse as we sat down to eat.
“Yeah, well she’s showed everyone that routine, so no biggie,†she replied. “So you have to be a real girl tonight, eh?â€
“That’s a fact. Meg bathed and shaved me. That was weird.â€
“Must’ve been. Well, I’ve got to get going now. See you tonight; I’ll be your waitress.†She left abruptly and Meg re-entered the room.
“Ready for round two?†she asked.
“And what does round two consist of?†I replied.
“Walking, talking, and acting completely feminine,†she explained. So for the next three hours, I learned how to basically become a woman to the unknowing person. At the end of the three hours, Meg explained that the final leg of her task was upon us. “With two hours until your date, you’ll need to start getting ready!â€
“It’s a bit early, isn’t it?â€
“True beauty takes hours to complete.â€
“Okay, but if I’m getting dressed, let me get my body looking feminine first,†I said. I walked over to my other dresser, and attached my fake breasts and the device I told Paul about. “Okay, let’s get girly!†With that, Megan helped to get me dressed, and then applied my makeup to give my face “extra feminine flair,†as she phrased it. Then she put my wig on, and messed with it to make it look even more feminine. When all was said and done, an hour and a half had passed, and I walked over to the full-length mirror. To my surprise, a very attractive woman stared back. I walked in a circle for a full view, and on all sides, I looked female. I congratulated Meg, and went to go to my date.
Trisha was right outside my room, and stood in awe for a second before regaining her composure. “Wow, is that really you, Cynthia? You look fantastic! Your date doesn’t start for another half-hour, but I’ll lead you to the foyer and fill you in on the plan.†She did, and when we arrived at the foyer, Jack was there waiting.
“Whoa! You’re stunning, hot stuff! Let’s get this over with so I can get to you!†he exclaimed. I curtsied to him, and walked outside. He grabbed my hand, and we followed Trish to the “restaurant.†It was set up in the nicer inn, and I recognized all the waitresses, and most of the “diners.†We were led to our table by Clarisse, and we already had our dinners ordered for us. The meal was standard affair, and I made sure to subtly ask him about what he was like and some of his friends, using my newly attained feminine wiles to coax the words out of him. The food was quite good, and by the end of the meal, I had learned all the weaknesses of his gang. Then he led me outside and picked me up. He carried me back to the manor, and threw me down on his bed.
“Let’s get this over with, !@#$%!†he spat out.
“So be it.†I then proceeded to remove all my clothes, save those that kept my disguise intact and didn’t look like clothes at all. I recalled what Trisha had taught me and knew I’d have to put it to use. He leapt on me, and I started to use those skills then and there. The night passed quickly, and I was horrified at what I was doing. But it had to be done. Thankfully, my disguise was remaining intact. By the time the sun rose, he was passed out, and I wasn’t. I was horrified and disgusted, but stayed with him so he wouldn’t accuse me of running off. I was determined to stay awake, but my weariness soon took over and I fell asleep too.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 8]
When I awoke, Jack was gone. I looked around, hoping he was gone for good, but then I noticed the bathroom door was closed. I sighed and told myself, Just a little bit longer. He came out of the bathroom not long after that, and looked at me.
“So you didn’t run off again, maid. I have to say, you may be pretty, but I expected more from you. I think I might kill the mayor after all.†He laughed at this and proceeded to get dressed.
“I’m going to go back to my room now. To take a shower and get changed and ready for the day, okay?â€
“Sure, go ahead.†As I was leaving, he quickly grabbed me and forced a quick kiss on me. I managed to resist involuntarily shirking back. He then squeezed my boobs a few times, pinched my ass once or twice, and then threw me onto the bed. “Now you can go!†he spat. I gathered my things, covered myself in a sheet, and ran back to my room. Thankfully, no one saw me. I took a long shower, rid myself of his stench, and got into a new outfit laid out on my bed. Next to it was a note saying, “Special Outfit for the Mayor’s Personal Maid.†It was in Paul’s handwriting. It was similar to the normal maid’s outfit, except that the skirt part was pink, and there were special white nylons that went with it. The shoes were also an inch higher, and open toed this time. I walked out of the room hoping that I wouldn’t see the bandit leader again.
I found out that Paul was in his quarters again, so I entered and made my full report to him, detailing what I had gleaned from him during dinner the night before. I only briefly mentioned what happened afterwards, saying that my disguise worked flawlessly.
“So, you know everything you need to now?†he asked me.
“Yes, sir, I believe I do,†I replied.
“How did you like the outfit I got you?â€
“Which one, yesterday’s or this one?â€
“Both.â€
“Well, yesterday’s was nice and beautiful, while this one feels good and works well.â€
“Good, good. You may leave now. You have the day off. Rest, relax, and all that.â€
“Yes, sir, and thank you for all this.†I curtsied to him and returned to my room. I took a bubble bath to relax and think about what had happened recently. I had been in this disguise for almost a month now, and many were none the wiser. I had dined with the bandit leader, and even let him have his way with me. I shuddered upon remembering that part and quickly moved on. I learned all about the bandit gang, and all the members’ strengths and weaknesses. The bandit I had slain, Jesse, apparently was too eager to fight. When he was in a battle, he tended to forget everything but killing his opponent. That proved to be his downfall. I felt myself dozing off, and quickly roused myself and got into bed. I scrambled to get under the covers, and quickly fell asleep. I dreamed, not normal dreams, but ones that seemed important. The most memorable one was of an old man. He was hunched over with age and his features were quite skeletal. His hair was nearly gone, but what remained was white. He seemed to be as old as the world itself, and I was in awe. He suddenly spoke.
“Taylor. You have done well in hiding yourself from those who aren’t pure in heart. You have learned information required to complete a quest you were born to complete, yet have no knowledge of. You have mastered the ways of both genders, and are skilled in the ways of the blade. However, there are many things you have yet to discover about yourself. The identity of your father, the truth behind your skills with female clothes and swords as well, and many other things; you will learn about all this among your journey. You will meet acquaintances on your way; two you have already met, others you have not but will know on sight. All of you will have one thing in common; it is up to you to learn what that thing is. One of these things you will learn tonight. When the time is right, I will come to you again, and reveal more of the secrets you have yet to discover. For now, though, sleep and rest. You will awaken in time to learn of a long-hidden truth of yourself. Only then will you remember this dream, and learn a little bit of yourself. Sleep now, my Blade Knight. Sleep deeply, and peacefully.†Then all was dark and calm as I slept for several hours.
When I awoke, I was fully rested and felt a sense of peace about the room. It was dark already. I had slept for over twelve hours! I went to get dressed and presentable when I found out that I already was all dressed up! I had no idea how it had happened, but I wasn’t worried. I heard yelling outside my room, so I ran out of my room just in time to see the bandit leader yelling at Paul.
“Why haven’t you given up yet, old man? You have no chance of winning!â€
“You are sadly mistaken, Jack. It is you who is doomed to fail,†Paul calmly replied.
“How can you be so certain?â€
“Simple. The wicked are doomed to failure, while the good are granted success.â€
“Really? Then how about a big heaping amount of success!†Jack the bandit leader exclaimed, and proceeded to sever Paul’s left arm off. I watched in horror, when suddenly an image appeared before me. It seemed oddly familiar, yet I knew I had never seen it before. I seemed to watch from outside myself as I traced the image before me. I placed my left hand low and right hand high, then rotated them until they had switched positions; then I moved them together in a jagged motion and then swung them out to my sides. A loud rumbling began, and then the floor opened up below the bandit leader. He fell to the first floor, where the ground was open as well, and then the ground came back together. There was a sickening crunch as Jack became a shower of blood and bones. I swiftly came back to myself, and ran over to check on Paul. He was breathing, but he had lost a lot of blood. I grabbed a sheet and slowed the bleeding, and started yelling for help. I couldn’t help recalling that image and the life it had taken, and wondering what had just happened, and if I had in fact caused that attack on Jack. Suddenly, the dream came back to me, and the old man was once again in my mind’s eye.
“Taylor, you have learned something of yourself, although the injury of a friend is what it cost to do so. You have just cast a magic spell of great power! By tracing the Gaia sigil as you did, you cast Chasmatic Crunch! Do not worry, Taylor; Paul will live. But I will tell you of your true self now.
“You are the latest in a line of great heroes, although the last one was alive a millennium ago. You are directly descended from him, and his power was sealed until it was needed once more. You have the power to control the elements in a basic manner, as you have just done so with Earth, but your true power is that of another element. I will not tell you what element, although your future party members each control an element as well. Now the reason the latent powers are awakening in you.
“A great evil is rising in this land. You will not have heard of it, but it threatens to devour all that exists. As you journey, you will meet others who are descended from great heroes as well. They will be your strength when you are weak, as you will be to them. They will be your life when you are almost out of yours, as you will be to them. They will be your allies, as you will be theirs. However, some have not awakened yet, so you must help them awaken. Others have and are helping the great evil; you must convince them to switch sides. A great journey is ahead of you, Taylor. And only you can make sure it is completed! For now, I will grant you the power to make your disguises real, when it is needed. Whatever you need to become, think hard on it, and you will become it. If you wish to become Taylor again, think hard on the name and you shall return to being yourself. When the time is right, you will see me again. Until that time comes, farewell, my Blade Knight.†With that, he vanished. By then, Paul had been taken away, and was already being treated. In a dreamlike state, I rose up from the floor, and walked back to my room. The last thing I remember happening on that night was falling onto the mattress and passing out.
[/spoiler]
[spoiler=Chapter 9]
I awoke an hour after dawn. I rolled over and was surprised to see I wasn’t alone. Next to me was Clarisse. She was fully clothed, and she was clutching a note in her hand. It said, “Visit Paul in the Hospital.†I wondered why she was asleep in my bed, when I remembered the strange old man’s words. I decided to test it out.
I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I stripped down until I was completely naked, even removing my disguise. Then I imagined how I looked in the disguise, with the breasts, the black hair, the makeup, and everything. I focused on that image and felt something surround me. I let the feeling take over, and the sensation engulf me until it was done. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see that I was in my disguise again… except all my disguise stuff was on the floor still. I tried removing my boobs, but they held firm. I was surprised. I tried removing my wig, but the wig was firmly attached to my head. I attempted to remove the device, but there was no device to remove. I remembered I had removed the device the previous morning. It hit me then. The power the old man had given me was true. I was able to, for all intents and purposes, shape-shift! I decided to remain in this form, as it suited my needs. I walked back into my room, still nude, and walked over to my dresser. By then, Clarisse had awoken.
“Is that you, Cynthia?†she asked, sleepily.
“Yes it is, Clarisse. And check out what I can do!†I turned around to show her my current form.
“Wait, is that a disguise?†she said.
“Nope, 100 percent real! I’ll explain to you later. For now, why were you sleeping in my bed?â€
“Oh, was I? Sorry about that. All I know is that I was sent to deliver you a message but suddenly I was really tired and fell asleep in your bed. I had a strange dream too…â€
“Do you mind elaborating?†I asked.
“Well, there was this old man,†she began. This surprised me. So this must be the partner I had already met. “He said a bunch of weird stuff, how I was supposed to believe what you would tell me, and how I didn’t really know myself yet, and all sorts of odd things.†She noticed I was staring at her. “Why are you looking at me like that?â€
“Quite simply because that old man is the one who gave me this form. And I can take on many others too! Anyways, he said the same stuff to me too. Did he mention anything about a quest?†She nodded. “Really? Did he call you something weird?â€
“Yeah, he ended with, ‘Sleep now, my Gunner.’ What’s that about?â€
“He calls me a Blade Knight. Maybe it has to do with abilities we have or something. Meh, let’s go see Paul now. We can discuss this later. Plus, I don’t know where the hospital is.â€
“Okay, let’s talk later then. By the way, your body is beautiful!†she said. I blushed at her compliment. I got dressed and we headed to the hospital. It was a brisk walk, and I got used to the idea of shape-shifting while we walked. I was surprised at Clarisse’s reaction to my newfound abilities. She was perfectly okay with the idea of my abilities. I told her of what the mysterious old man had told me, and she had fully remembered her dream of him by then to tell me of what he told her. She was also descended from a great hero, and her ancestor had control over an element, though the old man didn’t say which. I told Clarisse of the “sigil†I traced and how the spell it triggered killed Jack, the bandit leader. When we got to the hospital, I looked at Clarisse once more. She had shed her maid’s outfit for something more casual; a simple top with some pants and flat shoes. I was going to revert to my normal form, but I saw too many bandits who’d want me for the death of Jesse, and possibly for Jack’s death as well. Instead, I changed my outfit into something more casual as well. I chose a plain black tee with a nice black knee-length skirt. Along with that I chose to forgo nylons and changed from heels into sneakers. I decided to wait until we got to Paul’s room before changing completely back.
Paul was right down the hall, and he was alert. We walked into his room, closed the blinds over the window, and walked to his bedside. Paul was surprised to see Clarisse there.
“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be working, miss?†he asked her.
“Well, sir, I found out I had something in common with Cyndi here, so I thought I’ d best tell you about it as well.â€
“It looks like you’re doing better, sir. First off, I have something to show you.†With that, I concentrated on an image of Paul and quickly became a double of his.
“W-what just happened?†he asked incredulously.
“Simple. I can shape-shift it seems,†I replied. I swiftly changed back into my original form, that of Taylor.
“How did you come upon this… ability?†I began to tell Paul of the dreams of the old man, and Clarisse pitched in with her dream as well. “Ah, I see. So you are descendants of great heroes. You don’t know their names, though. Hmmm…. Clarisse, since it seems that destiny has her uses for you, I will grant you permission to leave with Taylor. Clarisse?†Clarisse’s eyes had rolled into her head. At first, I thought she was dead, but then her hands shot out and stopped over Paul’s bloody stump that showed where his arm had once been. Her hands began to trace out invisible images to most eyes, but they began to reveal themselves to my eyes. A circle was completed, then the hands traced out a cross sign from the top of the ring until the hands met again at the bottom. She was tracing a sigil! Suddenly her hands moved down a bit, and she traced the sigil again, then moved down again. I noticed the first sigil starting to glow, and I saw the stump lengthening. Clarisse was casting a healing spell! She was tracing healing sigils! As the last sigil was completed, she moved her hands back, and suddenly she shuddered a bit.
“Whoa. What just happened?†she asked.
“You don’t remember? Think, Clarisse,†I told he
