This choice: Kieran encounters no one and makes it to the others.... • Go Back...Chapter #7Escape to the Basement by: swapped4u   The minutes ticked by. Apparently Dyana couldn't stand staring at the elf in the mirror and longer and busied herself with reorganizing the room. Rickety chair over there, bags shoved under the bunk, clothes folded, weapons stowed on hooks.
Orokos broke his attention away from his face in the mirror. Human. He was human. The thought bounced around his head and echoed like a shout in an ice cave back home. Orokos leaned back on the bed - which groaned slightly under his new weight. Orokos felt like one of the giants from legends of old. Everything was too large, too heavy. His fingers brushed against his rounded ear, then inevitably back to his buzz cut. His too-large arm blocked the light of the room.
A knock. Dyana practically ripped the door out of the frame and pulled Kieran inside by his robes.
"What took you so long?!" She relieved him of his bags, tsking over the state of her belongings as they unceremoniously dumped out onto the floor.
Kieran immediately went to crash on his bunk, saw Orokos in his body currently occupying it, and instead took refuge by the wash basin in the corner. A wave of nausea always swept over him whenever he looked at his body. How in all the hells had this happened to all of them? This wasn't how this mission was supposed to go! He slumped down half dramatically and half because his legs were about to give out.
"Oh you know, stopped to smell the roses." Kieran croaked out to Dyana. The humor fell utterly flat.
"You have anything in your magic bag of tricks to make us feel less like death?" Orokos said. He sounded half asleep. A cut on his cheek had started to ooze.
"This should work." Dyana lit a stick of incense. Instantly a warm, homey, smell replaced the mildew and body odor of the bunkroom. The healing cloud filled the dimly lit room. It was a simple spell but powerful. It sped up the body's healing abilities and soothed anxious minds. For a long time they all watched the smoke as it flirted with the candle flames as they recovered. Then, drowsily, splashed some water on themselves and did their best to stare at the ceiling as they changed clothes.
They were broken from their stupor by the sound of Orokos' stomach growling.
"I like the way you think," Kieran chuckled, then frowned when it was Dyana's melodic laugh rather than his own. "What'd we say we make our way upstairs before they run outta the good stuff?"
"Anything that gets me closer to tomorrow, " Orokos sighed in relief as his aching muscles offered no complaints. The novelty of his new body's strength was suddenly at the forefront of his thoughts but he quickly pushed it from his mind. It wasn't his; it belonged to Kieran. "Let's head up. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
__________
"Barmaid! We're ready to order! I always think better on a full stomach. And I could really use some libations!" Kieran announced boisterously the second they entered. Dyana wanted to smack him. That was her body he was being an ass in!
"Alright one ale. What else can I get started tonight? We're having a special tonight on - "
"You can't drink in....!" Dyana said, aghast, just catching herself before revealing the inconvenient secret that hung over the group. "I mean when we're ona mission. I always thought Mages of the Maternal Goddess swear an oath to abstain from alcohol for life!"
"What? No!" Kieran looked genuinely shocked. Dyana stared daggers at him.
"Yes. It's true. No ale for you," She pointed to Orokos. "She'll have a cup of herbal tea, please."
"That's not fair!" Kieran whined.
The barmaid rolled her eyes. Why did she always get stuck with the weird table?
Dyana cleared her throat. "I'll have the goat stew and - "
"I thought you didn't eat meat....?" Orokos hissed. Though it came out as a genuinely threatening growl in Kieran's baritone. Dyana paled.
"Oh, uh, erm." She stammered.
"We have an elf dish on the menu. It comes with sparkling wine." The barmaid sighed, deadpan.
"He'll take it." Orokos said.
"I'll take the goat stew, turnips, and the herbal tea" Kieran said, dripping in sarcasm. He jerked a thumb to Orokos. "And he'll take the full special. With an ale. A big one."
"What's the - ?" Orokos objected.
"Trust me!" Kieran said with a wide grin on his face.
"Okay I'll put all that in," The barmaid started to walk away. "Weirdos...."
Moments later the barmaid returned. An enormous platter of sausages, lard fried potatoes, and cheese bread was slammed down in front of Orokos along with a hearty mug of ale. His jaw dropped.
A delicate portion of stew, bread, and turnips was placed in front of Kieran. The barmaid even poured the tea into a cup for him which, sullenly, Kieran sipped from.
Dyana had a plate of green things, boiled tree bark, and various nuts and berries placed in front of her along with the wine. She put on a resolute face.
"Kieran! You piece of cow dung!" Orokos said. "What part of 'elves don't eat meat' did you not understand?"
"You're not an elf anymore," Kieran took another sip of tea. Somehow the move was mocking. "You're a human now. And that's what I eat. Dig in."
Orokos had no response to that and contemplated his meal. He felt like a ravenous weredog. His mouth salivated at the disgusting meal. The ugly, plump, sausages. The warm potatoes dripping in fat. The shades of gold and orange of the melted cheese....Orokos bit his lip.
"Isn't this good?" Dyana piped a little too loudly as she attempted to chew through a mouthful of bark. "I (crunch) have always loved (crunch) ethnic food (gulp)."
As the merry sounds of the pub washed over them, Dyana and Kieran continued with their meals lost in thought. Kieran contemplated the pair of breasts he couldn't stop looking at every time he glanced down at his plate. Every twist of his new body reminded him they were there. He tried to concentrate on the slender hand holding the fork. Which was worse, somehow, and made him feel exceedingly weak. Dyana was no weakling, of course. She'd always manages to hold her own in battle. But the contrast between what Kieran was used to and what he had to work with now was as wide as a chasm. A chasm like what he knew was between his legs and - no Kieran stop thinking about it!
Dyana was struck with how masculine she felt. Wide and narrow in all the wrong places. And the problem of the manhood between her legs. Obviously she had studied human anatomy. It was all part of being a mage. But elves weren't human. Her pointed ears and lightweight body reminded her of that. More importantly men could not be members of the High Maternal Mages of the Divine Goddess. She'd tried, back in the forest, to summon her powers. None came to her. It made her feel utterly useless. Hadn't they always said magic was in your blood? Of course, Dyana scoffed, she wasn't exactly in possession of her own blood anymore.
"Holy Lights!!" Dyana and Kieran were shaken out of their contemplation by Orokos' practically lewd moans. And shred of reservation broken he shoveled almost an entire link of sausage into his already full mouth. "Does meat always taste this amazing!?"
Kieran barked a laugh. Dyana frowned at how quickly Orokos had broken his traditions. But then again, what was the harm? Like Kieran had said he was human for the time being. Just like she was an elf for the time being. What a peculiar thought: Dyana, an elf. Oh well. This was all temporary.
"Every time, man!" Kieran said, playfully punching him in the shoulder. Orokos chased his meal with the ale and a blissful smile spread across his face. "So I take it you're a meat eater now?"
"Yes." Orokos didn't even hesitate to mumble from his overfilled mouth. He took another hearty swig of ale and tucked right back into his meal.
"Wait until you try ribs. And beef steak. And fried chicken! And bacon!!" Kieran mused, looking like a proud parent. Orokos hung on his every word.
"Alright, alright," Dyana held up her hand. If only to get them go stop talking about meat. If she was gonna hold up her elven diet there was no way she could stand to listen to them going on and on about it. She shoved the sweetest looking berry from her plate into her mouth. "Now that we're all having a merry time let's get down to business. What's our first move in the morning?"  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline  · Recent Additions © Copyright 2025 swapped4u (UN: swapped4u at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Divine Bandit has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author