The going may have been slow, but it was getting easier. The principle was to move two legs at a time slightly out of sync. Consciously thinking about this process would trip you up. There was more than one stumble that ended on the ground with kicking and grunts of frustration. To keep your mind otherwise occupied and your movements automatic, you evaluated what you knew.
Your experience with magic was limited. Swords and strength were more familiar, which made you glad that your blade was still strapped to your side. How to translate the necessary foot work? Treating it like fighting on horse back seemed like a good starting point. Maybe a lance would be more suitable. It was fortunate this area of the Mallow kingdom was fairly peaceful. If you encountered someone with lethal intentions, the few swings you had tried made you doubtful of your new body's arm strength. Perhaps you should learn to run? That seemed a more appropriate response to danger at the moment.
Hopefully none of that would matter. Turning back soon would make all those considerations unnecessary. With what little you knew, what could you say about your condition? Well, it is some sort of curse. It seems to have changed your body as you woke up in the same place. It is unlikely that your mind was switched with some centaur lady who happened to be passing by. But if that is the case, why had seemingly everything changed. You were not just turned into a centaur version of yourself, but a totally different female creature. What you needed was help, someone with practical experience in magic.
As you trot along, not going in any particular direction, a voice begins to echo in the distance. You are so lost in thought that it is not until the singing is quite clear that you notice it. A woman's voice carrying beautifully on the wind sang a vocalise. You were so enticed that you approached the source without any hesitation. You were standing before a great tree after a few moments. One that stood more tall and broad than any other around by threefold. Standing enraptured by the beauty of both the music and tree, you are surprised by a bright flash that emanates from the plant as the song ends.
When the light fades, a figure is now standing in front of the tree facing you. A woman that looks similar to you. She was a bit smaller as her lower body closely resembled a deer. The skin of her upper body was unclothed and green. Long red hair fell in curls about a pointed face that wore a friendly expression. She spoke in a excited cadence that matched the singing that had drawn you in the first place.
"Hello! Hello, my child! Oh it is so wonderful to see one here. Why have you summoned me?"
You look at her uncertainly for a few moments before speaking.
"Umm, thank you? But you must be confused, I came here because of the singing. I didn't summon you."
She laughed and bounced closer.
"Of course you summoned me! I heard and answered your prayer for help. What troubles you?"
"Before we get to that, could you tell me a bit about yourself? Are you a centaur?"
"My girl! Do you not recognize a dryad when you see one? I am a patron spirit of your people! How could you summon me and not know... Oh! I see what is going on here. You have not been properly educated have you? I bet you have come from Equolt and they never taught you to harness the magic within yourself."
"Well... The part about not knowing much is true. What is this Equolt place though?"
The dryad pouts and speaks in an annoyed tone.
"Equolt is the city established by centaur some time ago. Several of them abandoned your natural nomadic ways and built an ugly place of stone and dead plants. The people there have lost their connection to nature. More and more abandon the old ways with each year."
Her eyes brighten looking you up and down.
"But you have a strong connection if you were able to call me without even meaning! Oh I can tell you are lost and confused in this world, but I can teach you! If you stay with me a while, you will learn to harness the latent power that lies within."
She steps close to you and takes your hands in hers. Her touch is warm but the skin is as hard and unyielding as bark. Her expression full of hope, she waits patiently for a response.
If what she said is true, maybe this magic within you is the key to return to normal. She seemed friendly enough, but you were unsure how she would react if she learned the truth about you. Knowing very little about all this, perhaps traveling to this centaur city would offer some clarity. But was your goal not to turn back as soon as possible? If this spirit was powerful and really did want to help you, surely she could turn you back by herself.
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