"I'm sorry, my lord. I have failed you, and I await your judgment." Kiara spoke bravely, but those who knew the warrior well, the archmage included, detected the fear in her voice. She briefly lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, then looked away quickly.

The archmage reflected on the decision that faced him. On one hand, Kiara was an able and trustworthy lieutenant. She could continue to be of service on one of the many fronts the duchy was pressed on. On the other hand, losing the fort Kiara had been defending was a critical setback. Coming down hard on her would show his other officers in the clearest terms that there was no further room for failure. He reflected for a moment more, then spoke, his voice echoing with supernatural clarity:

"Kiara Austeyn, the punishment for the loss of a fortress town is transformation. Given the more than sufficient supply and resources available to you, there will be no clemency." Kiara bit her lip to keep from cringing, but her heart sank. She had hoped for leniency. "In light of your lengthy and honorable service, you may choose your pose, and your transformation will be painless." Kiara steeled her courage. Having faced her doom so many times on the battlefield, she resolved to keep the same dignity here. Drawing a long breath, she unfastened the long tunic that served as a dress uniform and let it fall to the floor; she knew, as did everyone else, that all those the archmage transformed must be nude. She loosened and removed her boots to stand barefoot on the tile floor, then peeled off her undergarments, shoving them off to the side with her uniform. Finally Kiara picked her sword back up. She turned to face the archmage, stood her naked body straight, and bowed her head with the sword held in a salute.

 Kiara waited for a moment, but only for a moment. The archmage spoke a word of power and Kiara's flesh seemed to glow brightly for a moment. As he had promised, she didn't feel a thing; in an instant Kiara was transformed into a gleaming, polished white marble statue of herself. "Kiara Austeyn deserves to be a statue, but she also deserves to be remembered well for what she accomplished. Take her to a place of honor", he instructed the bailiff, and turned to the next supplicant.