(Man to Lion, Woman to Eagle, Merging to Griffin)
Walten the Red marched through the halls, his chest pushed out like any of the king’s finest knights. Well, as one of the king’s *Former* finest knights. He’d been dishonored after a recent conflict in the Ariatic Hills that resulted in a notorious outlaw escaping.
None of it was his fault. Granted, he could have tied the damned imp a little tighter… But the cleric who’d accompanied him should have used some stronger magical bindings! She should have been a little bit more professional even if she was his bitch of a wife.
Serena… Why had he even thought of marrying her? Aside from her body. Or her personality. Or the way that she made his world bright except when getting him into monumental levels of trouble. Walten sighed, massaging his forehead before entering the conference room. His eyes widened as he saw the room’s only other occupant.
“Walten?” Serena gasped, her hands flying up as she instinctively raised half a dozen barriers. Even though he wasn’t the sort to swing at her, she knew he owed her at least one good hit for her slip-up. It wasn’t entirely her fault; she had thought he had tied their little prisoner more securely! Walten knew that she was always at ease around him—present circumstances excluded, of course.
“Easy, dearest. I’m not bitter.” Walten sighed, slamming his axe deep into the table between them. The wood cracked loudly as it broke, and Serena yelped in surprise. “Well, I’m not that bitter.” Walten clarified, slumping into a chair and crossing his arms.
“That oak must have cost thousands of gold!” Serena stared with wide eyes, now unsure of whether or not she should remain in the room. She was already in deep enough trouble as it was. Then again, ‘in sickness and in health’ might also apply to ‘in massive amounts of anxiety’.
And he’d stuck by her before, too. Serena sighed, casting a quick charm on the table to make it look like she’d damaged it as well. No sense in getting split up for something silly like prison, after all.
Walten noticed and offered Serena a slight nod. Though it was nowhere near the smiles he’d give her when they were together, it was definitely a start. He’d come to forgive her after a little bit of time, but first they’d need to get back in the king’s graces.
So maybe breaking the table was a bad idea, Walten pondered. He quirked his lips in a frown, inclining his head as a third figure entered the room.
“W-what have you done?” It was the High Wizard, who was currently doing his best impression of a goldfish out of water. “That’s-that’s-that’s…”
“A priceless piece of wood worth more than both of our lives combined?” Walten leaned back with a grin.
“To put a value on it would give it a price, you know.” Serena added hurriedly, smiling at her husband.
“Oh?” Walten turned to her, deliberately ignoring the gaping ancient in the room.
“Yeah. You know, giving something worth keeps it from being priceless.”
“I never thought of it like that.” Walten winked, placing his boots on the splintered remains. Then he looked to the old wizard, who’d just started to collect himself. “So what brings you here, old man?”
The wizard swallowed hard, looking at the pair slowly. He swallowed hard, glaring at them. “Well, I was going to ask your permission to do this…” He waved his hands and Walten and Serena’s clothes disappeared. “But I believe that cost just put you into just enough debt.”
“Well, we’re naked. Good job.” Walten sighed. “Though I’m impressed you got past Serena’s wards! You’re not the High Wizard for nothing, eh?” He turned to his wife with a smile, admiring her despite their present company.
Serena’s eyes were wide as she looked down at her husband’s groin. “Walten, your cock!” They hadn’t slept with each other for the week that had followed the pair’s disgrace, but Serena was pretty sure it didn’t look quite so furry.
“Yeah, it’s great.” Walten chuckled, tossing his hair in an overblown manner. As he did, the hairs around his neck began to grow out a little longer, lightening from his blonde to an orangeish red. “I mean, I know that I…” He glanced down, trailing off his sentence.
Serena’s toes went numb and she tore her eyes away from her husband’s changing body. “Oh no! And my feet!” She yelped aloud. Her skin was becoming a dark shade of yellow, cracking as it became dry and calloused. Her toes had become little more than claws, and it looked like her middle and outer pairs of toes were fusing.
She watched in horror and fascination alike as her soles shortened and her toes lengthened to compensate. Another toe had slid its way from her sole, slowly drawing out until Serena was standing on a pair of avian talons.
Hers weren’t the only feet to change. Walten leaned down to scratch at his feet as thick gold fur came out from the surface of his feet. He looked down to see that his toes were beginning to blimp out, becoming large and almost… feline?
Walten lifted a paw to see that the underside of his foot had grown thick leathery pads. Each of his toes had, too… Except for his big toe, which seemed to be pushing back into his body. His arches cracked down, flattening to paws.
“What the hell are you doing to us?” Serena looked up with tears in her eyes, her whole body shaking as feathers began to push their way from her skin.
Each of them started as a prickly, porcupine-like quill; but then they bloomed not unlike a palm’s fronds. Brown fur covered her from neck to toe, while her head seemed to be growing white feathers that forced out her hair.
The High Wizard smiled at the pair. “Well, our lord requested that he have a new hunting companion. I was going to give you a choice as to who would become the pet, but two is always better than one. The deal is simple. Thirty years as an animal, and my successor will change you back. You get your honor back, the king gets some animals. All you need to do is survive and ensure that out liege does as well.”
Walten and Serena shot each other a worried look, noting how they were covered in fur and feathers, respectively. Walden shook out his mane with slight irritation, working his jaw as it began to ache. “And I’m assuming that we’ll have to accompany him into battle as well?”
Walten’s jaw was slowly expanding, sliding ever so gently out from his face. He crossed his eyes, looking down to see his nose broaden out and his face grow a leonine muzzle. His teeth began to ache like someone was pulling on them, drawing out to leave him with a set of impressive fangs.
“Yes, for which I’ve made the two of you combat-ready.”
“And huge tarrgets.” Walten muttered, noticing his new vocal quirk. “Grrreat.” He muttered, furrowing his brow. If he was losing his vocal chords, he’d need to have a good last quip.
Walten looked at his changing wife. Already her arms had been locked into an avian position, and her hands had become little more than nubs at the end of her arms. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the changed appendages, feathery wings that were lengthening and lightening to grant her the gift of flight.
She looked to be on the verge of hyperventilation, so Walten settled for calming her down. “Hey, Therrrena? Thay Thafe.” He grimaced as the words left his thicker lips.
It probably would have been a good sentiment were it not for his thick lion’s tongue giving him an awkward lisp. Then again, the lisp was enough to break through Serena’s fear, and she sniggered. “Yeah, you too.”
The cleric looked back down to her arms, swallowing with fear. Her nose was beginning to ache, and Serena’s eyes watered as she started to grow a beak. It was a lot like growing talons: her skin went numb as it turned hard. Only at least her talons were only mostly numb, like she was wearing armor. This was completely numb; she couldn’t feel the hard keratin replacing her skin.
Serena fell down to the remains of the table, getting a look at her reflection in the glint of Walten’s axe. Sure enough, her nose had turned completely gold; as had much of her jaw. She watched her hairless head slowly grow a beak; watched the hard object grow long and pointed.
Her nostrils were now two slits on either side of her nose, and her beak had curved slightly to lend it a hooked appearance. Serena had just enough time to get a good look before her skull started to cramp. She yelped and moaned aloud, her hands flying to the side of her head.
Walten thumped to all fours as this was happening, his hips now keeping him from bipedal motion. He glared at his hands even as they became big and fluff paws. Then he looked up to see Serena whimpering, her eyes slowly sliding to the sides of her head.
Walten leapt to her side, wrapping his paws around her in a feline hug. Serena quietly squawked in surprise, then settled into his arms. Maybe they could spend this time getting to know each other a little better… The two animals settled down as their bodies twisted and cracked to proper proportions, and their spines slowly pushed out into tailbones.
“There we go!” The High Wizard turned as his master strode into the room. “And perfect timing, milord.”
Walten and Serena parted, each doing their best to stand at attention.
The king grinned as he looked at the two. “You did wonderfully, Drasto!” He walked up to Walten, inspecting his fangs. Then he leaned down to Serena, nodding to himself as he checked her wingspan. “And they both have perfectly human minds?”
“Absolutely, milord. I’ve rewritten them to have full control of motion, but the remainder of their minds are unchanged.” The High Wizard bowed deeply. “Which of them would you like to take with you on your hunt today?”
The king frowned, tapping his chin. “Hm. I need to test if they’re worthy of accompanying me into battle. And I am a fan of lions. On the other hand, those damned Corricks two kingdoms down have a court lion as well.”
“Quite the dilemma, milord.” The High Wizard said, voicing Walten and Serena’s thoughts, albeit with a good deal less sarcasm.
“How about…” The king tapped his lower lip. “They combine.”
“They combine?” The High Wizard blinked as he spoke.
A second later, Walten grunted and Serena squawked in unison. What the hell did the king mean by that?
“Yeah. Some sort of hybrid. You can undo this after, right?”
“Of course!” The High Wizard bowed. “Probably.” He added the last bit under his breath, so low that only the animals’ sensitive ears could pick it up.
Before they could protest, the High Wizard waved his arms, clapping his hands together.
Walten and Serena yelped aloud as they were pulled to each other by an irresistible force. The eagle looked to be squishing against the lion in distress, and she kicked her legs feebly.
Walten felt Serena pressing into his side, pushing so firmly against him. Then the pressure alleviated, and he looked down to see that she was being absorbed into his body. He grunted, shivering with apprehension as transformative energies flowed across him once more.
Serena, meanwhile, kept kicking and flapping in distress. She could feel her form slowly disappearing, being absorbed into her husband’s transformed body. Her wing slowly passed into his flank, and she groaned aloud in distress.
It was followed by the remainder of her aquiline form, slowly being pushed into his body. It wasn’t physically painful, but Serena couldn’t help but struggle against the changes that were slowly pushing her into a lion’s body. Then, with one final kick; her last talon disappeared within her husband’s form.
Walten whimpered loudly, then turned to bare his fangs at the wizard and his king. What did they do to Serena? And why did his head… Feel… Walten collapsed, groaning as Serena’s mind flew into his own. It was like a warm, reassuring hug, slowly easing all of his tensions.
He gasped aloud, feeling her mind slowly wrap around his, then diffuse. For just one last second, they were two entities. It was exactly long enough for both of them to think three words: ‘I love you’. Then their brains fully merged.
With this, the couple could feel their their lion’s head sank back into their torso, along with all of their paws. For a few moments, they rolled about in a sightless and soundless world. Then, their back ached, their shared shoulderblades pushing out into a pair of impressive wings.
The wings were followed by an aquiline head—formerly Serena’s—forcing itself from their blank neck. They opened their jaw to let out a triumphant screech, paw-sized talons already growing from their wrists. The two looked down to a talon, inspecting its wicked curves with undisguised glee. Then they looked back to the king and wizard, letting out another echoing cry.
“Perfect! Serena and Walten, was it? I think Serten would be a fair name for my new steed.” The king beamed, walking up to the pair.
They mulled it over, the thought of eviscerating their liege briefly passing through their mind. After all, it was his fault they had gotten in this situation. But instead of petting them, the king bowed, extending a hand.
“If you would do me the honor, that is.” He looked up with a confident smile, nodding at Serten widened their startled eyes.
They mulled it over, then lowered their head. Serten crooned as the king pet their head, nuzzling his arms.
“Great. And I never liked that table anyways.” He smiled, cradling his new mount’s head in his hands.
Serten crooned. Maybe they could use a few decades being one; getting pampered by the royal court. Either way, it was a hell of a way to regain their honor.