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Oh dear, oh gosh...
We discussed it a whole lot with Remus_Clyde , been a while we wanted to have something together in the same world really ! And with both our interests in shape-shifting... the subject was just writing itself ^^
And talking about writing... it was the occasion to come back into roleplay storytelling, with an old DnD friend, so we could make this story together, writing each parts next to the others, each from our side of view. We went from quite difficult time each of us, and took way longer to write it than expected initially...
But in the end ? I got to write a story with a close friend, and we had a blast doing so... Story based on the art of one of my favourite artists of all, Joannazelle... i just couldn't be any happier ! <3
The art in itself is so good ! Both the characters are really made remade into the other species, and i love the artifact and flow of magic around it, twirling around us... if i had one nitpick about it, it would be to make my dragon friend bigger, but at that point and with how the art is shaped... it's just too good as is ^^
Remus the dragon belongs to
Remus_Clyde , go check his page !
Art by Joannazelle ( https://www.deviantart.com/joannazelle ), an amazing artist that was a pleasure to work with again !
So... here we are. If you read the story, i really hope you'll like it, and let me know your thoughts ! It's more slow paced and relaxed than my previous ones ^^
Know that my friend has its own "side" of the story on his account, he's a really good writer so i really invite you to read his side whenever you can !
Here it is : https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56480798/
_________________________________________________________________________________________
...
I can't feel my face any more with all the branches I'm hitting.
This is the first time I've followed Remus in his "natural environment"... and for sure, it feels amazing. To see him instinctively and joyfully leaping from one place to another through branches, roots and bushes of dangerous plants... that was something magical in itself !
... Well, I could certainly appreciate that more if I wasn't busy taking every obstacle in my face trying to keep up with him!
"H-hey ! ... Remus, slow down ! -Aouch!- You're not alone I remind you-"
And what's worse, I can hear him teasing me from over there- AIE! Those wings, legs and scaly body aren't made for slithering through the jungle, they're made for darting across vast expanses and giving me total mastery of the air ! ... This is one of the reasons why I don't like the Earth domain. Despite the beautiful view, it's literally the opposite of my environment... in addition to the fauna and flora which tended to be more... hostile than elsewhere!
But I'm almost there, come on, I can't even see him clearly anymore, but I can hear his voice, at last ! Light at the end of the tunnel! I'm almost there... aaahh- ! *Plopff-*
... I collapsed completely to the ground, my scales slightly scratched in places from my many blows. Fortunately, they were able to resist most of the shocks on the way, so I'm doing fine! I wonder how the local creatures manage to live here without scales...
Anyway, all's well, I let out a long sigh before standing up on my 4 legs, observing a Remus prouder than ever before me ! His fur glistened, his chest, his paws... there was something... soothing about seeing him connect with the earth. It was a great opportunity to observe where we were...
The message I'd found in Yskallia's royal library led us all the way to this region... to an old clearing that clearly hadn't seen any activity for a long time. My pupils dilate just a little, honestly... it's so refreshing to see such surroundings ! Remains of ruins dot the clearing, half-destroyed flagstones carved with simple motifs... And of course, the imposing rock-cut gateway just beyond !
As Remus concentrates on his surroundings, his body taking on a fluorescent hue, I look around me, at the roots, the engravings, the structures themselves... Some of the symbols seem... quite familiar ! Taking out the parchment from my satchel that has served as our guide so far, certain shapes seemed to recur quite often... spirals, like a sort of whirlpool ? Accompanied by simple symbols representing the various basic elements around them. As if they were mixing ?
"It's official : under our paws lies what you're looking for !"
I watch Remus tap the ground with his paw proudly, all excited. I can't help but show a big grin to my friend and partner, looking at the door one way and the floor afterward.
"It's got to be this way ! Apart from tearing out the slabs and digging, I can't see how we're going to get down... But I might have an idea how to open this door ! The parchment tells us how ! Let's hope the mechanism still works..."
Some areas are missing from the engraving on the door, and some marks are highlighted on the parchment... fortunately it was kept in good condition! I guess the cold, dry climate of the Ice Kingdom was perfect for this, heh... Although given the state of the clearing and the slabs still in relatively good condition, or at least not completely destroyed... I wondered if everything was that old ?
I try to concentrate on the missing and highlighted elements of the parchment, and re-grave them on the door.There did seem to be some pre-existing traces, just barely visible to the naked eye ! And the highlighted areas were in fact switches that can be pressed in one by one, in the order described...
Until some sort of “thud” is heard, I press back a few steps as a precaution, before observing with Remus an illumination of the engravings, before a rolling sound is heard, causing the floor to vibrate slightly as the door opens of its own accord, rolling towards the "ceiling" of what turns out to be a series of stairs going underground.
My limbs shiver a little all the way to my back, both anxious and excited by this turn of event !
"...I think we've got our access now. Wow. Hah... I always get the shivers at times like this ! H-hum... can you feel anything around here ?"
Remus looked back at me, nodding.
"Hmm...This is definitely the right track. Energy doesn't just pass through stone and earth. I can feel it going up this passage. Whatever it is, it's waiting for us!"
Remus took the lead, calmly descending the steps one by one. His body began to glow, first softly, then more intensely as he descended... It was a handy ability to have in such dark environments !
It was very difficult to observe our surroundings, nothing really lighting our way except my friend's fluorescent fur, forcing me to descend the steps with care.
"Hey, slow down a bit ! We don't know what might be waiting for us, traps might be active here !"
The further we descended, the more palpable the energy became... even for myself. Strands of light seemed to emerge from the walls and ceiling, progressing with us towards the depths... emitting a faint light that made it possible to distinguish where we were going a little better... It was strange to see the various temples and altars we visited so dilapidated, again and again... as if, for some reason, they found themselves abandoned by their creators. But then again... maybe that was the point, to let the temple blend into its surroundings, so that it would be even harder to access without the right information...
And that was all the more true and dangerous here.
The lights and energies only intensified... and not so long later, we finally reached the depths... I let out a shocked sigh, once again finding myself dazzled like a child ! I flit back and forth observing everything... from the roots piercing the flagstones, to the patterns on the destroyed walls, to the vaguely visible, gleaming gems protruding from the ceiling... For once I found myself just as excited if not more so than Remus !
But at the same time... he seemed... perhaps a little uncomfortable ? ... With his skills, that would mean... !
"Remus, I think we're just below a Spirit Realm ! This explains the crystals, and the magic roots... Be careful here, whatever the purpose, whoever built this place was surely trying to use its energy ! Hey ! ...Can you hear me ?"
I approach him slowly, while he only moves away step by step. Approaching the center of the room... a stele, towards which roots and flows of energy are concentrated... I... can't see clearly what's on it, just a kind of intense glow... !
But as I get closer, something takes shape... a drop... or some kind of spiral ! Like the drawings on the door and the parchment... But... it's weird...
"It's strange, it releases a great energy, and yet… It seems empty… Waiting for it to be filled… Maybe..."
... Remus made it all much clearer. It's as if magic interchanges and mingles within it, only to escape, never to reside...
... And without even realizing it, I move closer, fascinated by the strange object, but Remus is still in front and... wait... what ?!
"Wait ! We don't know what it d- !"
Before I even have time to finish my sentence, Remus grabs the artifact with the tip of his paw, as if hypnotized ! And the crystal began to change hue, green strands escaping through my friend's paw to him... This can't be true... I've got to stop this !!!
I rush towards the artifact, worried, rushing to push Remus but... ah... I can't fix anything else... I feel my own energy... drawing me in... !
I want to push Remus's paw away and block it, but... my paw finds itself... in contact with the crystal.
I feel my own energy escape for a moment, integrating the crystal, and the blue strands of magic mix and exchange with Remus's green strands. They change shape, mix, separate, the crystal taking on a dazzling cyan hue! I can hardly keep my eyes open, and I can't move my paw!
But... something changes... tethers... come up to me. It's my energy but... but...?!
My scales !! My paw- changes- ! My scales- my- my skin ?! What the- !!
It was as if tiny needles were pricking me as they went ! Moving up my arm with the energy threads, changing everything ! Scales turning to blue fur. Right down to my plates, which disappeared in their turn, and my muzzle, which deformed, lengthened, thinned… ! I close my eyes and try screaming, ending up growling in a way that's anything but draconic... !
I feel my breath drop... but... I barely manage to look to my right, and muster a few words...
"R-Remus, are you…?!"
I could feel this flow of energy... ! It was so... strange ! A burning, stinging sensation as I felt my own energy changing, being distorted, bringing about my own strange, painful transformation in every part of my body...!
No sooner had I finished my sentence, than a burst of light shot out of the artifact, dazzling us just before a deflagration of energy hurled us into the distance...!
*Crrrkk-*
... I collide violently with a wall, crumbling on contact. A muffled gasp escapes me as my vision blurs and darkens for a moment... my mind wavering...
.....
... Hrrnng... everything is so... foggy... weirdly... "intense"...
I smell... I smell... my scent ? It's similar, but different... "warmer"... An inhalation makes me choke, and cough profusely ! As if I were breathing in a sickening gas...
"But what… who are you? I've mistaken you for..."
I can hear Remus coming towards me... everything seems so confusing... ! The debris and smoke rising up around us prevent me from seeing and smelling properly, but I have the impression that every sound is multiplied... Dragons don't have the same sense of smell or hearing as wolves... it's... strange for me to feel all this variety at once!
I stand up painfully... feeling my thinner, slimmer paws... they're "made" for long, agile runs ! I stare at them, a shocked expression frozen on my muzzle, before letting out a painful groan as I try to move- Ackh-...
Everything spins... every little sound echoes a dozen times in my head, every breath makes me nauseous... I stagger, struggling to move one paw in front of the other with my bump against the wall, and the feeling of being so "frail"...
"...Aeryl ?"
The shape... I can see it getting clearer, but... it doesn't look like...
"... Remus ?"
Wh- a DRAGON ?! What the- how ?! This isn't good... if others have followed us, this place is going to be looted with nothing we can do in our condition !
I look left and right, and pretend to adopt a threatening posture, spreading my wings and... er...
... My wings ?
... My fur bristles at the moment, and the surprise of feeling and seeing my new blue coat reminding me what happened makes me choke and wobble, still slightly wounded...
"I-I really wasn't dreaming? No... what could have happened !!!"
I look around in panic, breathing rapidly to calm myself... I regained my composure, rethinking events... the artifact was when we touched it... so what I saw then…
The dragon... in reality... would that really be… ?
I slowly move closer, seeing him waving himself around, smelling more of his scent, but... differently. Changed. Like me.
He doesn't even notice me approaching, lost in his thoughts and apparent panic... And somehow…
I grab him, with my front paws, including the one injured by the shock.
"Remus ! ... It's you, isn't it ? It's me, Aeryl..."
He, too, froze on sight... clearly as confused as i am ! I shook him a bit more, until i finally have his reaction... yeah... no mistake there !
"Yeah, it's me ! And... And that's... That's you, Aeryl… Aeryl the dragon… Oh boy, that's very… VERY disconcerting"
I look left and right, and flash an embarrassed smile, unable to look him directly in the eye after mistaking him for a foe…
We were both shocked because he'd just arrived... I could feel my breathing getting heavier, even as I calmed down... damn, how do wolves do it with that fur ?! It's so hot... so stifling…
But really, of the two of us... it was clearly Remus who was more affected. Losing my wings is more than a little unsettling for me, as if I feel a weakness or a great emptiness... but having new limbs out of nowhere, I can't even imagine !
He took a few heavy steps in my direction... dragging his wing along the ground... I raise my paw slightly to help him, but... I don't really know how to advise him ! It's so second nature to me that- Uhh-
*... Booop*
...
"Wha... Huh ?"
I feel my muzzle being gently squeezed by Remus's scaly paw, slightly revealing my teeth and gums, before I push his paw away in one swift motion !
"Hey ! What are you-..."
"An Illusion ? No, this… this is real. I think… I think we've swapped species ! At least, that the artifact did !" Mused the dragon.
... Yes. So it is, for real... No dreaming, no collective hallucination, no illusion...
I'm an air wolf, and Remus is an earth dragon.
I take a few difficult steps around, observing the dilapidated sanctuary once again... It's not good... you're supposed to be an expert on these things, focus a bit !!! R-raahh... all these sounds, noises, echoes, old smells... it's making me nauseous…
I sit, taking a deep breath before letting out a long sigh.
The structure of the room, the energy flows Remus perceived... and I can still feel my energy being very slowly sucked into the artifact... in little droplets. And it's been strategically built under a Spirit Domain to harvest some of its magical energy... but, how can it affect us like this?... It's literally the kind of power you hear about in old stories... about...
...
... The parchment that guided us here. The door. These spiral symbols and runes carved all around these ruins and on this stele, is that... !!!
"... Our soul. Our magic source. It manipulates it. This artifact... it can swap our magical imprint... and makes us change species."
... I stand for a moment, pondering what I've just said, still unsure of my words.
"And... that would mean that whoever did this, they wanted to master some of the primal magic powers. And pretty much succeeded."
I sigh loudly, too tired to stand up after the shock of the transformation, and the nausea caused by all these different sensations... My tail wagging gently from side to side, betraying my excitement, and embarrassing me a little !
I nod my head at Remus's suggestion, on the face of it... given that the artifact was charged from the start, and that we haven't emptied it that much it seems... we should be able to use it again soon to get back to our base form ! In the meantime... we'll have to get used to these shapes !
"Brr...I'm super cold all of a sudden. How do reptiles survive without fur ?"
I turn back to him, watching him shiver a little, trying to protect himself as best he could with his wings... I admit, between me being too hot, and him shivering, I couldn't help but laugh a little at the situation !
"Pff- hahaha- ! Heh- s-sorry, sorry ! It's just... nervous ! Hem... Uh, if we're really, totally the different species... we- uh, dragons have more affinity using surrounding magic. I instinctively use little layers of air to regulate my temperature, but it has its limits... I confess I'm not sure what to tell you about earth magic."
Remus sent me a deadpan look… sighing at my reaction, but still decided to sit and focus on himself, following my advice... the energy of the environment flowing partly on him... despite my diminished affinity, I could feel it clearly. His chest shines brighter than ever, illuminating the room with a green glow, the surrounding crystals glowing the same color so characteristic of my friend... I give him a patient smile, watching him heave a sigh of relief, and the green glow taking on a softer hue.
I slowly move closer, trying to focus on him as best I can, to limit the nausea hanging over my nose as I breathe deeply and slowly.
Alerted by my condition, Remus takes a step in my direction.
“Hey, uh… If you've got a bit of a headache, close your eyes and try to concentrate on one smell at a time. Catalog them and put a name to them, slowly, it helps not to get too overwhelmed. And if it does not work... stick your snout in a bit of dirt and it'll pass.”
I stop dead in my tracks, my eyes wide open and my breathing more labored than ever. You don't have to tell me twice! I plunge my snout onto the cave's dusty, hewn stone as my legs give me away and send me tumbling... *Plompf-*
"Ghhh... Snnrrfff... Aaahh..."
I inhale heavily, my head against the ground... concentrating on the immediate scent as I close my eyes, the carved stone, the moss growing between the cracks... The rigid scales and bark breastplate of an earth dragon before me…
I blush a little, swallowing what little pride I have left and chuckle softly without moving too much... "Uh... T-thank you..."
A long sigh... and I finally stand. Still a little shaky but... better. I'm just beginning to "get my footing" in this body and understand what happened to us... the feat it was to create this artifact, how it works, and above all... the infinite potential it holds. Staring at it is more hypnotic than ever, as it just slowly charges up, gradually lighting up with its initial glow...
“Well, I guess all we can do now is wait... I should have known that following you on your adventures would be no walk in the park. But this is record-breaking. It's quite an experience being a dragon. It's all very well being part of the dominant species, but I prefer to keep my fur on... But I assure you, you look much better as a wolf ! At least you won't have to take all the branches !”
*Wag wag wag* ... Traitorous tail ! No matter how much I pout and growl, it seems to live its own life… ! Pfffrr...
... I slowly get closer to the dragon, tail still wagging... and finally press my paw on his snout !
"Hehehe... at least we're even now ! And be careful, my big nimble paws allow me to catch you from anything if you tease me back, even with your big scales, as long as we're like this !" I put on a happy face, before trotting gently around, giving him a little smile of my own…
Then I end up getting closer to the base, with the artifact still on it.
"Say... would... would you be willing to let me have it ? I know we've come this far together, and I could never have found it without you... but I want to study it so badly ! It's... just incredible how it could be designed... I-I'm sure there's so much to it ! In exchange... you can collect all the magic crystals that have condensed in these ruins, I know you have a use for them, and you can even get a good price for them..."
Remus looked at the glowy gem, focusing a second on it... before letting a smile draw itself on his muzzle, and shake his face left and right.
"Oh, go ahead, it's all yours ! I prefer to sell magic items that at least wait for authorization before taking effect. If I start changing species with the clientele, it's not likely to please everyone."
I let out one last sigh... and finally come staggering towards him... before wrapping my arms around him as best I can, with these new, thin limbs, over this thick, scaly body... concentrating to accompany my gesture with a small stream of magical air covering us both.
"... Thanks for everything, Remus. Heh... you're not so bad as a dragon either, you know... but hey... I'd clearly rather keep my wings !"
The green dragon returned the hug gently, after a moment of surprise... adding his own earth magic to the mix, light roots growing around us gently, giving an extra layer to this unique embrace...
"I'm the one who thanks you, Aeryl... Let's do it again whenever you want ! Once we've returned each other's form, we can plan another expedition for next time !"
I smile back at him, staying in that position for a moment, before laying down... resting from this very long day... wondering what else the future might hold.
We discussed it a whole lot with Remus_Clyde , been a while we wanted to have something together in the same world really ! And with both our interests in shape-shifting... the subject was just writing itself ^^
And talking about writing... it was the occasion to come back into roleplay storytelling, with an old DnD friend, so we could make this story together, writing each parts next to the others, each from our side of view. We went from quite difficult time each of us, and took way longer to write it than expected initially...
But in the end ? I got to write a story with a close friend, and we had a blast doing so... Story based on the art of one of my favourite artists of all, Joannazelle... i just couldn't be any happier ! <3
The art in itself is so good ! Both the characters are really made remade into the other species, and i love the artifact and flow of magic around it, twirling around us... if i had one nitpick about it, it would be to make my dragon friend bigger, but at that point and with how the art is shaped... it's just too good as is ^^
Remus the dragon belongs to
Remus_Clyde , go check his page !Art by Joannazelle ( https://www.deviantart.com/joannazelle ), an amazing artist that was a pleasure to work with again !
So... here we are. If you read the story, i really hope you'll like it, and let me know your thoughts ! It's more slow paced and relaxed than my previous ones ^^
Know that my friend has its own "side" of the story on his account, he's a really good writer so i really invite you to read his side whenever you can !
Here it is : https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56480798/
_________________________________________________________________________________________
...
I can't feel my face any more with all the branches I'm hitting.
This is the first time I've followed Remus in his "natural environment"... and for sure, it feels amazing. To see him instinctively and joyfully leaping from one place to another through branches, roots and bushes of dangerous plants... that was something magical in itself !
... Well, I could certainly appreciate that more if I wasn't busy taking every obstacle in my face trying to keep up with him!
"H-hey ! ... Remus, slow down ! -Aouch!- You're not alone I remind you-"
And what's worse, I can hear him teasing me from over there- AIE! Those wings, legs and scaly body aren't made for slithering through the jungle, they're made for darting across vast expanses and giving me total mastery of the air ! ... This is one of the reasons why I don't like the Earth domain. Despite the beautiful view, it's literally the opposite of my environment... in addition to the fauna and flora which tended to be more... hostile than elsewhere!
But I'm almost there, come on, I can't even see him clearly anymore, but I can hear his voice, at last ! Light at the end of the tunnel! I'm almost there... aaahh- ! *Plopff-*
... I collapsed completely to the ground, my scales slightly scratched in places from my many blows. Fortunately, they were able to resist most of the shocks on the way, so I'm doing fine! I wonder how the local creatures manage to live here without scales...
Anyway, all's well, I let out a long sigh before standing up on my 4 legs, observing a Remus prouder than ever before me ! His fur glistened, his chest, his paws... there was something... soothing about seeing him connect with the earth. It was a great opportunity to observe where we were...
The message I'd found in Yskallia's royal library led us all the way to this region... to an old clearing that clearly hadn't seen any activity for a long time. My pupils dilate just a little, honestly... it's so refreshing to see such surroundings ! Remains of ruins dot the clearing, half-destroyed flagstones carved with simple motifs... And of course, the imposing rock-cut gateway just beyond !
As Remus concentrates on his surroundings, his body taking on a fluorescent hue, I look around me, at the roots, the engravings, the structures themselves... Some of the symbols seem... quite familiar ! Taking out the parchment from my satchel that has served as our guide so far, certain shapes seemed to recur quite often... spirals, like a sort of whirlpool ? Accompanied by simple symbols representing the various basic elements around them. As if they were mixing ?
"It's official : under our paws lies what you're looking for !"
I watch Remus tap the ground with his paw proudly, all excited. I can't help but show a big grin to my friend and partner, looking at the door one way and the floor afterward.
"It's got to be this way ! Apart from tearing out the slabs and digging, I can't see how we're going to get down... But I might have an idea how to open this door ! The parchment tells us how ! Let's hope the mechanism still works..."
Some areas are missing from the engraving on the door, and some marks are highlighted on the parchment... fortunately it was kept in good condition! I guess the cold, dry climate of the Ice Kingdom was perfect for this, heh... Although given the state of the clearing and the slabs still in relatively good condition, or at least not completely destroyed... I wondered if everything was that old ?
I try to concentrate on the missing and highlighted elements of the parchment, and re-grave them on the door.There did seem to be some pre-existing traces, just barely visible to the naked eye ! And the highlighted areas were in fact switches that can be pressed in one by one, in the order described...
Until some sort of “thud” is heard, I press back a few steps as a precaution, before observing with Remus an illumination of the engravings, before a rolling sound is heard, causing the floor to vibrate slightly as the door opens of its own accord, rolling towards the "ceiling" of what turns out to be a series of stairs going underground.
My limbs shiver a little all the way to my back, both anxious and excited by this turn of event !
"...I think we've got our access now. Wow. Hah... I always get the shivers at times like this ! H-hum... can you feel anything around here ?"
Remus looked back at me, nodding.
"Hmm...This is definitely the right track. Energy doesn't just pass through stone and earth. I can feel it going up this passage. Whatever it is, it's waiting for us!"
Remus took the lead, calmly descending the steps one by one. His body began to glow, first softly, then more intensely as he descended... It was a handy ability to have in such dark environments !
It was very difficult to observe our surroundings, nothing really lighting our way except my friend's fluorescent fur, forcing me to descend the steps with care.
"Hey, slow down a bit ! We don't know what might be waiting for us, traps might be active here !"
The further we descended, the more palpable the energy became... even for myself. Strands of light seemed to emerge from the walls and ceiling, progressing with us towards the depths... emitting a faint light that made it possible to distinguish where we were going a little better... It was strange to see the various temples and altars we visited so dilapidated, again and again... as if, for some reason, they found themselves abandoned by their creators. But then again... maybe that was the point, to let the temple blend into its surroundings, so that it would be even harder to access without the right information...
And that was all the more true and dangerous here.
The lights and energies only intensified... and not so long later, we finally reached the depths... I let out a shocked sigh, once again finding myself dazzled like a child ! I flit back and forth observing everything... from the roots piercing the flagstones, to the patterns on the destroyed walls, to the vaguely visible, gleaming gems protruding from the ceiling... For once I found myself just as excited if not more so than Remus !
But at the same time... he seemed... perhaps a little uncomfortable ? ... With his skills, that would mean... !
"Remus, I think we're just below a Spirit Realm ! This explains the crystals, and the magic roots... Be careful here, whatever the purpose, whoever built this place was surely trying to use its energy ! Hey ! ...Can you hear me ?"
I approach him slowly, while he only moves away step by step. Approaching the center of the room... a stele, towards which roots and flows of energy are concentrated... I... can't see clearly what's on it, just a kind of intense glow... !
But as I get closer, something takes shape... a drop... or some kind of spiral ! Like the drawings on the door and the parchment... But... it's weird...
"It's strange, it releases a great energy, and yet… It seems empty… Waiting for it to be filled… Maybe..."
... Remus made it all much clearer. It's as if magic interchanges and mingles within it, only to escape, never to reside...
... And without even realizing it, I move closer, fascinated by the strange object, but Remus is still in front and... wait... what ?!
"Wait ! We don't know what it d- !"
Before I even have time to finish my sentence, Remus grabs the artifact with the tip of his paw, as if hypnotized ! And the crystal began to change hue, green strands escaping through my friend's paw to him... This can't be true... I've got to stop this !!!
I rush towards the artifact, worried, rushing to push Remus but... ah... I can't fix anything else... I feel my own energy... drawing me in... !
I want to push Remus's paw away and block it, but... my paw finds itself... in contact with the crystal.
I feel my own energy escape for a moment, integrating the crystal, and the blue strands of magic mix and exchange with Remus's green strands. They change shape, mix, separate, the crystal taking on a dazzling cyan hue! I can hardly keep my eyes open, and I can't move my paw!
But... something changes... tethers... come up to me. It's my energy but... but...?!
My scales !! My paw- changes- ! My scales- my- my skin ?! What the- !!
It was as if tiny needles were pricking me as they went ! Moving up my arm with the energy threads, changing everything ! Scales turning to blue fur. Right down to my plates, which disappeared in their turn, and my muzzle, which deformed, lengthened, thinned… ! I close my eyes and try screaming, ending up growling in a way that's anything but draconic... !
I feel my breath drop... but... I barely manage to look to my right, and muster a few words...
"R-Remus, are you…?!"
I could feel this flow of energy... ! It was so... strange ! A burning, stinging sensation as I felt my own energy changing, being distorted, bringing about my own strange, painful transformation in every part of my body...!
No sooner had I finished my sentence, than a burst of light shot out of the artifact, dazzling us just before a deflagration of energy hurled us into the distance...!
*Crrrkk-*
... I collide violently with a wall, crumbling on contact. A muffled gasp escapes me as my vision blurs and darkens for a moment... my mind wavering...
.....
... Hrrnng... everything is so... foggy... weirdly... "intense"...
I smell... I smell... my scent ? It's similar, but different... "warmer"... An inhalation makes me choke, and cough profusely ! As if I were breathing in a sickening gas...
"But what… who are you? I've mistaken you for..."
I can hear Remus coming towards me... everything seems so confusing... ! The debris and smoke rising up around us prevent me from seeing and smelling properly, but I have the impression that every sound is multiplied... Dragons don't have the same sense of smell or hearing as wolves... it's... strange for me to feel all this variety at once!
I stand up painfully... feeling my thinner, slimmer paws... they're "made" for long, agile runs ! I stare at them, a shocked expression frozen on my muzzle, before letting out a painful groan as I try to move- Ackh-...
Everything spins... every little sound echoes a dozen times in my head, every breath makes me nauseous... I stagger, struggling to move one paw in front of the other with my bump against the wall, and the feeling of being so "frail"...
"...Aeryl ?"
The shape... I can see it getting clearer, but... it doesn't look like...
"... Remus ?"
Wh- a DRAGON ?! What the- how ?! This isn't good... if others have followed us, this place is going to be looted with nothing we can do in our condition !
I look left and right, and pretend to adopt a threatening posture, spreading my wings and... er...
... My wings ?
... My fur bristles at the moment, and the surprise of feeling and seeing my new blue coat reminding me what happened makes me choke and wobble, still slightly wounded...
"I-I really wasn't dreaming? No... what could have happened !!!"
I look around in panic, breathing rapidly to calm myself... I regained my composure, rethinking events... the artifact was when we touched it... so what I saw then…
The dragon... in reality... would that really be… ?
I slowly move closer, seeing him waving himself around, smelling more of his scent, but... differently. Changed. Like me.
He doesn't even notice me approaching, lost in his thoughts and apparent panic... And somehow…
I grab him, with my front paws, including the one injured by the shock.
"Remus ! ... It's you, isn't it ? It's me, Aeryl..."
He, too, froze on sight... clearly as confused as i am ! I shook him a bit more, until i finally have his reaction... yeah... no mistake there !
"Yeah, it's me ! And... And that's... That's you, Aeryl… Aeryl the dragon… Oh boy, that's very… VERY disconcerting"
I look left and right, and flash an embarrassed smile, unable to look him directly in the eye after mistaking him for a foe…
We were both shocked because he'd just arrived... I could feel my breathing getting heavier, even as I calmed down... damn, how do wolves do it with that fur ?! It's so hot... so stifling…
But really, of the two of us... it was clearly Remus who was more affected. Losing my wings is more than a little unsettling for me, as if I feel a weakness or a great emptiness... but having new limbs out of nowhere, I can't even imagine !
He took a few heavy steps in my direction... dragging his wing along the ground... I raise my paw slightly to help him, but... I don't really know how to advise him ! It's so second nature to me that- Uhh-
*... Booop*
...
"Wha... Huh ?"
I feel my muzzle being gently squeezed by Remus's scaly paw, slightly revealing my teeth and gums, before I push his paw away in one swift motion !
"Hey ! What are you-..."
"An Illusion ? No, this… this is real. I think… I think we've swapped species ! At least, that the artifact did !" Mused the dragon.
... Yes. So it is, for real... No dreaming, no collective hallucination, no illusion...
I'm an air wolf, and Remus is an earth dragon.
I take a few difficult steps around, observing the dilapidated sanctuary once again... It's not good... you're supposed to be an expert on these things, focus a bit !!! R-raahh... all these sounds, noises, echoes, old smells... it's making me nauseous…
I sit, taking a deep breath before letting out a long sigh.
The structure of the room, the energy flows Remus perceived... and I can still feel my energy being very slowly sucked into the artifact... in little droplets. And it's been strategically built under a Spirit Domain to harvest some of its magical energy... but, how can it affect us like this?... It's literally the kind of power you hear about in old stories... about...
...
... The parchment that guided us here. The door. These spiral symbols and runes carved all around these ruins and on this stele, is that... !!!
"... Our soul. Our magic source. It manipulates it. This artifact... it can swap our magical imprint... and makes us change species."
... I stand for a moment, pondering what I've just said, still unsure of my words.
"And... that would mean that whoever did this, they wanted to master some of the primal magic powers. And pretty much succeeded."
I sigh loudly, too tired to stand up after the shock of the transformation, and the nausea caused by all these different sensations... My tail wagging gently from side to side, betraying my excitement, and embarrassing me a little !
I nod my head at Remus's suggestion, on the face of it... given that the artifact was charged from the start, and that we haven't emptied it that much it seems... we should be able to use it again soon to get back to our base form ! In the meantime... we'll have to get used to these shapes !
"Brr...I'm super cold all of a sudden. How do reptiles survive without fur ?"
I turn back to him, watching him shiver a little, trying to protect himself as best he could with his wings... I admit, between me being too hot, and him shivering, I couldn't help but laugh a little at the situation !
"Pff- hahaha- ! Heh- s-sorry, sorry ! It's just... nervous ! Hem... Uh, if we're really, totally the different species... we- uh, dragons have more affinity using surrounding magic. I instinctively use little layers of air to regulate my temperature, but it has its limits... I confess I'm not sure what to tell you about earth magic."
Remus sent me a deadpan look… sighing at my reaction, but still decided to sit and focus on himself, following my advice... the energy of the environment flowing partly on him... despite my diminished affinity, I could feel it clearly. His chest shines brighter than ever, illuminating the room with a green glow, the surrounding crystals glowing the same color so characteristic of my friend... I give him a patient smile, watching him heave a sigh of relief, and the green glow taking on a softer hue.
I slowly move closer, trying to focus on him as best I can, to limit the nausea hanging over my nose as I breathe deeply and slowly.
Alerted by my condition, Remus takes a step in my direction.
“Hey, uh… If you've got a bit of a headache, close your eyes and try to concentrate on one smell at a time. Catalog them and put a name to them, slowly, it helps not to get too overwhelmed. And if it does not work... stick your snout in a bit of dirt and it'll pass.”
I stop dead in my tracks, my eyes wide open and my breathing more labored than ever. You don't have to tell me twice! I plunge my snout onto the cave's dusty, hewn stone as my legs give me away and send me tumbling... *Plompf-*
"Ghhh... Snnrrfff... Aaahh..."
I inhale heavily, my head against the ground... concentrating on the immediate scent as I close my eyes, the carved stone, the moss growing between the cracks... The rigid scales and bark breastplate of an earth dragon before me…
I blush a little, swallowing what little pride I have left and chuckle softly without moving too much... "Uh... T-thank you..."
A long sigh... and I finally stand. Still a little shaky but... better. I'm just beginning to "get my footing" in this body and understand what happened to us... the feat it was to create this artifact, how it works, and above all... the infinite potential it holds. Staring at it is more hypnotic than ever, as it just slowly charges up, gradually lighting up with its initial glow...
“Well, I guess all we can do now is wait... I should have known that following you on your adventures would be no walk in the park. But this is record-breaking. It's quite an experience being a dragon. It's all very well being part of the dominant species, but I prefer to keep my fur on... But I assure you, you look much better as a wolf ! At least you won't have to take all the branches !”
*Wag wag wag* ... Traitorous tail ! No matter how much I pout and growl, it seems to live its own life… ! Pfffrr...
... I slowly get closer to the dragon, tail still wagging... and finally press my paw on his snout !
"Hehehe... at least we're even now ! And be careful, my big nimble paws allow me to catch you from anything if you tease me back, even with your big scales, as long as we're like this !" I put on a happy face, before trotting gently around, giving him a little smile of my own…
Then I end up getting closer to the base, with the artifact still on it.
"Say... would... would you be willing to let me have it ? I know we've come this far together, and I could never have found it without you... but I want to study it so badly ! It's... just incredible how it could be designed... I-I'm sure there's so much to it ! In exchange... you can collect all the magic crystals that have condensed in these ruins, I know you have a use for them, and you can even get a good price for them..."
Remus looked at the glowy gem, focusing a second on it... before letting a smile draw itself on his muzzle, and shake his face left and right.
"Oh, go ahead, it's all yours ! I prefer to sell magic items that at least wait for authorization before taking effect. If I start changing species with the clientele, it's not likely to please everyone."
I let out one last sigh... and finally come staggering towards him... before wrapping my arms around him as best I can, with these new, thin limbs, over this thick, scaly body... concentrating to accompany my gesture with a small stream of magical air covering us both.
"... Thanks for everything, Remus. Heh... you're not so bad as a dragon either, you know... but hey... I'd clearly rather keep my wings !"
The green dragon returned the hug gently, after a moment of surprise... adding his own earth magic to the mix, light roots growing around us gently, giving an extra layer to this unique embrace...
"I'm the one who thanks you, Aeryl... Let's do it again whenever you want ! Once we've returned each other's form, we can plan another expedition for next time !"
I smile back at him, staying in that position for a moment, before laying down... resting from this very long day... wondering what else the future might hold.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Transformation
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 2677 x 1376px
File Size 4.28 MB
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