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Trapped in the arms of the bestial gnoll skeleton Shy sagged in defeat, his futile battering and flailing was getting him nowhere. The undead horror was too powerful, it's unnatural strength more than enough to subdue the scrawny hyena. He watched in the flickering light from the burning cart as the other undead searched in a mechanical way through the wreckage of his supplies. It had been a simple enough day, moving from one village to the next, pulling his hand cart full of useful materials for writing and reading and teaching village children.

Then the undead had come shambling out of the woods on either side of the road, five skeletons, there zombies with flesh that hadn't yet started to turn putrid. Shy had tried to run than fight but they'd captured him alive though from the piercing shriek that had broken the silence he thought Freyl his wolf bodyguard hadn't been as lucky. Wriggling one last time Shy squeaked as the skeleton holding him squeezed the air from his lungs and made his vision waver.

Holding still, wheezing through his nose Shy looked around wildly, all he could see was the undead. The road was empty except for skeletons and animated dead. Then a short figure clambered up out of the ditch at the side of the road and stood, hands on hips regarding the scene. He was a kobold, with rich yellow scales and a head covered in metallic gold horns in four lines. He was wearing a bulky emerald green robe that was open at the front, it was ragged and unkempt, wrinkled and creased but the kobold clearly didn't care about his appearance. He made a hooking motion with one clawed hand and the huge gnoll skeleton lumbered into motion. It's legs made unnatural sounding clicking noises and pale yellow fire burnt inside its skull and chest.

"Who... who are you? What do you want?"

Shy's question was ignored as the kobold stood there examining his captive then his scaled face split into a big, sharp toothed grin. He motioned again and the skeleton followed him over to the burning cart and the lump of fur lying sprawled on the floor. It was Freyl, his neck bent at an unnatural angle, eyes open in surprise. He had fought valiantly, covered Shy's attempt to flee but ultimately had been outnumbered.

"Please... what do you want?"

"Hmm..." the kobold hissed and turned to regard Shy, pale yellow eyes running over the hyena, "I need a test subject, I picked you, now hush... or I'll hush you permanently."

Turning away the kobold raised his arms then paused to shake back the sleeves of his robes, muttering in its natural tongue. Once its arms were free his claws flexed and pale yellow fire fell from his fingers onto Freyl's corpse. Shy thought he was going to set fire to it and erase the evidence of the attack but suddenly the black and silver wolf's eyes started to glow and his body twitched and shook, lurching back to life.

"No," Shy screamed as Freyl stood up, eyes vacant, arms twitching up to reset his head before picking up his sword, "You can't stop, please stop, stop you can't!"

"Of course I can," the kobold snapped with a hiss, "He's perfect, a proper warrior, makes for a much stronger zombie."

Shy started to sob and beg for the kobold to stop and the tiny lizard just hissed angrily and ordered the gnoll skeleton to lower the hyena. Shy tried to flinch away but the bastard necromancer gripped his head and forced his head back to look into his pale yellow eyes. Shy wasn't sure what he was doing then he felt the magic Surge into his head from the kobolds hands. Like when he brought Freyl back there was no incantation, no obvious spell just sudden magic. The yellow kobold was a sorcerer and then Shy's thoughts dissolved as pain lanced across the front of his throat. It burnt and the hyena whined and then gaped in shock as his whine petered out into nothing. Mouthing opening and closing in shock Shy stared at the yellow kobold as he took his hands away and smirked softly, pointed, reptilian tongue hissing out as he chuckled and backed up a few steps.

"There, I need a test subject not a whining pet," he turned away and started into the woods and his zombies followed. Shy found himself being carried into the woods, the undead spread out in a semi-circle around the kobold and his former bodyguard now striding... shambling along in pride of pace just behind the sorcerer. He tried struggling occasionally but the gnoll showed no signs of releasing him so Shy just sagged despondent in the skeletons arms as he was carried along. Over an hour passed before they reached a large clearing, one side consisted of a scattering of rocky outcroppings that formed the edge of a large, pond whose other edges were thick with mud and tangled weeds. Everything else was tangled brush and large slabs of stone, some piled high with alchemy equipment, what looked like a tanning frame, a fire-pit and a makeshift shelter made from large slabs of stone.

It looked neat and tidy for the most part and the air was clear and clean and waiting for them was a wolf with bright lemon yellow fur. It was almost identical in shade to the kobold's though he was naked except there was nothing between his legs to be seen, just lemon fur. His only piece of clothing was a large red hat shading his eyes and muzzle and he watched quietly as the kobold sent the undead monsters off into the woods to patrol and form a perimeter around the camp.

"What is this for?" the wolf asked, gesturing at Shy, "I thought you wanted to work on transmutation still."

"I do Master," the kobold yipped, ordering the gnoll skeleton to strip Shy of his clothing then bundle him naked into a large wooden cage standing near the fire-pit, "But I need a live test subject, inanimate objects are ok Kaed but if I am to master this I need someone to test it on and my undead aren't much use."

The wolf shrugged and wandered over to the rocky outcropping and settled onto it, "Fair enough, carry on, let's see what you can do Erin."

Erin... so that was his captors name, Shy wasn't sure how that information would be useful but it was something. He tried talking to Erin, waving his hands and moving his jaws, silently mouthing words in an attempt to communicate but the kobold ignored him. First Erin kicked off his robe, tossing it carelessly over a bush clearly more comfortable without lots of encumbering clothes. Once he was nude the kobold settled down in front of the cage and studied the hyena, his pale yellow eyes running over his limbs and examining him much like you would examine a mount in a stable. Shy tried again to talk, to plead silently with his captor but Erin interrupted him by sticky a hand into the cage and thumping Shy in the chest. There was a warm sensation, a feeling of twisting inside and suddenly Shy's fur started to fall out, he danced back and forth in the cage, pawing at his body in alarm as his fur cascaded onto the floor. It fell out in clumps, raining down all about until after less than a minute he was nude and shivering in the cage.

Erin sighed and glared at the hyena then looked at Kaed, "What did I do wrong?"

"I can't tell you," the wolf said leaning forward, "It is your power Erin, it has to come from inside you, everyone sorcerer is different, I'd say you are trying to do it like me, that will not work. You need to look inside, let your power show you the way it wants to go then embrace."

Groaning the yellow kobold sat back on the ground and frowned, "Do it my way... great thanks Master... you're being so insightful."

Kaed tipped his hat down over his eyes and lay back, "I know I am very insightful, now try again."

Shy whimpered silently and pulled back against the far side of his cage as Erin turned his attention back on the hyena. There was no running away however and for a long moment the kobold just sat there, staring at him then he reached out with his hands and wriggled his claws.

At first nothing happened and then Shy shivered but not from the cold, it was as if cloying, teasing fingers of magical energy were engulfing his body, teasing, tugging and toying with his body. Everything felt wrong, his skin grew tight, his lungs twitched making him wheeze silently as his heart-raced and then he began changing. Holding his hands out before his face the hyena stared in horror as his fingers shrank, his thumbs grew knobbly and useless as his claws changed colour. Ridges stood out atop the back of his hand, tendons that moved as his fingers moved and bent into clawed, digitigrade paws. His feet were undergoing a similar change and Shy swayed as he tried to stay kneeling upright but fell forwards as his knees twisted, his elbows twitched and his hips and shoulders bent in odd new directions.

Landing on all fours Shy tried to scream, tried to cry out, it hurt and yet at the same time didn't pressure would build for a moment and then fade as his body changed rapidly. He was losing his sleek hyena form; growing a long, barrel chested body as his head creaked forwards, his lips peeled back, horns started to sprout along the ridges of his new head and down his spine as he felt his ears slip into the side of his head. Shy's tail thickened up, growing longer, wider and heavier and then with a sharp twist his legs finished realigning and Shy was able to turn his head to watch the odd pebble like pattern of goosebumps rising across his skin. It itched, it burned and Shy rubbed himself against the bars of his cage, whining and crying out in silence until suddenly his skin ruptured. Scales broke the surface as he shed his old skin like a snake and stumbled about on all fours before tripping up and landing in a heap.

Lifting his head in a daze Shy slowly became aware of his new size, he filled the cage, his head was at one end, his tail and feet curled against the bars behind. He was huge... with pale green scales all over his body, he no longer felt cold and his heart was slow and steady. Erin yipped excitedly and bounced up onto his feet and scampered around the cage, examining Shy's body from outside.

"I did it, look, hyena to monitor lizard, this is great, I did it."

The wolf lifted his hat and regarded the Shy, he shuffled his feet, there was something about the wolf that was... unusual, he smelt wrong. He walked over and peered in at the cage then grinned at Erin, "Well done, how did you do it?"

"I just sort of reached out and imagined he was clay, using my power to reshape him, changing him bit by bit rather than all at once like you do."

"A slow method, but interesting," Kaed murmured, "Do it again, see if you can make it happen faster, you don't usually have the time for leisurely transformations."

Erin grinned happily at the praise then eyed the large monitor lizard, he cracked his knuckles and reached out with his hands again, grinning wickedly as he called upon his power. During the course of the afternoon Shy was changed, from a monitor lizard he was shrunk and twisted into the form of a hare, small and fast with sandy fur! He tried to run for it, scampering out of the cage but Erin was ready for that and before he reached the edge of the clearing he started to change again winding up as a huge snail, legless, slow and with a heavy shell that was nearly the same size as the kobold. It was incredibly unpleasant, finding your bones melting away and being reduced to a slimy beast and still he had no voice.

After the snail Erin started to get exotic, the young sorcerer revelling in his new found abilities. He humiliated Shy by turning him into a giant, wingless ostrich and switching his gender all through the use of his peculiar powers. He was testing his abilities, the changes in mass and gender all part of his schooling under the watchful, amused gaze of the yellow wolf. After the bird Kaed suggested Erin try something exotic, to really go to town and Shy would have whimpered if he had a voice. What he wound up as was a chimeric mix, the back legs of some kind of big cat, the front legs of a reptile, the tiny tail of a deer and the arching, strong head and neck of a wolf.

Panting heavily the kobold locked Shy back in his cage and sprawled out by the firepit, using a simple wave of his hand to ignite the wood waiting for him. It was growing dark and the heavy use of his powers had clearly tired the kobold out. He clearly intended to leave Shy trapped in the chimeric body over-night and Shy whined silently and lay down in his cage, at least he was alive... which is more than he could say for Friel. The wolf came into camp just after sunset carrying a brace of rabbits which Erin skinned using his claws and cooked over the fire.

The kobold ate and wandered off to go bathe in the pool, Shy watched for awhile then turned his head as someone loomed up beside his cage. No inside the bars, it was the wolf Kaed, he hadn't opened the cage door, how had he gotten inside. Shy bared his fangs and tried to snap his jaws at the wolf but he grabbed one of his ears and the former hyena's limbs went limp as the wolf leaned in close and smirked.

"Such a strong beast, so full of life too... well as long as my student, my servant is keeping you around I may as well make use of you too," Shy had a moment to see Kaed's jaws open wide before his head was jerked to one side and those too sharp, terrifying fangs drove into the side of his neck. The world grew warm and hazy as the wolf drank his fill, he didn't know how long the vampiric wolf drank but eventually Shy became aware that he was gone and looked up with bleary eyes toward the fire. Erin was back lounging on his side and talking quietly with the wolf, whatever the kobold and wolf had planned for him next it was clear Shy wasn't going to get out of this predicament easily... he was well and truly their toy now.

-0-

After the first night Erin continued with his experiments, he had found a way to manipulate his power. Having unlocked the secret to managing his transmutation powers he was eager to explore what he could do. Considering he now owned a living, breathing test-subject he was up nice and early, well before sunrise to get back to work. It was hours to sunrise when the yellow kobold prodded the chimeric Shy awake with a short yellow claw. Living with a vampiric master, even one immune to sunlight the kobold was used to staying up most of the night, even all night some days.

Kaed was off somewhere doing something or other, his master was an enigmatic one. Prodding the chimera again Erin grinned as Shy opened his amber eyes and stared out at the kobold and tried to whine. The kobold laughed softly, a wicked gleam shining in his eyes as he stepped back to allow a shambling form to move up and open the top of the cage. It was Freyl, the undead wolf stared with unseeing eyes at Shy them hauled him out of the cage.

"I thought I'd get some help in case you try to he recalcitrant pet, now then...."

Shy shied back as Erin raised his hands and then the chimeric beast gasped in shock as he felt the now familiar sensation engulf his body. It felt like layers of invisible hands were pulling his skin, making his bones ache, reaching beneath skin and fur to squeeze his organs. Eyes bulging the silenced beast tossed his head back in a silent howl as he began to transform once again. The squeezing, breath holding moment before the transformation began passed and Shy began to transition into a new body. He couldn't stop it, Erin was in control and step by step he changed, limbs and torso transforming, being moulded by the kobolds teasing, toying sorcery.

Shy flopped around on the ground, fins flapping, gills heaving as he started to suffocate. Then the cold, lifeless hands of the wolf picked him up and tossed him into the pond. He sank and twitched his tail, gulping down gillfuls of water and tumbled end over end as he tried to understand his new fin and tail arrangement. Time had no meaning and the water of the pond was muddy and cold beneath the stars and he had no concept of time. He could have been in there for an hour or just minutes, his mind felt so jumbled up and confused and then the phantasm of hands returned, gripped his body and lifted him from the water, pulling him in every direction.

That pause, that moment before the change began as Erin's power engulfed him, it felt good... Shy tried to block out that feeling but it was hard to ignore. He was transforming again, growing legs, a tail, fur spreading along his spine and up between his shaggy ears like a Mohawk. Stumbling out of the water Shy stared down at his big feet, he was a tiny dog, furless except for the crest spread along his back with deep rich chocolate brown skin. He was still staring at his paws when yellow scaled hands fastened a looping collar of rope around his neck. He yelped then fell silent when he realised he had made a noise, head coming up to stare at Erin.

"Oh yes, that's right you can make noise again, now then, eat..."

A bowl was slid under his nose, the soft aroma of meat and gravy making his nose tingle gently and saliva pool under his tongue. Giving a start Shy realised just how hungry he was and without hesitating stuck his muzzle in the bowl and started to wolf down the food inside. Erin stroked his ears, ruffling his Mohawk with clawed fingers and laughed softly before moving off, leaving the undead shape of Freyl holding the end of his leash. It was humiliating, eating like the beast he has become but he had to eat, needed the food. His ears pricked up as he heard Erin start speaking to someone but didn't look around, it sounded like Kaed was back.

"Still practising I see," Kaed rumbled in his mellifluous voice, "Good, what do you plan to turn it into at the end?"

"Not sure yet, for now I need it to hone these skills. I want to be as quick as you before I get rid of it."

"Well as long as you don't expect me to have to look after it," Kaed's voice sounded amused as he asked, "What did it start out as anyway, can it even remember?"

"I've not really tried transmuting his thoughts yet, though to tell you the truth I've lost track..." there was laughter in his voice and the kobold chuckled as Shy whined and turned his head to look at them. He smirked widely and yipped, "Oh yes doggy, by the time I'm done you'll be begging me to transform you and have quite forgotten what you started as."

Kaed laughed in approval, joining his rich booming chuckle to Erin's as Shy whined and drew back worriedly. He was pulled short by the leash and his reaction just made them laugh harder and Shy knew there was nothing he could do to stop them training him as they saw fit.