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Witchcraft and Wings By Lykanos Wulfheart

Autumn had spent the better part of the morning cleaning, specifically the living room of her two bedroom apartment. The wood floored room was less a living space and more for crafting, the woman happily self-employed with her hobby. As a taxidermist, her counters were lined with tools of the trade. She'd finally gotten everything sorted, scalpels and blades lined up within a drawer with various dermal punches and needle nosed pliers sitting on the open surface of the cabinetry. On the solid wood workbench that doubled as a table, she'd left her current project exposed, a mounted horned owl with wings spread wide, its talons poised around an artificial hunk of wood. The fluffed feathers gave a lifelike appearance, though the lack of eyes ruined the illusion. That's what she was waiting on, that and her visitor.

Having finished her task with time to spare, she took a quick break to dote on herself. Being a bit of a tomboy, Autumn wasn't about to paint her nails or dress up for her acquaintance's arrival. However, she still liked to look nice with her own bit of flair, so she took a little time for her hair. Moving to the bathroom, she washed the stench of dried death from her fingers and set her glasses on the counter. Popping open a small white container, she removed her contacts, placing in one after the other to better show off her greyish blue eyes. Finally done fiddling, she got to the task at hand, taking a glob of styling gel and smearing it throughout her mid-length brown locks. Each movement led to her end goal, the straight hair pushed from bottom to top. Her fingers kept streaking through, mixing the gel into her personal style of choice, a makeshift Mohawk proudly forming atop her head.

Washing the styling goo from her palms, she gazed deep into the mirror, checking out her outfit. The black, sleeveless shirt and camo pants were still mostly clean from her earlier activities, so she opted to remain as is, her brawny frame enhanced by the attire. Taking just another moment to fuss with her hair, she straightened the massive polar bear claw that dangled on a chain around her neck. Finished with her appearance, she decided to get a drink while she waited. On the way to the kitchen, her plans were interrupted with a half-hearted knock at the door. As she changed course, a man on the other side spoke, his voice toned down, yet eager. "Autumn? Hey, it's Doug. I have that box of stuff for you."

As she opened the door, Autumn couldn't help but sigh. "Wow. You are so obvious." Creaking the wooden portal wide, she took a moment to judge the scrawny man on the other side. Doug was the cliche of Goth. Semi-pale skin was hidden below black eye liner, lipstick, and nail polish, his black tee and pants draped over with a black faux-leather trench coat. His hair was equally ebony, dyed to match his getup. The only thing with any color on him was the clip-on earrings, golden, upside down crucifixes. She couldn't help but shake her head as she appraised him. "Gods, you are such a dork. Get in here."

Doug did as told, the bean pole bending over to heft up a box that hid from his belt line to his neck, the man fumbling with such a massive package. "Where do you want it," groaned the youth as he wobbled his way in, straining under the weight.

"Give it here," ordered Autumn as she scooped it from him. In Doug's defense, the box was nearly fifty pounds, though Autumn put him in his place as she took it without complaint and set it next to the owl.

Moving over to look at the mounted bird, Doug gave a relieved "Thanks" before taking in the creepy beauty. "Woah. That's so surreal. Are you going to sell it like this?"

Still focused on opening the cardboard case, Autumn pulled a box cutter from her blade drawer and gently pierced the tape. "The resin eyes should be here tomorrow. Just have to wait for the mailman." Popping the seams, she set her tool down as she pulled the package open, looking at the immediately exposed fur. "So, what did you bring me this time?"

Craning his neck to the side, her visitor peered into the flaps from across the table. "Mostly pelts and a few skulls. Thanks for doing this, by the way. It's usually really awkward trying to get rid of sacrificed animal parts."

"Glad I can help," chimed the woman as she pulled the deer skin out to take in the rest of the box. There were a few small animal carcasses, the skull of a doe, a shrew, and something she wasn't sure about at first glance. Flopping the pelt back down, she focused on her guest. "Stacy was a friend of mine back when we were just starting out, so I'm always happy to take her leftovers. Are these all hers or did you finally get some hands on experience?"

"I'll have you know," bellowed the man as if he were a rebellious child, "I did everything in there except the deer. Even performed a summoning ritual, thank you very much!"

Autumn couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his accomplishment. "That's some pretty advanced magic right there. Stacy's been training you well, then."

"Damn straight," gloated Doug. "I'm a natural. Witchcraft's got nothing on me."

Rolling her eyes, Autumn patted the deerskin on top as she tried to pull the conversation back from the brink of Doug's overwhelming ego. "Well, thanks for the skins and everything. I'll find a use for them, don't you worry. Oh! And tell Stacy I said 'Hi Witch-Bitch'. She'll know what I mean." With a sly grin, she hoped Doug would take the hint and leave her to her work.

"Yeah, will do," chuckled the wimpy Goth as he took another glance at the owl. "I'd better get going, though. I still need to pick a few things up for her." Turning to face his host, he added, "And that owl is so wicked. I think you should leave it like that. Sort of an undead vibe."

With another sigh, Autumn pointed to the door. "Get going, you goober." As he left, she shouted after, "And try not to look so cliche, you nerd!" She couldn't resist grinning as he held up his middle finger over his shoulder, face still forward as he headed for the stairwell at the end of the hall.

Shutting herself inside, Autumn returned to her loot, pulling the large hide back out and taking it into her side room for storage. While technically that was meant to be a master bedroom, the taxidermist had chosen it for a supply room for various reasons. Not only was it spacious enough for shelving, but it had a deep, walk in closet. The importance of that aligned with her other profession. Publicly, she was a taxidermist. Privately, she was a witch. While her supply room held items for both, her closet was of significant importance. That's where she kept her alter, a place to practice her more complex spells or simply attune with the spirits.

Moving back to the box, she rummaged through the various items, placing them on the table for appraisal. She'd grown used to handling the various corpses left by others. While she never dabbled in sacrificial magics, she knew many who did. The trouble with flaying an animal for power is that its body is obviously disfigured, and therefore hard to dispose of. Skinning is usually an early step, so the pelts can be salvaged and either sold or given to taxidermists who can find uses for such things. Since she was a fellow witch, many of the locals that partook in this particular brand of magic felt it a boon to gift her the leftovers, often getting little enchanted baubles in return.

One after another, she pulled out the tiny pelts. Squirrel, shrew, beaver, and an oddly matted calico cat. She felt empathy towards the poor, slaughtered creatures, part of why she could never do it herself, but using the carcasses in their entirety was one way she could help give their death meaning, and she drew comfort in that. She even maintained a measure of reverence when she handled their remains, the shrew's skull carefully lifted as she checked it over. It was in excellent condition, just a little more decomposition needed to clean the bone. The last thing left in the box was her mystery skull, a large cranium that almost looked canine, its shape nearly that of a wolf. That wasn't quite right, as it was way too big, the bulk and teeth nearly reminiscent of a bear. That was obviously wrong, though, since the nasal cavity seemed more ungulate, almost deer-like. Picking up the bleached bone, she was at a loss.

Twisting it in her palm, she noticed another oddity, felt it. Carved into the top of the skull was a runic symbol, the work sloppy and unrefined. She could tell in an instant that this was the work of Doug, a novice that didn't understand the importance of precision. The reason for such care was evident to her as she could feel the untapped energy leaching from the skeletal remains. "You idiot," she mumbled to herself as she rested the massive skull in her left palm. She traced the symbol with her right hand, her pointer and index fingers following the flow of the leftover power. Her digits swept down the center, between the eye sockets and splitting at the bridge of the nose, each finger sliding gently within the recesses. As her fingers moved inside, a jolt of raw energy bit at her flesh, searing into her palm and exposed fingertips. The sensation was somewhere between touching an electric fence and grasping a hot coal, the flash of pain catching her off guard. As much as she wanted to, she refrained from dropping the skull, though she did quickly remove her right hand and rolled the bone onto her table, checking her injury with haste. The flesh looked pinkened as if subtly burned, so she rushed to her kitchen sink and put her hands under the cool water, savoring the soothing comfort as she added soap to clean off the taint of dead things.

It took Autumn a moment to calm herself enough to speak, but when she did, her voice seethed with irritation. "Damnit, Doug! This is why you learn your shit before trying it." A heavy huff and the calming cascade from her faucet helped eased her mind, the pain dulling into a minor throb as she turned off the tap and dried her hands. Taking her time to appraise the injury, she was relieved that the damage was minor. Barely a second degree burn to her left palm and the two fingertips on her right. It was nothing a little aloe vera couldn't cure, so back she went into her storeroom to pull a leaf from her potted plant, one of a few herbal varieties she kept for potions and salves.

After treating her wounds, she went back to work, pulling a thick, black cloth from the shelving. "This should do it," she stated with confidence as she returned to the mishandled remains. Dropping the fabric over the exposed right cheek of the skull, she scooped it up gently and headed back into the side room. Stopping just shy of her walk-in closet, the door almost always open, she checked the bone once more, talking to herself as she worked. "This should help keep your magics from causing any more issues until I can take care of you properly. For now..." Swiveling the mysterious object before her, she looked deep into the eye sockets, the nasal cavity, then once more at the sloppy rune work, a hiss slipping from her scrunched lips. She spoke more to the skull than to herself as she apologized. "I'm sorry for how you were handled. I'll get to you as soon as I can. I promise." With that, she set her charge down gently, tucking it beside her little alter as she went back out to start cataloging the rest of her acquisitions.

It wasn't until that night that Autumn noticed a bit of swelling at her burn sites. The flesh had grown a bit puffy and thick, a subtle darkness spreading over the wounds, but nothing so severe as to cause alarm. Still, though the pain had faded, an itch remained. Not one that needed scratched, but more an echo of mystic energies that still festered below the surface. It was an odd sensation, subtle yet troubling. Still, there wasn't much she could do that late in the day. Her best option, the one she settled on, was to sleep it off and see how her hands looked in the morning.

Autumn's dreams were plagued with despair and worry, the sensations forcing her to toss and turn throughout the night. She could tell the emotions were not her own, though the haze they caused felt almost palpable. She wandered through the dark dreamscape, a wooded area sparse with trees, though not much else grew in between. Every so often something would dart from pole to pole, a smudge of feathery darkness. It seemed like it wanted to talk, needed to talk, though it could only cling to the distant shadows, whispered words too soft to understand. The entity seemed sad, desperate, the powerful desires wicking into her as if her own. She tried to call out into the darkness, though nothing escaped her mouth, a harsh silence that only deepened the feelings of uselessness. Instead, she gave chase, running to the aid of the lonely being. Though she gave it her all, she just couldn't seem to make any headway, her chest heaving from the effort. Finally, her pent up words burst forth into the void, "What do you want from me?"

The world grew still, her mysterious guest gone from sight. As silence crept in, the calm grew ever more eerie. Her gaze grew frantic until a sound penetrated her being, a whisper from directly behind, throaty yet mournful. "Help me."

With a start, Autumn was awake. Sweat beaded on her brow as she panted, still riled by the torrent of emotions that invaded her sleep. With a heavy huff, she sat below the covers, wiping the moisture away as she recovered. The worry from her dream turned real as she noticed her fingers, the two singed the day before now slightly altered. Her fingernails on the affected digits had begun to curl, bent in and thickened. They looked disturbingly like a stage between normal and claw, the rest still very human. Turning to her palms, the puffed burns had swelled ever so slightly, the irritated flesh now thicker, the pink gone as a darkened grey took its place. The strange shapes seemed less random and more by design, the skin taking on the form of a paw pad, something vaguely canine. The lack of symmetry bothered her as she rubbed her hands together, feeling the toughness against her smooth skin. Her left palm and right fingertips felt like sandpaper, thick and odd.

There wasn't much she could do to fix the issue, so she got up, booted up her old PC, and headed to the kitchen for some breakfast. Pulling out some leftovers, she was a bit dissatisfied with the emptiness of her fridge, something she planned to fix tomorrow as she groaned with groggy annoyance. Prepping the meal, she returned to her bedroom and sat, munching as she forced the ancient computer to access the internet, something it slowly agreed to. She needed to check her emails, hoping the owl eyes would be ready for delivery, though as she moved the mouse, the sensation felt foreign below the bulged pads. They were more than just swollen; they had less feeling through the calloused flesh, giving her clicking fingers an awkwardly slick floating sensation as she navigated her inbox.

Much to her dismay, she found a notice from her vendor stating that she'd be receiving the eyes tomorrow, so instead she refocused her efforts on cataloging her changes. Closing the web, she popped open a new document and recorded the date and her alterations thus far, saving the page to her desktop under the name "Doug's an Idiot". Smirking as she took another bite, she renamed the file to "Mystery Skull - Transformation Log".

Since she couldn't finish her main project, Autumn decided to work on some new tasks. She started with the shrew skull, placing it into a Tupperware detergent bath meant to decompose off the last of the dried tissue. Setting that on her little balcony as to not deal with the later stench of festering flesh, she moved on to shaping the beaver pelt so that she could later pose the creature. While that took most of the day, it did help distract her from the changes that crept over her body. Though slow, she did notice, especially when her other fingers started to claw up, pads invading her fingers. It began with her right ring finger, then her pinky. On her left, the first change was a prickly dark grey hair that grew around her palm, and then spread to the back of her hand. It wasn't terribly noticeable, though it itched like a stubbly beard and felt equally abrasive.

It wasn't until midday that her transformation started to become more synchronized. A prickly black hair budded on her right fingers, the nubs of fur itching as they brushed past. A palm pad gradually crept in, pink to grey as her finger pads turned black. Her left hand had grown hairier, the thick palm pad now black as all of her fingers tried to match her right, callouses forming before the claws. The finger fur was setting in long before her right palm gained its grey. Though the thick digits slowed her work, she bared with it, fighting the urge to scratch at the stubble that crept in.

By nightfall, everything had evened out. The grey fur had started to spread up her arms, the hairs gaining length. The fluff was sparse, giving her arms a manly appearance, the fuzz ending just below her shoulder, though she could feel a horrible itchiness in her armpits as it continued its invasion. Her hands were now thick with black paw pads, though her fluffy fingers maintained their human form and dexterity. The fingernails had taken shape, the nailbeds pulled in as they thickened. They had the appearance of short, stubby claws, the kind you'd see in a werewolf movie, white yet dull. Recording the changes on her computer was a pain and a half as she kept clicking the wrong keys, her savage digits too big for the old keyboard. Relieved when she had finally finished, she tossed on her nightwear, careful not snag it with her fingers. The sensation of the cloth sliding against her fur made her shudder, the prickliness of her upper arms feeling the worst. Still, she prepped for sleep knowing all too well that the morning would only be worse.

The same dream returned, a hazy woodland sprawled before her. This time she managed to catch glimpses of the being in the distance, a large, lion-like monster that seemed almost made of smoke. The only thing with any detail that she could make out was the wings, large and hawk-like with a mix of browns and blacks. The beast kept its distance, though it still seemed like it needed her aid. When Autumn tried to move, she couldn't. Her legs felt odd, heavy, unwilling. When she looked down, she saw what she had that night, grey limbs with black fingers, though now the fur was thick, the fingers more like the toes of a wolf with massive bear claws poking out. To her horror, the limbs weren't arms, but legs. Front legs. Glancing back up in shock, a figure stood face to face, her scream escaping as more a startled gasp. When she was finished, the head before her took on a deep sadness, fuzzy canine ears hanging low. The muzzle was like a wolf's, brown at the bridge and working into deep greys with a wide deer nose at the end. The gruff voice that followed seemed to plead with her, "Please help me."

Again, Autumn awoke with a start, her body dripping with sweat. Sighing, she looked at the clock, still exhausted from her lack of restful sleep as well as the changes continuing to assail her. Mumbling to herself, she closed her eyes. "Nope. I'm going back to bed."

The next two hours were far more peaceful, her body finally getting some rest. It wasn't until the mailman knocked on her door that she stirred. "One moment," she yelled, her clock showing just after ten. Rolling out of her covers, she rubbed her eyes, careful of the claws. They had managed to gain more definition, her fur subtly thicker as she found her black hoodie and pulled it over her. On her way to the door, she snagged some leather gloves from her work cabinet, hiding her gently curling fingers, the digits feeling a bit stiff as she pushed them in. Opening the door, her words were groggy as she stated, "Good morning."

A UPS delivery man stood in the hall, a small, yellow package on top of his data pad. "Package for you, ma'am. Sign here please." Looking up, he was about to hand over the envelope when he noticed her nose, the shape a bit wide and flat, yet still mostly human. Concern overwhelmed his expression as he asked, "Are you alright?"

The question caught Autumn off guard as she reached out for the bundle. "Y-yes? Why do you ask?"

Her curious glance forced the man in brown to shake his head. "It's just... It looks like you broke your nose." Handing over the device, he took a step back, his voice a bit more concerned for her well-being. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

Taking the offering in her left, her right hand crept up to her nose, the light tan leather pushing gently against her skin. A soreness radiated from the pressure, a wide oddity stretched in place of the point. "Oh, shit," she shot out as she hid her nostrils. Nodding, she assured the man, "Oh, I'm fine, yes. I think I smashed it pretty hard last night. Hope it's not broken, but it's just swollen and sore, I think." She then proceeded to quickly give her signature before taking the mail and hiding as she closed herself in. "Thanks."

Tossing the envelope to the table, she rushed to the bathroom, the entire way mumbling, "Shit, shit, shit." The mirror revealed her newest alteration, her nostrils having migrated up to the sides of the pink flesh, almost to where the tip had flattened. Fortunately, her nose hadn't pushed out into the muzzle she saw in her dreams, but it had turned very deer-like, a sad, smashed appendage that would only cause concern. That wasn't it, though. Her ears had started to point, the tips still just barely rounded as the cartilage had begun to twist, the current form looking like a Tolkien hobbit.

With a humming growl, she slumped over to the fridge and pulled open the door, the sight only making her groan harder. "And I do have to get groceries if I want to eat, too." Closing the door, she removed her gloves and headed for the table. "Well, that sucks." Switching them for the package, she opened it up to see what she had spent the last two days waiting on. The pair of resin eyes looked lifelike, large and focused, perfect for her horned owl. Despite her growing hunger, the stiffness in her joints told her that if she didn't finish the bird now, she might never get that chance, so she grabbed out the glue and carefully applied it to the backs. It took twice the effort to hold them in place, her claws only a burden to the delicate task. She had to rest the resin between the back knuckles of two fingers, a few strands of finger fur clinging to the adhesive. Pulling free with a wince, she grabbed the needle nose pliers from the cabinet-top and freed the lost strands, making sure not to scratch the clear half-orbs. When finally content with her work, she sighed a heavy huff as she went for her car keys and readied herself for likely the most embarrassing trip of her life. She usually didn't care what people thought of her... but with a smashed nose and multiple mutations, this was only going to end poorly. Still, she drew up her hood and put the gloves back on, hoping to cover as much of her imperfections as possible. "Here we go," she wheezed as she left the safety of her home for the potential of public disgrace.

The trip to the store went well, no one around in the parking lot to see her as she took off. Her thirty minute trip was just as convenient, the roads still fairly clear with just minutes left before noon. Likewise, the grocery store was pretty empty at this time, mostly old ladies and the occasional person hustling by. She managed to avoid most people, only a couple stares as she grabbed her cart and hurried deep into the isles. Unfortunately, the further she went, the more the scents of food played on her enhancing nose, the smells begging her as her hunger only grew. Produce was the closest and it drew her in, the fragrance of the berries irresistible to her cravings. Drawn to the fruits, she loaded her cart. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and two containers of blueberries since they were on sale, all were hungrily added. Next were the veggies. She couldn't resist the lure of the cherry tomatoes, four cartons thrown in without hesitation. She followed it up with some baby carrots and beets to even things out.

Satisfied with her pick of the produce, the meat market suddenly called to her. For whatever reason, the wafting aroma of fish spoke to her, a desperate desire growing in her famished stomach. Along the way, she picked up a can of mixed nuts and rushed back, her eagerness turning a couple heads. Her boldness grew sheepish as she stepped forward, eyes darting as her nose huffed in the glorious bouquet of meats. Her mind was made up in an instant. "Two pounds of the salmon and one of the ground beef, the leanest." As soon as she saw the man reach for the delectable fish, her mind desired more. "Three pounds for the salmon." The attendant gave her a quizzical look, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get that succulent, rosy-pink meat home and cook it up. After getting the fish and burger, she had one more quick addition. "And two strips of the cod." Another odd look made her feel self-conscious as she started to realize that the amount of meat was a little excessive, but she knew she'd need it. Transformations had a nasty habit of making the shifter crave new and odd things, but the body required the nourishment as it changed. Since she didn't know how long it would last, she was determined to stock up while she could.

As soon as she had the cod, she bolted for the checkout, her snout satisfied with the buffet in her presence. Once in line, she kept her head low, making sure the hoodie cloaked her face as best it could. She could feel suspicious eyes on her for the apparel, though it honestly did more good than harm, hiding her ears and fur, something she never had to worry about before. When it was finally her turn, the lady started scanning her through, and then proceeded to stare. Autumn's concern grew as the woman asked a question, "What happened to your nose?"

As much as she wanted to give a sarcastic rebuttal or even a "mind your own business", she could only shyly cover the widened nostrils in disgrace."

"You can tell me," whispered the lady, concern in her voice. "If it's an abusive spouse, there are numbers you can call for help. You're not alone."

Autumn turned red with embarrassment, her words shy and ashamed. "Oh my gods, no... That's not it at all." Keeping the oddity covered, she hesitantly replied, "I fell out of bed right onto my face." The lie felt almost as disgraceful as the woman's assumption, though at least this way there wouldn't be any more questions.

As the clerk scanned the last few items, her tone turned sympathetic. "That has to suck. Hope you're alright, though. It looks pretty bad, no offense."

"None taken," groaned the deer-nosed lady as she paid for her food, desperate to escape further humiliation. As she picked up her bags, an odd itch sprang up around her shoulder blades. Giving a quick rub, she noticed an odd bump that freaked her out, though she was determined not to show it. Hurriedly, she gathered up the sacks and headed for the door. On the way out, she caught her reflection in the glass, her nose starting its push out into something almost muzzle-like. To herself, Autumn thought, "No wonder she was worried. It's so swollen and grotesque. I have to get home, ASAP!"

Tossing the bags into the back, the shifting witch hopped into the driver's seat, wincing with pain as her back hit the chair. "Holy, Mmm-Hmmm!" Two points of agony grew with the impact, the soreness settling as she leaned forward. "What now," she asked herself as she gently rubbed one of the strange nubs. "I have to get home before this gets any worse." Checking her face in the rear-view mirror, her muzzle was as bad as expected. The flesh was just starting to darken while the shape was completely formed, nostrils to the side with a pulled up flatness pushing out from her head. Tapping the leather glove to the flesh, she could see a subtle dampness growing on the surface, the nose far more animalistic than she cared to admit. Quickly, she started the car and headed out, praying nobody would see her in this state, hunched forward like an old lady and mutated beyond recognition.

With the traffic of the lunch rush on the rise, she opted for the scenic route home, the roads taking her toward the edge of the city. She loved driving this way when not in a hurry, the area more residential and wooded. It was so nice out that she even rolled down her window, letting her strengthened sense of smell play, taking in the aroma of the suburbs. Garden flowers whizzed by, odors easily separated out as her mind better understood the new power. The more she played, the better she grasped the new knowledge, the initial barrage settling into something fun.

A sudden scent nagged for attention, the fragrance all too delicious to her famished body. Her eyes scanned the yards, desperate to find the tantalizing source of such a savory smell. To the left, she spotted it, the thing that was driving her into a frenzy. A whitetail doe happened to be grazing on someone's shrub, alone, in the open... vulnerable. Autumn fought hard against the desire to give chase, to run the animal down and consume it in its entirety. It took every fiber of her concentration. Then, suddenly, the prey took flight! Seeing it flee only spurred her on, the steering wheel pulling to give chase. The car dipped into the other lane before she could stop herself, the need overwhelming.

*BEEP BEEEEEEEP*

Snapped out of her trance, the woman pulled hard to the right, narrowly avoiding a head on collision. She made out some sort of angry shouting, but her focus had been restored, the deer in the distance safe for another day. "That was close," wheezed Autumn as she attempted to loosen her death-grip on the wheel. She had no clue why a deer-faced monster like herself would want to eat something so similar to it, but one thing was for certain: She needed to get home and eat some lunch before she killed something... or someone.

Luckily, there were no onlookers as she bolted from the car to her apartment, bags in hand as she desperately darted to the safety of solitude. Slamming the door with the force of her adrenaline, she headed straight for the kitchen and started frying up half a pound of the salmon as she munched down a full package of blueberries. She was so satisfied to have something in her belly that she slid down the counter with bliss, her back scraping past the countertop. As her shoulder blades passed, something snagged, a horrible shudder of soreness invading her back. "Ouw-OUW!" Hurrying back to her feet, she felt at the lumps that had only grown, sliding off to the sides below her hoodie. After flipping the fish, she pulled free of the black fabric and felt around, the awkward extensions feeling familiar yet foreign.

Taking her questions to the bathroom mirror, she tried to get a look, her shirt still in the way. Pulling it free, she could only gasp at the freakish things that slipped into view. There, right above her bra strap, were two scraggly growths. They looked just like uncooked chicken wings, three segments of naked flesh poking out of each shoulder, the skin thin and sickly. As disgusting as it was, the morbid curiosity grew in her mind. "I wonder," she whispered as she tried to flap the scrawny wings. Her attempts were futile, the flesh only wobbling with the rolling of her arms. Jokingly, she stated, "I guess it's back to tank tops for a while," as she went back out to finish her fish and put away the groceries.

Finally kicking off her shoes, she noticed another change under her socks. Like her fingers at the beginning, her toe nails were starting to curl into makeshift claws. Removing the stockings confirmed as much, the nails pulling in and thickening as black hair covered the digits. Rolling up her sweatpants revealed manly legs, the grey hair sparse, yet invasive. Sighing, she went back to her food, pulling it out of the pan and taking it to a clean section of the table. She was tired, exhausted from the changes, so she pulled up a wooden chair and took a seat. "GODS DAMN!" Her hands instinctively went to protect her backside, the source of the sudden shock. Yet another alteration awaited as she felt the start of a tail, just a sensitive mound of flesh poking out of her tailbone. "Really? REALLY?" She touched the dangling bit of skin below her pants, and then let it be, gently easing into her seat so she could finally finish her inconveniently late lunch.

With the changes growing more prevalent, Autumn decided it was finally time to convene with her mystery skull, the entity she was sure had been plaguing her dreams and was the source of her physical alterations. For such a task she'd need to use her alter, so, after cleaning up her plate, she headed into her storeroom's master closet. The witch was very careful as she sat, unwilling to have another wave of pain shoot up her spine. Delicately, she rocked into a cross-legged sit, scooting close to her little shrine. Keeping the lightbulb off, she picked up a lighter and ignited the candles scattered about the short table, tiny bones and photos of her ancestors coming into view. In the back, with some of the pictures propped against it, rested her top hat, a thin layer of dust settling on the black fabric. To each side of the table sat a massive bear skull, eye sockets pointing towards her with a third slid under the wooden platform, peering off to the right. Tucked between the skeletal remains and the wall sat her black cloth, the mysterious creature resting within. With a calm reverence, she picked up the bundle and unwrapped the bleached remains, peering at the face. For a brief moment she couldn't help but worry that her skull was taking on a similar shape, a subtle pinch having nagged her face the entire time her muzzle had been swelling. It didn't hurt, but it did tingle with a certain foreboding presence.

Leaning in with a reverent bow, she touched her forehead to the creature's, a soft chant escaping from her lips. She made sure to maintain the little prayer as she cleared a space at the center of her alter, scooting a couple candles to the side and propping a photo against the wall. Moving a hand to each boney cheek, she delicately rested her charge in the center, and then clasped her thickened palms together. "Speak to me," she whispered as she drew herself into the trance, the world around fading into darkness.

When she opened her eyes, everything felt weird. Normally she'd enter the trance as she was in the real world, but for some reason her body just didn't seem to line up. Her deer nose stuck out in front, tipping a very canine muzzle. With a glance down, her semi-dexterous fingers felt stiff and clumsy, the pads hard against the floor to support her weight. Instead of cross-legged, she sat flat, her haunches splayed out like a sitting dog as a black tipped, grey lions tail rested to her right. The heaviness in her back suddenly made sense as a pair of massive hawk wings sat at rest, black on the inside with grey on the exterior, three bands of black crossing at the tip. To her surprise, they moved, the right sweeping out as she inspected it. The feeling was bizarre, almost like extending an extra arm or flexing something beyond her shoulder, though it came so naturally. She now realized why her chicken wings hadn't flapped. She had tried so hard, yet she had no clue which muscles to move. Now she did and it filled her with a small bit of glee.

Standing up was harder. She had tried to get up on two legs from the start, her posture like that of a grizzly. To her credit, she maintained it for almost ten seconds before her hind legs were exhausted, dropping her back down onto all fours. Her body suddenly felt more natural, the tension in her back leaving with the new stance. "Oh great," she sneered, "I'm an animal now." Taking a few awkward steps, she spun to look herself over. "Impressive," she mumbled as she saw her muscles ripple, deadly bear claws clacking against the dark nothingness that made the floor. Her gait was somewhere between a lion and a wolf, powerful yet filled with primal grace. Contorting her muzzle into a grin, she spoke with cheer. "I could get used to th-"

"Hello," came the greeting from her left, the voice gruff and masculine.

"CRIMENY!" Whipping around, she saw a familiar face, the brown muzzled creature from her dreams. "Don't do that," she exclaimed, a touch of bitterness in her voice.

"Sorry," bowed the beast as he slowly walked forward, gently circling as he appraised her beauty, his own patterning now fully visible to her. Whereas she was a mix of black and grey, her visitor was a blending of brown and deep greys, his nose, legs, wing bottoms, and the length of his tail all a tawny brown. His back, the tops of his wings, and the majority of his face were all grey with his tail tip and a thick mane running from his forehead to his chest being a deeper shade, not quite as dark as her black. Stopping behind her, he was impressed. "You're beautiful."

Spinning around, Autumn was not pleased with his advance, her glare full of venom. "Excuse me? What even am I? And who are you, for that matter?"

"Oh, how rude of me," stated the man-beast as he sat, a wicked paw coming up to gently tap his chest fluff. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Aetrin, youngest son of Aetherion. Cut down in my prime by a heartless summoner."

The sudden manners helped ease Autumn's mind, though the last bit tugged a nerve. "Damnit, Doug! You should have known better!"

With a curious tilt of the head, Aetrin was confused. "Pardon?"

Sighing, Autumn was hoping she wouldn't have to go into the morbid part of the conversation until later. "Doug, he was the man that killed you. I'm so sorry. He should have known better. Witches that practice sacrificial magic are not supposed to take from sentient beings. It tends to be taboo nowadays, even if it is a summoned creature."

"I see," acknowledged her onlooker. "That explains why I was pulled through the veil against my will. Didn't even have time to disguise myself." Clenching his jaw, the winged being seemed a bit displeased, though not as much as Autumn would have expected.

It was the witch's turn to look confused. "Wait, disguise? What even are you? What did you make me? ... What are we?"

With a half-hearted smile and a huff, Aetrin explained, "I am what is known as an Angeluq. We reside close to your realm, just on the other side of the veil. Normally, when we want to cross over, we take on a disguise, a glamour, if you will. It's easier to mingle when your kind think we're one of you." Glancing down, his ears drooping with woe, he continued. "It takes time. Both parts. The one who ripped me through the veil did so both fast and aggressively. I was barely able to get my footing by the time he had me bound."

Wincing, Autumn felt sympathetic toward Aetrin's plight. "That would explain why I couldn't identify your skull. It wasn't even from our dimension. But, why did it do this to me? Er, doing this? Outside of this trance, I'm slowly becoming one of you. An Angeleeq?"

"Angeluq," corrected the victim as he looked her over. His stare deepened as he almost seemed to read her aura. "I see," he stated, looking into her eyes. "Yes, that must be it."

Her confusion only grew with his vague replies. "What must be it?"

Nodding, he questioned her as if a wise elder, though he was just barely an adult to his people. "Have you ever felt out of place? Like there was something more? Something just beyond your grasp? Something you could achieve if given the right push?"

"How did you..." Autumn was forced to look within herself, his questions far too deep, far to knowledgeable. Plopping onto her hindquarters, she answered, her words sincere. "I've been an outcast most of my life. Never really fit in. Yes, I felt like there was something else, somewhere else I belonged. Never really conformed with humanity... Why?"

A smile crept over Aetrin's muzzle. "I think you were always meant to be one of us. Your spirit feels right. Familiar. Like it had been trapped up until recently and finally given the key. I think it just needed a push. To connect with something like it."

"But why now? Why am I transforming?" Spreading her wings, Autumn glanced at them. "Why into this?"

Shrugging, Aetrin didn't have the answers. "I don't know. Maybe it was destiny. Fate. Symbiosis. You needed me to unlock your true form while I have a desperate need for your assistance." Taking in her form yet again, a sigh escaped as her beauty radiated. "Black wings. I love ladies with black wings." Her disgusted glare snapped him back to the task at hand. "My apologies. I didn't mean it like that."

"Uh huh," groaned the woman as she stared him down. "You said you needed my assistance? Is that why you were plaguing my dreams?"

The large male nodded at the accusation. "It was, though I meant no harm. Your dreamscape was hard to navigate. Every time I tried to get close, I was swept away. That is up until you lost focus. When you weren't paying attention, paths opened up, so I took what I could get... because I needed you to know I was still in here. That's what I was hoping to ask. See, my spirit is still bound to my remains, though I can feel it slowly growing weaker."

Huffing, Autumn knew why. "Doug's sloppy rune work. That's the magic that leaked out and bit me."

Nodding, the Angeluq continued. "What you call magic is all that is left of me and it is fading. Even now, I can feel it... seeping out and lost. I was hoping, praying, that you might help me." His hunched mass took on a deep sadness, one that tore deep into Autumn's soul. His age became apparent as the woe took over, tears welling at his terror. "I don't want to die here, lost to a foreign place. One where I don't belong. Please, I beg of you. Could you take my skull to my parents? If my spirit is to fade, I'd want it to be at their ranch. I don't want to be alone and scared. Please? If I am to go, I want it to be somewhere I know. Somewhere safe. Please, I beg of you."

His plea tugged at her heartstrings, a tear of her own leaking forth, forcing her paw to wipe away the emotion. With her voice cracking, she replied, "Yes, I'll help. How... How can I get you back to them?"

The response helped ease his mind as liquid woe continued to stream. Bowing low, his chest rested on the floor of shadows, his wings half sweeping to rest their tips on the ground. "Thank you thank you thank you. I won't forget this, even in the next life." Bringing himself back up, both bearlike paws wiped at his eyes, the fur of his wrists soaking up his regret. "Getting me back should be easy once you've finished your transition." Looking her over, he peered once more at her aura. "You'll know when you can. If you take my remains and focus on the other side, you'll slide on through. It will take a bit and I'd advise closing your eyes after you start, but once you pass through, you'll know where to go."

Confused, Autumn had no clue what he meant. "Slide on through? Like cross over? How will I know how to do that?"

"You'll know," stated the man as he stood up, walking steadily closer. "I don't have much time left here. I can feel my energy fading, so please hurry."

"I swear it," replied the witch as she looked him in the eyes, a warm confidence radiating through her voice.

While she sat, the hulking beast before her pushed up and embraced her in a warm hug, his paws slumping around her shoulders. "Thank you," came a weak yet genuine voice. Pulling tight, he took one last look over her, a cheeriness invading his softening words. Staring at that which he loved, his voice trailed off into nothing, "Black wing..."

With his disappearance, the trance was broken, Autumn snapping to attention. Quickly, she wrapped his skull in the black fabric, desperate to contain what little energy remained. The task was made difficult as a stiffness overtook her fingers and twinged at her toes, the digits crinkling into something slightly feral. While she still had her thumb, it was starting to retreat down the inside of her hand. Looking down, her pinky toe was starting to shrivel, the bones above her toes stretching ever so slightly. Her nose had continued to darken during her vision, pushed out to nearly a third of its final length. An awkward twitch alerted her to her tail, the nub long enough to move against the floor and poke out of her underwear.

Standing, she felt a rigidness in her spine that reminded her of when she stood in her trance. It wasn't so bad as to force her down, but it did leave her with a slight hunch, her hips a little sore as she walked. Migrating to the bathroom mirror, she inventoried her changes, including a couple more she had neglected. Her hands were now fully clawed with her toes halfway to completion. The one that made her smile were her wings. The naked chicken shape was gone, the bones having grown three times larger. Feathers had started growing in at the top as fur intermixed at the base, her shoulders and chest now carpeted in the fluff. Her bra was starting to feel a bit loose in front, yet tight at her sides, the mass of her torso having subtly increased. Looking at her face, she tried to play with her nose, the flesh black with a soft, grey fur springing up behind it. As she wiggled it, her mouth became apparent, canines dominating as the rest of her teeth had taken on wicked points. Playing with her lips, she noticed that they had gone from a humanly pink to an almost dog-like whitish grey, the same color her nose and paws had taken before turning ebony. Pulling down the back of her sweatpants revealed her tail, the naked flesh forming a short tube. Along her hips, grey fur speckled, two black lines streaking over her backside from thigh to thigh.

"I wonder..." Taking her focus from her rear to her wings, she tried once more to move them. Now that she knew what to do, the muscles twitched, her mostly naked extensions flexing groggily. Though sluggish and taking a ton of effort, she managed to open them to the sides and give a single, half-hearted flap. That was more than enough to make her smile, though the untrained extremities were suddenly sore from effort, tired and ready to be closed down once more. "Haha," she exclaimed as she headed back out for the kitchen, hunger overtaking her once more. Looking at the stove, she was suddenly aware of the time. What had seemed like a half hour chat had actually taken almost five, her body craving dinner. She was more than willing to oblige, consuming the strawberries as she fried up all of the cod, taking it out while half cooked and consuming it greedily. To finish up, she ate the full package of radishes, popping them like candy up until bedtime.

That night was the most restful sleep Autumn had had in a long time despite being forced to sleep on her belly. Sadly, her clothes were not as lucky as she was. Over the course of the night, she'd kicked off her covers and grown in mass, her bra's latching bent out and busted, leaving the garment on the bed as she pushed up. Her legs had also bulked, stretching her sweatpants to the brink, small tears working throughout the stretchy material. Her tail had also lengthened, gray fuzz covering the flesh as it was just about half finished. Sliding out of bed, she tried to straighten up only to lurch forward, barely catching herself on the computer desk. "Woah," she exclaimed as everything wobbled, her hips sore from their altered shape. She wasn't quite locked into a feral stance, but she was getting close, an odd in-between that exhausted her body. It took a moment to strip out of the tight leggings, but with her fur free, a sense of relief set in, her nudity hidden below the fluff of her new species.

Moving into the living room, her wings scraped against the door, half formed and feathered, eager to finish their shift. She had to brace on the frame, seeing her next leaning post as the wooden table. Stumbling groggily, she made it, her back tired from the effort. Unfortunately, her wings snagged along the way, sweeping all of her dermal punches and pliers to the floor, her now finished, wolfen ears hurting from the loud clatter. She had to make a conscious effort to rein in her feathery protrusions as she staggered to the kitchen, desperate for nourishment. That's where she spent the better part of the day, consuming everything in sight as her transformation continued.

By noon, she'd eaten everything, even the foodstuffs in her cabinetry. She'd also started seeing a bizarre haziness, like a layer of world overtop her own. It gave her a bit of a headache and knocked her to the floor, her spine settling as her palms touched, her body forced into its feral posture. As much as she tried, it was just too hard to walk upright, each attempt winding her and leaving her body sore and tired. As the last of her changes set in, she kept moving to her mirror to verify. Her face was finished, grey with a black mane and ears, softer tan around her eyes with a white spot on each pointed ear. Her mouth had filled with bear teeth and her claws had completely grown in, her toes curled and canine. As the day progressed, her thumbs were lost, turned into dew claws. Her pinky toes were gone come morning, four toed paws strong and wolf-like, black digits going into her grey legs. Her armpits and underwing were equally ebony with the wing tops and her lengthening tail turned grey. Her lion's tail puffed with black at the tip, much like the little strip on her chin, looking almost like a square goatee. The only thing she had to wait on was a little more power in her torso, a bit more growth in her wings, and that splitting headache to vanish as the worlds blurred together.

Come evening, she was feeling better, though she was absolutely famished, her mind starting to deal with the dimensional visions. It wasn't convenient, but she had no choice. "Alright, how do I do this..." Finding her phone, it took several attempts to claw the tiny power button. Her pads and tongue did nothing to help, each failure frustrating as she had to again fight to poke the button. It was the edge of her nose that finally secured her victory, her face straining to see as she smeared the damp blackness along her screen. With a ton of determination, she managed to pull up her contacts and call the local pizza place. The conversation was just as awkward, her voice gruff and bestial, though still clearly English. She'd ordered two larges, a meat lovers and supreme with everything on it, even anchovies, something she'd never have even considered as a human.

While waiting for her delivery, she got to work, pulling out her wallet. Opening the billfold, she tried to reach in, her claws fumbling the bills. "This is so much easier with thumbs," she whined as she dug in her claws, trying to pin the money between. Failing, she flopped the wallet on its side and dug out the cash, one paw holding it still as the other invaded and swept out. Huffing with frustration, she bit two twenties and moved to the door, flopping her butt to the floor. Hungrily, she waited, sniffing under the tiny gap.

She heard footfalls on the apartment stairs before the aroma wafted to her, the divine scent forcing drool over her black jowls. Licking her lips, she was so hungry, but still she played it cool. As the man knocked, she slid the forty dollars out. "Down here. Keep the change."

The man on the other side seemed a little hesitant, the gruff voice leading to some confusion. "Sir, I have your pizza."

Autumn sighed at the statement, knowing all too well her voice was no longer ladylike, despite it never really being overly feminine. Thinking on her toes, she said, "I'm agoraphobic. Please just leave the pizza there and take the money. I'll get it as soon as you leave."

The smell of food only strengthened as he did as told, the morsels inches from her nose. Each sniff was bliss, her deer-like nostrils pushed to the gap, the moisture sliming the wooden portal. The money vanished as he called back, "Um, ok? You, uh, have a good night, then."

As soon as he was gone, she fumbled the nob. Pulling the entry open just enough for the boxes, she tried to grab one... and nothing happened. "Grrrrr, thumbs!" She then tried to grab from the side, her butt wiggling with desire. The box was pushed, but not in the way she had hoped, her dew claw unwilling to aid her. "Oh, come on!" Suddenly nervous of potential onlookers, she forced her claws into the gap of the lid, pulling the top box inside. She then did the same to the second, pulling it into the first, both slid to safety. Shoulder-slamming the doorway shut, she spun to the boxes and dug her ivory daggers into the cardboard. Throwing the lid open, she sat and slobbered over the feast. The meal turned messy as she greedily shoveled the pizza into her muzzle, desperate for the energy to finish her shift.

Covered in sauce, she licked her paws clean and strutted to the bathroom, going around the table to avoid the tools she'd spilled earlier. Taking a quick look, her maw almost looked bloody with tomato, so she was forced to wash up in the tub since there was no way she could operate the sink. Shaking dry, she propped herself onto the counter and gazed at her reflection. "So close. Just hold on, Aetrin." As she peered, the area beyond her reflection took on an otherworldly appearance. Like with before, she saw another land, one of trees and hills in place of the walls and buildings. Squinting, she thought she could get there. She just had to focus.

With a confident nod to herself, she rushed to her storeroom, almost knocking over her crafting cabinet with a flick of her enormous wing. Blowing past the tools did little to her paws, the cold metal barely perceptible. Squeezing past the doors, she had to fold in her feathers, careful not to damage her new limbs. As soon as she hit her alter, she rolled the bundle free and gently nudged the skull close, resting it under her hands. "Focus," she stated as she closed her eyes. Opening them, her vision was clear, far clearer than it had been the last couple days since she couldn't use her glasses or contacts with her altered face. The closet faded from view, another world taking its place. "Focus," she repeated, willing herself into this vision, a pressure pushing against her entire being. She knew she was onto something as the intensity grew, her eyes blurring as the realms merged. Her home smudged into obscurity, a grove of trees appearing in the distance with a hill to her left.

It took almost two minutes, but the waves of force passed as she pierced the veil, her form calming as the journey ended. Standing, she gloated, "That wasn't so bad." Suddenly, a surge of nausea overtook her, the pizza lost as she dipped her head to the side, narrowly avoiding her charge. Another bout washed through before she returned to normal, her mumbling edged with spite. "Right. He said to close my eyes. Bleck."

Spitting out the foul taste, she looked around, taking in the new world for the first time. It seemed familiar only in that she'd seen glimpses of it through her migraine, though behind her was inviting. In the distance rested what looked like a dome shaped residence, large enough for a family of Angeluq. It seemed right, so she gently bit around the skull and began her trek.

As she closed in, she could feel a happiness radiate from the bone, an eager joy that made her feel a similar sensation. The closer she walked, the stronger the feeling, until she finally passed into the clearing before the house. Two scents grew in her nostrils, one male and one female, both fresh and fragrant. Something in the back of her mind begged her to stop, to play it safe. She wasn't about to fight instinct, so she set Aetrin down and called out, "Hello? Is anyone here?"

A woman walked out of the opening, a black and dark grey Angeluq, similar yet darker than Autumn. Her voice was sweet, yet tainted with worry. "Oh, hello little one. What brings you out this way?"

Sadness replaced the previous joy as Autumn said, "I'm looking for Aetherion."

"And you have found him," came a booming voice as another Angeluq walked out, his fur shades of brown like a mighty lion. He dwarfed both the women, almost twice her size and far more muscular. Settling his intimidating gaze upon her, he asked, "How may I help you, traveler?"

Autumn couldn't help but feel a bit outclassed, her ears sneaking back and tail curling below. She wanted to speak, but the words caught in her throat. As her eyes lowered, the other woman nudged her husband, scolding him with a calm kindness. "You're scaring her."

The large man sighed with soothed frustration as he looked to his wife. "My apologies. Please, speak freely."

Still a bit hesitant, it took a moment for Autumn to collect herself. "I hate to bring ill tidings... but your son, Aetrin, he..." Giving a sympathetic sniffle, she powered through, feeling like she owed it to the man who gave her renewed purpose. "He was summoned to the other side of the veil and was murdered. I'm so sorry." Nudging the skull forward with her muzzle, she almost burst into tears. "He... He wanted me to bring him back here, to his home. I promised I would, but it took a while since I was human and he changed me and..." She couldn't contain the flow of remorse as moisture poured over her cheek, the mother of the Angeluq joining in with weeping of her own.

Aetherion swept a comforting wing over his wife, pulling her against his side as he tried to calm her, his worries finally confirmed. "There there, Eiris. At least we know it wasn't a hunting accident now." Holding her tight, it was a while before he spoke again. "Thank you, traveler, for giving us word. We had feared he may be dead, but not by outworlders."

Autumn grew weak in the knees, her body slumping to a seat. Try as she might, the sadness was just too much. "His spirit spoke to me. Told me he wanted to rest here, around his loved ones. I could feel his joy as I approached, but... but I don't... I can't feel him now." Her legs trembled with regret as the mother wiped her eyes and moved closer, her husband right behind. The witch was shocked when a black wing wrapped around her, the embrace full of love and warmth.

The kind voice had returned, the woman giving a sad smile as she spoke. "Thank you for doing this for him. I'm sure Aetrin's at rest now. As for you, little one. You look exhausted."

The big man brushed up against Autumn's side, her frame shuddering with a bit of fear. Sitting next to her, he placed a paw on the bone and closed his eyes. "He was a good boy. Full of energy, yet always chasing the ladies. Thank you for helping him... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

Dropping her gaze, Autumn was at a loss. She wanted to give her human name, but it just didn't feel right, like it was part of the world she'd left behind. Aetrin had given her a new life, a new purpose, and she owed him for that. "Black wing," she muttered to herself, remembering his final words. "It's Blackwing, sir."

His nod seemed understanding, as if he knew more than what she'd said. Eiris hinted at that as well, her tone sweet as it fought to regain composure. "Aetrin would have liked you. You said you started as one of the humans? I take it our son helped you realize what you really were, didn't he? I can feel him in you, Blackwing. His spirit must have been overjoyed to bring out your inner self. He always liked helping people find their purpose in life... almost as much as he loved hunting." Using her nose to help Blackwing to her feet, the lady managed a genuine smile as she walked the stranger toward their house. "Since you don't have anywhere here to call home, please, feel free to stay with us as long as you like. Though Aetrin may be gone, his soul lives on in his actions... in you. You're one of us now. An Angeluq." Pulling the youth close with her wing, Eiris turned motherly, though a sadness still clung to her. "If you need anything, anything at all, just ask. Aetherion and I will help however we can. Think of this as home if you like, Blackwing. We'll take care of you until you can spread your wings and fly out on your own."

While the father moved off to bury his son, Blackwing was content to reside in the loving embrace, a soothing feeling that calmed all of the worries she'd experienced that week. While she was still sad for their loss, she couldn't shake the feeling that she belonged right where she was, part of this new world, part of this new life, a part of this new family. The words felt right as she said them. "Home."