The Shapeshifter

Story by Bellerophon on SoFurry

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#1 of The Shapeshifter


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The Shapeshifter

Tannal cursed his rotten luck.

He was a fool, wandering about in the Wildlands. He knew better than to go there. He knew finding the kidnapped prince would be a long-shot at best. He knew that the slave traders combed the scraggly hills and the deadened plains searching for stray travelers wandering helplessly through the wilderness. He assumed that since he knew the dangers he would be safe, being forewarned and therefore able to protect himself. He thought his own magic would be strong enough to ward off the traders. He was wrong.

He had only been journeying for a few hours when he came across the first band. The men there were rough and unfriendly: their skin weather-beaten, their eyes gleaming maliciously, their fingers gravitating toward the knives at their belts. Skillfully, both with his stealth maneuvers and his magic cloaking, Tannal was able to skirt around them effortlessly. He almost wished he hadn't. THe easy avoidance made him far too confident and far too vulnerable to what came next. Besides, he was sure that had they spotted him he would have been able to take them. But as his luck had it, he passed them by and continued on his way, not thinking of the consequences the next band might bring.

Tannal wasn't overconfident for nothing, he had every reason to be: not only was he a soldier of the king's guard and therefore a highly skilled fighter, but he was also an apprentice sorcerer, giving him a double lethal quality. True, he had only made it to an apprentice level as a sorcerer, but in his opinion, that was all he needed to know. His dream had always been to be one of the king's guard and while he was good at the magic involved for the wizardry, he also kept in mind that he was only learning it to enhance his resume and give himself a better chance of becoming a guard. His friend Elliot, a boy his age he met at the sorcerer academy, always mocked his desire to become a guard, claiming it was a ridiculous job for overly muscular morons, but Tannal liked it all the same.

And he wasn't muscular. And he certainly wasn't a moron. No, the king's bodyguards fit that description, but the king's guard was far different. They were a group of highly trained men skilled in the art of stealth and combat, making his magic abilities quite an asset. He had been sad to leave Elliot behind when they finished their secondary schooling, but his calling was for the king's guard while Elliot went on to the Upper Academy to be trained as a full scale sorcerer. They had managed to remain friends despite their separation and their different lifestyles, and were still exceptionally close. When Tannal was given a freshly minted sword and immediately went into training, honing his fighting skills and martial prowess, Elliot advanced to the next level of apprentice -not quite yet a sorcerer - and continued his studies. Though they were both young, Tannal was now a fully-realized king's guard and Elliot would soon be a full sorcerer (though he would still have to continue to study under his master until he retained his own apprentice) provided he could afford a familiar to bind to himself. That, however, was where the problem actually started.

All apprentices, in order to finally leave the ranks of apprentices and become sorcerers, needed a familiar, an animal guide that would be bound to them and help amplify and stabilize their own power. Familiars were creatures that were composed entirely of magic: magic that, once bound to a human sorcerer, would take the shape of an animal, allowing the familiar to not only provide, among other things, friendship and companionship to the sorcerer, but also drastically increase their own power. The apprentices were all required to undergo a selection process to find their familiar that involved a series of tests before they were finally awarded a ranking of their power, which would then directly correlate to whatever familiar they would become bound to. Each familiar, already pre-captured, was sorted into five different categories of strength ranging from the minor ones consisting of birds, insects, and rodents, up to the most powerful, which generally consisted of magical creatures like dragons and shifters. A sorcerer's familiar would ultimately guarantee their job for the rest of their lives. The problem for Elliot was that, although he passed all his exams with top marks, he was extraordinarily poor. He would, at best, be able to afford a common bird, which meant he wouldn't be able to hold down more than a minor, low-paying job for the rest of his life. It wasn't fair, but there was nothing else he could do. He told Tannal that he would take care of it, that he would find a way, and while he waited, he would continue his training. Tannal, helpless to do anything else, could only wish him luck.

Tannal and Elliot trusted each other completely and without question. They had been best friends for years, never one without the other. They had met one another in school when they were boys and had remained friends ever since. Elliot, who had just moved to the city, was a shy and quiet boy and who was unsure of himself around the rough city boys. When Tannal, who was himself small but quick, saw some of the schoolyard bullies picking on the slight boy he had quickly intervened and their friendship bloomed. As they grew older their friendship evolved, as did the boys. Elliot, though still more soft spoken than Tannal, became a confident young man: although he retained a somewhat boyish appearance, he was well-respected by his teachers and peers and it was no surprise to anyone that he was top of his class and easily accepted into apprentice school. Tannal, who was a bit more of a troublemaker than Elliot was, also received high marks, though he also had an equally impressive disciplinary list as well. When they both went their separate ways in their apprentice school they still found ways to remain close even though Elliot's sorcerer practices required endless practice and dedication and Tannal's studies took him far away from the city for long periods of time. Tannal knew he would do anything for Elliot and he knew Elliot would do the same for him.

Which is why it was Elliot who had accidently gotten him into this mess in the first place. He didn't mean to, of course. But, Tannal reasoned from within the confines of his cell, it technically was Elliot's fault. Over a week before he had ventured stupidly into the Wildlands, Elliot had come to Tannal looking frightened and anxious. When Tannal had asked what was the matter, Elliot had confided in him that while wandering the hallways of the academy he had overheard something disturbing: Elliot had heard voices in one of the private chambers discussing what they were going to do with the prince after they kidnapped him and took him to the Wildlands. This, of course, made no sense at all since the prince was safe and sound in the palace: Tannal could personally guarantee that. He assured Elliot that everything was alright and that the prince was in no danger, but Elliot didn't seem convinced. That was what worried Tannal the most. Elliot wasn't the paranoid type and he was smart - smart enough to know when someone's blowing off steam and when someone's actually plotting a kidnapping. But, as Tannal continued to tell himself, the prince was perfectly fine. But then the prince disappeared.

Tannal and Elliot both reported the conversation to their superiors, but neither were taken seriously. According to reports, the prince was captured by an enemy kingdom to be held for ransom. Most of the king's guards were sent out in search parties and most of the sorcerers were busy conjuring locator spells: none had the time to spare two apprentices with their story about the Wildlands and a threat from within. No one would believe them. So Tannal came up with a new plan, one that was both daring and brilliant, and would solve both of their problems. He would go into the Wildlands and find the prince. His training as a sorcerer and as a guard would make him a formidable foe to anyone he met and, even better, the reward would be worth the risk. If he found the prince, not only would he be given high honors and respect from all the guards, but Elliot would be able to afford a fantastic familiar with the reward money! They both would be set for life! But that was before he had entered the Wildlands. He was too arrogant, too self-assured of his own skills. Tannal never even saw the men who captured him. All he knew was that he had been skirting around the outside of another band of outlaws following a lead when a shock of light blinded him and he was knocked unconscious, bound tightly, and dragged away to his captives holding cell, ready to be sold.

* * * * *

He awoke several hours later chained inside a cell, hanging limply to the wall, unable to move or cast a spell to escape. He was completely trapped. At first he was calm, but then he had began to panic: what if he never escaped? He knew all the horror stories about the slave traders in the desert... Men would venture in the Wildlands for food or a chance to make money and they never returned. The lure of easy money was too enchanting for some men; including bandits and bounty hunters. Most men in the WIldlands would sell their own mothers for a quick coin. So they obviously had no qualms when they found a strong young man: either he was get a handsome ransom or he would make a perfect slave. Tannal muttered a spell that would break most binding, but the chains were solid and protected by stronger spells than his own. He cursed. How could he be so stupid? Just as he was about to lose all hope he heard the voice of a man talking to the guards. Tannal looked up in surprise, recognizing one of the head sorcerers from the academy. He was immensely relived to see a face that he knew well: Master Kensing, both his and Elliot's magic teacher and a master wizard in his own right. Not only did Tannal know the wizard, but he knew that Elliot was the man's apprentice and the master and student were good friends as well. If anyone could get him out of the cell, it was Kensing.

"Master Kensing!" Tannal gasped. Kensing was still rather young to be a master, but he was immensely talented: he was tall and lean, his hair still light brown and without grey, his skin smooth, but pale from spending hours indoors working, his eyes keen and bright. He was instantly recognizable by the white dragon familiar the size of a wolf that trotted at his side.

"Tannal!" Kensing turned quickly in surprise and alarm. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Tannal strained against his bonds. "I was captured!" he said, filled with relief at seeing Kensing's face. "Can you help me get out?"

"Yes, of course! Guard!" he called back to the jailroom. "Release this prisoner!" He knelt beside the cell so that he was level with Tannal. "Where is your master? Is he in trouble, too? I'll do anything I can to help -"

"Oh." Tannal blushed. "Actually, my master's not here. I'm out here by myself."

"By yourself?" Kensing repeated, frowning. "And they sent you to the Wildlands? Tannal, I mean no offense, but you're just a novice!"

"I know, but I heard that the prince was out here. I have a duty to protect him, no matter what the cost."

Kensing looked shocked. "The prince?" he repeated quietly. He and his dragon familiar exchanged a look. "How do you know this?" he asked in a low voice, his brow knitted in concern.

Tannal was about to confess that Elliot had overheard someone talking, but suddenly stopped himself. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't want to get Elliot in trouble for repeating something he wasn't supposed to hear in the first place. "The king's guard," he lied raggedly, "they heard a rumor that he was here."

Kensing didn't look convinced. "Why would they send you alone on a mission like this?"

Tannal hesitated, then decided that the truth was the best course in this matter. "They didn't believe me," he said dejectedly, "so I came on my own."

The dragon snorted and Kensing looked furious. "Tannal!" he hissed, "Why would you do something as stupid as that? You knew what the risks were! The king's guards would have taken care of it. They're taking the prince's disappearance seriously, Tannal. You of all people should know that! Your enthusiasm and loyalty are laudable, but why wouldn't you wait?"

Tannal hung his head. "I also wanted to reward money," he whispered. "That's why I came alone. Surely you know that Elliot needs a familiar; he can't afford one. He needs this."

Kensing sighed wearily, "Yes, he does. And he deserves a good one, too." He ran a hand wearily over his face. "Actually, that's why I'm here. I was searching the Wildlands to see if anything turned up. That way I might be able to help poor Elliot out a bit."

"Did you find anything for him?" Tannal asked eagerly.

The dragon familiar made a chirruping sound and Kensing frowned and gestured back at the beast, as if he were talking. Tannal assumed that they were conversing privately, as familiars and their masters often did. After a pause Kensing nodded in agreement with his familiar and stood up. He turned back to Tannal. "Do the other guards know you're here?"

"I told them I was coming here, but they told me not to. They said I would get captured and sold as a slave." He pressed the question again: "Did you find a familiar for Elliot?"

Kensing smiled in amusement as the guard finally came lumbering to the cell. "I might have," he said, watching the guard approach. "And technically, the king's guards were right: you did get captured," he pointed out.

The guard opened the door grumpily, passed Kensing the key, and slouched off again. "Yes," said Tannal, grinning as Kensing moved forward with the key, "but not sold."

Kensing smiled again, a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "Not yet."

He lashed out his hand so quickly that Tannal had no time to react. A spell flared from Kensing's fingertips, the dragon roared, and everything went black.

* * * * *

The scribe jumped when Kensing and his dragon entered the room. He had worked his whole life in a scribe room on the outskirts of the Wildlands and Kensing was the only master wizard who had ever come to deposit inventory. Usually when people went hunting for familiars they were poor sorcerers with little talent or bounty hunters - but not Kensing. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that of all the master wizards out there, Kensing frightened him the most; and now the imposing man was standing there alone in the same room as him. Clearing his throat, he slowly rose to his feet and gave a respectful bow, "Ah, Master Kensing. How may I assist you?"

Kensing looked around the scribe room in disgust. "Yes," he said in an almost bored voice, "I'm here to check up on some inventory that I recently deposited here."

"Of course, of course," the scribe said agreeably, his fingers combing through the records quickly. The sooner Kensing left the room the better. The wizard would come by every few months with a deposit of familiars: not yet bound, but still captured, they resembled glittering ghosts of animals; the scribe had no idea what a free familiar looked like. THe familiars were always strong ones:anything ranging from bears to horses to even a gryphon, and never weak, unimportant ones. Being that this particular scribe room was on the outskirts of the Wildlands, he could only assume that the deposits of familiars that Kensing had supposedly captured were more than likely transformed humans stolen from the edges of the kingdom. However detestable the scribe found the practice of illegally transforming humans to be, there was nothing he could do about it. Who would believe a lowly scribe from a post on the Wildland outskirts over a richly-decorated master wizard from the shining capitol city of the kingdom? No one. And then he'd be in trouble... The only way Kensing would have been able to rise to a position of power so quickly was if he were doing something illegal, and showing up with new familiars from the Wildlands was probably only one of many heinous acts that he committed.

Shaking his head to clear it of the thoughts of what the poor creatures in the back once were, he produced an official slip of paper. "Here you are, Master Kensing. A list of your recent deposits."

Kensing barely glanced at it. "I want to see one in particular."

"Uhh," the scribe looked worriedly around: they weren't supposed to allow access to the storage room; but the dragon growled softly and he quickly grabbed his keys. "Yes, yes, of course! Right this way, sir." Whatever Kensing wanted, Kensing got. "Here you are, sir," the scribe said, gesturing to a small cage where a ghostly-looking cat was crouched. "This is the familiar you deposited."

"A cat," he murmured, surveying the feline. "I honestly expected better."

The scribe glanced uncomfortably at the sheet. As much as he wanted to help the familiars, the threat of Kensing was far more intimidating. "Ah, sir? Actually, it's a shapeshifter. He just settled into the cat form a few hours ago - "

"A shapeshifter?" Kensing said in surprise, his eyes glittering malevolently. "How interesting."

"Yes, sir," the scribe nodded. "And very rare, too. He'll fetch quite a price."

The wizard appraised the creature shivering in the cage with a keen eye. "He has great potential," he murmured, mostly to himself.

The scribe immediately agreed. "Oh yes, sir. Whomever he gets assigned to will be very lucky indeed. You'll have all your top students clamoring to have him, sir. I've already begun the catalogue on him; he's listed as - "

Kensing smiled wickedly. "No," he said softly. "I think I have a better idea for this one."

The scribe looked up in surprise. "But sir, we're supposed to catalogue them until they're selected in - "

"I'm well aware of the process," Kensing said cooly. "But as I said, this one has potential. Make sure it's not given away. I already have a wizard in mind."

The scribe hesitated, then nodded obediently, too frightened to point out that that was not the way the selection process worked. He quickly bent his head down and scribbled the tag for the shifter, putting the poor creature on hold for whatever misery Kensing intended to inflict upon him.

* * * * *

Tannal had been in a cat form for several days. Being a student knowledgeable in sorcerery he was required to undergo various transformations for the sake of learning, so the new form wasn't so much of a shock as it would have been if he were a common citizen, but it was still unpleasant. Tannal didn't know much about familiars specifically, so he didn't know if the feelings that were flickering through his mind were because he was a shapeshifter of a familiar; all he knew was that he was experiencing emotions and impulses that could only be described as animal instincts: he became territorial to the animals in the surrounding cages, even though the cage was the last place he wanted to claim as his own, he was content with sleeping and eating and exploring his small cage while his mind cursed him for not trying harder to escape, and worse, he had the urge to rub against Kensing to fondly mark him with his scent even though the traitor repulsed him. He was still in control of his actions, his body simply had the urge to do other things than what his mind did. Still, he knew he was gaining strength. Familiars, when bound to their master, were a solid shape, as real as any animal, but had the sentient thoughts similar to humans, were able to speak and held vast reservoirs of power within them. Until they were bound they were typically ghost-like in appearance, still solid, but almost as if their presence was unreal. Tannal remembered the sorcerer instructors telling him that it was because their magic was so strong it imprinted an image of their form onto the world before they were bound to one. Tannal, however, was growing more solid by the day, and almost resembled an actual cat. The other captured familiars whispered to him that it was because a wizard had already placed a minor binding spell on him - ensuring that he did not run away or disobey him. After all, shapeshifters were dangerous: they could potentially change into any form; so Kensing placed another spell on Tannal that locked him in as a cat.

Tannal was still sleepily contemplating escape when he heard the storage room door open and Kensing entered. "Good news, Tannal!" Kensing said, striding into the storage room looking genuinely happy as he fumbled with the straps on Tannal's cage. "You're going to be going to your new home today. It's just been arranged."

Tannal hissed in hatred and fear as the sorcerer lifted his cage and began to take him away with him; the other familiars watched him go with wide eyes, some sad, some hopeless; all helpless.

"First things first, Tannal," Kensing said briskly as he strode out of the storage room. " We have to secure your form. I think you'll have much more use and appeal as something other than what you are now." Kensing nodded to the scribe as they left, who looked miserably at Tannal as he was taken away, and took Tannal outside. "I think you'll learn to like it," he said, grinning. He opened an awaiting carriage door and Tannal sighed in relief when he saw that the only thing present in the carriage was Kensing's dragon familiar. He half-thought that his new master would already be waiting for him outside. Kensing chuckled when he saw the cat's relief. "No," he said, shutting the carriage door firmly behind him, "you're not ready to meet your master yet."

Tannal waited patiently as the carriage lurched forward and for a while, all three of its occupants sat quietly inside: Tannal silently seething, and Kensing gently stroking his dragon's head as he gazed out the window. However, the moment the Wildland border town was out of sight, Kensing got down to business.

"Alright, Tannal," he said. "Are you ready for the next step in the process?" Opening the cage and lifting Tannal out, the sorcerer placed Tannal on one of the carriage seats while he kneeled on the ground so he was level with the cat. Tannal attempted to bolt, but the spell held firm. He could feel the dragon's eyes boring into him and he knew that the dragon was amused at his desperation but inability to escape. Kensing's eyes were closed and he was muttering in a constant stream under his breath, readying a spell. Tannal lashed his tail around him. Whatever it was, it was bound to be bad. Kensing finally looked up and paused for a moment, watching Tannal with keen eyes, then gestured at the little cat, releasing the spell on him. "This should do quite nicely," Kensing said wickedly. The cat hissed as he felt a sudden wave of pain overtake him. Kensing smiled, watching him with glittering eyes that Tannal did not like in the least. What was that wizard doing?

It became immediately apparent what Kensing had done. All sorcerer students were instructed in the art of transformation and he himself, being a recently transfigured familiar, was no stranger to the feeling. He recognized the burning sensation running through his body and he knew what it signified. The younger apprentices were too inexperienced to undergo a transformation on their own and so to reduce the danger of having something go terribly wrong, their masters would often give them a guiding spell that would shape their body for them, allowing them to know the feeling of transforming without actually putting themselves in danger. It was this feeling that was beginning to sweep over Tannal. Kensing was transforming him - again!

His body began to swell with the power of the magic coursing through him. Every fiber of his being seemed to be on fire, burning as his body twisted itself into a new shape. It wasn't painful, but it certainly wasn't pleasurable. Until, at least the transformation reached his genitals. He gasped as he felt his penis unwillingly harden, expanding with his arousal. Tannal's eyes widened as he looked down and saw his penis, an appendage that he had previously not seen in his new form, emerge. At first there was simply a pleasurable throbbing deep within him. Then he saw the slit of his sheath open more and a finger of pink flesh emerged. Shocked, he watched as it slid forth, growing long and longer, and thicker and thicker, until it finally had come forth all the way and stood proudly at attention, swaying stiffly under him. His length was still penile shaped, but more tapered and without a mushroomed head, but it seemed to be a thousand times more sensitive.

Kensing laughed softly. "Enjoy this while you can," he murmured, reaching out and clasping his hand around Tannal's throbbing length. Tannal let out a yowl of surprise. He had had himself serviced by ladies before, but not as a cat and being serviced by a man. The feeling was the same and yet utterly different. Tannal was unable to protest as Kensing's hand began to firmly stroke up and down along his length, generating a whirlwind of pleasure that radiated from his shaft, making him shudder unintentionally.

"Do you like that?" Kensing whispered, giving Tannal's prick a harder squeeze. Tannal tried to hiss or bat Kensing's hand away but all he could do was mew in pleasure. It felt so good! He couldn't help it: Kensing's hand was skilled, even on his little prick, moving faster and faster, then suddenly slowing, drawing out the feeling as long as possible. His hand wrapped firmly around Tannal's cathood with a steady pressure, reaching his base to his tip before gently caressing his little furry balls. Kensing stopped jacking Tannal for a moment to allow his fingers to gently touch the barbs at the end of Tannal's penis and he prodded them curiously. Tannal mewled in ecstasy, feeling the tiny pinpricks bursting with pleasure, the sensitive flesh feeling like a thousand miniature penises were erected upon his tip. Unable to stop himself and desperate to receive more feeling on more of his cock, he began to thrust into Kensing's hand.

Kensing smiled and gripped Tannal's cock a little harder. "Good boy," he whispered, obviously enjoying servicing the cat-shaped familiar. Tannal couldn't take much more: the pleasure was too much, too overwhelming, too intense. A few thrusts later he felt his balls clench up and his seed began to boil and he yowled in pleasure. Tannal thrust desperately into Kensing's hand, mewling loudly as he came, hunching his hips as his penis exploded with ropes of milky white cum from its tip. Spurt after spurt ejaculated from him, coating the floor, his belly fur, and Kensing's hand, until it slowed to a dribble of catseed. Kensing switched hands and lapped at Tannal's man juice that coated his hand and the dragon trilled in approval.

Breathlessly, Tannal felt his penis begin to soften and withdraw. Kensing's fingers were still around its thin length and the sorcerer gently jacked his shrinking length a few times, causing Tannal to moan at the sensitivity of his organ. Tannal felt his balls shudder, feeling completely empty, and then the strangest feeling overtook him, almost as if his balls were actually deflating, shrinking into his body. Confused, he tried to twist around to see what was happening, but Kensing held his penis firmly, preventing him from moving. A burning sensation tingled in his groin and spread, seeming to emanate from under his tail. He tried to protest, or at least ask what was happening to him, but he was unable to talk as a cat, and so he only managed to produce a strangled mewling sound. Kensing hushed him and continued to jerk his cock, now squeezing its shrunken length between his fingers.

"Almost there," he breathed.

Tannal hissed, the pain that Kensing's fingers were causing was almost too much for him to bear. He tried to tug himself away, but he couldn't move. The burning sensation that emitted from under his tail suddenly turned into a searing pain. It felt like something was ripping, tearing, something new was forming. His penis sputtered and ceased its dribble of cum, shrinking faster and faster in Kensing's fingertips before Tannal felt it collapse upon itself. The pain in his groin exploded, making him hiss in pain as his sheath and penis withdrew entirely into his body and he felt a new opening form: tight, virginal, and wet. Tannal was horrified. He was a female!

Kensing smiled and rimmed his finger that was slick with his saliva and the last remnants of Tannal's seed around the cat's new opening. "Did I not tell you?" he murmured as Tannal shuddered fearfully. "You're to be bound to a male apprentice and you will serve him in every way and satisfy all - and I mean all - of his demands. You can't very well do that if you're a male, can you?"

Tannal looked at the wizard pleadingly, willing him to have mercy. His humanity was already taken away, and now his manhood? It was too cruel!

"You'll adjust," the wizard said, unconcerned. "And who knows? When your master becomes a full ranked sorcerer the spells I've placed will be gone. Perhaps he'll let you resume your usual gender; but I rather doubt it. He'll be far too familiar with your female form by then to want anything else." Kensing withdrew his finger and gently stroked Tannal's fur before the blackness of a sleeping spell took the familiar.

* * * * *

The first thing Tannal saw when he awoke was Kensing smiling down at him. Blinking in an attempt to clear his head he almost didn't hear Kensing as the sorcerer began to talk without preamble. "I'm putting a spell on you that prevents you from transforming. As a shapeshifter you'll have to learn how to alter your form one shape at a time." Kensing ran his hand over Tannal's head. "And you'll only be able to shift into forms that I allow you to change into. You won't have the freedom of a shifter, but you'll have more freedom than most familiars." He frowned, then said, "This should do," and Tannal shuddered as he felt another spell hit him. He hardly noticed the transformation by now, though when it was over he knew he was in the shape of a bird, and he was still female. "There," Kensing said, "now we're ready to meet your new master."

Surprised, Tannal looked around. Then his eyes widened. They were at Elliot's room!

Kensing smiled. "I think you and your new master will get along well, don't you think?" He knocked on the door. Tannal hissed softly in his cage. Binding him to Elliot would be humiliating for the both of them, especially because Tannal was in female form and Elliot, upon discovery that his familiar was his friend, would have to relinquish his familiar and attempt to find a new one; a feat that would be near impossible. Yes, Kensing had done a good job ruining both of their lives, but why?

"Oh, and one more thing," Kensing murmured down to the bird in the cage. "I know that you're desperate to restore yourself to your typical human form. I know that you and Elliot are rather close and so I don't doubt that you'll somehow find a way to get around my silencing spells that I placed on you preventing you from talking and revealing your identity. So I have another way of securing your silence. You might find it unpleasant, but as I said, it is necessary to please your master. Although Elliot has frequently expressed his dislike of those sorcerers who bind their familiars with... shall say, more than magic, don't think that you're out of the clear." It was a well known, though rather hushed topic, that many sorcerers created such a bond with their familiars that they would do everything together... even have sex. Tannal knew that Elliot had always expressed disgust in such practices, claiming that familiars are supposed to be platonic companions, nothing more. Kensing smiled at Tannal's look on his face. "Ah, yes. Elliot is a rather good boy, isn't he? You think he would never sink to such a level, however pleasurable? But what he doesn't know is that when I conclude this visit, I'm going to give Elliot a powerful arousal spell, unbeknownst to him. It will cause him tremendous pain unless he can rid his erection by climaxing with a partner's fluids. Sadly, I think you're going to be the only female in his sights for the night. Perhaps he'll make an exception to his morals and relieve himself through you. I'm assuming that experience will be enough to keep both of your silence. You wouldn't like your family to know that you enjoy being serviced as a female, would you now?"

Tannal looked up at Kensing in horror. The sorcerer was intending to induce a lustful fervor on Elliot in order to ensure that the apprentice would rape him? No! he told himself, Elliot would never do that! No matter what! But Kensing looked frightfully confident.

* * * * *

Elliot's eyes widened when Kensing swept aside his cloak to reveal a beautiful colored bird in an elegant cage. "This," said the wizard lifting the cage up with a flourish, "is your new familiar."

"My- my familiar?" Elliot looked amazed as his eyes swept over the magnificent creature. Such a rare looking and exotic bird must be a great find, a majestic creature perfectly suited to reflect his own powers. He took a step toward the cage and the bird inside shrunk back, giving a soft, musical warble.

Kensing undid the latch and took the bird out. "And do you know what is the best part?" he said. "She's a shifter." Unseen by Elliot, a surge of magic flowed through Kensing into Tannal, directing him on the specifics of his new form that the man was forcing him to shift to. Unable to moan in his bird form, Tannal gritted his beak as he felt the magic guiding his transformation, flowing through his body, melting and tearing as it went until in a matter of seconds his entire form was altered. He blinked in momentary confusion, then his instincts told him that he was a wolf. He resisted the urge to whine in misery or attack the wizard - both would have ended badly for him - and instead waited docilely at Kensing's feet, the obedience spell holding him in place.

Elliot's eyes were as wide as saucers. He knew how rare such a creature was and to have one before him was not only a privilege but an honor. "A shifter?" he breathed as the bird flowed fluidly from Kensing's hand and reshaped in but a second into a silvery wolf at his side. "But-" he felt a twinge of suspicion and the discomfort of guilt. "Why give this to me? I don't deserve a shifter for a familiar. And the selection process says that -"

"Elliot, I'm the one who made the selection process," said Kensing soothingly. "And I can change it whenever I so desire. Please, you've proven yourself as a hard worker, you have great talent, and you have an ambitious quality to you that I like. I reminds me of myself when I was your age. I know that you can't afford the familiar that you deserve, it's one of the flaws in my system; so I'm offering one to you as a gift. Her name is Telsa. She will be a good companion for you, I promise."

Elliot couldn't take his eyes off the wolf sitting on the floor. He was unable to believe this sudden good fortune. It came right when he feared he would be unable to buy anything larger than a sparrow for his familiar selection, and suddenly he found himself in possession of a shape shifter, one of the most powerful and rare familiars of them all. "But, Master Kensing, are you sure that you want to give up such a gift? It's really too much."

"Yes, Elliot," he smiled. "I'm quite sure. I could never part with my own familiar for another - when you are bound to yours you will understand. Besides, I've heard that you've been having a difficult time since Tannal's tragic disappearance."

Tannal shuddered inwardly. Yes, Kensing was one to talk about his "tragic" disappearance. Outwardly, he remained still, his tail seemingly wagging on its own accord. He sighed in annoyance. He was never much of a fan of dogs anyways.

Elliot's excitement died immediately at the mention of Tannal's name. "They've been searching for days for him and the prince...and they've found nothing."

Kensing patted Elliot's shoulder reassuringly and the spell cut off a growl that formed in Tannal's throat. He wished Elliot could see how transparent the wizard's actions were, but he remembered how convincing a mentor Kensing was to him and he knew poor Elliot would never guess the truth until it was too late.

"Don't worry," Kensing said comfortingly. "They will find him, Elliot. I promise."

Elliot nodded glumly. "I hope so," he said in a small voice.

It was clear to Tannal that even Elliot thought it was hopeless.

* * * * *

Kensing left the room a while later, after discreetly passing a lustful spell to Elliot when he shook his hand. Giving one last wicked look at Tannal, he had turned and departed, leaving the now-female Tannal with a soon to be aroused Elliot. They had been bound, Kensing himself had officiated the spell, and now Tannal was forced to serve Elliot's every whim without question or protest. He wanted to lash out, to yell or at least growl, but he couldn't. Kensing's spell that forbade him from revealing the truth prevented him. His only hope would be that Elliot would take the precautionary spells off him and figure out Kensing's trick before it was too late.

But it already was.

Elliot swore softly. Tannal heard him mutter, "What is the matter with me?" and the wolf shifted uncomfortably on the couch. He could smell exactly what was wrong with Elliot. And it frightened him.

Despite the distance between the two of them because of their jobs, they were still able to visit one another rather frequently. Tannal often would visit Elliot's room in the academy housing while Elliot would in turn come to Tannal's apartment in the royal city. They would laugh and talk and swap stories about their classmates and their training. After the sun went down they would often bring out the ale that their older friends had given to them and enjoy themselves, their talk often turning to their attempted (and ultimately failed) conquests. Tannal was more open about the ladies he had his eye on in the city; he was the more easy-going of the two and pursued the blushing maidens with gusto, though he had never actually was able to go all the way with one. His job, which required him to work at odd hours and travel often, tended to prevent that. Elliot, on the other hand, was more quiet and reserved, and preferred to woo his ladies in a more traditional, chivalric fashion. Being an apprentice, however, also required a lot of work, and since Elliot was an extraordinarily studious person, often detracted from his free time. Regardless, they still would still laugh and joke about their attempts, and look forward to when they would become more than half-hearted attempts and actual love-making. He couldn't bear that he was now in the same room with Elliot during his friend's intimate moment. And what if Elliot did go through with it? Would they both lose their virginity to each other? With Tannal as a female and Elliot fucking an animal? No, it was wrong, it was all wrong. But Kensing's spell was strong and Elliot's will was weakening.

The scent increased and Tannal could hear Elliot moaning softly. The apprentice was curled up on his bed, facing away from Tannal, completely forgetting that the wolf was there, and masturbating furiously. But no matter how much he jerked his hardened flesh, relief did not come. It would not come, Tannal remembered, because the spell required a climax with a partner's fluids. Meaning unless Elliot took one of the servant girls, which would be highly out of character for him, the apprentice would be needy and unsatisfied all night. Tannal just hoped Elliot's arousal wouldn't escalate to the point of needing relief in whatever available form was in proximity to him - because that would end badly for him. But as Kensing said, it would provide pain to Elliot the longer he avoided realizing his needs. And from the sounds of things, Elliot was in a lot of pain.

"What is wrong with me?" Elliot hissed. "Oh, it hurts!" He frantically continued to masturbate, his sounds of pains growing louder and louder coupled with the sounds of his hand jerking his slicked and throbbing flesh. It had been hours since Kensing had left and while Elliot had not yet succumbed to the inevitable, the spell was driving him closer and closer to madness. Tannal curled up into a tighter ball. While he sympathized with Elliot's predicament, he also prayed that his friend would have the strength to resist the spell. As much as he pretended Kensing would be wrong, he could not deny the fact that Elliot was obviously painfully aroused. Tannal shivered at the thought of his friend raping him: Kensing was right again. Even if Elliot did eventually remove his silencing spells, Tannal would never want to admit what happened. And even if he did, Elliot certainly wouldn't. Even if they told no one, their friendship would be changed forever.

"Ugh!" Elliot cried loudly. "I can't take this anymore! Ahhh!" He rolled about on the bed, tears in his eyes. hands clasping his penis hard. There was no relief, only pain. Elliot cursed loudly, the spell forcing his arousal to cause him more pain, and he looked wildly around the room, perhaps to find an object to held himself find relief - and then his eyes fell on Tannal.

Tannal shrunk back in terror as Elliot stumbled forward in a daze, his rigid prick bobbing in front of his half naked body. No, he couldn't do this. Not with his best friend! But Elliot had no idea that his familiar was really a male trapped in a female form, he had no idea that Kensing had put an arousal spell on him, and he certainly had no idea that his familiar was Tannal in a transfigured state. And with the binding spell Kensing put on Tannal there was no way he could tell Elliot or stop him. Tannal was trapped and would be forced to have sex as a female with his best friend, unable to stop him.

Elliot gasped, falling atop Tannal, scrambling to get into a mounting position while desperately attempting to pull himself away. The combined effort resulted in him flailing upon the wolf's rump, thrusting upwards and wrenching himself away. "Oh, please!" he moaned, grasping the wolf's hips. Tannal whined fearfully as he felt Elliot's manhood probe him.

"No!" Elliot gasped suddenly, clutching at his head as he threw himself backward and stumbled away in horror. "I can't do this! I can't!" He collapsed shaking on his bed, looking mortified at the act he had almost committed. "What was I thinking?"

Tannal took a deep breath to stop himself from shaking. Not only had he seen his friend's engorged cock, not only was Elliot masturbating in front of him, but his best friend had just tried to rape him. No! he told himself. This isn't Elliot's fault! This is Kensing's. Hearing another loud moan of pain, Tannal looked over his shoulder at Elliot's twisted and tear-stained face, feeling a surprising wave of pity for his friend. Elliot had been furiously jacking himself off for a few hours with no relief and the pain and need were beginning to overwhelm him utterly. Tannal sighed. Elliot didn't want to do this anymore than he did, but Kensing's spell was ensuring that no matter what, someone was going to be miserable by the end of the night.

Fluids, he thought suddenly. The spell required fluids. Maybe they didn't have to be - He didn't allow himself to finish the thought. He didn't want to admit that he was now a female. He refused to even think about it. But perhaps he could help Elliot, perhaps his saliva would be enough to allow his friend release...

While the thought of touching another man's penis disgusted him he also couldn't bear to see his friend in pain. Especially since he was the only one who could rid him of it. Plus, he reasoned, it might prevent Elliot from unintentionally raping me. It was worth a shot at least. He had already seen enough of Elliot to cause them both embarrassment: it couldn't be helped now. He might as well get it over with. Hesitating, he finally resigned himself to the unpleasant and uncomfortable task, and slowly padded over to where Elliot was hissing in pain. Tannal could see the throbbing length of Elliot's penis as his friend masturbated; its smell overpowering his nostrils. He paused and against his will his gaze fell to the cock and he studied it curiously: He had never seen another man's hard cock and was slightly fascinated by the sight of his friend's. It was a typical size and shape, not large but certainly not small by any means. In its current state it was thick with arousal and slick with precum; the flesh was reddened from Elliot's efforts, the length twitched on its own accord as if it, too, desired release and a pulsing vein ran from its swollen head down its length to the bush of wiry hair at his crotch where his abused balls churned to no avail.

Sighing, Tannal hesitated again, then slowly moved his muzzle forward and reluctantly flicked his tongue across Elliot's penis. Elliot gasped in shock and pleasure. His eyes shot open and he stared at his familiar in wonder and surprise. Tannal could tell that as much as Tannal wanted him to continue, his friend also wanted him to stop. Sorry, El, he thought, eyeing the pulsating rod, this is the only way to stop you from doing something we both don't want you to do. He sighed inwardly, then nuzzled against Elliot's thigh before he lashed his tongue out at his friend's penis.

His tongue was long and was able to reach and twist about, covering Elliot's entire phallus as the poor boy moaned at the sensation of his more than likely first blow job. As Tannal continued to suckle on Elliot's cock, tasting the steady stream of precum flowing down his throat he tried not to think about what he was consuming. He was rather disturbed by the fact that he was not only intruding upon this intensely personal moment for Elliot, but that he was actually instigating it. Feeling disgust, Tannal stopped for a moment, but upon seeing the look of bliss on Elliot's face, he resigned himself to continue and pushed forward, engulfing his friend's entire cock, eliciting a loud moan from the human.

As Tannal inched forward more the tip of his muzzle finally bumped against Elliot's balls. He could feel them swaying as Elliot's hips involuntarily thrust into his mouth. He knew Elliot was close. He had been masturbating for a long time and he was ready to blow. Elliot moaned in complete ecstasy as his cock was surrounded by a hot, tight mouth. He blindly gasped out and took Tannal's face in his hands, holding the wolf's head steady as the human began to buck his hips. Elliot screamed in pleasure and Tannal felt the human's cock twitch in his mouth - but nothing came out.

Tannal spat the penis out of his mouth. It was still as hard as it was before, though much slicker. Tannal had assumed that mouth fluids would be enough to satisfy the spell. Apparently, Tannal was wrong. And now Elliot was completely lust-stricken and worse than before. Tannal took one look at the dazed, lusty look in Elliot's eyes and quickly began to back up.

Elliot slid off the bed and grabbed Tannal faster than Tannal thought the human could move. In one swift movement, he had spun Tannal around desperately clasped himself on top of the wolf, in a bestial mounting position.

Tannal was shaking with terror, but the obedience spell prevented him from running. He struggled somewhat, feeling Elliot gripping his sides tightly as he climbed up his back in a more ideal position. There was a pause where Tannal could hear the slick sounds of Elliot clutching himself and readying his penis for what he hoped was a solution and release. Tannal whimpered as he felt Elliot adjust himself clumsily and guide his cock to Tannal's female entrance. It came tantalizingly close, its tip gently brushing up against his rump insistently, Elliot too lust-crazed to slow enough to penetrate without stabbing blindly. Tannal's eyes widened in terror as the head of his friend's throbbing manhood touched his netherlips and lined up for the thrust. Being bound to his master he was unable to do anything but hold still. He had to serve his master's needs, whatever they might demand of him. Feeling Elliot's hands grip his hips, Tannal could only brace himself for what was about to come.

He shrieked as his friend pushed into him, the obedience spells unable to silence the pain of his master's entrance. He could feel the massive throbbing length thrust past his nether lips, stretching his walls until he thought that they might burst with the fullness of his friend's girth. Tannal howled in pain as he felt his female virginity torn as Elliot pushed his way into his feminine folds. Tannal bucked his hips, desperately trying to throw Elliot off him, but it was no use: Elliot had entered him and was not going to withdraw until he was satisfied.

"Ohhhhhhhhh!" moaned Elliot as he finally sunk himself into his first vagina. "Yesssssssss." He found that he didn't mind that it was a wolf's cunt or that it was his familiar's; it was tight, hot, and throbbed pleasurably around his shaft and that was all he needed. "Uhhhh, yes. So tight," he gasped, clutching the wolf's fur as he worked to sink himself deeper into her. The way his familiar's hot outer lips consumed the tip of his meat, the way the she-wolf's walls clutched to tightly around him, as if begging him to impale her upon his manhood, made Elliot gasp in pleasure. And he was only halfway in. His familiar was so tight it seemed like it might be impossible to fully penetrate her, but Elliot felt the urge to try. He pushed and strained until he had hilted the wolf, then clenched at her sides as he began to pull his length out, her insides, that at first seemed to resist his entry thrust now seemed unwilling to relinquish their hold on his rod as her walls seemed to suck his length back inside. Panting with effort, he managed to pull all the way out to the tip, then the paused before he thrust back in, causing the familiar to yelp loudly, but whether in pain or pleasure he did not know. Regaining his footing, he used his position as leverage to better angle himself and give his thrusts more force. He gripped the sides of the familiar and he continued to thrust deeper into the wolf, slamming his hips into her rump harder and harder.

Tannal gasped as half of his friend's penis was pushed roughly into his insides. He immediately realized that Elliot's penis, which he had told himself was average sized, actually must be simply monstrous. He could barely handle it. It was too much. Elliot had taken his female virginity in one rough thrust, spearing half of his monster-hood into Tannal's untried insides, splitting him open painfully. He had yelped in pain at the invader in his backside but was helpless to stop it, only able to thank his stars that he had at the very least lubricated Elliot's shaft before his master took him hard. Elliot paused for a moment, as if savoring the moment and with a thrill of horror Tannal realized that he was correct: Elliot had just lost his virginity to him. He then turned his thoughts to his own maidenhood, but the thought fizzled and died when Elliot shifted and began to thrust again. Tannal knew Elliot wanted to hilt himself within him and so, bracing himself, he tried to prepare himself for the rest of Elliot's length. Elliot pushed as hard as he could, twisting and probing his penis as he ground it deeper and deeper within Tannal's cunt. Tannal whimpered in pain. Elliot kept pushing and push, grunting as he strained against the she-wolf, gripping Tannal hard as he desperately thrust into Tannal's tightness until finally, he had hilted himself within Tannal. Tannal almost sobbed in relief: Elliot was in! It was done. But then Elliot began to move again...

Elliot thrust violently into the she-wolf. He didn't know if he was just filled with lust or if his painful arousal was just too much for him; all he knew was that his familiar felt fantastic. He was overwhelmed by the sensation of his shaft being suckled on by his wolf's cunt, the feeling of his balls knocking against the wolf's rump, the sound of his thighs slapping lewdly against the wolf's; it was almost too much for him. Grunting, Elliot sped up his pace again, ready to burst at any moment. The precum pouring out of Elliot's cock had now made Tannal's inner walls as slippery as possible, making penetration easier for them both. As the human increased his speed a squelching noise began to emit from their burning loins. His familiar's walls were massaging his member more and more as he continued to press into her fast and faster. Lubricants from both partners streamed from Tannal's well-filled hole, leaking onto the carpet, Tannal's fur, and Elliot's legs. His shaft was being pleasured as the wolf's walls squeezed tightly around him, trying to trap him inside of her, her walls giving way to his throbbing hardness. Elliot moaned and increased his pace again, trying to fill his familiar as deeply as possible. "Oh yes. Ugh! Nuugh! Nuuuugh! Oh, so good!"

Tannal snarled at the searing pain inside of him as Elliot began to thrust harder, bracing his legs apart to allow Elliot as much room inside him as he could give. His friend's penis was spewing enough precum that his penetration didn't hurt so much anymore, but it still stung and his thrusts were still wild and sometimes clumsy. Given Tannal's new stance of widely spread legs, Elliot's thrusts again began to become faster and faster, now that he was able to thrust to the hilt within Tannal without serious effort, allowing his speed to increase. As Elliot continued to grunt and gasp on his back, the pain inside Tannal suddenly seemed to fade to a pleasant warmth. Tannal whined softly in confusion at the unexpected feeling that sparked within his depths and Elliot's thrusts became even more fluid. Suddenly, Tannal felt a wave of pleasure overcome him. Elliot's thrust had hit a sensitive spot inside of him, deep within his body, making his entire body tingle with excitement. No, he thought, that's not possible. I can't actually be enjoying this! But he was, however much he hated to admit it. The feeling began to grow, becoming stronger and stronger, the tingling more insistent, the lewd sounds of their mating more enticing to his ears: the pleasure was becoming just too much. The way Elliot's manhood split him open, the way his insides gripped Elliot's pride longingly, squeezing his friend inside of him as if he had coveted the thought of such his whole life made him bark in pleasure. His own hips began to gyrate on their own accord as Elliot continued to pound into him. Tannal cried out in ecstasy, his spine arching as the friction began to build between them, growing into something powerful.

Elliot seemed lost in a daze of lust, his eyes wide and his jaw oddly slack as he continued to thrust mindlessly into Tannal. He grunted in carnal satisfaction as he felt his length being caressed by his familiar's velvety folds. He knew he was close. The wolf's walls were squeezing tightly around his shaft, the spasms milking his cock, enticing him to sow his seed deep within her womb. He was so close - the she-wolf was so tight, so reciprocal; he loved the way she barked every time he would slam himself into her, whining when he withdrew, how she braced herself so he could thrust harder and penetrate her more deeply. He was so close, he could feel his balls slapping against her, then they drew themselves up against him, he felt his penis twitch inside her, he could feel the seed bursting down his shaft...

Then Tannal realized that Elliot was coming. Elliot had gasped sharply and shuddered, speeding his thrusts to almost inhuman speeds. "Oh, I'm going to cum! I'm going to cum. So... close... Nuugh, nuuuuugh ah, ahhh, ahhh, AHHHHHHHHHH, YESSSS! I'm coming! I'm coming! Oh yes!" Tannal had the sudden sensation that his insides were being coated by a hot fluid and at the same time Elliot gasped and cried out, clenching Tannal's sides as he pummeled his friends rump roughly. Tannal growled as he felt himself being flooded, triggering in him a utterly strange and alien sensation. Suddenly, his own vaginal walls began to contract, spasming violently. Tannal's growl turned to a gasp as his first female orgasm ripped through him. He had never felt anything like it. The searing pleasure burst through his groin, radiating through his entire body as he began to shudder as he body betrayed his pleasure. Yipping like a she-wolf in heat, he frantically met Elliot's thrusts, desperately trying to get his friend deeper inside his cunt, deeper into his very womb so that his master's seed could coat his innermost places. Tannal threw back his head and howled, feeling his own cum explode around his master's ejaculating cock and the mixture of both burst inside him before splattering out of his rump behind him.

Panting heavily, Elliot collapsed onto Tannal's back, completely exhausted and at a loss for what had just happened. His own cock had finally stopped twitching inside his familiar and the wolf's inner walls had stopped their enticing pulsing. Elliot's chest heaved for air as he attempted to collect himself. He felt his familiar's pussy spit his softening cock out and he groaned, looking down and seeing a strand of thick, milky cum connecting his penis to her netherlips. Shame suddenly washed over him when he realized what had come over him, what he had done.

He stumbled away, trying to avert his gaze from the dribbles of his cum issuing from the wolf's well-used cunt, and collapsed on the floor shaking. "I'm- I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes wide with confusion and humiliation, "I'm so, so sorry. You were just trying to help me and I -" He collapsed into sobs.

Tannal wearily lowered himself to the ground, feeling his abused channel throbbing with the residual pain of the battering it had just received after his best friend had claimed his virginity. He whined softly as his pussy continued to throb and closed his eyes, just wanting to sleep and pretend none of this had ever happened.

Elliot was still weeping, his body shaking with each sob. He was muttering incomprehensibly, babbling about how he couldn't believe what he had done, how terrible he felt, how sorry he was. He was truly stricken by what he had done and Tannal knew it. Slowly, the wolf opened his eyes. He knew his friend. He knew Elliot was a kind and gentle soul and would never commit such acts willingly. He knew, while Elliot did not, that it was not the apprentice's fault. And while Elliot was the one who took him, Elliot was not of his right mind, nor was Tannal in his right form. He could not ascribe the blame to his friend, the blame was Kensing's.

Sighing, he slowly rose to his feet. He knew how terrible Elliot felt and he knew since he couldn't tell Elliot that he was alright and that he forgave Elliot for what had happened, he had to show him. Gingerly, Tannal padded over to where Elliot had collapsed in a sobbing heap on the floor and gently nuzzled him.

Surprised, Elliot looked up in confusion at Tannal. The wolf considered him for a moment, then tenderly licked Elliot's tear-stained cheek.

"Telsa," Elliot said softly, "I -" but Tannal had already had already pressed himself up against Elliot, seeking comfort in his friend's warmth. Elliot had always been there to look after him and he would be there to look after his friend until he could break Kensing's spell. He whined softly, trying to tell Elliot that everything was alright. Elliot hesitated, then wrapped his arms around the familiar. While they didn't say anything, Tannal knew that they understood one another just fine. They would be alright.