Tales of chivalry by phyrexianrevoker on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

If I had to split the world by hierarchies, I’d go with:

At the very bottom, Monsters. Feral creatures that plagued the lands and needed constant slaying by both adventurers and royal knights alike.

Above them I’d put the barbarians. Savages from distant lands who constantly pillaged the civilized world and also needed constant slaying. The only difference between them and monsters, was that the barbarians could “sometimes” be reasoned with.

Then there were the peasants. Those who plowed the fields and took care of the animals in order to pay for the privilege of living under the protection of our king.

After the peasants, we had merchants and adventurers. “Free people” with a bit of money or combat experience. But no matter how rich or powerful they were, those lowlives were closer to the field workers than a noble.

Finally, at the top, we had nobility. Those blessed to be born with blue blood and rule over the land. No matter if a noble was a knight, a priest, or a diplomat, we were above everyone else, second only to the king and his family, who ruled over all.

My name is Leoria, a woman born within a family of lesser nobles whose main business was related to war. My siblings, progenitors, grandparents and everyone who came before were all knights of unparalleled skill, so it was only natural that I had learned to fight early in life.

Sadly, I was never able to prove myself in war, since our kingdom was under relative peace with the others. Because of that, I had to show my worth by participating in many excursions into barbarian territory to either escort caravans and diplomats or, my favorite, eliminate savage outposts that were too close to our borders.

Fighting off the strongest barbarian warriors and painting the ground with their blood was the most pleasure a pure virgin like me would ever experience. Taking someone’s life made me feel powerful and glorious, especially when that life belonged to a battle hardened fighter. The duels where I had almost died were my most treasured experiences!

It was no secret that I loved killing. Whenever the king himself or other nobles required knights to fight off the barbarians, exterminate monsters or any other blood related matter, I was often the first to be summoned.

There was even a running joke among other knights that if my bloodlust wasn’t quenched I would start killing peasants for fun. That was ridiculous, firstly because I didn’t consider peasants worthy of being killed by me, and second, because it presumed a lady like me had no self control. People who spoke that sort of nonsense often found themselves with fewer teeth after I taught them a lesson with my bare hands.

When there were no excursions or monster hunts, I often enjoyed some time at the sparring grounds, where I could publicly subdue other knights and adventurers, proving to everyone how strong I was. Of course those fights used prop weapons and were relatively safe, so my opponents had the luck of keeping their lives after an embarrassing loss.

Things were great and I was enjoying quite a reputation, sometimes being invited to sit at the king’s table during celebrations; kids wanted to be as strong as me when they grew up; peasants bowed to me when I passed by; Merchants bought me fancy clothes and paid for expensive dinners; and adventurers gave me cheap booze in exchange for my tales. The only people who didn’t like me were other knights, who hated the fact that a lesser noble like me was stronger than any of them.

Life was almost perfect…

Until the incident happened…

One day I was challenged by the commander of the king’s army himself for a duel at the sparring grounds. He was considered the best fighter in the kingdom and legends said he was undefeated. I accepted the challenge immediately and, after a few days, we were facing each other in front of the most influential people in the kingdom. It was a battle that would remain in history. It was my chance to prove I was the strongest of all! It was my day!

But then… well…
I killed him.

It wasn’t my intention. I swear! But…

Our fight was so intense, and he was such a fierce opponent, that my blood boiled and something scary awakened inside me. As much I hate to admit, I felt like the savage berserkers I had killed many times, driven only by murderous instinct and rage.

When my wooden sword crushed both his helmet and skull with a moist “crunch”, his muscular body fell limp and a pool of blood formed. I had defeated the strongest person in the kingdom, so I raised my weapon in celebration, gleaming with joy…

But there was no applause…
No cheers…
Just silence…

I had killed the commander of the royal army in front of the whole kingdom...
I was no hero...
I was a murderer...

--------------------

Things were never the same after that.

I wasn’t invited for banquets. I stopped receiving presents. I was no longer summoned for missions and, most importantly, nobody wanted to challenge me. I became a warrior who couldn’t fight.

Killing that important man would be enough to send me to the guillotine, but I was punished with silence instead of death. I was ostracized and even my family wouldn’t accept me home. My reputation shifted from a glorious knight to that of a cold blooded murderer. The reason I was still alive was because nobody had the guts to arrest me, so I was left roaming the kingdom without a purpose.

People avoided me on the streets and turned their gaze whenever I passed by. Everyone saw me as a monster now. The only place I could go were taverns and inns, because nobody would risk barring me. Still, every room went silent whenever I was around, as if people were scared to provoke me by accident.

The fact that I remained unpunished for my crimes caused other monarchs to question my king’s authority, given the person who murdered the commander of his army was strolling around freely.

It was just a matter of time before I was dealt with.
Poison my food?
Send an assassin after me?
Summon me for a suicidal mission?
Whatever it was, I knew my days were counted.

In order to stay sane, I had to go into monster hunts on my own just to ease my mind. Killing fierce predators was one of the few things that could keep me relaxed in those times of uncertainty. As long as I could taste and smell blood, I was in peace.

The life of glory I had pursued since childhood was over. I lost my respect, friends, status, family, everything... First I blamed my violent nature, but after many sleepless nights I realized the problem wasn’t me. The problem was that the world was weak, and people were terrified of my power. It was their fault for being pathetic! Not my fault for being strong!

--------------------

One week after the incident, a cloaked messenger handed me a letter from the youngest prince himself! I was being summoned to speak with him in a distant hideout, which seemed very shady, and part of me thought I was being lured to my death.

I could keep living that life without purpose, roaming the kingdom as a disgraced knight, or I could risk it and see what the prince wanted with me. Maybe I’d be killed, or maybe I’d finally be offered a position deserving of my strength. Whatever would happen, death or promotion, it was better than what I had at that moment. So I accepted.

The next day, before the sun had risen, someone knocked on my inn room’s door. It was a muscular woman on full armor with her face hidden by a helmet, carrying a letter with the young prince’s stamp on it. She took off her equipment and helped me put it on, so I could go outside looking as if I was her, disappearing in plain sight.

In front of the inn was a simple carriage, fit for a merchant but not a noble, with the curtains closed. I was told to go inside and stay quiet.

The trip was long and boring, going deep into the forest that surrounded our kingdom. I’d probably be killed and disposed off in the middle of nowhere, mysteriously disappearing and forgotten from history, like an ugly stain in the fabric of our great kingdom.

Any coward would be shaking in my place, but not me. If my destiny was to be slaughtered, I would make sure to take down as many guards as I could with me. I’d show them how much my life was worth by covering the ground with corpses before I was finished off.

“My last fight.” I thought, with a smile.

The carriage eventually stopped in a clearing and the rider pointed towards some trees. “There. People are waiting”, he said, before leaving me alone in that dark forest.

With no other options, I walked ahead, sure it was an ambush. However, what I saw was a small shack amidst the trees. It wasn’t much different than a peasant's house and I wondered what the young prince was doing in such a place… If he was even there to begin with...

In front of that shack, there was a small round table with two fancy chairs that didn’t match the grassy environment, as if the furniture had been brought specifically for that meeting.

I sat facing the door, and waited politely. Even if the kingdom thought I was a murderer, I was still a noble knight, so I waited in silence with an upright posture, without tapping my feet or looking around too much. Wearing full armor wasn’t proper etiquette, but I was ordered to keep it, so I just opened the visor of the helmet to show it was really me.

The door eventually opened and two people came from the shack. One was a hooded figure and the other was the youngest of the princes, the last in the succession line. Still, he was the king’s son and was miles above me in hierarchy, so I immediately got off the chair and bowed to him, kneeling on the muddy floor.

— I came as ordered, mylord — I said, managing a perfect bow even in full armor. Just because I had fallen from grace didn’t mean I had to stop acting according to the customs.

— Good to see you came, Leoria — he raised his nose — I was afraid you’d think it was a trap.

— Even if it was, this servant would gladly accept her fate — I said, still kneeling.

— You see, that’s what I appreciate about you, Leoria — he gestured for me to get up — Even if the rest of the kingdom thinks ill of you, I still believe you have the heart of a knight. It’s a shame that others can’t realize how righteous you truly are. Instead, they cower in fear, because they envy your strength and your resolution!

Having a prince rub my ego like that meant he wanted to ask something, but that didn’t stop me from loving those well deserved compliments for being an exemplary knight. I was really needy for some recognition.

— Thank you, mylord.

— Have a seat — He gestured to a chair — As a knight myself, I know how heavy these armors are.

I sat at three arm’s reach from the prince. Still, he said nothing about the hooded figure standing behind him, but I had to swallow my curiosity, since it wasn’t acceptable to demand answers from a royal.

— You know, Leoria, since I was a little kid I’ve admired you! One could say I took interest in knighthood because of your feats — he continued to flatter me — My siblings think I became a knight because I was last in the succession line, but they are wrong. I, just like you, think the world should be ruled by the strong, and just having blue blood isn’t enough without the strength to go along with it. Do you agree?

— Of course, mylord — Indeed I agreed, and even if I didn’t, I would never contradict the prince — But you didn’t need my opinion on the matter, I’m much below you in status.

— What is “status”, my brave Leoria? — as the prince said that, the hooded figure silently went into the shack — The commander of the royal army was much above you in status, but still you brought him down to where he belonged. His status wasn’t a match for your power.

— As much I’d love to agree, what I did was cold blood murder, mylord. You are the first person kind enough to talk to me after the incident.

— You see, Leoria, you defeated him with power, but you lost to his status. Because of his birth and position, instead of you being applauded for that victory, you were shunned for killing someone higher in the hierarchy — he crossed his hands and raised an eyebrow — Do you think it's fair that you were robbed of your glory?

— I don’t really have the rights to…

— Leoria! — he silenced me with his hand — I’m asking your truthful opinion. As your lord, I demand you to speak your mind, no matter how dark or reprehensible it may be.

I took a deep breath, starting to sweat under all that armor.

— I don’t think it’s fair — I said — If anything, I should be given his position! He was weaker than me! I did the kingdom a favor by getting rid of that maggot!

— Perfect! — he applauded — I see we both agree on that… Even the “maggot” part.

— I’m honored that my lord thinks that — I blushed.

The door opened again and the hooded figure returned with two glasses of wine, which made me think that person was just a regular servant, not worthy of being introduced to me.

— Now I ask you, Leoria, why is it that the barbarians of the north continue to attack our kingdom while the tribes of the south had left us in peace for the past two years?

— Because we’ve massacred the south and destroyed their will to fight — I said, remembering all the savages I had gutted in battle and all the corpses I had personally impaled or beheaded — We did the same to the north, but they are too thick-headed to give up.

— Not quite — he said, with a smug — The north is a land of hardened warriors, as you know very well after defeating so many of their champions. They think of themselves as stronger than us, which is why they keep fighting. They would rather die in battle than kneel in front of us. Isn’t that a virtue?

— Their will to fight is indeed admirable — I agreed — Fighting those barbarians had been the most joy I've ever felt. Those savages give me a reason to fight.

— Indeed! A cheer to the way of the warrior!

He raised his glass and I did the same. We both drank until it was empty.

— As an exercise of thought, my dear Leoria, imagine yourself born among those barbarians, raised as the powerful warrior you are today, but fighting at their side instead of against them — he leaned towards me over the table — Do you think you could lead them into defeating our kingdom?

— Mylord… I can’t really answer this…

— It is an order!

— Well… I… — My body was getting a lot hotter inside the armor and sweat was covering everything from my feet to the tip of my hair — The kingdom’s army is much bigger than what the barbarians have… Even if I was somehow able to unite all of their clans, I don’t think my power is enough to tip the scales in their favor.

— And how much more power would you need?

— I d-don’t know h-how to answer — I wasn’t just sweating under the armor, I was cooking inside it — It’s not like I could realistically become much stronger. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve peaked my performance at this point, from now on I’ll just get weaker with age.

— If you could become more powerful, would you want it?

— Of course I wo… buuuuuurp!

I immediately covered my mouth in shame when that gross noise escaped me. I had never committed such a gaffe in my life! It was utterly unforgivable that my first display of rudeness was in front of a prince!

— I’m so sorry! I'm really...

— Don’t worry, Leoria — he shrugged, as if it was nothing — Sometimes our bodies have needs that are stronger than any social rules, don’t you think? Why should you restrain your needs in favor of the rules created by a weak society?

— Well… because those rules exist for… BUUURP!

“DAMN IT!”

Once again an even stronger belch escaped and I was helpless to stop it. That one even echoed inside the house. Not only was I making those disgusting sounds, I was also stinking from all that sweat flooding my armor and dripping into the fancy chair.

— I’m so sorry! I swear! I would nev… BUUUUUURP!

Each one was louder, longer and more unstoppable than the last. I was just embarrassing myself in front of the prince! He was kind enough to invite me for a meeting and I was running it! To make matters worse, my belly started to rumble and ache...

Yet he didn’t seem grossed out. The prince was acting as if there was nothing wrong about my behavior. And the hooded figure was also unfazed. I was destroying that meeting, but none of them were scolding me for that. I felt like a little kid who’s forgiven because it’s too young and too stupid to know what it did.

— I…. buurp… swear this… buuuurp… is not… buuuurp! BUUUURP!

Every word was coming out as a burp! I immediately shut my mouth before I made things even worse for myself. In addition to overheating under the armor, my intense blushing felt like being on fire! I wanted to jump off a cliff right there and end that torment! The prince didn’t deserve to experience any of that! Not even a pig would be so gross!

— Calm down, my glorious Leoria. There is no reason to apologize — he waved his hands — I know what you are trying to say. You are telling me that you are too strong to be shackled by the rules of society. That you can do what you want because you have the power to do so!

— NO! THAT’S NOT WHAT I... BUUUUUUUUUUUUURPP!

That sound that should never come out of an honorable knight's mouth was probably heard all the way back in the city.

My belly was roaring even louder than before, filled with gas, sloshing out disgustingly through the space between my plate armor and my long skirt, growing at an alarming rate as if I was leaking skin.

— The world belongs to those who understand that “might makes it right” — he said — Our current king is weak and has been softening himself over these years of peace. We have enough power to take all the other kingdoms, but he prefers to bask in his castle and let our rivals grow stronger with time!

I didn’t want to question. I was too afraid to release another belch. My belly was so loud that the prince had to raise his voice to be heard and my body was so covered in sweat that it was like I had jumped in the bog.

— When you defeated the commander, I thought people would finally realize that we are being ruled by the weak. I thought you’d be promoted to take his place and take us to a new age of glory and conquest! But instead you were discarded and neglected by a kingdom that is afraid of war! A kingdom that is afraid to realize how weak they've grown!

My cheeks filled completely with another barf and I was forced to swallow it back and have the disgusting smell come off of my nose. Strangely, it didn’t taste or smelled like wine… I tasted like cinders…

— The reason we keep getting attacked by the barbarians of the north is because they realize how weak we've become! The reason other kings accept our peace is because they are slowly using this truce to build up their armies and take over our land!

I hated myself for making so much noise while the prince was giving his speech. But I simply couldn’t control my body. I was filling the place with my disgusting noises and my stinky sweat. I was more savage than the very barbarians I spent most of my life fighting!

— We need a warrior with your power! Someone that can save us from the barbarians, from the other kingdoms and from our own weakness! You should be a symbol of inspiration, instead of being neglected! People should aspire to be like you, instead of pretending you don’t exist. People are too afraid of your power to ever understand the savior you truly are!

My whole body was swelling and taking over the armor, as if I was bloating from a sudden allergy. It was hard to concentrate on what the prince was saying when I was in such discomfort and pain. It felt like the armor was shrinking and threatening to crush me inside! I could barely move!

When my belly was squeezed against the armor, it resulted in a large pressure that I wasn’t able to contain:

— BRRRUUUUUUUUOOOORRRRP!

That last one wasn’t only loud, but it was accompanied by flames that painted the air red for an instant. I had just breathed out fire! I couldn’t believe what had just happened! People weren’t supposed to breathe fire!

— This kingdom is falling down, and it needs us to rise once again!

I had no idea how the prince could keep a straight face when I was putting on such an embarrassing show. At that point, my nose had turned red and was so big that it covered my lower field of view and I couldn’t even see the table. My belly was so bloated that I had a lot of skin showing between my chestplate and my skirt, sloshing out like the tummy of a lazy fat merchant who never exercised in his life. My athletic body I was so proud of was growing a huge belly that was quickly weighing me down and causing the legs of the chair to creak!

— Together we can save this kingdom! — he punched the table — We can take this throne for ourselves and rule it like it with an iron fist! A kingdom where true warriors are condecorated instead of shamed! A kingdom where people can be ranked according to their strength rather than their status! Don’t you want to live in a kingdom like that?

I just wanted to cry…

The prince was trusting me with his regicidal plans, telling me something that would get him punished with death. He was possibly having the most important speech of his life and I was constantly interrupting him with my flaming burps. I wanted to say something! But I was afraid that opening my mouth again would just release another disgusting noise.

— If you agree with me, release your flames, my powerful warrior!

“My flames?”

I forced myself to look up and, for the first time, opened my mouth with the intention of letting that pressure escape. It was an order from the prince...

— BROOOOOOARCH!

A huge cone of flames erupted, and it was as if the morning sun had risen in that very clearing. But for some reason, this time it didn’t feel embarrassing… It felt empowering… It felt like a battlecry… That flaming belch was glorious!

— Just like me, the last prince in the succession line, will never rise to my full potential. You will also never be more than a knight fallen out of grace! We are both constrained by the limits of a flawed kingdom! But together we can become what we are meant to be! I can become this kingdom’s rightful ruler and you can become my most powerful warrior!

First there was the sound of leather ripping when my feet grew so big that it pierced my boots, revealing three long and sharp talons instead of toes. Second, there was the sound of crushing metal when my hands turned into big claws and exploded my iron gloves from the inside as if they were made of wax. Lastly was the cracking of the chair, when it finally broke under my weight and I was brought to the ground.

Needless to say, it made me feel ridiculous, especially because I was having troubles getting back into my feet with all that extra weight from my body’s constant swelling… I felt like a stupid lost cow making a fuss in a family dinner…

— I know what I’m asking you is considered high treason, but should it really be? Is it wrong for a prince to save his own kingdom? Is it wrong for a warrior like you to be able to show off her power and be praised for it? — he got up and stared me in the eyes without having to look down. Even if I was on the ground, I had grown so much that our heights were the same — Rules are created by the weak to control the weak. Rules are an illusion of power. Only true power can truly rule a kingdom!

I tried to tell him I agreed with everything, but I was afraid that my flames would burn the prince. So I started to nod frantically, trying to signal that I was on board with everything. The world was unfair! We were forced to obey people much weaker than us! It wasn't right! Nature was full of animals that proved themselves with power! Every pack had an alpha! Humans were the only creatures that accepted being led by the weak! My whole life I had been a wolf led by sheep!

But what rights did I have to agree with him when I looked so pathetic? I was a stinky mess, burping constantly and with blobs of fat slouching from my armor. I was the exact opposite of a noble warrior! I was so ridiculous that even a peasant would laugh. My body was betraying me in that important moment of my life!

To make things worse, I felt someone lifting my skirt, revealing my thighs to the prince! No girl should ever be that promiscuous! What kind of person would do that to me?

When I turned my head, I realized that no one was behind me. The thing that was lifting my skirt was a thick protrusion, longer than any of my arms, covered in tiny diamond-like shapes. My immediate reaction was to cringe in shame, which caused that long hideous thing to curl. I could move that thing… It was part of me! It was connected to my tailbone as if my torso had been elongated! EEEEEEEEEEEEK! GROSS!

The more I panicked, the more I tensed my muscles. And the more I tensed my muscles, the more that tail moved along, making me fully aware of its existence and the fact that It was attached to my rear!

I desperately tried to close my legs and hide any bits of underwear, but that enormous tail was so thick that I couldn’t even manage to bring my thighs inwards! My legs were spread apart by that rough, scaly thing.

I was sweating, burping, breathing fire, revealing my underwear, stinking and showing a long monstrous tail almost as tall as me! My wine had been poisoned! But instead of dying, I was changing into something else!

— You seem agitated, Leoria — he said — Are you so embarrassed by your strength?

Was he teasing me?

I slammed my tail against the floor in frustration. Each passing second I lost more of my humanity. My hands, which had doubled in size and featured three big, clumsy claws instead of my usual five nimble fingers, would never be able to manage a weapon! My elongated feet and shortened shin prevented me from standing on my two feet, robbing me of the ability to run. Plus all that extra weight from my bloated body was turning the once agile warrior into a slow blob of fat.

— What’s the matter, Leoria? — he meant to touch me, but stopped midway, as the intense heat from my body threatened to burn his hand — Don’t you feel stronger?

Stronger? I felt humiliated! None of those changes made me any stronger, if anything, they made me slow and clumsy!

— What… buuurp… is hap-ROOAR-pening… RARW… to… burp… GROAR… me?

I turned my face away from the prince and tried my best to speak something coherent. But my words were constantly interrupted by flames and growls. I sounded more animal than human!

— Excuse me? — said the hooded figure for the first time, with a feminine voice — What you are experiencing are the effects of my most prized potion. One that can make strong warriors even stronger than their wildest dreams.

My neck started to thicken and elongate, with new vertebrates popping into existence, causing my head to stand higher and forcing me to look down at the prince and the hooded person, trying to balance my head atop of that nauseating serpentine neck.

— Potion? BUURP! This is - ROAR - witchcraft! GRRRR! What is... ROAR! GRRR! GROWL! ROOOAR! BURP! GRRR! RAWR! GRRR ROOOOAR!

Further attempts at speaking just resulted in monstrous roaring and growing. My voice didn’t even sound like it used to, becoming much deeper and hoarse. Plus, each primeval sound that escaped my mouth was accompanied by a cloud of black smoke. I couldn’t even call that a “mouth” anymore, because my face had become so long that the nose had fused with my upper lips to form a snout much like a beast, full of sharp teeth and featuring a long pointed tongue with a split end. I could eat an entire rabbit with a single bite! That muzzle was covering so much of my view that I couldn’t even see my legs!

Tears rolled down my eyes as I was powerless to fight the changes. I had spent my whole life mastering the control of my body to become a knight, but now my muscles were betraying me! My voice was betraying me! I was reshaping into a monster against my will! The body I spent so much time perfecting was turning into something heavy and hideous!

— You are the first one to resist my potion this far, Leoria — she said, with a hand on her chest — You are indeed very powerful. Many warriors had already drunk this potion and died an agonizing death before even growing a tail like you did.

A sharp pain quickly erupted at both sides of my head. It was like a pair of bone spears coming out of my skull. They curved back and thickened, gaining mass and forcing my neck to stiffen as I struggled to keep that extra weight. I didn’t have to look in a mirror to realize I had sprouted a pair of horns… HORNS! Demons had horns! Barbarian helmets had horns! Knights shouldn't have horns!

— ROOOAR! GROWL! GRRR! — I tried to protest! I had so many questions, but no way of expressing any of my worries. That useless throat could spill nothing but growls, smoke and fire — ROOOOAR! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!

I was burning inside, as if my body was being boiled in a cauldron! Any person would’ve already fainted from the pain, but I was still conscious, roaring and growling my lungs out! Every animal in miles had probably evacuated at that point, given how much noise I was making.

— You are almost done, Leoria! — yelled the prince — Hang on just a while longer!

There was something sticky oozing over my skin, and it wasn’t sweat. It was thick and heavy like mercury. As I looked down, I was terrified to see my armor was melting and fusing with my skin! The chest plate was being absorbed by my burning body and forming a natural plating that extended from my belly all the way along the neck. The rest of the steel armor was spreading around my arms, legs, muzzle and tail, sinking deep into the skin and forming many hardened diamond-shaped structures that looked a lot like… scales?

I was turning into a mythological creature considered to be extinct for centuries. A fire breathing monster that was said to defeat entire armies all by itself. A creature with scales so hard that no weapon could piece. A race once considered to be the kings of the world before mankind built the first castle...

— Focus your energies on surviving! — said the alchemist woman — You’ll forever become stronger than you ever thought possible!

— ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

All my fears and insecurities were released in the form of a fiery roar. I was sure people from all the mainland were able to hear that. Even strong men would piss themselves after that. The prince and his alchemist both had to cover their ears not to go deaf. Even the walls of the shack collapsed and the building was brought down. I had the power to summon earthquakes!

Power…
I had so much power…

— This potion can permanently turn people into powerful dragons if they manage to survive the transformation! — said the prince, having to yell in order to be heard, since my last roar was still echoing — I had high hopes that you could manage it, and I was right!

As the changes settled in, I was brought down to my fours, having my bones twisted and bent so much that I was incapable of standing on two legs anymore. My clothes had been reduced to ashes and my armor had already been reforged into plates and scales, leaving me completely naked, displaying my changes in full view for the prince and his alchemist, who watched the results of my transformation as if it was a spectacle!

I loved when people admired my battle hardened body… BUT NOT LIKE THAT! THAT WASN’T MY BODY! THAT WAS THE BODY OF A MONSTER! I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO SEE ME LIKE THAT! I WANTED TO HIDE IN A CAVE!

When new bones, like giant fingers, protruded from the sides of my arms, a wide sheet of cartilage covered the spaces between them and turned my arms into wings as big as the rest of my body. It was like having giant sails attached to me. I took that opportunity to hide behind those wings so I wasn’t forced to look any of them in the eyes. As strong as that body was, it felt vulgar and grotesque to transform in front of people. Nobody was supposed to shapeshift in front of a prince… Much less shapeshift at all!

That noble saw me change from an athletic warrior into a heavy, tailed animal, with scales, long neck, wings and showing off her genitalia shamelessly! I was forced to tuck my tail between those huge legs as a desperate attempt to hide my private parts. There was so much about me I wanted to hide!

Besides… Did I hear it right? They said it was “permanent”?

Of course the prince had the rights to give me orders and even sentence me to death. But should he really have authority over the form of my body? Was it acceptable for him to just transform me without consent? Did he expect me to thank him?

All my bones felt wrongly positioned and my muscles were pulling in strange directions. I was grossed out by how uncanny my own body was behaving. Nothing about me moved the way I was used to. My organs felt like a pack of misplaced guts wobbling inside my thorax, slowly rearranging into new positions and even growing new organs I had no idea what purpose they had. At some point I even felt a second heart beating and a second stomach filling up with gas!

A wave of nausea ran across my giant throat and a pile of vomit splattered on the floor. Droplets of that stinky bile fell into the prince and the alchemist, given how high my head was standing, but neither of them seemed to mind, as the spectacle of my changes was more impressive than their ruined clothes.

Balanced under four legs, with huge sail-like wings at my sides, a long tail tucked between my legs, tons of smoke leaking from my nostrils and scales covering every inch of my outer surface, I had turned into the very description of a dragon from the faery tales. No one would ever be able to look at me and say I was Leoria. Not even my own mother! And the fact I was stripped of my words made it even more impossible to tell anyone who I truly was! It was as if I had vanished from the world and been replaced by a dragon. People would forever think I was gone. I would never be Leoria again! People would never aspire to be like me now! I was the opposite of what a knight was supposed to be! People would fear me a lot more!

— Now you’ll finally fulfil your dream of being respected for your power! — the prince opened his arms and looked up at me, as if I was his masterpiece.

I never asked to be a dragon!
I trained myself to wear armor, not to have my skin become one!
I trained myself to wield weapons, not to flail my tail like a morning star, cut with claws or burn things with fire.
I trained to be agile, not to be a fortress who tanks hits instead of dodging or blocking.
I trained my speeches to be encouraging and to inspire troops under my command, not to roar and have everyone scared of me.
I trained to mount majestic steeds into the battlefield, not to fly with my own wings!
Even stupid things like keeping my hair tidy or wearing fancy clothes were impossible now. I couldn’t even fit into buildings! Even a barn was too small for me!
I had been turned into a living deadly weapon who was fit for nothing but killing!

— Incredible! — the alchemist jumped with joy — She survived! It’s a success!

— I never doubted you, my dear Leoria!

— Rawr!

They were so small…

I was so big…

My belly was burning with the fire of a thousand forges…
My wings could cast a big enough shadow to cover a village…
My scales were impenetrable…
My tail could bring down castle walls…
My claws could cut through steel…

— I guess it makes sense that the strongest warrior would manage it. I’m impressed she hadn’t burned into a puddle or had a heart attack…

— Look at her! So much power! So much presence! We can finally rule the world!

— Rawr!

They kept rubbing my ego, saying how strong I was and how I had survived certain death. I was the strongest thing alive. With the power to take down armies all by myself. Those two were right, we could finally rule the world. We could finally bring the age of the strong! A paradise where warriors could fight endless wars!

I had the power to destabilize all kingdoms!
I could throw the world into chaos!
I could bring the age of warriors!
A world where strength was the law and everyone would be able to prove their worth!
As a dragon, I could take down the biggest kingdom and have the other ones fight over power!

— We can finally rule the world! — the prince danced around me, inebriated with the success of his plan.

“We? Why not me?”

That strange thought crossed my head, taking me by surprise.

“I don’t need them. I have all the power and they have nothing.”

— Rarw?

— I’ve already made arrangements with other nobles and their private armies, so they will fight under our command and take the kingdom. With Leoria in the lead, nothing can stop us! We can build the strongest kingdom in the world!

If the world had a kingdom stronger than all, there would be no wars…
If the world had a kingdom stronger than all, nobody would have a reason to fight…
If the world had a kingdom stronger than all, there would be peace...

“What can I do with a kingdom? I have no use for a castle or servants. These stupid things are meant for humans, not for big dragons like me. I need no servants and no castles. Besides, I never wanted to be a ruler. I love being a warrior! I love battles! I love killing and proving everyone how strong I am!”

— Rarw? Grrr…

Now that the changes were over, I wasn’t panicking anymore. I simply felt stronger than ever, unstoppable, like nothing could stand in my way. There would be no consequences for my actions. I could do anything and survive anything…

— How do you like your newfound power, Leoria? — said the weak noble.

— Rawr!

He made a funny noise when I squished him under my foot. It was like stepping on a rotten tomato. The prince wasn’t strong and he never would be. He was just a power hungry spoiled brat who never understood what being a warrior truly was.

— What have you done? — the alchemist screamed, stepping back in horror, shaking with her clothes covered in the prince’s blood after his insides gushed in all directions.

— Rarw!

I never cared about ruling, it was always about being powerful. I never wanted any riches, because no amount of gold could purchase strength. I never wanted subjects, because I had no use for people weaker than me. I didn’t need allies or an army anymore. I was an army all by myself. A one woman army… no… A one dragon army...

I had finally obtained what I had craved for my whole life: Freedom.
Freedom from rules…
Freedom from consequences…
Freedom from having others say how I should live my life…

— GRROOOOOOOOOOOAR!

If I had to split the world by hierarchies, I’d go with:

Nobles at the bottom. A cast of useless parasites who had no power of their own and had to use their status to order stronger people to do their bidding.

Above them I’d put the peasants, who worked the land and provided sustenance to everyone. The only difference between them and nobles, was that the peasants at least put work into their lives.

Then there were the adventurers. Intrepid people who lived lives of relative freedom and enjoyed not being subject to anybody but themselves.

Above the adventurers, would be the barbarians. Fierce warriors who lived by a strong code of morals where strength was the norm and the powerful ruled over the weak.

Then, almost at the top, there were monsters, who didn’t need fancy moral codes or stupid rules, who would fight with fangs and claws to get what they wanted.

Finally, at the top, there was the apex predator… Me...

I spread my wings and flew into the sky, on my way to create a world of eternal war, where people would bask in rage and violence, forever fighting one another for power. A harsh world that would forge new heroes. A world that would breed the strongest warriors, hardened by suffering and pain. A world cleansed from the weak...

The reason I left the alchemist girl alive was not because I trusted nor liked her, but because I wished one day she, or a descendant of her, would make that potion again and give it to someone born in that new world I would create... And as new dragons rose to the skies, I would finally have something worthy of being my opponent once again.

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For more transformation art, check here:
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For more Dragon and Scaly TF, check here:
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If you want to read more stories, check my INDEX:
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