Waking up was a process in confusion and pain. The bed I was sleeping in was the most comfortable thing I had laid on in years, and by the time that thought came through my head by entire body burned in pain. I let out a low moan and rolled over in bed.
“Wakee, wakee, today's gonna be a long day so get your ass in gear.” Oh, right, that’s how I got here. Ruther. The man was a contradiction, he was mindbogglingly powerful, or at least skilled. No one I had ever heard of could teleport so easy, and I didn’t even know some of the things he did was possible. To be fair I didn’t know many mages or much about their capabilities or capacity’s but what he seemed to casually do defied reason. Killing a squad of king’s mages was something only absolute masters could do and Ruther made it look like an accident
However, even with all his power, he seemed to right of, what seemed like an extremely time consuming and expensive potion with only a few deaths. From what I had seen from people, they would do a lot worse for much less. He could probably kill the king if he wanted. And now I was his apprentice. That thought sent a chill and of fear and excitement down my spine. I had always wanted to be a proper mage and at the very least he provided me with food and shelter which is more than I could say for the last couple of years. But he was a bit … eccentric. Well, it’s not like I really had a choice, running away didn’t work the first time.
“Get out of bed you fop and do some cycling and I don’t want to hear any complaints that it hurts! It’s like muscle pain, start moving and the pain will lessen, it will also consolidate some gains from last night. Be down in 20 minutes. Don’t be late!” And with that, he was gone. He was right it did hurt.
Groggily walking down the stairs, I marvelled at my new pair of clothes. I hadn’t worn anything this new or comfortable in a long while. For what happened to my old set of clothes I couldn’t say, I had just woken up naked in my bed, I guess Ruther brought me back after I passed and undressed me? That was a bit creepy, but I guess that’s the price of free magic lessons.
The common room was full of all tables being taken. Looking around I found my mentor at a table in the middle of the room. Walking over to him I sat down at the chair opposite him. “So, your mana channels are looking good it will only take another 4 more of our sessions before your up to standards, barley.” I grimaced, once was bad enough. I could tell Ruhter saw my expression as he smiled, I was beginning to hate that smile. “You didn’t think once would be enough? That kind of power could permanently damage your channels, just remember this could have all be avoided if you just practised.” Now I was debating punching the grin off his face.
As I was debating the consequences of such actions our food arrived, and the smell of it sent my stomach rumbling. I was hungry, much hungrier than I thought. I was used to being hungry, but I had a large full meal yesterday which should have lasted me today. The sight of the food which looked pristine and well-made sent my stomach rumbling and I tore into it the second it was set in front of me. I ate in record time and was eyeing my companion’s untouched plate. He looked at me with a smile that seemed much less punchable and pushed his plate over to me.
I tore into it again and only stopped around the three-quarter mark when a group of well-dressed men approached our table. The lead one, wearing the gaudiest dress sniffed as he looked over us. “I can see that you are done here, ‘please’ vacate the table.”. He spoke in a stuffy tone and drawled out the word, 'please'.
Before he was even finished speaking, I was already vacating my chair, I had enough experience with nobles for a lifetime. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ruther mutter something about cliches, but the only thing on my mind at that moment was cursing his name. For the love of Quince please don’t make a scene. But my life could never be that simple, my mentor was currently lazily resting in his chair, and the pleading look I gave him was only met with a smile that seemed to say ‘I know exactly what you’re thinking’.
The noble seemed surprised that we hadn’t teleported away from him the second he spoke, and gave a heated glare towards Ruther, who replied casually. “No, we aren’t quite done yet, we will be another few minutes, so go up and have a wank or something, or hire a prostitute, I’m sure you’ll be done before we leave.” The comment seemed to infuriate and fluster him, his face going red. His mouth opened one or two times before one of his cronies stepped in. At this point, the common room had quieted down with everyone’s attention on us. I shed back and ducked my head down.
“Do you know who this is! This is prince Hisoph! He could have your head, you peasant bumpkin. What are even in doing in this establishment, I will talk with the innkeeper at once to make sure no deplorable like you will be able to enter this establishment again!”. His words clicked something in my mind that I missed when entering the room, as I looked around. Almost everyone here was finely dressed and the inn, in general, was made with high-quality materials and serving high-quality food. While mine and Ruther’s clothes were okay for any worker, for this establishment we were severely underdressed. I suddenly felt even more uncomfortable and slid back even more.
Before Hisoph’s lackey could implements any of his threats the man put and an arm in front of him and gave a wide smile oozing with malice. That he also directed at me. “No need my friend, we will just find another table.”. He turned around but not before giving Ruther a murderous smile that promised disastrous consequences. I let a sigh of relief, that could have ended a lot worse.
“Are all nobles from your kingdom like you? Or maybe they’re like your sister, showing her breasts to all the common people, how shameless.”. A look abject fear and horror marred my face, accompanied by a loud gasp from the crowd. Hisoph came to an instant halt and turned around with fury radiating of him. The area surrounding him heating. “You should really tidy up your control over mana, just sloppy.” Ruther never stopped lazing in his chair with his grin plastered in place.
“I Hisoph Arizont, second in line to the throne, herby challenge this plebian to a formal duel at the Academy duelling grounds, first to surrender or unconsciousness.” The man threw his glove down on the table and gave Ruther a fierce glare. For the first time in the conversation Ruther perked up and put his full attention on Hisoph. He took a step back and his eyes lost their fury, gaining some uncertainty and fear. I knew exactly what it felt like and an involuntary shiver ran down my spine.
“Are you sure you wish to do that?” Some of the furry returned and he gave a smile to Ruhter.
“Of course, unless you do not accept, well, then who knows what could happen to a lone man and his lover,” Hisoph said, flicking his eyes over to me. I was about to object out of instinct before I realized where I was and shrank back.
“Oh please, not all of us are into boys.” Before he could respond Ruther continued. “I Ruther, accept your challenge, we will fight at sunset today, all weapons, armour and magics are allowed. Now, if we are done here, I have a busy schedule and I’m already running late, so if you could let us finish our breakfast that would be much appreciated.” Punctuating his point Ruther grabbed his spoon and leaned across the table to eat a piece of my food.
Hisoph gave us one last look, his eyes stopping on me for a second as if to memorize my features than walked off with his friend following behind. Leaving a gossiping common room and a sense of dread growing in the pit of my stomach.
. . .
“Just sit back and enjoy the show, don’t say much and only speak when spoken too, or don’t, I don’t particularly care.” Saying this Ruther pulled blackness from nothing and covered himself in it. I only realized it was cloak when he moved his hands as if to put a hood up and shadow obscured his face. I involuntary gulped as I stared at the void. He was completely covered in blackness, dark as the blackest shadow. Even the surrounding light seemed to be dimmed and a chill crept up my arms. The only thing on his face that I could see was the pearly whites of his teeth when he spoke.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Any questions? No, good. Get ready.” Talking before I could ask any questions with a creepily distorted voice, I found myself somewhere else.
The room was filled with a large desk ornately carved with a man hunched over it. A tall window provided natural light into the room that seemed ominously darkened.
“You really shouldn’t hunch over like that, it’s bad for your back, have you thought about a standing desk?”. The man jumped up and turned around in a movement faster than my eyes could track, and before I could blink a flaming ball of mana was hovering an inch away from Ruther and my face.
“WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!?” His voice seemed to cast a heat that did nothing to dispel the cold from Ruther’s cloak. Flames soon appeared, surrounding Ruther and I, closely circling us in a slow-motion, making it a danger just to breath.
“Touchy, touchy is that any way to greet an old friend?”. With barely a flicker the fire surrounding me was gone and Ruther was bending the fire mage over the desk with a hand on his neck. Showing white teeth on a shadowed face. some more movement followed, faster than I could track, ending with a window in shatters, ink splattered onto me and the fire mage on his toes leaning against the wall with two floating daggers pointing at his neck and one at his heart.
“You’re certainly better than last time I met you, but you still need some practice with your cycling.”. The daggers slowly retracted toward Ruther and disappeared into his cloak. “I didn’t come here to fight you, well, okay I did, but that’s not why I’m here.”
The man warily looked at Ruther before walking towards his desk and pulling a bottle of whisky from under it with 3 glasses. “Not many people can beat me as handily as you did. Actually, I don’t know of anyone who can, are you Xinth, Muy? A god come down for revenge or something? Whatever, just tell me what you want and leave. Whiskey?” Pouring three glasses his slid one over the desk to Ruhter and held one up for me with a raised eyebrow.
Looking over to Ruther I darted my eyes back to the glass. “The lad can’t handle it. But this is some fine stuff, where you get it from?” Ruther jut continued to sip his drink completely ignoring his earlier interaction with the mage.
“I got it from the Kintish, cost me a coin or two but they truly cannot be beaten.”. My head swivelled between the two as they talked as if nothing happened, just relaxing, and sipping their whiskey. The only the hint of wariness was the fire mage keeping Ruther in his sights at all time.
Putting his glass down and letting out a refreshing sigh Ruther spoke. “I have come to collect Hue.”
Hue followed putting his glass down and looking inquisitory at Ruther. “I haven’t heard my old name in centuries, I thought everyone that knew me by that name was dead. You speak as if you personally knew me and that I owe you a favour, but I do not remember meeting anyone as skilled as you, especially not … back … then…”. Hue took a step back with shaking hands. Ruther’s white teeth shone as he pulled his hood back to reveal a young face, only hinting at his previous aged face.
“I’m sorry for attacking, if I had known it was you I would have never.” Hue punctuated his statement by deeply bowing.
“Don’t worry about it, if I didn’t want you to attack, I would have come in through the door. But you have improved nicely, still need to do more cycling though. Now what I have come here for. I seem to remember a young boy in need of help saying he will do me a favour to be named later.”
“Of course, I will do whatever I can to fulfil your wish,” Hue’s face was back to neutral, but I could still see his hand trembling slightly.
“Good, good, now I want a position teaching and for my young apprentice here…” A hand appeared on my shoulder followed by gentle pushed that caused me to take a step forward. “to become a student. He is in dire of need friend and really needs to learn how to properly greet woman, shameless really.”. A blush crept up on my face as I had the urge to fireball him in the face. Never should have told him that story.
“Of course, I will enrol him immediately, any preferences for his classes, and what do you wish to teach? Whiskey?” Hue’s face was still neutral, and his hands had completely stopped shaking. Offering a full glass of whiskey which Ruther accepted.
“I will teach beginner magic combat, external and internal mana manipulation. I’ll teach the advanced versions when the kid catches up. Now for him, put him into all my classes and, hmm, basic math. That will be a good punishment. Also, make sure the classes have a good amount of woman, he really needs the practice.”. What’s so bad about maths? and there are more levels than just basic, how much math is there?
“What should I put for your and the child’s name?”.
“His name is Tay, something? What’s your last?”. Ruther said looking at me. I started, looking back at Ruther my mind stuttering for a second as the fire mage stared at me. It was only now I realized I was shaking; he really wasn’t kidding when Ruther said that the headmaster owed him a favour. But that wasn’t what surprised me, it was how easily he subdued Hue. I knew Ruther was powerful but strong enough to take down a named fire mage in few seconds without breaking a sweat took an entirely different level of power. He even said that basically only gods could do that.
My musings were interrupted as my eyes met the fire mages. Right, surname, what was it again? “Ahh, it-t is Malden. I mean my last name is Malden.” I looked nervously back at Ruther who only nodded and continued his conversation with Hue. I hadn’t needed to remember my last name in years.
“So, my apprentice name is Tay Malden, greatest womanizer of this generation, as for me, give me a sec,” god, I hated him.
Making his cloak disappear, Ruther’s body began to change. His hair grew out coming down past his shoulders, his eyes changed colour to blue, his moustache receded, and chin grew more pointed. The clothes he wore tightened and pants shrunk up his thigh. His hips expanded, thighs grew thicker and waist narrowed. The finale changes began when his chest expanded and top cleaved down. He gained an extra few centimetres as his boots runted black and gained heels. After only a few seconds Ruther had completely changed.
My mouth was fully hanging open and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Hue with his mouth very slightly apart as well. “Too much?” His sultry voice was only met with an agape mouth.
“Yea thought so.” His tight shorts grew down his upper thigh and turned into a skirt coming down just passed mid-thigh, his knee-high black boots lowered until he was wearing a pair of leather boots, the largest change was his shirt V-neck pulled up somewhat, showing less breast, which also decreased in size, so now instead of straining his shirt to the point it would have torn if it were not for magic, now just strained it to the point that an extra stretchy mundane shirt could hold them in. He lost and few centimetres in height and his shoes turning back into flat boots.
He now only looked like the most beautiful person I had ever seen, instead of threatening to knock me out. Either way it was still supremely uncomfortable to know he was a man a second ago, especially as my pants grew tighter. I really hated him.
“You can put my name down as Daisy Clover, yes I will teach like this at first, why I hear you ask? Well, I have noticed that men pay better attention when the teacher is appealing to the eye.” His voice also sounded less sultry and more like a pleasant energetic young woman.
“Wh-hat about woman?” The question came out of me without me noticing still in shock.
“Well fuck you too. Some women like woman you know, geez so closed-minded. Ok, fine you got me, that’s not my main reason looking like a woman, I just want to have some fun, is that too much to ask for.” Ruther, no Daisy, pouted at me and something weird happened in my stomach. God, this was weird.
“Will that be all Daisy?”. Hue made no comment other than his small initial reaction, returning his expression back to stone-faced.
“There will be a fight at the training grounds today, ignore what will happen there and give me free rein, I need to teach a prince a lesson. That will be all. When do the classes start by way?”.
“The optional orientation started this week, but the real classes begin tomorrow, you will replace the current teaches for those classes. I will avoid interfering with your fight, but please, do not kill the young prince, his family with have fit and cause a headache of paperwork.”
“Good, now for pay, just give me whatever you think is fair, if I need more money, I’ll just steal it from you. Anyway, it’s been fun, but it’s about time I go, thanks for the whiskey, let’s catch up later, I’d love to hear your story.” Hue bowed before we teleported away back to the training ground.
It was completely different from the last time I saw it. The grass and plants neatly trimmed, with multiple flying metal balls doing something around the garden. I didn’t get a chance to admire the changes before a feminine hand clapped me on the shoulder.
“I see you have been slacking off in your cycling.” I startled for a second before I remembered that Ruther was now a woman, turning my head to look at him my eyes caught on his(her?) cleavage before quickly moving up top her Daisy’s eyes. Please miss it, please miss it. Daisy gave me a smirk that caused my stomach to drop, damn.
“I-I haven’t had time; we went straight from breakfast to meet the headmaster. Could you also please turn back?” Please, for the love of every god turn back.
“You don’t like my new form, well that’s rude. From peek I think you like it quite a bit, but if you want me to change back …”. Daisy’s form changed, her boots crawling up her legs to just below the knee and turning black. She grew to above Ruther usual height with her heels, forcing me to look up to see her. Her skirt shortened to above mid-thigh, and her chest expanded, stretching the shirt to damn near impossible proportions. “I thought this from was too much, but I guess a perv like you would like it.” Her voice was sultry, and a predatory smirk appeared on her face, as she took a step closer.
My mouth was dry as I looked up at her face and took an involuntary step back. Fuck me, why? I tried to defend myself, but nothing came out. “As much fun as this is, and as much as you need training with woman, I think focus is more important. Your perverted thoughts will have to wait.” Ruther’s body slowly shifted back into his moustached sixty-year-old figure.
“Don’t think you’re out of it yet, ‘not having time to cycle’, what kind of shit is that? Cycle while eating, cycle while talking, cycle while beating the shit out of a master mage, or while talking to one. Are you waiting for a sign from the Universe? Get your mana FUCKING MOVING you extra chromosome yeast!” Pushing my mana still hurt from last night, but it was infinitely better than having Daisy here.