AN: Thank you all for reading thus far. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to voice them.
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"Boss, what-?" Robby could not finish his query, as each of them stared at Shadow's new body. For she now had the body like many of my young Undying, as they had to go through this exact process once before. However, even though this process is perfect, it is also not.
For you see, my dear audience, this form tends to kill those who are still living, as the mind does not understand how any of this is possible, and tends to over extend its body through various situations. Such as standing in front of a charging Rhino, and believing your added strength will help to stop it, but all it does is slow the creature down whilst its horn is in your abdomen.
It also deadens your sensitivity to pain and pleasure. Therefore, you would need to try much harder to obtain such feelings, and this usually ends poorly for any of your partners. On the other hand, dueling with live weapons instead of wooden ones is always entertaining to watch. Especially for the new recruits, as their minds still believe their flesh will easily break and tear when struck with a sword. It is always a joy when they realise they are allowed to break loose and not worry about their sparring partner for such things. That is, until they reach for great axes and warhammers.
In any case, I was grinning like a mad man and shouting such nonsense as, "I did it," and "It worked". As to why I continued to spew such nonsense when I knew what to do after many cycles of practice, was to hide the fact that I knew of such a method.
"Boss?" called out Robby, who pointed towards Shadow's metallic form. Of whom was stirring from her spot upon the ground, and gasped awake as a pair of violet orbs danced within the eye sockets.
"Wha-?" she began, then stopped as she noted the strange, metallic hand coming towards her face. Only she did not realise it was her own hand, now a clawed hand, and scrambled to flee.
"Sit down, Shadow," my voice was full of bemused patience, as my right hand's middle finger flicked her forehead with a resounding clang of a fingernail striking metal. This action caused her eyes to widen, as they stared down upon her body. "You've undergone a transformation where you no longer needed armour. For I've taken it under consideration whilst crafting a new set for you to wear. Thus, you've become an Iron Wolf Kin, and do not need to fear weapons made of such any longer.
"Besides, I think I did a splendid job. Though," my right forefinger drifted between the large lumps on her chest, and the one betwixt her legs, "you'll be needing to cover those up when they revert back. Don't want to show off your secret to the world so soon, right Shadow?" My lips parted into a malicious grin as I spoke these words, which only grew when she scrambled for something to wear from the bodies of the dead.
"Now then," turning back towards the others, I noted a mixture of emotions ranging from fear to general intrigue, but waved it away, "once Shadow finds something to wear, we're leaving for the city."
"But Boss," spoke up Robby, who was making sure the twins were alright after being under the thorn bush for so long, "Won't they know what you look like?"
"No Robby, as they've only seen my Wolfman form, I doubt they'll look for a Kin with the same coloured fur. However, if it'll ease your mind, I shall change." Upon speaking these words, the air about my person shimmered as a spell circle with various inscriptions of golden light erupted from beneath my person. This light enveloped my person, causing the whole of my body, save for my face, to brighten with a radiant, whiteness which devoid my body of any features.
All the while, my newest underlings bore witness to something slowly drifting up from the earth below. This was a simple garb of a pale, blue robe which seemingly molded itself over my body as though made of liquid. As this occurred, strips of leathers were wrapping themselves about my feet, molding themselves into a pair of non-descript hard leather boots. From here came a gnarled, oak staff which I took up in my right hand just as the white and golden light faded from existence.
"B-boss. Y-yo-you're uh-."
"Yes and no, Robby," my voice was old and tired to their ears, but still held the vigor and arrogance of my other form. For I had become an old Human male with long, silvered hair which fell in a great waterfall down to the middle of my backside. Of which was coupled with an equally long, but pointed, beard which drifted to just below my solar plexus. This, coupled with the robe and staff would cause others to see only an old, Human Sage who was in the company of others as he ventured out into the world.
"Yes and no," I repeated, "The Enchanter class that I hold is an Illusionist's greatest dream. For these magicks are able to cause one to be anyone, and any... thing."
*
It would not be until evening the next turn when we reached the outskirts of a large camp heralding the visage of a ruined city. Whereupon we were bade, quite rudely, to step aside to allow a large column of Humans atop large beasts of burden to gallop past our persons as the journeyed down the road with which we had journeyed upon.
To my eyes, at least, it appeared these individuals would be serving as reinforcements to those of whom had escaped after the carnage I had brought upon their troop. Well, it would serve us no good if we were to dawdle upon such thoughts, as I noted an oddly dressed individual approaching our position with the air of someone who had just been made to clean out a week old latrine pit. Yes. This was how this one saw us as in the beginning, but would change his tune soon enough.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
In any case, this one wore something akin to a violet, iron kilt about his waist, and nothing else. For upon the male's skin was an odd assortment of arcane runes and geometrical shapes and patterns which glowed with an eerie light as my eyes did wash over them. However, only Shiro was able to view such an oddity, for he would bring it up often after such a past us.
For now, the male, whose head was covered in these odd runes and shapes, whilst devoid of any form of hair, held up his left hand and ordered us to halt. "Where in the Nine Hells do you think you're going?" This was spoken in a sneer, whilst his auburn coloured eyes grew lewd as he noticed the Halfling females standing close to my Human body. It appeared to everyone's eyes that the Human was undressing them with his gaze, to which the twins responded by hiding themselves behind my robed body.
This caused the other to narrow his eyes at such a denial of his perceived rights to do as he wished. Of which allowed his right hand to rise up and give a signal to several others with the same outfit and designs upon their skin to approach our location, forming a ring to deny us an escape.
"We are going to the city," my voice held a twinge of annoyance, as the Humans made their way to tighten the circle around us.
"Not until you hand over everything of value and the two girl-children," grinned a burly male from my immediate right. Of which he then licked his lips as his eyes also undressed the twins.
"Ah, and what are you going to do to them?" I knew the answer, but desired to hear it so that their deaths may be justified. For my time upon the first and third worlds we had come across had left my past self with an even greater desire to slaughter those of whom would dare to harm children. However, if I did not have any evidence that they would do, or had done, so would cause quite a ruckus when the local authorities came into play.
"Why, we're going to show them a good time," cackled another to my left, of which was the first to die. For I had grown tired of such a presence, and intoned one of my oldest spells called "Choke". Of which came with a condition when casting such a spell. Such as needing to mimick the act of choking someone with one or all hands available whilst the intoning process began.
The action of mine gave way to these strange Humans' eyes becoming as large as saucers, as the staff in my right hand pointed towards the first to speak, and released a bolt of emerald and crimson coloured lightning. Of which struck through his torso, where the heart resided, killing him instantly as I crushed the neck of the other to my left. The deaths of their companions spurred the others to action, but were cut down almost immediately as Shadow tore into one of the others, staining her new garment of leather and scarlet cloth.
Just as she tore into the third victim, kill them almost instantly, did the other kilt wearing Humans begin to shout in alarm. Of which was raised by those nearby, as they rushed to aid them in their need. However, just as these others had appeared in order to assist the odd Humans, they noted only the dead and the living, but not my person and Underlings. For I had cast upon ourselves a simple spell called "Chase the Shadows", of which transports us to the largest item which casts the greatest shadow in perspective of ourselves.
In this case, it was a large and ruined farmhouse to the south of the burnt city's wall. Whereupon I did note the absence of life due to the destruction of the land around us. For it appeared as though someone, or a large group of someone's, had raided the area before setting ablaze all others so that no one may come to claim it for their own. "Quite the tactic," my voice was barely a mutter, whilst the others did their best to calm the twins, Anna and Shanna, who had to endure such stares.
"That was so scary," commented Anna, of whom shivered at the recollection.
"I know, right?" piped in Shanna, who hugged her sister and was rewarded with the same gesture as they leaked a few tears from their shut eyes. "Why did they think we were children? Isn't it obvious we are not?"
"If I recall correctly," all eyes, including my own, turned towards Shiro who flinched at the attention, "the only races upon Terra are Demons, Humans, Demi-Humans, and Beastfolk. There might be some elves running around, but everyone believes them to be a rarity. Which is probably why they thought you were children."
"Who is 'they'?" I inquired, generally curious about who and what this group was.
"Ah, um... Do you know of a place called Earth?" asked Robby, who scratched his neck slowly, as a meat filled sandwich appeared in his right hand. Of whom then tore off a piece to eat, whilst I simply shook my head at both the query and the basket. Swallowing his mouthful, he continued with, "It's where a lot of us come from, before beginning to live out our lives upon Azzarath or any other world. This is where we get a lot of our stuff from, like knowledge, and other ideas."
"It's also where most of the Humans and new monsters running around the Hub are from, too," chimed in Shiro, who then took a sip of a hot drink from a wooden mug in his hands, "Where are you from?" His eyes, and the eyes of all others held this query within them, but I could not reveal that I was from Terra. For all other worlds did not hold such a name, and I could not let on to the False God that I have come for it once more.
Instead, I simply responded with, "I am not from this 'Earth', if that is what you are asking of my person. However," a small spark of crimson flashed across my eyes, "I would be very interested in learning more about your world."