Memoirs of the Popular Monster

1: Don't Be Suspicious

When I opened my eyes, I had to squint at the darkness. I was so used to being able to see in the dark with minimal light that the stark blackness took me off guard. I felt lighter but I also felt heavier at the same time. I blinked a few times to get adjusted to the dimness of the room and then tried to get up. I went to move but I felt like I was being weighed down as well. What in the Eleven Hells... I tsked, rolling onto my side and eventually getting myself off the cold, hard floor. I shivered, the warmth of the fur that had been my barrier for so long no longer there. I touched my skin -skin!- and moved my legs and arms a bit to get a feel for this again. Why did I feel so... scrunched up?

There was a noise beside me and I turned, barely making out a mound of fur on the floor and I made face. I remember what happened now... dumb kid... I sighed and walked over to the creature as it laid unconscious from the trauma of the exchange. I moved my hand around the abdomen area to see if I could feel anything. Nothing... was it because of all the hair? No, it never stopped me from feeling it... I looked down at the robes I was wearing and pursed my lips together in disappointment.

"So I'm the jellyroll now..." I said softly, not sure how it would feel to speak again.

It was an odd sound, a bit nasally, but it was deep and apparently now was mine. I untied the robes and pulled them back along with the inner ones and felt around my very large stomach. This brought back memories... ah... I see... The scar was still there it seemed. I looked over my shoulder as best as I could and was surprised to see some little wings. I had to chuckle because I'm sure they looked ridiculous on this large body and because the leftover magic I was feeling should have given Jellyroll- I mean Finley- right? That was his name, right? Oh shit, I don't know my name now...

I shrugged. He did say he was the young lord of the house, so that means someone will call my name at some point. I'll be alright. Either way, his magic should have given him bigger wings in my opinion. Was he just really bad at gathering or was he not doing anything at all with it and this is his natural state? He had to have gone through the ceremony to even be able to have wings at all... Could it be a side effect of the exchange? I shook my head. I really didn't have time for all this. I grabbed the young lord up and grabbed the silver shackle on the floor and immediately let it go. My hand hissed in anger at the burn that was now festering. I looked at my hand and then at the shackle... Interesting... I dropped the young lord on the ground and pulled my sleeve over my hand to grab the shackle and hook it on to him. It made his ankle sizzle and his leg started twitching. I needed to hurry or he was going to wake up before I had time to get things set up...

++++++++++++++

Due to the annoyance of those silver shackles and the fact that the young lord was waking up as I got the other shackle on, I decided it was best to leave it at that and get out of here. I grabbed the silver key for good measure (it was actually not silver) and then locked the door. I had no idea where I was but I felt something like a distant memory telling me how to get out of here. I followed the corridor out and ended up at a set of stairs that led up through a narrow passageway. I turned my head, wondering how in the world this body made it through that passageway. I looked around to see if there were any other ways to get out and it was only through this passage. I sighed and worked my way over to it.

I feel like it took a lot longer than it should have to get out of that place and when I finally popped out, I was sweaty, tired, and just wanted to lay down.

"I see how he got this way..." I said as I fanned myself on the cool floor next to the passage entrance.

I looked over and saw that there were three or four large jade jars lined up perfectly to cover the opening and I realized this was a secret place after all. Once I got my breath back, I stood up and looked around, trying to figure out what closed the secret door. I felt that vague sense of remembering and looked over at a golden statue set that was on the wall. I walked over and turned the one in the middle and the floor closed back up, sealing shut, and looking like part of the tile floor. I moved around the vases and looked around the room. I found a bunch of interesting treasures; a lot of rare ones, in fact. Was this clan a clan of pirates or bandits? I shook my head and tried to focus on getting the Tome. That little idiot mixed up the exchange spell and the transformation spell, so there's a bit of the best of both worlds.