My consciousness regained, I turn my head to the window. Judging by the darkness beyond the shutters, it's around midnight.
"Any new wisdom?", the commander asks, sitting at the table in our room.
"Maybe lady Fylka just enjoys pain?", August verbalizes his mockery, perching on the backrest of a chair. "You've passed out how many times now?"
"No. Hells no. Five times.", I answer all questions in one sigh and leave the bed.
"Can't you just get an anesthetic for the pain?", August asks.
"I'm willing to try, but we don't have any, right? Also, regular sleeping potions had no effect on me, so I have my doubts, it'll even work. "
August rubs his beak in thought. "Right. Maybe Karl knows some drinks made for your kind."
"He's busy with Alya until the day after tomorrow. I want it solved now.", I say, whilst taking position in the middle of the room for another attempt.
I was able to reduce my outfit yesterday to undergarments so the guild uniform would fit me, but it has been a very painful process. I had to mix and match parts of several individuals, each new limb coming with its own mountain of searing pain during the transformation. It's painful, but necessary, since most adventurers assess some of your strengths and weaknesses by closely examining your physique. Furthermore, the blonde fighting character, they know me as, has a very... recognizable body type. I have to literally stay in shape.
What a gut punch it was, when Kella told us to stay in our usual clothing for yesterday's trip with Clint. My suffering was in vain. This has been fueling my willingness to find less painful methods to get the same transformation results.
I ruffle my hair in frustration, as I fail to think of a better approach. "I wish I knew a single person, who has remotely the same body type. I could then use their body as a base in one go and morph my head in a second step."
The commander hums. "The best place to catalog different body types would be to observe people in a public bath, I'd say, but those are closed right now."
"Since we're already on the rightful path of voyeurism, why not visit a pleasure house?", August suggests, as if offering us a trip to the park.
The commander and I exchange looks, then turn back to August.
"They're still open, right?", he adds, then starts hopping towards the window, but quickly finds himself stopped by the broad blade of the commander's sword.
"Bathhouse.", the commander declares, then turns to me. "No offense, Fylka, but letting a shapeshifter meet an unassuming sex worker in an isolated room at night would be heavy negligence on my part. I'm willing to pay for your visit of a public bath ."
I don't like being treated like a potential danger, but considering what I've done the day before and what weird cravings emerged at the sight of wounds, I can only nod. Who knows, what other urges might surface? My compliance confirmed, the commander sheathes her sword. August grumbles.
I get back to my transformation plans, postponing my questions about August's cravings for the red light district. I take a deep breath. "Gods, let this be the last time, I have to get cooked by my own skills."
#
A knock at the door. "Rev here!", comes the voice matching the name given. It's much earlier in the morning than we agreed.
"It's your colleague, not mine.", the commander says, sitting up at the edge of her bed.
"Right." I stand up and go open the door.
YOU ARE READING
Shapeless Hero
FantasíaIdentity crisis? What's that? ---- An earthling's soul was born into an incompatible, human body. Their muscles misbehaved, their skin and body felt like a rigid shell, and their weak constitution left little options for any activities outside of...
