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The Decoy, Chapter 1

By William W. Kelso

Telesa hobbled down the street, tapping in front of her with her cane, a battered tin cup held in her other hand as she implored passersby for a coin or two to help 'a poor blind mother of five little ones whose husband died in the war'. As she felt a coin fall into the cup with a soft clink; a good sized copper by the sound, she smiled, and said, "May the Gods bless you, kind sir!" The charitable person had been a woman, but it helped with the overall disguise if she acted like she couldn't tell, but the truth be told she could see quite well. Keeping on her way she called out for charity anytime she heard a footfall, and sometimes when she didn't. The impression was everything, and so far she'd had a good day. Mama would be pleased.

Then; as it often happens, things went south rather abruptly. Just as she was approaching an intersection a large burly man in the uniform of the town watch came around it, and she had no choice but to walk right into him; either that or give away her disguise. Damn it, she thought, a ferret! And it's bloody Richard, too! He was one of the few not on Mama's 'payroll'. There was nothing worse then a relatively honest ferret!

"A thousand pardons, sir." She mumbled in feeble sounding voice, and tried to slip past.

"No so fast, granny." The man said, holding the apparent beggar by an arm, "Let's see your permit for public begging."

"Oh, good sir", Telesa mumbled in her best 'helpless old lady' tone of voice as she fumbled at her pockets, "I appear to have forgotten it, it's back at me hovel."

"Well now", the man said, "that's just too bad now, innit? Guess I'll have to run you in to the Bailey. Can't have beggars what haven't got permits running around loose."

"Oh, please sir!" Telesa begged, "Can't you give a poor old blind woman a break, just this once? I'll go right home and fetch me permit, I promise, I does!"

"Sorry, afraid not." The ferret said, "Can't make an exception, if I did it would be chaos, don't you see. Now come on."

Telesa took the next step, and sagged in the man's grip, and moaned, "Oh, I feel light headed!" But her plan backfired, and as she slumped her hood fell away, and the man's eyes widened, and he said,

"Hey, I know you! You're not blind!"

"Brilliant deduction!" Telesa said, then whacked him in the nuts as hard as she could with her cane, and as he groaned and sagged she pulled free, leaving her tattered cloak clutched in his hand, and ran, the 'little old lady' sprinting like a deer. But as bad luck tends to come in large doses, another ferret that saw the altercation blew on his whistle, and gave chase. Rounding a corner she almost collided with two more ferrets, and as they all tried to keep their balance, she said "Excuse me, gents!" and dashed down the mouth of a convenient alley. The two surprised ferrets were further delayed when their comrade came around the corner and slammed into one of them, but they recovered quickly and gave chase.

Damn it, Telesa thought as she ran, there are too many of them! The area was fairly prosperous, so had its fair share of the watch on patrol, and at this rate it was only a matter of time before one nabbed her. Then it would be the work house, or worse yet, the auction block. She had a record; mostly minor stuff, but a lot of it, and the newly appointed Lord Magistrate was making a name for himself by 'cracking down on crime and corruption'. She paused, trying to remember exactly where she was, and then smiled.

A short time later she dashed across an open street; several of the watch spying her and raising the cry, and ran down a narrower not-quite-as-prosperous street, and dodging through the crowd, headed for a small outdoor market at an intersection ahead. As she approached she whistled, and one of the vendors selling melons and other produce lifted his head, saw her, and gestured at his stall. As she neared he pressed a hidden switch, and the side of a bin of melons fell down revealing a small compartment, and as she dropped and rolled into it the side flipped back up. Then she held her breath.

She listened as the watch arrived, yelling at one another as they searched the market, then after awhile the voices faded and the normal sounds of the market begin to return. It was hot and smelly in refuge, but she didn't budge, not until she got the all clear from the vendor. Finally, after what seemed to be hours, she heard a sharp double tap, and as the panel opened she rolled out, and standing up brushed herself off.

"Thanks Otto." She said to the vendor. If anyone else had noticed the disappearing act they'd known better then to say anything.

"Hey Telesa," the man replied, "what happened?"

"Ah, that damn ferret Richard made me", she replied, "and I had to run for it."

"Not good", Otto said, "you'll be wanted now, and that new Magistrate is trying to make a name for himself. You'd better go to ground for awhile. Mama ain't going to be happy either, some of the families already been nabbed. They got Old Tom this morning; word is he's for the work house."

"Damnation and sour milk!" Telesa said, "Old Tom! He's one of the best, however did they get him!?"

"Sheer bad luck, wrong place at the wrong time", Otto replied, "but enough yakking, you'd better get a move on, the watch could be back any second."

"You're right, as usual." Telesa said, "Thanks, owe you one Otto!"

"How's about a kiss?" The old man asked; a twinkle in his eye.

"Why not!" Telesa laughed, and gave the beaming man a big smack on the cheek. Bless his heart, he was ugly as sin, but he was a real gentleman too. "See you later!"

"You take care now, hear!" He called after her, and she waved back.

She moved carefully, walking like any other stroller now as running would attract attention, and made it back to a 'safe house' without any trouble. A quick coded knock and she was inside, and the old woman living there lifted up a hidden trapdoor and she climbed down a ladder and found herself in the sewers, the underground traffic system of the cities less desirable residents. It probably had as much traffic as the streets overhead at times, but of a different kind. It belonged to the Guild, and the watch seldom stuck their heads where they knew they didn't belong. She moved down the old tunnels; thankfully mostly dry this time of the year, climbed up and down a few more ladders, and finally tapped on a heavy trapdoor, and as it opened strong hands reached down and helped her up. Then it slammed and a heavy bar slid into place.

"You're back early." a gruff voice said.

"Hello Pat, nice to see you too" she said, "had a bit of a run-in with the ferrets."

"Oh, bloody Hell, not again!" The large man replied, "Mama ain't going to be pleased!"

"Ain't my fault the ferrets have got a bug up their ass right now." Telesa snapped.

"Didn't say it was" the man said, "I just said Mama ain't going to like it. You hear about Old Tom?"

"Yeah, I did," she replied, "bad luck, that."

"Oh, aye, bad luck indeed, she's not in a good mood. Best lay low and keep out of her way for a few days."

"Thanks, Pat, I'd planned on that." Telesa said wearily, she was coming down off her adrenalin high and just felt lousy now.

Passing through a short hallway she came to an apparent exit, but ignoring it she instead opened yet another secret passageway, entered, and at the end stepped into an old elevator, tapped out the right code, and a second later it hoisted her up and into the interior of a very large; and 'abandoned' old grain storage warehouse. The elevator was hand operated by a crank, and she waved at the young man operating it as she got off. The old warehouse was well built, heavy beams and brick, and was several hundred years old. It had been sealed off and forgotten, by everyone but the 'scum' of the city. Now it was a dormitory...of sorts.

Telesa walked over to the 'kitchen' and helped herself to a small loaf of stale; but not moldy, bread, a big chunk of well aged cheese, got a mug of so-called coffee, and sat down at a bench to eat her meal. The only other one there was a young boy named Milo, and he said,

"You hear about Old Tom?"

"Yep", she replied, "what happened?"

"We was pulling a con over in the business district; and everything was going perfectly, but then a ferret showed up and it went to Hell in a handbasket. They grabbed him, young Jimmy, and Alice too. Got almost the whole team."

"Oh, bollocks!" Telesa muttered, she wasn't that much of an admirer of Old Tom, but Jimmy and Alice were friends of hers.

"Almost got me, too." Milo continued, "But I slipped into a manhole and they didn't feel like following, I guess."

"Me too, that bastard Richard almost had me." She said.

"Mama's going to be royally pissed." He moped.

"And how." She replied, equally morosely. When Mama was pissed everybody kept their heads low if they knew what was good for them.

As she munched her hard bread and cheese she couldn't help reflecting on her current lot in life, which for the most part sucked. Up until about eight years ago she'd lived a much different life, the only daughter of a fairly successful baker. Then her father; whom she'd adored, had died from one of the fevers that periodically swept through the city, and her mother had remarried after a year. Her stepfather had then proceeded to run the business into the ground, finally selling it for next to nothing, before running off with another woman for parts unknown (she hoped it was Hell), leaving her mother and her penniless and destitute. Her mother had just wilted, and soon died as well, and at the tender age of nine she'd found herself an orphan on the streets of the city with only the rags on her back. The beggars had taken her in, and she'd found a home; of sorts, with much of the rest of the cities 'undesirables' under the 'care' of Mama Bliss.

Mama Bliss was something of a mystery, no one knew much about her. She had appeared anywhere from thirty to fifty years ago; depending on who you were talking too, and had quickly established herself as the main power behind the 'criminal class' of the city. She liked to fancy herself as the 'patroness' of the 'Guild of Thieves and Beggars', but pretty much everyone just did as she said as if you didn't 'accidents' tended to happen. Plus, as far as kingpins went, she was fairly 'respectable' in that she didn't hog all the goodies and looked after her people, so was given a grudging loyalty. You wouldn't get rich working for Mama, but you wouldn't starve either. So as she started her 'career' Telesa had been trained as a beggar and thief, and was fairly accomplished at both. The fact that she more resembled a boy in her street clothes then a girl was also a big help. She had large 'innocent' eyes, which was a big plus when begging. Plus her slim build had also kept her out of the brothels, for which she was eternally grateful. Most of the better looking girls ended up in one sooner or later, and/or were 'married' off to one of the other 'Guild' members. Now that she was turning sixteen she'd probably be married off; or 'paired' with a 'deserving' male member. She wasn't very keen about that bit though. For some reason though it had never really occurred to her to just take off, where would she go? This was the only life she knew, and all her friends were here though she wasn't particularly close to anyone. That way when a member was picked up by the watch, or died of various causes; sometimes natural, it didn't hurt as much. It was a good survival strategy.

As she ate her meal in glum silence the warehouse started to fill up as assorted Guild members trickled in, and the 'night' shift started stirring in the sleeping area. Their operation was ongoing twenty four hours a day, and as the beggars and pickpockets went 'off duty', the thieves headed out for a nights work. She knew that in a little while either Mama; or one of her lieutenants, would round everyone up for a quick report on the days activities, and of course to turn in their 'take' to the 'communal chest'. They didn't have to turn it all in; they were allowed to keep some for themselves, but they had better be honest about the Guild's share. If you were found to be holding back an unreasonable percentage, well, accidents happen. Soon the eating area was filling up, the main topic of conversation being the bad luck with the ferrets. More members had been nabbed in one day then usually in a month! Bad luck all around.

__________

While the 'shift' change was going on the aforementioned Mama Bliss was entertaining a rather unusual 'guest' in her quarters. Mama was a large women; a large fat woman, but preferred to think of herself as 'voluptuous' in the way that many fat women fool themselves. But despite being fat she was still good looking, if you liked 'well-rounded' women, and honestly she was not obese, just fat as she was quite a large woman to start with and carried her weight well. And she never lacked for admirers, much of it quite genuine, and she had a good eye for telling the 'asskissers' from the genuinely infatuated. Her 'boytoy' of the moment was sitting on the large overstuffed couch with her; naked except for a collar around his neck and a leash that Mama gripped in one large pudgy hand, as she talked to the rather sinister looking figure in a dark hooded robe. But it was no monk or acolyte of any of the cities numerous God's. At least not one of the legal ones. There were plenty of darker Gods, Sects, and Orders that did not publicly advertise their presence, but still had plenty of followers. Mama had no doubt her 'guest' was a member of one of those frowned upon by the authorities.

"So", Mama Bliss said, "You want my help in committing a robbery. Well, you've come to the right place. Who do you want us to relieve of their valuables? And; more importantly, what's in it for us? We normally get 60% you know, but that includes expenses."

"It's not a who; it's more of a what." The figure replied in a deep woman's voice.

"What kind of a what?" Mama Bliss asked.

"A Dragon, its name is Smisgard." The woman replied.

Mama Bliss sat up, glaring at the woman, and said, "Are you insane!? One does not just 'rob' a Dragon! And you'd need an army, anyway. And none of the glamour's my best thieves use would be of any use, the Dragon would see right through them. And anyway, I'm sure it would notice if its hoard just grew legs and started walking out."

"Oh", the woman said, "there will be no need for sneaking about, you'll just walk in, load up the treasure, and leave. What I need are strong backs, and a system for smuggling the treasure into the city. Otherwise, as you know, the crown would take its unfair share, if not all of it."

"So tell me", Mama Bliss said, "how do you propose to just walk into its lair and remove the treasure without getting burnt to a crisp and/or stomped into paste?"

"Why," the woman said with a smile, "magic of course."

"Hah!" Mama Bliss chortled, her huge breasts jiggling, "That only shows how ignorant you are, Dragons are immune to magic! Now tell me, why shouldn't I just have you dumped down the nearest well for wasting my time?"

"Because," the woman said, "you wouldn't find it that easy, and I wouldn't recommend your trying. Behold."

And she raised her arm, chanted in a guttural hissing voice as a ring on her finger glowed, and gestured at the naked young man sharing Mama Bliss's couch. The young man gave a gurgling scream, clutching at his throat, and as Mama Bliss watched in horror he started to change. Dark gray fur sprouted over his body, and he squealed as his face begin to push out into a muzzle even as a tail begin to push out from his other end.

"Guards!" Mama Bliss shrieked as she watched her lover slowly turning into a giant rat! A very terrified giant rat.

"Call all you want," the woman said, "they can't hear you, I've sealed this room in a cloak of silence."

The man fell off the couch; lying on his side and kicking feebly as the change progressed, the fur thickening as his red scaly tail kept pushing out, large chisel shaped teeth sprouting from his upper jaw along with smaller fangs as his head changed shape, large pink ears moving up and back. "M-Mama, eeek, h-help me! It-it hurts! Eee-eeekk!" He begged, scratching at the floor with lengthening claws as his fingers and toes changed and pushed out.

"Stop it!" Mama screamed as she stared at the writhing man, now more rodent then human.

"At this stage I can't," the woman said, "he has to change all the way. But I'll change him back if you'll just hear me out. Otherwise I'll just leave, and he'll be a reminder of my visit. Intelligent giant rats make good pets, you know."

Mama Bliss stared at the now completely changed rat in horror, the huge rodent groveling at her feet and squeaking piteously. For all her many faults she did love her 'boytoys', and it appalled her to see him like this.

"Who the Hell are you!?!" She choked out.

"Just call me Sister Luria," the woman said, "and now that I've got your attention will you just sit back and listen to my...proposal? I'll make it brief. Or, if you like, I can change you into his mate?"

Not having much choice in the matter; still staring at the sniffling rodent crouched at her feet, Mama Bliss just nodded. And as the women spoke her eyes narrowed, it just might work!

__________

"She's running late tonight." Telesa said to Milo. "If she doesn't show up; or send Bruce soon, I'm going to bed. I'm beat."

"She's meeting with some sort of mysterious visitor right now," said Tinker, a small weasly looking man who was a first-rate pickpocket, "been in there for hours. All very hush-hush."

"Hmph," Milo snorted, "All Mama's visitors are 'mysterious', otherwise they wouldn't need her services!" Which got chuckles all around, because it was true. Honest upstanding citizens; or to rephrase that, mostly honest upstanding citizens, did not need the kind of 'services' Mama Bliss and the Guild could provide. That's why they were honest. And those that did seek her out didn't advertise their identity, and the Guild respected their 'clients' desires for anonymity, so long as they held up their end of any 'arrangements'.

__________

"So," Mama Bliss said, "if this crazy plan of yours does work, and I stress the 'if', what's in it for me and my crew?"

"Oh, it will work," the woman said, "I guarantee it, the Dragon won't be able to resist the bait. And as far as your share is concerned, you can have the treasure, all of it; I merely want some magical items and talismans that are believed to be part of Smisgard's hoard. My Sect desires them to help increase its magical powers."

Mama Bliss sat back in her chair; absently petting the head of the rat whose was holding her leg making sniveling sounds and giving the occasional soft squeak as if trying to talk, and whistled. A Dragon's hoard! She could 'retire' and open that high class brothel she'd always dreamed about; and could have as many boytoys as she wanted all at the same time, and there would still be plenty left over for the rest of the Guild. She wouldn't be too greedy; she'd just take half like she usually did. Still, though...a Dragon? She didn't know much about them, but she did know they weren't forgiving sorts.

"I'll admit your plan sounds...interesting," Mama Bliss mused, "but I've heard Dragons can track any items from their hoard; even a single coin, which is why you have to actually kill them in order to get their treasure, otherwise they'll track you down no matter how long it might take."

"You know more about them then I thought," Sister Luria replied, "but of course I'll caste a spell to cancel that ability, to 'clean' the treasure, and thus remove the Dragons scent so it can't track it."

"Look, this is all very...intriguing," Mama Bliss said, "but since you're so powerful why don't you just blast the Dragon, or turn it into a...rat?"

"As you stated earlier," Sister Luria replied, "Dragon's are immune to most forms of magic, and none of my spells would have any effect. So I need a 'volunteer' for the bait, and the help of your; um, organization to transport the treasure back to the city. By myself I could not even transport all the items I'm interested in, the beasts hoard is rumored to be...vast, and one of the items I desire is a large altar."

Mama Bliss wasn't stupid, but she couldn't see any real flaws in the plan, in fact it was rather ingenious, IF it went according to plan. If not, well, a pissed off Dragon would make short work of her crew. But still, the possible rewards were...incredible. And if anything did go wrong, well, it wasn't like she'd be there personally. Not that she was a coward, she reasoned, it's just that she'd be pretty much useless. She rubbed her multiple chins for another minute, weighing and balancing the pros can cons, then finally said,

"Very well, when do we do this?"

"Excellent!" Sister Luria said. "As to when, the sooner the better. You understand what we need, so as soon as one of your follower's qualifies let me know, and we'll make our base camp at the old Imperial fort at the mouth of Vigard Pass, the Dragon's lair is in that area, and I know the way to it."

"Hmm," Mama Bliss said, "That's about ten days ride from here. I'll let you know as soon as I get the information we need. Now, how do I contact you, and how fast can you be ready to travel?"

"I can be ready in an hour," Sister Luria replied, "and just let this little fellow go as soon as you're ready, he'll find me."

And she handed Mama Bliss a small cage; though where it had been concealed under her voluminous robes Mama Bliss had no idea, and it contained a small bat. It hung upside down, regarding her with solemn black eyes.

"Is this another poor soul you've transformed?" Mama Bliss asked, half jokingly.

"Of course," Sister Luria replied, "changelings always make the best servants, and young Roger here made the mistake of trying to steal something of mine once, and has paid the price. He'll be like this until I decide otherwise, if I ever do."

"Good Gods!" Mama Bliss said; staring at the bat in horror as it gave a sad sounding squeak. Then she said, "And what about my little friend here, are you going to change him back, or keep him as one of your 'servants'?" The giant rat squeaked in distress and gripped her leg harder, and she petted its furry head reassuringly.

"Believe me," Sister Luria said with a smile, "I have no need of a giant rat. The spell was a minor one; it will wear off in a few hours. He'll be good as new by morning. It takes a potion to make it permanent."

"Well, that's good," Mama Bliss said as she turned and put the cage with the bat on a table, "because I..." Then she blinked as she turned back, her visitor was gone! Despite the only visible door to her private chambers still being secured, and guarded on the other side! And her secret escape route was under the couch she was sitting on, so the woman hadn't left that way. "Good Gods." She muttered, magic users freaked her out, why couldn't they use the door like normal folks?

As she sat; still a little shaken by the strange visit, the giant rat reared up and nuzzled her cheek as it squeaked in concern, and she giggled as its long pink tongue licked her face. Though its body was different it retained its human awareness, and it didn't like seeing Mama distressed.

"Stop it, you silly thing, that tickles!" Mama said, and with another squeak the rat pulled back, its front paws resting on the back of the couch, and her gaze traveled down to what hung between its legs. Mama Bliss liked her lovers large...very large since she was a very large woman, but the rat was even more endowed then he had been as a boytoy!

"Hmmm." She thought, and reaching down gently rubbed the large furry bulge of the rat's impressive ballsack. The desired result was almost instantaneous; and quite impressive, even if the shape of its bestial phallus was strange. Still, there was no doubting it was a penis, a very large penis, and from the way the rat was now pawing and licking her large breasts it was obvious it was as ...interested as she was. While bestiality had never really been an interest of hers, she had to admit she was getting turned on by the bizarre condition of her lover, and after all, he may be a rat right now, but he was STILL her lover. So, what the Hell!

The now intensely aroused changeling was more than glad to give Mama what she wanted, either as man or rat, and was soon energetically servicing her from behind as Mama grunted and moaned in pleasure; his own squeaks of pleasure just as loud. He had been a rather abused slave, and Mama had 'rescued' him from that miserable life and shown him the pleasures of the flesh, and he truly loved her. So for him it was more than just physical pleasure, but true lovemaking. And it felt so incredibly good like this, more intense and...feral!

Mama was enjoying the unnatural coupling as much as her grunting squeaking partner; and it was some of the best sex she'd had in years! The feel of his furry thighs slamming into her rear; paws gripping her shoulders, as his hardness stretched her to the limit was incredibly erotic; not to mention pleasurable, and she gave a deep groan of ecstasy as he spurted deep inside of her and she reached her own climax. But to her delight he wasn't through yet, not by a long shot. A couple of hours later as she rested in post-coital bliss; the rat snoring with his head resting between her huge breasts, she decided she'd have to ask the Sorceress if she could teach her that spell, she'd have a LOT of fun with it if she could. Or; if he didn't mind, she could leave him like this, he might like it. He made a better lover as a rat, then a man.

__________

Sometime later as Telesa was sleeping she was roused by someone shaking her shoulder, and sleepily she raised her head, asked, "What to you want, Lisa? It can't be daylight yet!"

"It's not," Lisa; who was in charge of the 'ladies', replied, "Come on, Mama wants to see us."

"Us?" Telesa yawned.

"Yes, all the younger girls and women." Lisa replied, and then moved on to another sleeper.

Rolling out of the bunk Telesa stretched and tried to wake up. If Mama wanted to see them, well, who was she to say no? Still, this was kind of odd as Mama liked her sleep.

Once all the younger females had been assembled Lisa led them to Mama's private quarters, which was again surprising. Telesa had only been there a few times in all the years she'd worked for Mama Bliss. The rooms were plain, but well appointed as Mama did enjoy the finer things of life. She might be a criminal, but she had good taste. They met in the so-called 'Conference Room' as it had a large table with mismatched chairs scattered around it, the one at the head being the largest and fanciest. It had to be large; and sturdy, to support Mama's ample bulk.

As Mama entered the room Telesa was surprised she didn't have her most recent boytoy in tow, and as she shut the door behind her Telesa could have sworn she heard something squeak! And she wrinkled her nose, Mama, well, smelled! Under the scent of perfume she could detect a...animal reek. Mama plopped herself down in the chair at the head of the table, evidently not noticing as her robe gaped open revealing her rather large and ample breasts as apparently that was all she had on, which was not that unusual. Mama often went nude in her inner sanctuary, at least according to the boytoys. But her first question WAS very unusual.

"Ladies," Mama Bliss said, "I need to know when you all usually have your periods, and whether or not you're having one now."

There was stunned silence for a few seconds, and then someone voiced what they were all thinking.

"What!?!" Then shortly after that, "WHY!?!"

"I can't say exactly", Mama continued, "but we need someone who's having their flow as a, um, volunteer for a VERY big job. So big we can all 'retire' in luxury afterwards."

"How big a job?" A short stocky young woman named Beth asked.

"More gold then you can all carry, and them some." Mama Bliss replied, smiling.

After all the whistles and other expressions of awe had died down the questions started.

"What do we have to do, rob the Royal Treasury?" Lisa asked.

"No, but that's a nice thought." Mama Bliss said.

"Why do you want to know about our...er, periods?" A shy young girl named Betty asked. After all, it WAS a rather personal question.

"Maybe someone wants some of our menstrual blood," another girl said, "I hear they use it in some magic spells and potions."

"Ewww!" Was the general response to that statement.

"Now, now, girls! Calm down!" Mama Bliss said, "All I can say is its very important to the success of the job. Now, let's hear from you first, left to right."

Finally Mama Bliss had the information she needed, but some of the girls had been a little reluctant to provide that information, not that she blamed them. But once they all had she narrowed it down to two girls. Since Lisa would have another part to play in the job, she smiled, and said,

"Well, the, um, lucky winner is Telesa!"

"Lucky winner of what, exactly?" Telesa replied, sounding less then enthusiastic.

"Like I said, can't tell you yet." Mama Bliss replied, "But you'll be playing the most important part in our little plan. Without you it won't work. And we'll all be filthy rich afterwards! And you'll get an extra share."

"Well," Telesa said, "I do like the 'filthy rich.' part."

"Good girl." Mama Bliss said, "Now, the rest of you will work as usual until I call for the ones who are also needed for the job, and do NOT mention this to ANYone! It will take a few days, so we'll be going on a little trip. Telesa, you stay in the warehouse. We can't take a chance on your being picked up by accident. The ferrets are really active right now."

Don't I know it, Telesa thought. She wasn't sure about this 'job' though, she didn't like it when Mama was so tight lipped about something. And Mama hadn't even asked for the day's take. Now that was strange enough by itself!

__________

Mama was pleased; Telesa would be starting her time of the month in about a week, which was perfect timing. So after the girls had left she took the small bat to a narrow window and set it free; and the small creature disappeared into the dark with soft flaps of its wings. It was still an hour or two until dawn, and even though her boytoy was finally starting to show some signs of returning to his human form they still had time for some more fun! And it was nice that while he was changing he appeared to be quite insatiable.

__________

Sister Luria smiled as the small bat hopped from her finger into his cage, and gave him a treat; a big juicy bug, before shutting the door. She was pleased, the Queen of Thieves had responded sooner then she'd expected, so it was time to prepare the potion. It had to be done very carefully, and then used within a certain period of time, otherwise it would become useless. And she could only create it once; she had the rare ingredients for only one dose. She was glad the fat woman had agreed to aid her; it would make things much easier, at least for her. Had the woman refused, well, the sewers would have a lot more rats in them then they did now; she would have covered her trail by transforming the woman and all her filthy little cretins into more useful forms. NO one must know about this venture. Not now, or...after.

__________

Milo groused as they rode along, "I don't like being in the open like this, there's nowhere to hide!"

Telesa had to agree, she was a city girl; they were all city folk, and felt out of their element riding through the countryside like they were. Plus she hated riding, her mule was a smelly cantankerous thing, and had already bucked her off once. Mama Bliss had sent her; and forty nine other of her followers, with the strange robed woman. Bruce was in charge of the 'force' of forty men and ten women, all among the largest and strongest of the Guilds members. Each rode a good strong horse or mule, but if everything went correctly they would be leading them back, loaded down with who knew what. Or so they hoped. And Mama Bliss still hadn't told them everything, all she had told them was that Bruce would fill them in as soon as they got to where they were going. That had been nine days ago, and she was miserable, her cramping made worse by the rocking of her mount. Mama had contacts with the outlying bandit bands, and had supposedly arranged a 'safe passage', and since they bristled with a truly impressive array of weaponry they were pretty sure they would not be molested anyway. What would happen if they encountered a Royal patrol remained to be seen however as it was pretty obvious they weren't your usual caravan of merchants. She lifted her head as she heard a cry from the front of the caravan.

"Good, we're almost there!" Bruce shouted, pointing at the ruins of a partially collapsed small fort at the top of the next hill; one of the old chain of Imperial Forts that had guarded what used to be the frontier; and beyond that mountains loomed, wrapped in thin clouds, cold and uninviting looking. The home of eagles, mountain goats, and... Dragons.

Thank the Gods! Telesa thought, bending over as another cramp started. She was cold and miserable.

Having reached the fort; which still had useable buildings, they quickly moved in and set up shop, which didn't take long as they were traveling light. Hopefully when they returned it would be a different matter. Then once they'd settled in, Bruce and 'Sister Luria' called for Telesa to 'explain a few things to her'.

__________

"You want to do WHAT to me!?" Telesa gasped, a shiver of horror running down her spine.

"As I explained," Sister Luria explained, "I will give you a potion that will turn you into a Dragon; or more correctly, a Dragoness. One of their females, a female in heat, for this is their breeding season. That was why you were chosen, the scent of your estrus will be irresistible to the male Dragon, and he will come in search of you. Then while you lead him away from his lair we will enter it, and take the treasure. Once you've eluded him you will return here, and I'll give you the antidote. There will be no lingering effects."

"But, I...it...NO WAY IN HELL!" Telesa stammered.

"It's only for a short time..." Sister Luria started to say.

"NO!" Telesa interrupted, "I do NOT want to be an animal, a monster, for even one minute especially a Dragoness! And I do NOT want some horny Dragon chasing me around!" Then she got up and stormed out of the room.

"Well", Sister Luria said dryly, "that didn't go quite as well as I had hoped."

"Let me have a talk with her." Bruce said, and getting up he followed Telesa.

___________

"Look, Telesa," Bruce said after he caught up with her, "it's only for a short time, a few days at the most, and think of the reward! A Dragon's treasure horde! We'll all be richer then the King! Don't let us down; we can't do it without you."

"You can wait until someone else is having their period?" Telesa snapped, "I can't believe you just expect me to let you turn me into a...a monster! It's...it's obscene!"

"Can't," Bruce said, "you heard her, the potion has to be used by tomorrow at the latest, or it won't be any good anymore, and she can't make another. Come on, do it for the Guild, for your friends. We can all stop living like vermin, get real lives."

"NO!" Telesa said, "I can't stand the thought of becoing something...horrible! I...I wouldn't be ME anymore! What if I...forget who I am, become an animal entirely?"

"Look," Bruce said "you're what, sixteen now?? You know what that means, Mama will be picking out a 'husband' for you soon, and it might be someone you don't care for like Grebs or Rudolph, and you know saying 'no' isn't an option. But with your share of the treasure; and you'll get a double share for your part, you can live however you want for the rest of your life. We ALL can! No more running from the ferrets, no more stale food or going hungry half the time, no more hiding in sewers and rat infested buildings, dying from any number of causes a few drops of medicine would cure. All for a few days work. Think about that."

"Damn you," Telesa said, "How would you like it if it was you she wanted to turn into a scaly monster!?"

"I wouldn't like it, but I'd do it." Bruce replied, and from the tone of his voice she believed him. "Look, I'm not getting any younger," he continued, "and I don't want to die in some filthy hovel and be buried in some basement or thrown in the river. I have dreams too; I want to open an Inn, a good one. But not around here, in the warmer southern lands somewhere. And Lisa wants to go with me, be my real wife. This is the only way we can ever hope to do that. And you know old Tobey, he wants to open a pet shop; we've all got dreams, and this is our one chance. "

Gods, Telesa thought, as she rubbed her forehead, her head pounding. This isn't fair, forcing me to make this kind of decision. "Can't I think on this for awhile?" She asked.

"No," Bruce said, "she said it had to be done as soon as possible, that you need at least a day to, um, get used to your new form and learn to fly."

"Fly?" Telesa said.

"Of course", Bruce said, "you will have wings you know, all Dragon's do."

"Fly..." Telesa repeated. She had always wondered what that would be like, to have the freedom of the skies. She's so envied the birds that could just fly away to another town or city whenever they felt like it. Maybe, maybe it wouldn't be all bad, being something else for a few days. But a Dragon? From all she'd heard they were terrible creatures, nearly mindless murderous monsters that terrorized and ravaged the countryside in search of treasure to add to their hordes. What would it be like, being one? Would she forget who she really was? Well, she guessed she was going to find out.

"OK," she finally said, "You talked me into it. Let's get this over with before I change my mind."

"Good girl, Mama will be proud of you!" Bruce said.

Screw Mama, AND you, Telesa thought, but just grinned weakly.

__________

"Excellent," Sister Luria said, "I'm glad you came to your senses." She didn't add that even if the girl had still refused to take the potion she had ways of making sure she did anyway. No was not an option, she had planned this for far too long to let the objections of some brat foil her plan.

"I still don't know about this," Telesa shivered, "It's just so...so, well, wrong! And what if the Dragon catches me? I don't want to get humped by a giant lizard! And what if I forget I was human? What if my mind becomes a Dragons too?"

"This is doubtful, my dear." Sister Luria said, "The females are smaller and much faster, if you don't want to get caught you won't. The females decide who mates with them; they just like to make sure they pick a big strong mate by making him chase them for awhile. Just lead him on, and then loose him somewhere far away. He'll keep looking for you for awhile before he returns to his lair. By then we'll be long gone. And don't worry, the potion is one that only changes someone physically, it leaves your memories and awareness intact."

"Well, OK," Telesa said, "But I still don't like this." Then she watched as the woman reached into one of the folds of her robe and withdrew a small bottle containing a ruby red colored fluid.

"This is the potion." Sister Luria said, "But you cannot take it here, we must be outside in an open area as you will grow greatly in size as you change. Now come, we'll do it now, the sooner the better."

They had walked a fair distance from the decrepit old fort before Sister Luria was finally satisfied, and Telesa shivered as they stood in a large clearing among the pines and other conifers. It was just her, Bruce, and Sister Luria.

"Take off your clothes." Sister Luria said.

"What, why?" Telesa said.

"If you don't your clothes will be ruined, and it can make the change much more uncomfortable. You will change, your clothes will not." Sister Luria replied, a little impatiently.

"Oh, of course, makes sense." Telesa replied. "Um, Bruce, do you mind?"

"Huh, oh yeah, sure." Bruce said, and turned around.

Telesa slipped out of her clothes and folded them as neatly as possible, and stood shivering for a different reason. Even though it was Spring the air still had a nip in it at this altitude. She held her arms across her fairly flat chest, embarrassed at being naked in front of a stranger, even another woman. As Sister Luria handed her the bottle she took it and tried to keep her hand from shaking. Gods, she thought, I really don't want to do this! Of all things, a Dragon!

"W-Will it hurt?" She asked, eyeing the bottle of glistening fluid.

"Not so much as be uncomfortable," Sister Luria replied, "There will be some disorientation until you adapt to your new body, but it will pass fairly quickly. Then as soon as you think you're proficient at flying seek out the Dragon's lair, it will be easy for you to find. Fly up the pass, and then take the first valley on the left. His lair is about halfway up the side of the highest peak at the end of the valley. Lead him deeper into the mountains; it will be easier to lose him that way, the fog and clouds will help. We will start out before you leave, and after we reach the entrance to the valley you can start to lead him away. Just fly by the entrance to the liar, and he'll know you're there right away, and he won't be able to resist the scent of your estrus."

Telesa nodded nervously, and then pulling the glass plug from the bottle she gave it a sniff, and was surprised it smelled a little like cherries with a hint of...sulfur? When she looked up Bruce and Sister Luria had moved to the edge of the clearing, and the woman gestured at her, making a swallowing motion. Even more nervously Telesa closed her eyes; put the mouth of the small bottle to her lips, and throwing her head back drank the contents in one long draught.

It was more bitter then she had expected, and she gagged a little as it slid down her throat, the consistency thick and oily like a syrup. And it caused the inside of her mouth and throat to tingle and burn a little, the feeling similar to that of some Laudanum she had taken once when she'd broken a leg. But whereas the Laudanum had numbed and soothed the pain, this exploded in her stomach like a furnace, and gripping her stomach she fell to her knees, retching dryly. And then her body...exploded.

Or at least that was how it felt as she began to expand, and as she grew she watched with horror as claws pushed out of the tips of her fingers and toes, felt her spine ripple, crack, and stretch as spines burst it and a long writhing tail pushed out from its base, thrashing aimlessly. Scales flowed across her writhing skin, small at first, but quickly enlarging and thickening into reptilian armor, a dark iridescent green color with blue highlights. She groaned as her neck stretched and pushed out, and gave a shriek as she felt her head soften and flow into a new form, her jaws lengthening as sharp fangs pushed through her gums in a spray of blood. She tore at the ground with her claws as her body grew and grew, and then gave a wail of pain as large bulges grew on her back and slowly took on the form of large bat like webbed wings that flapped limply at first, then as they filled out she was able to gain some control and fold them against her back. She gritted her fangs, eyes closed, grunting and snorting as the changes continued, feeling her insides heave and churn as some organs were absorbed and new ones formed, the strange feeling sickeningly pleasurable. With a rattling noise spines burst from her back, and horns pushed out of the heavy bone plate protecting her neck, and she felt a sudden pressure at the base of her neck and upper chest, and with a loud burp a puff of smoke emerged from her mouth, and it was over.

Telesa remained perfectly still, her eyes still tightly closed at first; trembling, afraid to move as it might trigger some more changes. She could tell she was on all fours, but instead of being on her knees was fully standing, and she could feel things, parts of her, that she shouldn't have, being very aware of her tail and wings. They felt...wrong, but there was no doubt they were part of her.

"Well," came the voice of Sister Luria, "That wasn't so bad, was it? You turned out quite nicely. You're quite a, um, lovely Dragoness."

With a snort Telesa opened her eyes, and immediately wished she hadn't. She found herself looking down a long tapered scale covered snout, wisps of smoke drifting from large hard nostrils. Her whole head was hard, her features fixed. She tried to smile, but quickly found her facial movements were limited to blinking her eyes that looked out form under heavy brow ridges, and barely wrinkling her hard scaly lips; if that's what they were. With another snort she turned her head; snaking it back on its long neck, as she examined her new 'self'. She was horrified.

Her new body was covered in thick hard scales on her back and sides, merging into equally thick belly and neck bands, the scales dark green with some blue and the bands a dark tan. Thick black spines ran in three ridges down her back, the outer ridges being smaller then the central one, the spines growing smaller as they reached the back of her head, a head protected by a heavy bone plate covering the top of her long snaky neck. And she had horns, three pairs of them, as well as a beak like hook on the tip of her snout, and her horns were black as well. He body was long and thick, but lithe as well, maybe thirty five feet long and ten feet high at the tallest, the body being supported by four legs, the rear ones thicker and more muscular then the front pair. With a grunt she sat down, and lifting one of her front paws she flexed thick clawed digits, surprised at how dexterous they were. She doubted she could draw or do anything delicate with them; they'd be uselessly for picking a lock say, but she could grip with them. Then she reared up and snaked her head down to examine her belly. As she had expected her breasts were gone; after all reptiles did not have mammaries, and the only sign of her sex as a tough fold of leathery pebbled hide at the thick base of her tail. Sitting back down she gave mournful hiss. I'm HIDIOUS! This was HORRIBLE!! THIS isn't ME!! She lowered her head to look at the now much smaller Sister Luria, and tired to say something, but only gave a guttural hiss, long forked tongue licking over sharp fangs.

"Don't try to talk, you can't." Sister Luria told the baffled looked beast squatting in front of her. "Dragons can talk to one another, but don't have the vocal cords for human speech."

"Wow," Bruce said, "y-you're big, really big!"

Telesa swung her head over to Bruce and gave him a sniff, then wrinkled her snout as much as she could. PU, he needed a bath!

Bruce bravely reached up and stroked the snout of the huge creature his friend had become, and said, "Is that really you in there?"

With a sad snort she nodded her large head. Yes, it's me. I hate this, she thought as she gave a sad hiss.

Sister Luria had been circling the new Dragoness, and reaching its head again, said, "Yes, you did turn out very nicely indeed. Sometimes the potion has different effects on different people, but this time it worked perfectly. Now, we'll go back to the fort and you need to practice flying, get used to your new body. Dragons have excellent night vision, so you can keep practicing even after the sun goes down. We'll leave for the pass first thing in the morning, and probably get there around noon. When the sun is directly overhead fly up there to meet us, then we'll get started."

Telesa watched as the woman and her friend left, and then examined her body again with resigned despair. How could anything this...hideous, even exist! There was nothing soft about it, it was all hardness and sharp points, there was no warmth, no... humanity to it. With a grunt she spread her wings; looking at them closely, amazed at how large they were, but could fold down into such smaller bundles along her back. The main bones were they merged with the thick bundles of flight muscles were thick; the main joints having single thick black claws, but the 'fingers' were fragile looking, thin and joined by smooth webs of leathery skin. She gave them a tentative flap; puffs of dust billowing up around her, and raising her head looked up at the crystal clear blue sky and felt a...yearning. But something told her it would be much easier if she could find a...height, from which to take flight. So, turning she headed for a nearby outcrop, and was surprised at how graceful she could move on the ground, literally flowing along.

At first the steep slope leading to the top of the outcrop worried her, but to her amazement she scrambled up it with ease, her claws finding easy purchase in the rough surface of the rock wall; the large hooked claws on her wings coming in handy for climbing as well, and she moved up the rock face without any trouble at all, hardly even slowing down. Then; having reached the highest point, she coiled her tail around the large boulder she was sitting on, and looked out over the countryside. She could see the fort in the near distance, small forms moving within its crumbling walls, and as she concentrated on trying to make out details she almost lost her balance as suddenly the fort moved closer! Caught by surprise she blinked, and suddenly it was far away again! Concentrating on it again it moved closer, almost seeming to rush towards her as details became larger, sharp and clear. It's like that round tube with glass lenses in each end a friend of hers had once shown her, what had he called it?? A...tallyscope, or something. But this was much better, much clearer and sharper. Well, she thought, this was useful! It was truly amazing how much detail she could make out, it was almost like she could reach out and touch it even though it was so far away! And she could control it, zooming in and out, then easily moving to something else to examine. Even if I'm really high up in the air I'll still be able to see the ground easily, she realized.

Looking around she finally decided on a 'flight path', and with a strong kick of her hind legs she spread her wings and launched herself into the air. The flight was a success, but the landing was more of a crash. She was able to glide for a good ways, but not yet sure how to flap her wings and gain attitude finally landed in a large mountain briar patch in a flurry of wings and waving tail. Had she not been covered in thick scales it might have been a disaster, but her natural armor turned the long sharp thorns easily.

Embarrassed, she scrambled out of the thorns, looking around to see if anyone had seen her less the auspicious first attempt at flight. OK, she thought, A for effort, D for performance. But as she had glided she had felt a thrill like nothing else she'd ever experienced, and determinedly she climbed to the outcrop again.

Spreading her wings she launched herself into the air again, but this time began beating her wings, and to her delight began rising! Higher and higher she climbed, but after awhile her wings began to get sore, and looking down she hissed loudly as she realized just how high she was! The trees looked like small bushes, and the fort was a tiny lump of ruins almost indistinguishable from the natural rock surrounding it. And as her flaps slowed she began to fall, much faster then she wanted. Panicking a little she began flapping again, and suddenly a powerful updraft of air began to push her upward even faster then before, and before she knew it she was in; then through, the clouds! By trial and error she found that by partially closing her wings and turning up the trailing edges she could bleed off some of the up flowing air, and came to a stop, literally hovering in place.

She looked around in wonder; hardly noticing how chill the air was, and looked at the valleys and contours of the clouds below her. They look like the ground, she thought, only constantly changing! There were blues and whites, silver trim around some of the clouds edges, and it was beautiful! And the air was so clean and pure; there were no smells, no stinks or other unpleasant odors. Slowly she bled off more air, and loosing lift began to fall. Then she spread her wings again, moving upward to hover again. I think, she thought, I'm getting the hang of this!

With screeches of pure exuberance Telesa dived and swooped, becoming more and more confident as she mastered her new body, let its instincts take over. She would close her wings and plummet like a stone, then slowly open then and climb out of her dive, or swoop and glide effortlessly just a short distance above the ground, her sharp eyes missing nothing. At the passing of her and her shadow mountain goats and other animals fled in terror, and she felt her mouth began to drool at the thought of fresh meat. That more then anything snapped her back to her current 'condition', and with a shake of head she climbed for altitude again to keep practicing her wonderful new ability. She did not want to give in to the rumbling in her belly, the thought of eating raw flesh nauseating the human part of her mind, but still she drooled, unable to banish that...need entirely.

She kept practicing during most of the night, finding that the dark held no mysteries for her new sight. The only real difference was colors were washed out, the night was a world of black & white, but her vision as still sharp and clear. Finally tiring of her new found ability she flew to a nearby cliff face, instinctively seeking out a shelf or cave to take shelter in, and finally settling for a large stable ridge she settled down and looked out over the majesty of the mountains. Under the light of an almost full moon they were incredibly beautiful, wild and free. After looking for awhile longer she laid her head down on her crossed front legs, and to her surprise fell asleep rather easily. But it was a strange sleep, a part of her remaining aware, almost; but not quite, awake.

Several hours later she suddenly awoke, instantly fully awake and aware, as she heard a strange call, very far away but clearly audible. As it faded she almost threw her head back and answered, stopping herself at the last second. A Dragon, she realized, that was another Dragon!! A Dragon...like me. And why was she so excited? Her immediate reaction had been to answer that eerie, enticing, call. It's him, she thought, it has to be. There were no other Dragons known to haunt this area, and she knew they were fiercely territorial. But she hadn't been afraid of that call, just the opposite, she'd felt an intense yearning to answer it, and go to him. She listened for a little while longer, but the call was not repeated, and finally fell back asleep. Her dreams were filled with strange imagery; some of things she didn't recognize or understand, but others that she did. They were strange dreams, but not nightmares, and when finally woke with a snort the dreams fled as they often do, leaving behind only an impression of...pleasure?

With a hiss and grunt she stood up on all fours, and stretched her wings in the early morning sun. They felt sore, but also ready for another flight. She longed to spring into the air again, but decided to do some more stretches. Scales might make sleeping on stone less uncomfortable, but it still hadn't been the same as a feather bed. As she kicked out her hind legs to work out the kinks she noticed a strong smell, and curious she turned and realized the scent was coming from what looked like an oily patch on the rock. And lifting a hind leg she verified what she already knew, it was coming from her new...sex. The leathery folds were damp with a thick oily excretion, the scent intense. It's my estrus, she knew, I'm in heat. Like an...animal. And it was that scent she'd use to lure the male Dragon away from his treasure. She gave a snort, he'll be able to smell that from miles away! It will be like a beacon.

Sister Luria let the thieves do the packing as they got ready to head out, she had all she needed concealed within her voluminous robes. If everything went as planned; and she was fairly sure it would, she would have what she had sought for so very long, and she and other followers of her cult would go from the shadows to predominance almost overnight. None would be able to stand before them, and kings and queens would grovel at their feet. It would be glorious! She looked up a distant shape passed between two clouds, and smiled. Good, the decoy was learning how to fly very nicely; she just hoped she'd be able lead the Dragon on as long a chase as they needed.

This is wonderful, Telesa thought as she rolled on her back, and then did a flip so she was back upright with an easy snap of her wings. I could get to like this! She dived and wove between clouds, before plunging into one to be surrounded by water vapor that left her scales damp and shimmering before drying off again. Opening her mouth she gave a roar of exuberance, and as she dived out of the cloud her sight was instantly drawn to small dots moving across the ground below. A blink of her eyes and they snapped into focus as if they were only a few feet away. It was the caravan; they were already approaching the head of the pass. Time for my part, she realized. With another roar she banked, and beating her wings flew up the pass between the sides of the towering mountains.

First valley on the left, she thought, that's was Sister Luria had told her, and...yes, that had to be it. But she'd better wait for the caravan to catch up though; it was amazing how fast she could cover ground by flying. The caravan was still a few hours away, but she'd reached the top of the pass in minutes! Amazing! So she landed on a narrow ledge and perched on the side of a sheer cliff face to wait.

Finally the caravan came straggling into view, and she waited until they had gotten more organized, then dropped off the ledge, spread her wings, and flew over them at a low altitude with a shriek to let them know she was on her way. Ooops, she realized as the pack animals reared and kicked, that might now have been such a good idea! But some of her friends waved to her; at least the ones not trying to control panicking animals, and with a flick of her tail she banked and starting flying up the valley. Here we go, she thought with some trepidation.

It wasn't that far; at least for her, to the Dragon's lair. She saw the entrance to the cave about halfway up the side of the valley wall long before she got there. Something in her approved, it was a good location. It would not be easy to reach from the valley floor, but it could be done with perseverance and caution. As she flew nearer she realized she was flying into a gentle wind coming down the valley, which was good. He wouldn't be able to scent her until she'd passed the entrance, and was flying deeper into the mountain range. Folding her wings she dropped closer, then as she flew past the dark entrance she gave a loud shriek, then began flying as fast as she could with rapid beats of her wings. She didn't have long to wait.

She heard him first, a loud bellowing roar, and turning her head watched as a large shape came out onto the ledge fronting the cave. It paused for a second, head thrown back as it scented the air, and then its head snapped around and stared directly at her. He sees me, she realized! And felt a...thrill as the other Dragon took to the sky with another loud roar and began winging his way towards her. She screeched again, and with powerful flaps of her wings rose into a cloud bank.

"Good," Sister Luria said, "you hear that!? The chase is on, come, we have to hurry!"

Telesa rose above the clouds, then dipped down between two 'canyons' formed by two towering formations, using them for cover. She heard the other Dragon roar again, surprised at how close by it sounded, and just as she dipped back into the clouds she saw the other Dragon break into the open. Oh Gods, she thought, he's huge! I've got to put some more distance between us, he was much closer then she'd thought he'd be, and find a good tail wind so my scent will be more diffused. If I keep flying into the wind it will lead him to me like an arrow!

Sister Luria breathed a sigh of relief as they finally reached the entrance to the Dragon's lair. At last! And most importantly, no sign of the occupant. Even if he caught the 'Dragoness' he would be quite...occupied for awhile, but still, best to hurry. An enraged Dragon was no small matter. She waited impatiently as some of thieves lit some torches and lanterns, then they cautiously entered the gaping mouth of the cave.

The End

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