Chaos Shifter by Marc Secchia

Author:Marc Secchia [Secchia, Marc]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Published: 2018-05-25T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 17: Run for your Dragons!

Asturbar set about examining the wards in the small chamber with great interest and limited hope. These magical protections would be designed to mitigate against almost any level of physical or magical punishment they could imagine unleashing in this small space. He could blunt his battle-axe on these mahogany coloured, strangely organo-metalloid walls for a year and make barely a scratch, or the floor for that matter. He stomped his foot angrily. Hmm, that sounded slightly hollow beneath, although the material had to be at least a foot if not two in thickness. Furthermore, while Grandutakkator and his true masters might not understand the capabilities of a Chaos Shifter, it was clear to him that any of Iridiana’s more obvious attacks would only rebound upon them with dangerous or even lethal consequences.

He scratched his chin slowly. However, a slow attack … by pressure …

“Say, Iridiana, how would you feel about shifting into one of your tree forms?”

“Hesitant,” said his bracelet. “Why?”

“Trees are enormously strong.”

“What if I turn into a Dragoness and crush us all in this tiny space?”

“A somewhat gruesome prospect,” he admitted ruefully. “Alright. Bad idea.”

“No, it’s a superb idea.”

Iridiana shifted into her Human form. While Asturbar began to fumble in his other pocket for her dress, Yazina cried, “Father!”

“What?”

“You … looked. She’s your niece!”

When Chanbar appeared lost for words and his girl seemed to be sparking on the verge of an explosion, Asturbar said calmly, “Yazina, secret of life. Men tend to look. It’s kind of a reflex … but just before Iridiana buffets my ears right though my head, I want you to know that it’s much more about the how and the why of a look. You’ll know the right one by the way he looks at you, not in a possessive or a demeaning way, but in a manner that truly values who you are.”

Nyahi laid an impressively violet-hued branch upon his shoulder. Luminous amethyst leaves. A smooth, velvety trunk in a fetching pale indigo hue. Her plants had always been … well, normal, for want of a better word. She said sardonically, “Wow, Boots, I was worried by the way that was developing for a minute there. No mind. You can sire my future children.”

For his part, Asturbar turned a very unsubtle shade of pink.

“I’m worried that you can turn into a tree,” Yazina giggled. “Thanks for the advice, Commander. Is that really you in there, cousin?” The unlikely Dragon tree formed a respectable pout, complete with leafy eyebrows that waggled at the teenager. “Holy janzi-dragonets! That must be so much fun.”

“Ah … yes, hours of fun,” said the tree.

Spreading her branches up to the hatch and flexing her roots against the floor, the Shapeshifter braced herself with a low creaking and rustling sound. “Hold onto your Dragons, boys and girls. This could get exciting.”

“What will you do?” Asturbar asked curiously.

“Grow up.”

Perhaps her pun might have been aimed at him, because Asturbar happened to be thinking about unclothed feminine trees at that point.

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