Maia watched in fascination as the zombies seemed to run into a wall of sorts as they reached the steps of the shrine, but instead of trampling each other to try and get over like normal undead would, they spread out and began to beat at the air, attempting to tear down whatever force was obstructing them.
“Before they break down the barrier I’ve erected, allow me to explain a few things.” Nia said. “I have blessed your spear, and though it is only barely more effective than normal weapons against regular people, it is anathema to the unholy and the undead. If you wish to use it, simply will it to your hand and it will appear, ready for action. Likewise, we have imbued you with an offensive spell and a healing spell that function in the same way. Call your spear to your hand, and begin the fight.”
Maia did as instructed, holding out her hand and willing her spear to appear within. And, a spear did appear, but it wasn’t her spear. Her spear was old and worn, a simple thing that focused on practicality and durability more than anything else. This spear was, in a word, grand; made of sleek silvers and golds with accents of bright red and light blue, it was the kind of thing that wouldn’t look out of place in a noble’s hands.
Yet, despite the ornamentation, it was clearly an effective weapon. The tip was wickedly sharp, and Maia could feel a power pulsing within the weapon, ready to be unleashed. So, she took a step forward, and thrust out towards the head of one of the zombies.
The movement was clean and precise, and, despite the slightly altered weight and balance of the spear, it felt almost like an extension of her will, like it was no harder to direct than it was to simply move an arm or take a step.
The effect on the zombie was immediate. There was barely any resistance as the spear pierced its head, and a white fire burst out from within, scorching the creature’s flesh as it raced down its body. The zombie crumpled, and behind her, Maia heard the sound of clapping.
She turned to look, but was cut off by Aira’s voice. “Keep your eyes on the battle.” She chided gently. “You are doing great, better than we had hoped, even. We will refrain from doing distracting things, our apologies. Why not try the spell next?”
Something about her tone felt…off, but she was right; Maia needed to be paying attention. “How do I cast the spell?” She asked. “I haven’t used magic before.”
“For you, it will be as easy as using the spear.” Nia said, an odd touch of what Maia could have sworn was melancholy in her tone. “Just will it, and it will be done.”
Maia nodded, focusing on the closest zombie and concentrating on the idea of casting a spell on it. In response, a vast power within her shifted and the zombie erupted into white fire, burning bright for a couple of moments before crumpling, too damaged for the magic animating it to remain contained.
“Very good.” Nia said, the odd emotion in her tone gone. “Healing and transforming people will be the same. I’m going to drop the barrier now; I trust you can handle the rest?
“Yes.” Maia said. “Leave it to me.”
She took a step back and cast another spell, eliminating yet another zombie as the rest stumbled forward, thrown off balance by the barrier’s disappearance. Maia quickly and efficiently stabbed at one while casting yet another spell, her two targets dropping and leaving only one remaining. Maia felt as if she could almost see the trajectory of its next attack, her years of experience and what she was coming to realize was much sharper vision allowing her to easily dodge the swing as she stabbed at the creature’s gut with her spear, which had conveniently shortened in her grip to account for the closed distance.
“Well done!” Aira said proudly. “However, we must now go. For your first task, go and save your village, then take some trusted companions and escape via the Deepwood. As monster girls, you’ll be immune to most of its magics, and will be able to gain some distance on your immediate pursuers. Afterwards, head towards the island where my sister and I first descended onto this world, and we will give you your next instructions there.
“If you need to blend in, simply will your inhuman parts away, and you will return to the appearance of a regular human woman. And, if you worry about your wife and your relationship now that you are a woman…that will not be an issue. Monster girls are, as a rule, attracted to women.”
Maia turned to find them both smiling brightly at her. “Our eternal thanks for accepting this task.” Nia said. “And, remember; history and common sense may be misleading. Maia is not who you think she was. Unfortunately, our time here is up, and we must go; we have taken the liberty of pre-emptively answering some questions, but if you need more answers…the Deepwood might hold some for you.”
And with that, they were gone, leaving Maia alone. She stood there for a moment, the weight of the task she had been given settling in, then turned around. The bodies of the zombies were fading, and Maia could feel the energy within them being consumed by the shrine, could feel it in a way that was so much more precise than what she was used to.
She took a moment to peer into the still water surrounding the shrine to get a picture of what she looked like now. It was…surprisingly underwhelming; she was dressed in a modest set of blue and white robes that were shockingly easy to move in, and her hair had lengthened and become a slightly darker shade of blue than Aira’s, but…she had no other feelings about it. She immediately recognized the reflection was hers, and felt no discomfort whatsoever looking at it. Which was curious enough in and of itself, because she knew she should be feeling less comfortable about this whole thing, but she just…couldn’t bring herself to care.
Even so, there was no time to contemplate that. She flexed her wings experimentally and made as if to take off, but stopped; despite her body knowing how to fly, it seemed that, for some odd reason, she lacked the actual capability to do so. The most her wings would be useful for at the moment was to move herself aside if she was ever in the air or to add an admittedly large amount of distance to her jumps.
Disappointing as that was, it was no major loss. She felt confident that she would be able to fly eventually, but until then, she was faster and stronger than she had been before, and she no doubt would make great time whether or not she flew.
And, as it turned out, she made the trip back to her home in a scant few minutes, likely only a tenth of the time it took her to get to the shrine. Not only was she faster, but her stamina had improved, and, more importantly, navigating the Deepwood felt easy. As a human, she had always needed to take breaks often, navigating as much by the feel of the magic in the air as she did via her regular senses.
The Deepwood messed with your sense of direction, and compasses were less than useless, subtly changing their reading so as to draw you ever deeper inside. Even if you knew it was doing that, you couldn’t just go the opposite way to escape; sometimes the reading would work as normal, sometimes it was lying, but attempting to rely on it only served to frustrate you.
As a monster girl…it was like the path had been unfurled, the Deepwood’s directional scrambling nigh-useless. Or, at least, it was for Maia. She could feel the surrounding magic with such clarity that she could instantly tell when it was trying to turn her around, and while a normal person may not have noticed what it was doing, she wasn’t normal. After all, she had reached the point where she could pick up on it as a human, and right now she felt like she was at least ten times more in tune with the magic.
So, she found herself at the village’s edge in remarkably little time. She put away her wings in case she was spotted and made her way over to her house and crouched under the window once again, listening for conversation.
“Are…are you sure nothing’s happened to him?” Violet panted. “We all know how dangerous the Deepwood is.”
“P-positive.” Elise replied. “Michael’s the best there is, he knows better than to pick a fight he has no chance of winning. I’m sure he’s just taking a little extra time to drag a nice kill back to us.”
To Maia’s shock, even the name Michael felt somewhat foreign to her now. The magic the goddesses had worked to make her accept her new form was stronger than she had expected and she wasn’t totally sure how to feel about it. Still, she had heard enough; Elise and Violet were still inside, probably alone, and tired to some extent. So, she made sure the coast was clear before slipping into her house.
“Michael, you’re ba…wait, who are you, cutie?” Elise asked, her voice and mannerisms laced with uncharacteristic seductiveness. “You can’t just walk into other people’s houses, you know. But…I think there are some ways you can make me forget.”
Maia looked at her wife’s somewhat disheveled appearance uncomfortably. “I…know it’s hard to believe, but it’s me, Michael. I’ve had a very…um…eventful night.”
Elise smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Is this some kind of foreplay? Alright then, I’ll bite; tell me something only he would know.”
Maia cast an embarrassed glance towards Violet, but spoke anyway. “Shortly after we were married, I came back from hunting all addled by magic. I was convinced you were my big sister the entire night, and you played along. You wouldn’t stop teasing me about it for months after.”
The briefest flicker of concern passed across Elise’s face before it settled into a lustful look. “So, it really is you, then? What kind of Deepwood trick is it this time? How long will it last? Because it’d be a shame if we didn’t get to try out that body of yours before you get back to normal.”
Maia sighed. “It’s not a Deepwood trick, and it’s permanent. I –”
“If you’re worried about our relationship, it’s fine, I’ve recently realized just how much I was missing out on when it came to women, so you being one now doesn’t change things between us.” She paused, giving Violet a grin. “Still, I think we might want to think about…changing how we do things, having a bit more fun, if you know what I mean.”
Maia let out another sigh, locking the door behind her. “I know what you mean, and I’m afraid I can’t accept, not when you’re like this. Can you promise to hear me out for a moment?”
“What do you mean like this?!” Violet interjected. “She’s perfectly normal, thank you very much.”
“No, she’s not.” Maia said firmly. “She’s afflicted with Aira’s Fervor, and we need to fix it.”
There was a momentary pause, then Elise burst out laughing. “Fix it?! Michael, you’re clearly out of your mind again. Go to bed and sleep it off, we’ll discuss this when you’re back to normal.”
“That’s not what’s going to happen.” Maia replied, making her wings appear. “I met with the goddesses, and they changed me into a monstrous maiden, or…monster girl, as they prefer, appointed me their champion, and tasked me with curing the world of this curse.”
Violet pinched the bridge of her nose, walking over to Maia. “Michael. Stop. You’re going to die of embarrassment when you come to your senses. You’ve clearly been hit with a deeper dose of magic than normal. Can you really believe what you’re saying? It’s ridiculous.”
“It’s true.” Maia said stubbornly. “I’ve told you both about that shrine in the Deepwood. When I realized that Aira’s Fervor had finally hit the village, I went back to pray, and everything happened. I’m going to cure you two now, so don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”
Violet’s gaze sharpened and she took a step backward, surreptitiously reaching for Elise’s pitchfork. “Michael, we don’t need ‘curing’, and there’s absolutely no reason Aira would fight against this. It’s obviously her will, and that’s clear as day. Now shut up and go to bed, you don’t want to do anything you’ll regret in the morning.”
Elise likewise tried to sneakily grab one of the kitchen knives. “You’ve had a long day, honey. You know what will happen if you try to make a scene here. You’ve lost your spear, so just go to bed quietly, okay? There are two of us and you’re unarmed, you’re only going to get yourself hurt.”
“No, I haven’t lost my spear.” Maia said. “I would just prefer not to have to use it on you. Now, I’ll ask one more time; will you trust me and let me cure you, or will I have to do this by force?”
Violet lunged at her with the pitchfork. “Sorry, Michael, we’ll have Stephen patch you up tomorrow, and then we’ll talk about your apology, okay?”
Maia sighed, summoning her spear and fending off Violet’s attack before forcefully shoving her back into the wall. Though Violet only had the minimum combat training all the villagers had received, there was a weight behind her blows that her small frame simply shouldn’t have allowed. And, on closer inspection, Maia could feel the curse within her, its power lashing out towards Maia and strengthening its host as a result.
Elise was next, but a cast of Maia’s spell, at as low a strength as Maia could muster, knocked her back. “Ow!” She cried. “How’d you do that?!”
Maia kicked Elise’s hand, wincing at the crunch of the impact, but the move successfully got Elise to drop the knife. One eye on Violet, she leaned down and placed a hand on Elise’s forehead and willed her to begin changing, and then Elise went limp, slipping into unconsciousness as her body began to writhe and twist, changing shape.
Maia frowned as she turned away from her wife. The process was by no means pleasant to look at, and it was clear that she was far less skilled than the goddesses, but that was to be expected. She advanced on Violet, casually batting away a shaky stab from the pitchfork before getting into range and beginning the process on her as well. And then…she waited, keeping a careful eye on the door and windows, making sure no one would interrupt while her wife and best friend were being cured.