REDRIS' CHRONICLES:
THE CURSE
City-state of Hawkmoon. The largest city in the Domain of Hawkmoon is the starting point of many groups of adventurers, being located in the central part of the domain and having everything that an explorer needs: equipment, information and booze. There are several paths that lead to Hawkmoon, and they all share a common characteristic, the poor maintenance of roads. Hawkmoon does not charge those who live outside the city, and therefore is not responsible for their maintenance. That's why they are always bumpy and in the constant threat of being swallowed by the vegetation growing around.
And in one of these paths we found our hero Redris. He was a pretty boy, who often had drawn gasps of admiration from peasant girls of his native village not long ago. He had light blue eyes and red hair, fastened with a bandana to keep it from falling into his eyes. He was handsome, but also frail and delicate, a figure that didn't match with the sword that he bore, the sword of a warrior. At the time of his parting, many people wondered why he would choose an adventuring career, living at the risk of having a blade in his guts at any moment, watching his blood ooze into the mud, rather than finding a rich noblewoman to take care of him. However Redris had his own reasons.
Redris felt tired because he was walking since dawn. He didn't bother to get up early; he was used to do that every day, having worked on a farm for a few years. No, what made him feel really tired was not the physical stress but the mental one. The veins in his forehead throbbed so much, as he kept thinking and searching for an explanation for his problem, which led him to give up everything that was most precious to him. Would his condition be a disease or a curse? He had to find answers, a cure for his torment. He abandoned his peaceful life on the farm and his bride, in search of a solution.
Lost in his thoughts, Redris didn't notice one of the numerous holes in the road and stumbled , falling prone into a mud puddle . The young man swore while punching the water in the puddle several times to vent his frustration. He then saw a hand stretched out in front of him, the thin and elegant hand of an elf. Redris, except for that particular elf, had never before seen a representative of this race, so present in the legends told by the bards who frequented the taverns from his village of origin. He was just like in the stories: his appearance was like a human but thinner and a little lower, had pointed ears and an irritating air of superiority, the one which adults use when dealing with children.
The redhead, in a somewhat rough way, refused the helping hand and stood up by himself. He was angry with the company of that silent and strange elf, named Glaranduil. Why didn't he behave like normal people? Normal people are curious, and Redris wouldn't feel bad if he needed to explain his condition. The mind of the young man then returned to the time when both met for the first time two days ago, when Redris still walked alone through the trails that led to the distant city of Hawkmoon . In a passage past a rocky hill, bandits jumped from behind the stones, threatening him with their worn and rusted weapons, demanding money.
Redris felt afraid of those dirty, ugly and ragged men, and immediately realized he was in danger of losing something more than just money. There was in his eyes a greater desire than simple greed, something the redhead wanted now to forget. But contrary to what one might expect of a simple farmer, Redris hadn't got paralyzed, he wanted to fight, to defend his life and his honor! And this was the spark that started his transformation: he noticed his chest swelling, his garments going forward and up along with his new breasts, and after that the extra weight feeling as if two melons got stuck to his body. He felt no pain, just a need to change his posture to accommodate that change. For Redris the worse was the feeling of loss inside his underpants; what was external has become internal, and thus accompanied not only a physical change, but also a psychic one. His hair had grown to a length that went beyond the shoulder, and his facial features became even softer.
The bandits were briefly static, uncertain of what to do now. That young man had become a beautiful redhead girl, turning into an even better prize. On the other hand, she had become a seemingly respectable warrior, with well defined muscles and a feline intimidating appearance. But she was still just a woman, wasn't she?
The first bandit lunged recklessly, turning his sword in big circles over his head. He had his throat cut in an elegant arc by Redris' sword, and fell with blood spurting from his wound. The other three, after watching this scene, concluded that she would not be an easy prey, and decided to respect their opponent, trying to surround her by the sides. Although she hadn't trained any combat tactics before, the redhead instinctively backed up, looking for a stone to protect her back.
Redris feared for her life, or even worse fate, and decided that she would bring to hell anyone who touched her against her will. Smelling the fear, one of the bandits laughed and raised his weapon to attack, but then he rolled up his eyes and fell to the ground, unconscious. The surprised redhead turned and saw that the other two were also asleep. Then she saw an elf, with his hand still raised, having just completed his incantation. His eyes were blue and he had a long straight blond hair. His clothing was light brown, and he carried a long staff, being a user of the arcane arts.
As soon as the bandits were on the ground, the elf threw a rope in front of Redris, telling her with his melodious but authoritarian voice to tie the thugs, since their sleep wouldn't be lasting long. Though grateful for the help, she didn't like the tone of his orders. After arresting the bad guys in a tree, Redris arranged herself to continue on her way alone. That's when the elf called her to talk.
- My name is Glaranduil, and I'm going to Hawkmoon. If you are also going there, I suggest that we do the journey together, it is safer.
Redris sighed, and turned her gaze downward. The difficulty in seeing her own feet reminded her womanhood. It would be an inconvenience to explain her problem to the elf, but doing the journey alone could be too dangerous.
- My name is Redris, and I'm also going to Hawkmoon. – she said, a bit surprised with the sound of her own voice, which was more acute.