Go Through The Portal
Ivan pauses for a second, holding up his hand. "Oh I forgot to mention. The magical plane is quite a bit different than where we are coming from. Some of my counterparts look at humans as a blank canvas and will take every opportunity to permanently change them as possible. So in effect you are going to need disguises."
Jim says "Cool like an undercover mission!"
Ivan looks at him not sure if he was being serious and says, "Yes, sure why not. So in short you're going to have to look similar to your friend here, but don't worry it is just going to be a temporary illusion until we can get you into the room. We'll figure out more permanent disguises later."
Jim nods eagerly, you can tell not really understanding what was about to happen, while Steve sighed and rolled his eyes. Jennifer thrashed violently against her restrains. Ivan pulled her back through the portal and snapped his fingers. Before your eyes you watch Jennifer sprout fur along her face and hands. Yellow, golden fur, moves across her body, growing into a seamless coat obscuring her from view. Her face seemed almost to be covered by a mask of some sort, before shrinking down to fit her face precisely.
Jim recoiled a bit a this finally sensing what was about to happen. Steve rolled his eyes again and said, "It suits her pretty good, doesn't it?" Steve had never made any mystery about his dislike of Jennifer. It was your turn to sniff and roll your eyes. You liked Jennifer but knew that the two of them were too similar to ever like each other.
Ivan turned to the group, "Gentlemen? Favorite animal?"
Steve paused and then said, "Well I was going to say dog..." Ivan immediately shot out a bolt of crackling red energy, enveloping Steve, dark fur pushing out of his clothing and from under his shirt as the illusion spread across him. His fingers formed large black pads, and his feet elongated as the mask type face settled about his own.
Steve held up his hand in wonder looking at the illusion. Ivan turned to Jim.
Jim blushed furiously and you got a sneaking suspicion as to why. Jim had previously confided in you that he liked girls so much that he wanted to be one. You had somehow beaten him there despite your previous feelings.
Ivan looked at Jim and said, "Well, what shall it be? We haven't got all day."
Jim stammered saying, "I... ugh... I want to be a cat. BUT. I want to be a girl cat."
Ivan shrugged again chanting, sending bolt of lightning energy at Jim, who made no effort to resist. The changes happened instantly, fur sprouting, tail growing, face changing. This time though, his form seemed to shrink in on itself, becoming definitely more feminine in nature. You can see the beginnings of illusory breasts forming pushing his now furred torso outwards. Jim gasped and from his lips came a feminine purr.
He held a hand up to his mouth in embarrassment.
Ivan turning to the group said, "Now then you will have amble time to explore when we get to the room."
"What... what about me?" You ask timidly. Ivan turns a twinkle in his eye, "My dear, you are the centerpiece. As soon as you step through that portal you and I will be the center of attention for some time to come."
"Oh..." You say, unsure of what to make of this and definitely not enjoying the direction this day has gone.
Ivan says, "Alright let's go!"
Dog Jennifer is sent through the portal, Jim and Steve take a second still admiring themselves but step up and through.
Ivan turns to you, "my dear, shall we?" He links his arm with yours, you blush under your fur, and he taps himself on the head, long grey fur sprouts from his body, his ears elongate quite a bit, and sudden you're holding onto a rabbit dressed in Ivan's outfit. He grins at you, buck teeth poking out from his lips. He pulls a old spiral hat out of thin air and taking care to poke his ears through, dons it and then pulls you through the portal.
You feel yourself being pulled into the portal and feel like the world has become statically charged, your fur stands on end, and suddenly like a soap bubble popping you're through the portal.
Jim and Steve are dealing with the same issue as their illusory fur stands on end, Jim's tail has fluffed up perhaps with the excitement.
You're immediately struck by how different this place is. In place of tables instead topiaries float in mid air. Brooms and dustpans sweep aimlessly around the room, cleaning on an endless loop. You seem to have been summoned into a small anteroom, Ivan gestures to you all as if to gather you up, and floats Jennifer behind him.
"Now again for the final time, touch nothing, eat nothing. Alright?" Jim and Steve nod. "Let me see if your companion has calmed down."
"What was her name?" Ivan asks you. "Jennifer," you state.
"Alright, Jennifer," Ivan says as he drops the spell around Jennifer's head. Jennifer stares at him coldly not speaking.
"Jennifer, if it makes anything better, I am sorry, but this simply can not wait. Will you be a good girl?" Jennifer's eyes flare with anger.
"A Good Girl! How dare you, you son of a....!" The shield springs up again, muting her.
"Careful now," Ivan says, "Best not to throw stones in a glass house. Alright well she will just have to follow along. Gather yourselves. Oh and don't talk to anyone."
Ivan throws open the gold encrusted door to a grand hall the likes of which you have never seen before. The high arching ceiling lay hundreds of feet in the air, sunlight streams in through thousands of windows on to scenes of unimaginable beauty and magic. Thousands of incredible feats of engineering mix with unbelievable displays of magical prowess. Hundreds of golems locked in eternal war fight and reassemble themselves in midair before changing into what looks like words, you gather it is an advertisement for something called Golem Wars, tonight at 9. The more you look the more you can draw similarities between this world and your own. Advertisements for vehicles, clothing, and the like line most obvious places. But it is the people themselves that differ. There are no people, but there are thousands of furred and scales creatures roaming the great hall.
Your mouth hands agape at the spectacle, Jim and Steve stand beside you taking it all in for a second. Ivan had started down the stairs in front of you, waving off handledly to someone he recognized. You look down the wall to see another hundred or so doorways like the one you just walked out of, all receiving and departing these beings, err people you now suppose you count yourself among.
Your paws touch the cool stone floor as you make your way out of the room and down the stairs following Ivan. Suddenly you hear a loud crash from beside you. Turning to look a female person sized guinea pig has dropped an armload of metal tins and stares at you with as much wonder as you look at her with.
She struggles to say something, "Ta... Ta... Ta.." and points at you. Steve and Jim continue with Ivan and Jennifer down the stairs. "Taur!" The guinea pig woman stammers. A small gasp runs through the crowd as more people start taking notice of your presence.
You smile slightly, emotions running through you. Your tail flicks wildly on your back half. Ivan turns, seeing the commotion and walks back up to you. "Smile and wave," he says under his breath. You wave to the woman and she faints straight away, sending the remaining tins scattering. The din of a thousand conversations hang in the air growing louder as the smile, now frozen to your face, struggles to remain there against a tidal wave of emotions.
Your tail fluffs up further heightening the thrall of the people now starting to gather around. You see animals of all shapes and sizes dressed in formal and nonformal wear, some more human than others, but all sprouting numerous animalistic features. A pair of tiger's in suits, one white with black stripes, the other Orange and black, turn to look at you, one spits out a mouthful of coffee.
You try your best to saunter down the stairs hoping not to trip over your own feet. Your body is so new and alien, this world so new, that you feel you're going to be swept away at any second. Ivan waves to the crowd now gathering around you, and smiles and waves back taking a second to shake furred hands here and there. He fends off thousands of questions. You feel hands reaching out and touching your tail, your rump, and your new back as if not believing it is real.
Ivan looks at you, smiles and says, "Well I guess the cat is out of the bag now." With a fluid motion he turns, spinning on his heels, and shoots a red beam of energy into the Golem advertisement sending thousands of blocks of marble scattering in the air. Big red letters present themselves in the advertisement. "TAUR! As Present By IVAN MAKNARAK!"
A gasp goes through the crowd before cheers start up. Apparently Ivan had been telling the truth this must be something incredibly difficult. You feel special, more so than you have in your entire life. More and more people seek out to lay a hand on your back half. You smile broader, but suddenly starting to feel overwhelmed move closer to Ivan and grab his arm gently.
"Ivan, can we please go to the room?" You say plaintively.
"Sure sure, these people will have plenty of time tonight. This is more than taste enough for them." Ivan moves through the crowd parting them with ease. You finally reach a rotund reception desk and Ivan states simply, "Checking in."
"Of course, Of course. How many?" The receptionist, a scaled woman with a carnivorous face looks at you politely. The manager on duty or someone of some authority you surmise steps in, looking at your party up and down. He looks like some sort of sea creature, maybe a walrus with large tusks and a wide set of whiskers and beard, says "Ivan! So great for you to rejoin the land of the living."
"Of course Walter! I couldn't stay away for long." Ivan says jovially.
Please, Susette, give them a Suite on the house." Walter says to the receptionist. He turns to Ivan and says, "I hope we wont have to replace the furniture like last time?"
"No no, not this time, my.... companions are quite a bit... tamer, than last time. You try getting on the wrong side of a Saurellian marital dispute and emerging unscathed." Walter laughs out loud "Never! Never have, never will." The receptionist rolls her eyes. The crowd around you growing larger and the sound of loud conversation filling the hall.
"Walter, I'd like also to rent out one of your meeting halls." Ivan says. Walter looks at him and then at you. "Yes I suspect you do. Let me check on the schedule and get back to you, I'll send someone up to the room once you're settled."
Ivan nods and reaches out his paw. Walter's meaty flipper like webbed hand envelops Ivan's and they part ways Ivan grabs your hand leading you through the crowd. You had taken to dancing nervously with your back legs, your tail dancing furiously. Jim and Steve had gotten blocked off by the crowd but rejoined you at the elevator. The only person missing was...Jennifer.
You turn to Ivan. "Where's Jennifer?" He curses under his breath and looks around, seeing only other furred people around him with no way to distinguish where she was. "I'm sorry," he said. "I will notify hotel staff, and they will find her shortly, they have spells for this sort of thing."
You nod having no choice but to trust him. So many people looking at you at the same time was racking your nerves. You simply could not handle Jennifer missing at the same time. You walk up a set of stairs to what looks like an elevator bank. Ivan hands a key over to the assistant waiting there and speaks quietly into his ear. The assistant ushers you through a back door and away from the crowd following you.
The assistant stops an elevator and gestures your party through. "Enjoy your stay," he says as the doors close behind you. The elevator opens almost immediately to a room unlike any you had seen before. Keeping with the theme of the lobby, massive vaulted ceilings reach hundreds of feet in the air. A soft chorus plays throughout the chamber. Windows look out onto a vista wonderful to behold.
But you can not turn your thoughts away from...
Written by crunchynachoes on 18 November 2018
