I'm going to separate from my magician stories for a little while, I'm afraid. I'll continue that last one later. I feel a bit worn out from the restrictions that I placed on myself and have decided to place the stories in my talking game world. While the name sounds cheesy, well, it is, but that's not the point. This world is great in that it offers grand magical diversity and play balance, which as a reader, you really shouldn't care about. After all, it's a role-playing game world. The important thing, though, is that it's a rich world with a defined magical system, something else that I'm not getting into, since it would take longer to write about than this story would.
"What is it, Nirib?" His voice was raised to a panicked whisper now. He looked at her intently, peering over her shoulder at the crystal ball whose inside was filled with a beautiful series of swirls.
"Oh," she said. "This is not good, Your Highness. In the times to come, an old force of natural magic is going to emerge. I'm afraid that your empire might reach its end."
"What?" He was flabbergasted now. "What gods could possibly be angry with me. I've made sure to appease them all, good or evil. The great neutral gods should love me for it!"
"I don't know. Wait! I see something! The gods' hold on this world has been nearly severed. Their communications have been restricted to only good news. It seems that someone has been able to shroud the happenings on this world to the gods. Prayers won't even work! Whoever has done this will pay in the end, but he, she, it will accomplish a great deal of some plan." Sweat was rolling down the astrologer's face. She looked overwhelmed with fear.
"Sire, the magic that is going to be released has sentiency. That means that it will transform something, whether it be the land, the sky, or the animals." Then she shuttered as it occurred to her just what part of the kingdom that it would affect. "No, it's going to affect the people!" Her crystal ball then became bright, so much so that it was more than capable of blinding. All in the room fell to the ground, and the ball shattered, its shards embedding themselves into the stone walls. Nirib was now curled on the floor in the fetal position, whispering, chanting two simple words: "The people, the people."
The lizard darted out of the way as two young towns folk bounded down a trail.
They helped each other down into a small washout along a creek. They embraced, two forbidden lovers. Slowly, they lowered themselves into a reclined position and kissed delicately. They were slowly working their way up the fore-play ladder when some light bubbling began in the creek. Both looked at it curiously.
"What do you suppose it is?" She was a lovely specimen of a human being, soft and light of foot. Her shirt was half-off, revealing her beautiful bosom.
"I don't know," said the young man. He was a skinny man, who could have easily passed for an elf. However, it was just his build. "The gas coming forth has a rather obnoxious smell, though. We should leave."
"Oh, then where should we finish this?" she asked, pulling her shirt back down.
"I believe that we should find another spot; anywhere will do."
They helped each other out of the gully and started to look, but soon each felt sick. "Let's go back to town. My stomach is not well," she said.
"I feel pretty badly, as well."
They started back to town but eventually collapsed, overcome by the weakness that had crept up on them. Two hours later, they awoke. "Oh, beautiful one. Be okay." He was frantic but still weak. Something occurred to him, though. His voice was not right. That was the least of his worries, however, as he tried to shake her awake. "Genjivi, awake."
She slowly forced herself awake and looked into his eyes. "Who are you?"
"I am Tinotak, your lover." His face filled with dread. Had the gas stolen her memories? He then said, "Do you not remember me?"
"I remember Tinotak, but Tinotak was no woman."
"Neither...." He looked down at his body, and her words proved themselves correct. "I used to be a man, about..." He looked into the sky. "I used to be a man about two hours ago."
"Prove to me that you are Tinotak," she said.
He pulled out a beautiful locket that he was planning on giving her. "This should prove it. I was going to give this to you. It has the emblems of your favorite circus. I even got it signed by Yuklan, the Great Clown!"
She looked at it suspiciously. Some examination and further questioning removed her doubts about it all. "Oh, Tinotak! I cannot believe that this has happened to you." She sat up, but something didn't seem right. Her chest seemed too heavy. She looked down and noticed that her breasts had grown past their usual, kind size to that of pumpkins. She gasped.
He noticed, too. She was definitely bigger. He helped her up, gently caressing her face. "What has happened to us Genjiva?"
"I don't know. Perhaps it is fate. Perhaps the gods are proving to us that our love should never be! I will defy them, though! I want you, because I am in love with you!" She was shouting, scaring away the birds.
"But now, I am a woman. Surely, you can't love a woman!" He felt awful. He felt as if his life was over. After all, Genjiva was the reason that he dodged conscription. His love for his country was great, but his love for Genjiva was far greater.
"I don't care. I love you for everything that you've done for me. I love you for staying with me. I love you for killing my betrothed. I love you for being so kind." He had sacrificed much for her, especially his right to live. "Perhaps, it is a gift from the gods that you are woman. No one will recognize you now. Kiss me, Tinotak!"
They kissed once again. It was a passionate kiss, revealing an inner desire to love, regardless of circumstance. They continued for about thirty minutes, each trying to get used to the whole situation. Genjiva was never a lesbian. She wasn't even a bisexual. She just loved Tinotak too much to give him up, even if he had a woman's body. In her mind, she was kissing the man that he used to be.
Finally, they got up before it was too late in the evening and walked back to town, holding hands the whole way. They returned to town and quickly rented a hotel. They then bought some clothes quickly before the stores were closed. Once in the room, they began to feel sick again.
"Oh, what is wrong with us?" Genjiva asked. "Are we doomed to constantly feel sick like this? Must we suffer?"
"Don't worry. If something happens, we'll just go to a healer tomorrow. Hell, we'll go anyway. Let us just see if we can make do with what we have." He looked into her eyes with a fearful gaze of desire. "We may die from this. If that's the case, then let us enjoy life as we can."
"Might we?" she asked. "I really don't feel well, but you may be right. Okay. I don't know what to do, though. I guess we can figure it out, though." She approached him and they kissed, lying on the bed. As they kissed further, going deeper and kissing more passionately, the pain subsided. They continued, each letting their hands wander. Eventually, they were topless and were trying to satisfy each other's breasts. Genjiva was having a hard time of it, since she was almost repulsed by it all. As she was teased, though, she eventually surrendered to the situation, especially when she noticed that she would lose the pain when she gave or received pleasure. Finally, they got into each other's pants, and soon it was all over. They both snuggled in the afterglow.
The next morning, they both went to a healer. He investigated the entire situation and determined that they were incurable. Whatever had happened created some sort of field within them that kept all synthetic magic out while some sort of natural magic process went on. He said that they could go and seek the help of a greater magician, but he also said that they would neither have the money nor could probably find such a magician. They left feeling betrayed, disappointed, and desperate. They took a vow to stay together whatever happened.
They then realized that they needed money. They found work at a stable in the capital. A few weeks went by before the news arrived that even more people were suffering from the same things. The magicians from all over were gathering together to try and discover the cause, but astrologers claimed that the signs were too strong for magicians of their statures. The astrologers also claimed that all was not over. Soon, the astrologers were also claiming that men becoming women, women growing larger bosoms, and a sickness only solvable by sexual activity was only a beginning to all of the troubles that the future held. The land was also involved. Soon, everyone would be affected by some part of this awful curse. As this news spread, people began to get angry, and soon, the kingdom reached a state of martial law.