"Damn it nelly! Why'd you have to go piss off the nobles! Now we got twelve night fathers on our asses!" You shout at your charge. She of course crosses her hands before blasting a plume of black smog. "Of course, genius move!" You shout at her.

"What? I'm just making a smoke screen." She pouted.

"You're putting a huge target on your back using magic in front of them!" You criticize her.

Her face goes blank for a second as she's held in your arms. "Shit! Run faster! They're going to turn me into a sock puppet!" She cried in realization. 

Your face twists into one of disgust. That form of punishment was brutal. Memories of bodies impaled on large spikes raced through your mind, some of them were even still alive!

"We'll go to demiurge Forrest. There we'll follow the river to one of the monster villages. They'll respect your magic." You quickly explain as you turn left, off the dirt road. The spot you were just at exploding in sparks and debris as an emerald spear lodges itself into the ground. 

"Crap! How'er they doing that!" Nelly screams, only to scream again when two more explosions erupt in front you, making you dart to the right.

"I don't know. They just can." You reply as you dash up a hill, evading explosions to your right and left forcing you to go straight.

“Crap! It's like magic! what’re we going to do!” Nelly shouted as another explosion made you run to the right.

“We’ll have to put on a show and make a bre- SHIT!” You shout.

“Language!” Nelly gives you a stern look.

“They led us to a cliff.” You tell her.

“Shit.” She says looking over the cliff edge. 

“Good now we can begin the purging of the witch and her ghoul.” Came a cold voice. Turning around and placing Nelly behind you, appears six people in blue and black. Two were taller than you with only one being smaller. they wore a mix of leather and dark glitter metal and chain metal hoods and metal masks that had different star symbols for visors. 

“He’s not a ghoul tho.” Nelly calls back.

“Matters not, you have proven your magic, so he must be under your manipulative magic. We shall kill you and free him from your wiles She devil!” Calls a tall one in an angry voice.

“Nelly, stay behind me.” You whisper to her, the girl nods and starts watching everyone.

without any more waiting the short one dashes at you, swinging a short sword at you which you quickly block with your dagger. but a pain zaps through you making you almost drop your weapon while the short one jumps back and a spear flies at Nelly. quickly you pull her close and jump back, getting closer to the cliff only t o feel a searing pain carve it’s way into your back.

“N-nelly. Please hold on to me.” You tell her through the pain that bites and tears into you.

WIth that you clutch Nelly in your arms as you jump off the cliff, you try to ball up around her as your arm is slammed into the rock wall making a creaking sound and feeling like burning needles pulling you apart. All the way down you slam into more rocks that cut and end even pierce into your body, with each hit your body throbs and feels like black pepper jam and it’s not even over when you hit raging water below. Feeling your ribs pressing in on your insides and your body rushing into several more rocks, your muscles feel like they're being twisted and pulled off your bones.

 

“Hey! ro…..! You can’t d…..!” You hear Nelly’s cries echoing in the distance, so far away…..

you force yourself to open your eyes to show her you’re alright, Only to see a tall red blur moving closer.

“WHO- WAIT please help him!”

“Human……No…..” comes a gruff voice.

you blink for a second only to find several red and blue faces pass by you. Some look curious, others look uncertain, maybe angry? blinking again you find a tall person  looking down at you and warm water all around you.

“You’re going to be alright! My magic will save you!” Nelly tells you.

You force yourself to smile at her even though your muscles feel tenderized and burning. “I t-trust-cough- you……” WIth that your eyes close.

 

Your eyes blink open again as the water around you feels a lot less warm but you feel a lot warmer. You wonder if you drank too much ale, even your head feels like it's swirling. Rubbing your eyes, you pull yourself up from laying in the water and instantly your eyes widen.

In front of you, you see your legs, a watery blue and a set of toes you don't recognize ending in pointed black claws. You bend your knee and you see muscles flexing under the blue skin. Not sure how to react, you reach out to poke your leg only to discover your hand and arm are also blue, your nails looking like short black claws. Your arm looks thinner but your muscles feel the same, maybe a little heavier?

Sighing, you start to look around. You're sitting in a large pond of water, the floor is sand on the left and right with swirls and large rocks. The stone walls are covered in some language or symbols and behind you is a wooden chair. 

"Ah. You are awake young one." Came a low voice that seemed to echo off your bones but something about it felt friendly. Turning you saw a tall blue skinned woman with bindings around her chest, a vest with feathers and plated metal on her shoulders. She wore what looked like shorts mixed with a loincloth and a belt tied with claws and a skull of a beast of some kind. She was muscular but still feminine and you admired her build, believing this was a woman deserving of respect. but she had a pair of black horns that curled up from her forehead.

"Young one, you have gone through a trial and have proven yourself worthy of my tribe's respect. And like all trials you lose a tooth, a horn or a weapon but gain more." She said sounding a little spiritual to you but obviously you're not the same.

"Yes, I have changed and I feel different.  But before I ask, I wish to ask a different question." You ask her permission now knowing she was someone important to this tribe. 

"Yes, you wonder of the one that found with you, yes?" You nod, making the horned woman smile, showing four extra fanged canines that look a bit longer than a normal human. "She is with our hunter who found you. She hasn't left his side since she could not be here. Once I tell you what you have survived I will take you to her." The woman said before walking up to you and handing you a bag. "First, you change into something that is not shreds." She said with narrowed eyes.

Stepping out of the pond, you dig through the bag, finding a pair of shorts that looks like it doesn't have a lot of space between the crotch and waist. A large black robe and bindings, all made from breezy fabric you’d wear in summer. Looking up you see the large woman watching you, looking rather impatient but something feels oddly safe.

Quickly pulling off your clothes you realize your form looks a lot less muscular and looks more like a twelve year old starting to form defined abs. Your now smaller chest feels a bit sore as if you were punched several times and tightly pinched a few more times. But the most surprising change is found below at your groin.

You look over your shoulder at the blue woman who raises a brow. "I'm, I have- I'm a girl?" You ask slightly bewildered. 

"Put on your clothes first, then we talk." She says bluntly while you feel an odd sense of urgency in the air.

Realizing the woman was staying tight lipped, you rush to dress yourself, in your eyes this was the weirdest thing to happen besides meeting that weird not goddess-god. The shorts fit rather snugly, reminding you of your lost manhood. And the waistline sits lower, that you can't cover much of your belly but other than that the material feels breezy and flexible. As you grab the robe the blue woman grunts, catching your attention as she points to the bindings.

“Tie it over your chest, it will help ease your soreness.” She tells you firmly while giving a deathly stare.

Without protest you tie the bindings around your chest and the moment you do, your sore chest feels a lot more flexible and less tender than before. Sorta like a brace, you wonder if it’s the material or just how tight you tied but taking in the feeling you can’t help but feel an odd sense of encouragement. quickly putting on the robe and closing it so you don't expose your body you hear the woman chuckle.

Turning to the woman you ask for that explanation she mentioned.

“Good. You are not fearful. To begin, my tribe is of the monster race known as Oni. My tribe is called the Stall-Ku. The Oni of any tribe are proud people who seek to challenge themselves in all skills that interest us. Be that battle, craftsmanship, magic or food.” She paused to see if you had any questions.

“Oni? but I thought all Oni were red like the fires of brim? Does that make me something else?” You ask confused.

“Ah! You speak of the Hingabe. Yes they are most common but no, Oni are born under different stars and those you call red are many. You and I are still Oni, we are known as the Weise. A once in a hundred year birth under the calm star, rare but not myth. Many tribes will have three if they are lucky and my tribe is very lucky.” She said that with stern eyes but you could sense a large almost overflowing joy. 

“I see, could you explain how I came to be Oni?” You finally ask, feeling like you were wasting time.

“You were dead but your spirit fought on. Your companion begged us to save you and I, sensing her magic gave her the choice to do so. The Ritual of Liebe was performed using her magic and bond to you. This is only used for those seeking to become true tribe members but It does not mean you always become as you were. Some were women that are now men but the opposite has happened to you.” She said, taking a deep breath.

“You are now an Oni child.” She said frankly.

“Child? But I’m over twenty years! How could I be a child and still have such a similar body frame?” You asked surprised.

This made the woman laugh much to your confusion. “Oni do not die short lives. We live until we choose not to. To an Oni you are not of age until you hunt a dread boar or reach the age of…..” She rubbed her chin a moment, thinking to herself. “Forty. Then you can choose to find a new tribe, have children, master your chosen skills and strengthen your tribe.” She explained like she was telling you that indeed tomorrow was coming.

“Oh….” Thoughts of being treated as an incompetent seeped into your mind, being a child was hell for you and now you had to go through it again for twenty more years! deciding to change topics before you scream in frustration, you ask. “But why a dread boar? One can kill a man with one stomp and butcher an army as if looking for a light meal.” 

“Monster races grow differently than humans do. The act of killing such a powerful beast will force a change within you, your mind and body become more capable than that of a child. Kill many powerful foes and you may even reach the heights of our champion god.” She said with an actual smile on her face as her eyes glowed red.

“I just have to kill the boar? no rules or taboo to worry about?” You ask, hoping that you might skip twenty years of childhood if you planned correctly.

“None, other than you must make the killing blow. if it dies to another or to obstacles then you will not grow.” She warned me with a toothy grin, You could sense her excitement that even your own heart pumped like a wild lover.

“Looks like I have some planning to do.” you said ignoring the smile that began to creep up your face. This is just to be treated as an adult nothing more! 

“Good! My tribe is strengthened with a mind like your’s. You and your companion will be protected here but because you two are children without many trophies, do not be surprised if others do not heed your words. prove yourself to any that doubt with skill or ability and you will find more than one willing hand.” she said with a firm nod but the air felt like sweet bubbly soda, making you feel more excited than nervous. 

“Thank you, is there anything else or can I see Nelly?” You asked, sounding a little rude from your burst of weird excitement.  

“There is much but I will not hold you from seeing your companion. come young one, I will take you to her.” She said as she began to walk towards a large wooden door. opening and stepping out you find yourself on a tall hill, the top flattened and stairs of stone leading to a field of White Beads. A crop that grew like wheat but produced white beads like rice. You wonder how the Oni managed to grow such a rare crop. in a nearby pond you see two red Oni pressing their hands into the muddy water, they rapidly pound their palms in and out of the murky water. This creates spires of water and a soft thumping sound like a drum and the dirt in the water floats out, gathering into clumps which nearby Oni gather into sacks.

In the edges, you spot several buildings with pointed stones lining the roofing like spikes. The buildings are of red wood, probably bloodwood. A type of wood only monster races like the Oni seemed to be able to cut down and craft with. reminding you of tales of giant claws nesting in these hearty trees, you couldn't burn those birds out of those tall trees, much less hit them with arrows. Some of the buildings have silver bells hanging from the corners, tied with a thick rope that looks as thick as your arms? 

It's still weird to look at your arms, same thickness but they look slender with little muscle definition. Maybe your muscles are compressed? Like a certain blue alien dog? Hopefully not to the extent of sinking though.

As you follow the tall blue Oni down a carved stone path, you spot Oni watching you. You think they're looking for weakness, so you walk with a straight back and stern narrowed eyes. Some look on with narrowed eyes, possibly judging you. Others look more curious but keep a distance almost like you're a newborn that could get sick from their germs. Then you spot a group of smaller (?) Oni, two look close to your height, one looks smaller and two are tall but lean. You assume these are the kids of the tribe or just one group.

The shortest one puffs up his chest and gives a  snarky smile, almost like he's assessing you for a job position. The closest one that's taller looks at you with a furious frown as if you murdered her family and she's ready to take your life. The others flex their muscles like wrestlers about to enter the ring.

As much as the Oni you pass seem aggressive or uncomfortable, you feel a warm bubbly fizz in your back. Almost like a parent or sibling cheering you on. Whatever it is, it makes you walk with a wider stance and a smirk like a cocky little shit. And the bubbly sensation only heats up at your proud walk.

 

As you and blue oni pass the others, she chuckles. “Good! You have proven your will to some of the tribe. One step closer to earning their respect and another to felling the boar.” She said with a fanged smile. “Now that house there holds your young companion. I will speak to our hunter, you wait here.” She pointed at the ground near the wooden hut.

As she walks in, you stand by a large patch of giant’s chew. The giant grass still stood above you by a good three feet and only up to that boar’s knee. How the hell were you supposed to kill a creature with a hide that can deflect sword slashes and stabs? And the worst part was their magic, they eat something and they breathe fire. You look down at your hand, forming a tight fist. The way your muscles move feels different to when you were human, the pressure building in your hand feels harder? Spotting a rock, you throw a medium strength punch, the moment it connects, the rock explodes into dust. You barely felt that and your blue fingers don't show even a scrape.

This is going to take a lot to get used to, you might have to practice and relearn how to fight and then there’s the whole being hunted thing. “Damn, this is going to take a lot of getting used to.”

“I’ll say.” Nelly says behind you, but before you could turn around, you feel her arms wrap around your  waist. You feel her head press into your back. “.........They said we can live here….” She whispers. You pat her arm but refrain from squeezing it, better not to practice on her by accident. 

“Yea-” You begin to agree.

“WHOA! YOU SOUND REALLY CUTE!” She shouts before racing around you. She holds her fists to her face while her eyes sparkle at the sight of you. “And you look cute too! They said you changed but I didn’t think you’d get to join the cooler side!” She held her hand over her mouth and winked her short lashes at you. “The fairer side.” Then she crossed her arms like a proud warrior. “Welcome to the land of Queens.” 

You can’t help but roll your eyes. “I’m still me on the inside you know. And I don’t plan on staying a little girl for long.” You point out, hoping it’ll calm her down.

But Nelly nods three times. “Then I better get in all the cuteness I can get before you become a warrior princess!” She hops in place as she gushes about the coming seconds.

“Damn it Nell.” You smile as you pat her head. Never change.