The town hadn’t expected the newcomer that took over Temple Hill. We didn’t pay the creature much mind when the priests ran away. The tribute they had forced on us was doing more harm than good, and obviously the protection of the gods didn’t stop the new inhabitant from taking over.
It wasn’t the farmers who got annoyed about their livestock disappearing. All they lost was eggs and wool and milk during the night. It was the hunters, annoyed that the wild animals were kept too in-check, and so they had no prey to hunt. That definitely angered my father, as he was one of the main hunters. He had tried to teach me his craft, but I couldn’t even draw the bowstring back an inch, resulting in me knowing the lay of the land, how to move around it, what to look out for, but not actually being able to kill. And my younger brother, who my father was proud of, ended up getting drafted into the King’s Army, resulting in him not being there to protect me from father’s outbursts, of which there were many. Always angry I was learning from books after he gave up on teaching me his craft.
Since the beast was leaving everyone alone, it too was left alone. That is, until the Mayor’s daughter got curious. She climbed Temple Hill, and that was the last we saw of her. Nobody dared to go up there to check. I considered it for a moment, since me and her used to play together as kids, and father was hoping I’d end up marrying her for the money. The Mayor had other plans in that regard though. It made me wonder if that was the reason she went to her doom that day.
I was woken up that day by my father slamming the door open. “Get up, boy. You’re going to be useful for once in your fucking life.” He tore the blanket off me before I even got my eyes open. “The Mayor’s hired an adventuring party to deal with that fucking featherbrain on the Hill. They want a local guide. So I’m sending you with them. Understand you useless leech?” He kicked me in the ribs, hard enough to hurt but not wound. “Get the fuck up and be out of the house or I’m throwing you out naked.” He left my room and slammed the door as he did so, leaving me with a now bruising side, and a lot of questions. Without a way to get answers. I got up, holding my side and hissing from the pain, limping to the chair I had thrown my clothes on. Can you call them hand-me downs when they’re from your younger brother who outgrew them fast? The tunic was long enough to reach my thighs, I had to cut the sleeves short because my hands swam in them, the only thing that was mine were the breeches, torn and patched over time. A belt around my waist to hold my pouch with some small items, a pair of sandals I had to make myself, hair tied back with a piece of string and I was ready. The only difference between me and a street urchin was the fact I got to bathe.
When I got out of my room, father didn’t even let me eat breakfast first. Mother handed me a sack of something and I got shoved out the door hard by father, coming face to face with the adventuring party. Four human men. You could almost mistake them for quadruplets. The same height, the same build, almost the same face, the only variety between them were their scars, hair, and outfits. Judging by those, it was obvious they were the classic four. Warrior, Cleric, Rogue and Wizard.
“Here’s the boy. He knows the way.” My father began, talking about me as if I wasn’t there to hear it.
“Sir, you said your ‘son’ would help us with directions, are you sure you have a son?” The Warrior asked, a smirk on his face, letting out a slight chuckle.
“My Son-” Father empathised ‘son’ as much as he could “- got drafted into the army. My wife swears this scrawny kid is mine, but he barely counts as a boy. If he didn’t have a dick dangling between his legs I wouldn’t even consider him that.” He spit in my direction and shoved me to the adventurers even harder. “Now go, show them where the fucking Gryphon is, get eaten by it for all I care.” Father’s words hurt more than his kicks and shoves and punches. It wasn’t my fault I grew up like this. I slouched a bit and started limping towards Temple Hill.
“Follow me.” I shot towards the adventurers, who shrugged and did as I asked of them.
The Cleric got somewhat close to me, looking me over as we walked. We had been walking in silence for about half an hour now. “Are you really a man, or is your father making his daughter crossdress?” The Cleric asked me. I looked at him deadpan.
“Do you want me to pull up my tunic, whip it out and prove his word to you?” Was my question as an answer. The Cleric got choked up a bit about it, but the Warrior laughed out loud.
“Oh the kid’s got a sense of humor! It was so sad walking without anyone speaking. What’s your name, scrawny?” He asked once he stopped laughing.
“Marcus.” I sighed. I didn’t like my name. And I couldn’t blame it on my father that I didn’t like it. He never used my name. I much prefered what the Mayor’s Daughter called me when we used to play together.
“Marcus, why is it that you are limping?” The Cleric asked, done with his choke up. I couldn’t very well tell him the truth. This group wouldn’t do anything about the situation anyways, so I answered the lie I was told to say.
“I tried riding a horse and fell off, landing badly. Broke my leg and it hasn’t set properly.” The Cleric seemed appeased by my answer, as we carried on.
“Why the oversized tunic, Marcus? Can’t the son of the head hunter afford better clothes?” The Rogue spoke up now. First time he did so.
“It’s my younger brother’s.” I answered, getting weird looks from everyone.
“Don’t you mean older brother’s?” Was what the Cleric asked.
“No, younger. Half-brother, really. Mother cheated on father with the Blacksmith when he was out hunting for a week one time. I miss him.” Not just because father didn’t hurt me physically when he was around. Philip was nice.
“Soooo… how much longer until we’re there?” The Warrior looked around, arms held behind his head. “It can’t be that far, can it?” I pointed right so as to reply. The hill’s sheer cliff face visible, with the temple on top of it.
“You can either walk for two hours to reach it, or shoot straight for the Temple through the forest in an hour and then spend the rest of the day climbing.” I stopped to face them all and look them over. “I don’t see any equipment for that kind of climb on any of you.”
“The long walk it is then.” The Warrior shrugged and I rolled my eyes, leading the way forward.
The moment we reached the steps to the Temple, the Warrior made everyone crouch down. I caught him gesturing to the Rogue to move forward and check stuff out, and so he snuck up the stairs as best as he could. Which, from what I heard next, wasn’t the best, as he awkwardly walked back towards us. “The. Uhm. The Gryphon noticed me, and is waiting for everyone.” The Warrior pretty much picked me up and walked up the stairs followed by his party, facing the Gryphon.
“Foul Beast! The Mayor has hired us to rid the world of you for taking his daughter’s life!” The Warrior pointed his sword at the Gryphon as he drew it. While the Gryphon just rolled its eyes.
“Surprising. She told me he was forcing an arranged marriage on her despite her protests.” The Gryphon’s voice was feminine. Despite… her? Her size, she didn’t sound like a giant beast. She sounded like an annoyed mother. “I didn’t take her life, she gave it to me of her own free will.” She was lounging in the sun, her front paws crossed under her, as if she had just woken from a nap.
“Lies! Now face me and my party in combat!” The Warrior jabbed the air to nail his point home. I noticed he was keeping a hand on my back. Maybe to throw me to the side when the fight begun? I didn’t get to question it for long. The Gryphon stood up. She was massive. One of her talons could probably leave a hole the size of my head through my chest. Her wings shaded the sun as she flapped them open. She stood up on her hind legs for just a second, before slamming the ground in front of her hard. It shook enough to scare me, and then she roared. Squawked? The noise was loud and powerful and piercing for a second, as it was followed by a drawn out rumbling noise. And that’s when I felt The Warrior clench the back of my shirt. “Screw this, the Mayor isn’t paying us enough for this!” I was lifted off the ground and thrown towards her, my gaze falling onto the adventurer party as they ran away like cowards. I landed on the side my father had kicked me in earlier that day and yelped out in pain, grasping at it.
“Fuck. Dammit. Who throws other people at their problems… Okay the nobility. Ugh.” The kick from father left a bruise, but landing on it from the throw felt like I might have broken something. I managed to roll on my back and look up as I held my side. The Gryphon was observing me. Closely. And then something I wasn’t expecting happened. She shrunk down and stood on her hind legs, her form shifting. The fur and feathers on her body retreating back in, leaving behind olive toned skin. Her hind legs turned into human ones, with regular feet, as her front ones turned to hands. A dress materialised on her as her torso shifted towards being human as well, leaving her wings and tail on it, large and beautiful to gaze at, as her bird features on her face went away, replacing it with a human visage, except for the strange fuzzy ears. She knelt down next to me, and gently placed one of her hands on my side, the other on my forehead, moving it comfortingly.
“You poor girl, nobody deserves such treatment. Let me help.” There was a warmth on my side, like being near a fire, or under a warm blanket. Like the warmth of a loving hug. And soon, any pain I had been feeling was gone. “Hmm. Nasty thing with your leg as well. Who did that to you.”
I was confused and scared a bit, and still in shock at the transformation, I had barely registered her calling me a girl. But I prepared to tell the lie again. “I fell off a horse and-”
“Don’t lie on their behalf, dear girl. I know if you lie.” She had done it again, but I didn’t want to correct her. I didn’t want to tell her I was a guy. I gulped somewhat, sitting up and looking down, my hands on the ground next to me. She placed a hand on my thigh, and I felt the warmth spread through my leg, and after a couple of cracks it felt perfectly fine. “If you don’t feel safe telling me, I understand.” The Gryphon stood up, and I caught the sound of footsteps. Quick ones. I turned to where they were coming from. Only to see, much to my surprise, the Mayor’s daughter running towards where the Gryphon and I were. To further my surprise, she had the same ears, wings and tail as the Gryphon, but while the Gryphon’s were a comforting warm brown, hers were more orange, fading into white before gradienting to a pink.
“Mom, are you okay?! We all heard the earthquake, what happened?” She hadn’t noticed me yet, somehow. But her calling the Gryphon mom just raised so many questions.
“Your birth father sent adventurers to avenge you, Eloise. Luckily, they were cowards. Sadly, they left somebody behind.” She moved out of the way to let Eloise see me. The moment she did, her eyes went wide, and she almost slid on the ground as she leapt towards me.
“Marcy?!?! What’re you doing here?!?!” I immediately blushed at her using that name. I grabbed the hem of my tunic and fidgeted with it.
“Oh, you know this girl, Eloise?” The Gryphon gestured to me, which made Ellie tilt her head in confusion, the fuzzy ears she had kinda flopping adorably.
“Girl? Marcy when did you figure it out, you should have told me before I left!!!” She grabbed my hands, as I just sat there, confused.
“F-figured what out?! I didn’t… the Gryphon lady started calling me one and I was too scared to correct her.” I turned my gaze away, and heard Ellie sigh.
“Too soon, mom.” I was still looking away as Ellie said it. Too soon for what?
“Marceline wasn’t scared about correcting me. Come on child, tell the truth.” I gulped at the Gryphon’s request, and sighed.
“I… didn’t want her to stop.” I admitted, closing my eyes for a second, only to feel a hand on my head again. Opening my eyes, I could see it was Ellie giving me comfort.
“You dummy. Nobody has to stop calling you a girl if you are one. And, well, a boy would want to stop being called a girl as soon as possible.” Ellie giggled. “I know cousin Franco did. Kept finding scissors to cut his hair short, purposefully destroyed any dresses Aunt Karen gave him to wear. Eventually she stopped fighting him on it. The one that broke out when he brought a boyfriend home, now that was something.” She sighed and pulled me into a hug.
“But… I can’t be a girl. Not like this. I’m not allowed.” The hug got tighter, and oddly enough fluffier and warmer. Ellie wasn’t just using her arms to hug me, but also her wings.
“Shush you dummy, if you want to be a girl, it’s because you are one. You don’t need anyone’s permission for it.” She started petting my head again, as the Gryphon observed to the side.
“I’m right here, Marceline. Eloise didn’t get her new features just suddenly out of nowhere. She came here, told me of her woes, and I offered to take her in as one of my own. I can offer you the same, if you wish. You can become one of my daughters, I can give you the form of your heart’s desire.” The Gryphon extended a hand towards me as I stood there in thought, still held close by Ellie. Could I really do it? Did I really want it. Then, I remembered. I remembered my father’s treatment of me, my mother’s inability to stop him, her defeated acceptance. My brother’s absence. He was the only one I would really miss.
“Can you… can you really make me a girl?” I turned to the Gryphon, who simply smiled at me.
“Only a girl would ask that question.” Before I knew it, I was scooped up, Ellie still hugging me and holding onto me. I hadn’t really realised it. Even in human form, the Gryphon was at least seven feet tall. And she was carrying two people like nothing. “I take it you’re accepting my offer then?” I nodded at her, somewhat of a shy, unsure nod, but still a confirmation. “Okay then.” It got a bit darker as we entered the Temple. The Gryphon put me down again, standing this time. “Eloise, darling, would you kindly let go of your new sister, so that we can do the transformation?”
“She owes me four months of hugs though!” Ellie shouted out, pouting and huffing, but letting go eventually. “I will collect the rest later.” She stepped back, letting the Gryphon place a hand on my shoulder to lead me further in. It felt amazing to no longer be walking with a limp.
“Your other sisters are currently resting, you’ll meet them later.” The Gryphon smiled at me again. I liked her smiles. It’s as if they let you know everything was going to be okay.
“Uhm. Why are you so eager to adopt people? I met Ellie’s birth mom before, so I’m sure you’re her adoptive one.” I figured it was about time I got that question answered.
“Gryphons are protectors. We guard treasure. And for me, well. You have a saying I like. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” She pulled me closer. “I wish to protect the ones that are hurt and cast out and treated like dirt. So far, it has been young women. One who cannot walk, but enjoys the gift of flight. One who was sold so that her caretaker could drink.” Her smile turned somewhat sad and somber by this point. “Another, similar to you, who nobody believed was a girl. One who is smart and creative, but doesn’t think in the way other people do. And one who loves women with her whole heart, whose father was trading her in marriage for money.” I recognised the last one mentioned as Ellie. And it came to me as somewhat of a surprise to hear I wasn’t alone in my feelings. The Gryphon opened a door and gently nudged me inside. The room she put me in was round, and warm, and comfortable to look at. I walked to the center of it, as she closed the door behind herself. “You should undress for the next part, Marceline. Don’t want your wings getting awkwardly stuck under your tunic.” I blushed at her suggestion, but considering how Ellie looked, it sounded sensible.
When I got out of my tunic, I heard the Gryphon audibly gasp. Oh, right, I’m covered in scars from previous wounds. I turned to face her, a horrified expression was on her face. She rushed to hug me in that moment. It was comforting. But I felt her arms on my back somehow getting thicker and more scaly, before she began taking a couple deep breaths. I felt them change back. “You birth father is going to have a hunting accident very soon. But I need to focus on you now, Marceline.” She let go of me. “Hmm. This should be enough to prevent your wings getting trapped. It is time.”
There was a light and warmth that shone out from the Gryphon’s palms, ribbons of light flowing out to cover me. They started at the tips of my limbs, but kept going covering more and more. Soon, I was being held up in the air by them, and I saw them detach from her hands. As I floated in the center of the room, she stepped back, and my sight was overtaken by the ribbons of light. I felt them gently nudge me into more of a fetal position, not forcefully, more suggesting it, but I complied. I probably should have been scared at that moment, but I felt comfortable. I wasn’t hearing anything, I wasn’t seeing anything, I wasn’t feeling anything around me. All I could focus on was my body, and my heartbeat. What I felt first was getting bigger. Not height wise, but the skin and bones look I had for years, that made me look scary, was actually getting a healthy layer of fat and a tiny hint of muscle. Making me softer overall. The growth focused on my hips and chest after that, filling them out, as if I had developed like any other girl during puberty. I heard a snap come from my hair, as I felt it go down and brush my shoulders and back, softer than it was before. The feeling of my crotch shifting was the strangest one of them, the shrinking and pressure that happened down there, followed by a gentle rumbling in my stomach. And once that finished? I started feeling something new. Something snaking out of my back just above my butt, and something stretching out of my shoulder blades. One covered in soft fur, the other two in feathers. And that feeling of fur growing covered my ears as well, which felt longer and more poseable.
I blinked a couple of times once I figured it was done, and trying to look around, but I couldn’t see anything. I stretched out in the darkness, and felt something hard around me. I wasn’t sure what it could be. Then, a muffled voice from the dark, the Gryphon’s voice. “Marceline, the last step is entering the world as your new self. You need to break into it, literally.” Oh. Was that it? I balled up my fist and punched, hearing a loud crack. I did it again. And again. Hitting the wall of whatever I was in, until light broke through. Once it did, I held onto the edges of the hole, and pulled apart while standing up. And once standing upright, I looked to what I was in. A person sized egg. I jumped out of it, and the moment I did, it turned to light and faded away. I was expecting that jump of mine to be extremely awkward, with new limbs and new parts of me. But having wings and a cat tail really helps with balance. Didn’t stop me from jumping right into the Gryphon’s embrace. She held me tight once more. “Oh, Marceline, you’ve turned out beautiful.” She brushed some hair out of my face, which let me notice that it had changed color.
“Wait. Why’s my hair pink?” I turned to gaze up at the Gryphon, who was smiling warmly at me.
“Let’s get you to the mirror.” She broke the hug to hold my shoulder and led me out of the room, towards another one. A mirror on its wall, with clothes folded up nearby. And my feelings in the egg were proven true. The scrawny kid who looked like a skeleton with skin stretched over it was now a pretty young woman, with slight curves, and a small amount of fat built up, making my bones not stick out anymore. I could still recognise myself in the mirror, but my face was filled out and softer like the rest of me. As if I had been properly fed for a few months. My wings and tail were the strangest, along with my ears. The fur on the ears was a soft blue, contrasting with my now long pink hair. My tail was covered in a pattern of stripes: Blue, pink, white, pink and blue again, all the way to the tip. And my wings had that pattern as a gradient. It was a strange combination, but it filled me with a sense of pride. And then I noticed my breeches were barely containing me now, and were about to fall apart.
“Uhm. Miss Gryphon Lady, I’m gonna need new clothes.” I turned to face her, as she giggled while taking something from the piles around us.
“My name is Laureanna, but please, Marceline, call me mother now. Or mom. Either works.” She stepped closer to me with the piece of fabric she was holding. It was white and looked cotton. Peasants don’t get access to cotton. “It’s a simple dress. Tied behind your neck with string, and on the back with some more. I’ll help you get into it, and then I’ll introduce you to your new sisters, what do you say?” I nodded at her, and she got to work.
Walking around in a dress was strange. The swish of the skirt, the lack of fabric between my thighs, the way it fluttered when I spun around. My tail was poking out under the skirt, while the open back let my wings out freely. Giving them slight flaps was very fun. The room Laureanna led me to was filled to the brim with cushions and pillows of all sizes and shapes, with three girls napping on them, while two were quietly talking. I recognised one as Ellie, while the other had completely pink wings and tail, as well as ears, her hair purple, a third of her head cut very short, the rest of it long and flowing. “I see everyone except Eloise and Katherine is asleep. Do enjoy spending time with them. I shall be watching the temple outside in case you need me.” Laureanna patted my head and left the room, leaving Ellie and Katherine to stare at me with smiles.
“Marcy ohmygosh you turned out so so cute!!!! I love your hair, and your tail looks so fun colored. Oh! This here’s Katie, she’s the other girl who didn’t know she was one for a while.” The purple haired girl waved at me after Ellie’s explanation. And then Ellie jumped towards me to pull me into a hug in the pile. “There. Now for the four months of hugs you owe me, you goofball.” Ellie pouted while Katie giggled and gave me a quick headpat.
“Welcome to girlhood, usually not as sweet as this.” Was the first thing I heard from her, her voice somewhat trembly and insecure. I just sighed and smiled, enjoying the comfort.
It was a week later, when I was exploring the Temple and heard yelling outside. A voice I hadn’t heard in years by that point. “Gryphon! Where is my brother?! My mother claims our father sent him up here with a group of adventurers, but he hasn’t returned. And our father was found dead, torn apart by vicious claws. But I know those markings from the army’s falcons. I know the way talons rip into flesh! Why did you kill him?! Why kill the Head Hunter?!” I was out of the Temple by the time he finished, standing behind Laureanna as she looked at Philip. I wasn’t yet used to calling her mom, at least in my head. I got afraid for a moment, about what she was going to do.
“Tell me, knight. Tell me if you saw what your father had done to your brother. Tell me if you saw the numerous scars on him. Tell me if you heard him cry out in pain and limp due to your father’s actions?” Laureanna huffed, leaning closer to him, but not changing her posture. And that’s when I noticed Philip’s expression change.
“I… I shouldn’t have left. I should have fought the draft. I should have been there for him. Father only used words while I was there. He forgot Marcus existed while I was there. He let him be, since he had me. But without me… without me.” He was on his knees now, shaking, sobbing. “Please. Please tell me what you did with my brother. Did he suffer more after he was left here? Was he thrown off a cliff? Did you eat him? Did you just leave him to starve somewhere out there, wounded?”
“You mistake me for your father, knight. I think Marceline should be the one to tell you herself, if she so wishes. I know you’re there, little one. You can show yourself.” I gulped at Laureanna’s comment, and walked out from behind her, and towards Philip. There was a shocked expression on his face, tears still flowing. I got close enough to stand within arm’s reach in front of him, as he looked me over.
“Marcus?” Was what he managed to stammer out through his tears.
“It’s… It’s Marcy now. Like Ellie used to call me when I played with her. Remember? You’d be the brave knight, rescuing the princess and her court witch from monsters.” I blinked a couple times in surprise, then laughed. “Oh wow, you keep finding more signs the further back you look. Surprised Ellie let me play the princess from time to time. I missed you Philip. A lot. You were always there for me, making sure I ate, protecting me from harm, talking to me. Everybody outside the village thought you were the elder brother.” He reached a hand out to me, towards my face, as he looked me over further and closer. And then he pulled me into a hug.
“I missed you too, Marcy. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I left you alone with father. I won’t let anyone harm you again, I promise. My service with the army is over, so I don’t have to go anywhere anymore. I get to stay here.” I hugged him back, with my wings as well. “Gods, this’ll be so mean to say, but you’re so much more comfortable to hug now.”
“I know, it’s so much more comfortable to hug a person rather than a skeleton.” I laughed, and he soon joined me, as I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking towards the source, it was Laureanna. “Right. Uhm. Philip? I got adopted by the Gryphon. Her name’s Laureanna. She’s my new mom. Ellie is here too. The mayor had arranged a wedding for her, but she loves women and didn’t want to be forced into a life with a man.” He pulled back from the hug a bit, blinking at me.
“The princess and the witch, claimed by the monster as her own. And she can turn into a pretty lady. Should I tell the town what happened?” He chuckled, and I shrugged.
“Maybe not the bit about father.” He nodded at that, breaking the hug and standing up.
“I think I’ll build a house up here, to be close to you, and to keep people at bay. Bring the family together. If you’re okay with that.” I could only nod at him, along with Laureanna.
“My daughters usually don’t have people they wish to keep from their old lives. To see three children so close is heartwarming. I will help with the house.” Laureanna extended her hand towards Philip, who shook it.
And they did build a lovely nest together up there. Two months later, Philip brought in a wife. And within a year, I was an aunt. My sister-in-law was surprised about childhood stories, but Philip had no problem altering me to always be a girl in them. Plus, my niece had a Gryphon for a great aunt, and six aunts ready to fight for her.
Hahaha she literally hatched out of her shell
It's one of my favorite puns I wrote. This plus the Grypha stories lets me make "gryphons hatch twice" jokes
Gryphons hatch twice..I love it xD
Awww. What a lovely story! They are all so sweet. These are such great stories to read if I want to feel better. Thanks for the stories!
I now have diabetes! See what you have done with your adorable fluff! Thanks for the story!
I'm sorry, that was so beautiful after the first part, oh goddess, seriously, I have to hold myself a lot to not cry in front of other people here. That was so good
So cute.