In Which Deian Casts an Old Favorite Spell

March 28, 1194

Oh, this would be fun. A human woman--noble, at least, by her cloak--with a pair of sharp violet eyes and an aura of toughness. There was no fear about her, only determination. Deian indulged himself in a smirk. He did have a soft spot for the ones who thought they could handle him. "You know, you humans were much better off back when you were afraid of us."

The woman sniffed. "I don't have time for your mind games."

"Who said anything about games?" Humans. How had they not yet figured out that life was just one giant mind game? "Now, what sort of a problem could a pretty, wealthy woman such as yourself have that she would risk coming to see me for a solution?"

She sighed. "My wife wants a baby."

Huh. Good to hear that the humans weren't limiting themselves to the opposite sex any more. "Are you sure?"

The woman nodded. "She's too considerate to say it outright, but every time the topic of anyone's baby comes up... well, I can tell. I told her I wouldn't mind if she took a man to bed, just for the sake of a baby, but she wouldn't hear of it. She said she'd never do that to me."

"Perhaps you can take a man together."

"Ugh, no." The woman sneered, disgusted. "I don't much care for men as sexual partners."

"I see." Then for all he knew, perhaps her wife shared similar sentiments. That put making another Ashe Torgleid out of her out of the question. "Well, there's just one thing I can do for you, then."

"And that would be...?"

"Here." Deian winked. This particular spell had been a favorite source of hi-jinx in his youth; he knew it so well that it took no more than a wink to cast. "You're welcome."

"What?" The woman squinted. She hadn't noticed anything--not yet.

Three... two...

Her eyes widened, no doubt at the first sense of something amiss. One hand flew to the folds of her cloak and reached. "What the hell?

"What.The.HELL?!"

That sort of outburst had likely frightened her human peers into submission in the past. Deian snorted. "Now, now--it's only temporary. Your anatomy will revert back to its usual state after a couple of months. I'm sure you'll be able to get the job done before then."

"The job?" To be fair, she was taking it better than some of the people he'd pranked as a kid. Especially better than the men. Human men often became overgrown infants at the slightest offense to their masculinity. "What is wrong with you?"

"Might I remind you that you were the one who sought me out?" They always tended to forget that. "Now, go home and make love to your wife. And if you're going on horseback, be careful; a sudden bucking motion could prove quite painful."

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