Galatea catches on and nods in understanding.
"I do," she says. Gali takes a glance at your surroundings, "If you want, we can discuss this somewhere more... discrete."
Cai'nan nods and follows along wherever Galatea suggests.
Galatea picks out the large backroom in the Creekside Inn and Tavern. Like last time, Krodha settles in the corner. The large tyrannosaur ensures that everyone gives you three plenty of space and privacy.
"Then you know why...why I'm worried about our relationship getting out to too many people?" he replies nervously. "He is too controlling. Too smart for his own damned good. And thinks he is never wrong."
"I do. Those are very valid fears," Galatea acknowledges. "I don't know what Shiloh sees in him. Mom says that he was once quite altruistic, but... I think we both knew he hasn't been that way in decades."
"He still thinks he is. That's the problem. But he always talks like his a*~~@*@ moments are 'Him looking at the long-term goal,'" Cai'nan replies with a frustrated sigh.
"Hmm..." Galatea murmurs. "I've heard rumors that he's going to become Primarch soon. That might keep him busy for awhile."
"I doubt it. He always finds a way to get things done way too fast. Especially if it just involves him thinking. He really lives up to his old Pathfinder namesake. He's a freak," he replies, before he mumbles to himself "Just like me..."
"That's not true, Cai'nan," Galatea insists gently. "Why do you think you're a freak?"
"Because of this!" he says, gesturing to Krodha, and then making his hand glow with an orison. "I NEVER could work magic before. Then I black out in the Mwangi Jungle, and I wake up and can do this stuff and I have no clue why! People keep calling me a druid, and maybe that's what I am now, but I don't understand it. Things just are happening when I try to do them and it makes no sense!"
Galatea is left silent by what she hears.
"It sounds like your magic is more like... mine," Galatea realizes. "Like... it's just... kinda spontaneous? And its appearance is a total mystery? Regardless, that doesn't make you a freak, Cai'nan. Magical abilities sometimes manifests during times of extreme stress. I mean, I wasn't able to cast any spells until... the day until Honey vanished."
Cai'nan sighs, "No...I don't think so...I can...like, think about the sort of things I'd like to do later in the day, and then later when I need to, I can do them. Dad called it 'preparing his spells' or something like that. And I don't KNOW how they manifested. One minute we were being ambushed by a tribe, and I was basically waiting to die. Then they took us captive...then things...things got fuzzy. I think they either poisoned me or I got sick or something, I had bad fevers and nightmares. I remember this one shaman stayed near me a lot...he was there almost every time I did manage to come to. Then, I was just, awake in the middle of the jungle clutching an egg the size of a pumpkin."
Galatea looks back at you and nods in acknowledgement.
"That must have been very harrowing," she says. "I don't remember what exactly happened when Lady Moonblade, Honey, Shy, and me were attacked. Still, Cai'nan, I don't think you're a freak."
"That doesn't mean it isn't true..." he says sadly.
"...I think your powers are awesome," Galatea replies with a slight grin. "Seriously, I can't wait to see what Wild Shapes you can take. Ciara's fey angel one was quite... breathtaking in my opinion."
"Shapes...what..." Cai'nan looks at her, confused. "What do you...you mean...you think I can change...like...my actual body?" Cai'nan asks, confusion and panic setting in.
"Oh, uh..." Galatea says with a blush before collecting her thoughts. "Wild Shaping. Many practitioners of natural magic can assume different physical forms. You know my big sister Sabrina? She did it all the time. Like you, she also had a big, strong dinosaur as a companion."
Gali waves at Krodha.
Krodha, not able to understand anything being said, recognizes the wave at least and a big goofy grin splays across his large head as his tiny arm waves back excitedly.
"Gods, Sabby would love him," Galatea coos gently. She turns her attention back to Cai'nan, "I believe Wild Shaping is what Ciara did earlier. Grandma Ryli - Kallie's mother - is also quite proficient at it as well. Thus, it's a perfectly natural ability."
"Have you not been listening to me, Gal? There is nothing NATURAL about anything I'm going through...I...I..." he coughs to clear his throat. "I..." he adds before he grits his teeth and leans against the table, his eyes wide with panic and pain!
"Cai'nan!" Galatea exclaims with much concern. The clumsy Oracle stumbles to her feet and bumbles her way to her friend's side. "Gods, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to..."
"Gal...G-Ga..." Cai'nan says as his body contorts and shifts. His skin begins to become covered in scales and his face elongates! His arms shorten and his legs bend backwards as a tail grows from his back! In a few short moments, where Cai'nan once stood is a very panicked looking Velociraptor dressed in appropriately shaped black dragonscale plate armor!
"...Oh my Gods, you're so... cute!" Gali coos. However, she quickly notices Cai'nan's panic and snaps back to reality. "Cai'nan! It's okay... It's okay..."
She turns toward Krodha.
"Can you talk to him, big guy?" Galatea asks, trying to use gestures to get her point across.
Krodha makes some growls to Cai'nan, who responds in kind, and then Krodha turns and nods excitedly to Galatea.
Galatea sighs in relief and then smiles at Cai'nan. "Notice how you can still talk to Krodha? You should be able to speak with other dinosaurs in this form. Speaking of which, don't worry. It'll wear off in a few hours, and I recall Ryli and Sabby being able to reverse the transformation at will."
Cai'nan looks panicked and looks around frantically as he makes some clicks and screeches. Eventually he just uses his one large claw on his foot to scratch out "HOURS?" on the floor.
"Gah! That does sound bad, doesn't it?" Gali acknowledges. "Hmm... Let's see... Going by what happened with Sabby... This is your first transformation, so it'll wear off before dinner. For now, how about we just focus on changing back?"
Cai'nan has no idea how he got in this situation, so after several long, agonizing tries, with the minutes turning from a few to a couple dozen, he is still no closer to returning to his human state.
Galatea stays with you the entire time. Compared to Shiloh, her presence is actually quite comforting. Her occasion feedback is gentle and factual. Otherwise, Gali just does her best to be supportive.
"Hmm... You'll get the hang of it," Galatea says in attempted assurance. "And I promise, Cai'nan, it'll wear off in less than four hours."
The raptor, having given up on being able to shift back, drops his head onto the table in surrender. He bangs it against the tabletop a few times in frustration as tears form at the edges of his eyes. He uses his claw and scratches into the floor "WHAT IF NEVER?"
"Then I'll contact Mom, and she'll use a Miracle to restore your original self," Galatea promises soothingly. "You know that Croq's mother was once transformed into an Awakened Dire Crocodile? Guess who restored her elven form?"
After a moment's hesitation, Galatea carefully takes one of Cai'nan's paws and starts stroking it gently.
"I promise, Cai'nan; this is only temporary."
At some point after the big meeting with Elandra and the Port-Governor, Galatea tracks you all down.
"Hey, uh, Cai'nan asked me to find you all. Something happened, and, uh... Gods, this is so awkward to explain," Gali rambles. "So, uh, Cai'nan really wanted me to at least let you know that he hasn't vanished again or anything! It's just... Maybe it'd just be easier if you all followed me and saw for yourselves?"
"That b**@* what now? GRRRRR!" Aurealia replies, her temper flaring at the thought of him disappearing again. She crosses her arms over her chest. She gives Galatea an 'I didn't think you'd be helping him be weird' look, and immediately follows after her. "He better have a good explanation for whatever crap it is this time..."
When Galatea leads Aurealia into Cai’nan’s room, she sees the room empty at first, but there is a loud commotion going on behind the changing screen.
"Oi!" she says by way of greeting, arms still crossed over her chest.
At her call out, the commotion stops and a couple strange sounding footfalls precedes the slow emergence of a man sized velociraptor, wearing black dragonscale plate armor of similar design to Cai’nans...
"Oh. That's it? You finally managed to transform? Are you stuck in lizard mode or something?" Aurealia's anger breaks like a dissolving storm cloud. A look of sympathy crosses her face as she relaxes her clenched arms.
The raptor growls and clicks, its eyes narrowing in frustration and stamping its feet in agitation. It looks around the room for something but clearly can’t find what it is looking for.
"Uhhh, me no speaky lizard. Where is Krodha?"
The raptor looks at Aurealia like she's crazy. She looks at the ceiling and motions her arms wide, then points at the door and tries to lift its foreclaw up above its head.
Croq sticks her head over her sister's shoulder and takes in the situation.
"Awwww, Cai'nan, you're cute when you're reptilian! (Way cuter than before, anyway.)
"Hey, are you scared? Don't worry, little buddy. Being reptilian ROCKS!"
Cai'nan hisses at Croquelle.
Kallie didn't have much to add or contribute during the arrest, though she did have the urge to raise her hand and make sure everyone knew she was a centaur when Jaya had her little ramt about anyone being a fiend in disguise. But she was concerned the jest wouldn't be well-received, so she stayed quiet.
=====================
Kallie grows pale when she sees what was evidently Cai'nan in raptor form. Being raised by Ryli and Brognar, she was blasé about druids wild shaping into all manner of beasts, plants, and elemental forces. The fey thing Ciara changed into was something different, but close enough she wasn't worried.
However, Cai'nan's evident panic at his form, plus the fact that he was still wearing his armor, made her fur rise in alarm. This didn't seem normal. He should be able to turn back at will. Was he going to be like this all the time? Her hearts began thudding.
Both Aurealia and Croquelle seemed excited. Croq even seemed attracted to him now.
"We... we can fix this. Let me, um, go get my spellbooks." Dummy, you know you don't have anything in there to help! "I mean, I'll do some research, and, you know, my mom's Ryli the Earthmother, and she's a really powerful druid, who can, you know... do stuff." Oh, way to sound like the wise and powerful wizard there, Kal.
She dithers at the entrance to his room for a few more moments, then leaves.
Cai'nan looks sadly at Kallie as she leaves, and then starts stamping in frustration again.
"FIX this?" Croq rolls her eyes. "How would you like someone to try to fix your horse legs? He just needs to calm down and focus on his boring human self. Then he should revert just fine.
"I know when I'm uptight it's hard for me to switch back too."
"Cai'nan, do you want some help? Aurelia and I are pros"
Kallie stops short and spins around. "What did you just say?" she asks, full of indignation. "I am a centaur! My legs are fine! And yes, he wants this fixed! Look at him! That's not a normal Wild Shape! Unless his armor is specifically enchanted to stay with him when he changes, it shouldn't be visible!"
Cai’nan clicks in frustration and flops down on his bed, curling up and burying his head as best he can under his claws.
"It's enchanted to hide its true form...why wouldn't it be enchanted to wild shape with him too? No one answered me, where the hells is Krodha?" Aurelia looks to Galatea. "Gali, what's going on?"
Cai’nan’s eyes go wide as he looks hopefully to Galatea.
"Krodha should be outside in his stable," answers Galatea. "And I think Cai'nan's armor is actually enchanted to stay with him. I remember Mom mentioning Sabby wanting a set that could do that. Anyway, this happened when we were discussing his abilities. The conversation drifted to Wild Shaping, and he, well, transformed. That was around a couple of hours ago?"
Galatea approaches the bed and kneels down so that she's eye level with Velocai'nan.
"...Want me to see if Ciara can help?" Gali offers. "She mentioned being able to reincarnate people, so that implies she can likely transform into a dinosaur as well."
"YES! Your legs are fine and awesome, right? And so is this. Or are you saying equine features are cool but reptilian ones are tragic?
"Maybe you're defensive since your mom turned my mom into a crocodile...but honestly, I think that worked out great too, in the end. Sure, mom doesn't talk too much about her croc-days...but in the end it made me what I am today!
"And, I mean, clearly he's freaked out...but lots of skinwalkers are, when they first shift. He'll figure out how to chill in a bit, and when he does he should be able to revert just fine."
"Oh," Aurealia says to Galatea. She nods. "Croq is probably right. It's like an erection, right? You don't need to seek medical aid unless it persists for more than a day." Aurealia giggles at her own joke, and a bit at Cai'nan's predicament.
Cai’nan’s elongated jaw drops at Aurealia’s comment, then he turns and buried his head beneath the blankets with some uncoordinated effort.
Croq guffaws--a loud, crocodilian laugh--at Aurelia's crack...and laughs even harder as Cai'nan tries to hide under the blankets.
"I think I could probably watch this all day...but I really want to go by Roderic's shack, to let him know he can rest easy now. Anyone want to come along?"
"The Wheel chose Auntie 'Lu's form; you know that." Kallie fumes at Croquelle, though she can't help but watch Cai'nan's distress. Her tail tosses in agitation, her emotions whirling. Jealousy wars with a real concern about being able to find Cai'nan attractive in this shape. She almost takes Croquelle's bait but she bites her tongue at the last moment because Cai'nan was right there. She'd made a connection with someone and now he had changed into a dinosaur. It wasn't fair. She wanted to run away and sob, but she also wanted to try to comfort him. But if he couldn't change back...
The erection joke shifts her fear back to anger. She decides she's going to stay and be supportive, unlike the two Andosana daughters. Kallie puts a weak smile on her face. "Okay... if the armor's like that, great! Then, you know, it is just a Wild Shape. Maybe the first time is... like this? Mama Ryli never talked about her first time, so, this is all... fine.
"I'll stay with Cai'nan. You go ahead."
"Alright. I'll go with, Croq."
"Come find us if it gets worse somehow, but he'll probably be fine in a while. Just take deep breaths and try to calm down Cai'nan. You'll be okay."
"Yeah, heck, having folks stop watching may be all he needs.
"You know, 'performance anxiety'?"
Croq and Aurealia (and anyone else who tags along) walk over to Roderic's Wreck. When they get near, Croq waves and calls out, "Ghost of Sir Roderic, are you there? We've got good news for you!"
Kallie shouts after Croquelle, "There is nothing wrong with his performance!" and slams the door after they're all out.
Cai'nan whines beneath the covers.
Suddenly and somehow alone with the transformed Cai'nan, Kallie wrings her hands while she stares at the thick, scaled tail still sticking out from the pile of covers. She follows it up to the shape beneath the sheets and can't help but recall the terrible claws at the end of his limbs. She swallows.
She shakes her head clear of those herd instincts and sits down next to the bed.
"So, um, I thought this afternoon went pretty well, don't you? Seems like in the tales of the Varisian Rangers, those kinds of meetings always ends in bloodbaths. Lots of death on all sides. But we got the sword, and we're helping the ghost find peace... not a bad day's work, huh?"
"You don't have to try to answer."
Cai'nan's dinosaur head scoots over and presses against Kallie's side, but remains under the covers.
Jaya was certainly concerned, especially since this in no way alleviated her feelings about Cai'nan constantly using or accepting magic he didn't remotely understand. But problems needed solutions, and this whining and clawing was clearly insufficient to figuring out what on earth he'd done to himself, and what he wanted done next.
So, over in the corner she'd been quietly drawing up a simple alphabet. Something that didn't need any thing more than straight lines and dots so claws could handle tracing them out.
"Here. If anyone's going under the sheets then I'm leaving, but this should help you communicate with more than yearning sorrowful glances. His claws aren't that big, so the wax palimpsests in my case should be fine.
"Sorry about all this, Cai'nan. Hope you're back to yourself soon."
Cai'nan lifts his head out of the cover and looks at the list of letters. He takes a claw and points out: I-M-S-O-R-R-Y-I-D-O-N-T-K-N-O-W-H-O-W-T-H-I-S-H-A-P-P-E-N-E-D
Kallie follows the claw as it spells out the message. She frowns for a moment. "You don't need to apologize. You obviously didn't want this to happen. So, just, we'll wait this out. Okay? Most magic doesn't last all that long."
She settles back in her spot next to the bed. "Just, you know, let me know if you feel anything happening."
G-A-L-S-A-I-D-H-O-U-R-S
Kallie shrugs. "I've got hours. I could, um, tell you a story or something? Anything you want to know?"
The dinosaur shrugged and laid his head down beside her, looking up at her with sad eyes.
Kallie puts a hand on Cai'nan's head and runs it along the scaly skin. An idea strikes her. "Well, I could tell you about how my top half changed. You didn't see what I looked like before, but I looked a lot different. These--" she gestures to her chest -- "are new. I was pretty flat. And I looked a lot younger. More like a kid.
"Gali, Jaya and me, and a few other adventurers had found some Thassilonian ruins to explore. It was pretty clearly a Eurythnian ruin -- the iconography of Sorshen was all over the place."
She sighs. "The first layers were pretty standard archaeological sites. Storefronts, bathhouses, warehouses, and the like. There wasn't much treasure, but we got some ideas of what the ordinary people of Thassilon lived like. When we delved deeper, that's when things got weird. Everen found what we think was some sort of pleasure palace."
Her cheeks color. "There were lots of things I couldn't imagine how they were used. Others were more obvious. Cecil the Cladissan paladin, Gali, and Leana were ready to get out of there. Nothing appeared dangerous, but some people get kind of weird about sex stuff.
"Well, just as we were about to go back, Jaya found an antechamber with person-sized tanks filled with some sort of fluid. There was all sorts of magic auras around, and it piqued everyone's curiosity. What were those tanks for? Why was it next to that den of lust?
"Leana and Everen were really excited since three of the tanks were intact, though one was shattered and the liquid dried and inert. Everen was a student of Brodert Quink, and theorized that those were fleshwarping vats. Maybe he was right, but they weren't designed to create monsters."
Kallie studies her hands. "Everen insisted on getting a sample of the fluid. Leana was helping, but they were too tall. They asked me if I would let them get on my back. It was a bit demeaning, but... well, I was also interested. So the three of us created a sort of pyramid to reach the top of these vats to get samples of the fluid.
"You can probably guess what happened next. Some of the fluid got on Everen's arm, and he screamed. It started melting his flesh. Leana panicked and pulled at him, causing him to tilt the whole thing over, causing it to spill. I reared and knocked into one of the other ones, which shattered and spilled over me."
She shudders. Everen and Leana started... melting. Cecil moved in to help, and paid the ultimate price. The fluid that got on me... didn't melt me, but my skin got like wax, though it stopped at my coat. I made it to the door before I passed out. Gali and Jaya managed to pull me out of that chamber."
She gestures to her top half, and tugs at her tunic to expose more of her cleavage. "I woke up like this. If Everen was right, those vats weren't to make people into monsters, but make them really beautiful. Maybe even customized, you know? The stuff must have degraded in all but the one that got on me. So, three people got dissolved into a nightmarish puddle of flesh, and I got amazing t#+~."
W-O-W
He pauses moving his claw before continuing:
H-O-W-L-O-N-G-A-G-O-W-A-S-T-H-I-S-D-O-M-I-S-S-Y-O-U-R-O-L-D-S-E-L-F
Kallie adjusts her top, forcing a nonchalant smile. "About a year ago, so I'm pretty much adjusted. I'm not shocked when I see myself in a mirror or pool of water anymore. It's kind of nice that I'm not treated like a kid anymore when I'm in human lands. So I guess I don't miss my old face all that much." She hefts her breasts, staring down at them. "And these are sometimes annoying, but they've got their uses, too." She gives him a sultry smile.
"So, Galatea. You're easier to get some answers out of - what exactly did Cai'nan do to wind up trapped in some sort of hybrid form?"
"So, Galatea. You're easier to get some answers out of - what exactly did Cai'nan do to wind up trapped in some sort of hybrid form?"
"I think that's actually a proper velociraptor form; his armor is just enchanted to still function whenever he Wild Shapes," says Galatea. "As for how he got stuck? I think it was stress. You know how magical abilities sometimes manifest uncontrollably in times of great stress? That's essentially what happened."
Two more hours fly... and Cai'nan suddenly returns to his regular form!
"Yeah, heck, having folks stop watching may be all he needs.
"You know, 'performance anxiety'?"
Croq and Aurealia (and anyone else who tags along) walk over to Roderic's Wreck. When they get near, Croq waves and calls out, "Ghost of Sir Roderic, are you there? We've got good news for you!"
Try as the Andosana Sisters might to contact him, Sir Roderic seems to be slumbering right now...
Eventually, Kallie notices that Cai'nan had dozed off (but was clearly in no mood for shenanigans in his current state). While he slept, his body shifted back to its normal, human form, his head resting against her side.
When Cai'nan finally shifts back, Kallie breathes a sigh of relief. She keeps stroking his hair now that it's returned, and inwardly thrills at her own show of support.
She watches him sleep for a while until fatigue catches up to her, and she shifts her own body to lie next to Cai'nan. She drifts off to sleep beside him.