Emit groaned…
Everything felt wrong. Not just in a physical sense, he was used to that with his lack of legs but.. he was feeling it in a ‘metaphorical’ sense. It was like a guy who had just ended up in the girl’s bathroom and realized it, with the instinct to leave…
Yet he stayed. He stood up- wait-
“My.. .legs..?” He had not felt this since… since ever. His body being supported by his actual feet with pressure on his soles. He bent his knees in careful experiment and felt no issues. It couldn’t be real! Did it work? Did he find the secret to using the Mist to restore his body?! “She did it.. but where… am I?” Some kind of temple… it looked Egyptian…
Then a strange light fell from the sky as the sphinx seem to fly- no- ‘fall’ down, yet with cat-like grace landed into the center of what seemed to be a great hall. “Oh Damn it- why wouldn’t my wings work- where the heck am I!” She glanced around and saw Emit… “...You!”
The man gave a brief smile.”Biff..” He dusted his jacket. “Now now kid, take it easy.”
“You drugged me… you… did something and brought us here!”
“Yeah..” he nodded. “-but I can walk now. Seems like the plan worked,” he chuckled. “Hey, I really don’t care to ask how or why this happened… I do have an empire to run. Now that I am fit enough. It is thanks you to Biff…”
“Your welcome. Now let’s just get the heck out of here.” The sphinx tried to fly- but felt like her paws suddenly became weighted. “ow! What the...”
“It seemes we’ll have to walk.” Emit rubbed his hands. “I don’t think you understand… what a man like me can give you. Once we get back, you could have anything- literally anything our world can provide. Money? Power? You want women that will look past your lion body? For million dollars, I’ve seen people do … anything. They would make you feel things you wouldn’t believe.” He grinned.
Biff growled again spreading her wings. “Emit.. You are a crazy man. Screwed up. Not everyone thinks like that. Not everyone wants those things! I want someone to like me for who I am.”
“They won’t Biff.” Emit pointed out. “Well maybe some creepy curious might, but I doubt it would be for love. As for not thinking like that...You have havn’t you? Not in.. big terms of course. I know your type.. I know who you used to be. You would have been useful in my organisation. I know many like you…”
Biff didn’t want to deal with this. “Whatever. It doesn’t matter anyway. We’re lost in a temple in some freaky other worldly dimension where the things that change people exist in some weird game of tag! We have to get out of here.”
“On that we are agreed.” He glanced up to the skylight. “Could you fly us out of here?”
Biff tried again to use her wings.. but something stopped her. She could hover on the ground, but attempting further seem to make gravity go up higher! “Doesn’t seem so…”
“Then, let’s find the door.. what an interesting temple.” Emit walked- feeling that freedom with a flourish of his coat and feeling magnificent. It was such a good feeling!
The sphinx didn’t really want to ‘team up’ with this man but… there was no choice. They had to stay together. At least until they found a way out.
Emit paused to look at some symbols. He didn’t know what any of them meant but he was starting to see a pattern. “The sphinxes here.. are always dividing the humans and the other creatures…” He pointed. “Is that significant? Your kind were always associated with guarding a door…”
“Hm.. I’m not a real sphinx,” Biff pointed out. “I can’t even read any of this stuff.”
“Perhaps here you are a real sphinx.” Emit quietly wondered. “Heh, shame really. I suppose you will always be… a glorified bouncer after all.”
Biff suddenly launched her paws into Emit, raising her front paws and leaning it into the wall. “I am not some goon! I’m…” She extended her claws. Biff wanted so badly to hurt her.. for using her- for bringing her to an unfamiliar place just for his own desires.
She didn’t though… the law will catch up with him- won’t they? They did seem to need each other for now…
There was another odd corridor going inside.. Deeper inside? Or were they starting to come out? They had no idea. The strange markings glowed whenever Biff went past them lighting their way.
“Hold on-” Emit whispered. “Trap here.” he pointed to a small wire. “Think you can avoid tripping over with your four legs?”
Biff said nothing and carefully walked over it. “You act like you’ve done stuff like this before.”
“Well, I am always keeping an eye on my surroundings kid… I was crippled, not stupid.” He continued to walk on.. and there- larger room. “I could walk forever..”
The room seem to have a strange orb in the center. Four pillars of light, each containing a statue of a different mythological creature. Biff looked up and saw a Harpy-girl, a male sphinx, a mermaid, and some kind of male centaur. All of them shining a staff from which poured out some strange energy.
“… well… I know treasure when I see it…” Emit grinned. “Come on…”
“Wait-” Biff whispered. “This isn’t right. I don’t think these are guarding a treasure.”
“Kid, what else can this be but something ‘they’ don’t want us to have? That means we must have it. Try to learn a lesson or two about life and opportunity. It rarely comes back.” Emit went up to the strange glowing orb.. “Something is in there..”
“I am.” a voice spoke. Dark and gravely coming from the strange orb.
Emit and Biff both froze. “Who-”
The voice gave a chuckle. “I was bound here… for eternity. I am greed… desire… wealth…. Power. I am that which the human seeks to become. I am the hoarder of all things, the bringer of life and death… ancient…” The orb started to shift as a draconic looking face appeared…
Emit and Biff both gasped again as they beheld a dragon… it was about the size of a stage-coach with large firey red wings. It had long teeth, and powerful claws. It’s appendages looked like they could easily pick up either of them to snack on.
“Crap.” Biff gulped. This felt.. dangerous.
“My power.. is limited by this seal… however I healed the human’s legs… so that you might free me.”
Emit tilted his head. “So.. I owe it to you… that I can walk?”
“You can walk in this world..but you are still as you were, in the other world.. where you come from. The limit of my power…”
Emit frowned slightly. “Then my… body is not healed. I see. How very disappointing.” All this work and risk with nothing gained. He glanced to Biff. “Would be nice to have a way out of here now. I do despise wasting time.”
The dragon gave a chuckle. “Human.. you intrigue me. I enjoy the desires of your soul… I will make you an offer.”
“Don’t.” Biff growled. “Look, I don’t know what he is, but I’m pretty sure the nerds would say not to mess with dragons offering bargains.”
The dragon chuckled. “I know not what nerds are.. however if I was a demon, you might be right. Though I do sense the desires of the human. I can give that to you. I can give you so much more… all that you were promising to the sphinx, they pale in comparison to what I can give you. I will make you a power unrivalled…”
Emit looked at the dragon. “Oh, negotiations.. an offer has been made… what’s your price?”
“Emit!” Biff implored. “Don’t!”
Emit turned to the sphinx impatiently. What he wanted was so close! “No reason to not hear him out… so what is it dragon? What is your price for healing my body… in the real world?”
The dragon chuckled. “Freedom… I wish to be free. To have what you have for granted...”
“Freedom eh?” Emit thought about it. So the dragon was a prisoner… this was not unlike similar actions he had arranged for a few new ‘associates’. The trick was to find a way to keep them in line of course. “Can we even free you?”
“Yes… simply will it, and it will be so. Humans have impressive will power…”
“Flattery. It doesn't work on me beast!” Emit scorned. It might have been enough for Biff to feel some relief that they could just leave now but Emit continued. “I want a guarantee…”
“I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a human as you…” The dragon chuckled. “Tell me your conditions…”
“First of all… you may not interfere with any of my enterprises.”
“Hmph. Your pitiable hoard is as nothing to me… is that all?”
“I consider my employees my assets too. You will not harm anyone that is part of my business. I will have my legs and be able to walk...”
“… agreed… agreed.. agreed..” the dragon grumbled. “Release me… and you will have legs Emit… this is my bargain. Though tell me, are you content with merely walking? Wouldn’t you desire something that the sphinx has… the power of flight?”
Emit glanced at Biff. “… you can… do that?”
“I can do many things Emit… many things. I am desire.. I have hoarded more then you can imagine… I am the very essence of what all dragons are. Power. Do you shy away from power now… or take it?”
Emit had never felt so uncertain in his life. Power… the literal essence of everything he wanted… yes… “Power is mine to command beast. I have an idea that will make this all work out for the both of us. You will serve me, if I release you? Become one of mine…”
The dragon chuckled. “Agreed human! I will become one of yours… simply will it be!”
Emit laughed as he touched the crystal-
“DON’T!” Biff cried out as a great explosion echoed around the chamber…
Biff groaned. “Where- am I .. now?”
“Hey you’re awake!” A woman with a labcoat smiled. “Hey gorgeous. Feeling better? Oh we never met while you were conscious did we. Kinda weird as I’ve learned so much about you!” She started to calm down. “Dr Claire. So nice to meet you!” she extended her hand.
Biff looked at her and glanced down at her four paws, slowly extending one out. “Biff…” She muttered. “What happened to Emit?”
“Ummmmmm…” The woman looked up and around. “Oh! The operation was a complete success- well actually, it was four times a success!”
Biff looked to the pod and saw.. what became of Emit. The legs he so desired had been made indeed… but apparently he now had the legs of a cellia. They had a blue tint to them as they twitched and writhed. Looking from the waist up one could see the presence of small breasts. She appeared to be younger.. with similar blue colored hair going all the way down to her waist. A pair of small fins on her waist as well as a dorsal fin to provide a measure of locomotion though lying flat as it did It kinda looked like a dress. “Is she…”
Dr Claire bounded quickly towards the unconcious girl and placed her stethoscope on her. “Yep! She’s alive. I consider this a breakthrough. We actually achieved it. A forced transformation!” she took out a recorder. “Experiment log. Success! Emit has legs now. Recommending she be placed in some salt water now. I just need a few words from the sphinx to tell me what she experienced. So, Biff what did you see?”
“Uh… well.. there were children playing and-” Biff looked at her, at the cecellia girl then growled. “Look! I’m not doing this any more. You got what you wanted, If I see you again-”
Then the scientist started to shake. A strange mist began to form from the various machines.
“Uh, science log. Seems to be some major disruption here… power resonance is increasing- and-” Her hand started to turn red, with claws. “Uh oh. Manifestation of a mist transformation is happening to yours truly. Um.. but it doesn’t feel like-” Then a tail pushed out from her back. red and scaly it was quite long. She winced as it formed but somehow looked even more insane.
Dr Clare looked confused but not exactly scared. “Hey Biff? Uh… I feel kinda weird now- I’m not alone in here-” she tapped her brain. “Course I never have been but someone really strong is in there- AAH!” She screamed as horns started to appear on her head. She seem to be turning into.. a dragon girl?!
Red scales ripped from her waist and her claws started to form on her feet, making her taller.
Her eyes twitched becoming less human and more reptilian. “Hello little sphinx… so we meet in your world.”
Biff blinked. “You- you’re the dragon. You took over her body!”
“Yes..an interesting mind. A.. compatible body… appropriately place to take over an empire and amass influence and power… I might enjoy making them follow me.”
“You can’t just do that!”
“I am following our agreement… I am one of his.. and now I will dispose of him… Oh.. don’t worry. My influence will be very subtle. I am only talking to you directly because we know each other. I’ll let this woman continue with her strange work… I will help her greatly running this place… I will learn… control… and influence. However I do appreciate all you have done, so I will ensure that these people never bother you again.”
Biff glanced at the cellia girl. “What about her?”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about her. Emit’s empire is about to fall, and he’ll now need someone to look after him in the new fish tank I plan to make in his office!”
Biff growled again her wings spreading. “I’m not just going to let you…”
The dragon-girl laughed. “Biff my dear.. I want to tell you a secret. Do you not think it’s possible, that you have been possessed as well? Some sphinx..making you do things... not unlike me.. such a being may have taken an interest in you. Perhaps your will is not your own either any more… those instincts you have… I can make you human again… remove that influence. This is not a world you belong in...”
“No! I’m not bargaining with you!” She shouted. “I saw what happened to Emit.. you’re not just a dragon you’re a demon!”
The dragon looked almost offended and angry. “He wanted power! I AM power… he risked it… I am staying within the bounds of our agreement. I will not touch his empire… it will belong to another before I take over fully. I am simply letting others do the work for me. He also has legs… more so then he might have wanted but legs nonetheless, suitable for use in water. I wish to keep her in my office as a .. what do they call it in this world? Conversation starter ha…”
Biff was taken aback by everything. She had to save her… she had to try and help but she was powerless. She could literally feel the dragon’s aura and strength behind the girl.. “I’ll go… for now.” she muttered. Though she did wonder if the dragon ‘could’ make her human again. That was likely possible given Emit was changed. Though she wasn’t going to let him- her- do whatever it wanted!
“Good sphinx… I am sure we will meet again of course. Try not to worry… People sometimes get past the door a sphinx guards… and this is the consequence. I am accessing this woman’s mind.. you can leave by a door over there.”
Biff knew she had to go. If Emit woke up, she might end up stuck here longer even with the influence of the dragon. She quickly ran towards the door on her four paws, bounding as she saw the lift. She heard the dragon laughing as she ran, forcing her ears to droop. Nobody would believe her.. that there was a real actual dragon running some criminal empire. She couldn’t do anything about it and the worst part was..
...Some part of Biff felt they deserved it. Even if she wanted it to go away… they hurt her. Used her.. why not let the dragon hurt them?
The lift she had entered started to rise to the only floor on the surface and back to… the normal world. The civilian world where normal things happened to normal people. As a sphinx she lived here… and for the first time in her life, she had to deal with something extraordinary and otherworldly, now she was back… living here with them.
“… I’m not a hero. I’m not a villain.. I’m just afraid…”
This is something she wanted no part in.
