Medon groaned, slowly opening her eyes. Where was she? Why was she--

  She let out a shriek and punched the creep standing over her with a strange, glowing stick in his hand. To her surprise, he went flying across the room and slammed into the wall, before crumbling to the ground. “W-what? What happened? Where am I? I-is he okay?”

  There were at least three more of them. She couldn’t lie, they were cute, though they looked like they were a part of some cosplayer group. In weird robes, with pointy ears. She, unfortunately, was lying on a strange stone table in the middle of a bunch of strange runes that she didn’t understand.

  “Oh god, are you some kind of cult? Did you lace my drink with something? Who are you people? What’s going on?” Medon asked.

  The other three stared at her alarm for a few moments. Slowly, one of the three moved to check on the one she had punched. He muttered some strange words and caused a green light to appear over the man. The wounded man groaned, but was alive.

  “Medon, please, be calm,” one of them said. He was tall, with gentle, soft features that she was admittedly jealous of. He could have easily passed for a woman in the right dress, with the most gorgeous green eyes she’d ever seen.

  “W-what? Mead? I-I didn’t drink anything like that! I just asked for something fruity!” Medon said, trying to back away from him. Unfortunately, it was then that she noticed the knife on the ground and screamed. She tried to run away, but unfortunately she was unable to pass outside of the circle. “No no no no please, I-I don’t know what you want with me, but please! D-do you want money? I--” And it was when she went for her wallet that something else clicked.

  This wasn’t her body. This was DEFINITELY not her body. She stared down at herself, nervously patting her chest, her hips, her arms. She was… muscular. Toned. Not an ounce of fat on her. She looked more like a body builder than who she had been.

  “Medon, please, be calm,” the man said in a soothing voice. “You are in no danger. We’re here to help you get used to this world. We--”

  “HELP me?!” Medon screamed, turning to glare at him. “Who ARE you people? What did you do to me? I didn’t consent to any of this! What kind of -- oh god. You’re surgeons, aren’t you? Some kind of back-alley -- do I have my kidneys? Why do I look like… like--”

  “Please, this body is yours now, the one you were summoned into,” he said, still holding his hands up. “I am High Mage Rendel and we have summoned you to save our world. I know this must be a surprise for you, but please. Know you are safe. This body--”

  “I DON’T WANT THIS BODY!” Medon screamed. “What in the hell is WRONG with you people? I didn’t sign up for plastic surgery! If I did I wouldn’t do it to be… THIS!”

  Rendel sighed and motioned the others away. Unlike her, they could leave the circle. “Please, Medon, if you calm yourself all will be explained. This is a trying time for us all. But please understand we will help you however we can. If you will just calm yourself.”

  “I will NOT calm down!” Medon yelled. “Where’s my cell phone? What is any of this? Some kind of… elaborate… insurance… thing? ‘So you want to be a girl, so we made you more boy’?”

  For the first time, the man went from calm to alarmed. “Ex… cuse me? Can you say that again?”

  “Where’s my cell phone?” Medon asked.

  “No, the other thing,” Rendel said, slowly this time. As if she was stupid, rather than on the verge of a panic attack.

  “Is this insurance?” Medon asked. “Another thing to try and deny me? I--” Then, suddenly, she couldn’t move. She just went entirely still, her body paralyzed.

  Rendel stared at her before taking a slow, deep breath. “Medon, dear hero. It is your name. I am sorry to have to do this to you, but it seems calming yourself is not something you will do willingly. There is much I need to explain to you.”

  She still couldn’t move, all she could do was stand there and listen.

  “I am High Mage Rendel of the Elevated Dynasty. I know not of the world you are from, but know you are not there. You have been summoned to aid us in our time of greatest need,” Rendel said. “I will release you, if you will calm yourself. Can you do that?”

  Medon felt whatever held her loosen slightly. She gave a nod and he released her from the spell. “O… kay then. Of the what dynasty?”

  “Elevated Dynasty,” Rendel said. “You are Medon, a hero from another world summoned to aid us in our time of need. Slayer of countless vermin, one who has experienced countless battles and yet emerged triumphantly from war, you--”

  “What are you talking about?” Medon asked, staring at him. “War? Countless battles? Vermin? I haven’t fought in any wars.”

  Rendel paused, staring at her. “You… haven’t? Did… did you not just achieve a great victory?”

  “I… I finally managed to get my insurance to cover my transition,” Medon said slowly. “I guess that’s a victory and I’ve been fighting with them for what feels like forever. And I guess there’s a lot of stuff with the HR Department, but--”

  ------

  “Hard part meat?” Yroth asked, staring at her.

  “H-R-De-part-ment,” Phaedra said, unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “It’s like… I don’t know how to describe them. Like a company’s internal spies. They say they help you, but usually they’re looking for a way to get you in trouble for something. Can you stop interrupting me? Do you want this story or not?”

  “Sorry,” Yroth said.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “Right, where was I?” Phaedra mumbled before she hugged her pillow tighter and glanced across the bed at the dragon staring at her. At least she wasn’t trying to bite her or anything.

  ------

  “But I’d hardly call that a war,” Medon said.

  “So you’re not a… great warrior?” Rendel asked.

  “Do I look like a gr-- okay, I do, but I’m not,” Medon said.

  “I see,” Rendel said before he turned and began to pace. After a few minutes he glanced towards the door before sighing. “My apologies, Medon.”

  “Stop calling me that,” Medon said. “My name is--”

  “You are Medon now,” Rendel said, cutting her off. “I am afraid you have no choice in the matter. You must be Medon.”

  “I’m not a boy,” Medon said bitterly. “I just spent the last year fighting with my insurance, my--” She couldn’t move again, freezing in place.

  “I see you still do not understand what is happening,” Rendel said. “Then allow me to show you.” He held out his hand and the glowing stick that had been dropped when she punched the first elf flew to his hand. A moment later the two of them were hovering high in the sky. If she could have screamed, she would have. She could still feel the stone under her, however. The world flew by beneath them until they stopped, hovering over a massive, bloody battle.

  Then they dropped.

  She DEFINITELY would have screamed if she could when suddenly monsters surrounded her on all sides, tearing through lines of elves, dwarves, all manner of strange creatures she couldn’t identify. But passing through her, as if she wasn’t even there. She could hear it, see it, even smell the blood. But nothing touched her. A powerful illusion spell.

  A moment later she was back in the room and she could move again. But she didn’t want to. All she did was sink to the ground and stare at him. “W-what… is this place?” she asked.

  “A world on the brink of destruction,” Rendel said. “Fenrir has gathered a host of demons beneath his banner. He and his ten generals have laid waste to civilization and taken countless lives. We are no longer able to hold back this tide. Our power fades with every day as more and more of our cities fall and they take our greatest names and bind the ley lines we held to their vile whims. That is why we summoned you, Medon. Unfortunately… our magic has grown weaker than we realized. Our first attempt to summon a hero failed. So we had to use a more… desperate method.”

  “Desperate method?” Medon asked softly.

  “Relics from a prior hero, Medon. The sword he wielded, a statue in his form. We called you in his place,” Rendel said.

  “I’m not a boy,” Medon said softly.

  Rendel stared down at her a few more moments before a smile formed on his lips. Gently, he knelt out and stroked a hand through her hair, making her cringe. His eyes glimmered and, for a moment, she felt her body change.

  She couldn’t properly explain it. She supposed she was smaller, her hair longer, her body softer. But most of all it was that strange feeling of being right. Not just looking, but feeling like a woman. It was euphoric and it almost made her want to cry.

  Then it was gone. The illusion snatched away before she could truly appreciate it. “W-what?” Medon asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “T-turn me--”

  “You desire to be a woman, correct?” Rendel asked in a gentle, calm tone.

  “I am one,” Medon said.

  “You are not now,” Rendel said. “But you can be. We can make you one.”

  Medon froze, staring up at him. Very slowly, she nodded. “And… you want me to save your world? If I agree, then you’ll turn me into a woman?”

  “Once our world is saved,” Rendel said with a gentle, soft smile. “But you must play the role of Medon. In all ways.”

  “You want me to go back to pretending to be a boy?” Medon asked.

  “If you do not, countless lives will be lost,” Rendel said before standing up again. “Like it or not, you are our only hope at this point. You may lack… all you should have. But it is no matter. You will still be a beacon. More than that, your earlier display shows that you have some of the might of Medon.”

  “But—”

  “If others were to know what you are,” Rendel said, cutting her off, “it would embolden the demonic forces plaguing our land. It would hurt our own forces. Our dynasty would fall, our people dead. All of it resting on your head.”

  Medon gulped and slowly lowered her eyes. “But… if I do this… you will make me a woman?”

  “But of course,” Rendel said. “After you have done your duty, we will make you the most beautiful woman in the realm as you desire. But, until then… who are you?”

  Medon took a deep breath before, very softly, speaking up. “My name is Medon and… I’m… a warrior from… another world.”

  “Now then--”

  ------

  “Enough,” Yroth said, cutting her off.

  Phaedra glanced up and let out a startled bleat, her wool growing out around her in a thick ball again. Yroth looked furious, small flakes of ash and flame popping out from between her fangs with every breath. Her eyes were glowing a brilliant gold and her claws had gouged deep holes into the bed. “I-I didn’t--”

  “Phaedra,” Yroth said, her voice filled with rage. “If… this was truly done as you say… then you have been grievously harmed. Worse, I have been lied to. My servants have died for this… if they died for nothing… if I fought for nothing…”

  “Yroth?” Phaedra asked. “A-are you mad at me? B-because you’re actually pretty s-scary right now. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this angry.”

  “Return me to my home,” Yroth said. “Free of the control of your father. Do this, and I vow I will find out what has been done to make… this. And… if you were to be Morgana… we will find a way to grant you your proper name.”

  “Uhhhh…” Phaedra said, staring at her. “You… believe me?”

  “For the time being,” Yroth said slowly. “Someone is lying to me… and someone will pay dearly for it.”

  Phaedra gulped and lifted a hand to her throat while her wool retracted. She was quite thankful she knew she wasn’t lying, because she would certainly NOT want to be the target of Yroth’s ire right now. “I… uhhhh… guess I should start packing for the journey, huh? We can take my airship.”

  Yroth stared at her for a moment. “Your… airship?”

  “Oh! Yes! I have my own airship, it’s not really that big but I got Daddy to paint it pink and blue and it’s -- sorry,” Phaedra said with a light baa, her cheeks bright red again. “That… that probably sounds really stupid. It was Dad’s gift when uhhhh… I came of age. It’s not a warship, but it flies. Kind of like a magic zeppelin, honestly.”

  “A magic… zapped… line?” Yroth asked.

  “I’ll start making preparations,” Phaedra said before sliding to her hooves, ignoring the confused words. All things considered, she supposed that it could have been worse. At least now Yroth was willing to hear her out.

  Even if she was a lot angrier now than ever. She just hoped the dragon would stay mad NOT at her.

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