Chapter 5: chapter five

(Chapter Five, babyyyy! This is looking like I’m actually doing this forever, and I’m pretty sure I’m okay with that. XD Anyway, I have a Patreon now, if you feel like this story deserves it, I’d greatly appreciate it! I’m having a blast writing this, even though my job sucks and takes up time I could be using to write. Y’know, productive stuff! Anyway, let’s get ready to rock and roll out!)

“How do you feel, in a body that’s not the one you’re used to?”
I stare, the question shaking me out of the instinct to scream myself inside-out. How… how do I feel? My awkward, gangly, weak, useless, ugly male body, or… this strong, lithe, agile one? This… female… form? It… feels right, like my skin finally fits comfortably, my body feels light and free… I’d never accepted myself, and now…. Now… I don’t know if… I don’t know if I can… go back…

As I slowly raise my hands and pull off my gauntlets, staring at the slim, delicate fingers, trimmed nails, and peach-pink skin, Asteria keeps rubbing my back. Trinity gives an encouraging smile and bites their lip, rooting through their stock for level 4-5 gear, my hyperventilation slowing and deepening into actual breaths. The simple fact was… I felt… whole. Like a missing piece had slotted into place and completed… everything. Memories of feeling intensely jealous of girls for being able to have long hair and cute clothes, of secretly wanting to wear makeup even covertly checking out a few online tutorials for the application of such cute cosmetics, the nagging feeling of not wanting to play male characters in online videogames but picking them anyway…

I feel Asteria rocking me slowly, her voice murmuring softly as she soothes my fears, waves of acceptance radiating off of her as the setting sun ignites her hair, fractals of light glancing off and flickering over the walls of the alley, like an ancient mirror-ball, the warmth of her arms around me comforting and dependable.

Swallowing a couple of times, I turn my head, looking up at Asteria as her hand pauses, resting between my wings, and whisper,
“I… I think I AM like your friend…”

The Alv’s face breaks into a relieved smile and she pulls me into a tender, sisterly hug. “Would you like me to treat you as a girl, then?” my eyes widen as she calls me a girl, my heart skipping a beat. “Y-yeah… please… I think I would like that… ” Asteria’s teasing smile grows, and I blush. Oh God, my face is actually getting hot! I cover my eyes and squeak in embarrassment as the taller Alv giggles, teasingly cooing, “God, you’re so cute!”

I protest, my voice going up an octave or two as I whine, “nooooo! I’m… I’m not cute!”
Trinity coughs quietly, placing a pile of equipment down on the counter with deliberate emphasis, ensuring that the loud clanks and thuds attract the attention of both myself, still blushing, and Asteria. “If you’re quite ready, I have some stuff that’ll do for a while?”

Slowly, I rise, Asteria helping me steady myself, approaching the counter. On the flat surface, I examine the wares arrayed before me. A large, rectangular tower shield covered in bristly black fur, a lance with a twisted silver blade resembling a helix, a yellow gemstone ensconced inside the hollow between the twisted metal spearhead, and a set of armour made from overlapping metal plates and chainmail. Trinity grins and hands me the shield, inspecting it as it resizes itself to fit my height, before grinning. “Okay, gimme the shield and watch this!” Taking it, they hand me a sturdy broom, raising the shield before themself. “Right, swing that broom at me!”
Looking over at Asteria, half-convinced this is some kind of weird prank, but she motions and smiles. “Go on, Trinity’s literally asking you to, girl. Go for it!”

With a shrug and a shake of my head, I swing the brush, before yelping in surprise. As the broom-head makes contact with the fur, it stiffens, thick, vicious-looking spines sprouting from it. The broom-handle and head are punctured repeatedly, looking like a colander as I wrench it away. The dark fur flattens out and the spikes retract.

Looking proudly at me, the diminutive feline smith cackles, “this is one of my finest pieces! The Needleboar shield! It reacts to anything that touches the shield without its wielder’s consent! If anything tries to grapple you, get the shield between you, and that unlucky individual’s going to have a VERY bad day!”

Gesturing to the spear, they rotate it. “The Citronella crystal in the speartip has an affinity for lightning elemental effects, so it’ll raise the power of any attacks you use that channel any electricity by 20%! I present… The Skybolt Spear!"

Finally, the armour. I blush as I realise that this armour, despite its metal and chainmail, is a lot more… formfitting, unlike my current, bulky set. Trinity smirks, patting the cuirass. “Now, this doesn’t have any special effects, but it’s light and flexible enough to allow you the full range of movement, while still letting your wings have total freedom! Skyborne Armour, Mk-4! Great defence, while not burdening the wearer too much! Plus…” Trinity smirks, her face literally making the >:3 shape. “It’ll make you look rrrreeeeaaalllllyy cute…”
As Asteria chuckles, I splutter, my words getting all jumbled and coming out as a string of nonsense. “ATYDFATFSDHHDEHFUSGBER!!! Fuuueeeeee!”

Trinity blinks, then falls over laughing as Asteria squeals at my exclamation, before she glomps me and squeaks, “Adorable! How are you sooo cuuute!?” as she snuggles me, before spitting repeatedly. “Pleh, fwegh, thpth! I got one of your feathers in my mouth!” I blush and apologize, as Trinity rolls their eyes. “This is a blacksmith’s, not a brothel. Get a room elsewhere, you two, and your total is 36 ducats for the armour, spear, and shield. That’s taking into account the deer hides, by the way!” they chide lightly, sniggering, as I start squirming in embarrassment.

After Asteria releases me, I count out the three-dozen gold coins, stacking them neatly in piles of six. Trinity sweeps the glimmering payment into a drawer, locking it as they grin and salute, their fluffy ears twitching happily. “Thank you fur your paw-tro-nya-ge, miss!” the catkin plays up the feline puns, and then winks. “Oh, and Astie? If you haven’t sent your new friend a party invite, you should probably do that. The exp. bonus is definitely valuable for new players, nya?”

Asteria facepalms, before opening her HUD and gesturing. A small glowing envelope appears in my hand. I open it, and a little note drifts out, hovering in front of my face.

‘You have been invited to form a party with Asteria Willowthorne. Accept? Y/N.’

Reaching out, I touch the Y, and Asteria’s name and level flashes across my own menu interface. She’s level 17 already, and I remember that I have four levels’ worth of points to distribute. Opening the status screen, I spot two flashing numbers. Attribute Points, and Ability Points. Attribute Points has the number 12 under it, which I spend boosting my stats. I’d not checked before, so I focus on improving the stats that are lower, trying to even them out a bit, before I pump the last few into raising the highest ones.

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Callex_______
Skyborne
Bulwark Level 5

CON: 12 ->15

DEX: 12 ->14

STR: 14 ->15

WIS: 11->14

INT: 11 ->14

LUCK: 19

Confirming my choice, I feel my body vibrate, new power and vitality flooding through my veins, my wings trembling.
Next, I turn to the remaining points, the pulsing number under the Ability Points option. 24 points!? That’s a lot… I wonder what I should use them on. There’s a whole host of options open to me, from passives to actives, and they each have varying costs in points, anywhere from 1 to 4. I reach out and select one of the passive abilities, ‘Storm-charged’. With a growing smile, I scroll through the small description
‘Storm-charged: as you attack, the essence of the Lady of Storms imbues your weapon, building up over the course of 10 attacks. The 11th strike unleashes the stored charge, inflicting bonus electric damage to the target. This passive will then go on cooldown for two minutes.’
I purchase it for three points, and a small, glowing, electric-blue rune takes form on the back of my left hand, shaped like a crow’s head, the beak in line with my middle knuckle. It fades into a dull sheen, and I return to my status screen, pondering my options. I still have 21 points to spend, and one of the other choices catches my eye. “Skill-crafting, huh? What do you do, gorgeous?” I muse, selecting the icon. My eyes go wide, and I almost stumble back into a wall. “Whoa, this is broken as hell!” with Asteria looking over my shoulder, I make my window visible to her and touch the skill-crafter icon again.

‘Skill-Forge: this is a unique skill, formed by the contract between the Argonaut Ulged of the Swift Assassins and a Nature Spirit whose life he saved. It is available to Bulwarks and Battlesmiths with an elemental affinity, or a Blessing from one of the deities. This skill allows the combination of multiple skills into new and never-before-seen abilities. Unlike most abilities, this skill has a physical cost. The more skills you combine into a new unique skill at one time, the higher the cost in ducats will be. At higher levels, you will be able to perform Skill-Forge on other Argonauts’ skills.’

I lick my lips as Asteria leans in over my shoulder, pressing her… her chesticles… against one of my wings. I swallow, stiffening and trying not to move. I can feel the warmth of her breath across my cheek as she reads the description. “Get. That. Now!” she squeaks, her eyes sparkling.

The skill has a much higher cost than anything else on the list, at a nightmarish 20 points, but… the sheer utility of a talent like that is irresistible. With a quick touch, I purchase the Skill-Forge option, and the next runemark appears, a golden outline surrounding the crow’s head rune, outlining it and extending the mark over the back of my left hand and down to my wrist.

Closing the menu, I save the last point for later, Asteria backing up and scooping up my new equipment, helping me store it in my bag for now. She giggles, “If you want to change now, I’ve got a room at the inn here, you can use that! Don’t worry; I won’t peek, no matter how much I might want to.”

My face goes beetroot again, and Trinity cackles, “Astie, you’re gonna make the poor girl’s brain combust, ya big-boobied bimbo!” As I splutter and turn into a gibbering puddle of girl, the blonde Alv smirks. “What do you think I’m trying to do? She’s just my type!”
The catkin rolls their eyes and bids us farewell as Asteria takes my elbow, guiding me through the streets to a small, well-appointed little guesthouse, smiling at the elderly woman at the counter. “I brought a friend with me, we’re just going to leave our belongings here and go for dinner, if that’s okay?”

The apple-cheeked old lady curls her wrinkled face into a warm smile, greeting my new friend in a grandmotherly tone. “Of course, dear. That’s no trouble at all. Just make sure you don’t forget your coin pouch this time, yes?” I giggle as Asteria flushes a faint pink. “I-I won‘t forget, I promise!”

Traipsing up the stairs my taller companion in front, I avert my eyes from Asteria’s swaying hips. I must not look at her butt. I must not look at her butt. I must not look at her butt…. Even if I kinda want to…

In just a couple of minutes, she drags me into a beautiful room. It’s large and spacious, with a bathroom visible through another doorway. Asteria drops her satchel by the foot of the bed and smiles. “Want me to hide in the bathroom, or do you want to?” she asks, moistening her lips as she teasingly takes her time averting her limpid blue eyes, my heart pounding…

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