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Mentis, the wand of Sister Mind. Corporis, the wand of Brother Body.

Each artifact associated with countless legends. Each capable of commanding power like that of the gods. It was said that Mentis granted its wielder complete and utter domination over the minds of others. Memory, thought, emotion, personality – all would dance for Mentis, like a marionette for its puppeteer. And, it was said that Corporis granted its wielder total control over the bodies of others. The essence of every beast on every plane swirled within the wand, eager to leap out and join with those upon whom the wand was used.

Ambit could vouch for the powers of Corporis, oh yes. He'd seen first-hand as the bodies of his victims contorted and transformed before his very eyes. The fabled magic of Corporis was just as real as all the stories claimed, and then some.

He'd had the wand for some months now. Five, six. Stealing the artifact from the most sacred temple in the realm had not been easy. Unsurprisingly, Brother Body's followers were quite fit of body. Ambit recalled one of the muscled men spotting him sneaking in the shadows on his way to the inner sanctum. His elaborate scheme had fallen apart then and there, but at least he'd been close enough to his goal to reach it in a mad dash before all the guards in the temple collapsed on his position.

Ambit hadn't had an escape plan, let alone an escape route. But Corporis had solved that problem for him. He smiled as he recalled snatching Corporis out of its pedestal, wildly pointing it at his pursuers, desperately praying to his own gods that the thing would do something.

Mouse, turtle, uh, house cat! Anything! he'd thought as the spear-tips and angry expressions behind them had rushed up the steps. He'd been certain his death was imminent. Then the spears had clattered to the stone.

Each of the guards' eyes were wide as they examined their bodies with horror. The first rubbed whiskers with hands that more closely resembled the pink paws of a mouse than the calloused hands of a warrior. The second tapped on the scutes of his chest as his torso was overtaken by a turtle shell. The third yowled as gray fur rippled down his tanned body. The color matched the image of the cat that Ambit had called to his mind.

More guards had charged into the room, so very intent on killing the transgressor in their ancient temple dedicated to Brother Body. Their god hadn't saved them from the might of the wand. Ambit thrust Corporis at the second wave, marveling at the feel of it recoiling backward in his fingers. As if a physical something had been blasted out of the wand's tip, even though he could see nothing at all. The second wave of guards were transformed into squirrels. The third wave, sparrows.

Oh, they'd still tried to kill him, after their confusion and dismay subsided. Their minds were still their own. But Ambit had easily kicked them aside with his boots. Turtles and squirrels were not much of a threat, he'd found. The cat had been a bit scary, so with another thrust of Corporis, his fur had become feathers, and a harmless goldfinch replaced him.

Corporis worked. It really did. He could still taste the sweet victory of that day like it was yesterday, could recall his wonder at the godlike power at his command. But that had been months ago. The novelty had worn off. And the delight of being Corporis' master had grown to become a deep yearning for its twin. Just as Brother Body was said to be the fraternal twin of Sister Mind, their wands were two halves of a whole as well. Mentis would be his, and Ambit knew he would feel satisfied at last.

Ambit strolled confidently through the hallowed halls of stone. The complete opposite approach to the one he'd used in the temple of Brother Body. This time, he had no need for stealth. None could oppose him. Every sister of Sister Mind who approached him was left behind as some harmless creature.

Funny, he thought, how each religion only accepts temple guards of the same sex as their god. He cracked a smile as one of the women leaped out from behind a pillar, as if to surprise him. She reeled back as Corporis' magic took hold, shrinking her down to a hedgehog. For holding the mind above all else, these girls aren't very clever.

Soon he reached the temple's inner sanctum. As in the temple of Brother Body, the wand was displayed on an elaborate pedestal in the center of the room. Sunlight shone down upon it through one of the apertures in the dome high above. White pillars supporting the beautiful dome were placed around the large chamber. The stone steps to the pedestal beckoned to Ambit. Mentis awaited. He began the ascent.

One guard remained. She stood at the top of the steps, looking down on him with undisguised fear. He could see her spear-point wavering as she trembled despite her wide stance.

Which girl was chosen to have the most important position in the temple, I wonder? he mused as he studied this last guard.

Her hair was a gleaming brown, hanging down past her shoulders. The pristine white robes did little to hide the curves of her breasts and hips beneath. Though her body was not at all athletic compared to the male guards of Brother Body's temple, she seemed fit enough. She was a guard, after all. Her red lips were pressed into a thin line as she warily watched him mount the stairs.

What animal will you be? Something poetic for you my dear. The most valued of Sister Mind's disciples.

Her eyes flitted to the wand on the pedestal. Ambit froze for a moment upon the steps, before resuming his climb. He tried not to let his new anxiety show while he increased his pace.

Both religions forbid their followers from ever, ever touching the wands. Under any circumstances. Only the Chosen had that privilege, the storied individual who was destined to take both wands and lead the disciples of Sister Mind and Brother Body unto transcendence. Only the Chosen would use Mentis and Corporis to remake humanity with godlike bodies and minds on the Day of Transcendence. The rest of humanity was not worthy to touch the ancient artifacts.

Was this guard actually considering breaching the utmost edict of her faith? Of course, in her position, Ambit would have no qualms about using the wand to prevent its theft, but he wasn't foolish enough to worship Sister Mind. If she did snatch up the wand, Ambit had no doubt he would lose his chance forever. He'd lose Corporis, too. And that could not be allowed to happen.

He started taking the steps two at a time. Almost there. Corporis had a short range of about ten feet. He needed to get closer, or all would be lost! The guard's eyes flitted to the wand again. He could see droplets of sweat on her brow. She was too late though; her hesitation would cost her. Ambit was a couple of seconds away from a final lunge to pry Mentis from its pedestal.

A pounding of feet reached his ears. He whirled, facing down the steps he'd just ascended. More guards! Four of them. Each woman stomped up the steps with death in her eyes.

Where did they come from? Ambit thought with alarm. His eyes found the pillars. Perfect hiding places. Not so dim after all, it seems.

He raised Corporis immediately, thrusting its tip at each of the women in turn. Since first acquiring the wand, he'd learned its capabilities inside and out. Speed was what was needed most now, so he held the image of only one animal in his mind as he made quick, precise jabs. He could feel magic blasting out of the wand. Turning his head, he stole a glance at the final guard near Mentis. She took a cautious step toward the wand. A shaking hand left her spear to reach toward the artifact.

No!

The four women chasing him up the stairs stumbled and fell as they transformed into the tiniest species of shrew that Ambit knew of. They'd be too small to even jump the steps, in a few seconds. Their spears bounced down the wide staircase, sending echoes throughout the cavernous room.

“That's my wand, you dog!" Ambit shouted as he finally crested the staircase and came in range of the brown-haired guard. He thrust Corporis at her triumphantly even as her fingers touched Mentis.

The woman's green eyes darkened to brown as her face transformed into the look of horror that Ambit knew so well. Her dainty nose and red lips darkened, broadening into a canine snout. She fell forward, past the pedestal, her hands swiftly contorting to a dog's paws. Paws made for treading, not gripping. A new appendage extended from her rear, lifting up the end of her white robes. Her frightened breathing became panting. Her robe wrinkled and bunched in on itself as her smaller form shook within. A moment later, she withdrew out of the bottom of the robes, now a terrified black and white mutt.

Ambit threw back his head and laughed over the whimpering of the dog and the squeaks of the shrews far below. At last, his triumph was complete! Mentis would be his!

The sound of wood rasping against stone.

Ambit's eyes opened wide as he returned his attention to the pedestal. The dog's neck was twisted to allow her to grasp Mentis in her jaws. She'd drawn the wand from the pedestal, and now bent to point its tip at him.

“No!" Ambit threw up Corporis in response and blasted the woman-turned-dog again with its magic.

The wand seemed to grow in her mouth as she shrank into a different form. Fur vanished from her tail and four feet. Additional whiskers sprouted from her snout. Her ears stiffened into bowl shapes. A tiny mouse squeaked on the stone floor, the wand a fallen tree in comparison.

Ambit placed a hand to his chest and felt his heart racing. The woman had almost won. Almost taken everything from him. Who knew how she'd planned to befuddle his mind?

Actually, thought Ambit as he forced himself to relax, I think she'll be more than willing to tell me in a few moments. If Mentis works as it does in the stories.

He bent down to pluck Mentis from the ground. The mouse tried to bite him, but he swatted her back with ease. He was well used to such pitiful attacks from tiny animals by now.

He raised the wand close to his eyes and studied the finely-wrought wood. Mentis was approximately a foot and a half long, and white as snow. It tapered to a dull point. The surface was smooth like glass. Mentis was the perfect opposite to Corporis, the wand of body that he knew so well. Corporis was black, gnarled, and uneven. A savage, primal implement compared to this work of art. He wondered what species of trees had given their wood to these wands in the ancient past. Then he shrugged, and returned his attention to the mouse. She watched him with big, dark eyes.

“So, you're the girl who was chosen to be the last guardian of Mentis. I suppose that means you're quite the disciple of Sister Mind, eh? Was it your fascination with the workings of the brain that got you here? Your devotion to knowledge? Maybe something more emotional, like your endless empathy for those around you?"

He grew tired of the one-sided conversation, and of watching the tiny mouse crouched on the stone. “Speak," he commanded as he raised Corporis once more. With a tiny effort of will, he called upon the essence of humans within the wand and sent a full dose of it at the mouse.

Dark fur receded, ears shrank, tail was swallowed up, limbs lengthened, snout collapsed. Five seconds later, the guard woman lay sprawled where the mouse had been. Her robe remained discarded near the pedestal. The woman gasped, swiveling her fingers in front of her face as if to assure herself they were real. Then, with no effort to cover herself or draw back from Ambit, her expression darkened. With a cry, she gathered herself to lunge at him.

Time to give Mentis a try, Ambit thought as he raised the white wand. In his mind, he commanded it to remove all thoughts of violence from the woman's mind. Even the concept of violence.

The tip of the wand swiveled sharply to line up perfectly with the woman's forehead. It turned subtly in his hand in concert with the woman's movements in order to keep itself pointed directly at her forehead. As if he were holding a potent lodestone near iron, Ambit could sense an almost magnetic link between the wand and his target. A connection.

The force vanished a split second later. The deed was done. Ambit lowered the wand and studied the confusion that had appeared on the woman's face. Her muscles relaxed. The hands she had raised to throttle him slowly lowered. Again, she looked down at her fingers, and seemed to marvel at the fact that they'd been contorted with violent intent mere seconds ago. She looked up at him not with confusion, but with disbelief.

Ambit felt a peculiar flutter within his chest. He'd erased violence from her. From a guard.

“I can scarcely believe it," he murmured, shaking his head. “You...you can't...?" With the wand still lowered, he said, “Punch me. I command you."

The woman stared at him blankly. “Punch?" she said softly, in a surprisingly youthful voice. The woman had to be about twenty-three, twenty-four, so Ambit shouldn't have been surprised. He himself was only a couple of years older than her, by the looks of it.

“Yes. Punch me. Can you?"

She shook her head, took half a step back. Almost under her breath, she said, “I don't understand. What is...?" Her expression clouded with confusion. “No!" she cried out.

Ambit could only watch as she danced in place with panic and consternation written all over her features. “No, no no!" she cried as she tried to pull out her hair. “I've failed you, Sister! I've failed! I'm so sorry, so so sorry!"

Unbelievable, thought Ambit. I can manipulate her mind as I see fit. This is mind control. True mind control.

The woman's display of self-hatred and frustration continued. She fell to her knees, begging for forgiveness from Sister Mind. Then came the misty eyes, and the falling tears. She raised a hand, closing it into a fist with which to pound on the hard stone, then opened it again and studied it in momentary shock. Then the sobs began anew as she pulled the hand close to her breasts where she knelt.

Ambit hated himself for it, but he could feel himself softening. Yes, she'd been the final obstacle between him and his prize, but he held her no ill will. Before him was a woman who had lost everything, who had failed in her most precious task. Failed her faith and her god. Failed her sister disciples. Failed at her life's work. Ambit sighed.

He knelt down next to her. “What's your name?"

She raised her head, fiercely wiping away tears. Her lips became an angry frown as she crossed her arms in front of her breasts. She turned her face away pointedly, with a “Hmph!"

Ambit shook his head. “You leave me no choice." The woman's eyes tracked the tip of Mentis with growing trepidation as he called upon it for a second time. He closed his eyes, concentrating on its power. The connection was made between the wand and the woman. If he focused, he could sense the psychic link between them. He imagined he could almost feel the contours of his mind like a tangible thing, if he concentrated hard enough. Perhaps with practice, he might be able to one day. His skill with Corporis had certainly improved over the months.

He commanded Mentis in the silence of his mind. Ease her shame at her failure. Ease her suffering at failing to protect Mentis. The wand seemed to vibrate in his hand, such was the intensity of the magnetic binding as he used Mentis' power.

Ambit opened his eyes to study the effect on the woman. Her own eyes grew unfocused for a second. She wiped the last of the tears. Her breathing gradually eased.

“Success!" Ambit chuckled. He wasn't sure if the woman knew what exactly he was doing to her mind when he used the wand, but judging by her current disposition, she could not. She could feel the effects but could not say what exactly he'd done.

“Oh, and some ground rules, just in case," Ambit added as he raised the wand again. “No trying to escape. No trying to harm me, or assist others in harming me. No trying to take either of my wands. In other words, no trying to oppose me in any way, unless I command you to."

She hung her head as the magic took effect. With some measure of hesitation, he held Mentis out to her like an offering as a test. She grimaced and shook her head, looking away.

Ambit's heart soared. What a marvelous artifact! What a wonderful gift to humanity! And it was all his, forever and ever! He would do everything in his power to keep the wands forever. If he was clever enough, and he certainly was a clever man, he could have everything he would ever desire. Mentis and Corporis would make sure of that.

He stood and smiled down at the helpless woman. “Now then. What's your name?"

She sniffed. “I may not be able to oppose you, but I will not exchange niceties with the monster who stole our most sacred artifact."

Ambit sighed again. “Would it help if I asked nicely? Please tell me your name?"

“Begone from here, monster! Take your prize and go!" She glared at him.

On any other day, Ambit might have hesitated before the conviction of her words. Just then, Ambit was feeling larger than life. The feeling only grew as he felt the warm wood of Mentis in his hand. He raised it threateningly toward her and savored the despair that rose in her face. He arched an eyebrow, as if to say, “You want me to use this?"

“Ella," she finally spat.

“There, that wasn't so hard, was it?" said Ambit. “I'm trying to be a nice guy here. I even dampened the sadness and shame you felt from letting the wand fall into my hands, you know."

Ella's eyes grew wide for a moment at that. She seemed almost sickened at the revelation. Ambit cringed despite himself.

Hm. Using this wand is...heavier than I expected. I can twist what people are. What makes them, them. Ella, being the final guard, was no doubt defined by her devotion to Sister Mind. By taking away her shame, am I effectively turning her into a different person?

The feeling of being larger than life soon returned, however. Both wands were his. His triumph was absolute. But looking down on Ella, he found he could not bring himself to use Mentis on her again for the time being.

“I'll be right back," he said before descending the stairs. She said nothing.

Four tiny shrews greeted him on the way down. The tiny creatures lacked the ability to show any expressions on their faces, but he wagered inside the guards were filled with anger at his victory. One of them had even managed to haul her tiny body up three whole stair steps as he conversed with Ella.

He bent down to snatch each one up by their long tails. Once they stopped struggling, he addressed them as they dangled in front of his eyes.

“If you try to run when I transform you back, I'll turn you into frogs and you'll never be yourselves again. Got it?" A thought occurred to him. “Wait a moment. Better idea." A grin split his face.

He pointed Mentis at each of the shrews to change their minds to his liking. For each one, he made the same changes.

No thoughts of running away, harming me, or otherwise opposing me. And unquestionable, unwavering obedience to my every word.

His conscience twinged at that last edict. How deep was he going to go in using Mentis? Taking away one's free will was an awful deed. Then again, these were but followers of Sister Mind. Anyone pathetic enough to follow such a god deserved to be treated as less than human. Had he not demonstrated that he was superior, by acquiring both wands of the twin gods?

“Stay here, and don't move for a minute," he said to the shrews as he placed each one on a step. Obediently, they stood still where he'd placed them. He felt the peculiar thrill in his chest again. Then he stuck Mentis into his belt, drew Corporis, and jabbed humanity into each of them.

A moment later, three naked women stood before him. A brew of anger, hatred, and disgust churned on the face of each one of them, even though they seemed perfectly obedient to his word. He realized why, after reviewing the exact commands he'd issued using Mentis. They were fully capable of feeling rebellious even if they could not act of their own volition.

“Come now," he laughed. “Be happy you're serving me!"

Their expressions did not change. He raised Mentis to each in turn, and with a mirthless smile, repeated himself. “Be happy you're serving me."

One by one, their expressions transformed into placid smiles. Really, the girls were much more lovely when they were smiling. “Better."

He gathered his thoughts. His first priority was his own safety. More time with Mentis was what he needed. To see what it could do. Experimentation. He'd earned some fun after traveling to the temple and breaking in, too. So what he needed to accomplish that was protectors. Before acquiring Mentis, he generally stayed away from transforming people into dangerous animals. But with mind control on his side...

He transformed the first woman into a tigress with a jab of Corporis in her direction. She closed her eyes, as her face pushed out into a heavy, toothy muzzle with a delicate pink nose. Ambit could imagine the ecstasy behind those eyelids as her body was molded to better serve her new master. Her hands and feet became massive paws with sharp black claws. A furry tail poked out of her spine as her hips swayed to and fro in its change to a quadrupedal alignment. Everywhere, the signature black and orange fur sprouted from her fair skin. Her torso barreled, filling with the strength of the tiger. Ambit descended a few steps on the staircase to grant her room as the delicate woman became a dangerous beast that could kill in a flash.

Calm yourself Ambit, he thought. She's under my control. It's impossible for her to attack me. Be glad you have such a dangerous guard.

The new tigress stared at him with those startling yellow eyes. Awaiting his command, it seemed.

“Growl for me?" he said, hating the higher pitch of his voice.

A bass rumble came from the throat of the feline. “Perfect," he said in awe. “Perfect."

“You next," he said with a gesture at the next woman. She was thirty-something, with short hair, and a wicked scar down one of her bare thighs. “How'd you get the scar?"

“A grizzly bear attack when I was younger, sir. Oh, would you like to hear the story?"

“No, that's quite alright." Her face fell. Ambit smiled in response to her chagrin. If only she realized that a minute ago, she might have given her life to end his own. “Bears can't talk, remember?" He raised Corporis.

She cocked her head with a quizzical expression, but it was soon lost amid the muzzle of the grizzly that extended from her face. A coat of shaggy brown fur covered her bulging body as cords of muscle and thick fat padding overook her delicate feminine humanity. An ursine whoomph came from her new mouth as she fell to all fours like the previous girl. Her black nose twitched as she sniffed with what must have been a much more refined smell.

Oh, this was fun. Big, scary animal transformations were far more exciting to watch. “Any suggestions for a third guardian, miss?" he asked the third girl. “Actually, hold that thought. Forget it, even."

He called upon Mentis to enhance her intellect. To make the girl an expert at critical thinking. A veritable genius. She continued to smile at him even as he felt her mind, through the wand's psychic connection, grow in complexity and become freer.

“What should I transform you into, to best protect this chamber from anyone who wants to come in?" he asked.

Immediately, she replied, “Currently, with a tiger and bear, you are more than capable of taking down small forces that try to gain entry. I suggest a creature with the ability to repel larger forces that have significant protection. I also recommend that it be physically large enough to block the entryway, and resilient enough to withstand offensives of many varieties. Just in case, it should be resistant to a diversity of magical effects as well."

“Dragon," Ambit said, cursing himself for not already thinking of it.

“Dragon," the girl confirmed with a pleasant smile of reassurement. Gods, he could get used to this joyful obedience in those around him. He almost panicked when she trotted down the stairs toward the only entrance and exit into the vast chamber. Then she stopped in an open space, got down onto her hands and feet, and looked expectantly at him. Ambit realized she'd thought ahead to her impending transformation into a much larger creature. He nodded, and leveled Corporis on his third servant. How very strange, to have someone so ready and willing to accept the transformation of their body.

Her skin shifted in hue to match the red color in Ambit's mind before hardening into countless scales. The girl practically exploded in size to keep up with the rapid transformation into such a large creature. The wider and thicker modified scales from her chin to her vagina continued downward along a sprouting tail. The hair retracted and vanished in her nether regions as the reptilian band replaced it, and her head hair disappeared as well. Each finger and toe thickened as they lost their dexterity. Thumbs and big toes shrank and were lost. She waggled new toe claws as the balls of her feet roughened into thick pads befitting of a dragon, while her ankles extended longer. Her hands underwent similar changes, becoming thick talons made for walking.

The transforming girl's shoulders caved in slightly to better allow her to walk on her forelegs. Ambit could see her breasts vanish between them into reptilian armor. A shame, but a dragon with breasts would look silly indeed. Next came the wings, and marvelous wings they were. The membranes were a semi-translucent webbing the color of a brilliant sunrise. Her wingspan grew to be more than twenty feet. Finally, he watched her head transform at the end of her long, thick neck. Lips hardened. Features slanted. Nostrils flared. Frills and horns grew. The terrifying visage of a near-legendary creature, the dragon, met his eyes.

Ambit was frozen for about a minute. Never had he seen a dragon in the flesh. Never had he wanted to. And never, in his wildest dreams, had imagined that one might be before his eyes and ready to serve him. He allowed himself a hesitant smile.

He swallowed. “I'd ask you to roar, but...well...you know."

The dragoness nodded sagaciously, before craning her neck and studying her new body. Ambit joined her, letting his eyes rove over the mythical beast. She was huge, but elegant. Bulky, but sinuous. Powerful, but perfectly in control.

“May I?" he said, reaching forth to feel the scales of her muscled hind leg. Even as she nodded her great head, he reminded himself that it was he who would be granting any permission. The scales were warm to the touch, and very thick. Though they were smaller and thinner around the face and on the bony portions of the wings.

Eventually, he turned to the remaining human who watched patiently. She still hadn't moved, of course. He saw Ella watching from atop the stairs, but paid her no heed. Priorities. Guard the chamber.

“Eh, doesn't really matter what you become," he told the girl with a shrug. “We've got a dragon. What do you want to be?"

“Hm, I don't know. Good question! Let's see. I think horses are beautiful creatures, and I think--"

Ambit found himself completely uninterested in her words, after having seen the previous woman become a dragon. His eyes flicked to the red behemoth, and he was inspired.

“Snake it is," he pronounced as Corporis recoiled in his hand from the discharge of magic. “Very, very venomous snake."

The girl raised both hands to her mouth in apparent surprise. Perhaps she had a fear of snakes, like so many other maidens? The irony was sweet. Her hands were tugged away from her mouth by the dwindling of her arms to mere stubs, than nothing. Her legs followed suit. Ambit watched her widened eyes grow only wider as they became the fixed, slit-pupiled eyes of the serpent. Soon, a forked tongue flicked out of her small mouth. He heard a hiss as her new chin touched the stone steps. The girl couldn't keep up with her rapidly lengthening body, thus becoming a scaly tangle when it was all over. Ambit lifted her up, and froze when he heard the rattle of the dangerous rattlesnake she had become.

“Hey! You know you can't harm me, right?"

The rattling stopped. Her tongue flicked against the stubble of his cheek, like an apologetic kiss.

“Eh, it's alright. You were just scared, weren't you? I've never been turned into a snake before, but I suppose it might be frightening."

The beautiful tan, brown, and black patterns of the rattlesnake wound themselves around his arm, instinctively he was sure. She raised and lowered her head a couple of times. Nodding.

He laughed, and winked. “No problem." Ambit had always had a soft spot for snakes, though until now, he'd only allowed himself to transform people into harmless species of snakes. Without the power of Mentis, giving his enemies venomous fangs would be suicide.

Ambit stuck Corporis back in his belt and drew out Mentis as he walked toward the arched entryway of the chamber with the rattlesnake around his left arm. He beckoned for the tigress, bear, and dragoness to follow. Beyond, in the hallway, he could see various harmless creatures running about in a panic, huddling in corners or dark places, or making their way to the inner sanctum to oppose him. He snorted in amusement.

“Get on the tigress," he told the snake. She unwound herself and slithered along his arm to the tigress. In reaction, the tigress leaped away, eyes fixed on the snake.

“Oh, calm down," he told the tigress. She immediately straightened and padded back up to his side. The snake wound gently around the tigress' neck for stability, and joined the other beasts in watching him for further orders.

“Your orders are simple. Defend this entrance into the sanctum. Do not let anyone in. And don't get yourselves killed either, if more disciples with spears come. Dragoness, warn me if you see anything strange or especially threatening. Understood?"

The four beasts nodded in their own ways. Excellent.

“Oh, and just in case, I'd better perform some additional...enhancements. You're already happy to be serving me, so this will only make you happier. I shouldn't feel bad about it."

They nodded again, proving his point. He raised Mentis to each in turn, and twisted their minds further.

You are intensely loyal to me. You would rather die than see anything bad happen to me. Your orders are the most important thing in your life.

He shrugged self-consciously as he added one more alteration. How could anyone call him a bad person, when he was nice enough to add this last change? You are extremely, immensely happy to do my bidding and be my servants. Nothing brings you more joy.

“Hop to it," he said when he was done. And hop they did. The rattlesnake rattled while the dragoness, grizzly bear, and tigress roared their exuberance. They dashed to the entrance to the chamber. The ground shook with every heavy footfall of the dragoness. Each of them hurriedly set themselves up in defensive, watchful positions. Their attention was completely on their task. The tigress' tail swayed back and forth as her intense gaze fixed on the hallway beyond.

Ambit sighed contentedly as he drank in the sight. This is the beginning of the rest of my beautiful life.

Then he withdrew to the staircase up to the pedestal and calmly ascended to the top. He had all the time in the world.

***

Ella backed up from the precipice as the monster finished his climb to the last step. She eyed him warily as he fingered Mentis in silent contemplation. Obviously, this was Ambit. The well-known thief of Corporis. She'd seen enough to know that the black wand in his belt was no fake. Never had she or any of her sisters of the faith ever thought that he would be bold enough to go after the wand's twin. How ignorant and short-sighted they'd been.

It was curious. She imagined she should be feeling more upset about Ambit's success in taking Mentis from the White Pedestal. But try as she might, she could not summon any more potent feelings than mild regret and agitation that she'd utterly failed her sisters, her faith, and the goddess in the most important task of her life. Had he actually used Mentis to lessen her suffering, as he'd claimed? She could think of no other explanation. The thought was sickening.

As it were, all she could feel at the moment was disgust at what Ambit had done, and trepidation about what he planned to do. He'd set Rayla, Helna, and Shayla to watching the entrance after hideously transforming them into ferocious beasts. Who knew how he'd corrupted their minds using the holy gifts of Mentis?

She wished she could resist or stop Ambit somehow. Hadn't that been her purpose? She was a guard. Her role was to stop men like him. What was she supposed to do though? No matter how she racked her brain for a solution, none came. It was like she was missing something, something essential to her function. How did people like her stop intruders? Words wouldn't work. Blocking him with her body would be pointless. She could think of nothing else. Why was she a guard, if guards were so ineffectual?

Regardless, here they were. She felt on edge not only from his utter dominance of her using Mentis, but of her nakedness in front of the man. Her white robe lay a few feet away but she refused to don it once more for fear that he might command her to remove it. And that, being forced to take it off against her will, she could not bear.

What did he plan to do next? Evidently he was interested in doing something with her, as her sisters were set to their task of allowing Ambit and her time together. She shuddered involuntarily then made a silent prayer in her mind to Sister Mind.

Let my mind be my own. No more corruption by this foul monster. Please, let me...be me.

She could do little but wait. Mentis had compelled her to avoid opposing Ambit in any way. Escape of any kind was likewise ingrained into her psyche. She knew it, and it was now a part of her, but that did not prevent her from shuddering again at just how much power Ambit possessed over her.

“Well," he said at last. “I've been thinking of ways to experiment. To push to the limits of what Mentis can do. I've got a few ideas prepared. I've made sure we won't be disturbed, so don't hold out any hope that you're going to be rescued. I'll just scour that from your mind if you do, at any rate." He smiled that disgusting smile. “Shall we begin?"

“Please," she said. “Please don't do this. Mentis is for the Chosen only. Simply place it back on the pedestal, and leave. Please."

He shook his head at her, like a father to a disobedient daughter. “I'm afraid not. Now then." He raised the wand. “Fear me."

Suddenly the man was terrifying in every way. His face was the face of a horrifying, hellish monster. He could rip her apart with his hands, crush her beneath his boot if he so desired. And he was here. Not five feet away.

Sister Mind, anyone, help me! HELP ME! she screamed in her mind as she stumbled away from him. Her rear bumped into the White Pedestal. In a flash she was over it, and scrambling on hands and knees to the edge of the platform. She chanced a glance back at the man. He smiled a terrifying, horrible smile, and stepped toward her.

NO! NO!

She fingered the edge of the platform. There was nowhere to go. Thirty feet below was the unforgiving stone of the sanctum floor. The only safe way down was the staircase behind the man. But taking even a step in that direction was impossible. Unfathomable.

Her life was over. This was the end.

“Fear the ceiling instead," he heard his voice hiss from behind the ivory wall of his perfect teeth.

A pressure descended on her from above. Hardly daring to breathe, she turned her head to look up at the ceiling high above. The windows of light in the dome. The gray stonework of the sanctum ceiling. The elaborate curls where the pillars held it up.

All of it was horrible. Horrible in the most awful of ways.

“Please!" she cried. “Please, someone, protect me!"

Her eyes alighted on the man, Ambit. Instantly, she was on her feet, dashing into his arms. Maybe he could protect her. He had both wands after all. But the ceiling was inescapable. It would still get her, no doubt. It would get both of them. Oh, Sister Mind, why? Why was this happening to her? Her skin was damp with sweat, her eyes squeezed firmly shut. There was no escape.

Then the fear was gone. She stepped out of Ambit's arms, staring at him as he lowered Mentis back to his side.

She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it. Reduced to a terrified baby by his hand. It was sickening. It was wrong. Knowing that she, the final guardian of the White Pedestal and its ancient treasure, was so helpless and useless against him was a thought she could not bear.

Worst of all, she knew they were only getting started.

***

Ambit tapped one finger against his smile, his arms folded. He could see the despair and disbelief in her green eyes, past those brown locks. If he wished, he knew, he could eradicate those emotions from her. But where would the fun be in that? If he used Mentis too much, she wouldn't be a person anymore. She wouldn't be a human being. No, she'd be a lifeless automaton molded to his whims. Completely safe. Totally subservient. Thus, no fun.

“Bah. Back to experimenting! Time for other emotions."

With Mentis, he pressed shyness into her. Molded her psyche into that of a girl who would rather die than be in the spotlight. His smile grew as she averted her eyes, and covered herself up. Like a cat watching a mouse, his eyes followed her as she dove for her discarded robe and scrambled to shrug it on. Then, as if pretending he wasn't there, she cautiously edged to the part of the platform furthest from him and held her knees close as she sat. Studiously, she avoided looking at him as she made herself as small as she could.

Interesting. But not at all surprising. Let's try the opposite. He pushed a new emotion across the psychic connection, focused on feeling her mind transform across that link.

Within moments, the robe had been torn off with willful swagger. She proudly displayed her fine breasts to him, and with a playful smirk, thrust out her hips and swayed them suggestively. The coarse brown hair around her vagina was in plain view. Just as she liked it, he figured. She turned a slow circle, raising her pale arms in a sensual dance. Her mockingly coy smile followed him. As the emotion reached its peak, she strutted up to him shamelessly and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Hey there," she whispered. Hot breath splashed against his lips. He felt his heart beat within his chest, and a tingling down below.

“Er, whoops," he muttered. “Didn't mean for this to go in a sexual direction. Although..." He toyed with using the wand to force her into sexual acts. But that was wrong. Definitely wrong. Wrong in a way that was worse than anything else he'd considered thus far.

But, if he made her enjoy it? If he made it the best experience of her life?

No! No, he refused to cross that line in such a spectacular fashion. There'd be plenty of time for that later, now that he had Mentis.

He cleared his throat. “Enough of that." Another touch of Mentis and she backpedaled away, horrified at how forward she'd been now that the emotions were gone.

“The experiments continue," he murmured, raising Mentis once again.

For a half hour longer, he pushed the limits of what the wand could do. He quizzed her on memories after erasing or modifying them. He manipulated her personality, transforming her temporarily into entirely different sorts of people. He covered all the basic emotions, then advanced to more complex ones like reluctant acceptance, unwanted jealousy, and heartbreak. He tested how far his orders could be disobeyed, to ensure that his will could not be misinterpreted or bypassed. He inflicted permanent honesty on her in regards to her responses to his questions, and he laid a compulsion for her to respond at all.

After testing Mentis' ability to inflict raw pain on the mind, to unquestionable results, Ambit felt a flash of disgust at what he was doing. He withdrew the pain and helped a weak Ella to her feet. She walked past him, hugging herself.

“Enough of that," he said quietly. He faced away from her and tucked Mentis away, perhaps with a bit more force than he'd intended.

Ella sniffled quietly behind him. By now, she was resigned to her fate. All she did was recover from the previous experiment and await the next. A moron for subscribing to the faith of Sister Mind, she might be, but no single individual deserved the full slew of tests that he was pushing on her. Yet, he needed to test the full capabilities of Mentis as soon as possible, for his own safety. Not knowing the limits of the artifact he used was far too dangerous.

Eh, I'll give her a break. Give her something nice. And not the artificial 'nice' caused by Mentis.

“Ella," he said, turning to the girl again. “Please, have a seat." He gestured to the pedestal. Obedient now, she sat in it before wiping her nose and hiding her face.

“What's your favorite animal? Your favorite animal in the whole world? Across all the planes, of every beast you've heard?"

“Unicorn," she muttered with her face still averted. Gods, she must hate him.

Ambit straightened and grabbed Corporis from his belt. “I can't do much for you Ella. But I hope you enjoy this, at least." He pointed the tip at her, and fired its magic.

Her chest and belly immediately began to swell, swallowing up her breasts. The robe tore and fell from her. Her hips shifted, placing her on hands and feet that hardened and pressed into glossy black hooves. Arms lengthened into skinny forelegs to place her back parallel to the ground. A beautiful golden tail of silken hair sprouted from above her bulging rear as matching mane hairs sprouted along her thickening neck. Her eyes showed surprise, then recognition at what she was becoming. Her nostrils dilated upon a growing muzzle. Teeth rearranged, her whole face transforming into a totally different sort of beast. A thin coat of absolutely gorgeous white hair sprouted from her whole body. It positively gleamed in the light cast from the windows high above. Her new equine ears flicked as she whickered. As her eyes darkened in color, Ambit watched them upturn to follow the slender white horn extend from her forehead. Then it was done. A fully grown and fit unicorn mare stood before him.

Ambit walked slowly around the majestic creature, confident that it could do no harm to him. Every detail was perfect. The hair, especially the mane and tail, were glorious. After all the transformation he'd ever inflicted with Corporis, this one might have been the most beautiful. Unicorns were renowned for their beauty for good reason, it seemed.

He gave her a minute to grow accustomed to the form as she trotted around the platform and experimentally reared back on her hind legs. He couldn't be sure, but it seemed she was enjoying it. What was she thinking?

“Here, let me do a little trick I learned after a couple months with Corporis. It'll let you talk."

The concentration required was a bit more intensive than normal, but he knew the black wand inside and out. He pushed humanity at Ella with as close to half a dose as he could manage. Simultaneously, he pulled an equal amount of unicorn essence from her body.

Her hips shifted as her chest collapsed to become more human-like. Breasts reappeared, though they remained covered in pristine white hair. Her forelegs regressed toward human proportions, as did her hind legs, neck, and face. The hooves of her new arms cracked and became two thick fingers with a thumb. When it was all over, an anthropomorphic unicorn mare rose to her legs before him. An anthro, for short. She worked her shortened muzzle, testing its motion.

“Say something," he requested.

“Hm, erm, hello?" Her voice was different, more equine somehow, yet the same. A perfect voice for the old Ella in a new body.

“How was it? How do you feel?"

“It was...I'm not sure. I need a moment to think it through."

He nodded and fell silent. Ambit had grown well used to people needing a while to sort through their experience of being in a new body. He himself had experienced the disorientation and incredible new sensations more than once. He'd very, very sparingly used Corporis to transform his own body, as losing the ability to manipulate the wand would make any changes permanent. But nothing would stop him from experimenting and pushing the limits of the tool.

“It was glorious. Even this form is...it's nice. To be so beautiful, so pure. It's something I've always strived for. Unicorns are..."

“Magical?" he supplied.

She nodded, with a faint smile on her muzzle.

Ambit realized the girl was growing on him when he felt a touch of something like affection in reaction to her smile. And it was always bad to grow attached to someone he treated as a mere test subject for his experiments. He'd experienced it in the early days of using Corporis, and it was happening to him again now.

The difference was that now he had control over bodies and minds. The world was at his fingertips. It didn't matter if he was growing attached, because he could always change that. Whether by turning her into something grotesque in mind or body, or by carefully altering his own thoughts. But was it a bad thing to have these feelings? Would his life be better if his attraction was eliminated?

He gave a mental sigh. I suppose we had to get to this point sooner or later.

He sheathed Corporis and drew Mentis again. A terrible power he held in his hands, but there was no one in the world more deserving of it than him. He refused to not use it. Even on himself.

I swear I'll never tamper too much with my own psyche, he promised himself as his eyes unfocused from Ella and the world around him. But it's a line I'm willing to cross. And should cross, if I'm to be a worthy master of this thing. I'd be failing to achieve Mentis' potential if I used it solely on others.

He caught Ella watching curiously out of the corner of his eye as he leveled Mentis at his own forehead. Carefully, meticulously, he thought threw his intention. He determined that what he was going to do would not prevent him from using the wand again, which was his priority above all. A few more checks, and he was ready.

I'll start with something mild. Something simple, almost normal. Sexual preferences. People across all the realms already have all sorts of standards and opinions, so this change really means nothing in the grand scheme of things.

With that, he linked the wand with his own mind, and pushed himself to be attracted to the thing that Ella had become. An anthro. To consider a blending of human and animal to be perfectly moral, perfectly acceptable in every way, and above all, perfectly desirable to his perceptions.

Ambit thought the wand had failed, after the link subsided. He'd felt nothing. He turned his gaze to Ella, the nude anthro unicorn, and his error was made obvious.

It had definitely worked.

His eyes roved the curves of her plump breast, wide hips, perfect cleft between her muscled legs. The tuft of fur-like white hair around her hooves was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the golden hair that tumbled over her forehead around the base of that perfect unicorn horn. His breaths grew hot and heavy as he admired her form. It was gorgeous, beyond beautiful.

She must have seen the way he was looking at her, because she crossed her legs and turned partly away. A self-conscious frown crossed those equine lips on her muzzle. It only made Ambit want her more. He took a step toward her but then forced himself to stop.

No. This is not a line I will cross. If she doesn't want to, and there is no way in any hell that she would, then I will not force her.

But the need would not be denied. He grimaced with a measure of regret as he unbuckled his belt and placed it, with the two wands, on the ground by his feet. He allowed his trousers to fall so that he could reach down and stroke his throbbing hardness.

Ella snorted out of her nostrils and turned away with what was obviously absolute disgust. Ambit couldn't blame her. But gods, he was horny. He must have overdone it, must have twisted his mind to have a real fetish for creatures like Ella.

“Oh, don't look at me like that!" he snapped. He plucked Mentis from the ground and changed her mind before placing it back down.

Men stroking themselves so openly is completely normal to you. What I'm doing is the most normal thing in the world.

A moment later, as Ambit's lustful gaze roamed her naked form, Ella asked in a disarmingly casual voice, “What's next, then? Can I be a human again? Or a unicorn, if I must? It's just that being halfway like this is...odd. It feels unnatural."

He refused to have this sight taken away from him. It was the most arousing thing he'd ever seen. Even from afar, it was at least as good as the best sex he'd ever had. If only Ella loved being this way, loved flaunting her figure...

He spat out a curse as he grabbed Mentis again. Hurriedly, he impressed upon Ella a deep-seated delight for the form of the anthropomorphic beast. For the blend of human and animal. And, almost without meaning to, he gave her a moderate dose of exhibitionist nature.

Damn, thought Ambit as he continued to pleasure himself. I'm beginning to use the wand more intuitively. I'll have to be careful or I'll make a mistake and lose control over the changes I'm inflicting on her. Using Mentis' power casually would be a bad habit to get into.

Ella began to sway in another small dance before his eyes. A flirtatious smile touched her muzzle. At times, she seemed to hesitate, probably wondering why she was feeling so free with her exposed body. But like all beings, the way one felt trumped thoughts and logic. Her nature could not be denied, artificial as it was.

Ambit loved it. A private, exotic show all for him and him alone. It was perfect. Well, almost perfect. If she could put that muzzle to good use...

He reached for Mentis, hesitated, stopped. No. He would not force her to want him.

But, said a small voice in his head, we can make her more likely to. We can make her predisposed to doing what you like, without forcing her to like it with the wand's power.

He hastily agreed. He was getting close after all. Calling upon Mentis yet again, he pushed some elegantly-wrought predilections into her brain. A fascination with the use of her new lips, tongue, and teeth. A nagging urge to taste his exposed manhood. And, to ensure that the pieces would fall together correctly, he dampened her distaste of the man he was and what he had done.

It wasn't long before he had Ella suckling his cock. Her lengthy horse-tongue wrapped multiple times around his manhood, her teeth ever-so-gently brushing the top and bottom. The hot exhalations from her nostrils rustled his pubic hair. He reached out to grab her horn, guiding her back-and-forth motion. It was a perfect hand-hold. Unicorns must have been designed for this, he concluded.

His other hand began fondling her white breasts, tweaking her nipples. Ella gave little whickers in response, not quite equine but not at all human, either. Her vocalizations turned him on so much, so very very much. The anthro before him was just what he fancied, as he'd inflicted that very quality on himself with the help of Mentis.

His limit approached. He pulled more vigorously on her horn, grabbed at her breasts and neck with more passion. Finally, he exploded into her throat. She milked him with gentle constrictions of her tongue, sucking out every ounce of his semen and swallowing it eagerly. The fascinations and desires he'd invoked in her were working perfectly.

A moment later, he stepped backward. Part of him was horrified at what he'd done. How he'd bent the barriers he'd placed upon himself. The other part of him spoke up.

What's the point of having this godlike power if you're afraid to use it? Are you so afraid of screwing up or twisting yourself beyond recognition that you're only going to use Mentis to make tiny little changes? No, you've done well. Everything's fine. That was incredible, you loved it, she liked it, everyone's happy. Stop second-guessing yourself.

That second part won his internal battle by a landslide. He'd just been given a blow-job by an incredibly sexy, mystical creature of his own design and creation. Truly, he was a god among mortals. The power he used was simply excellent. Excellent indeed.

He felt weary and impotent as he became flaccid again. But he'd learned long ago that a lack of sexual drive could easily be fixed. Resisting the temptation to slump on the pedestal with Ella beside him and take a snooze, he pulled off his shirt, picked up Corporis, and pointed at himself. With practiced ease, he pushed the essence of the gorilla into his body.

His nose collapsed inward as his nostrils widened. His skull extended backward and upward while his neck thickened with muscle. Black, fur-like hair rippled down his head, neck, and arms. Gray and white hair spread down his lower back and his legs. His posture changed, and he allowed his heavy knuckles to pound into the stone. He closed his eyes, feeling all of his muscles bulging with compact power. He was a force of nature. A mighty gorilla. As was his custom, childish as it was, he reared back and beat his chest with the vitality he felt coursing within him.

Once he felt the change touch his testicles, filling them with seed once again, he pointed the wand at himself again with his powerful gorilla fingers. Hair receded. Muscle shrank. Spine straightened. Five seconds later, he was his human self again. Naked as the beautiful mare before him.

His cock began to harden with renewed lust. A very fortunate and handy side-effect of transformation. He could go time and time again, as long as he reshaped his body into something new each time.

“Amazing," Ella murmured. She'd watched him transform, of course. For a second he was confused by her openness with him. Then he realized he'd dampened her negative feelings toward him. He allowed himself a fiendish grin.

To her, I am a god. She is completely under my power. What shall we do next?

A tiny voice like guilt in his mind again urged him to caution. To be the master, and not allow himself to be mastered by his megalomania. But it was fading. Never had he felt such power. None would be able to defy him once he'd familiarized himself with Mentis as well as he had with Corporis. He had deadly and obedient guards watching the chamber. He could do whatever he wanted with Ella, and no one could stop him. Guaranteed. Easy as pie.

He chuckled. “Yes, it is amazing," he said to the unicorn woman in front of him. “Now then, what do you love most? What could your deepest craving possibly be?"

Ella shrugged, and flaunted her lovely smile. Still a show-off. “Besides the rewards of my faith? Perhaps an ice cold drink on a hot day."

“Not for long," said Ambit as he raised Mentis. He closed his eyes, focusing on the mental connection. Barely, he imagined he could sense the desires he'd implanted that had pushed her to give him a blow job. Now he urged them to grow and blossom. To eclipse all other desires. To be the one source of ultimate joy in her life.

When he opened his eyes, her lips were already opening to swallow his manhood once again.

Life was good.

A few minutes later, he reverted to human from gorilla once again.

“Isn't this fun, Ella? Isn't this the most wonderful day of your life?" he sighed. He sat on the pedestal beside her, stroking her long ears, amusing himself when they twitched at his touch. He caught her eying his manhood eagerly, but fortunately she exercised some patience.

Compelled to reply honestly, she said, “It's not the most wonderful day of my life by any means, but it's undeniably fun. In the most vile, sinful, and primal of ways." She smiled at him and puffed a snort at his face.

“It's not the best day of your life?" He gasped in mock horror. “We have to change that! Quick, what's your next favorite animal after unicorn?"

“Wolf."

Moments later, her black canine snout was licking his manhood for all she was worth. Lovely growls sent vibrations along his cock, and the animalistic sound was music to his ears. Thanks to Mentis, he was living through his ultimate fetish. The dark claws of her footpaws clicked against the stone of the platform as she readjusted her position to get more of her snout around his cock. In a casual display of flexibility, she crouched down on her furred legs to bring herself even lower. The tuft of midnight black fur between her two plump breasts brushed against Ambit's wrist as he fondled one of them. He could see her tail, curled and erect, past the long black fur of her back. He blew a breath at one of her pointed ears, and grinned when it twitched.

Life was so, so good.

After he'd erupted into her eager snout, full of teeth that could never harm him, he transformed to gorilla and then to human yet again. He was ready for more.

An hour passed. An hour of rapid fire transformations of Ella into the sexiest anthros that either of them could imagine. Fox. Lioness. Rabbit. Along the way, he couldn't help but make more subtle alterations to her mind. For both their sakes, it was better this way. He made her less eager to suck his cock in between their sessions. He needed to be the one to initiate it. He gave her a exploratory wonder at changing forms, so she was always ready to try something new. As long as it was an anthropomorphic creature, and it always was, Ambit was more than willing to have it give him a blow job. Finally, he decided to switch it up even more.

Mentis replaced her desire to blow him with a desire for vaginal intercourse. He didn't bother asking her permission. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Once the deed was done, she was a new person, one who genuinely was what she'd had become. How she felt about the idea didn't matter, because she was going to become a new person who wanted to take his cock into her vagina no matter what.

His first round with her was predictably better than the blow jobs he'd been receiving. He'd transformed her into a stunning anthropomorphic river otter. Her dainty, whiskered muzzle was just adorable. Ambit loved the way her thick, rudder-like tail beat between his feet as he laid Ella down and pounded the slit between her legs. He could feel every motion of her tail since his cock was inside her at the base of it. Ella squeaked and writhed and laughed and kissed. She absolutely relished the sex. He'd made sure of that.

Next was a black panther. Then a goat, then skunk, then seal. Together they progressed to even stranger anthros. Eagle. Chameleon. Cow. Ambit was fascinated with how his mind now worked. No matter what creature he turned Ella into, his brain always interpreted it as extremely attractive. Every time she possessed a blend of human and animal, so every time, he was very much into it. He wondered if his past self would be mortified with the sorts of creatures he was fucking. Really, a bird-thing? Really, a fat herd animal with udders full of cow milk?

Nevertheless he could not deny how he felt. Which was wonderful.

A few times, he heard roars, or human voices from near the entryway. He did not permit himself to grow worried. He had a dragon, and then some. Time and time again, the disturbances fled. The sanctum was impregnable. It was his sanctum now. Until he'd had his fill.

The light from the apertures of the dome dwindled as night fell. He was too excited and ready for more to allow himself to sleep, but he refused to tamper with his mind to grant induced insomnia. Instead, he made a clever mental change in both him and Ella: when sleep was desired, the urge to slumber would increase about tenfold. Satisfied, he laid himself down and instantly fell asleep in the arms of an anthro-leopard-shaped Ella. A dangerous form, just in case.

The next day, with his mind relatively clear, he turned away from Ella and the desire she elicited. He found that, of course, his four guardians had stayed awake all night to protect him. Aghast at his oversight, he ordered the tigress to go out and bring him a new victim. Unharmed, but not conscious. She returned eight minutes later, breathing hard, so eager to please him, so alive with the thrill of a hunt at his behest, with a woman in white robes in her jaws. Ambit patted the tigress on the head with words of praise, and she nuzzled his body with transparent joy.

After modifying the woman into a devoutly loyal servant in the body of a swift and strong centaur, she sent her out to bring more humans for Ambit to change. And so on. By midday, Ambit had practically had an entire spy network. Birds of prey patrolled the sky, regularly reporting back to him. Monsters and fearsome beasts patrolled the now-abandoned temple. A humongous, nine-headed hydra stood on the sanctum floor, with her heads vigilantly scanning the surrounding countryside via the high windows of the dome. The only other way to get inside the chamber. By nightfall, Ambit commanded twenty humans-turned-beasts, each who would rather die than displease him. All except Ella. Her, he left relatively as herself. He coupled with her on his breaks between issuing commands or formulating strategies.

On the third day, the inner sanctum had become a luxury palace. He had servants to take his waste, to bring him food and water, to play music for his pleasure, to entertain him with comedy or drama, to inform him of the goings-on for miles and miles, to assure him that the strategic steps he was taking were good ones. Thanks to Mentis, he could alter and enhance minds with ridiculous ease. To the bard, he granted a mind that delighted in beat and rhythm, and an innate knack for analyzing and understanding music. To the cooks, he granted culinary passion and great manual dexterity. Each servant was specialized, and all of them loved their role. Ambit took pleasure in seeing his people happy, after all. He was no tyrant. No dictator.

Ambit's keenest interest was his sexual exploration. He inspired desire in two of his subjects for one another, and watched with Ella as the now-lesbian servants moaned their passions as they pleasured each other. First as humans. Then as two anthro foxes. Then as mismatched pairs. Rat and tabby cat. Wolf and buffalo. Ambit was greatly amused by the predator-prey match-ups.

He had his servants watch him and Ella. He had them watch, and made them so aroused by the sight that they couldn't help but dip clawed fingers between their swollen lips, and wish desperately that it was they instead who were receiving the master's pleasures. He hosted wild orgies, quashed any jealousy that formed in Ella's head. Leaping from beast to beast, transforming himself to renew his vigor as quickly as possible – it was a blur of pleasure, an indescribable passion of which he would often dream.

Finally, early in the second week, when he found himself almost beginning to grow bored with the vast diversity of sexual experiences he'd had, Ambit decided to take the plunge.

“Ella. How do you feel about sex in...a more feral form?"

She blinked bemused coyote eyes, the flavor of the day. “Anything is fine with me by now, Ambit. You're not attracted to animals, though. Are you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. “No. No I'm not. But I could be. You see? The body wand only permits me to grant the forms of beasts. Sooner or later, I should make myself more attuned to them, so to speak. It makes logical sense that I find pleasure in all of my creations, right?"

Ella's eyes wandered in thought before she nodded. “Yes. Let's do it. It's bound to be an adventure!"

Ambit chuckled, reassured despite himself. Was it possible at this point for Ella to disagree with his opinions? Then he raised Mentis, worked out exactly what he intended, and molded his mind to his own whim. Animals. Animals of every kind. Anything he could create would be to some degree attractive to him. Though he left some room for natural preference as well, so that he would not be as attracted to, say, giant slug monsters from distant planes.

He opened his eyes and beheld the sexy canine before him. Would she still be attractive as a full, no-holds-barred, animal? He raised Corporis. She nodded.

“Suggestions?"

“Unicorn."

He grinned and loosed the magic. Her fur bleached and thinned to a coat of white. Canine muzzle broadened into that of a unicorn. The horn extended. Clawed digits became hooves. Through it all, she barreled in size. Ella was a unicorn once more. A feral one, so to speak. Not anthro.

And, as he'd wanted, Ambit felt a novel stirring in his pants. He tried to mount her, but even using the pedestal he wasn't able to get a proper height. He eyed her dark lips behind the golden tail she'd so kindly lifted, and concluded that even if he did penetrate, there was far too much room in there for much pleasure to be wrought.

“We'd better start with something smaller," he said, flicking Corporis. Her body shrank, hair brightening, a spotted pattern emerging. Seconds later Ella was a suave cheetah pacing around his legs and rubbing his package with the tip of her tail.

He gripped the base of her tail with one hand and one of her furry hips with the other. Sex with this wild animal beneath him was just as pleasurable as with anthros, but in a different way. This was feral, bestial on a much higher level. The way she vivaciously pressed herself into his length, the way her gleaming cat eyes flashed at him with animal lust, the way there were no breasts to grab, or even in sight. This was taboo, this was inhuman.

The forbidden nature of the act only enhanced the experience.

Unfortunately, it only took half a day for Ambit to exhaust all the compatible animals he could think of. There was a solution, he knew, but it was another line he refused to cross. So he held off. For one day. Two. Then his resolve broke.

“For this one, we're going big," he announced at the base of the steps where there was plenty of room. “For this one, we're going majestic. It's all or nothing. If I'm going to do this, I'm doing it in spectacular fashion. You ready Ella?"

In human form to better admire the inhuman changes, Ella nodded her readiness and willingness. Corporis recoiled in Ambit's hands as a full dose of draconic essence struck out. Then Ella was falling to all fours with practiced skill as her body practically exploded with growth. Her scales were a lovely blue, somewhere between the sky and the sea. Her vicious snout had two fangs that peeked out. Elegant horns curved behind her massive skull at the end of her long, long neck. Her limbs were muscled but svelte, just like her claws and her huge wings. She roared softly as she finished. With lively anticipation, her long tail whipped to and fro above his head as she turned a slow circle for him. Ambit's desire rose to the surface, threatening to obliterate all other thoughts.

There, between her massive, reptilian legs was his goal. That thin slit surrounded by fine scales at the base of that lovely tail of this lovely creature. He wanted it, he wanted to fuck it hard and fast like a wild animal. But he was much too small, and his human body far too petty for such a glorious prize.

Until now.

Ambit, comfortable in his nudity, leveled Corporis at his own body and gave himself the same treatment. Never before had he been a dragon. To say he was anxious was a bit of an understatement. He clenched his teeth and got to all fours as he felt the changes begin.

His legs were jostled apart by a widening pelvis for a wider stance. His shoulders contorted and his neck straightened. He was a four-legged creature now. All the bones, tendons, and muscles of his body were shifting in a way he had never experienced. His elbows rotated, his fingers thickened, his knuckles moved, his knees shifted, his ankles extended, his fingernails sharpened. It was so much sensory input, too much to take in. Yet the changes progressed.

His neck elongated, threatening to make him lose his balance and fall forward. A thick, very thick tail pushed out between his hind legs to counter-balance him. He became strangely aware of new appendages that unfolded and grew more detailed by the second. Wings. He had wings. Huge, huge wings. His skin was gone, replaced by armor that covered every single inch of his swelling body. Gods he was big. He could crush a dog with one step. Soar into the air with one beat of his wings. His chest was a deep furnace with liquid fire boiling inside. The warmth spread through his veins, filling him with vigor. Cold-blooded? Quite the opposite.

Lastly, his skull deformed into the massive cranium of a dragon. He winced as a myriad of sharp teeth replaced his omnivorous human ones. His eyes widened to his superior sense of smell even as he felt something within his eyeballs change. He could feel his ears lengthening beside bony extrusions behind his forehead. He wanted to wince again, but this new face was not as expressive as a human's. Feeling the changes complete, he raised his ponderous head high, dizzyingly high above the sanctum floor, and roared the defiant roar of a new dragon.

His scales were jet black, his wings a mysterious gray color. He craned his neck to look backward at himself, immersed in all of the new feelings. The surprise he felt at his neck's range of motion was a dim revelation next to all of the other sensations. His tail, most of all – it was so long! Yet so powerful, like a whip combined with a battering ram.

Then he felt warm scales brush against his monstrously huge flank. There beside him was Ella. His prize. His beautiful lover. He knew dragons didn't have facial expressions, but Ambit could have sworn he saw an eager lust written all over her vicious muzzle. He felt something thick, heavy, and hot emerge from between his legs. Confirming the phenomenon with his long neck, he let out a lustful growl that came completely naturally in his new form.

Her shapely blue tail raised for him as Ella looked back with suggestion in her sparkling blue eyes. His slitted nostrils dilated in response to an undeniably erotic scent wafting out of her reptilian slit. Like lightning, Ambit leaped atop her and quickly plunged his dragonhood into her hot folds. Steady, powerful thrusts. Insatiable heat between their legs. He pressed his long neck along hers, felt his snout against her own. He looked lovingly at her with one eye. With his body atop hers, their necks and faces side by side, and even their tails twisted around one another, their coitus was complete. Nothing could be more perfect. There were so many points of contact, all of them so intimate.

Dragons, he found, took a very long time to mate. Which was fine with him. The building pressure and fire in his loins took the better part of half an hour to reach the breaking point. The build-up was a tease in itself. Ambit drank in the sensations, knowing that this first special time could never be repeated. He drank in her eyes, her frills, her lovely horns, her delicate wings. And the feel of her inner depths leaking hot moisture all around his proud dragonhood.

Finally, with a slow rush of undeniable pressure, he erupted hot semen deep into her womb. A roar split from his throat, and from Ella's as well. Their twin roar resounded off the walls and the pillars, and all the other creatures in the room were spellbound by the blast of sound from the master and his lover. Then, something even hotter rose in his throat. Ambit let it out. A streak of red-hot dragonfire sprayed in a blinding arc against the stone ceiling of the sanctum, leaving behind singed black. He cut off the flow of fire only when his orgasm ended. Which took a good thirty seconds.

Ambit pushed himself off his massive dragoness, and walked up beside her to wrap his neck around hers. They crouched on their haunches together, two dragons at peace in their sanctum. He still refused to cross the line into forcing Ella to love him. But after that experience, he knew he'd made some strides without Mentis' intervention.

***

Three months passed. Three idyllic months of steady progress.

The inner sanctum of Sister Mind's most sacred temple gradually became the throne room for Ambit's new kingdom.

The small force of devoted servants evolved into a citizenry that only shared one quality with everyone else: their unquestionable loyalty to their king.

Ambit pushed the possibilities of Mentis and Corporis to their utmost. He made elaborate and precise alterations to the minds of his citizens in order to maximize their productivity and happiness. He had colonies of rat and rabbit breeders to output offspring as quickly as possible. Their forms were fluid; when they were developed enough, he gave them forms that were needed at the time. He had birds and bats scouting far and wide, day and night. He had hyper-intelligent and hyper-passionate advisers in every subject, from diplomacy to zoology to sex.

The sexual explorations of Ella and Ambit had all but exhausted the many, many possibilities that existed. The throne room had seen every sort of encounter: humans, anthros, ferals; small, large, tremendous; mythical, ordinary; sober, drunk, high, bewitched; and variations in every other category. Ambit was sure of it.

There remained but two lines he refused to cross, even after months with the wands of mind and body. Further manipulation of Ella's mind, and relinquishing the wands to anyone else.

Only one of those lines remained uncrossed.

Ambit broached a new topic with Ella one night. With the development of his kingdom and all the work and decision-making required, his voice had taken on a mature, matter-of-fact tone as of late. The pair lay on fine cushions with servants wafting cool air at them with fans. Tonight, he was a hulking wolf-man, she a mesmerizing snake-woman. No legs, but two arms.

“I've been paranoid. I've had a delusion in my head that if I let others use the wands, they'll use them against me. But only recently have I realized how idiotic I've been. How could those around me use the wands to my detriment when they're all so deeply loyal to me? It's simply impossible. They would never undo the changes I've caused, because they truly do have my happiness and our prosperity at heart."

“True enough." Ella smiled and closed her slit-pupilled eyes against the fanning. “You know I'll support you in any of your experimentation. We've tried everything else. If you could switch it up by giving the wands to someone else to play with, it would certainly be exciting. We could use some excitement. But first lay down mental precautions to the person to whom you will give the wands."

“Therein lies the problem, my sweet." A frustrated growl escaped from between his sizable fangs. “I cannot give the wands away while giving orders for their use. That defeats the purpose. The novelty, the excitement, the mystery will be gone. I must give them away freely. I must give them away, and hope that whoever I give them to finds exciting ways to use them without ruining what I've created."

“Give them to me."

He looked at her wildly, his nose twitching, and she laughed a hissing laugh at his surprise. She said, “You know I cannot betray you with them. And you know there is no one in your kingdom who understands you or what you've done better than I. I was there at the beginning. I was the first one upon whom you used Sister Mind's wand, remember?"

He licked the delicate scales of her face. “I remember it well, my sweet. I believe I'd sooner give the wands to you than to any other. Still, let me think on this."

A week later, he was decided. He stood beside her, both of them human, in the luxurious, circular space of the throne room dedicated to sex of all kinds. Despite what he'd said to her, he used Mentis to bind the actions of Ella. She did not object.

Never use Mentis or Corporis to betray me or undo the mental changes I've laid upon you. My happiness is your first priority.

These commands did not have any visible effect. Ambit figured that was because her mind was already working along those same lines. She smiled at him, and he returned it reluctantly. Then, holding his breath, he handed over the black and white wands.

Ella took them with eyes wide and bright. Ambitious eyes.

“Hm," she murmured, tapping a finger against her temple. “What shall I do first?"

Ambit let out a slow breath. “Whatever you think, sweet. That's the whole idea. Do something new, something fresh."

“How about...this?" She raised Mentis slowly toward his forehead, and Ambit braced himself. A moment later, he cautiously opened his eyes, wondering what the change was. His eyes alighted upon Ella, and he felt a fierce, ravenous lust overtake his senses.

Oh yes. This is more like it!

He lunged at her, bearing her to the ground, as his thickening hardness probed for her entrance. Ella let out a delighted laugh once she got her wind back. Then she used Corporis first on him, then on her. A few seconds later, he was an otter pounding away at a ferret with the energetic flexibility that only mustelids can know. He came explosively into her lanky body with a flurry of squeaks and chitters. Ella bounded over to the wand, grasped it in both tiny hands, and transformed them back to human.

“Incredible. Simply incredible. I've never felt that way before," he told her breathlessly. “Even the anticipation, now knowing what you're going to do, how I'm going to feel, what I'm going to become...that alone is an incredible gift. I couldn't be happier with my choice."

“Oh, I think you'll be happier, after this!" She used the black wand, and then he was a three-headed monster dog thrusting vigorously into the depths of a kitsune. All three of his heads reeled with the pleasure of it, the impossible lust that her use of Mentis had imparted to him. He'd always been cautious with how much he modified minds, but she had a wild abandon that trumped all the modifications he'd ever made. He needed her, needed her so deeply. In whatever form. In whatever way. He needed her, thanks to Mentis. And he was so satisfied when he had her.

They traded use of the wands. Increasingly, he let her have them, to surprise him. She continued to make radical changes on his mind. Never radical enough to pose a threat to his sanity or their purpose, but enough to blow his mind in every sexual experience.

One day, five months from the day he'd seized Mentis from the pedestal, Ella tampered with his sense of loyalty. In addition to giving him mind-blanking animal lust, she heightened his sense of loyalty to her for the duration of their intercourse. In those minutes, she was his everything. He would not even think of putting his own pleasure before her own. Any thought of the outside world vanished. She was a goddess in his eyes who could do no wrong.

When the mind transformation was reversed, Ambit was in awe. The experience had been deeply enhanced by the connection he felt to his lover. Immediately, he asked her to repeat the experience. She was only too happy to oblige.

The next day, she heightened his attachment to her temporarily as well. He learned what it felt like to be a brain-washed sex slave. Absolutely wonderful. Yes, it was immoral, disgusting, and perverted when looking back on the experiences. But at the time, nothing could compare. Always she reverted the changes.

Until a couple of weeks later, she tried leaving the changes in place. Ambit found that he enjoyed the lingering need to please and satisfy Ella, his lover. Accordingly, Ella refrained from changing his mind back to normal. Both were pleased by the arrangement. So it grew. Grew in duration, in intensity. Ella pushed the limits of emotions that the brain could take.

Ambit, in the deep, deep depths of his infatuation, knew that it was wrong for only him to get to experience such devotion. When he next had the wands, he gave her a taste of the excessive loyalty and attachment that he had bathed in for weeks. Then, when she too reveled in the experience, he increased the strength of his changes upon her mind.

A week later, Ambit began to wave away the advisers and politicians who kept interrupting his time with Ella. Nothing was more important. The affairs of the kingdom could wait. He'd left capable people in charge after all.

Another week later, the memories that Ambit possessed that were unrelated to Ella seemed like distant, irrelevant things. Like dreams he could only half-remember.

Together, the pair escalated their game using Mentis. They were mating constantly. His only purpose in the universe was pleasing Ella. And her only purpose, pleasing him. Every form was used. Every modifier. All the stops were pulled.

Ambit was hers, and Ella was his. Life was uncomplicated, simple. Life was immeasurably passionate. Life was perfect.

***

The one year anniversary of The Kingdom of Ambit had arrived.

The sounds of revelry and celebration filled every city in the land. Stories were exchanged over fine food and drink. Music filled every room. Everyone gave thanks to their master Ambit for his hard work and genius in establishing the finest kingdom known in the realm. It was a day of joy. A day of gratefulness.

Shayla, currently in the form of a zebra for speed and distinctiveness, pushed open the heavy oaken doors to the throne room. As current head of the ruling council, it was her sacred, no, divine, duty to ensure that King Ambit was faring well. It was he who had brought such prosperity to the citizens. The one who had created the citizenry in the first place. Everyone owed everything to him. Everything.

Helna, one of King Ambit's personal attendants, pointed Corporis at her with a smile of greeting. Now in her anthropomorphic speaking form, Shayla approached the holiest of places in all of Ambit's kingdom.

The royal circle.

It was a circle of large radius, so that two of even the largest of forms could be accommodated. The twin thrones stood at the far edge. They were due for a dusting, she could see, but appearances meant little in the kingdom anyway. Anyone with eyes could see the success and happiness of the citizens. Empty thrones meant nothing.

“Everything goes well in the throne room, sister," said Helna. As an attendant, she needed dextrous digits to easily wield either of the wands. Accordingly, she was currently an anthro ring-tailed lemur. “The king is pleased as always, I'm happy to report!" She let out a sound halfway between a chitter and a human laugh.

Shayla smiled back. Excellent! “Happy anniversary to you. It's always immensely comforting to see the pleasure that King Ambit and Ella experience every day. They've more than earned it."

“I could not agree more, sister. Happy anniversary to you, too!" said Helna. “Best of luck at the monthly meeting for diplomatic affairs, tomorrow."

Shayla chuckled. Meetings, so many meetings were needed to run a kingdom. “I'm sure it'll go swimmingly."

She glanced to the king's other attendant, standing to the side of the circle as an anthro koala. The woman held Mentis aloft, swiveling it first at one of the beasts in the circle, than the other. Shayla knew the woman was amplifying the lust and devotion of her targets each time, constantly renewing them when they threatened to fall below absolute peak levels. Pushing them up past the limits that the mind could hold.

Shayla cast one last glance into the circle to reassure herself of the king's happiness. Yes, definitely happy. Then she turned and strode toward the oaken doors again. Helna jabbed Corporis at her again, and Shayla was a feral zebra once more. She left the throne room behind to rejoin the celebrations of the anniversary.

Helna sighed with contentment as she watched Shayla take her leave. What a magnificent kingdom she lived in. And how honored she was to have a role in it so key to King Ambit's minute-to-minute happiness. She readied Corporis once again as she saw her cue, in the center of the royal circle.

A black stallion neighed with single-minded fervor as his testicles squeezed and shook between his hind legs with the force of his orgasm. The cow lowed a similarly passionate mooo as white fluid burst out of her vaginal lips around the stallion's erect penis.

A warm smile crossed Helna's face as she decided to give the pair their favorite forms next, in honor of the kingdom's anniversary. The magic of Corporis reached out, transforming the pair into feral dragon and dragoness. Immediately, the frenzied sex of the pair began anew, complete with lusty roars and gouts of flame.

The rutting beasts in the circle sent bass rumbles through the entire palace. Helna sighed happily again, imagining the joy that everyone nearby would be feeling at the thought of what was continually happening in the royal circle. She caught warm smiles and looks of approval from the others in the chamber at what forms she had chosen, so she led them in a rousing cheer.

“All hail, King Ambit!"