Impish Intentions - Marie

The Impification of Alvez continues as the magic changes Marie from a bookish bard into... well, the same thing but smaller.  Following Kathalia (https://www.furaffinity.net/view/40532448/) and Gwae (https://www.furaffinity.net/view/40548219/), Marie is not particularly phased by the transformation, but her well-meaning attempts at pranks leave something to be desired. (Marie is best worst imp).  Inspired by a wonderful fanart series by  www.deviantart.com/ivanksmw drew of the Kroashent cast, transforming them from heroes into mischievous imp-like gargoul: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/35146235/ .  I've been wanting to try my hand at a similar sequence and finally had a chance last month.  These were a lot of fun to work on, so I hope you enjoy them

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The door creaked with an audible groan as Marie pushed it open, the light from the hallway spilling into the murky room.  Dim light poured in from the streetlamps and carriage-lamps outside of the Bourse, dancing across the high ceiling.  Aside from the shifting shadows from the window, the office was dark and gloomy. 

"Lord Mitaud?" Marie called out, the deafening silence of the room seeming to absorb the sound, making her feel smaller.  "Its Marie of Melun?  Your missive informed me my skills as a translator were needed?"  Carefully, she set down her leather bag and moved into the room.  A glow-orb sat on the table, growing brighter as Marie waved her hand over it, filling the room with a blue-white light.  Lord Mitaud's office, located at the top floor of the granite and whitestone complex, looked positively untouched, a thick layer of dust settled on most surfaces.  Shelves of boxes, papers and trinkets lines the walls without seeming rhyme or reason to their order. 

"I suppose your my reception?" Marie asked a suit of armor standing in the corner, the alchemical light shimmering off of its blued-steel exterior. "Well, it was kind of the Lord to send you to keep me company.  You could have tidied up the place a bit.  It looks like you've been here for long enough to have some free time."  She pulled the chair out from the desk and looked over what she had.  As the letter stated, a large book sat on the desk, as well as quills, an inkpot and several sheets of parchment.

"Your friend couldn't even spring for an inkstick?" Marie asked her metal companion "I haven't had to use a quill in ages.  Your lord is quite the old fashioned type."

Marie blinked.  For a moment, it had seen like the statue had nodded, but it now stood perfectly still, in the same position it had been when she entered.

"Trick of the light" muttered Marie as she opened the book and began to transcribe it.  It was a rather dull affait, and she quickly grew bored, turning to the armor once more.  She stared.  The room was no spotless, not a trace of dust in sight. 

"That's... weird." She said, standing up to examine the room.  "I swear this room was full of dust when I came in."  She walked along the shelves, running her finger along the spotless wood.  She returned to the desk.  In place of the quills were three silver metal rods..

"Those were not there before..." she said aloud, staring at the pens, the quills no where in site.  "Where did they come from?  I'm going to need a nice drink of ... GAH!!!"

Marie turned, stumbling backwards and falling over as the suit of armor now loomed over her, delicatlely holding a small ceramic pot and cup in its gauntleted hands.  The figure reached out, offering her the cup.  A pair of glowing flames burned in the dark recesses of his helmet.  Then the glow-orb went out and the shutters slammed.  Marie let out a scream and stumbled to her feet, tripping over herself as she barrelled past the empty armour in a blind panic.  She yanked at the strap of the bag as she bolted out the door, slamming it behind her.  The padded footsteps of her boots on the marble floor echoed as she ran away from the room.  In the rafters above, peals of laughter rang out.  A small green gargoul leapt down from her perch onto the still suit of armor, alighting on its shoulder.  With a twist, she pulled of the helmet, admiring it.

"You were brilliant Lord Mitaud.  You played your part quite admirably." She spoke with a formal tone, then laughed and tossed the helmet aside." 

"She dinna even drink take him up on his kind offer of a drink" Gwae giggled, floating down with a graceful flap of her wings.  She plucked the small cup out of the gauntlet and took a sip of the mulled wine inside.  "That's class." she said with a smile, gulping the rest down.

"The look on her face was priceless." Kathalia laughed, "She didn't even stop to ... Uh oh."

Gwae stopped her drink, tilting her head to the side "Uh-oh?"

"That's Marie's bag.  But she left with a bag."

"Oh..." Gwae stopped laughing. "That's not good.  We should probably go and get that."

"After the wine." Kathalia said, pulling the bottle out of the armor's grip.  "No sense wasting it!"

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The rain pelted down on the diminutive pair of cloaked figures as they hurried along the dark streets of Naoned.  A pair of Korrigan attracted little attention as they made their way through the shuttered stalls of Place du Vin towards Thievesbridge.  The city that they had traveled across daily seemed so much bigger, a feeling that took some getting used to.  Gwae, not used to her small stature, had to be yanked back by her companion as a carriage rumbled dangerously close by.  The chaos of the riverport calmed down as they crossed the Liger to the upscale stone buildings of Feydeau island.  Here, at Kathalia's insistence, they took to the roofs, avoiding the notoriously suspsicious night watchmen enmployed by the nobility and wealthy merchants.  Before them, the Library tower stood, its Gothic lantern tower rising high above its cruciform wings.  Most of its vast windows were dark, reflecting the streetlamps of the city around it.  A few around the central tower showed evidence of light in the atrium at its base.  The pair alighted on one of the upper galleries and together, pushed the heavy window open and tumbled through.  Kathalia stood and, with an annoyed motion, pulled off her drenched cloak and tossed it unceremoniously on the floor.  Gwae, without her usual reservations, removed hers as well, carefully hanging it on a jutting peg.  The pair had fashioned rudimentary clothing, but their needlework left much to be desired.

"Damn rain.  I'm drenched."

"The Breton is complaining about the rain?" Gwae chirped with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. "I thought ye all should be used to it by now."

"I would have preferred a seamonk cloak.  This did nothing but get me more wet.  I'd have been better off with nothing."

"No objections here." Gwae muttered.

"What was that?"

"Not in our size, I fear." She said louder.  Kathalia nodded in agreement. "So where do ye think Marie got off to?"

As if to answer the question, the sound of someone humming happily to themself drifted up into the gallery.  Kathalia bolted towards the railing, leaving Gwae behind before she could react, and leapt off, soaring through the empty space and into the canyons of bookshelves in the wings.  She made a series of sharp turns, then stopped short.

"Oh no..."

A small pink figure, the source of the little song, flitted back and forth between the shelves and a stack of large books on a cart, grasping each volume, each almost as large as her tiny body, with both of the hands and flapping her wings to draw them up to their places on the shelves.  A small pair of horns poked out of Marie's hair, tied back in her normal ponytail. Seeing Kathalia standing there, she beamed and pressed her shoulder against the heavy tome, sliding it back into place. 

"Kat!" Marie squealed and launched herself off of the shelf to tackle the surprised green gargoul in a big hug.  "So kind of you to visit!  It's been so dull this evening!"

"Dull?" Kathalia squirmed as Marie pressed their bodies together. "In case you missed it, Marie, we both have wings and tails."

"Well, yes, but that was earlier today."

"Yer a mentaller" Gwae landed next to them, looking a little annoyed as she pushed the pair apart, shooting Marie a venomous look that was utterly ignored. "Yer awfully chipper, considering things.  Where are ye clothes?"

"They didn't fit.  I was going to try and find something that would, but then I got distracted.  Lots of work to be done!"

"Work?" Kathalia raised an eyebrow as Gwae carefully positioned herself between the two. "What kind of work?"

"Well, for a long time the Gargoul... the other gargoul I should say..." Marie gestured high into the lantern tower "Have had a nasty habit of stealing my books.  Now that I can get up there, I stole them back."

"Oh, very rebellious of you." Kathalia said, a little bit of instinctual gargoul pride lighting up her expression.

"Oh, I've got all sorts of plans for little pranks." Marie responded enthousiastically, waving at a row of thick, leather bound books, "In fact, my latest is right here on this shelf!"

Kathalia and Gwae scanned the covers, all worn more for age than from use.  They were varying shades of what had once been a uniform dark brown, the gilt letters on the spines faded. 

"A History of the High Kings of Breizh." Gwae read aloud.  "Seems innocent enough..."

Kathalia eagerly took the bait, pulling one book of the shelf and opening it.  The sudden weight of the heavy text dragged her down and it took her and Gwae together to bring it back to their level.  

"Ah" Kathalia laughed "You knew how heavy these were and knew I would take one.  A good prank."

Marie looked puzzled. "That's not the prank."

Kathalia looked at the book quizzically, flipping through a few pages.  It seemed exceptionally dry, more interested in listing off a contextless geneaology than in revealing anything she found interesting.

"I thought something might pop out, but..."

"Look at the title."

"High King Judon"

"High King from 398 to 431 SI." Marie chimed in, as if this was the key to a secret. "Now put it back."

With a grunt, the pair returned the book to its place.  Marie gestrued them at the next volume.

"High King Urbien" Kathalia read flatly.  She turned to Marie, who tried to look neutral for a few seconds, then burt out laughing.  Kathalia and Gwae exchanged a look. 

"Do you get it!?" Marie giggled, then eagerly revealed her joke "High King Judon succeeded High King Urbien!  There's no way that Judon could have come right after High King Alain Hir!  Its so silly.  Everyone knows that there is no way that Dumnonia would cede to LEON of all places at the height of its powers.  Can you imagine?  Going from Alain Hir to Judon without the shifting support of the unaligned mountain clans that didn't happen until late in Urbien's reign!  Can you even imagine." Marie continued to giggle as she wiped a tear away from her eye.  "Its so ridiculous."

Gwae shrugged.  Kathalia looked sick.

"Ooh!  You'll LOVE this one!  Follow me!" Marie giddly clapped her hands and zoomed off, forcing the others to follow her to case of several more books.  She pointed to one in particular.

"In the Service of Atlas.  A Theological Examination of Charity to the Underclasses as Expression of Faith.  An Essay in 7 Parts." Kathalia read. "Looks dry.  Something good inside?" Her mind ran with the possibilities, ranging from a snakes to dirty poems to catch the reader off guard."

"Close.  I'll give you a hint.  We're NOT in the theology section of the library!"

"Theres a theology section?" Kathalia whispered to Gwae "Aren't the books just put up as they end up in the library?"

Gwae rolled her eyes and whispered back "Once Marie took over, she rearranged everything.  She's explained the new system many times.  Haven't you listened?"

"Not a chance.  Its a pretty dull lecture."

"Because this is..." Marie paused before throwing up her arms "The Cooking Section!"

She was met with blank stares.

"In the Service of Atlas.  A Theological Examination of Charity to the Underclasses as Expression of Faith?" Marie repeated.  "or by its alternate title..." Marie moved her hands to prompt a response.  None came.

"To Serve Atlas!" She giggled once more.  "Get it."

"Yeah... like a cookbook." Kathalia said, her arms drooping with disappointment.

Marie continued to laugh.  Gwae stepped in, her tone helpful.

"Those are... very funny." She lied "But they're a little... esoteric."

"You have to explain them too much." Kathalia added, her tone less helpful. "Maybe something a little more... obvious."

"Some of the books were in backwards.  So you can't see what their title is!" Marie exclaimed "Of course, I put them back.  I couldn't tell what the titles were. so that wasn't very useful."

"You... you fell for your own prank?" Kathalia asked, her tone betraying both her incredulity and utter disbelief.  "Maybe we could try... switching the covers of one of these books with dirty poems?"

"Or hiding all the volume ones!" Gwae chimed in

"Or Volume 1.  Everyone expects Volume one to be missing."

Marie looked horrified. "We can't do that.  People can't open a book and find something else inside!  And breaking up a collection would br tragic!"

Kathalia shook her head.  "I don't think you're cut out be be a gargoul Marie..."

"Which is why we should get to work on reversing this." Gwae interrupted.  "Let's go get that orb and get to work." 

"Oh." Marie said, with a helpful tone. "That's not here."

"What do you mean it isn't here.  You've seen what it can do." Kathalia gestured at herself, then at the others. "So where in Taranis's name is it?"

"I told Morgiana to take it."

Kathalia and Gwae looked at each other in horror. "Morgiana has the orb?" they said in unison, their concern rising.

"Well, the moisture in those clouds would be bad for the books, so I told her to take it away." Marie said dismissively.  "What's the worst that could..." she trailed off, joing the others is horrified silence...  "Oh dear..."

To be continued...

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Learn more about the World of Kroashent here: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/alvez-kroashent

Learn about Kathalia's home city of Naoned, where the story takes place here: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/alvez-kroashent

Learn more about the Gargoul here: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/Alvez-kroashent/a/naoned-282B29-article?preview=true

Kroashent on Discord: discord.gg/MZjc3Gg

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