I didn’t have time to get comfortable on a rough wooden table when steps were heard in the corridor. In the small dim cell in which I was located, the light penetrated only through the viewing window of the door. For a moment, darkness came, and then the creak of the door bolt sounded. A small figure in a halo of light was dressed in a dark blue mantle, over which leather straps hung dangling with pouches and flasks suspended from the ropes. From under the deep hood flashed yellow piercing eyes. The guest deafly said something to the guard outside the door, and then shut it and it became dark again. The newcomer coughed and made a couple of quiet, rustling sounds, after which a bright blue light flashed in the center of the room. I admit, it was very unexpected. I closed my eyes and led the muzzle to the side, and when I opened my eyes I was able to get a better look at the one who stood in front of me.

Arvour. A semi-mythical figure from children's legends, a mysterious assistant of the Order, endowed with tremendous power and influence, stood in front of me and picked a claw in his teeth. In the light of a blue ball that appeared under the ceiling, the magician looked like a thin and rather old fox, nervously glancing out from under the hood. In his figure, his movements all the time there was an action, a movement, a sharpness. As if every second he was assessing the dangers of the world around him or constantly listening to something that was inaccessible to my simple dog ears. Honestly, I expected more. I imagined a bearded, wise old man, stately and majestic, as befits one to whom the inhabitants of our lands whisper to each other.
- Well. why are you keeping silent? He asked me. - Expecting to see a gray-bearded conceited vegetable? And here I am. Good day to you, and we still have a lot to do.
“Greetings,” I said, a little embarrassed. “I am the junior claw of the Squad Detachment.” The first captain said that I should participate in this operation.
Fox approached me and meticulously examined.
- I trust the choice of Tarmond. Wait a minute, man. - here he closed his eyes, turned his face to the side and put his paw on my chest. After a couple of seconds, I felt a strange warmth through my leather form.
- Yes, very well, close to the ideal. - Arvur turned away from me and walked away to a table in the corner, rumbling with glass and metal. - Tell me what you learned at the instruction, I want to make sure that you learned everything correctly.
I laid my head on the table and recalled the conversation with the captain:
- We work in the castle of one of the Lords of the Crown. The publicity of the operation is strictly forbidden, that's why they called you, Master. I must follow your every order. I just recently passed the initiation and have never ... eliminated the target.
- Good. Success will give you the honor and respect of the entire Order, not just the captain of the squad. According to the technique that said?
Here I am a little tense. The answer was quite simple, but in secret I was afraid of what I had to do, because first I collected my thoughts. Besides, Arvour did not look scary, he was quite comfortable with himself, like your old uncle.
“With the help of secret techniques, I can see through the eyes of the servant of the Lord and thus wait for the best moment to complete the task.” In order for the connection to go smoothly, I will not be distracted. I will be the most focused on the task.
- That's right, dog. At some point, I will give you a window of complete body control. Believe me, it will not be easy for me. Good luck to both of us. - Arvur turned and nodded his head pretty. - On, drink this.
He handed me a small earthen pot with a hot and tart liquid. I drank in one sip - the drink was pleasant, vaguely reminiscent of herbal tea.
- Lie down comfortably, soon you will not be able to move. But do not worry, it's for your own good. Breathing will be normal. - Fox already kept in his paws some old book and thoughtfully turned the pages in search of the right place.- And by the way, the plans have changed quite a bit. I did not take this into account, but that is our profession, right? - he made a strange creaking sound. Chuckle, I realized.
- I believe you, Master. - I replied. What else was left for me?
- And rightly baby, everything will be fine. - He buried his nose in a book. - And the following changes - after analyzing the living entities of the castle, I chose another carrier for you. He is much closer to the lord and more often serves his private chambers, and he is more suited to the ritual, but I won’t explain, I won’t understand.
- I will execute the order at any cost, this is the inviolable rule of the Squad. - my words turned out to be slightly slowed down, I began to feel a growing numbness all over my body.
- I know a dog, I often help you. - the image of Arvur slowly began to blur in this strange magical light. Or maybe I started to fall asleep. The last thing my ears heard was:
“And it's not him, but she.” The main thing to remember is the maximum concentration!

* * * * *
Consciousness returned to me abruptly, as if a thick curtain had been pulled from the cage. I stood and looked at the richly decorated room. In the middle of it was a huge canopy bed, the walls were covered with red carpets and tapestries. All this luxury was emphasized by exquisite stripes of various shades of golden color. The room was lit around the perimeter with wall-mounted candlesticks and the atmosphere was soft, tickling feelings. However, now my feelings are not tickled by anything, since I was trying to get used to a new outlook for myself. I looked at this world with someone else's eyes, breathed someone else's chest and felt a deep soft carpet with someone else's paws. Everything was not just realistic, I was there at the moment. But I was absolutely not obedient to the body, even the eyelids blinked without my knowledge. I was a secret guest in someone else’s temple of flesh, and in order not to lose touch with the object of the ritual, I had to throw out all unnecessary thoughts from my consciousness. fully concentrating on what was happening with my new body. And obviously something was wrong with him.
First, the chest. She was unusually hard for me. Next, the clothes are something very loose and long, no pants. The dress? As soon as I drew attention to this, I immediately realized with horror that my own groin felt differently. It was ... spacious. And then my test subject just lowered his head below, revealing to my gaze two rather big roundness of the breast, dressed in a black and white dress of the maid.
Oh, higher powers! How good that I did not control this body, otherwise I would have screamed and failed the task. But the surging panic still led to a deterioration of vision - the world swam a little before me. And then somewhere in the mind, I heard a displeased shout from Master Arvur:
- Do not be distracted, dog! I can't get you back so fast then!
I remembered and calmed my thoughts. By the way, it was mine - I didn’t know what the experimental girl was thinking about now, only saw and felt her world and her body.
- Anna. Her name is Ann. - the voice of an old fox sounded quieter - You know what to do, it is hard for me to keep in touch with you and your connection with this female at the same time.
Mentally, I felt that Arvour's mind was gone from my head. Damn him, I can handle it, I decided, and carefully began to follow what was happening around.
Anna lowered her head just to straighten her dress on her chest. Then she (I) again took a rag in her paws and, with a sigh, began to wipe the old chest of drawers near the bed. The coat on my paws was golden. Interesting, feline? Most likely, yes, because I no longer felt the elongated muzzle. About ten minutes later I finished the job and looked at the exit from the room. There appeared another maid, a plump and elderly cat with black, still beautiful fur. The dress was apparently the same as on me now - the typical form of court servants, moderately simple and elegant.
“Anna,” she called wearily. “Have you already cleaned everything?” Clever, clever. Bring some more fresh water to drink, Brud has just brought a fresh keg from the kitchen to the guard post. And then go rest, the lord has already arrived, they say.
She turned and left, and I followed her, grabbing a water jug ​​next to the table. Oh, this women's gait. I will tell you. My cheeks would be filled with shame if they were mine. Actually ...

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