Hard to Hide

[Kopopo]

My first story and indeed my first post here. I just kinda came up with the idea one night. Who knows, maybe it'll turn out half decent. I hope you like it and appreciate any time you spend reading it. Constructive criticism is encouraged as I still have a lot to learn.​

XXXX_Chapter 1_XXXX​

â??Idiot!â? The hag shouted from over her large, boiling cauldron. The fire and dim candle light lit the basements dirt walls with a dim glow but it was more than enough to illuminate the hagâ??s lined and drooping face. Inside the cauldron, purple liquid splashed over the rim, dripping down the heavily pitted side and sizzled in the fire burning beneath it. On the other side of the cauldron stood a very frightened Imp. He held the armless, upper torso of a dwarf in his thin green arms, cradling it like a baby. Flies buzzed around him, landing on the dwarfâ??s long dead eyes before jumping to Imp, who swatted them away.

Imp stuttered with his words, a birth defect no doubt made worse by his current terror. â??S-s-sorry Miss. I really t-tried to get the other half.â?

â??You tried. Iâ??m not angry that you didnâ??t try hard enough. In fact; Iâ??m sure that tried just as hard as your weak body and teeny brain could allow you to. Iâ??m angry because you failed.â? The tone of her voice belied the fury inside her. She paused to stir the contents of the cauldron with the bone of a unicorn before dropping in a live bat, which screeched and writhed as it was boiled without a second thought. The Imp still held the torso, nervously watching the bat flip and then die in the pot.

â??M-miss? Watchu making?â?

â??A potion, of course. Which is why I needed a dwarf corpse. An entire dwarf corpse.â? She emphasized the last few words, making Imp feel smaller and more incompetent than he already did.

â??I r-really am s-s-sorry Miss. I tried, I did.â? Imp felt it coming, the air in the room becoming suddenly stuffier. That was before the Hag stopped stirring the pot long enough to give Imp a look and touch her middle finger to her thumb. The air around Imp become intensely hot before he burst into white-hot flame, dropping the dwarf torso and screaming through his burning lungs. Every inch of him seared in pain, his nerve-endings overloading his brain with signals. He prayed to pass out. He witnessed his own skin melting before the muscles beneath became black and charred. What was possibly seconds seemed an eternity. Impâ??s charred body lay on the floor, now a husk. The Hag looked at it before snapping her fingers. Imp gasped, his form and body fully restored and his memories of the burning intact.

â??Remember that.â? She said and then sighed. â??Can you get another dwarf?â?

â??Itâ??ll t-t-take a few days Miss. Dwarves are h-hard to find.â? Imp braced himself for another round of burning or maybe sheâ??d summon some wolves to bite and rape him this time. He could never be sure of his torture but it seemed to get worse each time.

â??A few days?â? Her anger seemed replaced with something else. Panic, maybe. â??We donâ??t have a few days. The Prince will be at the Tower tomorrow. I need the potion ready by then.â?

â??Iâ??m sorry Miss. R-really I am.â?

She sighed again, then seemed determined. â??Drop the torso in. Itâ??ll have to do.â?

Imp obeyed without another word, he dropped the torso in the pot and saw it bob and sink and float again in the rolling bubbles of the purple liquid. He was so thirsty from the burning. His mouth felt as though it was full of thin paper. He wanted to drink the potion; no mater what it was. He began to stick a single, long finger into the pot only to be hit hard on his crooked nose with the bone that the Hag had been stirring with.

â??Donâ??t drink it, you imbecile!â? She shouted. She shooed him away from the pot.

â??What is it?â? Imp asked, nursing his now broken and bleeding nose.

â??If you must know, itâ??s a powerful transformation potion. It transforms anyone who drinks it into the opposite gender.â?

â??Soâ?¦ I c-canâ??t drink it?â?

â??No. I donâ??t want to deal with another pair of tits around here. I already have one female whose ruining my life and with this potion I can guarantee she wonâ??t be in my way anymore.â? The cauldron formed one bigger bubble before the Hag turned around and proclaimed, with no small amount of personal satisfaction that the potion was complete and ready. She carefully collected a little bit into a vial and called for a female carrier pigeon. Imp, knowing his cue, went upstairs and brought her one from the cages. The Hag roughly turned the bird over and splashed the liquid onto itâ??s small talons.

The bird flapped itâ??s wings furiously, then grew a bit larger and the plumage darkened. The Hag took one look at it and smiled with all her black, crooked teeth; the pigeon had changed genders flawlessly. The talons were stills dripping with purple liquid and the Hag took great care around them as she used a spell to cast the directions directly into the birdâ??s small brain. Imp then took the bird upstairs, careful of itâ??s claws and released it from one of the stained glass window which depicted the landâ??s current king, Kerakas The II, dissecting and eating a fetus cut from a young motherâ??s womb. He went back downstairs.

Imp noticed that though the Hag had put the fire beneath the cauldron out, there was still a lot of potion left in the large pot. â??W-what are you going to do with what you have l-left?â?

She seemed to think about it, still happy as a lark. â??Take it to the village down the way, dump it in the water. How hilarious will it be when the fools switch genders? Confusion and panic and mayhem maybe. Oh, I simply love mayhem.â? She smiled, either day-dreaming of the villagers or of her potions effect.

Imp bowed his head. â??Y-yes Miss.â? He went to grab the cauldron which was far too large for him. He struggled before turning around to the Hag as she was walking up the narrow wooden stairs that led out of the basement. â??Miss?â? He shouted to her. â??A little h-help?â?

He knew she was in a good mood. She simply snapped her fingers and the cauldron became light as a feather. She did so without complaining or deriding Imp. Even with his emaciated body and four-foot stature, Imp lifted the cauldron with ease now. He set off from the Hagâ??s small but elaborately decorated home on the hill. He could hear the Hag singing happily in her pitch-less and ear-busting voice as he walked toward the village.

 

[Kopopo]

Yes, yes. I realize all the abundant cliches but oh well. ​

XXXX_Chapter 2_XXXX​

The pigeon took off on lofty wings, flying by it’s newly acquired memory over the dense trees and blue rivers. The strange liquid on it’s talons confused it but it continued flying, as if propelled by a force against it’s own will. Soon it saw the Tower in the distance, which was precisely that; a tall singular tower which rose above all else in the forest. It was commonly used as a landmark by the kingdom’s people and, as per custom, it is also where the Princess would be placed on her twentieth birthday. She was well attended to, of course. Servants would leave food at the door to her room, which she was forbidden to leave. She was to have no contact with any human until her brave prince, as per arranged marriage, came to take her from the Tower.

The window to her room however, was wide open and provided a perfect perch. The bird stationed itself looking inside, where it could see a large bed, done up elaborately in silk sheets and in a smaller room, a large tub for bathing. The princess herself stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in an exquisite white gown. She was clearly modeling for herself in what was most likely her wedding attire. Her brown hair was tousled and her lean shape hardly filled the chest area of the gown. The pigeon watched her stuff a few strips of cloth into each bra-cup. She seemed pleased now and turned around, revealing a angled face. Her features showed her nobility. She was delicate in skin and shape.

“Oh. Hello.” She spoke to the pigeon. It wanted desperately to fly away but it felt as though something had glued it in place. The women approached closer. “I’m Luciana and you are?” She was clearly lonesome, asking a bird for it's name. She approached the bird close enough to touch it. She reached out gently, patted it’s back. The pigeon felt compelled by the same force again. It struck out with it’s claw and scratched Luciana’s hand.

“Ow!” She quickly lost all manner of nobility. “You flighty little piece of shit!” She reached for the pigeon which regained control over it’s own body and took off out the window. “Yea! You’d better fly away!” She shouted at it. She examined her hand. The scratch was bleeding but it was not deep; no reason to bother the doctor right now. Luciana took a strip of cloth out of her gown’s breast cup and wrapped it around her hand as a bandage. She would clean it later.

Right now however she had to regain her composure and continue to practice her curtsy and her introduction in the mirror. Tomorrow had to be perfect. She had to be perfect. She was basically the bargaining chip in her father’s plan to rule over another kingdom as well as his own. She would marry the Prince, they would get married and the kingdoms would be joined together. Simple.

The sun began to set now. Luciana watched it sink and disappear beneath the mountain range in the distance. Her stomach rumbled and shook; making it feel as if she would throw up. “Damn Nerves” She muttered. It was not exactly ladylike to vomit, so she did her best to force her body to relax. She figured sleep would do her best.

She undressed herself, climbed into some sheer lingerie and wrapped herself into the soft sheets of the blanket. She left the window open for the breeze and for the sounds of the night. She ignored the strong pains in her stomach that was crawling its way down to her hips. She had more important matters to attend to than whining about pain, tomorrow was a big day. She wrapped up a little tighter and dozed off.

--Meanwhile--​

Imp had to be extremely careful to avoid spilling any liquid as he walked down the steep dirt path which led to the village. It was in sight now, so he took extra caution as to not be seen. It would be nightfall anytime now and the villagers would be gathering water for their nightly baths. They all worked together and every home had a tub so Imp figured now would be a perfect time. He ducked into the woods, a short distance from where some villagers stood ankle deep in riverbank‘s mud, collecting water in buckets. He quietly dumped the potion into the river. The purple bubbled a bit before becoming clear as water and the current of the river took the potion downstream, directly toward the villagers. He watched them unknowingly scoop up the infected water and carry to their homes before coming back for another bucketful.

It didn’t take long. The smallest woman of the village began to complain about stomach pains then promptly threw up. She was taken to the local doctor to be examined and everyone else went back to work. Their work came to a halt however, when the doctor came running out of his home declaring the news. Imp could not hear what exactly The Doctor had said but it was enough to gather the entire village around the entrance to his home.

The surprise on his face was evident, even in the fading light. The other villagers gathered and talked among themselves and though Imp’s viewpoint from the bushes was blocked, he heard every gasp. Suddenly, another member of the village, a man this time, threw up and toppled over. He was unconscious for a few seconds before waking up to a very shocked crowd of onlookers. Imp didn’t understand, the man looked exactly the same why did he seem so shocked?

The man took one look down his pants and couldn’t seem to scream; only stare. He no longer had his favorite appendage. He put his hand down, testing what was apparently so new, making sure it was real. He felt horrified when he felt the realness of it. The man was still testing himself with disbelief when another villager passed out. Now the rest of the villagers, most of whom were standing around, looked at each other. They figured that they were next and begun to panic. Imp hoped the Hag was watching from her Viewing Crystal right now. She liked the panic.

However, as Imp watched the village’s women grow six inches and the men lose their eldest friends something dawned on him. He ran back as fast as possible to the Hag’s home on the hill.

“M-miss! M-miss!” He busted in the door. She was waiting in the first room. Imp was panting heavily from his sprint. He took a minute to catch his breath before speaking again. “The potion didn’t work.”

Apparently she had not been watching. “What?!” She threw the small cup she was drinking from, winging it off of Imp’s head. He blinked away the bright spots and pain it left.

“It d-didn’t work right.” He prepared for another hit.

Her tone of voice changed from anger It was calm now, terrifying. “Explain it.” She commanded.

“They o-only changed sex half-way. Men got c-cunts and women got dicks. They didn’t change except for their bottom half.”

The Hag seemed burning with fury. She looked as though she would absolutely burst.

“M-maybe it’s because y-you only used a half of a dwarf.” Imp said.

Her brow furrowed. She snapped her fingers and summoned two very spiky looking tentacles. The barbs on them looked razor sharp. Imp felt them already rip into his mouth and anus, shredding him from inside out. The Hag looked him over.

“I used half a dwarf? It was your fault, you incompetent nitwit.” The largest tentacle released a sickly yellow discharge from it’s tip. Lubing itself, Imp realized with horror.

“I-it was my fault M-miss. I’m sorry.”

“No you’re not but you will be.” Her vision gleamed. The tentacles moved with a speed so quick and vicious that Imp had no time to react. The larger tentacle pushed him down and the smaller, longer one wrapped around him, trapping his arms and squeezing him so he was unable to move. Imp felt the barbs on the tentacle holding him cut deeply into his skin. He wanted to scream but when he opened his mouth, the larger tentacle forced it’s way in. It tasted foul and shredded the inside of his mouth before going farther down Imp’s esophagus and into his stomach. It pumped in and out. Imp coughed up blood and felt the affects of a blender inside him. His guts turned into a fine paste before the tentacle forced it’s way out of Imp’s anus. It pumped back and forth, leaving Imp on a horrific, living skewer. Imp stayed alive long enough to feel the warm, putrid cum of the tentacle as it came all over him. It retracted itself slowly from his body just as he died.

The Hag snapped. The tentacles disappeared and Imp came back to life, fully restored. He remembered the pain and would likely never forget it.

“I had some time to think while you were busy.” The Hag said. “This may work out anyway. The prince isn’t gay, so far as I know, so a dick would keep him far away from the Princess. I think it’s not as big a deal than we have made it.”

Imp shuddered and agreed. He hoped to escape another round of torture but he could see the Hag was bored and still a little miffed. He watched her snap and the tentacles came back into view.