I accepted magic to fight evil and it turned me into a girl, but I don’t think I really mind?

Jennifer Shannon

Chapter 5

I was in the library with assignments open in front of me, but I sat staring at the bracelet on my wrist. I should probably have been focussed on my studies, but it just didn’t seem important anymore. It had been a couple of days since Bran turned my world upside-down, with the knowledge that the gods were real, and that they wanted me to battle an age-old villain and his monstrous lackeys. How was I supposed to focus on things like science and technology when I’d just learned that magic was real? And I could use it. I just had to fight monsters with it. I didn’t know if I could handle that. When I ran into a bocánach before, I ran away without any thought, but then again, I’d have the power to stand up to one now. No one else would be able to. If anyone was going to fight them, I’d have to be the one doing it. And it would change me. Bran told me that the power would slowly change me into my “ideal fighting form”. When I thought of fighters, I imagined rough, rugged MMA experts, and that didn’t really seem like something I’d like being. I wasn’t really happy with my appearance, and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to look like, but that didn’t feel right. Did the gods and the magic know better than me what my own ideal was? They’d have to, if I was going to end up being comfortable with any changes, and Bran said that I would. I wondered if Bran knew what those changes would be like. Bran seemed eager to share information, so I expected he would have told me if he knew. Also, he needed to convince me to accept this, so, to persuade me, he should have told me what these positive changes would be if he knew.

As I was dwelling on this, my phone started to vibrate with a call from Daniel.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Where are you?!”

“I’m at the library. Why?”

“You have to get to the gay bar as fast as you can! Amy and Lanelle went there, and there’s one of those monsters!”

“What?! I’m on my way. Are they OK?” I asked, as I gathered my things.

“Yeah, they called to tell me that they couldn’t get in because the police were surrounding the place and somebody in a costume was causing chaos. But I couldn’t convince them to leave, so I need to go get them.”

“… Right. I’ll see you there.”

So much for having a choice. There was no way I could leave people I cared for at risk when I might be able to help. I’d have told Daniel to stay home, but there was no way he would when his sister was in danger. Now I might have to rescue the three of them along with everyone else.

Thankfully no one had been hurt before I got there. It seemed to be too early for the place to be busy, and the few people there had quickly fled, and the bocánach was currently content to be destroying things. But it wouldn’t stay that way. It was going to attack someone soon enough. Especially since one of the police was sneaking up to it to try to take the alleged costumed person into custody. He tried to tackle it, and just ended up hanging from its shoulders. Then it swung one large, hairy arm around, and the cop was sent flying into the side of a police car. A police car that was now severely dented, with an unconscious, bloodied cop alongside it. Another officer drew her sidearm and fired at the bocánach. Unsurprisingly, that didn’t achieve much. The bullet hit, but it only flattened itself in the tough hide of the creature. The now angered creature. It started to approach the police and the crowd, which by now included Daniel too, in addition to Amy and Lanelle, and I made my decision, and ducked out of sight.

I had taken a rubbing of the etching on my bracelet to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and saying it was from an heirloom, I had it translated, so I now knew what the incantation meant. I focussed on the bracelet and began reciting.

“Cairech borr a bacras fann;”

“A strong evildoer that threatens the weak;” I understood.

“Fo-ránaic in caur forlann.”

“The hero has found oppression.”

“Lúth caurad lass’ fosta crech,”

“The hero’s power with which I’ll stop plunder,”

“Áiliu ar cúrad cairech.”

“I call upon it to defeat evildoers.”

Then the world exploded into light for me. I felt my clothes change around me, and I felt myself fill with power. The light faded, and standing in strange clothes, I felt lighter somehow. Despite the fact I was now holding a long spear. But I didn’t have time to dwell on that. I leapt forward, and I made it over the crowd and police line, and stood before the bocánach. I held my spear in both hands and shoved the creature back with the spear using all of my strength, and it flew backwards into the building. Actually, inside the building, through the exterior wall. I’d have to watch out for collateral damage in the future. It got up, and rushed back to me, returning the favour. I was sent flying back, dropping my spear, and then another police car was dented. If not for the super strength, I’d be in very poor shape. As it was, I was just in a bit of pain. Thankfully, the other people had gotten out of my way. The bocánach was slowly approaching me as I pulled myself to my feet. I had to end this. Now. I rushed to where the spear had fallen, and grabbed it. I ran toward the enemy, ducked a swing, and spun around, planting the blade of my weapon solidly into its side. It roared, and then it crumpled to the ground. It was done. And unless I wanted a whole lot of attention, I had to leave. Now. I wrenched my spear from the creature, and ran and leapt past the crowd.

I found a dark alley, and tried to rest. My spear disappeared, and my clothes returned to normal, and I suddenly felt most of the power slip away. I still felt different to how I had felt before, though. More comfortable, somehow. Since I was wondering about those changes I would experience, I took a self-assessment. I looked down at myself to find my clothes were baggy, so I must have been leaner. Although not everywhere. My shirt wasn’t any looser around my chest, but I supposed I must have needed strong pecs to wield that spear. But why weren’t my pants looser around my hips? I brushed my hair out of my eyes, noticing that it had got longer, too. I then heard a bird land nearby.

“I thank you for accepting the charge. I did not believe you would merely ignore it. But this is unexpected,” Bran said.

“What is?” I asked.

“Your predecessors developed to become hardier, more robust. You seem to appear more delicate.”