Ang nodded. Illia placed her hands on Ang's Abdomen and her hands glowed with a soft green pulsing light, as she sang a short song, after a minute Illia looked at him, "yes you are." Ang burst into an enormous grin for some reason he could not yet put into words.
A few minutes later once Ang was redressed Illia asked the Mother Abbess and Sera back in.
They waited to hear what Illia said.
"I have examined Ang and I can tell you he is no longer male."
The shock on their faces was obvious but she continued, "In fact Ang is totally female, and is a White Bard."
Chapter 3
A little over an hour later Ang was sat in the Mother Abbesses office with Illia and Sera. The Mother Abbess sat behind her polished wooden desk looking calm but concerned, "I can honestly say I have not been more surprised since my first Quest, I know Ang this must be a great shock for you and we will help you all we can."
Ang looked at the Mother Abbess.
"It is a shock, my voice for one thing, it will take getting used to."
The Mother Abbess placed her hands on her desk.
"Yes well, I suppose it will, but there is also another problem, you are a White Bard, something not seen for a millennium, the Goddess would not have made you one if there was not a need. It's been so long since we trained one I am having someone go through the archives to see the procedure until we know different though the first part of all new Bards training is the same so we will start you on that, but back to the first thing, I think you will have to change your name Ang is a boy's name which you no longer are not."
Ang looked up "well I was born a twin but she died at birth her name would have been Angee, I would like to use that if that is OK?” The Mother Abbess seemed pleased, "fine, this has come as a great shock to us all so in a few days when some other Bards who are coming here have arrived we will talk more about this with you then, now to a second point I want you to go with Illia first and discuss what the changes to your body mean, it's a lot different being female from male."
After Illia had gone through what happened with her Moon phases Illia asked Angee about how she felt at that moment.
"Well, nervous about what is coming, but as to this," she said pointing to her body, "I feel well, it feels right, like all my life I've been in the wrong body but now I am not, it answered a lot of questions I could not answer."
Illia looked thoughtful.
"As it's been said the Goddess doesn't make mistakes" and with that she got up and took Angee to a corridor of rooms.
"This one on the end is yours, Allia and Bria are in the two rooms next to you, get to know them as you will be together a lot over the next ten months of your training."
Angee closed the door and slid the bolt, she had been a woman for three hours now and was curious, looking around her, she noted the plain bed and the dresser with polished bronze mirror on the wall, Angee took off her tunic and turned to look in the mirror at how she looked.
Looking closely she noticed from the top down her hair was curlier and longer than it was before also her features had changed subtly and looked feminine, further down she noticed her breasts were on the ample side, looking in the mirror she could see that her breasts pouted slightly, which gave them a flattering look, also Angee had noticed the way the weight difference of her breasts felt and the different way her clothes clung to her body.
Feeling her body she also noticed her skin was a lot softer than before, almost baby soft, running her hand down her sides brought a rush of pleasure at the smooth feel.
As she was about to begin exploring further down with her fingers there was a knock on the door,
"Just a minute."
Hurriedly putting her tunic back on she slid the bolt back and opened the door, stood there were Allia and Bria.
"We just wondered if you wanted to talk about what happened today." Bria asked in a quiet voice.
"Yes, please come in and sit down."
Angee gestured indicating the bed.
Allia and Bria came in and sat on the bed, Angee sat down.
"I know we have not seemed very chatty with you, but we weren't sure you wanted to talk to girls, I guess that is changed now" Allia chuckled.
Angee smiled back and sighed, "It certainly has been the biggest day of my life."
Bria who had not said much to Angee suddenly blurted, "do you feel different?"
"In some ways yes, in others no, it's hard to put into words, it just feels so normal and right, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon."
Bria nodded "I see,” though clearly she did not.
Angee tried a different approach, "All my life I've felt different, and I’ve never been interested in girls if you know what I mean."
Bria nodded, "and my emotions seemed different from other boys, on reflection the Goddess has corrected a mistake of birth, I am my true self now."
Allia asked what had happened during the initiation rite so Angee told them then Angee asked them to tell her what happened to them. Allia went first.
"I was enveloped by a warm light and the Goddess said; " you are chosen daughter to do battle in the name of good in the ranks of my Bards, further one you have already met will battle with the Evil yet to come, you must support her in her endeavour err she fails, you will know her by the white star."
Bria looked up then "my experience was similar she said to me;
"I chose you daughter to comfort and heal those among the ranks of you fellow sisters, further I charge you to aid the white star above all else and any companion with her."
Bria looked at Angee "it looks like were bound together in a great task", Allia nodded.
Angee felt a kind of link with these two girls as if what they had said was right.
Suddenly all three of them were enveloped in a warm light.
"My daughters I am talking to all of you together to give you a vital piece of information you need, at the end of your training you would normally go on an individual quest, the quest you will go on however will require all three of you, in the fullness of time you will find out what that quest is, tell no one but the Abbess of this."
Just as the light began to fade the Mother Abbess appeared at the door, she saw the fading light and felt the Goddesses presence fading.
"What happened? No wait, come to my chambers with me."
The three girls got up and followed the Abbess down the corridor and through two doors to a large set of double doors.
"These are my private chambers, off limits unless you are invited, please come in."
The girls walked through the doors and sat on a settee, the Abbess brought them chilled fruit drinks and sat down, "now tell me what happened?"
Allia and Bria looked at Angee and Angee took a nervous drink then explained, "we were discussing what happened in the rite when the Goddess visited us."
The Abbess looked at Angee, "what did she say?"
Angee gave a brief look at the other two "Well, she told us about the quest at the end of our training, She told us we would not do an individual quest we would do one together, she would give more details to us later, but to tell no one but you about it."
The Abbess stood up, "I need to think and pray on this, I want you to come back here in the morning, talk to no one I will have meals sent to your rooms, goodnight" and with that she opened the door for them.
They all filed into Angee's room and sat on her bed.
"This is certainly an unusual day,” Allia observed.
Angee noted that Allia seemed to smile a lot and felt that the three of them would become lifelong friends, she did not know how she knew this, and she just knew she was right.
Four
The Mother Abbess was almost at the end of her eighth decade but as with all Bards she aged well due to gifts from the Goddess. She felt her years tonight though, never had anything like this happened to the temple in recorded history, she knew what she had to do so she started her meditation and prayed to the Goddess.
Angee got up at first bell, although she'd worked in the Inn for her father all her life he'd always made her get up to start chores at crack of dawn, so it had gotten to be a habit.
As she looked in the mirror she got a shock, then laughed to herself, yes those are your breasts girl, girl it has a nice ring to it, and with a grin she finished washing and went to the jacks, coming back to her room she opened her wardrobe and found a selection of uniforms in there, some were like she wore yesterday, one was very ornamental, undoubtedly for ceremonial use, she chose one and finished dressing just as Allia popped her head around the door and grinned, "you ready hon?”
"Yes give me a moment to check my hair.”
Angee touched her curls, one final look in the mirror and she followed Allia down the corridor where Bria was waiting.
"Shall we eat?” Bria said and they walked to the refectory.
There seemed a lot more Bards there this morning and Angee noticed a difference between their uniforms and hers and her friends, she turned to Allia and Bria "you notice the other Bards have stars above the Goddesses crest, either grey, green or blue.”
Her friends looked around "you're right" Allia said, "It must mean what type of Bard they are."
They were just finishing the last of their porridge when the Mother Abbess caught their attention and motioned for them to follow her they finished the porridge and got up and followed her to her private apartment.
Once everyone was seated, the Mother Abbess began,
"Right, today you were to begin your training, I am forced however to alter that training.
Normally you would be mentored by Senior Sisters who bear the same colour star as you, however because of what the Goddess has imparted to you it will also mean extra training as a group.
Angee you cannot be taught by a senior sister with the same colour star as there aren't any so you will join Allia for training and the specialised training will come later.
As you seem destined to be together I will tell you what your stars mean together, rather than waiting for a Sister to tell you.
Bria, your Green Star means you are the healer, it doesn't mean you won't fight, many times in the past a battle has been turned by Green Starred Bards wading into the fight.
Allia your Blue Star indicates you are a Warrior Bard, Blue Bards go on the most quests and fight to keep the Unnamed One's forces from reforming and getting followers throughout the land. Now Angee it's your turn."
Angee was aware of all of them looking at her, the Mother Abbess continued, "I have had to have research done on your White Star, we haven't had a White Bard for over a thousand years, White Bards are the Battle Mage's, they control High Magic's and battled the High Servants of the Unnamed One and The Unnamed One himself, there weren't many left after the last great battle, and no new ones were chosen since.
I don't want to scare you by telling you this but the Goddess wouldn't have made you a White Bard without good reason." There were many sober looks all around.
"We will teach you the ways of battle but as for the High Magic's I think the Goddess herself will guide you in that.
I want you all to go back to the refectory and wait, some Senior Sisters will be along soon to start you on the learning process, if you get any more messages from the Goddess come to see me straight away, you may go."
They knew a dismissal when they heard one so they stood up and went back to the refectory.
They sat in the refectory waiting for someone to tell them what to do when Sera and Illia appeared, Sera looked at Allia.
"Allia you and Angee come with me, Bria you go with Illia."
Angee and Allia followed Sera out of the refectory and to a room with a table and chairs in it Sera sat down and motioned "take a seat."
Once seated, Sera gave them a measured glance.
"Now, I will tell you the training you will undergo. Angee, I've been told for now you will be educated as a Blue, so we'll proceed as if you were." Angee could only nod her head.
"Now, as to what your training entails, you will begin training in use of the sword, both conventional combat and arcane. You will have equitation lessons; your Bard mounts are not ordinary horses and need expert handling.
Also there will be lessons in the laws of the land and communication skills, that should do you to start, these lessons will lead to other lessons but you will be told of them in due course, now some training uniforms have been placed in your rooms, go and change and come back here, I will then take you to the Arms mistress to begin your lessons in swordplay, you may go get changed now."
When back in her room Angee found a plain grey tunic made of a stiff material and hose laid out on her bed, she changed into them quickly and came out of her room at the same time as Allia.
They went back to the room where Sera was and found her gone. On the table were two plain practice swords, Angee picked one up and Allia reached for the other one "wonder why they left these here" Allia echoed Angee's thoughts.
Suddenly the far door burst open and two figures came in they wore armour and their faces were visored, what made the two girls jump up was the fact they were advancing on them with swords.
Angee and Allia raised their swords and backed up towards the door they had come in, once through the door, they found two other figures waiting. Sweat rolled down Angee's back as they faced their opponents from two directions. Both sets of enemies attacked together and Angee was surprised to find she held their attack off at the first rush, she'd still been caught, but she had no wound So, a test she thought.
Between them they were managing to hold their own when all of a sudden something seemed to kick in, they both speeded up and started forcing their opponents backwards, a sharp voice called "Hold!”
Angee and Allia both pulled back, still wary but looking down the corridor where the voice had come from, Angee felt ready to take on an army, a Bard in blue leather came forward.
"That was you first lesson, what you just experienced was the battle surge, this is one of your gifts, but like any gift it can be dangerous without control, we will teach you that control, follow me to the Salle."
As they were walking down the corridor Angee realised that the temple was a lot bigger underground than on top and a bit like a Warren with all it's twists and turns, easy to defend for people who knew it's layout and difficult to attack because of the ease of which you can get lost, I just realised I'm thinking in combat terms, something I've never done before.
As they walked into Salle thy could see a range of training weapons and practice armour along the walls, the floor was of packed down dirt and had been marked out with lines on the floor.
The Bard turned to them. "Right, my name is Emili and I am the Arms mistress, it is my job to make sure you're proficient with a sword and any other weapons you choose, you can put those practice swords in the rack over there, they were only to show you the Battle Surge and you're not up to them yet. We'll start with exercises with those wooden clubs, now follow me and do what I do."
Emili went through a series of moves with a club.
"Now you repeat what I just did."
Angee and Allia tried to copy the moves of the Arms mistress but got a bit lost half way through the sequence.
The Arms mistress went through it slowly with both of them and had them repeat it.
"Good you seem to have got it, now keep repeating it until I say stop."
Twenty minutes later Angee's arms ached, despite all the hard work of doing the chores for her father at the Inn she had discovered new muscles, she also noticed muscles that she used to have were gone now, obviously part of the transformation, but she knew if the training continued like this she'd develop new ones.
The Arms mistress turned to them, "right, you can stop now, you need to practice
every day so you can build up enough stamina for sustained combat, you would not last more than a few minutes at the moment.
Go back to your rooms and wash and change, then go to the refectory where you'll be met by your next tutor, report here again tomorrow morning at the same time."
The girls hung up their clubs and walked back to their rooms, while they were walking Allia turned to Angee and groaned
"It’s not even mid morning yet and I ache all over."
Angee smiled, "me too, but I think after a while we'll get used to the pace."
After a quick wash and change, Angee felt refreshed, she met Allia outside and they walked back to the refectory, waiting for them was Sera. "Good, you've cleaned up, now I'm to teach you about what Bards are all about."
They followed Sera to a large oak panelled room with a huge fireplace and comfortable chairs, Sera sat down.
"This is a common room that doubles as a place for informal talks, now, suppose you tell me what a Bard does?"
Angee looked thoughtful for a moment.
"They fight evil." Allia nodded in agreement. "They protect the kingdom against the Unnamed One's servants." Sera stood up and walked to the fire, warming her hands in front of it.
"Yes, that is the general perception, but it is only part of it, we are also the priestesses of the Goddess and we travel around the kingdom, not only fighting evil or on a search, we help people in need. In this kingdom we are constantly under threat of attack from evil forces or power hungry neighbours, we have a reputation of being invincible, which is not true, but we foster such opinions, can you tell me why?”
"To deter others from attacking?”
"Yes that's exactly right, unfortunately though it also gives us a reputation which scares our own people."
Angee and Allia looked thoughtful, Angee realised Bards did have a fearsome reputation. Sera went on "So you can see, when out in the kingdom we have to exercise restraint no matter how bad the provocation. We are Bards but we are still human, and no Bard no matter how good is right all the time."
A Change For the Light Page 3