Four on the Floor, by Chris O'Kane

Story name: Four on the Floor
Author: Chris O'Kane

Date: Summer 706 CR
Location: Metamor Keep (Misha's apartments)

Overview

Feeling bored, Misha tries out his foxtaur form.

+ Story info - Spoilers!

Summary

Misha has finished all of his work for the first time in weeks. He has nothing to do, and his friends are all busy. He remembers the time he changed into a foxtaur, and relearned how to shift. He has never shifted back to a foxtaur since then, but he had been told the curse was mysterious, and it might be possible to change back.

Misha decides to try it out. Removing his clothes, Misha closes his eyes and concentrates on the image of a foxtaur. Finding this difficult, he instead decides to relax and let it come naturally. When the image comes, he feels a wave of warmth over his body. He opens his eyes and is delighted to see his body has changed to a taur.

He imagines all the things he wants to try out as a foxtaur, such as using a lance or his axe Whisper. So, after putting on a vest, he sets out, no longer bored.

Characters

Main characters:

• Misha Brightleaf: Head of the Long Scouts. Up until his encounter with Varnal, he was unable to shift forms. Now he has regained his ability to shift, which he now uses frequently between feral and morph. Today, he decides to return to the taur shape.
  • As a foxtaur, he weighs 500 pounds and stands 5 and a half feet tall. He wears nothing but his blue vest.
  • He is going on patrol in a week.

Referenced:

• Caroline: Misha's girlfriend. She is out with Kimberly.
• Kimberly: Charles's beloved. She is out with Caroline.
• Madog: Misha's automaton fox. He is out with Hough.
• Hough: The Keep's Ecclesian priest. He is out with Hough.
• Charles Matthias: Misha's friend, a writer. He is busy writing.
• Rickkter: Misha's friend, a mercenary. He is busy in his workshop.
• Varnal: A sorceror for Nasoj. Varnal's attack on him turned Misha temporarily into a taur.
• Wessex: A Metamor mage. He helped Misha regain his ability to shift.

Locations

• In Misha's apartment, Misha has a picture of himself as a foxtaur on the wall over his bed.

Story Connections

• Misha encountered Varnal and regained the ability to shift in A Shoving Match.

Points of Interest

• The other Long Scouts are away on patrols.

< Second Cycle	Matthias's Third Cycle	Fourth Cycle >
Stories	Stories in yellow are not part of the cycle proper, but give important context for other stories.
	False Winds · Stepping Up to Destiny · Fingers in the Weave · Four on the Floor · Fireside · Hunt · Intercessor · Intersecting Correspondence · Jormugand · The Three Sides of Truth · Lawbreakers · Casualties of War · Killing Time · Legacies · Libraries · Four by Four · Liturgy of Blood · Longing · Nuptials · Relic · Wandering the Keep · Winter's First Chill · The Winter Assault
Major Characters	Charles Matthias · Garigan · Kimberly · Misha Brightleaf · Rickkter Akabaieth · Caroline · Gornul · Father Hough · Jessica · Kashin · Phil · Saulius · Thalberg · Duke Thomas · Vinsah · Wessex · Yonson · Zagrosek · Zhypar Habakkuk