Pisces

Tiny gray scutes emerged around her elongated thumbs. They spread over the swollen flesh until all she could see was the strange pebble-like plating and obsidian claw. Still, it bent when she flexed it and she was grateful for that, at least.

Victoria stretched her arms and was shocked when she realized she could easily reach far past her feet without bending her upper body. It was difficult to judge their length but she thought they were perhaps four feet long to the tips of the claws on her thumbs.

"Tsssss," she hissed, rolling her head. She reached up to her neck by reflex but her strange alula and thumbs slammed into the roof of the van. The girl shivered while flexing her shoulders. The thin shafts covering them waved back and forth. Something crawled beneath her scalp. She bent her arms, folding them until she could press her thumbs carefully into her neck. Her claws dragged through papillae emerging from beneath her short hair. They spread from behind one ear, down over her neck and up to her other ear, spearing through the tips of her bob haircut until the sharp tips scratched against her back.

"What- what did you do to me," she groaned.

Nerves wound around her spine, forcing her forward. She shoved her arms against the ground and her claws tore through the padding. Although she tried to hold it back, Victoria moaned, loudly, when the nerves connected to her tailbone and it pushed, shoving into her lower back to stretch the surrounding flesh. It was- a unique feeling that left her trembling despite the situation.

The skin beneath the base of her expanding tail rubbed against her round ass cheeks. She groaned and spread her legs while arching her back. Spherical sockets opened within the lump of her tail - digging, itching, clawing, scratching microscopic fingers that made her moan loudly. Papillae erupted throughout her tail and it twitched in response, startling her when she felt the muscles moving in her own body. She focused and tweaked them as an experiment and the tail lifted before slapping back down against her ass hard enough that she yelped. Other muscles flexed and the tail spread, pushing against the edges of the flesh surrounding them.

Victoria looked over her shoulders. She was panting and blushing, the red rising easily to her pale face until they matched the color of the freckles covering her nose and cheeks. With her tail down, the three foot long shafts covering it brushed against the floor. That forced the roots of the papillae to move in their follicles and she moaned again, turning back around while bowing her head. Her clawed feet clenched, thick toes rolling inward until the tips pressed into the thick gray flesh of her elongated feet.

The brief moment of respite lulled her into a momentary calm that was shattered when pleasurable little prickling pins pierced her smooth mons. Victoria cried out and her tail fluttered behind her, lifting and drooping before lifting once more. She moaned, sitting back on her tail to stare down at her smooth, firm belly.

Thread-like white papillae forced themselves through the skin over her mound. She stared at the strange wiry little hairs as they lengthened. They lay back against her body when they finished growing but continued to spread over her crotch.

Victoria reached for the delicate shafts with her right hand. The air stirred within the back of the van from the motion of the papillae hanging from the bottom of her arm. It took her three tries to find the right way to bend the elongated appendage before she could bring her thumb down to her belly. She carefully dragged the dense, hooked claw through the soft strands.

"Oh! Ohhhh," she groaned while pressing her thighs together. More papillae pierced her outer labia. She rubbed her legs together and breathed through her nose in an effort to counter the enjoyable sensation.

The van rattled. Victoria bounced against the floor until she reached her arms out to steady herself. With a loud metallic screech, her talons tore into the padding and the metal beneath. She stared from one outstretched arm to the other in amazement until she tried to tug them free.

"Shit. Oh, shit," she muttered. Her thin arms strained but the claws held tight until she remembered she could still move her thumbs. They wiggled as she concentrated and she shuddered at the sound of metal scratching against the dense black talons.

In the ensuing silence, she waited for everything to continue. There was no mirror so she feared the worst, especially without the ability to touch herself and explore her body properly. Her unwieldy arms and oversized thumbs were nearly useless.

Did anything happen to my face? she wondered while thinking back through the past ten minutes. Has it only been that long?

The van slowed. Without the distractions of her changing body, panic began to set in. While the woman - Maddie, she remembered, terrified her, neither had hurt her. But she just now recalled one of them mentioning an auction and a new life.

She had to do something.

Doors thumped at the edge of her hearing. She turned as well as she could in the cramped space until she was facing the side of the van. Her heart raced until she thought she'd burst. It felt incredibly fast to her - an almost continuous dit-dit-dit-dit rather than a steady beat.

The handle lifted. The door slid on its wheels to show bright light that left Victoria momentarily blinded.

"Jesus Christ, look at you," Gavin said.

"Hey, show some fucking respect to the man. You know what-" Maddie started to say.

Victoria lashed out with her left hand while her right anchored her to the van. The hooked talon tipping her thumb ripped through metal on the side of the door when she misjudged the distance but it continued. Gavin jumped sideways while opening his mouth to curse while Maddie tracked the movement, turning her head to watch as it sliced through her upper arm. The woman was flung to the side, spinning through the air with a shrill scream.

"STOP!" Gavin yelled. His voice had an unnatural depth to it. Power.

Victoria froze mid-strike.

"Fuck! FUCK! She almost tore my goddamn arm off! Ow, fuck, I'm bleeding out!" Maddie screamed, kicking as she forced herself up. Her right arm dangled by her side. "Awww, fuck, the bitch broke bone. I can see my fucking bones!"

"Patch yourself up, dammit!" Gavin told her before turning back to Victoria. "Well, girl, that honestly surprised me. I didn't think you had it in you and I hope you don't have any more of that in you, either. Neither of us want to hurt you but we'll get you where you have to be by whatever force is necessary."

Victoria's green eyes blazed in the sunlight while her body trembled in the grasp of the spell holding her in place. They flicked over to watch Maddie. The other woman held her left hand up to her right arm. Bright blue light emanated from her palm and she moaned. Sweat poured from her brow.

"You got us good, that's no lie," Gavin continued. "I don't blame you, honestly. In fact, I'm impressed. Most just fold up and cry. But, here's the thing - you want us to keep being nice to you. You got your hit. That's a free one. Please don't try again. You don't want to see what we're truly capable of. Let's make the rest of this easy on all involved. Deal?"

Victoria glared as best she could within the constraints surrounding her. Finally, her head dipped fractionally.

"Good, that's good," Gavin said. Once more he turned to look over his shoulder. "You okay, Mads?"

"Fucking bitch got me," the woman groaned. She worked her right arm in an arc before standing up.

"I know, but we've come to an understanding," Gavin told her. "I'll walk her out while you stay behind. Just in case."

"She's lucky you're here," Maddie said darkly.

"I know and I'm pretty sure she knows that, too," Gavin said. He reached out his hand. "Come on, then."

When the man's fingers touched the end of her arm, the spell broke. She clenched his hand with her thumb, wrapping the bulbous digit around three of his thick fingers with her talon touching his palm. A not-so-subtle warning. Maddie took several steps back while Victoria slid from the van.

"Careful there," Gavin told her.

Victoria's toes cracked against the pavement. She wobbled, dipping down in a reflexive move to stand on her feet until Gavin lifted her up to her toes.

"You'll get it. Just takes time. Think of it like walking on your tiptoes," he said.

She stared down at her legs, at the mottled gray texture and the shining black scutes. Her toes, three forward on each foot and one facing backward, were huge. She raised her foot and her toes folded inward to point down. Victoria held it there, forcing the toes to open before relaxing and letting them fold together once more. The two forward toes on the side of her foot spread to the side to help stabilize her. Her tail fanned the air with sharp, precise movements when she set her foot back down. The toes opened once more, scraping talons against concrete as she took a step. Her left foot raised in the same way until she placed it down to stand on the solid tips of her eight toes.

"That's a girl, you've got it," Gavin said.

"Fuck you," Victoria told him while taking another step. She hated that it was beginning to feel natural. Her knees bent slightly when she pressed her foot down while her elongated foot flexed back on her heel.

"I know, I know," Gavin said. He took his hand away when she continued to walk but he followed by her side.

Victoria looked up to see a huge, three story brick building in front of her. The area appeared to be industrial but it was too clean and the air was surprisingly fresh. A gust of wind swirled over her, pulling at the shafts dangling from her arms while ruffling the smaller ones covering her shoulders. Her tail twisted and lifted behind her but she ignored it while moving forward until they reached a simple, unadorned door

Gavin reached for the handle but she shoved him aside. Waves of heat assaulted her from behind.

"Do it, fucking do it," Maddie begged. "Give me a reason to burn you."

"Mads..." Gavin sighed.

"I want to open the door," Victoria told him. "That's all."

She hated what her body had become, the strange bristly strings dangling over her like garish wind chimes. Even without a mirror she could see how hideous she was. Her feet were deformed and her arms were gangly abominations.

Still, it was her body. Determination, fueled by self-confidence, filled her. She refused to pity herself or give in to despair.

The wind buffeted her arms until they flailed around her but she pulled her right arm forward, scraping against the door until her talon hooked into the handle. She gripped it with her thumb and pushed. It snapped and something rattled within and she could see a deep arching gouge from her claw but the door opened when she pulled.

"After you," Victoria said with a feral grin.

"Ah, no," Gavin told her, holding the door while gesturing for her to go.

Victoria walked into the cool building. Maddie followed and Gavin closed the door behind them before slipping past the woman to walk beside Victoria. She was led to another door, which Gavin opened, and then inside into a simple room with a desk, a few chairs on a standing mirror.

"They'll call for you," Gavin told her.

"I hope they're-" Maddie started to say until Gavin took her arm. She hissed, snatching it away while swaying.

"Come on, now, that's not going to be helpful," he interrupted. "Let's have medical take a look. Gotta be bad if you couldn't fix it up all the way."

At the door, he stopped and turned to her. He opened his mouth, closed it and then opened it again.

"I'm sorry, kid," he said. "But, there's not much of a choice. Good luck."

The door closed, leaving Victoria alone once more.

Warm air surrounded her. She shivered briefly and goosebumps rose over her body. The mirror was set in the corner, angled towards the ceiling.

"Oh well, let's get this over with," she told herself.

Victoria lurched forward. Her arms spread automatically until she pulled them back to rest against her side. When she stood before the mirror, she reached out her right arm to tap her talon against the bottom, tilting it until she could see her body.

"Oh," she said.

The black claws on her feet raised briefly before clicking against the floor. She forced her head down to stare at the ashen colored skin and obsidian scutes covering her toes and shins. With a quick glance, she looked up to her face and breathed out a sigh of relief to see it unchanged. White shafts dangled from beneath the tips of her short red hair.

It was the larger, heavy rachis dangling from her arms and covering her shoulders that were the worst of it. She reached her arm around until she was able to awkwardly grab one with her thumb but, when giving it a careful tug, she released it immediately with a sharp hiss of pain.

There were countless strands covering her arms. Her tail moved, reminding her of its existence and she turned to stare at the wide lump. The skin was completely hidden beneath shafts that matched the ones on her arms, dangling to brush against the backs of her thighs and the shiny black plates covering her calves.

Turning back, she stared at her chest, cocking her head and squinting before reaching for her breasts. She didn't notice how much easier it was becoming to manipulate her arms as she pressed both talons against the bottom of her breasts to push against the soft skin.

"They are smaller," she said with a sigh. "They- they-"

A hint of color appeared in a single shaft attached to the middle of her right arm. She raised her arm to stare closely at it. The previously white coloring had darkened and now she noticed the ones surrounding them had also changed. Her head jerked back when the shaft pulled apart to reveal dark mahogany coloring within.

Long barbs stretched and strained over the central shaft of the single feather. Her breath caught when she realized what it was. The vane opened from the base to the tip as it dried and the color lightened. Her breath ruffled the feather, pushing against it until it swayed back against the neighboring shafts. More feathers began to open with quick, soundless little pops of movement.

They shimmered in the overhead lighting as if covered in microscopic glitter that caught and reflected the lights from an infinite number of facets.

The mirror reflected shades of blue. She glanced up to stare at the back of her wings to see more feathers opening. Layers upon layers of them in a brilliant lapis coloring that perfectly contrasted against the crimson feathers inside.

"Oh. Oh! Holy shit!" she gasped.

Victoria raised herself up to her claws and spun, spreading her arms wide. She could hear the wind rippling over them as they separated and settled into place. Her tail bounced against her bare ass and she squawked when she felt the tickling sensation of her tail feathers. They streamed behind her with short blue feathers overlapped by red feathers longer than the ones covering her wings.

She pumped her arms. Dust whirled away from her and the mirror squeaked backwards on small wheels when a gust of wind pushed against it.

"Holy shit!" Victoria squealed, repeating herself in excitement. She flapped her arms again and it lifted briefly into the air, five feet from the ground with her wings brushing against the ceiling. Her toes folded beneath her until she fell and they opened to catch her.

Back on the ground, panting with her heart racing, she gripped the mirror with her thumbs to steady it. Jade green feathers rippled open over her shoulders. She giggled and shivered but watched closely as the small vines spread apart. As they dried, they lightened into mossy coloring.

"If only I had a hair dryer," she told her reflection while staring at the opened feathers beneath her hair.

The door opened at the back of the room. She screamed when she heard a man cough loudly and her wings closed around her, thumbs hooking against each other just beneath her throat. The cloak of her wings hid her body completely while her tail feather flexed down to hide her ass and legs.

"We're ready for you," the man said.

"Who's ready for me? What's ready for me?" she demanded but he simply stood by the door waiting for her.

"Goddamn all of you," she growled at him.

She stalked over to him, purposefully slamming her toes into the ground while curling them to tear at the carpet beneath her, ripping it apart every time she lifted her foot. The man appeared not to care or notice but his eyes were hidden beneath sunglasses so she couldn't say for certain.

Her feathers rippled when the air conditioning blasted cool air against her body. They blocked it completely and she smiled before realizing what she was smiling about. The hallway was clean and empty with closed doors branching off to either side at random intervals. The man ignored all of them until he reached curtains at the end of the hallway. He stopped and pulled them aside to reveal a darkened area beyond.

Victoria pushed the curtains further apart with her talons when she entered. Steps led to a round stage that was bisected by gigantic velvet curtains. There was nothing else. She swallowed and walked to the stairs, hesitating briefly before stepping up. Her claws gouged the wood while the back toe curled to grip the lip of the stair. The wood cracked when she lifted her foot to step up to the next one and her tail feathers wiggled briefly back and forth as her anxiety began to rise.

Utter silence greeted her as she walked to the center of the stage. She swallowed and rubbed her thumbs together beneath her throat. Sweat rolled down her chest.

The curtains opened. Victoria raised her left wing to shield her eyes from the glaring overhead stage lights. She squinted until she could bear how bright they were and her wing settled back against her body.

Voices murmured before her.

"Who's there?" she called out with a shaking voice.

Dark shapes filled seats before the stage.

"Gorgeous," a man said. "Absolutely gorgeous."

"She's stunning," a woman gasped. "Look at her coloring!"

Their compliments stroked her ego. She squirmed under the attention, swinging her head from one shape to the next when she heard them speak.

Eyes on her body. She felt herself growing warm under their attention. Her talons dragged lightly against her chest while her tail lifted and the feathers spread, causing an explosion of appreciative muttering.

Victoria licked her lips.

Her wings unfolded, brilliant scarlet backed by lapis as she raised them high.

"Such a trim body, no wonder she was drawn to it," another voice said quietly. "How old was she again?"

She felt dazed beneath the lights, torn between exposing herself and hiding herself away. The attention was intoxicating. Every compliment fanned the flames of her self-confidence until it took all of her fading willpower not to turn around and lift her tail with her legs spread.

Instead, Victoria spun, as she had in the waiting room. Spreading her wings wide to twirl on the tip of her clenched toes. Lifting one wing and then the other in a wave as she spun until she shoved her toes down, cracking through the dark wood below to catch herself. Anchored to the ground, she raised her wings and flapped. The gust of wind spilled drinks and toppled empty chairs, much to the amusement of those involved. A few clapped and called out and she grinned in return.

They were all watching her. Loving her. Wanting her.