This is an amazing response written by ramshacklefey to a writing prompt about a wizard transmuting a goose into a human for a wife. Here is the full prompt: “Many young wizards have taken to transmuting swans into humans and marrying them. One day, you are lucky enough to find a swan in the wild, and without hesitating, you turn it into a beautiful lady. Unfortunately, that ‘swan’, was a goose. You have just given a goose a human form.”
Source: ramshacklefey
“You can call me Gwydd”, LOL, this is actually Welsh for “Goose” 🙂
Welp, now I NEED the rest of the story….
…and that’s how they getcha’!
Swan Wife broke my arm!
Wait, where is the rest of this? I need to know this story!
I want more!!
Please can someone expand on this, it’s an *epic*hook
I stumbled to keep up with Gwydd, my mind racing with questions. “Wait, so you’re not a goose, not a swan, and not really a human. What does that make you, exactly?”
Gwydd glanced back, a playful grin on her lips. “You ever heard of a selkie?”
I shook my head, still confused. “A selkie? Like the seal folk from the old tales?”
“Close,” she said. “But let’s just say I have a lot more tricks up my sleeve than those old folktales would suggest. And if those swans are anything like me, there’s more to them than meets the eye.”
I frowned, trying to piece together what she was saying. “So you’re saying… the swans might not be swans at all? Then why would they pretend to be?”
Gwydd stopped abruptly and turned to face me, her eyes serious. “That’s what we’re going to find out. If someone is using magic to disguise who they really are, there’s always a reason. And it’s rarely a good one.”
As we walked back into the bustling town, I couldn’t help but notice that everything looked different. The streets were filled with what I now realized could be enchanted creatures, transformed beings hiding in plain sight. Had I been living among illusions all this time?
“So, where do we start?” I asked, trying to sound more confident than I felt.
“We start with those swan ladies,” Gwydd replied, her voice steely. “You said they always seem so calm, so perfect. That’s not normal. Real swans are ferocious when provoked. It’s time to see if we can ruffle their feathers a bit.”
We headed towards the park where the swan ladies often congregated, their elegant gowns billowing in the wind, their laughter soft and musical. As we approached, I felt a twinge of guilt. These women had been the envy of every wizard, admired for their beauty and grace. But now, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something deeply wrong with all of this.
Gwydd didn’t hesitate. She walked right up to the nearest woman, her eyes narrowing. “Excuse me, miss,” she said loudly, drawing the attention of everyone around. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
The swan lady turned, her expression serene. “Of course,” she replied in a lilting voice. “What would you like to know?”
Gwydd’s smile was all teeth. “Oh, just the usual. Your name, your origin, and what exactly you’re doing masquerading as a human in this town.”
There was a beat of silence, and then, almost imperceptibly, the swan lady’s calm facade flickered. Her eyes darted around as if looking for an escape. I stepped forward, my heart pounding. “Please,” I said. “We just want to understand.”
The swan lady’s gaze snapped back to me, and for a moment, her eyes seemed to shimmer with an otherworldly light. Then, just as quickly, her face softened again, and she let out a melodious laugh. “Oh, you silly wizards,” she said, her voice smooth and enchanting. “Always looking for mysteries where there are none. We are just women, enjoying the company of good men. Isn’t that enough?”
But Gwydd wasn’t buying it. “Nice try,” she said, crossing her arms. “But I’ve seen through better disguises than yours. If you’re really just women, prove it.”
The swan lady hesitated, and in that moment, I saw something change in her eyes. They darkened, her smile fading as if a mask had been pulled away. She took a step back, and I could see the other swan ladies moving, their expressions shifting from amusement to something much more sinister.
Gwydd leaned in, her voice low and dangerous. “Last chance. Who are you really, and what are you doing here?”
The air around us seemed to thicken, the light dimming as the swan ladies’ true forms began to emerge. They weren’t swans. They weren’t geese. They were something else entirely, something ancient and powerful, their shapes twisting and warping before my eyes.
“You should have left well enough alone,” the leader hissed, her voice now a guttural growl. “Now, you’ll see what happens to those who meddle in things they don’t understand.”
Gwydd’s hand shot out, and suddenly, the air was filled with a blinding light. I shielded my eyes, stumbling back, and when I opened them again, the swan ladies were gone, replaced by a group of dark, shadowy figures, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent.
Gwydd turned to me, her expression grim. “Welcome to the real world,” she said. “Now let’s see what you’re really made of, wizard.”
And with that, the battle began.
NOw i need more of THIS one too!
Chat GPT says this is what happens next.
The shadows lunged forward, their movements swift and erratic. Gwydd’s eyes flashed with determination as she raised her hands, conjuring a shield of shimmering light that repelled the onslaught of dark figures. I scrambled to my feet, desperately trying to summon any semblance of magical prowess I could muster. The swan ladies—or rather, the creatures they had become—were not just formidable; they were terrifyingly powerful.
One of the shadowy figures, taller and more menacing than the rest, stepped forward. It spoke in a voice that seemed to echo from a void. “You think you can challenge us? We are the Keepers of the Veil, guardians of the boundary between worlds. Your intrusion will not be tolerated.”
Gwydd didn’t flinch. “The Veil?” she shouted over the clash of magic and shadows. “You’re the ones distorting reality and deceiving people!”
The leader’s form wavered, shifting between shadows and a grotesque, otherworldly visage. “The Veil is our realm to control. We conceal our true forms to protect the balance. Those who discover us must be silenced.”
I felt a surge of anger and fear. I’d been deceived, and so had everyone else in the town. I had to do something. I grabbed a nearby stone and used a simple spell to imbue it with a burst of magical energy, sending it hurtling towards one of the shadow figures. It struck with a crack, causing the figure to dissipate into wisps of darkness.
Gwydd glanced back at me, a hint of approval in her eyes. “Good work. Keep it up!”
She continued her relentless assault, weaving through the shadows with agility and precision. Her magic seemed to flow effortlessly, each spell striking with the force of a tempest. As she fought, I noticed her weaving in and out of the light, drawing on its energy to strengthen her attacks.
The shadowy figures began to falter, their movements becoming more erratic. With a fierce shout, Gwydd unleashed a wave of pure light that washed over the battlefield, engulfing the remaining figures. They screamed in unison, their forms dissolving into a swirl of darkness that was slowly being drawn back into the Veil.
The park was silent again, save for the distant sounds of the town. Gwydd and I stood amidst the aftermath, breathing heavily.
“Is it over?” I asked, still trying to process what had just happened.
“For now,” Gwydd replied, her tone weary but resolute. “They’ll regroup and come back eventually. The Veil must be maintained, and those who seek to uncover it are seen as threats.”
I looked around at the wrecked park and the faint remnants of shadow that still lingered in the corners. “What now? What do we do about the swan ladies?”
Gwydd’s gaze softened slightly. “We need to warn others and find out more about these Keepers of the Veil. They’re just one part of a much larger scheme. But for today, we’ve bought ourselves some time.”
As we walked away from the scene, the weight of what had transpired began to sink in. The town, once a place of simple enchantments and idyllic beauty, was now a battleground of hidden truths and ancient powers. Gwydd and I had only scratched the surface of the real danger that lurked behind the veil of normalcy.
Gwydd glanced at me with a half-smile. “You did well, considering. Looks like you might have more to offer than you thought.”
I managed a weary grin. “Thanks. I guess we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
Together, we left the park, ready to face the mysteries and challenges that awaited us. The shadows of the Keepers of the Veil were not the only threat we would encounter, but as long as we stood together, we might just be able to uncover the secrets hidden in the heart of our world.
And now I need everybody to roll for initiative.
Nat 1😭
Here’s a non-Chat GPT attempt at Part 3, for anyone interested:
I’d love to pretend we had a chance, and maybe Gwydd thought we did, but I certainly didn’t. See, I’m not always very good at magic. Sometimes things don’t go exactly the way I plan. In a sense, that’s how I met Gwydd in the first place.
Still, I suppose at this point my options were kind of limited. I tried my best spell first – transfiguration. I wanted to make them something small and harmless, so I tried to for cute little newts like the ones my flat mate kept as pets and potion ingredients.
I didn’t successfully turn them into newts.
Instead, I accidentally transfigured them into small dragons about the size of the average golden retriever.
Gwydd turned to me and shouted angrily, “Did you seriously think turning them into dragons would help? Change them back!”
“I’m trying, but they just keep getting bigger! At least they’re corporeal now!” I yelled back as I dodged a gout of fire from the nearest dragon. It had nearly doubled in size now, and was about the size of a mountain lion. I conjured a spear for myself, and another for Gwydd. At least I could manage simple weapons without incident.
Back to back together armed with our spears, we managed to hold them at bay while we formulated a new plan. We had to think fast – wizards generally aren’t the fittest group of people, and the spell I’d tried had really taken the wind out of my sails. Wielding a spear wasn’t in my wheelhouse to begin with, and I was tiring quickly. I knew that was dangerous.
“I think we should run away,” I said breathlessly, poking my spear to keep one of the dragons from getting close enough to claw me.
“I think you need to turn them into something smaller!” replied Gwydd.
“I was trying… to turn them… into little newts… and we got… dragons. Do you seriously… want me to try… that spell again?” I panted, hoping she had a better idea.
“Fair point. My turn,” Gwydd replied. She turned her head to the sky and loosed a rather odd but familiar call. It was almost… goose-like. As I turned to look over my shoulder at her, I saw something odd off in the distance moving towards us. It looked… It looked like a goose! No, several geese! I did a double-take as I slowly realized that what I was seeing wasn’t just a handful of geese – that must’ve been every goose in a several-mile radius, now rapidly converging on our battle with the dragons.
“What are you trying to do, feed the dragons dinner?” I yelled, unsure how a gaggle of geese was helpful in our predicament.
“Nah. Giving you something else to supersize, Wizard. Do the geese,” she said calmly.
This is so much better than the chatgpt. Let’s keep it going!!!!
yeah, can we NOT use ChatGPT? I didn’t even bother to read it. I scrolled until I found a human… doing human things…..
Part 4, I’m trying because guess what—-
Oh Gwydd. Lovely Gwydd.
You have such hope for me, I want to believe I can too! I let the power surge and throw it like a baseball into the sky yelling “Beans!”
And we all pause to watch it fly into the bushes. About 30 feet away. I made a noise that was NOT a squeak, before I whirled around to face the dragons. Can dragons smirk? What now? Oh man, I really wish we had run.
Gwydd looked at me with genuine concern, then asked “Are you considered an average wizard around here?”
I choked. “Did you just ask me if I was average?”
“Was that impolite?”
“Yes! I am a little offended! I am more than my magic.”
“Yes, of course.”
She turned back to the Eldrich existences peering from the eyes of dragons. Then she called over her shoulder, swinging the spear around again, “We just have to wait for the geese to make it to us. If that’s all, I can…” A sudden loud crash sounded from the bushes then, followed by more and the groaning of wood, the leaves shaking, falling.
“What was in the woods?” Did anyone even ask that or is my mind really loud, wait, I can’t even think.
Gwydd grabs my arm, “I agree, let’s run!”
The sounds only got louder like the whole forest was being ripped apart behind us. “What was in the bushes?!” Gwydd yelled. “I don’t know!” I yelled back. “Then why did you scream beans?!” “Because I was thinking biggest! And growing! So I got Jack and the Beanstalk!”
“So what was in the bushes?”
I should’ve remembered the dragons. They were based on the storybook dragons too. Vaguely reptile, vaguely horselike, winged and fire breathing.
One pounced from behind a tree and tackled Gwydd before either of us knew it and had her on the ground, a spear wedged between her and its comically jagged toothed mouth. My magic has quite the imagination.
“No! Gwydd!” I threw my hand out, and flicked a small spell to do idk what, oh no, uncontrolled magic tended to act even more erratically than what I was used to.
I squinted as I watched it plink against the dragons snout and fall. Was it.. going to explode? My eyes flew to Gwydd who was reaching for the twinkling bead that power coalesced into.
All while the crunching of trees in a forest uprooting itself closed in, louder and louder. I couldn’t stop myself from looking behind me, to see how close “it” was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ll come back eventually to see where this story goes.
If anyone else wants to keep it going…
This one wins lets keep going…..
Out of the bushes popped the biggest sparrow I’d ever seen! Gwydd honked in disgust. i didn’t know if it was the sparrows or the bead. Gwydd snatched the bead from in front of the dragon and tucked it away somewhere. it was too fast for me to see. “Can we focus on the geese?” as she forced the dragons teeth away from her face. I wan’t sure if i was up to another spell and on so many geese! they had flown into the trees with us and were circling above me and Gywdd. With a last shout I was able to get the spell out before I collapsed to the ground. Gwydd picked me up and said “Good Job.” I saw a flock of… Not Geese anymore, but Silver Dragons as big as a car tearing into the Shadow Dragons just before I blacked out.
Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever considered the positives of a goose- protective, speedy, good memory- are also part of its arsenal. Pure fury with a barbed tongue, toothed beak that remembers yours face with disdain and a cobra inspired neck, that honks and shits while biting all your tender bits. And that was the hoard coming in from hill and dale. Feathered spite on a massive scale, with battalion of staff wielding bewildered goose herds following.
The dragons, absolutely stunned to find themselves surrounded by creatures far more sinister themselves, desperately tried to escape. Even other worldly beings from a different dimension knew that you didn’t mess with a determined goose. The air was soon filled with scent of singed feathers, unadulterated fear, and dragon guts. And goose poop. So much goose poop.
What a ride!
Yes, Caltrops, that was much better than the LLM.
Anyone else for the next chapter?
I froze for a moment, worry flickering through me. Memories Flashed through my head. My mother warning me to stay away from a nest. “Geese are awful birds that will attack for no reason.” She has said, pointing to a mama on a nest in the street.
Gwydd had never been mean. She had understood, been firm, and clever. I took one clearing breath, deciding to trust Gwydd, my new friend, and cast the spell.
The results sent me tumbling to the ground as I watched dragons fight with dragons. The pure white beasts biting at the silver ones, roaring. The silver scratching. All the while Gwydd laughed maniacally. “You don’t see this every day, do you, wizard?!”
My breath caught in my throat as she turned back, noting the terror in my eyes. “I’ve doomed everyone. The town will be destroyed.” I managed, shaking.
Gwydd shook her head, an understanding smile crossed her lips, “no. You’ve saved your town. You just don’t know it yet!”
Not until I know who you are 👀
Nod to Jane Howell i think your addition will almost fit after this if rewritten just slightly.
I’ll give it a go…….no promises
I shook my head in disbelief, how could Gwydd know that I’d saved the town and not set in motion it’s absolute destruction. But that would have to be pondered later, right now we had to work out what to do with these magnificent geese that were rapidly filling the centre of town with unmeasurable amounts of sticky white……shit, really nothing else to describe it as.
Using what little reserves I had left…..(I really must get into better shape, this magic lark is much more physical than I’d been lead to believe) I stood up and pulled Gwydd out of the melee and headed for the path that lead deeper into the forest. If we made it out we might be able to regroup and form a plan for our next move.
“Wizard, are you mad?” She yelled over the honks and hisses “We can’t possibly leave these giant beasts here to savage the townsfolk”
I turned around and looked skyward and realisation set in, she was right but I was absolutely out of ideas other than retreating to catch my breath.
Gwydd’s eyes lit up and she yelled out to me “Gather your wits Magic boy, we got work to do” and taking the deepest breath she could she created an orb of light around herself and made that disconcerting sound once more.
The orb was acting like an amplifier but only to the creature both Void and goose………
Your turn peeps 😁
I’m genuinely in love with that fact this is now multiple authors writing a story about wizards and geese.
Can we get a part 5?
Eagerly waiting for the next instalment! I’d like to have a go at it if I ever have time lol.
I’m loving all of this!
part 5
The glowing orb expanded out and as it did time began to slow around us. It was like being enveloped in a glowing fog. I looked at Gwydd gasping, “H-How? How did you do that? Magic isn’t supposed to work like this!”
Gwydd blinked. “Yes. I suppose it would come as something of a shock to you. Our magics are not the same. Mine is a bit more…chaotic.” She turned taking in the scene around us. “I’ve only bought us a little breathing room. I won’t be able to hold this for long. And I most certainly won’t be able to do it again for a good while yet! I’ve only slowed things down some.”
As I looked I could see what she meant. The battle was still being fought, only very very slowly. It was like a game children would play sometimes when they would pretend to move as slowly as they could.
She spun around to face me, “We really won’t have much time. We need to come up with a plan. These dragons will fight it out, and we can’t be sure which side will win.” She cupped her chin with her hand, one finger tapping her jaw. “Maybe those swany whatevers gave something away about how we can defeat them when they were going on about the Veil.”
“The what?” I asked.
“The Veil. They were insisting they were protecting a boundary.”
I looked at Gwydd, genuinely startled. “I don’t remember what they said Gwyyd… How can I not remember what they said? A wizard prides himself on his perfect recall. I don’t understand.” I began to feel panic in the pit of my stomach. I searched my memory trying to recall the words, but they wouldn’t come. Even the memory of the last few minutes was becoming muted. “Gwydd,” I said, far more shakily than I intended, “I can’t remember what they said. It’s like I can see there were pages in a book that were torn out. I know something was there, but I have no idea what! How can that happen?”
Gwydd had cocked her head as I spoke, intensely scrutinizing me. “Well now, that is very interesting indeed.”
“I’m scared Gwydd, I can feel the last few minutes being torn out of me. What the hell is going on!”
She took two quick steps closing the distance between us and took my face in her hands. They were cool and soft, like a new borns. She pulled my face up, forcing me to look at her. “I want you to focus.” Her voice was soft and feathery, impossible to ignore. “Look into my eyes and listen to my words. I want you to feel the warmth of my hands on your face. I want you to feel that spread all through you. Can you feel it?” I nodded weakly unable to pull my gaze from hers. “Good,” she said. “I will do what I can for you wizard. I still need your help. Now close your eyes.”
As my eyes closed the warm feeling intensified. I could sense Gwydd’s lips moving, but no sounds. After what felt like hours, the warm feeling suddenly stopped as she took her hands away. “There.” She took a deep breath. “I think I’ve stabilized whatever it is they were doing to your mind.” She sounded tired and subdued. “But, it may have drained me too much to deal with this,” she waved her hand toward the park and the battle frozen around us. As she did her eyes locked on something over my shoulder and grew wide in shock. “Wizard! What did you do?”
I turned to see what she was talking about, and my jaw fell open. There in the bushes, where I had tossed my bean, thorny vines had sprung up. As tall as trees they were lashing about much faster than the dragons still caught in Gwydds glowing fog. The vines had even torn several of the dragons to bloody pieces, hurling their parts into the rest of the fiery melee.
Gwydd looked at me, studying me closely, and I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous, “Well, wizard, it seems you are certainly not average at all.”
I LOVE this story! Can’t wait for anothelr chapter.
What fun. Thank you to all participants so far. Keep feedding each other’s imaginations.