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.
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.