Ethereal Ascendance: A Journey of Transformation

I was suddenly awakened by a strange sound piercing the dark, silent forest. It was some kind of roar or howl, which stood out clearly against the quiet of night.

The air around also seemed to have changed. There was a faint but unpleasant smell lingering everywhere, making me feel uneasy. It was like being plunged into a chilling, oily mess.

What was happening? That howl sounded angry, giving me pause. I didn't want to give up this chance encounter, but the animalistic cry made me wonder if there was danger nearby.

I decided to go take a look, just to observe from afar first. If anything went wrong, I should still be able to run away fast. My all-out sprint earlier gave me new confidence in my speed.

Leaving the forest path, I plunged into the trees and bushes again. The closer I got to the howls, the stronger the unpleasant smell became. Before long, I saw a glow up ahead - it looked like a campfire burning. And some people were fighting with an animal beside it.

When I moved closer, I could see clearly. There were two men and two women, attacking a very strange creature. Although I had never seen one before, I recognized it from books and the internet - a three-headed dog, a Cerberus.

The Cerberus was growling angrily at a red-haired man, who was fighting it bare-handed. He wore light combat gear and was trading blows with the beast. The two girls flanked them, one holding a long spear and jabbing at the Cerberus from a distance. But her attacks didn't seem to do anything; the dog dodged them at the last moment as if it had eyes in the back. The other girl stood far away, holding a wizard's staff but not taking any action yet. The last man was even farther back, armed with a bow and firing arrows while moving around.

Whew - this scene looked familiar, just like something from a Western fantasy world. At least it matched my expectations so far. From their clothing and behaviour, they seemed like ordinary characters from a roleplaying game.

I decided not to approach them yet, hiding behind a large tree until the fight ended. I had just gotten there when something strange happened. The Cerberus suddenly broke out of the four warriors' encirclement, ignoring them completely as it raced away into the darkness.

The four stood there dumbfounded, watching their enemy flee. An eerie silence fell over the forest.

"What was that?" said the girl with the wizard staff, whirling to peer in my direction. I shrank back behind the tree, my heart pounding. She had sharp senses! I wondered if it was just a coincidence or if she had noticed me. Either way, I didn't want to reveal myself to them yet. They weren't angels - I saw no wings sprouting from their backs. But I was different with my wings, even if I hid them...

I hadn't forgotten my current naked state.

Whispers broke out among the group, too soft for me to make out. They seemed to be discussing something as they crept closer. I grew more nervous, hoping they didn't think I was a wild beast or monster.

I even considered making a run for it, but this chance encounter was too good to waste.

"Excuse me...Lord Angel?" said a girl's voice suddenly. It was the fantasy language I knew well. She was addressing me directly, so they must have caught sight of me already. I thought I was hidden so well!

"Lord Angel, can you hear us?" she continued as they edged nearer.

Uh oh, I really couldn't stay hidden at this rate. Better take control of the situation.

"Wait! Can you hold on a minute?" I called out hastily, marvelling at how melodious my new voice sounded.

The whispers and footsteps halted immediately. They must have heard me. A more muttered discussion arose from behind the tree, very close now.

I caught snatches of it:

"Weird..."

"You sure it's an angel?"

"What if it's a pervert..."

"The voice doesn't sound like one."

"Then it's a pervert with a nice voice!"

...

Hey! Don't call me a pervert when I haven't even shown my face! At least move farther away or keep it down, I can hear everything!

I didn't dare move. I could imagine if I emerged now, in their eyes it would be like a person wrapped in a bath towel suddenly popping up on a crowded street...

That would be totally awkward.

"Could you please toss some clothes over?" I called out. A more hushed discussion arose behind the tree.

Please, stop constantly whispering - I was anxiously waiting, afraid one of them might suddenly peek out from behind the tree, cementing my reputation as a pervert.

Thankfully they seemed to reach a decision, as I heard rustling sounds. Before long a bundle of cloth sailed over the tree, landing neatly on the grass beside me.

I squatted down and inspected it in the firelight. It was a dress or robe, with a green skirt and lace trim along the hem.

In short, women's clothing...

"Um, could I get some men's clothes instead? Please..." I requested, knowing my voice would mark me as female clearly. Although I wasn't sure if angels had gender, after over twenty years as a man I had never worn women's garb. I didn't want to start now.

As someone once said, cross-dressing is fun once or countless times.

More excited whispering arose, like they were really worked up over this.

"I knew it, a pervert for sure!"

"But I sensed an angel, I'm certain!"

"Maybe a dude?"

"Ever heard a dude with a voice like that?"

Hey! Keep it down with the insults, I can hear everything! ...Or at least move farther away!

...

"Just give her the clothes. We lose nothing."

It seemed they compromised at last. Another bundle flew over the tree.

This time it was a matching shirt and pants, very plain Western-style gear. I spread my wings and swiftly pulled on the pants. But the shirt was tricky - my wings wouldn't fit through!

No choice but to make them vanish for now. The loose top went on easily after that, like a dress with the hem covering halfway down my thighs. I had a bad feeling - my height seemed much shorter now.

After double checking I was decent, I nervously stepped out from behind the tree. The four strangers looked shocked like they had witnessed something extraordinary.

Strange, my wings were definitely hidden, right? Why were they so surprised? I didn't think I looked that amazing, certainly not warranting such dramatic reactions.

"I knew it couldn't be an angel!" the red-haired man exclaimed, staring blankly before recovering himself. His first words were to scold the girl beside him.

"Well you thought it was a man!" she shot back defensively, unwilling to admit fault. "But I sensed no mistake! How odd..."

The other girl, the one with the long spear, began edging toward me again, asking gently, "Little sister, who are you?"

Little sister? I had to resist an urge to retort at being called that.

"Vivianne, be careful! It's suspicious she's out here alone..." cautioned the brown-haired archer. Seeing her approach me, he couldn't help speaking up, gripping his bow as if ready to shoot any moment.

Vivianne halted immediately at his warning, scrutinizing me again uncertainly. "But she seems alright?"

Even so, she didn't dare come closer, simply standing there to size me up from a distance.

"It's okay, I mean no harm, really!" I said, hoping to reassure them. I understood their wariness. A lone girl suddenly popping up here, in this time and place? I would be on guard too if I were them. So I decided to communicate my peaceful intentions first, even raising my hands to show I had no weapons.

"See, nothing to worry about!" Vivianne breathed in relief, finally stepping forward. Only when she stood before me did I realize my head just reached her chest. No wonder I'd been mistaken for a child. And Vivianne didn't seem very tall herself.

"Can you tell me why you're in this place?" she asked, reaching out to pat my head. I darted aside to avoid it. Come on, just because I'm a bit shorter doesn't mean you can call me little sister - I might be older than you for all you know. Vivianne looked about thirteen or fourteen at most.

Speaking of which, I had no idea what I looked like now. But judging from their reactions, it must not be too bad! Though maybe not amazing enough to warrant such dramatic responses.

"I'm not sure either. I just woke up lying here in this forest, and I was completely nu...uh, lacking clothes," I explained, glancing at the oversized outfit I wore. Some things were still hard to admit openly.

"I see. What about before you lost consciousness? Where were you then?"