550 Ear Leech

No need to bore you with everything I tried; in the morning I was exhausted. My guards were exhausted; the Forge …priest?... who arrived even looked exhausted.

His guards looked broad and muscular, upright in their heavy armor.

"Is this..." he asked, "I mean, I was expecting someone … larger."

"This is him." Alexis said. "Turns out that every time he changes shape he loses bits of himself."

Well, this wasn't the time for that truth. Let them believe what they wanted.

"I will need confirmation from your leader." he said. "Please. He should be up by now. Summon him, if you would. Marag, if you would please cut the ropes from his snout. I would have words with the apostate."

Marag was confident in his skills, or didn't care if he cut me. Probably both. The rope split beneath two strikes of his blade, and fell away.

I managed to catch a segment with my tongue, and swallowed it before any of them thought to stop me.