Pictures of the Past

Serena wandered about the hallways, corridors and passages of the mansion, trying desperately to find her way to one of three destinations - the cafeteria, the main library, or the rooftop. As always she was alone, which truly was unsurprising. One of the scientists she became acquainted with had a device to measure Contamination and Magic radiation. Serena didn't quite understand the units yet, but the important bit is that on a device that can measure up to 2000, most Warped are between 600 to 900. Serena's result was off the charts.

Still, that was not really useful to her. Serena couldn't really recall how long she had been here, and she was only displaying the first symptoms of Warping. Carlos was very impressed - he and his mates had made bets on how long she could look human. He himself was sure she should have grown at least a few feathers by now...

Anyway, that wasn't important. She had looked into thousands of cases of Warping, in hundreds of different ways. Her research had pointed out an unexpected link between Warping types and the people who display them.

People who Warp to have fins generally have either a great love, or fear of water. People who develop the ability to see in the dark are often terrified without a nightlight beforehand. People who grow wings either desperately want to fly, or are scared of falling. Not all cases are as neat and easy to connect as these, and there are far to many unique ones to count, but the point is - Warping type seems to be decided by a combination of genetic and phycological factors.

Furthermore, the people who are Contaminated for long periods but don't overtly Warp tend to have a higher Magic tolerance. Some of them are even able to make the Magic follow their wills - like the Buddhist barrier mage.

This means, as long as you have an understanding of a person's genetic and phycological make up, to a certain extend their Warping can be predicted. So if they develop gills and expel their lungs out of their bodies suddenly, you can have a human sized fish tank ready to keep them alive.

She had already shared her findings, and the other researchers were happy to have a new perspective. Some of them had been trying to study Warping for decades with no results, and others had been at it for centuries.

As Serena walked, her eyes were drawn to the decorations on the walls. Though infrequent, each one was unique - sconces metal shaped like leaves and animals, stuffed busts of crazy creatures, and portraits featured in their own places. A small glowing fish attached to a board like a singing cod had a placard beneath it which called it the 'Soul-devouring Lantern Fish'. A scary name for something hardly as large as her hand.

She had also found out the monster that contaminated her was called a 'Leopard Fish'. Serena was so angry to discover the thing that nearly killed her was nothing more than an over-size mutant catfish! What's worse was that it apparently was only a juvenile - the adults could use their whiskers to generate and transmit electric shocks like an eel.

Then Serena found herself drawn to a picture that was gorgeously painted. The colours were so vivid, it had to be oil-based. It depicted a beautiful and fairy-like woman, naked in the classical style, but what made it memorable was that below her knees her legs joined together and turned into a tree stump. Her brown hair below her shoulders grew leaves and became a curtain flowing vines. Her dainty wrists thinned into the spreading branches of a tree. But her eyes were the most striking feature - they looked so real, and vibrant, and were filled with more emotion than could be identified. The woman was so young, she could have been a teenager - it was clear all her life should have been ahead of her. On the plaque beneath, the artist, year, title and model were listed. The picture was over 400 years old!

Serena read the title, and found it fitting. "The Dryad."

The words Carlos said months ago once more rang in her ears: "Apple lives in the garden... she warped so much she turned into something like a Treant."

To live like this for 400 years... Serena decided she must meet Apple Lollipop in person. A woman like her doesn't deserve pity, or sympathy, but respect. For a single moment she glanced at the model's name on the plaque, imprinting it on her memory, since she will likely never find this picture again. Francesca.

Once more she turned away, and set off down the lonely hall to find her destination - if ever she could.