Getting back to the hunchback's home with Pest required nothing short of a miracle. It felt oddly appropriate when he, mere steps away from the door, fell to the ground once again face first.

Fanli considered leaving him there, he was exhausted. But that would be suicide so she did what she'd been doing for the last two hours—the cruelest thing she could imagine. She grabbed him by the hairs in the back of his neck until the pain forced him to stand.

It was a punishment enacted to small ogres going into a lament, as it was difficult for them to come out yet again. She'd never imagined having to do this to a full-grown ogre much less a male.

Fanli hurried to open the door. Pest took three steps to enter, crashed to the floor and Fanli gave his hair another tug and he flopped forward.

As fast as she could, she shut the door.

That took care of that problem, but what of the problem before her?

Pest cried and not in a manly way. He looked like an infant when he curled up and bawled harder.

The way he clutched his gut gave her a hint as to what ailed him.

"Waaaa," he screamed.

Fanli debated how to get him food. Pest's enemies resided in all directions. Going into town buying human food would lead to all sorts of questions.

And could he even eat human food?

Desperation drove her outside to raid the garden. But one hour of unsuccessful feeding attempts later, with enough carrots and pumpkins smashed into the wall, she was at a loss.

"Waa!"

He still remained face first on the floor.

And then she remembered where she found him. "Water." The fool probably hadn't drunk water in these three days. A river would do little good for an ogre due to the tusks.

Fanli snatched up a water bucket and legged it to that same river. Fear had her body burning from pushing herself to the limit to return to him in time.

When she dragged open the door...he was gone.

"No." He couldn't have gotten far. She rushed outside again to witness him scratching at a tree. "Idiot."

Now when she grabbed him in the back of his neck and he cringed while following her, there was no guilt.

They got back inside and he rushed the water, stumbled and crashed into it.

Fanli looked down at the mess. "You...."

She would have told him off if not for how he pressed his mouth against the floor, desperate to sop up what he could—which was nothing because the tusks prevented his lips from making a proper seal.

The moment he sat down on the wet floor, covered his face, and cried, she risked snatching up the bucket to make a second run.

This time he was there when she got back. She slapped his hand down before he could reach for the bucket.

It got his attention and two brown eyes stared into hers. "Stop it," she ordered.

His mouth snapped shut.

He attempted to reach for the bucket one last time before giving up. She raised it high and tapped his chin.

After he gaped his lips, she positioned herself above him and began to slowly pour the water into his mouth. He choked but she soothed, "No. Don't fight it. Your throat'll open by itself. Just wait."

Once the bucket was empty, he stared at her, made a retch and vomited water and gunk all over himself.

Fanli's deep sigh sounded her defeat.

Trip number three ended with her getting a cup which she used to pour the water in incrementally. When she was done and she was sure it'd stay down, she gazed at him.

It was unreal.

She could hardly believe it if not for the sense of familiarity coupled with her treasure.

In this instance, she felt sorry for him. He'd tried to use the treasure and somehow it backfired and turned him into an ogre instead.

Getting the house clean was a different type of chore. His breathing was still labored as he rested on the floor for her return. After she cleaned all around him only to find him fast asleep, she washed him down as well. He must have been in the forest the entire time. From the state of his hair, she assumed he hid under bushes mostly.

By nightfall, she had him pristine and could get him on his feet. Rather than allow him to cause more trouble on his own, she put him to rest curled up by the door.

Once the house was livable again, Fanli sought about gathering more vegetables and whatever fruit she could. The state of the sky concerned her. A storm was coming, but not a natural one.

It was probably the dragons, frustrated with the Jaffo's failure to offer up Pest...or that weapon they wanted, whatever it was.

Pest was still asleep when she returned. Fanli put the fruit and vegetables down but didn't otherwise disturb him. Instead, she sat by his side. Much like the nymph brought her faun to rest in her lap, Fanli helped Pest unfold and did the same for him.

He looked like a proper ogre. He smelled like one. That would explain why the werewolves hadn't found him yet. But unlike an ogre, his tusks were a bit on the small side. They were new and would take time to grow in. He sported long black hair but a pleasant expression.

It was the size of him, however, that confused her. Pest had always been trim, slender. He was now officially the biggest ogre she'd ever seen. Even when hunched as he'd followed her earlier, he'd exceeded her in height. His body was twice as broad as hers, too. He was still lean and well-defined. The black hair at his groin was longer as well.

His feet weren't like an ogre's, however, because while he did sport six toes, the bottom of each foot was soft.

He looked, like he was, a newborn fully grown ogre.

Fanli feared it might be impossible to undo it.

Because he shivered when he slept, she reached for another thing she'd taken from the garden for him—a seed.

Getting him to clutch it was easy enough, and he held on for dear life. That was to be expected—this was an ogre's first gift after all. A flower seed. She prayed it would grow fully by morning and she could assess how much magic he could wield.

Then, after that, she needed to figure out how to change him back.

Fanli awoke to crying. She wasn't sure what to make of it at first until she noticed Pest no longer sleeping on her legs.

It was night still but the crying came from outside. She feared the worst when she found him behind the house, looking down at himself, sobbing.

"What's wrong?" Fanli rubbed his back. "Don't worry. We'll find a way to change it back."

"I'm an ogre," he whispered.

The bass of his voice sent shivers through her. He certainly was.

She was gentle in stroking his arm. "Yes, I know."

"Look at me!"

Fanli turned him around, held his face in both hands and assured him, "We'll find a way to fix it."

"You can't fix't," he slurred. "You can't."

"Shh." She stroked his cheeks with both thumbs. "I promise you. You have no worries. I'll fix it. Somehow, I'll fix it."

Pest broke her hold, still looking down. "Bad enough I'm so big, but...look. It's gone. It's all gone."

Fanli puzzled about his meaning then regarded his pelvis. Her chuckle was met with anger and hurt.

"Oh, that. It's not gone. Here." She hovered her hand before his groin and asked, "Is it okay?"

At this silence, she stroked down, caught hold of the short stub there and gave it a tug. The penis extended.

The size of it made Pest's eyes widen. He wasn't the only one surprised.

"There. It's just the way the body works. Whatever you do, don't—"

Something warm pelted her hand and she sighed.

Flustered, Pest made the mistake of turning to her to apologize. When the stream struck her leg next, she watched his mortified gaze in contempt. There was no sense in moving now so she waited, wet and miserable.

In time, he finished, and they both had nothing to say.

"Sorry," he muttered.

No. Fanli was the one sorry. "It's fine," she lied. "I'll go get some more water from the river to wash off."

"At this time'a night? Alone?"

The look of contempt she shot him shut him up.