As the beast attempted to make its bargain, one of the Ciad-Ghin dryads started to change. She grew almost two feet taller, and her lightly tanned skin deepened to a deep chocolate brown. Her teenage-looking body slowly matured into a lush, ripe woman with medium-sized breasts, wide hips, and long black hair with streaks of gray. Her once brown eyes changed to a startling liquid green.
Her twin watched the transformation, her eyes wide in awe. When the change was made, she fell to her knees before the older dryad, who winked at her.
One by one, everyone around the clearing took note of the transformed woman, starting with the taghta nan diathan[1], who sampled her prana and guessed her divinity, each sinking to one knee before the Mathair Coille's avatar. Soon, everyone but the man and the Ogren were watching the goddess as she approached the center of the clearing. She stopped a respectful distance from the two and patiently waited for the staff bearer to decide.
Even though she wa…
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