Chains of Corruption

"And right next door you can get weapons!" Kira says, already gliding over to the shop.

You follow her and enter the armor shop. Numerous helmets, chest pieces, boots, and shields and on display, and you see a burly cat man behind the counter.

"Welcome, what might you be looking for today?" The man says cheerfully.

You walk up to the counter and say, "I'm planning on going to the swamplands, and from there to Ardent City. I need some equipment."

"If you're going that far, you'll need some serious protection, little lady." The cat man says as he walks through a curtain to the back.

He returns a moment later wheeling out an incredible looking suit of armor on a display rack. The entire suit is made of a white metal and looks a lot more protective than you thought female armor would in this place.

The boots are thigh high and the only part of it that is really exposed is the upper thighs and crotch area. Of course you think to yourself, but the shopkeeper explains there is a special puncture resistant fabric worn under the suit that would cover that area and make it easier to move in than if it were covered in metal. You look at the armor again and wonder if he's telling the truth and decide to ask how much it will cost before you go any further.

"Well this piece is somewhat special, you see, it's made out of a rare type of metal that is very conductive with magical energy. Alas, Valen City lacks a mage skilled enough to enchant this beautiful suit of armor. I don't feel right selling it at full price without a proper enchantment, so how about ten thousand arens?" The man says seriously.

Damn, that's almost everything you have! No doubt that armor would come in handy, so you decide to purchase it and get changed. Walking out from the back, you feel heavier and a bit awkward, but you can get used to it. Thankfully, it seems he was telling the truth, and the special fabric makes it easier to move in and isn't see through or anything. You thank the man and walk outside. Looking into your coin pouch, you have a measly three hundred fifty arens left over, and you really hope to have enough for a decent weapon.

Next door, a centaur girl is behind the counter of the weapon shop and she greets you with an enthusiastic, "Welcome! I'm Lenore, please take a look around."

As you approach, you recognize her as the same centaur from the bar that night with Vivienne.

Remembering Vivienne's advice, you get to the point, "I'd like to see what you have in stock." You say with a smile.

The girl smiles back and trots around the counter to one of the racks on the wall. "Well, do you know what kind of weapon you want?" She asks tilting her head slightly.

"Uhh... a sword, I guess." You reply hardly confident.

The centaur girl nods and reaches for a medium sized blade hanging on the wall. "This one is quite popular for adventurers, it's not that heavy, but still packs a good punch."

You look it over and think it looks a bit too cheap. You will be fighting demons after all.

"I think I'm going to need something a bit better." You say and the girl replaces the sword on the wall.

She grabs another out of a nearby container and presents it to you. "This one is quite fearsome indeed. Very sturdy, though it's on the heavy side."

This thing looks like a monstrosity. The guard is covered in oddly shaped spikes, pointed where your hand would be, and the blade itself is at a strange angle. It faintly glows with an ominous orange light and your surprised that she hasn't said there is an evil, half dead, warlock living in it or something.

You decline once again and then spot something familiar.

"How about that one?" You say pointing to what looks like a samurai sword on a nearby display rack.

"Sure." Lenore says and picks it up, drawing it slowly and then giving it to you.

Sure enough it is a katana. You give it a few test swings and it feels very natural.

"How much is this one?" You ask hoping for the best.

The centaur girl smiles and says, "Six thousand five hundred arens."

Shit. That's way more than you have and you quickly think of what to say, "Miss, my friend was kidnapped by demons and I am going to get her back. I don't have much money but, if there's any way..."

The girl cuts you off and says, "Can you fight?"

You nod and she hands you the sheathe.

"Ok tell you what, the miners outside of town have been complaining about a monster in the mine and I haven't been able to get enough metal to fill my orders. You go there, kill the monster, and I'll let you keep the sword, how's that?" Lenore says with an eyebrow raised.

"Sure, sounds easy enough." You say confidently.

"Don't let your guard down in there, otherwise the miners will be bringing my sword back instead of more metal, and that would make me sad." While looking you over with a sly smile as you exit she says, "Be sure to come back real soon."

Since you basically got the sword for free, you go to a stall selling curatives and buy a few vials of antivenom before setting out.

"All set?" Kira asks.

"Yeah. Let's get going." You say and begin walking towards the city gates.

You follow the directions the shopkeeper gave you and arrive at the entrance to a mine not far from town. You and Kira proceed inside and hear a rusting sound coming from deeper in, followed by a scream and a horrid crunching noise. You race around the corner to find a man's body lying on the ground. His torso looks like it was crushed, but there is nothing in the area that could have done it.

You carefully proceed deeper into the mine, with Kira clinging your shoulder. It's difficult to see with your new helmet but you don't dare take it off. As you enter the next passage, you briefly notice a fat red tail scurrying around the corner. You give chase and as you round the corner you stop. At the end of the room, a giant snake is coiling itself and you see there is a girl attached to the serpentine body.

The snakegirl hisses and quickly charges you. You dodge to the right and quickly draw your sword. She charges you again but is almost struck by an arrow. It glances off the snake like body as the girl viciously flicks her tail sending Kira, who is full sized at the moment, flying into a wall. Her transformation is cut short and she falls to the floor.

'Damn! She should have stayed out of this!' You think as you dodge another attack from the snakegirl. You try to attack, but her movements are irregular and disorienting.

She hits you with her tail and knocks you against the wall. It didn't hurt that much thanks to the armor, but it takes you a moment to regain your footing. The snakegirl's tail coils around your legs and she begins wrapping her body around you and squeezing. Your armor creaks under the tremendous pressure and it is very hard to breathe.

The snakegirl gets close to your face and says, "Why can't I just be left alone? I only kill the people who try to hurt me. I haven't done anything wrong!"

She hisses and increases the pressure. You start to feel light headed and then close your eyes, as you hear the metal plates of your armor struggling to retain their shape under the immense pressure. You need to focus, if you can control Mara's blessing, maybe you can escape. The pressure is becoming unbearable and you cough up a small amount of blood.

Suddenly your feel a subtle breeze blowing though the cave. Your vision improves and the room becomes a bit clearer and you feel the energy swirling inside you as you try to break free. It is difficult, but you slowly begin working your arm up through the coils. The snakegirl is visibly struggling against you and leans in with her mouth open and fangs exposed.

With no where to go, her fangs find your neck easily and you feel a warm liquid being pumped into your bloodstream. Panicking, you manage to free your hand and try to grab the snakegirl. Your fingers pass over something that feels like an opening. Was she wounded already or perhaps Kira's arrow hit after all? Maybe you can use this to your advantage.

You shove your fingers into the opening and push the rest of your hand in as well. You thrash around inside her, trying to grab her internal organs or anything to get her off of you. Oddly enough the snakegirl moans and doesn't quite look threatening anymore, her face quickly growing redder by the second. Not understanding, you continue your assault, but can't seem to grab a hold of anything inside her. She loosens her grip on you and as she uncoils her body you see your hand is wrist deep in her vagina.

You immediately withdraw your hand and look at the girl who now has a furious look on her face. You slowly back away and drink one of the antivenom vials as the snakegirl hisses.

"You bitch!" She yells as she lunges and tackles you to the floor.

Grabbing your helmet, she slams your head onto the ground a few times before hissing, "I'll show you!"

Your head is pounding and you feel your lower armor being dragged off of you.

The snakegirl puts her fingers in your pussy and says, "So you're packing a little something extra, huh? I guess that's why you went straight for it, you pervert!" She inserts the rest of her hand inside you and begins fucking you with her fist. "How do you like it?"

Her rough, scaly hands aren't very pleasurable and you try to get up, but the girl pins you under the weight of her serpentine body.

The snakegirl hisses and says, "You got me going, so now you have to finish what you started!"

The girl lifts her body so her pussy is just above your erect cock. She slams her self down on your rod and her pussy seems to latch onto your dick. Her inner muscles begin pumping your cock with out her moving. The snakegirl places her hands on your breasts and squeezes her pussy tightly around your cock. Her claws lightly dig into your tender breasts and you moan in pleasure. Unable to control yourself, you begin thrusting into the girl and grab her hips where they meet her scaly lower half. The snakegirl throws her head back and moans deeply while flicking her tongue. Over and over you pound the snake girl's pussy and she seems to be loving it, no longer concerned with the battle.

She lowers her face to yours and you see her fangs retracting. She leans in and uses her forked tongue to lick the side of your face before shoving it into your mouth. Her tongue is very long and fills up most of your mouth as she expertly swirls it around. Her pussy muscles spasm and you can feel her juices dripping out around your cock, but she doesn't break the passionate kiss until you unload inside of her.

"Oh, that feels so nice and warm. Fill me up so I can have lots of little babies!" The snakegirl moans.

You are sure impregnating this girl is a bad idea but it's too late. You've already emptied your reserve into her.

The snakegirl lays down next to you and says, "Are you going to tell me why you came here, or are you ready for round two?"

You quickly explain that this is a mine that is crucial for Valen City, and how you were ordered to clear out the monsters.

"Well I was driven out of my home by demons so it's not like I have somewhere else I can go." The girl says looking saddened.

"What about Valen City?" You suggest.

"I can't go there, the people would be scared and try to hurt me." She says hesitantly.

You tell her that all kinds of people live there and that you're sure they would accept her. The snake girl seems hesitant until Kira joins in.

"Yeah I think you'd like it there, it sure beats living in a cave." She says wearily.

"Kira, are you alright?" You ask concerned.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, but would you mind carrying me back?" Kira says with a smile.

You laugh softly and turn back to the snakegirl, "Come on, you can't stay here and I'm sure they will let you into the city if your with us. Just, don't kill anyone, ok?" You ask.

"I don't want to hurt people but what am I supposed to do if I'm being attacked? I only defend myself, that's all." She says meekly.

"I'm Mika and that is Kira, what's your name?" You ask the snakegirl.

"Lilith." She replies as you put your armor back on.

Making your way back to the city, you are drawing a lot of attention walking around with a snakegirl in tow. You approach the guard station and ask for entry.

"Is that a naga? I've heard about them! They have really long tongues don't they?" The guard says while eyeing Lilith.

You can see the bulge growing in the man's pants and lean in to say, "Sure go ahead, but watch out, when she gets excited she tends to..."

You make a biting gesture and the man looks flustered and waves you through.

"You may enter. Be on your way." He says not looking at either of you.

Well, that was easy. Upon entering the city, Lilith's eyes light up.

"Wow, I've never been inside a city before. It's so pretty!" Lilith says happily.

If it weren't for the giant snake body, she's just an average girl. The three of you make your way to the weapon shop and greet the owner.

"Uh, H-hello, welcome." Lenore says, wary about your new companion.

"Don't worry, this is Lilith, she was driven from her home by demons and ended up in the mine. She just wants a safe place to live." You explain.

"Hmm... well if that's true, then welcome to Valen City. I suppose you don't have anywhere to go then?" Lenore asks Lilith.

She shakes her head and the centaur says, "I am looking for an assistant at the moment, you could stay in the attic above the shop till you save enough for a place of your own, if you'd like."

Lilith is ecstatic and hugs the centaur girl hard, tears welling up in her eyes as she says, "Thank you so much!"

At first Lenore thinks she is being attacked but realizes it's only a hug and returns the affection.

"I suppose you kept your end of the deal so that sword now belongs to you. Be careful out there, and drop by anytime." Lenore says.

Lenore smiles and begins showing Lilith around the store, while you and Kira say goodbye and make your way back outside.

"To the swamps!" Kira cheers as you once again head for the gates.

The journey to the east is mostly uneventful, Kira playfully buzzing around while the two of you make small talk. The sun is already setting by the time you finally see the swampland in the distance.

"Better make camp here." You say and begin setting up the tent.

You decide to try to use magic to get the fire going, Hakon did say to practice, right? You raise your hand to the pile of sticks and concentrate. Tiny embers fall from your palm as a ball of fire slowly forms. Remembering last time, you carefully nudge the flame into the center of the pile where it ignites and the fire roars to life.

"Good job!" Kira says enthusiastically.

You smile and feel like you're starting to get more confident in your abilities. You and Kira alternate watching the landscape and sleeping to avoid being taken by surprise in the middle of the night.

Chapter 14: The Creeping Marsh

Morning seems to come sooner than expected and as you wake her Kira says, "Can't we just wait a little longer?"

You look at her and ask, "Would it be ok if you were the one captured by demons and I wanted to sleep in before coming to get you?"

Kira has a disappointed look on her face as she mumbles, "Alright, alright, I'm up."

It takes about an hour and a half to make it to the edge of the swamps, and you now look through the murky treeline towards the slight amount of fog that has accumulated around the area.

"Be careful Mika." Kira says cautiously.

"Yeah, we're a long way from anyone who could help now. Maybe I should use Mara's blessing?" You concentrate and soon feel your senses heightening. "Alright, I think there's something in that direction." You say pointing towards some nearby trees.

"Let's not find out what it is ok?" Kira asks.

"Agreed." You reply as the two of you begin carefully navigating the swamps, taking care to avoid anything that feels threatening.

After zigzagging around for a while, you begin to feel lost and ask Kira to fly up and see which direction you're heading.

"Yes Ma'am!" She says with a little salute and buzzes up into the sky.

You soon lose track of her through the fog but she returns a minute later yelling, "Mika! Mika!"

"I'm right here Kira. What happened?" You reply.

"I don't know, the fog goes really high up! I thought I could get out of it if I was high enough but I almost got lost, and then... hey Mika, your eyes aren't glowing anymore. How come?" Kira asks.

Oh shit! When did that happen? You focus as hard as you can but nothing happens. Is there a limit on how much you can use this? That would have been nice to know before you wasted it walking around in circles. It can't be helped now and you will just have to press on without it.

"I think I used it all up." You say only half sure.

"What are we gonna do?" Kira asks obviously uncomfortable walking around blindly in a place like this.

"We find a way through the swamp and continue to Cyldell." You reassure her and look at your surroundings.

Thick moss grows on nearly every tree and the ground is knee deep water in some places. There are strange giant flower bulbs scattered about, although they don't move or react to anything. Sunlight barely shines in from above the trees, mixing with the natural fog and making visibility even worse. As you scan the distance, you briefly notice what looks like a girl laying on the ground behind a large, moss covered tree. You approach carefully, but it seems like she is crawling away behind the tree.

"Hey are you alright?" You call out, unsure if this is some kind of trick.

You look around and only see the same scenery around so you head behind the tree to confront the girl. She is sitting at the base of they tree and up close, you can see she is made entirely out of vines and leaves. The vines go limp and the girl they formed heaps onto the ground lifeless. You faintly hear something and turn your head to see a beautiful young girl with green skin emerging from one of the giant flower bulbs. She is crouching down and has some kind of orange powder in her hand.

As your eyes meet hers, she blows into her hand, releasing the intoxicating powder right towards you. You quickly try to back away, but cough and realize you weren't fast enough. Your skin tingles and just the feeling of your armor against your skin is enough to get you wet. This is bad. You know from experience how hard it is to fight the urges those potions instill in you. Without hesitation, you draw your sword and charge the plant girl, intending to end this before it gets out of hand. As you enter striking distance, vines suddenly coil themselves around your legs and work their way up until you are completely restrained.

"How naughty." The plantgirl coos.

"Let her go!" Kira yells as she fires an arrow in her archer form.

The plantgirl moves and dodges it easily while trapping Kira in a similar fashion. A puff of smoke accompanies Kira reverting to her original size, trying in vain to escape the vines. The plantgirl raises her hand and spreads her fingers toward Kira, making the vines peel back into many thinner vines. They quickly grab the escaping fairy and spread her limbs apart.

"That's better. Now I can have both of you all to myself." The plantgirl gives a devilish smile and makes her way to Kira as she says, "You're just so full of energy! You wouldn't mind if I took just a bit, right?"

You struggle hard but the thick vines prove too much and you are immobilized.

"It's me you want, right? Just leave her alone." You say as the plantgirl looks at both of you.

She smiles again and brings her hands together in between you and Kira. The vines begin moving and soon you are on your knees while Kira is still stretched out directly above you.