Tales of a Magical Boy (For Emerald_Pheonix)

[Xatarias]

You make your way outside, careful to avoid the explosion of cleaning supplies strewn about the hallway.

You take a moment to stretch and soak in the morning sunlight while waiting for Nelton to appear. A few minutes pass and you begin to wonder where your companion could have gotten to when your attention is drawn around the corner of the barracks.

"Pssst! Over here!"

You find Nelton crouched near some bushes, trying his best to conceal himself while burdened with an enormous backpack. The bedroll strapped on top easily reaches past the mouse warriors ears, and several pots and pans clang in the back. The whole ensemble would be pretty comical if Nelton didn't look so earnest and excited.

"I've never been on an over-night recon, but I figured it'd be better to be overprepared rather than wishing we had something later. I've got everything balanced so I can drop it in a moment and all of my weapons are still within reach!"

He strains to draw his sheathed dagger, spinning in circles for a moment before wrapping his tail around the weapon and tossing it into his hand.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka nods and smiles, walking over to the mouse-morph "Heheh, well that's good and all, but wouldn't it be easier if I carried some things?" He asked as he casually scritched the other behind the ear.

 

[Xatarias]

He stiffens for a moment when you touch his large, fuzzy ear but eventually succumbs to the pleasure of your caress. You hadn't realized how sensitive his ears were before, but up close to them, you discover their softness and the pleasant way they twitch and swivel under your hand.

Nelton's eyelids droop as he becomes engrossed in the moment. After a few good seconds, he seems to remember you asked him a question. "Oh! I um... Well I guess if you took a few things, we'd move a little faster."

He quickly swings his enormous pack off his shoulders and starts rearranging his gear. He glances at you, unconsciously touching his ear for a moment before shaking his head and continuing with his work.

A few minutes later and the gear is divided. Nelton helpfully straps a manageable load to your shoulders and takes the rest for himself. He beckons you towards a staircase leading the to the entrance level of the city.

Trotting ahead, he calls over his shoulder, "We'll need to be a little discreet moving through the gate. They-um.... They don't really know that I'm coming with you. There was all this paperwork and I knew you wanted to leave soon so..." He trails of and ducks his head so his face is obscured by his pack.

You are not certain what reaction Nelton's superiors will have once they discover you intend to venture out with the junior warden in tow. Judging by Nelton's behavior, they probably won't approve.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka sighs before smiling at Nelton "Alright, I'll try to be quiet when we do." He then looks at his soul gem, still in ring form "But, either way, I'm not exactly in the best clothing to be sneaky." He rubs the back of his head, looking up at the sky.

 

[Xatarias]

There is a surprising amount of traffick going in and out of the main gates. Despite the encroaching demonic influence, regional trade seems to be as healthy as ever. You jump out of the way of a clattering merchant cart and pass by a pair of traders animatedly arguing over the price of something called "Equinium".

It isn't hard to hide to blend in with the flow. The few guards that recognize you give knowing nods, as if they knew your departure was all but garanteed. Nelton is pretty much invisible. Laden with his adventure gear, he looks very much like all the other porters leaving the city. The disguise would be perfect if he wasn't constantly looking over his shoulder and letting out startled squeaks whenever he thought someone was calling out to him.

Soon the tooth-like porticulus is overhead and you exit into the clearing beyond. Travelers follow well-trodden paths east and west, sticking close to the city walls. Beyond you can see the tangled greenery of the forest. Through that dark jungle is your goal. Reaching the temple might bring you answers regarding your afliction and, hopefully, a cure.

A muffled groan pulls you from your thoughts. You look to see a pair of mousemorphs engaged in a lustful embrace. You startle as the female grinds against her companion, plundering his mouth with an almost ravenous intent.

Beyond their odd choice of location for their trist, these individuals seem a little different from the mousemorphs you've met. The male's fur is bright purple and the female's tail ends in a demonic spade.

Nelton grabs your arm. "They probably got caught by something in the forest and started to change. People like them aren't all that dangerous, but they still aren't allowed inside the city." His grip tightens. "We... We should get going."

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka nods, continuing on. He wasn't turned on by the sight, he was gay after all, but he was blushing at the fact he saw those two committing the act. He shifted his arm a little so the two of them were holding hands, allowing Nelton to lead him out of the city. He glanced at his soul gem, which was still a ring, and felt his determination rise up. Forgetting about the scene with the two tainted mousemorphs, he walks on, carrying his load with ease.

 

[Xatarias]

You cross the cleared area in front of the city and reach the forest's edge. Nelton cranes his head towards the canopy before taking a deep breath and stepping forward. A short ways in, he looks down at your clasped hands and sheepishly smiles.

As the undergrowth gets thicker, it becomes impossible to walk side by side and you end up following Nelton's tufted tail as he navigates the foilage in front of you. He sweeps back a low hanging branch and sighs with relief.

"Here it is!" He steps aside to reveal a narrow path winding through the contours of the forest. "We just need to follow this and we should reach the river early tomorrow."

Progress is a little faster with an established trail underneath your feet. Hiking onward certainly isn't easy though, and you begin to sweat as the sun rises higher into the sky. You wipe your brow and nearly run into Nelton's back when the warden stops abruptly.

The path forks in front of you. Judging by Nelton's expression, this is an unexpected developement.

"I was postive this was the right route, but it's far too early for us to have reached the first branch... This isn't good. If the path has been altered, someone or some thing might be in the area that slipped past the scout reports. There's no telling what might be ahead." His ears droop discouragedly. "That and there's the chance that we choose the wrong way and double back... Assuming we don't wander into an ambush."

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka grits his teeth "Dammit..." He then looks at his soul gem and shifts it back into an egg-shaped gem lined with gold. He then remembered that magical girls and boys normally used their soul gems to track witches, and wondered if it would be possible to configure the tracking system so it looked for a destination instead.

 

[Xatarias]

(intelligence roll: 10 + 3. Partial Success.)

The surface of your soul gem becomes cloudy. You focus harder, trying to spread your awareness to the surrounding area. The Mystic is supposed to be some sort of magician, so calibrating the gem to detect strong sources of magic should help you locate her temple... Well so long as there weren't any other magical signatures in the area...

Your gem chimes and begins to levitate, spinning in the air. It halts abruptly and points down the leftmost path, tugging at the end of its chain.

Nelton stares wide-eyed at your magical display. "Well that's nifty... You wouldn't happen to have a teleportation spell, would you? That way we'd have the corruption cure before supper." You can tell from his cheeky smile, that he's not serious.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka laughs and shakes his head "Nope, Though Homura seems to be able to do that..." Sayaka sighs at the memory of Homura. The cool, purple magical boy that seemed to have some sort of tie to Madoka. The other could seemingly teleport to anywhere instantly. Sayaka shakes his head, dismissing the memory before smiling at Nelton "Come on, let's keep going."

((Side note: Homura doesn't teleport, he can actually pause time for a few seconds and jump to different timelines, but it seems like he teleports.))

 

[Xatarias]

Nelton adjusts the shoulder straps of his patch and trots after you. The path begins to descend and you stumble a bit on the steep incline.

The trail levels out just as the undergrowth as well as the canopy overhead becomes sparse. You blink against the streaming sunlight as you and your companion enter a clearing. Soft, inviting grass covers the ground and large golden flowers are scattered in various stages of bloom. The place has a heady floral scent, stronger than any flower shop you've ever been in.

Nelton stops at your elbow with a concerned frown. "I don't remember any of this... The forest keeps changing..."

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka sighs before he once again tries to use his soul gem to track the source of magic it detected before, knowing it would require a bit more effort to focus on a single source instead of detecting multiple sources.

 

[Xatarias]

Your gem points in the same general direction: straight through the meadow. Nelton eyes your device warily, but you are confident. The spell is working properly and should be guiding you directly to a strong source of magic...

(Insight roll: 14 + 2.)

Then again, Nelton said the forest was prone to changing all the time. Landscapes don't just transform overnight. If a local like Nelton was unfamiliar with this rather distinctive meadow, it would be best to careful while passing through. It's impossible to tell what gave rise to this clearing, but corrupt magical forces seem like a likely candidate.

Your attention snaps to Nelton as he crouches over one of the large yellow blooms. His movements are jerky and you don't like the glazed look in his eyes as he gives the flower a large sniff....

"Mmmmm... Sayaka, this flower is like... The best thing I've ever smelled. I'm gettting all these wonderful fuzzy feelings..."

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

"Nelton, get away from that!" Sayaka exclaimed, running over and pulling Nelton away from it "Baka, focus! We need to get to the temple as quickly as possible, we don't have time to smell the flowers!"

 

[Xatarias]

Nelton turns his face into your chest and sighs contentedly. You stumble as he sags against you. Small as he is, Nelton is all muscle and sinew and not a particularly light load! The more you try to extract yourself, the clingier your companion becomes. You're almost driven to distraction from the mouse commando's questing paws and caressing tail.

This wasn't right. Normally, Nelton would be performing a impersonation of a tomato from being this close to you. You catch a wiff of heady essence upon the air and shake your head as a feeling of dizziness nearly lands you on your ass.

The flowers. They must be emmiting some sort of magical aphrodisiac. Why it reduced Nelton to a drooling cuddle monster and not you, you can't say. Maybe it doesn't work as well on humans. Regardless, this plants are either the product of rampant corrupt energies, or deliberately planted as a trap for wayward travelers.

Your worst fears become realized as your soul gem begins tugging erratically on its chain. Incoming magical signatures are interferring with the signal from the distant temple. Someone- or something - was coming!

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka curses "Dammit!" He pulls Nelton off of himsekf and lays him down "Alright, let's go!" He holds his soul gem to the sky before it flashes, slowly changing him out of his school uniform and into his battle gear. When it's done, he draws two swords and focuses on clearing his head, trying to ignore and block out the smell from the flowers.

 

[Xatarias]

Wind blows through the meadow, kicking up more of that mind-addling scent. You tighten your grip on your weapons and focus, blocking out the corrupting influence. Nelton is practically helpless, rolling on his back and batting at a nearby flower like a kitten would with a ball of yarn.

Meanwhile, you scan the forest edge. You are unable to detect any intruders. Were it not for the soul gem swinging erratically around your neck, you wouldn't even suspect that someone could be watching you. Perhaps the detection spell was malfunctioning...

A pair of glowing red eyes snap open some yards away in the gloom beneath a pine tree's branches. A rumbling growl reaches your ears. The sound emanates from all around you, indicating the presence of more than one interloper. You circle warily as more glowing stares lock on you.

"Well, well... Most people that stumble into this area would be drooling puddles of hormones by now. Aren't you a special little thing?

You turn to the source of the voice and an involuntary shiver runs down your spine. A glinting mass of shadow prowls into the clearing. The newcomer is massive, easily seven feet tall with midnight black fur covering a rippling musculature and luminescent scarlet eyes that leer at you. His head is like that of a large wolf and his lips curl in a cocky smile, sharp white teeth a sharp contrast to his dusky gums.

The wolf morph halts at a respectful distance. "Well I'd hate to leave empty handed. My pack has grown sparse as of late. A few canine peppers and I think you'd suit quite nicely... Don't suppose you'd be willing to join the clan?"

He speaks in low cultured tones. The wolfman is clearly in control of his mental faculties, but those glowing eyes reveal the touch of corruption.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

"Like hell!" Sayaka shouted, assuming a stance, glaring heatedly at the wolf "I've only started my quest, and I won't give in now! If I have to fight all of you, then so be it!" He growled out. As if responding to his clear anger and determination, his soul gem (Which was now a belt buckle like before) flashed dangerously and glowed brightly, emanating power.

 

[Xatarias]

(Insight Roll: 8 + 2 = 10)

More wolfmorphs emerge from the nearby foliage, forming a rough circle around you. There are five including their leader, each brawnier than the last. Were all wolfmen this built, or was it something in the water?

They growl with fierce smiles, lunging at you at regular intervals, but always bounding away at the last second. The leader idly toys with the beading on his loincloth while his minions toy with you.

"Are you sure? We're not so bad once you get to know us. You'd be surprised how addicting the feral lifestyle can be... Once you give into instinct, it's hard to go back."

He paces slowly, deliberately, but you keep your distance and weapons at the ready. Was he really trying to negotiate, or just trying to catch you off guard...

The burly beastman leans down and grabs something from a nearby tuft of grass. Nelton wriggles by the scruff of his neck with a large flower blossom tucked behind his ear. Totally oblivious to the possible danger, he giggles and hugs the wolfmorph around his midriff.

"A little scrawny, but he seems eager enough... I think this little guy would make a fine addition to our family." He gently nibbles Nelton's ear, causing the mousemorph to shiver. "These flowers certainly can leave you a bit pent up.... We have ways of taking care of that."

You suddenly realize that Nelton's embrace isn't as innocent as you thought. In the throws of the corrupt aphrodisiac, your friend is practically grinding against his captor. His breaches strained by a sizeable erection, the tent stained with a growing patch of fluid.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka's eyes widen "Nelton... Fight it Nelton! Come on! I know you can! Are you really going to give up that easily on our promise!? On your sister!?" He shouts, trying to hit home and snap Nelton out of it.

 

[Xatarias]

(Charisma roll: 14 + 2 = 16)

The wolfmorph smirks at your pleading, secure in his power over the helpless Nelton. He mashes your companion against his overly-muscled waist and gropes at his firm backside. Nelton muffles something unintelligible into the furry pelt of his captor.

The wolfman chief growls possessively, "I don't think you're being very appreciative of my generousity. I catch you tresspassing on my territory and offer friendship and you turn your nose up at it. If it's this mouseboy you're want, don't worry. I'm always willing to share my new toys. We could even- Arrrrrghghhh!"

The buff beastman hurls Nelton away and clutches at his side. Nelton rolls at your feet in a little ruffled but otherwise unharmed. He rises to a sitting position, sputtering on the mouthful of dark fur clinging to his tongue. He must have bit the corrupt wolfmorph... Hard.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka sighed in relief before grinning at Nelton "Hey Nelton, you ever practiced with a sword?" He asks, tossing the mouse-morph one of his before summoning another one. He then stepped in front of the other, glaring at the leader of the pack "I don't care what you have to offer you damn mutt! We're going to save his sister, and I won't let you get in our way!" He shouts before spinning, drawing a circle in the ground with his foot which lights up, notes rising up slowly before quickly zipping up towards the sky. After the mini lightshow, Sayaka assumes a battle stance, knowing he'd need a speed boost.

(Allegro)

 

[Xatarias]

(Spent one special point. You'll have advantage on your next speed roll)

The wolf pack stumbles back in surprise at your magical display. Their leader growls menacingly. He crouches across from you, waiting for an opening. His clawed hands are stained from the wound inflicted by Nelton's teeth.

Nelton grips his weapon and puts his back to yours. The point of his sword wavers a little bit as the mouse warrior tries to regain control of his muscles.

"I- I'm fine. Don't worry about me, just focus on getting us out of here in one piece."

The wolf chief chuckles. "Touching. But you're not leaving without my say so. Last chance, come willingly or over my shoulder."

(Insight roll: + 2)

You notice the wolf-morph's ears twitch in a subtle signal. Despite his words, his companions edge towards you before you can respond to his offer. One lurches towards you, but you recognize it as feint. The real attack comes from behind and you just manage to pull Nelton clear as razor-sharp claws wistle towards his face.

(Speed contest: 12 + 4 vs. 4 + 1. Success!)

(Damage roll: critical hit!)

Your magically charged muscles burst in a explosion of motion. You sweep the legs out from under your attackers, sending them tumbling into the nearby underbrush. A blazingly fast slash across the flank of the remaining wolf minion sends him into a whimpering retreat, clutching his backside all the way. Soon you have dispatched every enemy but the imposing chieftain who stands dumfounded at your battle prowess.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka stands in front of Nelton protectively, wielding both swords "I gave up my soul just so I could save others. I thought nothing of it, I didn't even know it at the time. But when the truth was revealed, I felt cold... I couldn't feel anything. I turned into a monster... But I won't be changed again. I won't let myself succumb to anything or anyone anymore!" Sayaka shouts, showing resolution as he dashes forward, emitting a war cry as he rushes into battle with the chieftain.

 

[Xatarias]

The wolfmorph crouches and growls menacingly as you deliver your tirade. Confident as you are in your martial abilities, this beastman is a towering pillar of solid muscle. Taking him down won't be easy.

(Speed contest: 8 vs. 12. Failure)

You dart foward, each bound releasing a burst of magical energy from your feet. The distance between you closes in the blink of an eye and your sword cuts a blazing arc in front of you...

(Strength contest: 16 vs. 13. Failure)

The wolfmorph smiles fiercely and ducks under your blow. Maintaining his crouch, he barrels into your middle, knocking the wind out of you. You try to break his hold, but to no avail- his brutish physique is too much for you.

(Damage roll: normal wound)

[X][ ][ ][ ]

You cry out in anguish as your foe sinks his sharp teeth into your shoulder. You can feel your blood grow hot as his corrupt taint begins flooding into you. A few more wounds like this and it won't matter how many pretty speeches you give. You'll slip back into that crushing dispair. He licks his lips and snarls into your ear.

"You think you're better than us? No one lives in this forest without giving up something to the darkness. Only the strong survive, and without demon magic, you're weak."

He draws back to deliver another bite when a white ball of fur crashes into him. Nelton only manages a shallow cut to the chieftain's chest before being thrown into a tree trunk. While failing to deliver any substantial damage, Nelton's assault does provide you with a distraction. You pull free of your off balance opponent and jump to your feet.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka grits his teeth, grabbing his cloak and crouching, covering himself in the white fabric. He then spins, making the cloak billow as multiple swords are embedded on the ground. Sayaka picks up two swords and starts flinging them at the wolf, the swords whizzing through the air towards the corrupted creature.

(Stinger Splash)

 

[Xatarias]

(Magical ranged attack)

(Speed contest: 13 + 4 vs. 9 + 3. Success!)

(Damage roll (int vs. fort) 12 + 3 vs. 17 + 3. Minor wound)

Enemy health [X][ ][ ][ ] (two minor wounds = one health bar.)

The wolf morph hurls himself to the side, your barrage of magical swords thudding into the ground he previously occupied. Seeing his prediction of your movements, you hurl one glowing blade as a feint and then line up your next shot just as the wolfmorph dodges to the side. There's no way for him to avoid the projectile midair...

A screech rings out as your enemy closes his claws on the airbourne blade. Blood streams from his badly cut hands, but your projectile bairly sinks an inch into his thick hide. He casts aside the weapon, and shambles towards you.

(Speed contest: 8 + 3 vs. 7 + 4. Success)

(damage roll (str vs. fort) 8 + 3 vs. 3 + 5. Normal wound)

Your health: [x][x][ ][ ][ ]

His lurching movements catch you by surprise. You manage to leap away, but not befored recieving a nast cut across your midriff.

You catch sight of Nelton some distance away. The sword you provided him has been discarded as the young mouse commando is shoulder-deep in his pack, desperately searching for something.

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka hisses in pain, leaping back to keep distance. He then decides to switch to defensive, using an ability he finds useful from time to time. He spins in place, notes flying around him at a fast speed before they flash and vanish. The wolf creature would notice that Sayaka's wounds were closing over slowly, healing as Sayaka slowly feels better!

(Infinite Melody, allows Sayaka to regenerate health overtime.))

 

[Xatarias]

(Special point expended. 3/5)

You feel your spell begin to take effect just as the wolfmorph unleashes a terrifying howl. His fiery eyes light up and his already bulky proportions begin to expand. You wince at the sound of cracking bone and stretching sinew as the bestial chieftan grows a full foot. He crouches on all fours, stomping a nearby rock to dust.

(Speed contest: 13 vs. 16)

You leap aside as your opponent charges, plowing into a pine tree and reducing it to splinters. A flick of the wolf's oversized tail casts wooden fragments in all directions. You can only imagine what sort of damage that buffed up physique could cause to flesh and bone.

A flash of motion to your side causes you to turn towards your left. Nelton has retrieved his blow gun and is busy loading a nasty looking dart. Meanwhile, his dextrous tail flicks out, tossing a fluid filled flask towards you.

"That should give your strength a boost! Take a swig and kick his tail!"

(Health Regen for four turns. Your health: [X][/][ ][ ])

 

[Emerald_Pheonix]

Sayaka nods and quickly chugs down the vial, feeling it's effects. He then drew two more swords, but a part of him knew this was a losing battle, no matter how many boosts he had. He crouched low, then dashed forward, leaping up and swinging his two weapons, aiming for the neck of the beast.