Diary of a Padded Panda @littlenaiumi - Tumblr Blog

The First to Fall: The Lost Party

The air felt cool and heavy as thick, gray clouds hung low over the trees surrounding Pinecrest. A chorus of birds’ songs melded together and echoed through the busy streets despite the clatter of hooves upon cobblestone and the dull roar of the numerous citizens milling about. The hustled clap of a runner’s boots against the stonework road grew louder as a trio of men rounded the corner from the market district, nearing the city’s tavern.

A cloaked figure at the rear of the party wheeled about, his cape briefly billowing away to flash a glance of a weasel’s tail.

“I swear to Gaia,” he grumbled, keeping pace with his companions while walking in reverse. “You’re going to try sneaking up on me at the wrong time and we’ll both come to regret it.”

“Sure thing,” the she-wolf mockingly retorted as she passed him by to find her place next to the gnoll in the center of the group.

“Cryo?” she said, tapping the man on the shoulder. “The smithy says you can stop by in the morning to grab your armor.”

The warrior turned a side of his mouth upward to a grin, “Thank you, Kaila.”

“Of course,” the woman responded happily. “I’d go in a bit early if I were you though. I don’t think his apprentice was all that excited about cleaning it.”

Cryo chuckled, “Being a smith’s an enchanting means of making your way until it’s time to do the work. I’m sure it will be done by the time I visit…Hemroth’s not the sort to allow a job to only go half-finished.” “What about your own business?” interjected the dragon-fox in front of them as he veered off the road and onto the path leading to the tavern’s entrance.

“Oh, I got that squared away immediately,” Kaila explained as her tail swayed behind her. “Just needed some beeswax to wax my bow with. Keerasa-Shei said he’d be by later—he’s helping out in the guild’s infirmary. How about you?”

“Very good,” the man responded with a nod, pausing at the door. “I’ll explain once we’ve gotten a seat.”

With a firm tug, he pulled the heavy wooden door open, allowing the rampant howls and the deafening roar of the tavern’s patrons to mix together for a brief moment while the group crossed the threshold. Inside, the air was warm and thick with the smoke of countless pipes, illuminated by a vast array of candles perched about the walls and tables of the establishment. A lone bard sat perched upon a stool in the center of the stage at the rear of the dining hall, doing his best to carry the tune he played on his bowed lyre over the crowd’s ruckus.

The three men worked their way toward an unoccupied table along the far wall, while Kaila quietly wandered toward the bar.

Realizing that she hadn’t taken note of her companions’ orders, she wheeled about and called, “Hey Magromancer, what do you guys want?”

Her voice was overpowered by the noise of the tavern’s patrons however, and she turned back to the bar with the twitch of an ear.

“What can I get for ya?” asked a young vixen with a chipper tone from behind the counter.

Kaila sighed, dreading her friends’ complaints, should she issue the wrong order.

“What’s the special of the evening?” she asked hesitantly.

The barmaid’s ears perked slightly, “We’ve a hearty beef and carrot stew this evening, with bread and cheese…And we’ve three varieties of ales, and of course plenty of mead from the Emmerson Meadery. Of course, we’ve also got a healthy selection of spi—”

“I-I’ll just take four orders of stew and mead to go with them, please,” the she-wolf interjected.

The girl dove beneath the counter and quickly returned with a large platter, which she placed on the counter before diving once more.

“That’ll be 28 coppers, please,” she chirped as she returned and spread an array of wooden bowls, spoons, and tankards on the tray.

Kaila drew a small cloth bag from the pouch hanging from her hip and withdrew three small silver squares while the barmaid prepared her order in the rear of the kitchen. When the woman returned, she traded her platter for the coins and quickly produced a pair of copper coins to return to her patron with a bright smile.

“Enjoy!”

The she-wolf flashed her a sheepish smile and gingerly made her way through the sea of patrons, making every effort to keep from spilling the tray’s contents.

“Look, I don’t care,” snapped the weasel as Kaila drew near. “We need the money, and you’re not doing much to fix it by going and reading some musty tomes with your little secret society.”

As the woman carefully settled the platter on the table and the others gathered their meals in front of them, the rogue grumbled to himself, pulling a small leather bag from the table and dropping it into his lap.

“What was that?” Kaila asked, lowering herself into her seat.

“Nothing,” mumbled the rogue before tucking into his stew.

Magromancer sighed, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat back in his seat.

“Cezmera took it upon himself to procure some additional funds by less-than-favorable means.”

“Look, I don’t see any of you coming up with breakthrough methods of making us something we can live on,” the rogue snarled through a mouthful of stew. “Do you think I enjoy risking my hide for a few coppers that I then have to share with you lot? If I didn’t have to do it, I wouldn’t. I’d have a legitimate pastime. Sadly though, this is how things are and not many folks are putting contracts out on basilisks, and it’s not like there’s a secret crypt filled with treasure around every corner.”

Cryo rubbed his temples as he slowly raised his spoon to his maw.

“Would you both mind quieting down? I’d rather not deal with unwanted attention and just eat in peace.”

The dragon-fox nodded to the gnoll and stared into his bowl of stew intently. Heaving a sigh, he looked up and pulled a folded piece of parchment from the satchel hanging from his shoulder. He unfolded the paper, revealing a bounty notice marked with an intricate sketch of a small, winged humanoid.

“I can’t go into the details too much, but the Guild is offering a hefty bounty on faeries, their wings, and their blood. If we could catch even just one, we’d be set for the rest of the year,” he said, leaning forward and placing the notice on the empty tray in the center of the table. “They’re not just after one, either.”

“What would make them want faeries, though?” Kaila asked, dunking a hunk of bread into her stew.

“Research,” Magromancer answered flatly before taking a long draw from his mug. “I can’t go into any more detail than that.”

Cezmera leaned forward, “But what’s the catch? Let me guess, they exist only on another plane whose air is toxic, or they’re after only a particular variation that can polymorph into cats and kill you at a mere glance?” The mage smirked, “Nothing of the sort. They’re just your average, run-of-the-mill fae.”

Cezmera and Cryo exchanged glances, their brows cocked in confusion.

“So why the bounty?” Kaila piped up, firmly planting her empty mug on the table. “Can’t they just send some apprentices out to collect them?”

The man across from her cracked a grin, “I’m afraid it’s not that easy. The novices are too busy studying their lessons, and the more advanced members are busy with their own research. It’s just easier to pay others to do the work. I just hope Anders doesn’t miss the notice.”

The group returned their attention to their meals as a crowd began to form in a nearby corner. Within moments, the loud droning of the tavern’s patrons gave way to chants and cries as pair upon pair of men traded blows while the spectators exchanged bets.

Magromancer cleared his throat as he finished off the contents of his bowl, “Kaila, did Keera mention when he was planning to be finished? I’d prefer if we could get hunting sooner rather than later.”

Busy soaking up her last bit of stew with another hunk of bread, the woman looked up and nodded past the gathered spectators, where a blue lizard dressed in a long gray tunic carefully picked his way through the crowd.

“How rude,” he said as he pulled a chair to the table and positioned himself between the gnoll and she-wolf. “You couldn’t even be bothered to order me something?”

Kaila ducked her head, splaying her ears in shame.

“That’s my fau—”

“I jest,” he chuckled, patting the woman’s shoulder. “I was treated to a meal at the Guild before I left.”

He paused, brushing a stray lock of black hair away from his face.

“Have you managed to find any decent leads on a job?” he asked. “If not, I know the Guild could use some herbs we could gather.”

“As a matter of fact,” Magromancer piped up as his scaled counterpart finished, “We’ve work to do for my guild—A hefty bounty’s been placed on faeries, their wings, and their lifeblood. With the money they’re offering for a single specimen, we could settle down for a few weeks at the very least.”

“Is it necessary that we bring harm upon them?” Keerasa-Shei asked with an obvious tone of concern in his voice. “They’re sentient beings, and even if they weren’t, it would be wrong for us to cut an innocent life short.”

“Actually,” the mage sighed, leaning back in his seat as he folded his arms over his chest. “A greater bounty is being offered for live specimens, and they’re being sought for research purposes. We could even invite some to accompany us back to the guild willingly and still get the same pay. At five gold apiece for live specimens, I don’t much care how we bring them in, but think of what we could do with the money for even just a couple of them!”

The lizard stared at the table, flaring his nostrils as he weighed his options.

“I suppose we could try, so long as there is no intention to bring them harm,” he murmured.

Magromancer leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and supporting his chin atop his interwoven fingers.

“Splendid,” he said with a smile. “In that case, we’ll leave in the morning. Shall we make it the eighth bell?”

The rest of the party nodded in agreement and set to work finishing the last of their drinks and meals before going their own ways to prepare for the trek ahead.

A thick layer of fog clung to the ground like a blanket as the sun began to rise the following morning. As the faint light began to pierce the darkness of the forest beyond the city’s gates, the trees erupted with the calls of countless birds.

Cryo heaved a sigh as he crossed the tavern’s threshold, clad in a thickly padded coat and shining plate, with a great sword propped against his shoulder. His armor clanked noisily with each step as he made his way to the bar where a calico kitten furiously scrubbed the counter. The girl’s eyes lit up as she turned her attention to the man. Hopping down from the crate upon which she was perched, the girl scampered out from behind the bar to get a closer look; a sound akin to that of crunching leaves accompanying each step.

“Wow,” she gasped, reaching out to touch his greaves. “You really came! Did he tell you everything? About the sweets and all?”

“I’m sorry little one,” Cryo smirked as he leaned his blade against the wall at his side and carefully lowered himself onto a stool at the bar. “Methinks you have me confused for a guardsman. Did someone steal your sweets?”

“N-no!” the girl retorted, her look of awe quickly changing to that of frustration. “I went for a walk n’ I found some…n’ I woke up like this!”

The man smiled, “Sweets do tend to give you some energy, but it’s best to eat proper food to keep from falling ill.”

The girl stamped her foot in frustration and stomped back to her box to resume cleaning.

Recognizing he had struck a nerve, the gnoll coughed lightly, pausing for a moment to give the child some time to calm down. The kitchen’s rear door squeaked loudly as it swung open, giving way to a plump raccoon carrying an armload of firewood.

“Ah, excuse me good man,” Cryo called, slightly lifting himself from his seat as he beckoned to him. “Have you had many visitors this morning?”

“Can’t rightly say so,” heaved the man as he stooped and dropped his collection of wood near the hearth. “Though, you wouldn’t happen to know of a mother searching for her child, would you?”

The raccoon approached the bar and leaned over it on his elbows.

“My little assistant here insists that she’s one of my barmaids, but can’t so much as tell me her name or where she lives. I can’t leave the Dew Drop unattended, and I’m certainly not going to entrust her to the care of a perfect stranger to deliver her to the guardsmen.”

“Sorry, but I’ve only seen a smithy and a guard patrol so far,” replied the gnoll. “So, I guess you’ll have your little helper for a short while, yet. I’ll ask my companions when they arrive.”

“It’s not nice to talk about others without talking to them, you know,” the kitten grumbled as she continued to scrub the counter, her nose scrunched in frustration.

Cryo chuckled, “You’re rather well-spoken for a child your age. Is your mother schooling you, or has the Mages Guild been accepting younger children for their basic seminars?”

With a pout, the kitten stuck her tongue out at him, prompting the raccoon at her side to issue a sharp swat to her bottom. The girl yelped as his hand connected with part of her thigh, and she rubbed at the spot to soothe her pain; the crunching sound emanating once again from beneath her tiny palm.

“If you want to work here,” the man lectured her, “you need to learn to be polite to our guests. Even the harshest of men can be won over by kindness, and you should always strive to find happiness, despite the actions and words of others. Do you understand?”

The kitten nodded with a sniffle as small tears began to well up in her eyes.

“’Atta girl,” he smiled, wrapping an arm around her petite shoulders and pulling her close for a gentle hug. “Once you’re done, do you think you can help me dry the mugs?”

She nodded and hopped down off her box to fetch a rag, crinkling as she went.

“Now then,” the barkeep sighed, returning his attention to Cryo. “Is there anything I can get you? Would you care for some rarebits, perhaps?”

The warrior cracked an embarrassed smile, “I appreciate it, but I’m not quite in a position to spend much money at the moment—I’m simply waiting for my companions.”

“There’s not a problem there, friend,” the raccoon replied. “I’ve plenty of bread and cheese to put to use before it runs stale. Call it a gesture of good will—an act of generosity as the Gods expect of us good folk.” Cryo smiled and nodded in return. The man quickly set to work, slicing a loaf of bread and setting the pieces in upright irons to toast near the coals upon the hearth, while a pot of grated cheese and cream began to simmer.

“So, tell me,” he called over his shoulder, stirring the pot. “How do you earn your way? Your gambeson’s not marked with our king’s crest, and you don’t wear the trappings of our guard.”

The gnoll chuckled heartily.

“I’m just an adventurer—I do odd jobs as I can.”

“Is that so?” asked the barkeep. “You’re not the typical sort I usually take for an adventurer.”

“Then what would you say is the norm?” Cryo replied.

“To be perfectly blunt,” the raccoon began, spooning the molten cheese mixture into a bowl and removing the toasts from their irons, “Most tend to be vagabonds. I mean no offense, but in most cases, they tend to be rowdy wanderers who expect the world for nothing and react with violence to even the innocent who may impede them in their work.”

He arranged the food on a small platter and placed it before the warrior who thanked him with a grateful smile.

“You’re not wrong,” he said, picking up a piece of toast and dunking it into the bowl. “The vast majority are little more than ruffians who grant themselves an ill-conceived notion of authority and importance because they carry a blade and kill monsters from which others flee. It doesn’t change the fact though, that they too, can be monsters.”

“Well said,” nodded the raccoon as he gathered a collection of tankards from under the counter and carried them to the rear of the kitchen where his ward awaited him, absentmindedly attempting to pin the tip of her tail with her hands as it twitched to and fro.

As the minutes continued to pass and Cryo slowly worked to finish his meal, the streets beyond the tavern’s walls began to fill with the dull drone of countless citizens going about their daily lives.

“Thank you for the meal,” he said, pushing the platter away as he sat back in his seat with a contented sigh. “I think I’ll stand outside for a moment and watch for my friends.”

“Stay safe on your travels,” called the raccoon as he waved from the far end of the kitchen where he struggled to teach his ward to clean a box of tankards.

The kitten energetically interjected, “Bye, Sir Puppy-Knight!”

Cryo cracked a grin as he took hold of his sword, his brow cocking as he noticed a far more childish tone in the girl’s voice. Shaking his head in dismissal, he stepped out of the tavern and into the brisk morning air.

“Speak of a devil and they shall appear,” murmured Keerasa-Shei as the gnoll stepped out. “We’ve been waiting for an age.”

Kaila scoffed and rolled her eyes as she brushed a loose lock of hair away from her face, “Don’t mind him—we only met a few moments ago. Are you ready?”

Cryo nodded flashing the she-wolf a knowing smile, “Do we have any idea of where we’re going to go?”

“Well, I have a rough idea,” Magromancer piped up, unrolling a map and gesturing to a section of forest outside the city. “There’s a grove not far from this old crypt where we’ll likely be able to find some fae if we’re patient. We’ll be able to set up camp before sundown if we keep a decent pace.”

The weasel huffed as he hoisted his heavy pack over his shoulders and set off for the city’s main gate, prompting the dragon-fox to chuckle to himself.

“That’s the spirit,” he murmured as he padded along behind his companion, tucking his map back into the leather tube dangling from his belt. “The sooner we set out, the sooner we’ll be done and have coin in hand.”

Slowly, the sun rose over the canopy of the trees beyond the gates as the adventurers marched along the cobblestone road toward the distant port of Varae. As it climbed, so too did the morning fog, revealing tall, glistening grasses and bushes laden with ripening berries. The commotion of the city soon gave way to the clacking of the party’s boots against the stone of the road, and the occasional snapping twig breaking the serene silence of the forest.

A distant figure came into view as the group pressed on, the midday sun’s rays piercing the canopy overhead. As they drew closer, the sly visage of a black and white wusky came into view.

The man rested against a nearby tree, dressed in a long tailcoat and wide-brimmed hat. His trousers were worn and patched in several places, and his lime-green hair was tied into a loose ponytail by a strip of tattered cloth. On the ground nearby, a small blanket was laid out, hosting a few small treenware plates, a knife, and a few hunks of cheese and dried meat, along with a canvas knapsack.

Noticing the bounty spread out on the ground, Cezmera slowed his gait, allowing Kaila—who had kept close behind him—to take the lead. She slowed to a stop as she came within arm’s reach of the stranger’s selection and rested a hand on one hip, pressing her pale blue jerkin against her body and allowing a brief display of the athletic physique concealed by the loose garment.

“This isn’t exactly the ideal picnic spot,” she smirked with a hint of friendly sarcasm in her voice. “Have a broken wheel up the road or something, or are you headed out to port?”

The man sighed listlessly as he stepped away from his tree, stretching his arms out wide.

“Not exactly,” he yawned. “We just figured this was as good a place as any, but I was starting to worry no one would come along.”

“Pardon?” Kaila asked, twitching her ear in curiosity. “Are you waiting for a companion?”

“Three, actually,” the man grinned before raising his thumb and forefinger to his lips and issuing a sharp blast.

Crunching leaves and rustling bushes on either side of the road gave way to the subtle sounds of straining bowstrings and a locking trigger as a trio of foxes dressed in similar fashion emerged with arrows and bolts aimed and ready.

“Now friends,” the man began in an arrogant and condescending tone. “I do believe you’ll be handing over your coin, now. We’ve no interest in taking your lives, as doing so will not put food in our bellies, but my associates will not hesitate to put you down should you try anything.”

Cryo and Magromancer exchanged glances before the gnoll inverted his blade and planted it firmly in the soil, then taking a step back with his hands raised. Cezmera followed suit, drawing and tossing his dirk to the ground, while Kaila reluctantly lowered her bow to the ground as well. As she stood, the dragon-fox mumbled under his breath.

The highwayman crossed his arms over his chest as he turned his gaze to the mage, examining his lavishly-embroidered robe at length.

“Let me guess, you hired yourself some muscle to walk the path with you? What are you, a lord? Maybe a spice merchant on holiday? Regardless, it’s rather rude to say things in the presence of others that they cannot hear in full. Please, do speak your mind…While handing over your coin, of course.”

“I would hope, brother,” Keerasa-Shei interjected as he drew a small cloth bag from the leather pouch dangling from the belt around his waist. “That you were to seek peace and forgiveness in the Holy Mother’s light. I do not know your circumstances, but surely you only behave this way out of necessity, yes? I would happily give you my coin to bring you respite, but would advise you to seek redemption with the Temple of the Lady of Light.”

As the man stepped closer and reached out to take the pouch the cleric offered him, Magromancer stepped out from among the bunch, his murmuring growing to a booming crescendo.

“…By the power of the aether, I call forth a gale to repel you!” he cried, thrusting his arms out to both sides. In an instant, a powerful blast of wind exploded from his palms, knocking the two archers off their feet. The force of the gust shot the highwayman into the tree behind him; the impact violently forcing the air from his lungs. Among the chaos, Cezmera dove into the thick underbrush nearby, and Cryo quickly took up his sword. A flash illuminated the shaded rode as the remaining bandit’s bolt caught the light of the sun as it sailed toward the gnoll in retaliation. A piercing, metallic clang overpowered the noise of the scuffle as the quarrel met its mark, leaving a dent in the warrior’s armor as it glanced off before grazing his tricep.

The gnoll winced as he clutched his wound and strained to raise his sword with his free hand. Frantically, the remaining bandit lowered his crossbow and began to draw its string. With a cry, Cezmera leapt from his cover, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck in a vice-like grip. The bandit clawed at the rogue’s arms as he stumbled toward a nearby tree and began to slam his assailant’s back into it. Despite the assault, the weasel held firm.

The struggle was over in an instant as the rogue’s mark collapsed to his knees and fell face-first into the dirt.

“Bind them,” Keerasa-Shei stated plainly as he searched his satchel for a particular salve.

Kaila wasted little time in tying the highwayman’s wrists together as he strained to catch his breath. Magromancer meanwhile, whispered another incantation, forcing the two archers to collapse into a comatose slumber.

“I don’t think one’s getting up for a little while,” Cezmera grumbled as he stood and issued a swift kick to the crossbowman’s ribs, causing a sickening crack to echo through the wooded corridor as one snapped from the force of the blow.

“Please,” the healer hissed, gently wiping a pasty green ointment over Cryo’s wound, causing the warrior to wince once more. “I believe we’ve done enough harm to them. There is no need to be overzealous. Let’s move on before they awaken.”

As the cream met the gnoll’s flesh, the gash began to seal over, quickly returning to its original state. Gathering what remained of their discarded belongings, the party hurriedly resumed their course.

“Do you think we should’ve done something more?” Kaila asked as she followed along behind her companions, bow in hand. “What if they try following us?”

Cezmera sighed and turned to speak over his shoulder.

“Relax. We’ve gotten enough of a lead on them, they’d struggle to catch us. Besides, we’ll be heading off the path soon, so as long as we’re careful not to leave an obvious trail, they won’t be able to tell where we got off to.”

“I suppose you’re right,” the she-wolf muttered with an uneasy tone.

The party continued on as the shadows slowly crept across the road. Spotting the faint beginnings of a narrow trail, Magromancer slowed to a halt at the front of the group, prompting the others to follow suit. Quietly, he unfurled his map and began to compare it with his surroundings, quickly glancing about and back at the map to estimate his location.

“Kaila, what do you make of this?” he asked as he wheeled about and held out the map to the archer. “I think this trail might be what we’re looking for, but I don’t think the road curves enough here to match the map.” The woman took the map and made her own series of comparisons between the road, trees, and map before returning it to the mage.

“Looks about right to me. The cartographer could’ve just made a bit of an error when he drew the map,” she shrugged. “Besides, we can always come back this way and continue on if it’s not the right trail.”

“Seems to be a decent plan,” Keerasa-Shei piped up as he examined the leaves of a Jewelweed plant.

“Alright, everyone tread lightly until the road is out of sight,” Kaila instructed her companions while she made her way to the start of the trail. “Keep close and step right where I do. If they manage to find the path, they’ll think it’s just one person, and if we’re lucky, they won’t notice any disturbance. Try not to crush any leaves or twigs.”

She took a ginger step onto a small moss-covered rock, then took a wide step toward a seemingly dry patch of dirt with her other foot, steadying herself by clinging to a low-hanging branch. One by one, her compatriots followed, doing their best to trace her steps as she cautiously pressed on.

Contented with their efforts, the she-wolf turned and looked over her shoulder, ensuring the road was concealed by a thick mass of trees and underbrush.

“We should be fine, now,” she said before continuing on at a leisurely pace.

The others turned their attention away from the trail and followed along behind her, occasionally pushing stray branches from their path. As they pushed deeper into the forest, the air thickened and cooled in the shade of the thick canopy overhead.

“Damn bugs,” Cryo grumbled as he slapped his arm, attempting to kill one of the countless mosquitos assaulting him.

“They are quite a bother, aren’t they” asked Keerasa-Shei, waving his hand in front of his face to shoo away another of the pests.

The mage trudged on with a sigh, “We should be finding our mark shortly. Once we build a fire, they shouldn’t be an issue.”

Several paces ahead of the group, Kaila found herself halted by a wall of dense brush, which she carefully attempted to force herself through. Grunting in her efforts, the ranger pushed aside thorn-strewn branches one after another, until she disappeared behind a wall of leaves and thorns.

“Woah…,” her muffled voice emanated from beyond the wall of shrubbery.

“You guys should see this,” she called as Cezmera cautiously blazed his own trail through the bushes.

After a small struggle, the rest of the party found their way out of the bushes and emerged from the tree line to stand at the edge of a large clearing alongside the ranger. Before them loomed a massive brick building. At the center of the front of the structure, a tower rose nearly twice as high as the canopy of the surrounding forest, and patches of ivy crept up the walls in various places, suggesting the structure’s extended age. The grounds surrounding the facility appeared to be natural, though a few uncommon flowers and shrubs appeared to be deliberately planted along the path leading to the main door.

Keerasa-Shei looked to the dragon-fox with a confused expression.

“Is…This the crypt you mentioned?” he asked while the mage reviewed his map.

Cryo sighed as he joined the pair, resting his sword on his shoulder, “It looks more like an academy of some kind, don’t you think?”

“I-I…guess it’s the place,” Magromancer said with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “It’s the right sort of spot, but—”

“How about we consult an expert, hmm?” Cezmera smirked, taking a few leisurely paces toward the towering structure. “Not to say I have experience with this sort of thing…but I know what I’m talking about. See, wealthy folk like to splurge just to show off, right? So maybe they just spent a lot, hired a groundskeeper, and maybe they have something nice inside.”

The she-wolf crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the rogue as he suggested plundering a possible crypt.

“What? All I’m saying is that we can take a look and make sure it’s the crypt!” the weasel cried, “If it’s not, we can set up camp for the night, and take off in the morning.”

Kaila turned her attention skyward and extended her arm toward the sun, measuring the distance between it and the tree-riddled horizon with the width of her hand.

“We won’t have the light for much longer,” she sighed. “If we don’t want to work in the dark, it would probably just be best to establish our camp and continue in the morning.”

The gnoll nodded in agreement, “Since we don’t quite know if those buggers on the road followed along, we should avoid starting a fire.”

“Agreed,” said Keerasa-Shei, “But perhaps we might save the effort and take shelter in the building for the night? After all, we would avoid making noise from building the camp, so it’d be the best way to hide for the night.”

The dragon-fox sighed as a chilled breeze blew in from the woods, gently carrying a few leaves along with it, “I suppose it’s for the best. We’ll still post watch, naturally.”

“And take care not to disturb the space in the slightest,” interjected the healer.

“Right, right! Of course!” reassured Cezmera as he treaded with a backwards gait toward the door. “Just relax a moment, take in the sights, and I’ll make sure we can get in, yeah?”

Carefully, the young man approached the door and examined it closely while he worked to pull a roll of soft leather from one of the pouches on his belt. With the roll finally free, he turned and knelt, unfurling it to display a vast array of picks and tools of illicit nature nestled snugly into the narrow pockets lining the parcel. Methodically selecting a pair of rods from the bag, the rogue turned and attached the two to form a longer piece, which he attempted to pass through the gap between the door and its jam. Unable to fit the rod through, he disassembled it and replaced it with another, which yielded the same result. A third failed attempt prompted the weasel to mutter a series of curses under his breath as he began to select a pick and tension wrench while the others gathered near to watch him work.

After a few moments of wriggling the pick within the keyhole, the turnkey pressed against the rogue’s thumb gave way with a firm click. With the wave of one hand, Cezmera shooed his companions away and braced the door with his shoulder as he took hold of its handle and slowly began to pull it open. Once more, he took up a rod which he swept along the gap of the open door in one swift pass. Satisfied with his work, the weasel quickly set to work disassembling the rods and replacing his tools before rolling up the bundle and returning it to his pouch.

With a gentle tug, he pulled the door to open just enough to allow himself to pass through. As he slipped inside, he gestured with his hand for his companions to hold their position. A moment later, three sharp raps rang out from the door, prompting the party to approach, weapons in hand.

As the door swung open, it revealed a brightly-lit space, though no torches nor braziers could be seen. Instead, light emanated from glass spheres set into the ceiling, and those set on metal posts atop the tall counter on the right side of the room. Behind the counter, stretched a series of wooden drawers, each labeled with a piece of parchment settled into a slot on its face. A few inkwells housed their own quills atop the counter, along with a pair of pounce pots. Across from the counter, an open doorway gave way to a shadowy room lined with simple chairs and cushions. The group spread out to afford themselves a better view of the space; their boots issuing a series sharp clicks as their soles met the polished marble floor below.

“Pretty outlandish for a crypt, don’t you think?” Keerasa-Shei whispered, strolling over to one of the chairs in the nearby room. “The air doesn’t even smell right, does it?”

The others paused to deeply inhale. The air was cool, and carried a faint floral scent with it.

“Let’s not dismiss it yet,” Cryo murmured as he found his way to an empty seat. “Perhaps this is typical of foreign lands, and perhaps someone was recently interred. We can investigate in the morning. For now, we should get a bite to eat, and get some rest.”

“Agreed,” nodded the healer, removing the knapsack which hung heavily from his shoulder. “It’s a shame though that we cannot build a fire. I prefer my meats warm.”

Magromancer grinned as he approached, lowering his own pack to the floor.

“Not that I can roast a whole hog in a single go,” he said, making strange gestures with his fingers above his outstretched palm, “But my magic will do in a pinch.”

A small flame burst forth from his hand and grew as he gently blew over it. The water dragon’s eyes sparkled with its light as he watched in gleeful anticipation, all the while fumbling to produce a small wheel of white cheese and a large chunk of smoked meat wrapped in parchment. Kaila and Cezmera joined their companions, removing their own packs and dropping them to the floor before gathering around the mage.

Together, the group set to work, slicing bits of smoked meats, cheeses, and dense bread to fry in a small skillet held above the magician’s flame.

“Are we about done?” Magromancer asked with an impatient sigh as his companions each tucked into their own small meals. “My arm is getting tired and I’ve yet to eat.”

“Sounds as though you should let it sleep,” Keerasa-Shei remarked through a mouthful, prompting the mage to issue him an annoyed glare.

The rogue sighed and quickly finished the last few bites of food in his hands before wiping the oils away on his trousers.

“Thick or thin?” he asked, his knife poised to cut into a smoked sausage log.

“A few thin ones, please,” Magromancer replied as he shifted his position slightly.

Following his colleague’s request, the rogue cut away a trio of thin slices of meat before returning the rest to his bag. The pieces hissed sharply as they met the hot iron of the skillet and filled the room with a pleasant, savory aroma as they cooked.

“That’s good enough,” the dragon-fox sighed after several moments, extinguishing the flame in his palm and quickly adopting a more comfortable position.

Shrugging, Cezmera stabbed each piece with his blade, pulling them away from the pan, only to let them rest atop a slice of cheese and bread before handing it to the mage who quickly dug in. All the while, Kaila worked to spread out her bedroll over the cold stone floor.

“I wish we weren’t dealing with a stone floor,” she said as she sat up. “Though, I suppose beggars can’t be choosers…Who’s on first watch?”

“Keerasa-Shei,” Cryo mumbled, gesturing toward the lizard with a nod while he lazily worked to unfasten his armor. “Good thing too. I’m exhausted.”

“It’s still a bit—” started the weasel before erupting into a wide yawn. “It’s still a bit early, but the sooner we retire, the sooner we can get back to it.”

Clicks and rattles echoed through the space as the warrior removed his armor piece by piece, and nestled it all in one large pile upon an empty chair. Meanwhile, Cezmera quickly wiped the inside of the skillet clean with a scrap of cloth before retrieving his own set of blankets from his pack, with Magromancer following suit. While the others nestled into their blankets and began to doze off, Keerasa-Shei wrapped himself in a heavy woolen blanket and selected an empty chair as his perch. The minutes passed by slowly as his companions softly snored, leaving the healer to chill in the cool air. As he remained still, the lights began to fade until the space was perfectly dark, save for a few rays of moonlight that shined through the window set into the building’s main door.

Eventually, he reached his limit; the cold of his surroundings had sapped what heat he had retained, leaving him fatigued and his muscles sore and stiff. Slowly, he rose from his seat and cautiously felt his way into the middle of the cluster of sleeping adventurers where he wedged himself to absorb as much of their body heat as he could.

“Cez,” he whispered as he used his foot to attempt to nudge the sleeping weasel. “Cez!”

“Huh?” responded a groggy voice in the darkness.

“It’s your turn,” Keerasa-Shei explained, his voice still hushed. “I can’t take it any longer.”

“…’Kay,” came the voice once more before the rustling of blankets overpowered the party’s snoring, yet no shuffling footsteps followed.

The next morning came quickly as the gentle warmth of the sun’s light met the lizard’s face. As he shifted to find relief from the torment of the light, a swift kick to his side startled him awake. Bolting upright, he was met with the angry glares of Kaila and Cryo who towered over him with their arms folded over their chests.

“How’d you sleep?” Kaila asked, her glare and harsh tone quickly relaxing.

“With my eyes closed,” the lizard smirked.

“Notice anything amiss?” Cryo interjected.

The healer blinked slowly, casting his gaze about the room. The trio were alone, save for their possessions and those of the distinctly absent mage and rogue.

“Where’d they—” Keerasa-Shei began, only to be sharply cut off by the gnoll.

“That’s what we’d like to know! As memory serves, you were to keep watch, but you fell asleep! Now look, they’ve probably been dragged off to serve as sacrifices to some lich or something of the sort!”

Kaila rolled her eyes and stooped low to meet the healer’s gaze.

“Look,” she said. “They probably went off to explore without us, but Mister Paranoid over here nearly went mad—they’ve been gone since before we awoke, and it’s at least been an hour’s time. Just…let this serve as a reminder as to the importance of keeping watch.”

Keerasa-Shei lowered his head and nodded lightly in acknowledgement as he pouted, “I can’t help that I’m cold-blooded…I get too tired when I’m cold.”

“Be that as it may,” Kaila sighed as she stood, “We need to ensure the next shift is away before we turn in. Regardless, we need to find those two and figure out what they’ve determined with their little expedition.” “Right,” the healer replied, pulling his blanket off and pushing himself off the ground before reaching for his satchel and quickly slinging it over his shoulder and across his chest.

Cryo led the way, stepping into the entry room with dirk in hand. As he did so, a blinding light filled the room; the enchanted lights responding to his presence and taking the party off guard.

“That’s a headache,” Kaila gasped sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose as she squinted her eyes tightly shut.

“Where do you think they got off to?” Keerasa-Shei asked as he pushed past his companions, shielding his eyes with his hand.

The gnoll stepped past him and into the shaded corridor where he took a moment to blink several times as his eyes readjusted to the light.

“Looks like the hall straight ahead doesn’t go far, so let’s head to the right first,” he said, nodding to his right. “We’ll go room to room and—”

“Oh, come on,” Kaila interjected, pushing past him and heading down the corridor with Keerasa-Shei in tow. “They went off exploring. It’s not like they got kidnapped by imps or anything.”

“H-he has a point,” the lizard piped up as he trotted along to keep pace with the archer. “It would be disrespectful to go shouting out their names.”

The archer heaved a heavy sigh and made a wide motion with her arm.

“Then come on,” she snapped. “Let’s just get this dealt with so we can get back to work!”

Taking a step as she turned sharply, Kaila’s face met with the chest of a rather tall, fur-covered dragon, prompting the woman to emit a sharp yelp as she recoiled.

The man chuckled, raising a clawed hand in greeting, “Careful, there! Are you alright?”

The she-wolf quickly recovered and began stammering an apology until the healer stepped in front of her, clearing his throat with a subtle cough.

“We’re terribly sorry for the intrusion, sir. Are you the caretaker here?”

“I’m one of them,” the dragon replied with a friendly nod before tilting their head. “Is something the matter? You all look a tad on edge.”

“You see,” Cryo began, sheathing his blade and relaxing his stance. “Our companions are missing and we mean to find them.”

“Is that so? What do they look like?” asked the dragon.

“A weasel with shifting eyes and lots of pouches on his belt, and a…fox…dragon…thing in robes. You’d know ‘em if you saw ‘em,” replied the gnoll.

The caretaker paused for a moment, tapping their chin with a claw.

“I think I have seen just the folks, actually!”

Before the party could respond, the dragon wheeled about and began tracing the outline of a doorway in the air, leaving a faintly glimmering line as their claw passed. Once the final side of the doorway met the floor, a wooden door appeared between the lines. The trio watched in awe as he pushed the door open with ease, revealing a brightly-lit corridor lined with pastel-colored doors.

“What sort of magic is this?” Kaila murmured as she stooped over to peer past the dragon.

“Oh, it’s nothing terribly special,” he replied as he motioned with his head for his guests to follow him through the portal. “When you tend a facility like this for as long as I have, you tend to learn a few things.”

The adventurers cautiously stepped through the doorway, following their guide closely. As they did, each noticed the change in atmosphere almost instantly—the air was warm and carried a fresh, floral scent, which seemed to emanate from the doors lining the hall. A few muffled feminine voices could be heard over the group’s footsteps, but were too faint to truly understand.

“I think they were in here,” the caretaker said with a hushed voice as he made his way to a door down the hall and gently opened it, revealing a radiant, rotund orange tabby perched upon a plush maroon sofa, cradling a tiny raccoon in her arms as he greedily suckled from her breast.

The woman looked up and smiled, acknowledging the adventurers who peeked around the dragon with a subtle nod.

“Whoops, it’s the next room,” whispered the dragon as he shut the door and began moving for the next one.

Swinging open the door, he revealed a more spacious and luminous room, with walls adorned with painted images of woodland animals frolicking amongst shrubbery, flowers, and trees, with a plush, golden rug situated in the center of the floor. A large sofa rested in the far corner, supporting a grown red husky, clad in naught but a sagging diaper, who held a squirming, diaper-clad Cezmera to her breast as she stroked his hair lovingly. The woman grinned as she looked up, her glazed-over eyes meeting Kailas as she began to motion for the girl to join her before baring her unoccupied breast and massaging a few small drops of milk from her nipple.

The dragon used his arm to block the doorway, only allowing the party to look inside as they attempted to step into the room, their mouths agape at the sight before them.

“We can’t interrupt the process. We can go in once they’re done.”

A series of pleasured moans and crinkling drew the party’s attention to their right, where not far away, a lioness stood over Magromancer, who had been stripped of his robes and bound to the raised table before her; several bottles of oils and powders spread beside him, and with a thick, pink diaper tucked under his bottom. The woman smirked as she poured a few drops of oil over the dragon-fox’s throbbing phallus.

Her blonde locks fell over his chest as she leaned over him, taking his member in her hand and slowly stroking its length. Forcing the man to squirm against his restraints as the woman worked. Suddenly, she paused and dipped low, drawing her tongue along his shaft before pulling her hair to one side and flashing a grin up at her captive before planting a soft kiss on the tip of his tool, which forced the mage to arch his back.

“Aww, I think the little sissy’s excited for his new diapers, isn’t that right, sweetheart?” she sneered as she licked a small drop of precum from her lips and straightened back out.

Magromancer could only nod and issue a muffled grunt of agreement through the gag strapped into his maw. Satisfied with his response, she resumed her stroking with enhanced vigor, using her free hand to pull up the front of the diaper and hold it vertical.

“Be a good little boy and cum for mommy,” she smirked coyly, tugging feverishly on his cock as his knot swelled.

Panting heavily behind his gag, the mage moaned as his hips began bucking in tandem with the lioness’ movements.

“Does that feel good?” she cooed as she let go of his member and reached to a shelf below, allowing the appendage to bob in desperation.

A moment later, her free hand wrapped around his tool while she firmly pressed a tapered stone rod with a wide base against his backdoor. The dragon-fox gasped and winced as the intruder pierced his hole, spreading him wide to accept its length. Slowly, the woman worked the device deeper into him before twisting and pulling it nearly completely out again before reversing the motion, speeding up with each movement to match her stroking pace. As his thrusts became more intense, so too did the force by which she rammed in the dildo.

After several moments, the lioness leaned over her captive once more, whispering into his ear.

“Do you like that, baby?”

The man sheepishly nodded in response, prompting her to ram the toy home with extra force, eliciting a more frantic nod of compliance.

“Do you wanna cum for mommy and be a good little boy?”

Once more, the man nodded feverishly.

“Go ahead baby,” she cooed as she straightened back out and began pumping his tool in short, quick bursts while she abused his sphincter with the stone cock. “Be a good little boy and cum for mommy, then I’ll get you wrapped up in your pretty pink padding.”

A loud, exhausted gasp escaped from around the gag in the man’s mouth as thick white ropes erupted from his cock, coating the lioness’ hand and the inner lining of the diaper below. With a silent satisfied grin, the woman ceased her onslaught and withdrew her hands to lick away his seed and watch as his bobbing penis continued to pump out gouts of semen to run down his balls and pool near his abused ass in the puffy white padding of the diaper. She waited a moment to allow him to recover before gingerly lifting his still-erect member once again and engulfing it in her mouth. Bobbing her head low to take in his full length, she dragged her tongue along it, massaging the last few drops of cum from within before releasing him with a small pop.

“Good boy,” she said, licking her lips.

Without another word, she set to work opening a small tin from which she removed a large cloth pouch, which she began to dab over his loins, being careful to avoid the areas still coated in his seed. As she did, a thin white cloud rose slowly into the air, carrying with it the same gentle scent that carried throughout the facility. Satisfied, she replaced the pouch and closed its tin and took hold of the wings of the open diaper.

“Since you were such a good little sissy,” she explained as she raised the diaper up, “I’m going to give you a special treat—I’ll leave that nice big cock in you so you can keep having fun.”

The dragon fox looked up at her with pleading eyes and shook his head in protest.

“You’ll try to push it out,” she continued, ignoring his pleas. “But this diaper will make sure to keep it from slipping out. What’s even better, is that the more you squirm and move, the more it’ll shove it right back in. Doesn’t that sound like fun? If it’s too much for you, you can always come back and we can have fun in other ways.”

As her wry, condescending tone trailed off, her gaze slowly shifted to the woman on the sofa, who clutched the weasel’s head to her breast while her free hand slowly worked about within the front of her partner’s flower-adorned diaper. With a strangely maternal smile, she folded the garment’s front over to press against the mage’s stomach before snuggly attaching the rear side flaps. A few firm tugs confirmed the success and quality of her handiwork before she removed the straps holding the mage down. Gently, she helped the man sit up and pivot upon the table before allowing him to slip off to stand on his own two feet. As he did, she quickly set to work making the final adjustments to the elastic gathers about his waist, tail, and legs before issuing a firm pat on his pillowy rump to signal her approval, forcing the dildo deep within him while a puff of scented powder escaped from the rear of the padding.

“Now then,” the lioness sighed contentedly as she wheeled about and turned to face the group in the doorway. “Who’s next?”

“E-excuse m--,” Kaila piped up, but was quickly cut off as the lioness closed in, looping a finger through her hair and tucking it behind the ranger’s ear.

“Aren’t you just adorable?” the woman cooed as she loomed over her. “Don’t you want to join your friends? We could give you a cute little dress…maybe some pigtails…”

Her voice trailed off as she leaned to the side and gave the she-wolf a once-over, “…And that ass would look so much better in a nice, thick diaper.”

Blushing profusely, Kaila could only stammer as the woman took her by the wrist and began leading her toward the changing table where Magromancer stood, attempting to dislodge the intruder to no avail.

“M-miss, I don’t wan—,” the girl began, only to be cut off once again.

“Aww, you don’t want to have fun like your friends?” cooed the lioness in a mock pout, “I promise I’d take good care of you.”

Her pout turned to a wry grin as her free hand plucked a diaper from the shelf under the changing table and placed it in plain view before diving between the girl’s legs to quickly grope at her crotch, “Or were you going to lie to me and tell me you didn’t want to play with one of my special toys?”

The sudden advancement caused the girl to gasp and wrench her wrist away before taking a quick step away. All the while, Cryo snarled, taking an aggressive step forward, only to be stopped by Keerasa-Shei, who quietly pressed a hand to his chest and took a wide step into the room.

“Madam,” he said calmly, sharply turning to give the gnoll a quick glare before returning his attention to the lioness. “We have come looking for these two…err…Charges of yours. We would see them returned to us.”

The woman’s tail swayed from side to side as she tilted her head, “Is that so? Well, I suppose if you’re to look after them...What of this little cub? Would you like her sorted out before you go?”

Kaila glared furiously as the healer cracked a smile.

“No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m afraid she’s quite alright.”

Sighing, the lioness shrugged, turning back to the changing table to begin packing a large blue satchel as she murmured, “I tried, anyway.”

With the heavy bag in hand, she turned and took hold of Magromancer’s wrist and led him to his companions, offering Keerasa-Shei the parcel with a smile before returning to the changing table to collect her charges’ clothes from one of the table’s drawers.

“About done?” she called over to the she-wolf who eagerly pumped away at Cezmera’s pulsating cock with her hand as he rhythmically thrust his hips to aid her efforts.

The woman remained silent, focused intently on the head of her partner’s tool as it steadily leaked a clear fluid. Recognizing that her time with her partner was almost up, the woman’s strokes became more feverish, and the weasel’s humping sped up in kind. Without warning, the young man’s body was wracked with convulsions as thick spurts of his seed shot forth from his manhood, coating the woman’s chin, unattended breast, and hand. Giggling at the sight of the rogue’s orgasm, she quickly set to work licking the cum from her hand before tucking his throbbing member back into the padding about his loins as she gently released her grasp on the back of his head, allowing him to part from her breast.

Sighing, the weasel sat up, blinking slowly as he took in his surroundings as though he had just woken from a deep sleep.

“Mornin’, sleepy head,” the woman said in a childish tone, patting the thick bulk over his sensitive manhood. “Did your belly get all full?”

“Who the…Who the blazes are you?” Cezmera coughed, taken aback as he realized he remained perched in the woman’s lap.

Shocked, he rolled, falling to the floor with a crinkling thud before scrambling to his feet and scurrying away from the woman, backing his rump into the cupped hand of the lioness, prompting him to jump and wheel about as a faint his escaped the bulk around his crotch.

“Shh, you’re alright,” the woman whispered as she tapped his nose with her finger, causing his eyes to quickly glaze over. “You were just having a nice nap. You’re safe, and you’re going home.”

The man blinked as her words faded, and his eyes filled with light once again. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he straightened out, taking her hand in his as he toddled alongside her to join his companions.

“There’s a good boy,” she cooed, giving him a reassuring pat on the bottom before turning her attention to the water dragon. “Now then, the supplies in the bag are for this one. The other little one has a little something special since he didn’t want to cooperate. His diaper won’t come off by typical means, but it’s been enchanted to clean itself—and him—when you recite the phrase, ‘mutata infantem eget libero.’ If you forget the phrase, it will take care of itself before going over capacity.”

“My, how—," Magromancer winced with a pleasured gasp as the toy shifted inside him once again, “—thoughtful of you.”

The woman flashed him a smile as she gave his bottom a squeeze, forcing the intruder deep inside him. As the dragon-fox winced and squirmed, the lizard thanked her with an uncomfortable smile and bow of his head as he motioned for his companions to back away with his free hand.

“Please hurry back,” she chirped in a sing-song voice as they left, “We’ll miss you!”

Together, the adventurers turned and made their way down the corridor from whence they came; the gnoll in the lead, with the three other men following close behind, and Kaila taking up the rear.

Once he felt he had led the party out of earshot, Cryo slowed his pace, forcing the others to follow suit. “Would you like to find a room to get dressed?” he asked, turning to face his party, “Wait…Where’d the caretaker get off to?”

Keerasa-Shei looked over his shoulders, scanning the corridor around him before shrugging.

“Yeah,” Cezmera sighed, waddling over to a nearby door. “That’d be great.”

“I’d rather we keep moving and get out of here as soon as possible,” the mage replied as he struggled to peel the padded garment away from his hips. “This place is dangerous!”

“I’m just glad we’re away from that crazy bitch,” Kaila grumbled, folding her arms over her chest. “Where’s she get off thinking I’m some kind of kid or that she can just start feeling me up?!”

“Quiet,” the thief whispered, grabbing hold of the door’s handle and cracking it open.

Inside, the room was bright and inviting, with yet another couch and changing table tucked into opposite corners. However, at the far side of the room stood a bed, with cage-like bars rising up several feet to form the walls of a crib. The bed creaked as its occupant shifted; their diaper loudly crinkling beneath the blanket. With a grunt, the occupant pulled himself upright, revealing himself to be a red fox, clad in naught but a soaked diaper and a short blue tunic.

“Who’re you,” he asked groggily as he struggled to stand, despite the aid of the crib’s bars.

Wiping his eyes with a balled fist, the young man blinked, clearing them and allowing himself a better view of the adventurers before him.

“Quick!” he gasped, “You’ve got to get me out of here! Please! I can’t get at the latches for this thing in here!”

Kaila and Cryo looked to each other, offering one another a small shrug before approaching. The scent of stale urine caused the woman to recoil as it hit her nose, prompting the captive fox to lower his head in shame as his tail tucked between his legs.

Together, the adventurers worked the metal posts free, allowing the barred wall of the man’s prison to be lowered. Clinging to the bars of the crib’s footboard, he threw one leg over the top rail of the lowered side, straddling it. As he did, the soaked diaper forced against his crotch issued a wet squelch and prompted him to squirm in discomfort as he worked his other leg up and over before taking Cryo’s hand to balance himself as he hopped down.

“Okay, I think they took my gear, but I need out of this thing if I’m going to make a break for it. I’ve tried getting it off, myself, but it just won’t budge. Might one of you give me a hand?”

The adventurers swapped looks and diverted their attention, forcing Kaila to sigh in defeat.

“If I must,” she groaned, motioning for the man to take his position.

As Kaila knelt in front of the fox’s spread legs, Cryo and Cezmera took to digging through the cupboards and drawers in the room; littering the floor with thick squares of cloth, pins, tins of powder and oversized swaddling clothes while Magromancer and Keerasa-Shei kept watch near the door.

With ease, the young woman pulled the diaper free, revealing his undersized sheath and testicles. As the cool air kissed his groin, his small yet eager manhood extended, throbbing excitedly as the she-wolf set to work wiping him down with a damp cloth before pulling the soaked mass away. The sight of the bobbing member caused the girl to grin as she worked, prompting the young man to splay his ears in embarrassment.

“It’s not what it looks like,” he murmured, looking away. “They’ve…Done things to me.”

“There is nothing to be concerned of,” she reassured him as she finished and sat back on her heels. “Better?”

The man shook his head solemnly, “Sadly no. Their magic has all but removed my control of my functions. Though I am loath to admit it, I’m afraid I’ll leave a trail without these damned things.”

Kaila tilted her head in confusion and hesitantly took the crinkling bundle and tin that appeared as the healer quietly held over her shoulder. With a sigh, she unfolded the bulky bundle in her hands, revealing the thick, quilted padding within. Without a word, she took hold of her charge’s ankles and held them aloft with one hand before sliding the diaper into position and lowering him onto it. As she removed the powder puff from its tin and gently patted down his groin, the fox hid his face with his hands and issued a quiet whimper, and a thin white cloud rose to tickle her nose. With a sniffle and a twitch of her nose, the she-wolf pulled the thick garment between the fox’s legs and pressed it firmly against his hips, forcing his pathetic member to strain against its padded prison as she carefully attached each of the diaper’s wings.

Sitting back on her heels once more, the ranger let out a contented sigh before pushing herself to her feet, leaving the young man to prop himself up on his elbows to inspect her handiwork.

“Alright, let’s get moving,” Magromancer murmured as Kaila returned the tin to Keerasa-Shei before helping the fox to his feet.

“Are you two ready?” Keerasa-Shei called over his shoulder to the rogue and warrior.

Together, the pair perked up and swiftly joined the others, leaving the room in complete disarray.

“I’ll take the lead,” Cryo said as he carefully worked past the others. “If anyone tries to stop us, I’ll do my best to clear a path. We need to get as far from here as possible, but best if we can do it quietly.”

The door creaked as it was carefully pulled open once again, revealing an otherwise silent and empty hall. One by one, the adventurers slipped out and hustled toward the end of the corridor, where yet another door stood. Swinging it wide and with a collective leap, the adventurers found themselves surrounded by towering trees and the songs of frogs and crickets; the sweet scent of the strange facility quickly giving way to the earthy scents of the forest.

“Thank the gods,” the fox gasped as he collapsed to his knees, “I never thought I’d see the light of day again!”

Cryo folded his arms over his chest and moved to face the man.

“What brought you to such a strange place, anyway?” he asked.

The fox shook his head as he spoke, “My partner, Rook said we could make a fortune from one of those stupid guilds. All we had to do was catch a faerie or two. ‘No big deal,’ he says, ‘we’ll leave some offerings of jam and mead and we won’t have a worry in the world.’ Not a worry my ass! We tried trapping one, but the clever little bastard got away easily enough. The next day, we ended up getting lost in the forest and he lost our supplies along the way. We roughed it and foraged some mushrooms, but we were starving by the next evening. The third morning, we found a veritable feast laid out in a clearing. The food looked and smelled fresh, but no one was around, and we couldn’t find any tracks to speak of. I knew it had to be some kind of trap, but I was sick with hunger…Next thing I knew, I was waking up in that hell-hole and Rook was wriggling out of his restraints. One of those madwomen was coming, so he made a run for the door to try to find help…You haven’t seen a raccoon anywhere about, have you?”

The party members exchanged looks and collectively shook their heads.

As he continued, the man motioned to indicate height, “He’s about yea high, little tuft of fur on his chin, slight nick in his left ear…”

“Sorry, it doesn’t ring a bell,” Cryo replied solemnly.

Meanwhile, Magromancer stroked his chin, contemplating the information.

“Did your captors indicate their plans? What that place was for? …Or the purpose of this?” Keerasa-Shei interjected as he motioned to the diaper encapsulating the man’s groin.

“They said that for our aggressions, we have provoked an unwinnable war. They claimed the guilds are torturing and maiming the faeries folk’ve been catching, and that such hatred and bloodshed will be met with ‘reeducation and repurposing.’ That place was essentially some kind of a prison, but in some other plane of existence. I also heard some of them talking about ‘breeders.’”

“That’s about the right of what I’ve considered,” Magromancer piped up, tugging at his own diaper and allowing the dildo to finally slip out from the open leg cuff with a slurping pop. “The Mages Guild occasionally runs secret experiments, and more recently, there have been some conducted concerning the viability of using captive faeries as a sort of living battery for more complicated spell castings. I hadn’t thought they’d be so gruesome though; rather only drawing on the faeries’ residual magic auras and nothing more. If there have been enough faeries captured—and tortured—as they seem to claim, one could only assume that they mean to defend themselves. Faeries though aren’t normally malevolent creatures, nor are they martially capable of truly standing up to men and women of average size, as the average faerie is truly only large enough to rest wholly in your palm.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Faeries are however, magically-inclined creatures, and can make up for what they lack in strength, by means of casting complex spells as though they were child’s play, and tricking even the cleverest of men as though he were a fool. Given what they apparently said though, I have no doubt that they mean to wage war to defend themselves, and that this facility was a prison of sorts. What concerns me though, are their methods: If breeding, repurposing, and reeducating are among their goals, and these strange garments are a part of it, one can only assume they mean to subjugate us all.”

Kaila shuddered as a chill ran down her spine.

“So…wait,” she said as her tail swayed to and fro, “They treat their captives like babies and dress them to fit the part, their prisons are strange renditions of a noble’s nursery…So they intend to purge us of our faculties and render us docile by forcing us to believe we’re little more than babes?”

“One may assume so, yes,” replied Magromancer. “Though the sexual experience I endured is strange if I was meant to be convinced I was a child.”

“Though children often ‘experiment’ with themselves in such ways, I don’t think ‘convincing’ is the correct train of thought,” Cezmera noted. “What if they’re trying to use their magic to actually make it a reality? To actually transform you, in body as well as in mind?”

“The sexual stimulation could be a means of testing to see how receptive one might be as well,” Keerasa-Shei pointed out as he began to pace in a circle around the group. “For instance, most healers treat an injury or an illness with an herb they may believe to be effective, watch for a reaction, and adjust treatment methods as needed. They could simply be testing you to see if you could be an effective candidate for their breeding purposes…But what could that be? Can man or fae conceive of the other?”

“…How about we get out of here and set up a new camp before it gets dark?” Kaila said; her ears flushed a noticeable crimson, as she marched toward the tree line.

“Oh? Is someone a little too hot and bothered?” Magromancer teased as he followed along behind her.

“I’ve had enough ‘excitement’ for one day, thank you,” she grumbled, “I’d just rather find a safe space to rest so I don’t end up with a litter or mindlessly filling a diaper.”

“Can’t say I’m a fan of the damn thing, myself.” Cezmera murmured as he fell in line behind the mage.

“My name is Felix, by the way,” the fox said while Keerasa-Shei helped him to his feet. “I’m in your debt for saving me.”

“Think nothing of it,” Cryo reassured him with a pat on the shoulder as he passed to follow his companions. “What we’ve learned because of you, could save us from facing the same struggles, ourselves. If anything, I’d say we owed you for that kindness.”

The party picked their way through the forest for nearly an hour before they found a clearing in which to discern their position. As the she-wolf set to work driving small sticks into a loose patch of dirt to watch the shadows they cast, Keerasa-Shei scoured the area for herbs, occasionally plucking small flowers to closely examine before tucking them into the diaper-laden satchel on his shoulder, then quickly correcting himself and transferring them to his satchel of salves and potions. All the while, Cezmera and Magromancer quietly sat, prodding at the now yellowed, sagging masses between their legs.

“So, what’re you doing with this?” Cryo asked as he knelt next to Kaila’s stick arrangement.

“You’re in the light,” she said, gesturing for the gnoll to move. “I’m determining which way is north with a crude sundial. Once we know that, we’ll have a better shot of making it back to town instead of getting horribly lost.”

The man stood and moved to her side, allowing a soft golden sunbeam to shine directly on the makeshift compass. Several moments passed as the shadow slowly rotated, before another stick was placed, followed by yet another in between two posts, forming a vaguely curved line.

“There we are,” Kaila said with a satisfied smile as she straightened out and gestured to the arrangement. “That middle one there, points to the north, and now we can discern the other directions as well.”

Just then, the healer returned with a pale blue mushroom in hand and a concerned look on his face.

“Something the matter?” Cezmera asked as the water dragon passed.

The man continued on as he murmured in response, “Possibly.”

As he approached the gnoll and she-wolf, Keerasa-Shei held the mushroom out to his companions.

“I found this about 20 yards from the tree line over there,” he said, thumbing over his shoulder.

“Then we won’t be going to bed without food,” Cryo grinned.

“Not quite,” the healer replied flatly. “These mushrooms will leave you feeling rather ill and give you some unpleasant hallucinations if you were to eat them. More importantly however, is that there are several…In a large circle.”

“About time we found a faerie circle,” Magromancer cried as he pushed himself to his feet. “Now we just need to set a trap and wait!”

“I wouldn’t be so hasty,” Cezmera interjected. “For all we know, it could be a trap for us, and we don’t have the time right now to focus on catching faeries. We should try to make camp for the night. Then, we can watch the circle tomorrow to see if it’s even an active place for them.”

Felix nodded as he toddled over to examine the mushroom, “I agree—Shelter should be our priority for now. It doesn’t look like any of you brought a tent along, and those bastards took my gear, so it’s going to take a little while.”

Kaila groaned at the realization.

“Cryo, Cez, and err…?” she said, gesturing toward the fox. “…You, go find us a good bit of wood. Not firewood mind you, but good sturdy pieces, at least as thick as your arm and as long as you are. Mag, I need you to gather wood for a fire. Keera, I want you to forage for something to eat.”

As the men ventured into the woods, the she-wolf set to work clearing the would-be campsite of leaves and sticks, offering a clean and comfortable building site when they returned. After nearly another hour had passed and the sun began to sink behind the trees once again, the group finished covering the roofs of three lean-to shelters with leafy boughs. Soon, a small fire was lit between them and began to grow.

“It’s been quite the day,” Cezmera sighed as he took a seat near the fire with a small squelch that forced his ears to splay in shame. “It’d be great if there was some kind of counter-spell to get rid of all this nonsense.”

“You and me both,” Felix pouted. “Sadly, I’m afraid this may be our new reality—The faeries’ magic doesn’t work in the same sort of way as conventional magic.”

“Regardless, I’m sure the Guild will have something that can help us. Until then though we’ll have to grin and bear it,” Magromancer replied before tapping the healer on the shoulder.

Quietly, the pair slipped into the shadows behind the shelters. A moment later, the pair returned, Magromancer sporting a more contented countenance.

As the mage took his place by the fire along with Kaila and Cryo, Keerasa-Shei motioned for the others to accompany him. Together, the trio escaped into the shadows where the ripping of tapes, distant pouts, and grumbled protests melded with the crackling fire before they returned to take their own places around the fire.

An uncomfortable moment of silence passed before Cryo shifted his weight.

“You know,” he began, reaching into his pack and drawing out a small, unlabeled bottle, “this might be the antidote.”

“What makes you think that, big guy?” Kaila scoffed playfully, “Potions aren’t cure-alls, you know.”

“I’m smarter than that,” remarked the gnoll. “I found it when Cez and I were digging through that place where we found Felix. It was probably there to counteract something in case they don’t like the results of something they’ve done.”

“That’s sound logic,” Keerasa-Shei replied with a nod.

“Absolutely not,” Felix cried. “Everything in that gods-forsaken place is cursed! It’s more likely a poison than a remedy!”

Magromancer and Cezmera exchanged questioning looks and shook their heads in unison.

“Don’t you think that if they had intended to kill you, they’d do so?” Cryo retorted. “It was in with all the cloth and other bits in the chest of drawers. That’s quite a strange place to keep poison handy.”

“That’s true,” Keerasa-Shei replied. “I’ve also never seen a toxin in that sort of flask or with such a flushed hue and thin viscosity. It looks more like a healing potion than anything harmful.”

“Look, I’ll prove it’s not dangerous,” Cryo snapped, popping off the bottle’s cork and quaffing half its contents before letting out a contented sigh.

The others looked on in disbelief as the massive man before them shrank; his wide, muscular figure becoming thin and wiry. The shock of the sudden shift prompted him to drop the bottle, shattering it against a piece of wood below, and spilling its remaining contents. All the while, his bulging muscles became gentle curves, his hair grew out, and his face shifted; his features becoming smaller and more feminine. While his body changed, his armor fell away—its numerous ties having disappeared and no longer supported with a snug fit—revealing a lace-trimmed gown where his arming clothes once were.

“What the--,” he cried, abruptly falling silent as the now effeminate tone of his voice met his ears.

Without warning, the gnoll convulsed and gasped; his body wracked by a powerful orgasm as his once-proud member quickly shrank to less than half its original size. Drooling thick spunk, his infantile cock throbbed furiously as his braes slowly shrank and formed into a frilled pair of silken panties. The garment seemingly melted away into nothing, only to be replaced by a bulging mass. Lifting the gown, the man unveiled a new, pastel-pink diaper adorned with floral prints.

Dumbstruck by the transformation, Cryo was taken unaware as the interior of the diaper suddenly animated; the rippled padding within undulating to massage and torment his pathetic tool now trapped inside. Falling to his knees in a fit of lewd moans, the once-proud warrior now resembled a maiden discovering the touch of an artificial man for the first time as the diaper relentlessly worked to milk his member for all it was worth.

“You see?” Felix gasped, “That would’ve been me if you hadn’t saved me! I told you it was cursed!”

Kaila could only blink as she watched Cryo convulsing on the ground, humping desperately at the padded prison.

“Looks like fun, doesn’t it?” Magromancer teased her with a nudge of his elbow. “I bet if you hurry, you could lick the bottle…Or we could just take you back to that woman…”

Embarrassed, the woman ducked her head as her ears splayed.

“Ooh, getting a little excited, are we?” the mage cooed. “You know, I could—”

A loud crack overpowered the warrior’s lustful moans as Kaila’s hand met Magromancer’s face, knocking him to the ground.

“Gods, woman,” he cried, quickly raising a hand to cover the wound, “I was only kidding! You need to lighten up, don’t you think?”

“It wasn’t funny then, and it isn’t funny now,” the she-wolf growled. “I won’t tell you gain: Knock it off. I’ll take first watch. Get him calmed down and get to sleep.”

The mage grumbled to himself as he stood and strode over to Cryo who continued to writhe and moan. As he bent to help his comrade off the grass, the feminized man issued a sharp orgasmic gasp as he thrust his hips forward and his body seized, while his jaw fell agape and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

“…Perfect timing, buddy,” Magromancer sighed, attempting to hoist the gnoll to his feet.

“Need a hand?” Keerasa-Shei asked, pushing himself to his feet.

“Yeah,” Magromancer grunted, struggling to keep Cryo upright.

With a smirk, the water dragon issued a short round of applause while he moved to assist his friends, prompting a giggle from Felix and Cezmera as they watched.

Together, the magicians carefully carried the warrior to an awaiting bedroll, and gently lowered him down on his back, where he promptly resumed short, feverish thrusts with his hips as he whimpered in a mix of lustful delight and tormented agony.

“I’ll take this one,” the healer whispered, motioning to the bedding next to Cryo. “He may come-to in the night and I can tend to him if need be.”

“Fine by me,” Magromancer replied, lowering himself into his own bedding while the healer did the same.

“Cez,” he called and thumbed suggestively to the open spot next to him.

The rogue stood from his spot by the fire, casting his gaze to the star-riddled twilight sky and slowly made his way to his shelter as he murmured, “Yeah, the earlier we turn in, the earlier we can get back to it, I guess.”

“Well, I guess I’ll turn in too,” Felix said, awkwardly fidgeting in place before pushing himself to his feet. “I’ll be glad to take watch, next. Just come get me before you turn in.”

Flashing a sheepish smile to Kaila, the fox toddled to the remaining shelter and crawled inside, leaving the she-wolf alone with the crackling fire and the building songs of tree frogs and crickets. A short while later, the men’s collective snores joined the chorus.

Time seemed to slow to a near halt in the peace of the night; the fire snapping and crackling as the young woman occasionally added a new log to the blaze or idly prodded the coals with a stick.

A sudden shift of the wind directed the fire’s smoke toward the ranger, forcing her to erupt in a coughing fit as her eyes began to water. Sputtering and struggling to fan the smoke away, she rose and quickly moved to the opposite side of the fire before settling back down. The gust faded to a gentle breeze, which carried the gentle scent of lilacs; the scent of which forced the huntress to fall limp and relaxed.

“Hello again, little one,” cooed a familiar voice as a stranger’s hand wrapped around the woman’s stomach and another clamped down over her nose and mouth to stifle the girl’s surprised yelp. “Did you miss me?”

Straining to turn and see her assailant, Kaila’s eyes widened in horror as she saw the familiar face of the lioness who had teased her mere hours before. A grin crept over the woman’s face as the she-wolf struggled and squirmed in her grip, and her lower hand slowly slid down the girl’s stomach to the waist of her trousers.

“I did say I’d see you soon, didn’t I?” teased the lioness while she worked her fingertips under the fabric, despite Kaila’s muffled whimpers of protest. “Doesn’t that smell good, sweetheart?”

She took a deep breath and hummed with contentment, and loosened her grip over the girl’s nose to allow her to follow suit. All the while, her hand crept ever downward, eventually cupping the girl’s mound. Unable to breathe through her mouth and taken aback by the shock of the woman’s touch in her most sensitive area, Kaila gasped sharply and moaned; her body relaxing as her mind filled with fog. Succumbing to the woman’s sweet-smelling magic, the ranger laid back in her lap, spreading her legs and weakly pressing her warn folds against her attacker’s palm.

Flashing a toothy grin while she used her fingertips to massage the she-wolf’s sensitive button, the lioness teased, “Oh, so you do want to play with me, huh?”

The ranger could only issue a weak moan and a soft nod in response as her eyes glazed over.

“You’ll be a good little slut for me, won’t you?” asked the woman as she parted the girl’s folds with her fingers.

Again, the girl squirmed and nodded with a blissful grin of her own.

“Good girl,” cooed the lioness before she set to work unlacing the huntress’ trousers and working them and the white cotton panties they hid down her legs, putting her womanhood on display.

In one swift motion, she tossed the clothes aside before reaching down and removing the girl’s tunic as well. With well-practiced efficiency, the lioness set to work massaging one of her victim’s bare breasts while her free hand dove downward once again, lightly teasing her clitoris before working her fingers into her now-glistening folds. Overcome with powerfully pleasurable sensations, Kaila mindlessly gasped and panted as her hips slowly rocked and her hand rose to pleasure her other breast.

The pleasured moans melded with the sounds of nature and the men’s loud snores, nearly blocking out the soft footsteps that approached. Working feverishly with a sadistic grin, the lioness looked up to the new arrival—a cheetah dressed in a fine blue robe and carrying a bulging satchel—and ceased her assault to sit back on her heals. Pouting, Kaila resumed where her tormentor left off, diving her free hand into her loins.

“What a good little whore,” the stranger said, untying the belt of his robe and allowing the garment and bag to fall to the ground, revealing his spined member, standing at full mast.

Finding newfound interest in the man’s tool, Kaila weakly raised her hand from her breast to caress his twitching cock.

“Want to have a bit of fun, Gearz?” the lioness asked as she stood and pushed her own pants down her legs to reveal her own soaked slit. “We were just getting started.”

“But of course, my dear,” the man said, moving closer and lowering himself to his knees. “How could I say no?”

“By all means,” the woman smiled, gesturing to the girl’s nethers.

“Oh, no,” he replied, taking hold of the girl’s head and lifting her so brush her lips with the tip of his cock. “I mustn’t spoil her too much before she has a chance to join the program.”

Kaila gave a lust-drunk smile as her lips parted and she accepted the man into her mouth, gently bobbing as she slid up and down its length. A satisfied sigh escaped the cheetah’s lips as he savored the warmth of his partner’s maw, and began to lightly buck his hips, pushing himself deeper into her throat. Meanwhile, the lioness raised the girl’s leg and straddled her loins; pressing her cunt into her victim’s and vigorously bucking and rocking her hips in unison with the girl.

For the next several moments, fevered panting and lustful moans melded with the sounds of the nearby fire and sleeping men as the trio vigorously writhed in their efforts.

Feeling himself close to climax, the cheetah took a firm grip of the girl’s head and began to work his took in force, slamming into her nose as he thrust his tool to his hilt; his throbbing cock launching gouts of thick cum down the girl’s throat as she gurgled and groaned in pleasure. Soon, his limp prick slipped free of her eager lips and she fell back and into the grass as the woman’s assault on her cunt continued.

“A belly full of cum and not a word of complaint,” panted the lioness as she continued to scissor her victim, “she’ll be quite the assistant, won’t she?”

The she-wolf giggled mindlessly and continued to buck her hips as she watched the man collect the bag from the ground and open it to reveal a selection of fabric and bulky parcels.

“I had her pegged for another slut for the pens,” Gearz murmured, drawing a crinkling, flower-speckled diaper from the pack. “We’ll just have to see if your spell holds firm and she remains so…receptive.”

The girl’s body tensed and her back arched as she moaned loudly, only to be quickly silenced as the lioness dove to kiss her deeply while her body convulsed and fluid sprayed from her soaked cunt.

“Good girl,” the man praised, offering the lioness the diaper as she sat up and removed herself from atop the panting girl. “Did you like that?”

Breathing heavily, Kaila nodded weakly, “Ahuh…”

“Good,” replied the lioness, “You’re in for plenty more, though next time I expect you to be a good girl and ask for permission before you cum. Now be a good girl and hold still so we can get your diaper on.”

Kaila grinned awkwardly at the woman’s praise, but shook her head softly in protest.

“I dun wanna wear a diaper, momma,” she murmured, her voice softer and higher than normal. “I’m a big girl.”

“Now, now baby,” the woman cooed as she unfolded the diaper. “You made a mess when you and I were playing. You need these so you don’t make puddles, understand?”

Kaila crossed her arms with a huff and reluctantly nodded. With a gentle smile, the woman set to work lifting the girl’s legs and positioned the diaper beneath her before lowering her down and lifting it between her legs and taping it firmly around her hips.

“See? That’s not so bad, is it sweetheart?” asked the lioness as she began to stroke the girl’s muff through the crinkling padding. “You like your diapers, don’t you?”

The girl could only grin and nod eagerly in response.

“Good girl,” cooed her tormentor as she sat back on her heels once more and began to unlace the collar of her shirt.

Pulling the loose, low collar aside, she revealed a perky breast and erect nipple, dotted with tiny droplets of white fluid. Quickly, she moved to the girl’s side and lifted her limp body into her lap, clasping the back of her head and pulling her towards her awaiting breast. The scent of her sweet milk tickled the girl’s nose as the soft nipple brushed her lips, causing them to part as her eyes shut and she began to instinctively nurse as the woman hummed a gentle tune while she rubbed her back.

“Having your fun with this one, eh?” the man chuckled as he drew a slip of parchment and a pen from his pack and began to scribble a message.

“Their first time is always the most precious,” replied the lioness, warmly smiling down at the nursing she-wolf. “She’ll drink her fill and never have a silly grown-up thought cross her mind again. She’ll be a precious little angel.”

“Oh? So, you’re not going to leave her ‘needs’ intact, then?” the cheetah asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Of course, I am!” retorted the lioness as a hand slipped down to rub the girl’s diaper between her legs. “That’s all that will remain. We can always train her for dealing with the new arrivals if that’s what she’s suited for when she joins us.”

“That’s fair,” he replied flatly, ducking down to pluck a short, soft pink dress from the bag, along with a roll of wide ribbon. “Just don’t take too long.”

The lioness brushed a stray lock of hair from the girl’s face before wrapping her arms around her shoulders in a tight hug, “Oh, I won’t.”

Nearly 30 minutes passed before Kaila fell completely limp, snoring lightly as a small stream of milk ran down her chin. Satisfied, her captor took hold of the dress and carefully worked it over the girl’s head and shoulders, allowing its hem to rest just past her hips and putting her diaper on full display. With a bit of ribbon, she quickly drew the huntress’ hair into high twin pigtails, before drawing a small egg-like stone from her discarded trousers.

With the touch of her finger, the device sprang to life, vigorously vibrating in her hand. Carefully, she spread the she-wolf’s legs and pulled aside the leg cuffs of her diaper, and pressed the device into her entrance until it disappeared within her. Her partner joined her by pressing a large pink pacifier into the girl’s muzzle and tying it with a strap around the back of her head. Then, he set to work locking a pair of thickly-padded mittens over the girl’s hands, before using the ribbon to bind her arms and legs in a hogtie. Though fast asleep, the girl’s hips gently rocked in a desperate attempt to hump the swollen mass between her legs.

The assailants quietly worked to arrange a small basket full of feathers, pinecones, and vials of various substances along with a note next to the squirming girl before vanishing into the night.

The peace did not last for long however, as the she-wolf woke, panting and moaning around the massive nipple in her maw; arching her back as she was wracked by yet another powerful orgasm and the hiss of hot fluids escaping her melded with her cries and the sounds of the night. Tired and overstimulated, she could hardly catch her breath as the sensations resumed; each small movement driving the intruder deeper. As her muscles clamped down in a vain attempt to coax every possible drop of cum from the enchanted cock, the wet rod slid out, only to be rammed home once again by her instinctual grinding. All the while, the warm, slippery, soaked padding teased her swollen clitoris without mercy.

Even as the sun began to rise, the once-proud huntress—now lost in perpetual orgasmic bliss—continued to desperately hump at her swollen diaper.

Meanwhile, Felix groggily rolled over in his bedding before pushing himself upright with a small grunt; his legs forced apart by the yellow-stained swollen mass between them. As he yawned, his ears perked at the muffled moans coming from across the camp. Turning his attention toward their source, he blinked in disbelief at the sight of the she-wolf dressed in her new outfit, lying face-first in the grass with her arms, legs, and tail held high as she writhed in agonizing pleasure.

“A-awake! Awake!” he stammered, scrambling to his feet while his companions struggled to do the same. “We were attacked!”

“Wha? Where?!” Magromancer snorted, grasping a sizable stick from the wood pile as a makeshift sword as he frantically spun to scan his surroundings.

“Kaila!” Cezmera cried, hustling to her side alongside the fox. “What happened?!”

The girl could only moan as the animated member forced its way deeper within her, helping to prevent any final trace of her old mind from escaping the haze she found herself trapped within.

Felix hesitantly lowered a hand to feel the padding between her legs, quickly pulling it away as it yielded to his touch, only to remain firm near the base of the toy.

“This is bad,” he said, taking a few cautious steps backward. “Really bad. They’re just toying with us! They know where we are! It’s…It’s only a matter of time! Or they’ll just get us one by one! We’ve got to get out of here!”

“Hold on,” Magromancer spoke firmly as he made his way to the basket and scooped up the note.

“The girl and these trinkets are our gifts,” he read aloud, slowly pacing back toward his shelter. “Your mages will find these goods in no short supply and quite effective for their trade. The girl will yield to your every desire and keep you well sated. We ask that you leave us in peace, and that your guild abandon its unjust assault on our people. Convince them of this, and your conditions will fade in time. Refuse our offering, and you will know little else and you will doom your kind.”

Keerasa-Shei and Cryo joined the others as the mage finished.

“Surely, we can all agree that Kaila’s not to be treated as some concubine?” the healer asked in a firm, authoritative tone.

The others exchanged discomforted looks before nodding in agreement, while Cryo lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose as he lowered himself to sit on the ground.

“So, what should we do?” Cezmera asked. “Can’t this stuff be used as foci for spells? I’m sure the guild would be willing to pay us for them, at least.”

“The value of all that, split between us would hardly even cover a proper meal,” Magromancer replied flatly. “If we did that, we’d struggle to even replace our lost equipment. If we want to profit from this job, we need to catch a faerie.”

“Maybe so,” Keerasa-Shei sighed, “But couldn’t we just gather more items to deliver to the guild? Twigs and berries come at no cost, after all.”

“I would prefer that we returned home,” Cryo groaned. “I’m in no condition to tussle with much of anything with his ache in my head, Kaila’s not even within her wits, and nearly none of us can so much as walk about properly.”

“Look,” snapped the mage, “If you’d like to spend the next several weeks, scrounging around for twigs and discarded feathers so we can cash them in for a few coppers apiece, that’s all well and good. It’s hardly a way to make a living, but you are free to make your own decisions. I for one, feel the faeries are scared, and this is their last attempt at a bluff. Illusions may last moments, days, or more, but they are always temporary. So long as we keep our wits about us and resolve to put mind over matter, they’ll be nearly powerless against us! Besides, what’s to say they really would stop these tricks if we left? What’s more, the mages back at the guild can undo this magic, but it will cost far more than we could afford without a faerie or two in hand! We don’t have many options, here…Unless you’d like to take on some work at the brothel for their more discerning clients.”

“He has a fair point,” Cezmera said. “We should keep on.”

“You’re mad!” Felix cried, stamping his foot. “You know damned well that the fae are apt to keep their word once it’s given, and that their magic far exceeds that of even the most masterful mage!”

“I can’t say I’m perfectly comfortable abducting a faerie, but at this point, we really can’t leave empty handed,” the healer murmured.

“So, given our state,” began the gnoll, “it would be best to set a trap, rather than directly attacking and hoping to overpower them. We should set up positions in the woods where we can keep out of sight, return here to grab Kaila if we need to run, and leg it back to town if things turn south. It’ll be quite humiliating returning home like this regardless, but I’d at least like to do so with some coin in hand and a full belly to boot.”

Felix sighed in defeat, “I guess we’re outnumbered. Nevertheless, it would be best to bring her along. That way, we’d all still be readily available, and someone would make sure she’s safe from anyone or anything else.”

“I think I have an idea,” said Cezmera as he stood and looked to Magromancer and Keerasa-Shei. “You both know how to cast spells for binding someone, right?”

The magicians nodded in unison.

“Alright, so all we have to do is lure them into an open patch where we’re hiding behind some trees, surrounding them. You guys hit ‘em with your spells. It probably won’t hold them for long, but it should give me enough time to get in behind them and hold them at knifepoint. If there’s more than one, we can use the one I get as a hostage and at least make off with them. If that doesn’t work out, one of us could wander out into the open and make a scene about their dastardly plans for hunting faeries. They’ll come running for that, I bet.”

Magromancer chuckled, “That might actually work, but we’ll have to be quick about it, and we’ll need to make sure she stays quiet.”

Taking hold of Kaila’s shoulders, Cezmera raised her enough to get a better grip, and lifted her onto his shoulder.

“C’mon,” he grunted, motioning toward the trees with a nod. “Let’s get set up.”

Keerasa-Shei pushed to the front of the group as they headed for the trees, and led his companions to the site of the faerie circle. On the shaded forest floor, stood a great ring of white, tan, and brown mushrooms of various shapes and sizes, accompanied by a number of various wildflowers and small collections of colorful stacked rocks.

“This way,” the rogue whispered, nodding toward a trail to their right. “We can hide behind those trees over there.”

He hustled over to the trunk of a sizable tree and carefully picked his way through the underbrush nearby where he gently lowered the squirming woman back down.

“Felix, I need you to stay with her and keep her still. Too much movement will give us away. Sit on her or do what you have to do, just keep still.”

“Right,” the fox nodded, hurrying over and quickly lowering himself onto the girl’s bottom, preventing her from continuing her gyrations. “If you’ve got some berries, sweets, preserves, or the like, that should suffice for bait.”

Heading for a nearby tree to take cover, Keerasa-Shei dug about in his satchel, producing a small cloth bundle. Unfurling it, he revealed a handful of plump red berries, which he gingerly placed atop a leaf in the middle of the trail before hurrying to his hiding spot.

Silently, the adventurers held their positions, waiting for the faintest sign of a faerie’s presence. Just after midday, their opportunity came as the crinkling of leaves and snapping of twigs grew ever louder along the trail before the familiar form of the lioness came into view, accompanied by the cheetah. A slender red fox trailed along behind them, clad in little more than a bulky pastel pink diaper spotted with small images of cakes and other treats, which was held snuggly to around her hips by a pair of large, golden pins. A matching pink collar was wrapped around her neck, and the connected leash led to the lioness’ hand. With each tug at her leash, the vixen squealed with delight and the jerking and fidgeting of the hand plunged deep within her diaper increased, while her other hand clumsily worked to grope at her breasts.

“Oh, how sweet,” the lioness cooed, stooping down to collect the berries. “Those pesky adventurers decided to give us a present!”

“A new toy and a gifted snack?” grinned the cheetah, “This is shaping up to be a fine day!”

“Let her go, dammit,” barked Cryo as he burst forth from behind his tree, clutching a branch. The lioness scoffed at the feminized man before her and sharply pulled on the lead, forcing the woman to stumble to her side. With a firm tug at her hip, she held the fox before her and thrust her own hand into her diaper to aid her captive’s efforts.

“Do you want a spanking, little one?” she sneered at the gnoll, raising her hand to tease the girl’s other breast as she turned her head to kiss her. “You should know better than to use such naughty words.”

Without warning, a translucent purple cloud enveloped the cheetah from both sides of the path, and Cezmera sprang forth from his cover, pressing his blade to the man’s throat as he took hold of his shoulder.

“If you value your companion’s life, you’ll do as he says,” he replied with a confident grin.

The woman grinned, pulling her hand from the vixen’s diaper and giving her a firm push toward the edge of the path.

“My, what little brats you all are,” she cooed. “I suppose someone had better teach you your place.”

Raising her hand to her face, she snapped her fingers; the sound reverberating through the trees.

“I won’t hesitate to cut his throat,” Cezmera barked, sharply jerking his captive and pulling him toward his side of the trail. “Keep still and he may live!”

“Do you really think you are in any position to order us around, little boy?” the woman teased.

A dim pink glow enveloped the cheetah before he abruptly disappeared; his form quickly replaced by less than a foot in height, and equipped with colorful, butterfly-like wings. Having taken the rogue off guard by the sudden transformation, the faerie flitted high into the trees, laughing as he went.

Suddenly, the cries of the other adventurers broke the relative silence of the moment as they were all quickly lifted into the trees by long, green tendrils, leaving the rogue alone on the trail while his companions struggled against their binds in the canopy above.

“Now then,” the woman sneered, stepping closer to the bewildered rogue. “I do believe you were about to ask mommy to forgive you.”

Another vine hoisted Kaila into the air as another snaked its way around her leg and through the leg cuff of her diaper as she whimpered. Meanwhile, another pair held Cryo aloft by his arms and legs, while a third sharply cracked against his upper thighs.

“Let them go, you witch!” Cezmera cried with a wild slash, grazing the woman’s cheek.

Without a word, her palm met his cheek, staggering the man and forcing him to drop his knife.

Struggling against his binds to stretch his hand toward Cezmera, Keerasa-Shei muttered, “Oh Blessed Lady of Light, your humble servant seeks your aid. Grant succor to your children that we might know peace in your love.”

As he finished, a small green orb of gas bolted forth from his hand.

“Silence!” cried the lioness.

As if by the power of her voice alone, the spell changed course and took on a purple hue before striking the water dragon who gasped and writhed as his body began to shrink and his clothes changed to match his shrinking form. The woman grinned as she glanced up at the regressing healer, grinning as a wet patch formed on the front of the now-toddler’s dressing gown before it melted away and was replaced by a pale blue cloth diaper.

“Now then, who’s next?” she sneered, returning her attention to the rogue as she inched closer. “That cute little sissy? The mage? Or perhaps the cute little slut? …Or would you rather just see your friend up there go back into his egg? It’s your call, my dear.”

With the flick of her wrist, she lightly tapped the man’s crotch. Though the contact was too light for him to properly register, her power radiated through his body, making him feel weak as sharp jolts ran up his spine.

“W-What do you want from us?” he groaned, falling to his knees.

Tipping his chin up with her finger, the women smiled down at the young man as a look of sadistic excitement crept across her face.

“We just wanted you to go away, silly,” she cooed as a light hissing noise escaped from his loins. “But you and your little friends decided to be naughty little boys and girls, so you’ll be punished.”

Without warning, Magromancer was quickly moved to Cryo’s side, and another vine set to work swatting his thighs as well. The sound of the assault masked the rustling bushes as Felix emerged from behind the woman and sprinted toward the clearing. Just as he emerged from the tree line however, a firm swat from a conjured hand met the seat of his sagging diaper, causing him to stumble forward and trip over his clothes as they quickly grew too large for him to wear while he rapidly shrank to the form of a small kit.

“So, tell me,” the lioness said, prodding at the rogue’s swelling diaper. “What should I do with such naughty little children, hmm? Naturally, you’ll all get a sound spanking once we get you all settled into the nursery, but what then? Should I keep you cute and tiny so the only trouble you’ll get into is stealing sweets, or would you be a behaved, subservient little plaything for me to enjoy? I already have some fun plans for that cute little pup up there, but the sky’s the limit for the rest of you.”

She stood with a contented sigh as the cheetah returned in his full form, accompanied by a pair of rabbits and a tiger who quickly moved to collect the other adventurers as they were lowered back to the forest floor.

“Bring him,” the lioness commanded the vixen, pointing toward the regressed healer.

The woman did as she was told and quietly moved to scoop up the wide-eyed little boy before promptly returning to her mistress.

“Good girl,” the lioness praised. “Let’s get back to the nursery. I’ll take the girl—I have something special in mind for her.”

The group soon disappeared into the glowing portal that had since taken over the ring of mushrooms, leaving the young Felix alone in the meadow as he whimpered to himself.

Just as the sun began to set and the kit laid by himself in the grassy field, the call of a great bird echoed through the trees. Just as it did, a hulking, shadowy figure descended upon him.

Trending Blogs

Last Seen Blogs

Diary of a Padded Panda