Dryad's Lair

Story by VictorTheMaker on SoFurry

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A trio of adventurers embark on a mission to topple a powerful dryad and free a host of captured villagers. While two of the group are seasoned and experienced, one of them is not. Will they be able to overcome the nature elemental's strength, or will they be bound and captured like the others?

Content Warning: This story is intended for Adult readers and the following tags apply: Male, Fox, Tiger, Female, Pangolin, Dryad, Plant, Chubby, Bondage, Nudity, Vines, Tentacles, Anal, Transformation, Blueberry, Inflation, Weight Gain

Good day yall, I hope you're doing well. I've got a story ready for your reading pleasure and this one was written as a patreon request~ BLueberry inflation to weight gain was the most popular suggestion, so I wrote a little something along those lines. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to let me know what you think ^^

This story was available on my Patreon page about a month ago. If you'd like early access to stories like thos and more, a $2 pledge is all you need~https://www.patreon.com/WaiteInkworks

Posted using PostyBirb


Dryad's Lair

By Victor Waite

21-06-22

A Patreon Request

A trio of adventurers embark on a mission to topple a powerful dryad and free a host of captured villagers. While two of the group are seasoned and experienced, one of them is not. Will they be able to overcome the nature elemental's strength, or will they be bound and captured like the others?

Content Warning: This story is intended for Adult readers and the following tags apply: Male, Fox, Tiger, Female, Pangolin, Dryad, Plant, Chubby, Bondage, Nudity, Vines, Tentacles, Anal, Transformation, Blueberry, Inflation, Weight Gain

Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, casting natural patterns to the foliage below. A soft breeze blew through the branches below, keeping the forest cool and comfortable. Bushes and shrubs lining the ground rustled with abundant wildlife, teeming with the denizens of the forest. Their calls and songs filled open space between young trees, blending together into a swelling, natural chorus as they played amongst the stumps of old growth. The woodland song would have persisted through the evening and long into the night, if not for the disturbances rippling toward the heart of the region. The tripled footfalls of adventurers stomped out the natural rhythm where they passed, breaking up melodies as they passed. The clangs and clanks of their equipment filled the air with a timeless beat, announcing their presence as they delved into the heart of the new wood.

At the head of the trio, a titan of a tiger marched the sprouting path. He towered over his partners in several ways, metaphorically and literally, clad in shining armor that weighed as much as they did. He carried on his back a steel wall of shield, wrapped in enough wards to stymie even the foulest magic. A heavy sword filled his hands as he lead his comrades onward, which sliced through air and foliage with equal ease. The wood's verdant tide parted for his path, and the crunches of falling branches drove away creature curious enough to investigate. The heavy prints of his boots marked their path, in case the trail of plant-based carnage was not obvious enough itself. The swathe he carved was wide enough for himself, which easily accommodated the rest of the party as a result.

In his shadow, an alchemist followed. Skilled in both the healing and harming arts, she jingled with all manner of beakers and vials. Fluids of fantastical colors swirled and bubbled within them, the helpful doses indistinguishable from their hurtful counterparts. Along with the straps and belts holstering her containers, the pangolin bowed under a heavy pack on her back. It brimmed with every ingredient she might need and more, ensuring proper preparation for anything they may encounter. Her strength and endurance waned under that weight however, spurring her to pluck a bottle from her chest and down its contents. The last of the adventurers grimaced as she chugged the foul-looking drink, finishing it off with a swallow and a gasp. Her stamina swelled, and she stowed the empty bottle in her pack, ready to reuse it for whatever potion needed next.

Finally, at the back of the trio, a bottom-heavy wizard struggled to keep pace. The feminine fox picked up the bottom of his robe and held it up in an effort to keep the dirt off, mumbling and muttering about the realities of dungeon diving. A look from the pair ahead stilled his tongue, though he kept his list of grievances running internally. Among them he made a mental note to never take a quest so far removed from civilization again, hoping to spare himself the hardships of long travel and dark woodland nights. A yelp tumbled from his muzzle when his foot caught a root, nearly spilling him into the dirt he so hoped to avoid. Fortunately, he stumbled into the pangolin instead, who caught him on her pack and bounced him back upright. That show of carelessness earned him the paladin's attention however, and he shrank under the tiger's powerful gaze.

"Look, I get the woods aren't your forte, and I can respect that," the tiger began. "We all have our specialties, and this clearly isn't yours. But that's no excuse for this level of carelessness. If you can't avoid a tree root on a sunny path, how can we rely on you to avoid a tripwire in a dark dungeon? You're not inspiring a whole lot of confidence right now."

"It's also pretty disrespectful," the alchemist added. "We need to have each other's backs all the time, even when there's no obvious threat."

The fox huffed. "You're right, I'm sorry, that was careless. But you don't need to jump down my throat like that. I tripped on a root. It's not like a shot a fireball near you."

"There are a lot of traps out there worse than a stray fireball," the alchemist reminded.

"She's right," the tiger agreed.

"Alright," the fox relented. "I'll work on being more careful."

"That's all we ask," the paladin smiled.

The alchemist was clearly skeptical of the wizard's ability to live up to that promise, but didn't press it.

Aside from the endless chopping of the tiger's sword, the rest of their journey passed in relative silence. The local fauna knew well of their presence, seemingly aware of their purpose as well. Nothing dared stirred within earshot, lending the previously vibrant air unsettlingly silent. The tiger and pangolin picked up on that detail, sharpening their senses accordingly. The wizard remained concerned with more immediate dangers however, turning his gaze toward the ground to avoid falling for another tree's trap. He succeeded in remaining upright and out of the dirt, but nearly walked into the pangolin's pack when she abruptly stopped. The wizard only just escaped another embarrassing collision, and a sigh or relief passed his lips when he salvaged his balance. He opened his mouth to question why they stopped, until he looked up and beheld the towering tree before them. Its broad trunk stretched wider than some of the villages they'd passed through, and its many branches reached high into the sky. Under normal circumstances, it could have been the oldest tree on the plane.

"Oh, this is definitely it," the alchemist announced. "No way this grew on its own."

"You're right about that," the tiger added. "Its reeks of magic too."

The fox did his best to let that slight slide. "So, what exactly does that mean?"

The tiger gestured and brought the party in. "It means this is the dryad's lair. It also means she probably knows we're here, and we need to be very careful going forward. She's got the home field advantage, and we don't know the full extent of her power." He glanced back and looked the tree up and down once more. "Though we can be sure she's strong."

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you this," the pangolin said to the fox, "but I will anyway. Dryads are forces of nature. They love their plants and animals, and that's what you can expect to find in there. In practice, that means don't trust any animals, don't eat any fruit off the walls, and if something looks like it wants you to look at it, don't."

"At the risk of repeating myself, what does that mean," the wizard repeated.

"It means you'll know it when you see it. It'll be by far the most enchanting plant you've ever seen. Also, if the walls start to wiggle, get away from them as fast as you can," the tiger added.

The wizard's resolved wavered under the weight of those warnings. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm ready for this."

"You'll do fine," the paladin smiled. "Things will make more sense once you're in there."

"Plus, chances are you won't die. Dryads can and will mess you up, but whatever they do usually isn't permanent," the alchemist explained.

The fox blanched. "What kind of things do they do to you?"

The tiger started to answer, until the pangolin cut him off. "Only one way to find out, if you're unlucky," she grinned. "But I think we've wasted enough time talking in the open. We're liable to get ambushed if we don't move soon."

"She's not wrong," the tiger admitted. "Just keep your wits about you, and you'll be fine."

Before the wizard could get another word in, his companions turned toward the titanic tree and approached. A grassy clearing surrounded its base, exposing the tops of its colossal roots, but leaving little cover for the adventurers. The alchemist and wizard stuck close to the tiger as he lead their advance, keeping a sharp eye out for potential attack. To their mixed surprise, relief, and dread, nothing set off their danger sense. Despite the dryad's rumored power and ferocity, the clearing surrounding its lair was just that. The fox's nerves eased while the unexpected peace persisted, granting the group enough time to find an entrance. Nestled deep in the gnarled network of roots, a gap in the bark provided access to both the lower and upper levels. With no other obvious options, the trio approached, only for the alchemist to stretch out an arm and stop them in their tracks.

"Wait," the pangolin hissed. "Don't you smell that?"

The two started to sniff the air, until she cut them off.

"Don't do that, never mind," she dismissed. "There's something in the air, pollen or spores or something. Probably things we don't want to breathe." The alchemist reached into her bag and produced a trio of vials. "Soak some cloth in this and wrap it over your mouth and nose. It should neutralize the worst of the effects."

The paladin did as directed, saturating a handkerchief and masking himself. The wizard followed, but hesitated before he brought it to his face. He grimaced at the scent, but a look from the pangolin convinced it it wasn't nearly as bad as what the spores could do.

Now fully prepared to delve into the tree's depths, the party advanced into the fragrant dark. The paladin took point, channeling divine magic into his sword to light the way. The alchemist followed in his wake, potions in hand, while the wizard lagged behind with an illuminated wand. The fox's pace slowed further as they advanced, transfixed by the scenery of the natural dungeon. The thick, rich bark protecting the roots gave way to bare wood as they surpassed the reach of sunlight, which in turn yielded to verdant overgrowth. The rustling of branches and shuffling of leaves reverberated all around them, set off both by their footfalls and the tree's residents stirring. Still, nothing lunged from the strange shrubs or fell from the shallow canopy. The paladin kept his uneasy pace and pressed on deeper, with the alchemist sticking closely to his back. The wizard kept his attention at their rear, however, watching for potential ambushes until solitude swallowed him.

Rather than call out and risk the element of surprise, he turned forward and rushed toward his comrades with all the subtlety he could maintain. The fox remained hopeful, until he reached a split in the path. Panic gripped him at the fork until he drew in a breath and recalled the basics of adventuring. First, he closed his eyes and sharpened his senses, opening himself to the sounds of the tree. His ears twitched and turned, searching for anything beyond the rustling ambiance, and a frown crossed his muzzle when he found none. The wizard then crouched and placed a hand to the ground, where he searched for physical signs of his friends. The low plants littering the floor gave way to hard ground beyond, solid wood that kept its secrets well. He found not a single sign of their passing, no foot prints, discarded vials, or gouges that suggested their direction. A huff of frustration billowed from his muzzle, and left with no obvious solution, the wizard simply picked a path and walked it.

The fox's chosen route tipped deeper into the tree's depths, and with it came a pressuring presence. It filled his chest with apprehension and whispered doubt into his thoughts, shaking his adventurous resolve. Despite his inexperience, he did not falter easily. His thoughts drifted to the tiger's strength and the pangolin's wit, bolstering his will to press on. A deep breath restored his confidence, though it only took an instant for it to turn to hubris. In that same step, the wizard's foot snagged a root buried beneath the carpet-like foliage. His balance shifted and the ground rushed to greet him, until tendrils whipped from the walls and snatched him from the air. A stiffed wheeze tumbled form his chest when those vines pinned him to the wall, binding his arms and snaring his legs. A swift incantation spilled from his muzzle, calling fire to his fingertips, but the tree's master proved prepared for that as well. A bark-clad arm reached from behind him and clamped his mouth shut, withering his spell. Both dread and panic welled in his chest while the vines solidified their hold, and his heart nearly stopped when the dryad's face emerged next to his.

"Novice wanderer," the elemental sang, "What brings you to my lair? Could you be seeking succor, or have you come to root me out?"

The wizard offered a muffled response, earning a melodic laugh from his captor.

"Don't fret, I know the answer." An edge crept into the creature's voice, and the fox felt their fury as they leaned out far enough to make eye contact.

The fox failed to find his words, but the fear in his gaze spoke for him.

"Ordinarily I would feed you to my children and be done with you, but you seem more useful than that." One of their many vines slipped under his robe, where it rubbed and squished his paunch. "Your mana is," they sank their nose into the scruff of his neck and breathed deep, "unfermented, but potent. Yes, I know just what to do with you."

The wizard railed against his bonds as more and more vines swarmed from the wall, wriggling under his clothing and tearing it away, mask included. His pack and spell book landed in the tatters of his garb with a heavy thunk, the only sound that announced his capture. The vines and tendrils wrapped and cocooned the fox, leaving no part of him visible, then sank back into the wall. Bundled in foliage and carried through wood, there wizard had no hope of breaking free in that instant. Instead of wasting his energy on useless struggles, tried to calm his nerves. Unfortunately, that effort seemed equally fruitless. His heart beat a frantic rhythm in his chest while the dryad dragged them deeper and deeper into their lair, potentially fated to become plant food. His concentration frayed under a rush of adrenaline, then a flood of narcotic spores. Fear and anticipation and bliss and dread swilled together in an overpowering mix, swamping his thoughts and slanting his judgment. Had he been able to recall the words to his invocations, his tongue would not have been able to shape them. The haze clouding his mind faded as the dryad carried him closer to their sanctum, and by the time he arrived, he had no idea how far he'd gone or how long it'd taken.

Warm, humid air greeted him as the vines surrounding his form pushed him from the tree, exposing his head and body, but withholding his limbs passed his elbows and knees. The soft crackle of forming bark filled the dark chamber and sealed him in place, eliminating any chance of wriggling free. He tested his bonds and found them every bit as inescapable as before, leaving him with nothing to do but hang on the wall until the dryad saw fit to visit him again. The only hint to their approach was a growing glow at the far end of the chamber, which illuminated several things the wizard would have rather not seen. For better or worse, he realized he wasn't alone, and he found the fate of the village his party was sent to avenge. Farmers and commoners and lesser adventurers dangled from the chamber's sides, much as he did, though transformed significantly. Some had taken on the orange hue typical of that fruit, others were red and speckled as strawberries or purple as plumbs, but between them all, they represented the full spectrum of nature's bounty. More strangely, they seemed to adore their captivity.

The altered villagers moaned and groaned with bliss as the dryad passed, arching their backs and presenting their juicy forms for submission and inspection. The elemental passed most of them by, though the ones she sampled found rapture. Cries of bliss leapt from their muzzles when the dryad suckled from their chests or lapped at the fold of of their belly, and that pleasure only brought forth more of the fruits' corrupted bounty. The tree's master offered appraising caresses to the others, checking the fruits of their labor until they reached the fox. Even in his exhaustion, the vulpine knew the same transformation would befall him. His only uncertainty laid in the details, specifically, which fruit they intended for him to become. The wizard turned away from the dryad and shied away from their touch, grimacing as their bark-laced hand traced the curve of his cheek.

"Now now, no need to be like that," the elemental sang. "I sense it in you, I see it in your eyes, you want this just as much as I do. You just haven't discovered that for yourself yet."

Deprived of his protective mask, there was little the fox could do to resist beyond clinging to defiance.

"Let me show you the pleasures of serving me, my sweet berry. Give in to our mutual desire, and you will know rapture as well as the rest of these reformed traitors."

The dryad offered no further explanation, nor did the wizard ask for one. Instead, they planted their palm above the fox's shoulder, grazing his cheek, and channeled their magic into the tree. The vines and tendrils beneath the bark writhed to life, squirming over the fox's bare form, until focusing their attention on his rear. A surprised gasp leapt from his muzzle when they took measure of his hips, squishing and squeezing his plush cheeks and thighs. Hints of lust punctuated his breaths as they kneaded harder and explored deeper, diving into the cleft beneath his tail. His back arched when those exploratory tips circled the ring of his entrance, teasing that puckered muscle and relaxing it open. A deep heat kindled in his muzzle when they unleashed spurts of sap, matting his fur down until they slickly glided across his pelt. By the time they dove into his depths, the wizard offered no resistance. His inner muscles gladly accepted the intrusion, and that lubricating honey eliminated any hint of friction. The fox's muzzle dropped in a silent, indulgent groan, prompting the dryad to lean in and catch him in a deep kiss.

For a lengthy moment, their tongues danced together in a sultry embrace, stoking the wizard's lust and charging the elemental's magic. The dryad stifled the fox's muffled moans completely and leaned in deep, passing a seed from the back of their throat to his. A quick rub of his throat sent it to his belly. The wizard coughed and sputtered and the dryad broke the embrace, a grin wide across their face. They stroked his cheek and turned away, then sauntered off to deal with his comrades and restore their broken territory. The fox's gaze lingered on their broad hips until they disappeared into darkness, and a potent combination of fear and arousal brewed in his chest. The former quickly gave way to the latter as the vine under his tail burrowed deeper, smoothly spreading him with its growing girth. Faint bulges pressed out from behind his plush paunch as the tendril wormed its way to his stomach, though his attention focused solely on the pressure to his prostate.

The wizard's tongue lulled from his muzzle, unable and unwilling to resist the dryad's deep pleasure. The tip of his cock poked from his sheath and pulsed into the cavern's warm air, letting loose a bolt of pre with every beat of his heart. That growing shaft grazed the soft roll of his belly along the way, lifting that soft swell and fully exposing his crotch. His hips rolled as much as his binds allowed, struggling to grind against himself, though he found little freedom. The most the wizard could do was arch his back, and even that motion left much to be desired. As his spire emerged to its full length and his knot swelled, and his attention drifted back to the vine deep in his depths. Strange sensations danced along his nerves as reaches never stimulated felt their first touch, and under the dryad's influence, it only took seconds for them to be rewritten as new paths of pleasure. His higher thoughts clouded over with bliss as the tip of that tendril knocked on the back door to his stomach, gently massaging that gate until it winked open. The fox's gaze fell to his middle while it explored the wrinkles and folds of that chamber, until it found the seed deposited by his captor.

A curious twinge panged in his depths when the vine and seed linked, followed by a rapturous flood of magical energy. Thick, heavy pulses rippled up from the base of the vine as it pumped mana directly into his core, rhythmically stretching his ass and everything beyond. Every burst brought a restrained roll of his hips, along with a subtle bulge that snaked up his inner passages. They culminated in a growing swell in his middle, which took on a deep blue hue as it grew. A tickling, tingling sensation accompanied it, and in the back of his mind, the fox knew it should concern him. That notion leapt to the forefront of his thoughts when it took root and burrowed into his being, integrating him with the tree. Once fully linked, the flow of energy picked up considerably, a surge that flooded his brain and swept away his thoughts once more. The wizard offered a token resistance, a half-spoken ward that fizzled on his lips, before the bliss of change claimed him completely.

Wracked by bliss, the fox could only watch himself change. It started in his belly, which grew laden and heavy with a sloshing weight. The creamy fur of his front yielded to a spreading blue, which grew in depth as his middle eclipsed his hips. He rounded out with a pregnant swell, stretching his pelt across the dome and bringing his belly button to its peak. A muted bolt of shock lanced through his muddled mind when juice trickled from that inverted dimple, flowing down the curve of his figure and staining his fur. The trickle surged into a small stream as he rushed through apparent trimesters, then beyond. The weight of his belly sat heavily on his hips, and his chest added to it as it grew in suit. Juice gathered in his breasts as his stomach reached its capacity, taking on the same color and creeping down the tight curve. The wizard struggled to pull his arms free and hold his growing mounds, to touch and tease their growing sensitivity. That neediness gathered at his nipples as he rose through cup sizes, which took on a deepening purple until drops of juice leaked free.

In the shadow of his belly, the fox's transformation continued. His balls swelled and his arousal spiked, bringing him to the teetering edge of an orgasm. His shaft bounced and throbbed against the underside of his gravid belly, firing off jets of lust with every motion. The only clue to his continued changes the wizard gleaned came form the color of his arousal, which shifted toward blue with every successive shot. His sac took on a similar hue as it grew, competing with his thighs for space under his middle. His hips rolled and shifted as his virility crept passed the limits of his binds, brushing across textured bark as they surpassed his knees. The pelt protecting that tender hide took on a familiar blue as well, though the fox could only distantly sense that change. What occupied him more was the sensations that came with it, an overpowering lust and arousal that blazed higher and higher as he reached the capacity of his virility. It wasn't long before his endurance eroded entirely, sending him tumbling into a climactic abyss.

Every muscle in the wizard's body throbbed and thrummed in harmony, wholly devoted to that drawn-out instant of rapture. The fox's blueberry-hued balls drew tight to his swollen belly, and his cock bounced and pulsed against his middle's lower curve. The size of that dome angled his shots toward the ground, nourishing the tree with his magic-saturated seed. Warmth radiated from his arms and legs as the living dungeon offered its gratitude, rewarding the wizard with more mana-enriched sap. He rolled his head back and cried out in shameless bliss when those swells of honey massaged his prostate, prolonging his release and feeding a chain reaction. The pooling warmth in his belly only added to the chain reaction, and with his guard completely demolished, the dryad's transformative magic took him completely. His belly sprawled and swelled outward, sloshing with essence, until it dominated and defined his figure. Only the domes of his chest and the globes of his balls had a chance of competing, and even then they remained dwarfed in comparison.

Lost in a feed-back loop of near perpetual orgasm, time quickly lost its meaning for the fox. The depth of the tree's chamber hid him from the sun, and the hint to the passage of time was the dryad's comings and goings. He couldn't tell how long passed between their visits, nor did he know how long they lasted. All the wizard knew was peaks and valleys of bliss, where the elemental's attention marked each summit. He instantly grew to crave their affection, and after the first time they sampled the juice from his navel, any lingering thoughts of escape evaporated. The wizard joined the ranks of the captured villagers, utterly addicted to the bliss of offering themselves. His life before becoming part of their great tree felt as just a distant memory, a past life that faded each time the dryad drank of his juices. His thoughts of the future narrowed to nothing but hope for the elemental's next embrace, an event that unfortunately drew a little farther away with each occurrence. The dryad's attention and affection grew thin as the rest of their garden ripened, until one day, they simply didn't visit.

For some time, the transfigured fox clung to the hope that the elemental had simply been busy dealing with interlopers, but reality set in as their presence and influence faded from the great tree. Without the dryad's will to guide its growth, the towering plant became simply that. Its wood and bark still held him in place, but the vine buried deep in his ass withered in the absence of sustaining magic. The lustful haze fogging his thoughts dissipated without constant, perpetual pleasure, finally allowing the fox and his fellow fruity prisoners to become aware of their state. They gave the full gambit of reactions, some embracing their juicy forms while others found distress or terror in their new bodies, though none were able to do anything about it. All anyone could do was wait, and wait they did. While they waited, they continued to change. Their bodies no longer produced juice, though what was already in them didn't simply vanish. Instead, they metabolized it.

The wizard and the other villagers gradually returned to their former forms, shrinking down and recovering their patterns and hues, but they strayed from their original shape in the process. In addition to being rich in mana, their juices were rich in calories, which sustained and softened their figures. The tight curve of the fox's belly gave way to an increasingly doughy apron, which crept down his thighs like a molasses avalanche. His broad thighs thickened with plush cellulite, rising enough to crack the bark near his knees. Flab gathered and hanged from his arms, and his chest retained most of its mass as gravity draped it over his belly. What grew the most was his ass however, claiming enough of his weight gain to bow his back away from the wall. It trapped the base of his tail by the time he digested his stores of juice, and he idly wondered how long it would take to work off once free from his bonds. Dread welled in his chest as his thoughts drifted to plans of diet and exercise upon escape, which turned to pondering if he'd ever be freed. Fortunately, the solution to that concern arrived before he dwelt on it too long.

A commotion at the head of the cavern drew his attention, and relief washed over him with the flickering light of torches. His fellow captives voiced their praises as they dropped from the walls, freed from their natural prisons. A heavy thud announced each successive rush for the exit, suggesting the fox wasn't the only one who would depart far larger than they entered. As the rescue party drew closer, it appeared that even those that dodged his fate were not untouched by the dryad. He squinted his eyes in the low light and watched his saviors with intent, struggling to identify them. One was clearly a paladin, and the other obviously an alchemist, but they bore almost no resemblance to the tiger and pangolin that he entered with. The wizard began to wonder if their occupations were coincidence and his comrades dangled deeper in the cavern, but that notion fell from his head when they reached his involuntary perch. The pair eyed him with scrutiny, then cracked the bark from his binds and dropped him to the floor. His legs trembled with weakness and he fell to his knees, where his returned party picked him back up. The paladin greeted him with a warm smile, where the alchemist did not.

"Thanks for ditching us as soon as you could," the pangolin sneered. "It was real fun taking care of this place without you." The hard plates protecting her back had been replaced with a flowering shrub, and her supplies were nowhere to be seen. "Maybe next time I'll get caught first and let you two do all the work."

It took the fox a moment to recover, and once he did, defended himself. "I didn't do it on purpose. And it wasn't sunshine and roses down here."

"Oh don't give me that," she laughed. "The entire tree heard you moaning and pleading for more."

"Clam down, calm down," the paladin intervened. "He didn't try to get caught, and she's a little salty about losing her equipment."

"A little salty," the pangolin shouted. "My equipment is - excuse me - was worth more than the reward for clearing this place out!" She turned to the paladin, who struggled to remain on his hind legs in his new quadruped form. "And you wouldn't let me go back for it! Goddess only knows where that leafy bitch took it!"

The paladin placed a large paw on her shoulder. "And now, there's no danger in searching for it, and we have all these grateful villagers to help us too." They shared a glance around the chamber, then he revised his statement. "Some of them, at least. Maybe."

"Probably not," the wizard admitted. "There's no telling how long they've been down here. Hells, I'm not even sure how long I've been down here."

"Barely two days," the alchemist flatly stated. "You gave yourself to the dryad in less than two days."

The paladin shrugged as well as his form allowed. "No one's first quest goes as planned," he offered.

"I don't think he deserves credit for this one," his plant-flavored peer scoffed.

"That's for the guild master to decide," the paladin shrugged. "Speaking of, we should be heading back soon. If we leave now, we can make it back before sundown."

"I'm not going anywhere without my equipment."

"And I should probably scavenge some clothing," the fox murmured.

"Alright," the paladin relented. "We'll get you two hooked back up, then head out in the morning." He glanced at the wizard's belly. "That'll probably work out better anyway, since I get the feeling it'll take us longer to get back now..."

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