FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Dune yawns as he wakes up, breathing in the fresh morning air from within his cot as the rays of sunlight pour into his room. It's quiet out here in the outskirts of his village. Nobody depends on him. Still, he shares a place with the life around, making new friends from time to time.

The small anthropomorphic deer softly stretches as he shuffles the blankets off him. Reaching toward the nightstand, he finds his glasses aren't there.

"Oh... where did I put my glasses, again?"

A gentle tapping alerts him to the window. A young, green hummingbird is poking its beak at the base, gesturing to the glasses he left on the sill.

"Oh, thank you. I almost forgot I was watching the stars last night. What would I do without you guys?"

The hummingbird chips softly as it circles the window. Dune slowly opens the latch, allowing his friend to fly in.

Dune grins cheerfully as the hummingbird swirls around his antlers, "Hungry? Did the raccoons steal the nectar from your feeder again?"

Several chips only seem to confirm his question.

Dune grabs a brush from his stand as he combs his short, brown fur, "Alright, I'll see if I have any sugar left in the pantry. I hope I do because I need to get some more wood later, and a trip to the town would take up a bit of my day."

Dune's cabin is small, only a single story and a few rooms, but it's the perfect size for the meager deer.

As he enters the pantry, he speaks up to his companion, "I don't know what's been going on lately, but the wood around my cabin is starting to rot very fast, not to mention my garden wilting prematurely. Could something be going on outside that I can't see?"

He glances up toward the hummingbird, who only gives him a few chirps, not knowing, either.

"Ah, well... Ent hopefully won't mind if I get some more wood." _Dune continues sifting through the cabinets before finding the jar of sugar. _"Oh, good. I still have some for you. Okay, go and wait outside. I'll grab some water for you, too."

The hummingbird gives several cheerful chirps before fluttering out of the cabin.

Dune takes a deep breath as he smiles to himself. Always nice to have some friends around. While he's getting the water, maybe he can check up on his garden, too. He's not that hungry, so a quick oat bar is all he needs.

The flower bed seems to be losing its color. The Rosacanum would usually be blooming, yet they seem to be wilting more and more every day.

Dune kneels before the solemn petals after he finishes watering them, "Speak to me, is everything alright?"

The flowers sway softly but heed no response.

Dune sighs warily. All he can do is hope they'll survive to the coming summer, but they will likely wither in only a few weeks at this rate.

He circles the garden, trying to find any signs of something wrong, but nothing seems to be rotting or eating at his flowerbed. Though, looking at the corners of his cabin from the outside, he can already see some unnatural withering. Dune glances at the stump where he keeps his ax in front of his cottage.

Dune gently places his ax into his harness as he clasps it around his shoulder. He glances up, wanting to make sure no bird has nestled on his antlers; he's not making that mistake again. With the coast clear, he ventures deeper into the forest once more. The fauna chirps and sings around him as his hooves gently press into the grass beneath him with each step.

Only half a mile in, he finds himself at a familiar tree once more. The only thing that sets this one aside from the rest are branches that vaguely resemble a folded pair of arms in front of its trunk.

"Hello Ent, I could use some wood. Could you let me in, please?"

The trees slowly part to make a small bramble gateway for the small deer man.

"Thank you."

As he enters, the gateway slowly closes as Dune turns around, "Say, do you know anything about what's going on lately? My cabin is starting to rot. Your wood has always been of such high quality... So, it shouldn't be rotting away like this, at least not for a couple of years. My Rosacanum's are wilting, too."

The branches slowly shift to the side of the tree Dune is looking toward before pantomiming a shrug.

Dune sighs softly, "Oh, alright then."

Before Dune has the chance to turn around, the branches quiver in the still air. The tree brings two branches toward its center as if to mimic shivering.

"Hey, are you alright? I haven't even collected any wood from you. Are you hurt?"

The branches curl, mimicking fingers of a hand as it brings a single tip to Dune's mouth as if to hush him.

The wind shakes violently as the forest stirs. Then, nothing but an eerie stillness. No wildlife, not even a prevailing wind to break the silence. Dune stands petrified as Ent keeps its branch on his muzzle.

Ent slowly recedes as Dune takes a deep breath, "What was that? Is everything alright?"

Ent only gestures forward, toward the middle of the small clearing before bringing its hand-like branches together, tapping on its wrist to signify Dune needs to hurry.

"Oh, alright. I guess I'll collect the wood, but you should tell me if something's wrong."

Ent shrugs with its branches again.

"Oh, you don't know what it was either? I can tell it wasn't normal, or at least anything I've felt before."

He sighs softly before moving to the middle of the clearing. A thick tree springs up from the ground. Ent always makes the perfect quality wood he needs for his cabin.

He unsheathes his ax before getting to work. It's only a couple of swings before he can already feel himself sweating. Ent's wood is sturdy, though harvesting it is a strenuous chore. Of course, he's still thankful for the boons Ent has offered him throughout the years. If only Ent could chop himself down for him, but he feels like he'd be asking for too much. Tree's don't willingly break off parts of themself anyway. It's already a kind gesture for Ent to give any lumber he can.

He's hardly halfway through chopping down the tree before the wind begins to shake the trees as a sense of unease washes over Dune.

Before he can react, Ent has wrapped a canopy of twisting branches over him, blocking out any sunlight. Dune reflexively holds his breath, crouching down to hide as the wind begins to shake the trees around him.

A whisper in the wind echoes as a small green light flickers about, dancing as it falls from the canopy.

"Guardian... Our forest is in danger."

Dune looks up, still with his hands covering his head, "G-guardian? What?"

Ent quickly brings up another layer of branches, encasing Dune in a cocoon of roots. Dune clutches onto his ax tightly, trying to hold back tears of fear.

The shimmering speck of green light slowly descends into the cocoon as Dune holds his breath, petrified and quaking in fear. The light almost seems to be calling to him.

Slowly, with a shaking hand, Dune stretches out his palm to the piece of light.

A voice shakes from before him like a flurry of leaves in the wind, "A great and powerful warrior such as you must be called forth in times of dire need."

Dune shakes his head, "What? Powerful warrior? Me? No. You have to be mistaken. I'm no warrior. There are plenty of capable guards in the town."

"Guardian, chosen of few, you require strength. Overpower the corruption with the first boon."

Dune gasps as the speck of light leaps from his palms into his chest as the green light slowly fades. Dune blinks as he's left in the darkness of Ent's careful casket.

Dune quivers in place, mostly wracked with confusion, "I just wanted wood... W-what's going on?"

Ent slowly unravels its protective barrier, allowing Dune to touch the grass beneath him once more. Dune looks toward Ent's signature tree, "Thank you... but... what was that? It wanted me to be a guardian."

Ent pantomimes a pair of claws toward him.

"No, nothing wanted to hurt me. You saw the green light, right?"

Ent's branches draw closer as it gently pats Dune's shoulder.

"I'm... fine, I think. The magic was nothing like yours. I don't know what's going to happen now, though."

Without so much as another breath, a green light flows from his chest as energy quickly swirls around Dune. Suddenly, a pair of bracers appear in a sparkle of soothing green light, clasping onto his wrists. Ent retracts its branches as Dune gasps. He drops his ax as he can feel his muscles contract.

The change is immediate. Starting from at forearms, Dune can feel his body growing as power overwhelms him. His arms broaden with an increased muscle mass.

Dune reflexively falls onto his back as he watches his body grow. "Ah! What's happening to me?!"

It's only a matter of moments before his arms finish swelling outward. Massive biceps, powerful triceps and thick forearms give him a shape of a true warrior in peak condition. His traps expand outward as his shoulders broaden and his neck slowly grows to accompany his frame.

Dune clutches the ground beneath him in a worried panic as he glances toward his chest. His pecs expand outward, followed by a perfect set of washboard abs. He brings his hand above his stomach, too afraid to even touch the six-pack he's gained.

He has to lift his head to see past his thick pectorals as his legs grow with the rest of his body. Powerful thighs as thick as his torso once was and mighty calves to support his hefty frame adorn his legs.

He flexes his legs as the surge of growth slowly wanes. His entire body is still trembling with barely contained power. Everything about him is... bigger. He stands up, easily over two feet taller than he was before.

Dune examines his bracers. They're wooden, yet woven into them are carefully intricate patterns. He can't discern what the shapes represent. Although, what's more distracting is his frame. From his burly arms and sturdy legs, he's easily more muscular than most guards back in the town. He finally brings himself to touch his chest. His torso is so wide and expansive now... is he still dreaming? He brings his hands up to adjust his glasses. Fortunately, he hasn't outgrown those; it'd be a pain to get a new pair.

He glances toward Ent. The trees stand motionless, seemingly in just as much shock as he is.

"I... I don't..."

Ent brings out its branches as it mimics a thumbs up to him.

"You... you think I look good?"

Ent brings two thumbs up.

"Thanks... I... I have to get used to this. I'm not sure how I feel being so tall now."

Ent gestures toward the tree that Dune hasn't finished chopping before tapping its wrists, signifying him to hurry.

Dune turns around, "O-oh... R-right! I almost forgot why I came here. Yeah, I think I chop it down a lot faster, maybe even carry more."

Rustling branches bring Dune's attention back to Ent as it clasps two hands together, pantomiming uprooting the tree.

Dune scratches the back of his neck nervously, "Wait, you want me to... pull it out of the ground?"

A single thumbs up is all the response Ent gives.

Dune takes a deep breath, "Okay... I suppose if the magic of the forest gave me this much strength. Though, I'll have to train a little bit more later. Here goes everything."

The towering deer man places his ax into his holster. The holster itself fights tightly against his burly chest, "I guess I'll have to get a new one later. This one's going to snap at any moment."

He brings his attention back to the glistening tree Ent has provided for him. With a huff, he crouches down, wrapping his powerful arms around the tree as his thick hands grab hold tightly. The tree itself is easily 4ft in diameter, not to mention over 12 ft tall.

He pushes with his legs, and though it takes some effort, he uproots the entire tree with far more ease than he'd expected. Dune hauls the tree over his shoulder as he looks around.

All of the trees have already begun applauding him as the clapping mixes with the rustling of leaves. Dune gives a bashful smile, "Thank you... I guess I'm a lot stronger than I gave myself credit for."

He flexes his arm, causing his strapping biceps to bulge. "Yeah... I can get used to this, I think. I'll definitely have to use all of this wood and maybe more since I'm too big for my bed now."

Ent responds with a thumbs up before gently pushing him toward the bramble gateway.

"Okay, okay. It is a lot more wood than you usually give. I know you're tired. I'll be back in a day or two, okay? I may have to go back to town to get some supplies for more than just repairs to my home..."

As the bramble gateway closes behind him, Ent brings a branch down, rubbing Dune's cheeks affectionately.

Dune giggles softly, "Haha, okay, I'm happy I'm safe too. Yeah, I just need some time to get used to all of this."

Ent gives him a small thumbs-up before returning its branches to the relaxed folded arms pose, once again remaining hidden from any unwanted guests.

Dune carefully navigates himself back to his cabin, making sure not to accidentally hit anything with the tree he's hauling along the way.

Finally, he finds himself back at his cabin. He tosses the tree down before grabbing his supplies. "Okay, first I check measurements, then I can chop all this wood into pieces to replace some of the rotting parts."

A pair of raccoons scurry atop his home, looking down toward Dune as they reach the brim of the roof. The deer man looks up toward them, "No, this lumber is not for you, okay?"

The raccoons exchange glances with each other. Then back at Dune. Then back at each other. Then back at Dune. One raccoon gestures toward Dune.

The other raccoon gestures toward the house before shrugging. Dune watches as the raccoons continue exchanging gestures, accusingly pointing at him from time to time, at the house and each other in bewilderment.

"Oh, I think I see what's going on. It's me, Dune."

The raccoons freeze, arms still in the midst of exchanging gestures as their heads slowly turn toward him.

Dune knocks on his antlers, "Yeah, I can see what the fuss is. It's forest magic, I think. It's still me, the Dune you remember."

The raccoons shrug, seemingly contented with his statement before walking off.

Dune chuckles to himself softly, "Little rascals..."

Dune picks up the measuring tape as he inspects the cabin. Once all the measurements are accounted for, he returns to the hunk of lumber at the front of his house.

"Okay, now time to get these into manageable pieces."

The first swing severs the wood in a seamless strike. Dune takes a step back, looking at the ax, then at his bracers, "Right, I'm not used to all this strength, heh..."

He takes another deep breath before carefully cutting away at all the wood before him. It's barely an hour and he's finished measuring out everything, time to replace the rot around his cabin.

Dune carefully brings a sturdy piece of lumber to his cabin. He crouches down before glancing around himself, "Oh, where'd I leave my lever. I can't lift..." _Dune pauses in the middle of his sentence before he glances toward his brawny arms, _"Oh wait, I guess I can lift my cabin."

He gently digs his fingers between the logs, carefully lifting the cabin enough to slide out the rotting wood before carefully replacing it with the freshly cut timber. _"Light as a feather..." _he mutters to himself softly as he sets down his cabin.

He takes a deep breath as he stands up, placing his arms on his hips with a satisfied grin, _"Looking much better, finally." _Before he can fully admire his cabin, he notices his stomach growling. Right, he had a very small breakfast...

He glances toward his body. Well, looks like he'll need to eat a bit more than before to keep up with his new size. It could be worse, all things considered.

As Dune attempts to enter his home, he's immediately halted as his antlers hit the door frame. The deer man staggers back, nearly losing his balance before he catches himself.

Some chittering grabs his attention as he notices a raccoon laughing whilst pointing a finger at him.

Dune blushes softly before he gives a small chuckle, _"Guess I'm still not quite used to being so tall, heh..." _Ducking carefully, he once again enters his home. Fortunately, the inside is just high enough for him not to have to crouch down to walk about.

He stops to think out loud, "You know... some eggs would be nice right now. Do I still have any left?" _Dune ventures toward the icebox, opening it up to see if there's anything left. _Six eggs... _his stomach grumbles. _Well, time to finish them all, then I should go back to town to get some more food and probably replace the ice.

Dune wastes no time frying up the eggs before devouring them. "Hmm... still could go for more, but I'll be fine, gotta keep moving before night falls."

Dune gets up, picking up some lumber to trade before grabbing his woven carrier bag as he sets off to the town. It's only like 20 minutes forward and back, and he has a good three or so hours before it starts getting dark.

The walk through the forest is quiet... so Ent probably isn't watching him. Ent has a way of sometimes being about when he walks through the forest. Perhaps it's too dangerous to push out this far, though. Still, it feels like something _is _watching him.

His ears perk about nervously as he glances over his shoulder. Could it be the raccoons? Maybe, but they aren't this quiet. He looks up to see the trees beginning to swoon. Are they tired? Scared? Why are they all leaning forward?

Dune reflexively clutches onto his bag nervously. The trees seem to be wilting further. Something as tough as oak shouldn't be able to bend and collapse this easily, should it?

Dune rubs his eyes, but before he brings his hands up, he sees a flash of something dark in the shadow of the canopy. Once he opens his eyes again, the trees still seem to be hunched over, nearly ready to collapse, but otherwise, nothing...

He takes a deep breath as he tries to relax his shoulders. I'm a guardian now, right? I'm strong... I'm strong... I have to be strong... I think. He brings himself closer to one of the trees, placing his hand on the trunk before speaking up, "Hey, you feeling okay?"

No response, not even as much as a leaf falling from the wilted branches. Well, trees aren't much for conversation normally, anyway.

He keeps his eyes peeled for any signs of danger. There's no wind, no rustling of leaves, just a foreboding stillness lurking in the air.

It's as if the trees are looking toward him in anticipation, hoping for him to do something... to protect them... save them from this plight.

Dune tries to keep his head up and remain confident, but he doesn't know what he's supposed to do. With no other options in mind, he scurries swiftly to town.

It's not long until the familiar road to the town's entrance comes into view and his hooves find themselves on the gravel flooring instead of the forest's earth.

One of the guards at the entrance gives him a sideways glance. Dune grins softly as he gives a meager wave before advancing further into town.

Did he recognize me? I mean, I come to town sometimes. Maybe he just didn't want to say anything. Am I still recognizable?

Just as Dune is about to reach the market, one of the guards steps in front of him. "Dune... is that you? You're... huge! What happened?"

Dune glances at the stout man, standing at eye level with each other. "Genn, right? Yeah, it's still me. I was worried nobody would be able to recognize me."

Genn snickers, "Well, you're basically the only one with the giant diamond in their fur as well as your noggin." _The guard gently taps against Dune's stomach, gesturing toward the light blue diamond motif that coats his chest, surrounded by the rest of his dark brown fur. _"Also the glasses give it away. No, but what happened to you?"

Dune shifts his arm up, bringing his bracers into view. The bracers shimmer with a gentle green light that flows through the carved patterns, "I think I was blessed or something. I was given these and I've never felt so... powerful before. I don't know why or how, but I'm supposed to be a guardian or something."

Genn nods, "Well, you're still not as big as Hartmut, but he's not gifted with whatever magic you have."

Dune smiles softly, "Yeah, Hartmut is a giant... Anyway, I'm just here to get some groceries... Nice catching up with you, bye!"

Genn keeps a soft nod as he eyes Dune suspiciously, "Well, stay safe then, bye..."

Dune finds himself at the open market without further hassle. People chatter amongst themselves, trading goods at the stalls.

He finds himself at the produce stall once more. The clerk looks toward Dune in amazement before she speaks up, "Talk about lumberjacked... Dune? Is that you?! What happened?"

Dune chuckles softly, rubbing his neck nervously, "It's a long story. Something about magic and becoming a guardian..."

The woman running the stall chuckles softly, "And here I thought you built all that muscle with the hearty trees you chop down. I take it you want the usual in trade for that fine lumber?"

Dune nods, "Yeah, and some ice, too."

"You ought to show me where you get that wood one day, Dune."

Dune laughs softly, "Yeah, I don't think my friend would like that."

The lady smirks softly as she places an assortment of eggs, fruits, vegetables and ice on the counter for Dune. "Always the same answer."

"He protects me. I wouldn't want to invite any danger his way."

The woman slowly eyes Dune up and down with a raised brow.

Dune shifts back slightly,_ "What..? I... It's a close friend."_

The lady shakes her head softly as Dune slowly passes her some lumber.

Just as Dune places the groceries into his bag, a crash is heard followed by several shouts amongst the nearby folk. Dune nearly drops the bag before reflexively clutching onto it tightly.

He turns around to see a black figure emerging from the ground. There's a long trail in its wake; everything beneath the oozing trail of inky blackness quickly withers to rot.

Dune takes a deep breath only to feel his bracers lighting up intensely. Dune freezes. Panic sets in as he tries to collect himself. I'm... a guardian... I am a guardian... This... is this what I am protecting the forest from?

The figure grows before him, surpassing Dune's height by several inches. Vaguely humanoid, its arms are long tendrils that reach to the gravel beneath its body. Its face is one wracked in agony, cyan tears streaming down its face in a thick, viscous stream. Like clumps of hot wax, the ooze constantly seeps down its body before coalescing on the ground beneath it, slowly spreading outward.

The oozing creature heaves a ghastly groan as the wooden stalls quiver in its presence.

A pair of guards step up, yet they seem nervous standing before the strange being. The two of them point their spears at the creature.

A guard shouts toward it, "Stop..! Don't move any further!"

The creature ignores him, stepping toward a filled with several different tools of trade, rocks and minerals. Tears stream down its face as it steps forward.

Its voice gurgles, choking on tears that enter the gaping void of its mouth as it speaks. "Lost... Broken... Desecrated... Betrayed..."

The guard thrusts its spear at the creature's head. The creature pauses softly as the constant stream of black ooze seeps onto the spear, causing it to melt as the guard immediately drops the spear before it disintegrates in the puddle of ooze cumulating beneath the creature.

The guard steps back, "What is this?!"

More tears begin streaming down the creature's face, falling onto the ground as it quickly begins spreading with the slower-moving black ooze.

Its voice continues gurgling, barely audible from the sound of sloshing fluids, "So much pain... Please... stop... hurting me..."

Dune finally catches his breath as he glances toward his bracers. Strength... Willpower... Bravery... Balance... Hope...

Dune can feel power overwhelming him as the bracers envelop his fists in a pair of woven gauntlets of sap and pure energy.

"I can do this... You are the guardian now."

Without any hesitation, he hurls himself at the volatile creature. His fists collide with its form, causing clumps of its body to slough off into the ground.

The creature slowly brings its tendrils up to wrap around Dune's body, "Plague... Plight... You brought this..."

The tendrils sting with a chilling burn, "No! Just... go away! Stop hurting my people! Stop hurting the forest!"

Dune brings his fists up as energy expands from his gauntlets, pushing the creature back from him. He takes several deep breaths, trying to collect himself. What is he doing..? He doesn't know how to stop this thing, does he?

No... no time to think. He needs to follow his instincts before this growing plague causes any more harm. He can feel a burning strength welling up within him. Whatever is going on, he will overcome it.

Before he can give another swing up, the being lurches forward, covering Dune's face in its body. Dune grimaces. The burning is more intense as the icy burn threatens to consume him.

Dune reaches his fists up to the creature, burying a punch into it with a desperate attempt to knock it away from him. His vision is reduced to darkness inside it as coats his entire head.

He can feel his fist collide with something in it... something malleable. He reaches his gauntlet around it, trying to grab hold of it. He opens his eyes, barely able to see the pulsating orb deep within the creature's body.

This has to be its source of power... Powering through the burning sensation, he manages to grab the blue orb as he clenches his fight tightly, feeling it shatter within his palms.

Immediately, the chilling burn across his body stops as the viscous mix of blue and black ooze melt away into a thin liquid. Dune takes a deep breath once he frees his face.

He desperately tries to crawl away, checking to see if he's still fine. Immediately, he notices something different about himself. Is he... taller than before?

He checks his chest. His pecs are thicker, bulging outward more than last time. His abs are now an eight-pack, sturdier than last time.

Dune examines his massive arms. They pulsate with raw, herculean strength. Thick, bulging, throbbing slightly with every beat of his heart.

His thighs are a massive, treetrunk-like mass of muscle with mountainous calves to support them.

"Did... I... just get bigger?" Dune gasps immediately after speaking, noticing how his voice dropped an octave. He reaches up to feel his throat, his adam's apple slightly more prevalent.

He touches his face. His once soft features are sturdy and rugged, displaying fierce masculinity and a jawline sharp enough to cut through diamonds. He reaches his hand up further, noting that his antlers have grown thicker, especially stronger to match the rest of his gargantuan body.

Dune adjusts his glasses as he looks at the shattered remains of the blue orb from inside the ooze. While the rot remains as a consequence of its presence, the only sign of the monstrous creature are shards of the mysterious orb.

A green light steadily flows out of the shards before wrapping around his legs. Dune gasps softly before remembering the familiar presence of the magic. A pair of anklets, much like the bracers on his wrist fix around his strapping ankles.

"Guardian..." _a voice whispers from the wind. _"Hexes about... a curse upon the forest... Danger lurks, you must prevail, go forth with the second boon."

Dune takes a deep breath, feeling reinvigorated, stronger than ever before.

Several deer step forth as Dune climbs back to his hooves.

"I'm okay, I took care of it." _Dune pauses briefly as he thinks to himself. _I have to get used to how commanding my voice is now...

He recognizes a familiar face as they step up from the crowd. A burly deer steps forth, taller than the rest of the crowd. With his hands on his hips, Hartmut stands before dune, a few feet shorter than Dune, now.

"Dune, is that you? Are... You... You did good, I'm impressed. I don't know what that thing was, but I saw it trying to spread something as you fought it off, good work."

Dune blushes softly, "Thank you, I just had to act, I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing, but I knew what I had to do."

Hartmut steps closer, patting Dune on the back, "Hey, it's getting late and I know you don't live here, but do you want to have a chat? Maybe we could promote you to an official guard, easily top dog amongst the ranks."

Dune is taken aback slightly as he continues blushing, "What? Me? I... no... Maybe?" _He takes a deep breath, _"It's getting late, I should get going home."

Hartmut nods, "So be it. You must have things to get back to with strength like that. Bravery like you displayed is hard to come by, so come back soon."

Dune nods as he picks up his groceries, "Thanks, but I really have to get going now, bye!"

As Dune heads outward, several deer talk amongst themselves. Several seem bewildered as others give him a round of applause.

Hartmut speaks up, "Stay safe out there, don't hurt yourself fighting whatever those were if you see more. Who knows where they came from, either."

Dune nods as he exits from the road he entered from, ready to call it a day. Walking back, Dune constantly finds his eyes roaming down to admire himself. He's massive, taller than Hartmut now, he never even imagined what that would've felt like, but now it's real.

His pectorals are hulking, to the point he can hardly even see his legs past them. How tall is he now? Wait... he can't even fit in his him now, can he?

Dune glances at his shoulders. Yep, definitely too wide to even fit through the door. He brings an arm up, flexing his tremendous bicep. He brings his fist up to tap the rock-hard muscle... Completely solid.

He takes a deep breath. Well, maybe he can just leave his groceries inside and sleep next to his garden or something. He'll have to go back to Ent for more lumber to build a larger house.

As Dune reaches his home, he carefully opens the door. His strength is limitless, so he could easily pry the door off of its hinges if he's not cautious.

He slowly closes the door once he leaves his bag inside. The last thing he wants is the raccoons to steal his food again.

Dune chuckles softly to himself as he circles around his house, looking for somewhere to rest when the sun goes down.

As he's moving around his home, he notices a faint mark near his flower bed.

Stepping closer, he leans to inspect it when a sudden chirping steals his attention. The hummingbird chirps in alarm as if trying to warn him.

Dune turns toward his friend, "What's wrong?"

The hummingbird circles around him, still chirping away in a panicked frenzy.

"Sorry, I can't understand you when you chirp like that..."

Dune looks back at the mark in his flowerbed... Black... wet... From there, he notices it seems to be forming a trail. He looks toward the black trail before realizing it's directly toward Ent.

Dune gasps in realization,_ "Wait?! Ent's in trouble?!" _Dune breaks into a full sprint toward Ent's grove, not bothering to waste any time.

The trail of dried ooze has left a path of decay in its wake. Unhallowed rot looms in the air as much of the lush forest has been petrified and reduced to a foul tar-like substance.

The ooze squelches beneath his hooves, threatening to drag him into it, but Dune remains focused. If I fall, I may not be able to get up, so I must keep running.

I must be brave. I must be strong. The forest is counting on me. My friends are counting on me.

It's hardly a minute of sprinting through falling leaves and drops of the tar-like ooze splashing against his face from the decaying fauna before Dune finds himself at Ent's grove.

The trees Ent would normally move to create a gateway have been hollowed out, still dripping from a foul, oozing, tar-like substance. It's similar, but not quite like the crying monster from the town.

Ent's primary tree is wrapped in tar as a red, pulsating fluid is slowly creeping toward it from deeper within the grove.

Dune's bracer's light up as he knows he has to enter the clearing to save Ent, first. He wastes no time crawling under, entering Ent's clearing.

Another creature of black ooze kneels within the midst of the clearing. Its arms are shaped into twisted claws lined with thorny protrusions. It constantly digs toward the center, attempting to find the source of Ent's magic.

Ent can feel his heart aching as rage wells up inside upon seeing his closest friend mutilated like this.

The bracers light up, wrapping his fists in gauntlets, shining with a volatile aura of energy. His anklets shimmer with a soft glow as he can feel power course through his veins.

The creature pauses from the feverish digging. It looks toward Dune, its face twisted into a horrific grimace of unfiltered anger. From its claws seep the red ooze, yet as it speaks, a steady stream of red fluid begins pouring from its mouth, spilling over its body and slowly filling up the hole it's dug.

Its voice warbles as its body steadily wicks away in clumps of black ooze, _"What once was mine..." _The creature is massive, even on its knees as it meets Dune's tremendous stature.

Dune shouts with the full fury of his lungs, "Why are you doing this?! I won't let you get away with this!"

The creature brings its claws to its face, trying to scratch away at itself, "Rage..! Rage..! Vengeance..! Justice! Traitorous presence! Take back..! Take it back..!"

Without giving himself another moment to think, Dune charges, antlers first toward the oozing creature. The creature is severed upon impact yet remains undeterred.

Its claws dig into Dune's side as he grits his teeth. The deer man thrusts his fist into the ooze, searching for the orb that fuels its power.

His entire body feels like it has ignited. Everything burns... "I won't... give up..! I will stop you..! I will take you out of my forest!"

As Dune wildly swings into the ooze, he manages to connect his fist against a hard object embedded deep within. He opens his gauntlet as he firmly grips the orb in his fist.

The creature keens, "No..! Not yours..! Leave the forest! Traitorous presence!"

Dune continues gritting his teeth while he clenches his fist with his full might. The orb does not want to break, yet he continues crushing it with every fiber of his being.

Snap

In an instant, the orb shatters as the creature immediately dissolves into a puddle of water.

Dune pants heavily, trying to catch his breath despite his body aching from the burning heat. The gauntlet withers as the light from his bracers and anklets wane.

Immediately, he turns to look toward Ent's tree. The tar is slowly melting away, leaving the tree standing, marred and withered from the rot. Not a single leaf remains atop the branches of the evergreen.

Tears quickly well up in Dune's eyes, "ENT! NO!"

The tree, once sturdy, is shriveled and torn apart. Dune stands up, rushing to his friend as he gently wraps his arms around Ent.

Dune looks up at his friend, "Ent... talk to me... Please... tell me you're fine... You're safe now... Please... You'll pull through this... You're fine, okay?"

The tree remains motionless, void of any magic.

Dune bracers glow in tandem with his anklets. A soft, pearly green light slowly envelops itself around Ent's tree. Tears still continue streaming down his face, blinding the deer as he presses his cheek against Ent's desecrated trunk. "Don't go... you're my best friend out here... You have done everything for me... Please, let me return the favor... I will save you..."

A single pine needle lands atop his antlers, slowly falling on top of his muzzle.

Dune sniffles as he looks up. Color slowly returns to the tree as the glowing energy from Dune's ornaments whirl around Ent. A branch slowly descends to pet Dune's back.

Dune sniffles as he rubs his eyes. "Ent..? Is that you?"

Several trees of Ent's grove begin clapping in uproarious applause as Ent continues rubbing its branches against Dune's broad back.

Dune breaks into tears of joy, "Ent... I'm so glad you're okay. I don't know what I would've done if you left."

Ent slowly picks up Dune, shaking him in a tight hug. The deer man laughs with the trees._ "Haha! Yes, I'm happy too!"_

Ent slowly drops Dune on the ground, leaving him to stand. Before Dune can say anything, Ent pats his head before holding out a hand as if to measure him.

_"What, this? Yeah, I've gotten taller... Uh... a lot taller, actually." _Dune hadn't realized it, but he stands well over 10ft tall now, easily 3/4 the height of Ent's tree.

The trees slowly stir as a steady wind flows through the forest. A voice emerges from the current, "Guardian, worthy of the final boon. Take this gift."

Dune isn't given a choice as a necklace wraps itself around him. A circlet of wood clutches onto him with markings to match his bracers and anklets. Powerful magic flows through it as Dune can feel the raw strength well up inside himself.

"Danger still lurks, but you are worthy of the challenge. Find the source of evil within the forest before it claims these lands."

Dune looks toward Ent as the tree gives him a thumbs up. The deer man takes a deep breath as he stands proudly in the open clearing.

He flexes his body, wait, is he still growing? He flexes his massive arms. Yeah, looks like it.

Herculean doesn't even begin to describe the sheer size of his body, let alone how strong he feels. His traps have grown mountainous. His pecs are broad, expansive, sturdy enough to deflect blows from any weapon.

His biceps and triceps are hulking, taking up as much space as his body allows him to. His abs are taut, sturdy and rippling with strength.

His powerful thighs don't let up either, easily as thick as Hartmut, and that man is easily as large as most bodybuilders. Not to mention how massive his calves have become. The power in them must be great to maintain all the mass he now carries.

Dune grins confidently to himself, "Yeah, I'm ready. I will save our forest, and nothing is going to stop me." _He looks toward Ent, "Got any ideas on where to begin?"_