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Leveling Down Written by Leo_Todrius Commissioned by Sabinmoon

The streets were sound with the cries of protest, of demonstration, and of loud rock and roll music. Police barriers had been set up along the side of the road to keep the spectators out of the fray as the new social group marched through town, though the progression seemed more like a spectacle out of a horror movie than any civic movement. The march was to raise awareness about a group calling themselves 'ferals'. It was another in a long line of counter culture social movements, just like the hippies, the yuppies, the punks and the goths.

Long, unkempt claws scraped along the cement as shaggy, untrimmed tails swayed behind. Fur was matted, scales were uneven, hair uncut. All species were represented, breaking away from modern society to get back tot heir roots, to return to their baser instincts. The wolves wanted the freedom to prowl, to hunt, to have territory. The humans grew out their hair and beards, wearing the skins of their kills. The lions moved with large groups of lionesses as their instincts told them to do. It was a rebellion against organized society, but to those on the side lines it was merely a welcome distraction to the normal.

A loud slurping came as Kaden sucked up his cherry red slurpee through the straw into his eager muzzle. He was a white wolf, barely eighteen years old. He wore an azure hoodie and his pointed ears were pierced with silver rings. Blue eyes watched the goings on, though his left hand held his cell phone as it did at all times, pressing various simulated tiles out of habit alone to regulate his life. He glanced down before lifting his phone, snapping a few photos of the wild masses on the other side of the barrier.

"Dude, you serious?" Came a soft voice from near by. Kaden turned and his muzzle soon formed into a grin. Standing near by was a black cat in a gray beanie and a puffy gray coat. The coat was a way to shield just what a bean pole Sammy was.

"What, its neat." Kaden said. Sammy moved over, his tail flicking.

"You wouldn't last ten minutes. You're too addicted to technology." Sammy said, crossing his arms.

"Can't I hunt and text?" Kaden smirked. Sammy rolled his eyes.

"That's not exactly being feral... You need a service contract for that phone." Sammy replied. Kaden's brows furrowed.

"I wouldn't last five minutes." He considered.

"How about we hit the arcade and I'll show you another thing you won't last five minutes at." Sammy offered. Kaden smirked.

"Now that I have a better chance at." Kaden replied. The two turned and began weaving through the crowds, passing by a mix of human and canine police officers. The crowd got thicker and thicker as they approached the arcade, moving just ahead of where the protest march had reached. Sammy had to squeeze in ahead, barely making it before he got the door open. Kaden all but lunged underneath the spectators, sliding into the arcade. Sammy let the door shut behind them and the sound of the outside world died away.

While the ferals marched for advancement of their cause, the arcade seemed like a blast form the past. The machines were huge, standing like obsidian obelisks in testament to a forgotten age. The walls flickered with reflected light, the machines sparkles and jingled and rang with bells and chirps. The floor was plain cement, though a hundred video game symbols had been painted onto it, ranging from mushrooms and fire flowers to golden rings, dinosaur eggs and ancient runes.

Sammy and Kaden moved through the arcade, taking in the sights and sounds, though something stood out to them... The owner wasn't behind his usual desk, he was standing out on the floor. They'd come to know Duke in their youth, offering them free games if they spread the word about the place. Duke was in his late thirties now, still looking quite vibrant for a tiger, though he'd put on a bit of weight. His belly was furry and cream colored, his stripes spread over very broad shoulders and thick arms. His black vest was always opened, the pockets always filled with tokens.

The two young men found their way to the back before they came to a stop in shock. Four of the arcade's game systems were gone, removed to make room for a huge monstrosity. Two platforms took up the space, connected together by a large hub that had to be the processing unit. The platforms looked almost like eggs or pods, two upper halves suspended from the ceiling, looking like they could lower down. Mounted on the wall before the pod was a pair of screens showing the loading menu for a new game, Ancient Instinct.

"Impressed, my fine furry friends?" Came Duke's sultry voice.

"What's it like? Hundred and eighty degree views?" Sammy whispered.

"Full def, surround sound?" Kaden whispered.

"Much more than that... Fully immersive... virtual reality." Duke whispered. Sammy and Kaden nearly swooned. The sounds outside the shop had grown louder as the march reached the arcade, but as the people outside struggled to change reality, the boys wanted to escape from it.

"Where do we sign up?" Sammy asked.

"Step right in gentlemen, first one's free." Duke smirked. Sammy unzipped his coat, revealing a loose red t-shirt above his cargo shorts. Kaden, however, left his hoodie on and merely set his slurpee down. They moved around the outside of the pods and hesitantly stepped onto the platforms.

"So what do we do?" Kaden asked.

"The floor will move as you do, sensors will keep track of your movements. Just look at the screens, follow the guides." Duke replied. The teens nodded in eager agreement and Duke reached over, using a claw to flip the switch. The pods hummed to life, strips of light shimmering as the top halves of the capsules lowered, clicking into place. The teens looked around in momentary darkness before the walls and even the ceiling of the pod lit up.

It seemed as though they were standing in a foggy cave, mist surrounding them. Through the fog, a menu screen came floating up. It almost seemed as if it were holographic. The boys reached out, creating their characters. Outside on the screens, their progress could be seen. Duke paced back and forth, watching as they made their characters based off of scans of themselves. Kaden had become a white wolf knight in silver armor while Sammy had chosen a darker path, wearing the twisted black demonic armor of the dragon armies.

Their characters set, the two started the game. Outside, above the march, the heavens rumbled as thunder ripped through the sky. Duke's blue eyes glinted a bit red as he watched. Sammy and Kaden soon found themselves standing in different areas. Kaden stood along a castle wall with fellow knights to guard the castle while Sammy was down below, standing with the demonic forces. The cat grinned wide, his fangs showing.

"So I guess that five minutes starts now." Sammy said, raising his twisted sword above his head, "CHARGE!" he proclaimed. Listening to his command, the darkened forces moved forward. Arrows were unleashed from the castle, bouncing off the shields of the damned. As the dark forces advanced, more knights rushed out of the castle, bringing the battle to a head.

The clang of swords echoed around Sammy, the whistle of arrows sailing past Kaden's head. The armies were clashing right at the base of the castle walls. Sammy was in the mix, moving to cut and slash at his enemies. He was a little clumsy at first, but his feline reflexes made up for it as he dodged most of the blows... but still, he wasn't infallible. A blade grazed his arm beneath the chain mail.

Sammy's yellow eyes dilated, his heart pulsed and a chill ran down his spine, causing his fur to bush up. The health bar in the corner of his screen flickered as it dropped a small percentage, but Sammy was still taken aback. It hadn't felt like a real cut, but somehow he had felt it. The real sense of danger settled into his mind and he took the fight more seriously. With his fur standing on end, he looked a bit wilder, less of an easy target... but his character had changed too. There were blood smears on his armor now, his gloves had pointed tips and there were horns on his partial helmet. Something was changing.

Up on the wall, Kaden was getting frustrated with the constant barrage of arrows back and forth, forcing him to spend more and more time hiding. Sammy was going to get in without any resistance. Kaden knew he had to do something. He looked over to one of the fallen NPC's and picked up their sword. With a quick breath he stood up and hurled the sword over the edge. The weight was perfect, the sword sailing down like a spear, impaling one of the coming warriors - and then Kaden felt it, a thunk in his shoulder as an arrow hit him.

Kaden snarled, drool leaking from his lips. He was a bit surprised at himself that he got so worked up over a game, but the virtual reality had been enough to make him feel enraged. He reached up and pulled the arrow from his shoulder and cast it aside, his chest puffing out, his clawed fingers flexing. He hoped the game pad could take his next move as he ran in place and jumped. His character responded as he hoped, the warrior flinging himself over the wall, coming down atop the demonic warriors.

The white wolf was injured a few more times, blood and dust tingeing his fur, darkening it up. His eyes were wild, his breaths fast, his muscles bulging. The sweatshirt he wore was getting tighter and tighter, but he didn't notice. His focus was entirely on the game, on cutting through his enemies. Kaden could hear Sammy roaring from the next pod over as he led his troops on. It was a brutal struggle, a heated battle, wolf versus cat and good versus evil. Kaden let out a fierce howl himself, but that howl was music to the arcade owner's ears.

Duke moved around outside the VR chamber, turning off the other machines. Hours had passed and the arcade had reached its appointed closing time. There were still people roaming the streets outside after the march, but the event itself had ended. Duke switched the sign around to closed on the door and moved over to the mini-fridge behind his desk. He opened it up and pulled out a large, thick stout bottle of beer. His claws popped the top and he tipped the bottle back, letting it spill over his rough, sandpapery tongue.

For a moment Duke's eyes were closed, but as they opened they gleamed with a bright red intensity like hot coals. He walked over toward the two pods, reaching a paw out to stroke over the metal. The tiger could feel the intensity of the young men inside, raging and warring, falling step by step closer to their instincts. He'd been quite pleased with himself that he finally figured out the necessary balance to erode the spirit. With any luck, by the next march there would be two more ferals marching in it... but only time would tell.

****

Sammy and Kaden had battled until the very last ounce of strength they had. Sammy had advance, Kaden had fallen back and the two had clashed at the doors leading down to a lower level of the castle, but as they reached it, the screen went black. Gold letters floated in front of them, indicating that level 1 was complete. Kaden and Sammy stood at the words for a few long moments, finding it hard to adjust to the fact that their virtual reality had come to an end.

There was a click and a hiss before the screens went dark and the pods lifted back up. Kaden and Sammy blinked, trying to let their eyes adjust. The two teens were covered with sweat, worked up from hours of physical activity. Sammy's sleeveless shirt was no longer tight on him, the material stretched over a muscled torso. His fur was thicker as well, making it easier to fill out the garment. Likewise, Kaden's shirt had ridden up on his stomach as if he'd had a growth spurt in the pod, standing taller and broader shouldered.

They looked around and then their eyes met. For a split second they felt the rage in their hearts, the rage of battle, before realizing that they had been playing a simple game, that their adversity was as virtual as the game. Kaden's tail lowered and he gave a nervous chuckle. Sammy relaxed at that before he turned, his eyes going wide as he saw the darkened streets.

"Oh my god, what time is it?" he whispered. Kaden had already pulled out his phone. His furry jaw dropped, his ears flattening against his head.

"It's... its three in the morning." Kaden whispered.

"Relax boys, relax... I took care of everything. I told your parents you were in an all night tournament." Duke said, sipping from his beer.

"You did?" Kaden asked.

"My parents would never go for that... Why aren't they banging on the door?" Sammy asked. Duke chuckled.

"Trust me, I can be very... persuasive." He whispered, "But you're likely famished and exhausted. I've got cots in the back. How about a quick bite to eat and then some sleep? Level 2's going to take some time to compile." Duke said. Both teens perked up at that.

"Level two?" Kaden asked hopefully.

"It's a very complex game. It has to load the levels into its system, level two should be ready in a few hours." Duke said.

"Well, then we better get some food and some rest." Sammy said. Duke smirked, leading the way to the back room, unlocking it. The boys followed after him, entering his private sanctuary... and it was a sanctuary unlike anything they had seen before. Rather than geek nic-nacs and paraphernalia, the back was loaded down with almost religious zeal. There were pentagrams, candles, metal bits carved with runes. Kaden looked around with a bit of startled realization, though Sammy felt oddly comfortable in a way he never would have been before.

"So are you a wiccan?" Sammy asked. Duke shrugged his head one way and then the other.

"Something like that, though a bit older... Let's just say I'm in touch with inner nature." Duke grinned. Before long he'd gone over to his kitchen area to start grilling up some meat, something both Kaden and Sammy could agree on. They knew they'd need a lot of energy for the next day's battle.

****

The sound of swords clashing echoed through the simulated stone labyrinth beneath the castle. The armies of dark and light had fallen to but a few, leaving Kaden and Sammy alone to wage the battle... but with the NPC processing power freed up from armies, the labyrinth had grown dangerous with creatures that crawled and slithered. Sammy felt spiders crawling up around his legs, spreading webs that hardened into armor, protecting him a little bit though they took advantage where they could, biting him, their venom spreading into his character... a character looking all the wilder by the moment.

While it had been based off of scans of the black cat, Sammy's character was clearly a black panther. His muzzle was wider, his claws longer, his movements slinking around. Sammy felt like his character was empowering him, almost as if he should inhabit the persona. His movements became more natural, more instinctive. His slashes had more power behind them, the muscled black furry chest heaving with strength as his pectorals pushed out, his abs defined and his arms bulged. It was almost as if Sammy had been doing steroids, but over night even that was a bit of a stretch.

"Come on Sam, you can do this..." Sammy said, though his words made him pause. Sam? Just Sam? He'd never shortened his name before, but somehow it fit... He was quick, he was to the point, he was a killer, an animal, a brutal agent of darkness. He struck at Kaden relentlessly.

"You won't win!" Kaden countered, his voice gruff. He'd been growling for hours, feeling worn down. He'd tried to use his decency and goodness to rebuff Sammy's advances, but the cat was ruthless. Kaden knew he'd lasted more than five minutes like their bet, but he knew that he was continuing to loose ground. The realization made him more desperate. Kaden had started to let his morals slip, using more ruthless techniques. He'd summoned rats to attack Sammy, though snakes had bitten him in the process. He'd used his instinct, his natural tactical mind to try and slow the cat down... but the endless onslaught was showing.

Kaden's white fur was almost silver with sweat and dust, grown out shaggy and unkempt. It was matted in places and hung long from his jaw in an uneven mane. It was almost as if he had been homeless, let loose to the elements... But while his fur looked like murder, the rest of his body looked capable of it. His claws were long, his muscles huge. His sweatshirt had been stretched to within an inch of its life, but the seams started to pop and the material started splitting out. Furry shoulders emerged as the sleeves fell away, leaving the hoodie sleeveless. Kaden growled more, his voice aggravated into deeper and deeper tones. The battle was far from over.

****

The battle had raged. Customers had come and gone and still the wolf and the cat played on. The arcade had been closed, the blinds drawn and a sign set in the window indicating modified opening hours the next day. Even with the blinds down, strips of moonlight fell in, casting across the painted cement floor. The strips missed the gaming symbols, leaving the mushrooms and rings in darkness, but the runes that were painted there were hit with the light and began sparkling. Glowing lines of light spread out from them, circling around the machines, snaking their way to the back where they looped around the virtual reality machines.

Soft moans sounded, not from the gamers but from Duke. He stood between the pods, a rough, leathery hand working his spined tiger cock. He panted hard as the glowing lines hit his feet. He felt the cold energy, the refracted light, the darkness and moon playing together, groaning sharply. The claws on his feet turned black and grew out longer, the muscles in his leg bulging in every direction. His legs thickened and lengthened and as the energy reached his groin, it affected him even more severely.

The spined cock lurched out in his hands, growing fatter and longer. The spines hardened, becoming less rubbery and more like bone. His ass cheeks parted and his long, striped tiger tail rippled. Spines began pushing out before the tip erupted into a furry pointed demonic spade shape, flicking around. The tiger growled and roared as parts of his fur darkened, the stripes turning into demonic runes. His upper lip pushed out as his fangs grew down longer and longer... and longer. He gnashed his lips as his saber teeth came in, but it was nothing compared to the rush as curved, black horns began pushing through his forehead, feeling almost like erections themselves.

The demonic tiger's red eyes gleamed as his brow was furrowed by the arrival of his horns. His fur got thicker and wilder, his claws longer and soon dark black sap like pre began drooling from his cock, dribbling onto the floor. Duke licked his lips and gathered the demonic pre on his fingers, moving over to the virtual reality machines he had built, the ones that bent and flexed reality inside of them. He had been using the tools to bend and shape the users for days, but now they would become what they were truly meant to be, cocoons.

Duke gathered his dark seed and traced pentagrams onto the walls of the pods, adding a finger painted paw print into the center of each. The black goo crystallized at once, turning to stone before shimmering, imparting its dark energies into the pods and the occupants. Duke began to masturbate even harder, moaning and groaning in delight. He thought back to the first days of the feral movement, the few furs and humans that had gotten the idea to leave civilization behind, to venture back into the dark... the beings that had no idea that life had escaped the dark for a reason, building itself walls to protect itself... to protect itself from demons and devils like him.

The tiger had welcomed the first recruits back to their inner nature, watching them devolve into minions of the dark armies. Some became little more than monsters, but Duke wanted to perfect that liminal state between both worlds. Sam and Kaden were his great experiment, and tonight was the night that he would see the success. Duke moved over and flicked open his laptop, tapping into the cameras in the pod. The screen filled with both boys gaming and fighting, but it was obvious the pentagrams were starting to work.

Sam's black fur was soaked with sweat, looking almost silvery. His bones ached and his muscles throbbed. They had gained sustenance from their in game potions and kills, their minds and the surrounding darkness nourishing them. Sam's muzzle had popped and widened, growing blunter. His nose had turned form pink to black and his eyes were stained with red, looking orange in most lights. His paws stretched wider, his fingers longer, his shoulders broader.

The sleeveless wife beater shirt he had worn had hung on him loosely days before, but now it was stretched as thin as tissue paper. Fur was poking through the strained material and it couldn't take it anymore. The shirt snapped, Sam grunted and his furry chest was exposed in its naked glory. The cat began to snarl and roar as his shoes bloated out, claws cutting through the leather before they split out. The socks had withered and torn, leaving clawed paws.

It was clear Sam was no longer a house cat, having reverted back to a baser species. The panther in him had emerged... and it could sense the predator near by, the wild wolf. The transition Sam had undergone was intense, but Kaden had been even closer to his wild ways. His body was almost wooly with unkempt, unshed fur. The virgin white was gone, replaced with matte gray. His fangs were yellowed and growing longer, almost too big for his grizzled muzzle. His eyes were red and his ears were gnarled. His shoulders swelled longer and longer, the teal sleeveless hoodie stretching until the zipper tore open.

After waging battle for so long, deep into the caves beneath the castle, Kaden was winning. He'd thrown away everything good, everything decent about himself and it had paid off. Kaden felt prowess, pride and strength as he battled Sam into a corner. His pants grew moist, then wet before they too couldn't take the strain. The massive bulge groaned before the button popped and a fat, solid black pointed wolf cock slipped out. Kaden let out a howl. It was time to fuck, to kill, or to do both. He tried to lunge at Sam but hit the wall of the pod. He snarled and roared, clawing at it wildly.

Outside, Duke grinned. It was time. He flicked a switch and the game world snapped off. The pods hummed and shifted before they began raising up, revealing the muscled, towering behemoths of ancient strength. Kaden was over seven feet tall and a few hundred pounds of muscle. While smaller, Sam looked agile and just as capable. The two roared and howled at each other, baring their fangs and their cocks, ready to unleash every instinct they had at one another... but then came an even deeper roar.

Duke strode forward, his hands at his sides, his stance wide. He let out another snarl, his body glowing with a dark power, almost purple light radiating from him. Despite their instincts, despite being far more basic in mentality, both Kaden and Sam knew an alpha when they saw one. Duke was huge, muscled and fat. His belly signaled that he go the most food, his muscles that he was capable of defending his title... He was their master, their leader and guide.

"Come!" Duke commanded, holding out his massive demonic shaft. Kaden was the first to respond, his feral wolf instincts still allowing room for alpha worship. The gray wolf lunged over the side of the pod, landing on all fours. He ran over like a beast, skidding to a stop beneath the tiger's legs. He leaned up and began to lick and lap at the cock, feeling the spines tug at his tongue. He didn't care. He had an alpha, he was a beast and his thoughts of civil life were gone, eroded. He was a feral now, living in the moment. He lapped and slurped, nuzzling the furry balls before he took the cock into his mouth, sucking down hard.

Duke and Sam met eyes, both cats glaring at each other. Sam was uncertain, not enjoying the idea of another male cat challenging his authority so soon. He parted his teeth and hissed, his claws ready and razor sharp. Duke let out an even larger roar. Sam was undaunted. Duke began moving forward, forcing Kaden to keep up with his sucking duties, backing up. Sam had been content to face Duke off from a distance, but he backed up against a wall as Duke strode over.

The tiger reached out, tangling his claws in Sam's black hair, forcing his head to bend upwards. With the cat held captive, he leaned in and kissed Sam, forcing a sandpapery, forked demonic tongue in. The tongue thickened as they kissed and dark, corrupt thick saliva poured down Sam's throat. The panther was forced to gulp it down and soon he relaxed, embracing the demon's kiss.

A paw lifted up, starting to stroke the round, thick belly of the older tiger. Sam's wrath melted into lust, love and appreciation. He knew he wasn't the lead of the pride, but he knew he was a member of a very amazing group. As Sam's power was bent into submission, Duke felt his own power grow. He fucked into the wolf's maw, he face fucked the panther with his tongue and his tail coiled around Kaden's neck like a collar. The wolf continued slurping obediently, his own cock drooling all over the floor.

As Kaden's cum turned from white to yellow, the seed ran over and hit one of the glimmering lines of moonlight. A fire erupted, the flame spreading out before two new runes appeared on the floor, burned into the patterns, hidden from plain sight as if they were merely one more artifact from the gaming lore that covered the place... but it was one of hundreds. Duke had been very busy it seemed, starting an entire cultural movement on his own... but it was time to take it to the next level.

Duke groaned and grunted, panting harder, breaking the kiss to let out a roar as his balls seized up, his cock pulsed and his dark seed sprayed down Kaden's throat. Kaden gulped at the seed, his eyes going fuzzy and wide before blackness filled them. His own cock swelled and sputtered before cumming again. He was a feral beast for Duke's use. Duke grinned and kissed Sam again, channeling some of his demonic energy into the panther. Sam shuddered, his back flexed and soon his feline cock was pulsing and spraying all over his master.

The demon purred, his chest vibrating as he thought of what innocents they had been before... and all thanks to his ingenious design, they wouldn't be the only ones. While not as powerful without a demon to control them, the game would be shipping out coast to coast soon... and then world wide. Gamers would be able to level down, becoming wilder and more feral with each level. Bit by bit, civilization would fall, leaving the world over-run with demonic beasts... and he would be one of the leaders. Duke came even harder at that, imagining the power he would soon have, rising up as the species of the world fell.