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The Raid on Castle Calyx

Written by: TiranMaster

Commissioned by: Adxnsp

Gathered around a crackling fire, the group of six adventurers sat under the shadow of the castle in the distance, looming up out of the darkness as it was backlit by the full moon. “This picturesque moment will surely have to be noted in my song,” Taveer said, the fox smiling smugly to himself as he glared at Bucklin, his fellow Bard looking peeved as he tuned his violin.

“I think you’ll find that my song will have a much better timber and flow to it than anything you might write, you half-rate minstrel,” the deer spat, adjusting his own jaunty cap as he glared at his fellow bard. Floating above both of them were their names, followed by their levels, and finally beneath that was their job class, Bard. Two Bards in one party was unusual, but they had both proven to be adept party members as their different buffs helped prop up the rest of the party.

“Would you two give it a rest for the night?” Balterin growled, the wolf Fighter glaring down at the two before peering back up at the castle pensively. His armor was scared and dented from many fights, though it still glowed brilliantly under the glow of the moon. His otherwise muscled physique was only marred in one spot, his right arm, clad in white bandages. Underneath, the scales of their reptilian foe glimmered, his shame hidden away as best as he could.

“Personally I think it’s funny,” Sweech giggled, the Rogue bat sitting back in the shadows, his nameplate only visible to his fellow adventurers due to them being in a Party. “Go on, keep making up your ridiculous songs, it gives me time to loot while all of the enemies are distracted.” Both Bards gave the Rogue a dirty look before they continued to gloat towards one another about how they would personally make the better song.

Kneeling near a desecrated chapel, Regalph’s form glowed as he channeled holy energy throughout himself, touching a corner of the building’s shattered frame. With a pulse of divine energy, the Paladin devoted the land back into service of his god. “There we go, before we leave for the castle, we can recover all of our magic and receive a boon from my god.” The gryphon stood up, a huge form, his plated armor cutting an intimidating figure as he easily stood taller than even their fighter. “You two, stop your bickering, do you want to draw the attention of Calyx upon our group?” He didn’t raise his voice, he merely spoke in his deep tone, but even so he was able to quell the two Bards.

“No,” they both said in unison, though they certainly didn’t look happy about it.

Finally, tending the fire was their last member, the one whose presence made a few of the party members uncomfortable. The Spellblade, Halssin, a snakeman, used his magic to preserve the flames even should they fall asleep. “There we go, that ssshould do it. I have also tempered the smoke so that it will not be seen from a dissstance.” His tongue forked and flickered as he spoke, a normal verbal tic for his people. All serpents were imbued with strong magic, Halssin being no different, he was strong with a blade and magic in kind.

“Are we sure he didn’t intensify the smoke?” Sweech asked from the shadows, the bat poking his head out to give the snake a nasty look. “I don’t know why you choose to travel with this one, Balterin. He could open his eyes and start those pupils spinning, and if we’re not careful we could become more of Calyx’s minions!”

The wolf glared at the rogue, looking repulsed by the bat’s assertion. “I have traveled with Halssin for many years now, he has been a faithful companion. He is no perverted monster seeking to ensnare our minds, nor has he shown the capacity to do much more than paralyze those he stares at.” He gave an apologetic glance towards the snake, “My apologies, friend. I should not speak for you.”

Halssin shook his head, letting out a sigh as he stood up, his black scales glittering in the moonlight. “It isss fine, I am used to it. It is thanks to beingsss like Calyx that my people have a bad name. That isss why I was only too happy to accompany this mission, so that I might put an end to the being that has brought my people such an ill reputation.” He stared at the castle with as much disgust as any of them, his clawed fingers twitching near his blade. The serpent was well aware that his being a Spellblade serpent didn’t sit right with the others, especially as some said that Calyx himself had been a Spellblade at one point, far in the past.

“That’s all fine and good when you say it like that, but I still don’t trust you,” the bat grumbled, and then he slunk back into the shadows. Bucklin didn’t say anything, but his mistrustful gaze towards the snake made his thoughts clear as well. The general air of mistrust caused the group to lull back into silence, Balterin and Regalph each standing watch for a while longer as one by one their Party members started to lay down for sleep. Halssin chose to sleep the furthest from the flames, to make the others as comfortable as he could manage.

Once everyone else was asleep, Regalph stepped up beside the wolf, the two striking an intimidating silhouette as they stared at the castle, each glimmering in the moonlight. “What do you think, Fighter? Are you prepared to fight the forces of the Corrupt serpent once more? I’ve noticed you favoring your right arm more than usual as we’ve grown closer to the castle.” Regalph didn’t mince words, and Balterin couldn’t help but glance at his hand in response.

The wolf didn’t reply for a moment, staring at the bandages, seeing that they were already starting to get damp with the gooey scales that laid beneath. “The closer we get to him, the more my hand feels... distant, not quite my own. It will not betray me, I know this, and yet it feels weaker.” He was quiet for a moment before looking back to the castle, his features growing firm and angry. “I am more than prepared though, I have fought his minions once before, and I was able to resist the corruption. Perhaps it has marked me permanently, but I will not fall.”

The gryphon nodded, slapping the fighter on the shoulder before turning and resuming his vigil. The two would sleep, they all needed their rest, but neither could bring themselves to slumber just yet as the moon was nearing its zenith in the sky. They would all need to be prepared for what awaited them as they could all feel the faint Corruption leaking into the world, Calyx’s power would not be contained forever within the walls of his castle.

[c]***[/c]

When the morning broke, the Party was gathered before the castle, each of them clad in their best armor, equipped with their best gear. Above each of them, their names and classes were displayed, and their levels were proudly shown. Each of them were near level sixty, all of them save for their rogue, who sat at level forty-eight. This fact had caused some tension when they’d brought Sweech along, but they knew they would need a Rogue when slipping into the castle, and he was the only Rogue who had been willing to enter into the serpent’s keep.

They had all received a blessing from Regalph’s god once they had all gotten ready for the trek towards the castle. It was good too as they realized that the area surrounding the castle had a naturally corrupt aura, the tainted air tickling the back of their lungs. If not for the blessing, they would be progressively filling up with Corruption with every step. They could see the bar near their health and magic bars, it sat empty for the moment, but it hadn’t been there before. Corruption wasn’t something one saw every day, but with the arrival of Calyx, many people knew of it by reputation as it was his signature.

Corruption wasn’t necessarily only bound to Calyx, there were other sources throughout the world, but for their small part of the world the serpent was the first time they had come into contact with it. He had one day arrived, changing people into his servants, perverting their bodies and their minds. It was an affront to them all, and Regalph particularly took issue as it was against his faith. Many adventurers from their corner of the world had set their eyes on the castle, but few had made it anywhere as close as their Party. On the way, they had come across other adventurers, some limping away from the direction of the castle, and others already turned into the serpent’s Minions.

Leaving from their campsite early in the morning, they had met with a few simple enemies, nothing that could stan up to their powerful builds. On the outskirts of the keep there were mostly goo elementals, shivering and bouncing towards the adventurers. They were made from Calyx himself, blobs of Corruption that could quickly fill up a Corruption bar if they weren’t careful. Balterin was especially savage as he slashed through them, his eyes flaring with anger. Members of his old party had been turned by the simple goos, not understanding what they were capable of until it was too late. Being in the presence of the Corrupt elementals had his hand itching like mad, but the wolf fought through it and maintained his powerful strikes.

They were as ready as they could be to enter the castle, the Bards singing songs and bestowing buffs on the party. For once, the pair of bawdy singers were able to keep their egos in check so that they could prepare everyone else for the dungeon that lay before them. Regalph was the one to step forward, laying his hands on the large doors and pushing with a mighty growl. His massive frame quivered and shook for a moment as he struggled against the door’s great weight before he managed to throw the doors wide. The moment they were thrust open, a wave of purple Corrupt air flowed out from the interior, hitting all of the party members with its miasma.

Despite the protection of the gryphon’s god, a meager amount of Corruption flowed into each of their bars. Many of them were not prepared at how good it would feel, a flush of warmth flowing into their crotches, a whisper of temptation. Regalph, Balterin, and Halssin seemed to be affected the least as they stood thief round. “Wow... that was... something,” Sweech gasped, the bat looking flustered as he glanced around anxiously. His lower level meant the Corruption affected him a bit more, his bar just a little more full than the rest, but already the Corruption was starting to seep away. “I guess I can see why some people might just give in,” he chuckled.

The rest of the Party gave him a dirty look, causing the bat to glance away while they all reoriented themselves. The interior was massive, dingy, and dripping with pools of Corrupt essence. It took a moment for their eyes to clear up before they were able to see two figures standing within, each wielding a spear, both of them bearing purple glowing eyes. “[b]Welcome to the castle of our lord Calyx, he has been waiting for you adventurers[/b],” one of them spoke. He was an alligator, though his scales glistened with a sheen of goo, and between his legs hung a heavy cock that dripped with Corruption.

“[b]We have been sent ahead as emissaries of his grace, to offer you entry into his legion. He has seen your coming and determined you all to be worthy of his power[/b].” The other spoke this time, he looked to have been a lion beforehand. There were elements of his proud leonine heritage, but his stomach was scaled, his eyes glowed the same purple as the gator, and his tail seemed more reptilian than feline. Just like with his companion, his cock, still barbed like a cat’s, glowed and dripped with Corruption.

“We decline,” Regalph said without a moment’s hesitation, the paladin’s aura glowing brightly in the corruption of Calyx’s castle. “You may either return to your master’s side and await your cleansing, or I shall grant it now.” The gryphon’s body was practically pulsating with holy magic, it kept the others calm as they stared ahead at the pair of Calyx’s minions.

The pair just smiled at them, their teeth glimmering and dripping with the same Corruption as their cocks. “[b]We were told not to take no for an answer[/b],” the gator said, and then they charged. The pair were both level forty, not necessarily very dangerous to the crowd of level sixties, but Sweech did scream in panic as he activated an ability to vanish into the shadows. As for the rest of them, they all got into position and started to fend off the attacks of the corrupted duo.

The Bards each fell back, Bucklin playing his violin masterfully, Taveer strumming his lute with quick syncopation. The group each received several buffs from the Bards as Balterin rushed forward to meet his blade with the spear of the lion. “[b]I can smell it on you[/b]!” the lion chuckled, his breath rank with the smell of Corruption, just that close proximity caused the wolf’s Corruption bar to tic up slightly. “[b]His touch is on you already, why do you fight? Don’t you enjoy Calyx’s gift[/b]?”

Balterin’s cock shivered in its sheath, and his hand suddenly felt a little weaker, like it wanted to release its grip on his sword. “I am here to redeem all who have fallen to the Corruption! For myself, and those that Calyx changed against their will!” The wolf snarled and parried the spear away, activating a skill to double his speed and he lurched forward into a series of combination attacks that flowed effortlessly from one form into another.

On the other side of the room, Halssin wasn’t expecting for the gator to rush after him. The serpent had started to cast a spell, but had hastily had to throw up his sword to block an attack from the gator. He found himself being forced up against a wall, the taller gator slamming his full weight up against the snake. “[b]Why are you here with them, Spellblade? Would you not prefer to work with your own kind? Calyx is very interested in you. He thinks you might make for a great protege[/b].” The gator leaned forward, Halssin unable to do much more than wiggle as the gator’s tongue slid out of his mouth, long and gooey.

The gator’s tongue ran up the side of the snake’s face, unable to enter into his mouth as the Spellblade kept his head turned away. Even so, just the act of the Corrupt appendage coming into contact with the serpent caused his Corruption meter to leap up. “Damn you!” Halssin growled out between closed teeth, unable to do much more than push fruitlessly at the mass of the corrupt alligator. Being a snake, his magical protections were greater than the rest, so he thought he might be less affected by the Corruption. To his horror though, he realized his bar was filling up fast... far too fast.

As the gator’s tongue ran up and down the snake’s scales, Halssin’s eyes closed tight as his mind was struck by another consciousness. Something large, something powerful, its Corruption was palpable. “[color=purple]My brother in scalesss, why do you resist? Do you not see that my power will uplift you? I could turn you into a Spellblade that surpasses all othersss. All you need to do is accept my gift.[/color]” The voice was cold, powerful, and carried a temptation that Halssin did not like. The snake’s body was reacting positively to the voice, he was getting hard, and for a brief moment he considered that perhaps it might not be so bad to fall into the Corruption.

Before the snake’s bar could hit halfway though, the gator was yanked away with a grunt of shock. Regalph stood behind the alligator, his massive strength making it very easy for him to pull the gator off of Halssin and toss him aside. “Are you alright?” the gryphon asked the serpent, looking at him with concern.

Panting, Halssin wiped away the drool on his scales, shivering as he felt the scales had started to become softer. “Yeah... just... give me a sssecond,” he panted. Underneath his scale mail, the snake’s cocks had stirred and it was a rather painful sensation to have his twin cocks pinned up against the cold metal. “Pleassse, deal with him. I’ll give you support in a moment.”

The gryphon nodded before turning back to Calyx’s minion and withdrew his own longsword, the polished metal glinting with the power of the Paladin’s holy aura. “Prepare yourself, Minion. With my god’s radiance, I will cleanse you!”

“[b]You can try[/b]!” the gator laughed, his eyes glowing a brighter purple as he swelled with Corrupt energy. Above his head, a new status appeared, Calyx’s Blessing. The gator’s features became more serpentine, his cock split in two, and his teeth grew sharper as they dripped with potent Corruption. “[b]Calyx will make great ussse of you once you have succumbed to his gift![/b]”

Across the room, Balterin could see the gator swelling with Corrupt energy, but he couldn’t do much to help his companions as the lion was proving to be trouble in his own right. Though the lion wasn’t blessed as his comrade was, he was a remarkable spear fighter, even with a much lower level. The pair went back and forth, trading blows, the wolf’s health chipping down with each strike as he was struck. Some distant part of him grew concerned that things might come crashing down in the first room... right up until a massive chunk of health vanished from the lion’s health bar. From behind the lion, the shadowed form of Sweech appeared, his daggers clutched in his hands. The Rogue’s expression was still frightened, but it was clear that he was done with cowering.

With the Rogue’s help, the lion didn’t last much longer as they were both buffed by the power of their Bards. Fighter and Rogue in turn managed to finish off the lion, the Minion gasping in pain as he fell back from their attacks. “You... may have beaten me for now... but Calyx will have you in the end.” Underneath the lion, a pool of purple appeared, swallowing him up and taking away any loot he might have had on his person.

Though Sweech was clearly annoyed about the loot, Balterin immediately refocused on the more imminent threat. The gator was growing larger still, and his level was growing as well. He had started as level forty, but was now halfway towards becoming level sixty. “We need to defeat this one, or else we might not progress any further!” Bucklin shouted, his violin playing frantic, the music filling the air with a frenetic thrill.

Everyone was in agreement, they all pounced on the massive Minion, watching as he became more of a serpent by the second. Halssin threw out several spells, interweaving them with slashes of his sword. Balterin pounced on the creature’s back, hacking away, gritting his teeth as the Corruption flew out of the serpent’s body and splattered against his own. Ragalph continued his stoic demeanor, taking many blows from the serpent’s talons, his expression never wavering. The Bards continued their music, buffing the party, while Sweech took a few potshots with his crossbow.

The fight went on for several minutes, the group needing to take a few healing potions, always watching the Corruption bars carefully. For most of the party, the Corruption bar fell away quickly, going back to nearly empty. For Halssin, and Balterin, it took considerably longer for the purple bar to seep away. But eventually they managed to land the final blow, with none of them falling. They all sighed in relief as the last of the health bar ticked away, and the serpent let out a bellowing roar. It shook the castle, some stones falling, knocked out of place by the battle.

“You will find redemption once we have struck Calyx the final blow!” Regalph announced, his armor somehow still brilliant and polished despite the ferocious battle. Nearby, Bucklin was nodding eagerly, apparently taking notes for when he would regale the tale of their epic battle. What neither of them was expecting was for the Minion to lash out, grabbing both of them in his large hands.

“What’s going on?!” Bucklin yelled, panic on his face, struggling to escape as the giant scaled hands wrapped tightly about his body. Regalph was struggling as well, though not making quite as much of a fuss about it. Both of them were unable to pull out of the grip though as the Minion started to sink into a massive purple pool beneath him, the two adventurers being drawn in with him.

“Get them out!” Balterin shouted, everyone jumping onto the monster and attempting to peel back the massive fingers. It proved to be impossible though, the beast’s roars turning into triumphant laughter as he sunk into the floor, inch by inch, his two captives being drawn in with him.

While Bucklin screamed and panicked, Regalph looked at the rest of the party with an unnerving calm. “My god’s protection will last, even if I am not at your side. We will find our way to Calyx, and we will help fight at your side when the time is right. Do not fear for us, friends, go on into the castle. We will see each other again.” With his piece said, the paladin closed his eyes and seemed to whisper prayers to himself, making a golden aura form over himself and Bucklin.

Though none of the party wanted to let them go, they all clambered off of the giant Minion before he fully sank into the floor, their companions vanishing with him. As the purple goo disappeared, they were all left in silence, the room left empty save for themselves. “You heard him,” Balterin said, his voice cold, his eyes hard. “We need to continue forward.” He wasn’t the only one that noticed that the moment the portal had closed, Bucklin and Regalph were both forcefully booted from their Party.

“Well that’s awfully nice for you to say, but we lost the one guy who is practically impervious to Corruption!” Taveer snapped, the fox looking upset as he stared at the spot where their friends had vanished. “Maybe he’ll be fine, but Bucklin? He’s just a Bard, I’m just a Bard, we’re not exactly meant to be in a super dangerous situation like this!”

“Leave if you need to,” Halssin said, straightening up, his corruption meter slowly seeping away as he glared cooly at the Bard. “Balterin and Regalph are both correct though, we need to continue forward. If we ssseek to end this corruption here and now, we must not cower in the face of danger.” The snake’s words made everyone feel oddly more courageous, the serpent’s eyes glimmering ever so slightly. Halssin having used his meager power of hypnotism to bolster their courage, though he would never admit as such to his allies.

Sweech didn’t look as comforted as the rest, giving the snake a distrusting glare, but shrugging it off as he glanced around the room. “If I’m going to get anything out of this adventure, we’re going to have to go deeper. We lost our first chance of loot, so we’re going to have to find it elsewhere.”

The others chuckled at their Rogue’s propensity for greed, but they all agreed before starting forth deeper into the castle. They all were on edge, their eyes peering into every shadow, weapons at the ready at all times. They had only gotten into one fight, but that fight had already robbed them of two of their members. So they took the halls carefully, with Balterin at the front followed closely by Sweech. The bat’s eyes glowed subtly as he used his ability to keep an eye out for traps, spotting them well before any of them could trigger.

The traps were devious, some of them dropped into pits of Corruptive slime, others were made to injure them in minor ways to make them easier prey. Usually after each of the traps, monsters were nearby. Many of them were more of the elemental slimes, their purple goo bubbling eagerly at the prospect of Corrupting the Party. They were easy enough though, none of them being blessed by Calyx, it helped make each of the adventurers a bit more confident. Halssin stood near the back of the party, quiet, pensive. He didn’t tell the others not wanting to worry them, but his Corruption meter had not completely emptied out, instead a little bit hovered in the bar... always there, purple and vile.

Sweech was rather happy when they started finding loot around the place, at first a few pieces of gold, then a nice looking helmet with some magic hovering about it. The bat Rogue’s trepidation vanished in the face of good loot, and the loot within the building was indeed amazing. He picked up the helmet to find that it was an Epic tier piece of loot, the purple notification causing him to bounce eagerly. “Once we’re out of here, we’re going to be rich!” he exclaimed, holding the helmet aloft in triumph.

“Focus on the mission, the loot can come later,” Balterin warned, though the wolf knew that it wouldn’t temper the bat’s expectations. He had met enough Rogues to know that it wasn’t so simple, they were obsessed with loot, and the stuff in the castle was indeed impressive. To nobody’s surprise, whenever they saw a chest, the bat was off like a rocket to unlock it. Chest after chest, there was amazing pieces of gear, gold, and even potions within. None of them trusted the potions, after all, it wouldn’t take much for Calyx to leave a potion tainted with Corruption, but the rest was up for grabs.

As they were walking down yet another tunnel, Sweech was walking with much more confidence, having leveled up twice since they had arrived. Having finally hit level fifty, the bat was overconfident, and was talking loudly despite their attempts to stay quiet thus far. “Mimics are dumb!” he laughed, almost drunk on his own ego, “they seem all scary and stuff. But here’s the trick,” he said, winking at Taveer, the Bard looking on in mild interest. “They’re terrible at regulating their body heat. Whenever you see a chest, make sure to feel its side. If it’s nice and warm, it’s a mimic.”

“Nice to know,” Balterin said dryly, “but keep your voice down, Sweech. We want to draw as little attention as we can.”

“Why?” Sweech asked, “they already know we’re here. We might as well draw them all in, take them out, and collect the sweet loot.” The bat rubbed his hands together, cackling as he peered into every shadow, keen on his next piece of loot.

While the bat was going on, Balterin glanced back towards Halssin, his eyes softening for a moment. “Old friend, what’s the matter?”

The snake jumped at being acknowledged, the snake’s eyes refocusing as he gave the wolf a lopsided smile. “I apologize, thisss... is proving to be more taxing than I anticipated.” He hesitated for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something else. “I am fine though, thank you for your concern.”

The wolf nodded and then looked forward once more, just in time to see Sweech standing before yet another chest. “Pace yourself, Rogue,” he growled, “we have much bigger things than treasure we need to focus on.”

“That’s good and all, but personally I want to walk out of this with the glory AND the riches,” the bat snickered. He set his hand on the side of the chest, sensing its temperature, his eyes flashing as he ran a skill to check for any traps. He snickered as he pulled out his lockpicks, glancing back at the wolf with a cocky smile. “This is too ea-”

Everything happened in an instant, the chest let out a reptilian growl, and it opened up with a wide gaping mouth. This wasn’t like any normal mimic that they had seen, instead the chest seemed to morph into a snake’s head, the maw flying wide open as its tongue lashed out. On the end of it was some strange sort of mask, seeming perfectly sized to fit on someone’s face. Sweech’s words were cut off as it turned into a scream, the reptilian mimic launching itself forward onto him, the snake-like maw snapping him up and closing its jaws around him. The party froze for just an instant before launching into action, leaping forward and attempting to attack the mimic.

The things scales were remarkably durable though, their weapons bouncing off of its hard scales, and magic seemingly resisted as its slammed its jaws shut over the captured Rogue. Its eyes glowed a malevolent purple as it seemed to smile at them, settling back down in its spot, and closing its eyes. They couldn’t hear anything, but they knew that Sweech was within. Running forward, Balterin attempted to slide his sword between the lips of the snake mimic, trying to pry it open. The seal between the lips though seemed complete, the blade was unable to make any purchase. “Damn it! C’mon you two, pull with me!” he barked, tossing his blade aside and grabbing onto the side of the mimic’s mouth.

Halssin and Taveer both nodded, both jumping in and grabbing onto other parts of the mimic. They pushed and they heaved, trying to make the mimic move in some way. “Sweech, if you can hear us, push from the inside!” Taveer yelled at the top of his lungs, hoping that it might pierce through the mimic’s stoney exterior.

The moment the bat had been snatched up, he had been slammed into a tight ball within the mimic’s mouth. He screamed for help, but was uncertain if any noise was leaving. All he could hear was the warm beating insides of the mimic, and for a moment he was certain he was going to be killed. But instead, he felt the rubbery warm tongue of the mimic slide over his body, causing him to shudder and blush as the Corruption bar ticked up. “I gotta get out of here.” He attempted to push against the roof of the mimic’s mouth, but did nothing else but push himself deeper into its mouth, coating himself in the mimic’s purple saliva.

The Corruption bar continued to move towards the right, and Sweech felt his cock getting hard underneath his clothing... actually, scratch that. His clothing was being consumed by the Corrupt saliva, vanishing piece by piece. His weapons, magically enchanted, thankfully did not vanish, nor did his bag of holding. That was little comfort though as he could see his fully nude body being coated in the purple slime, it soaking into his fur. [b]The sensation was hot, it made his body feel so sexy. Calyx really had a hot idea for making his Minions.[/b] He blinked, seeing that his Corruption had shot up a bit faster, almost towards the center. “This is bad,” he breathed, knowing that the air itself was fetid with corruption.

As he rolled around, trying to find some way out, the tongue shifted and flexed, coiling around Sweech as if the tongue itself were a snake. “No!” he gasped, attempting to use one of his Rogue abilities to get out of traps. Apparently the mimic was able to deactivate his skills though, as nothing happened, and the tongue managed to coil and wrap around him, from his stomach, all the way to his neck. The bat tried to cut at the tongue with one of his daggers, but his hands were already bound to his sides, leaving him able to do nothing more than struggle in the tightening coils. His Corruption was up to the halfway mark, and he swore he felt [b]something[/b] tickling the back of his mind.

The end of the tongue faced him, but instead of being forked like a serpent’s, it had a strange mask in it... and it was reaching towards Sweech’s face. “No! Get away, stop!” he gasped, recoiling away from the strange mask, not wanting it anywhere near him. The Rogue had no control of the situation though, when he tried to close his mouth to not allow the mask on, it squeezed him tightly until he had to gasp for breath. His mouth flopped open, and the mask slipped inside of his mouth, sliding cleaning onto and over his entire face.

Outside of the mimic, Balterin was growing more frantic, his anger growing, his eyes kept sliding over to watch as Sweech’s corruption bar was filling. The bat’s stats had taken a dive, apparently he had either voluntarily equipped his gear, or the more likely option, it had been forcefully unequipped. “Halssin, surely there is some magic you can weave!” he shouted desperately, his lungs aching, his muscles burning. He realized that Taveer had stopped trying, guilt on the fox’s face as he stepped back. “What are you doing?!”

“He’s stuck in there, Balterin, I... I don’t think we can get him out,” the Bard said, looking uncomfortable. Halssin spat in rage at the fox, murmured incantations underneath his breath, buffing his body, trying everything to help their comrade out. But no matter what they did, the mimic would not open its mouth, it sat completely still... waiting for its deed to be done.

The mask was serpentine in appearance, smoothing out Sweech’s bat features into a blank serpent’s face, the eyes the only spot that were open, allowing the bat to continue to fruitlessly flail about as it disconnected from the tongue. There was a wet slurping sound from the mask as it started to spread over his head, the Corruption bar starting to speed up even more, and the Rogue’s panic increasing. In his mouth, he felt something touch his tongue... it was the mask, within his mouth its own tongue was trying to intertwine with his. “[i]No! Stop it! Get off of me![/i]” His words were only internal though, and he couldn’t even try to pull the mask off as his arms were still bound.

The Corruption was getting farther, [b]he was feeling more sexy by the moment, so horny, he could feel the goo soaking into his body, changing him.[/b] Sweech couldn’t hear anything from outside, he briefly wondered if the others were still there? “[color=purple] They have abandoned you, little bat. But do not fear, I will take care of you. I will cherish you. I blesssss you with a form that is more befitting your classs.[/color] The voice was so warm, it poured over Sweech, making him curl up in on himself as the warmth touched his loins. This was Calyx [b]he sounded so hot and powerful, all he had to do was succumb.[/b] The Corruption bar was filling so fast by this point, and the goo was everywhere, spreading across his body, changing him.

Halssin was the second to stop, though he said nothing, he merely stepped away and ducked his head in regret. Balterin kept fighting, digging his claws into the Mimic, trying to pull with all he was worth, activating every skill he had. They could all see it though, the Corruption bar was almost filled, it was only a matter of time.. “Damn you!” Balterin roared, slamming a fist against the mimic, “damn you, Calyx! Must you take all of my allies?!”

There was no response though, and the mimic didn’t budge an inch. The wolf slowly stood, taking a step back, his features pained as they all stared at the mimic. He didn’t say it, but he wanted to wait until the deed was done... it was the least he could do.

Within, everything was bathed in [b]delicious Corruption.[/b] Sweech felt distant, his mind being changed, altered. He could see his character sheet being rewritten, his species, Bat, being replaced by [color=purple] Winged Goo Snake [/color]. His class was the same, and his levels were even being bumped. “[color=purple] I will make you into the perfect Rogue, my beloved pet. You will be stealthier than ever before, and you will even keep your gliding ability. You will make for a perfect spy.[/color]

The bat blinked once... twice... the Corruption Bar topped off. [b]He was complete, his eyes opened once more and they were a brilliant purple. His mouth split open, a rubbery slurping noise as his tongue flicked out, a corrupt dripping snake’s tongue. His cock... or rather, cocks, shot out several splurts of corrupt cum. Sweech’s job class was altered, gone from regular Rogue, to Rogue of Calyx. He knew his lord know, knew his new god. He moaned and writhed as his new body slithered out of the grasp of the mimic’s tongue, his body having become a smooth rubbery serpent.

Underneath the serpent, a purple pool started to suck him in.[/b] “[color=purple]I will send you elsewhere, my new spy. You will be able to peer in on your old comrades, keep tabs on them. Do this for me, and you will be rewarded with more riches than you could ever imagine.[/color]” [b]For the first time in a long time, riches were the furthest thing from Sweech’s mind. He now had a new love, a love of Corruption, of his lord. He would do anything for Calyx, and he knew he would aid in the corruption of his former comrades.[/b]

They knew it was done when the bat vanished from their Party, and the mimic shifted from its serpentine form back into a regular looking chest. The sudden normality of it enraged Balterin, but he didn’t dare attack it. Instead, he straightened up, his features pained as he looked down the hallway they had been traveling. “It will be harder from here without our Rogue,” he said, his tone cold and bitter.

Neither Taveer nor Halssin responded verbally, instead they both nodded in solemn agreement. They had to keep moving on, they had to defeat Calyx, and perhaps that might save their friend from his new life of Corruption. So the three started down the tunnel, careful, their eyes peeled for any sign of traps. None of them noticed when a fourth started to follow them once more, hidden in the shadows, his eyes glowing purple. Sweech was still with them, though not in the same form he once had, and fulfilling a new purple as a pair of eyes for his lord Calyx.

[c]***[/c]

Regalph grimaced as he limped down the hallway, his body aching terribly, his health bar having fallen halfway down. He had been certain that he could handle whatever lay on the other side of the purple pool, but he hadn’t been expecting to have to fight the same Minion over again. True, he has weaker than he had been before, but still very dangerous. Bucklin... he hadn’t been as lucky as Regalph, his armor wasn’t nearly as strong, and the purple pool had stripped away the god’s protection. Though try as the gryphon might, he wasn’t able to stop the large serpent from changing his ally.

Pinning down the deer, the minion had shot several loads all over the deer’s body, the purple slime pouring over the buck’s body. When they’d gone through the portal, their Party had been broken, and they hadn’t gotten the opportunity to reform it before the second part of the fight had started once more. Even so, it didn’t take a genius to see the corruption immediately affecting the Bard. His clothes were devoured by the purple slime, and his hips bucked forward with an immediate erection as he was coated in the Corruptive slime. He soon sat up, his eyes pulsing purple as he let out a moan, his tongue sliding out... far too long, and forked as it lapped up some of the Minion’s cum. His title changed above his head to become Bard of Calyx. While he started to stand up, his violin soon appeared in his hands, twisted into an obsidian piece with a snake theme. “Oh, my lord Calyx, you have blessed me today,” he purred.

Scales were visible through the buck’s coated fur, splotches here and there, his eyes had become serpentine slits. He started to play the violin at a frantic pace, singing a song about the glory of Calyx as the Minion near him started to glow with buffs. “I am so sorry for failing you,” Regalph said, pulling his sword and preparing himself for battle. He had managed to fell the Minion, but Bucklin had turned out to be a very slippery foe. The buck had run away, though he turned out to be able to use new magic, gifted by Calyx. He would appear out of shadows in the tunnels, attacking Regalph, occasionally bringing with him several elemental slimes as he buffed them.

The gryphon was exhausted, his body ached, but he knew he had to go on. Once he had a moment of safety, he sent a prayer up to his god, praying for strength for himself as well as his companions. He knew that Calyx’ tricks were great, but he truly believed that with his faith and the strength of his allies, they would manage to take down the false deity. His eyes opened in time to see Bucklin standing in the doorway, cock glowing as it dripped, his eyes those of the serpents. “Wakey wakey, Regalph. I have something great to show you,” the deer purred.

From behind the deer, a bull stepped out, dressed in the armor of a barbarian, his eyes just as purple as those of Bucklin. He grinned wide as a long tongue slid out of his mouth, dripping with corruption. “Lord Calyx has sent me to personally welcome you into his ranks!” he grunted.

“I’ve heard that before, and just like the one before, I will defeat you,” Regalph growled. Standing up, he drew his sword once more and strode towards his foe. He would persevere, he had to, he would save all those affected by Calyx’s cruel Corruption. As the sounds of battle started, they were joined by the slithering cords of the Bard’s violin as he began buffing the barbarian.

[c]***[/c]

Balterin was physically trekking forward, but his mind was still stuck back at that chest. No, even further back then that, he was back there with his old Party when they’d been attacked. One by one, the other members had given into the Corruption, taking on aspects of the serpent, Calyx. He himself had been unable to escape the sneak attack, one of the elementals had knocked him down, had latched onto his arm. He had watched as his Corruption bar had grown, nearly maxing out, his cock had been so hard. [color=purple]Such a powerful warrior, would you not feel at place in my ranks? Your fellow adventurers have succumbed, they have become stronger, you could do. Imagine what you could do with my power, you would be stronger than all other fighters, and you could indulge in your every vice.[/color] The voice had been so loud, so seductive, Balterin might have given in... if not for the leader of his Party.

The leader, a huge bear, had managed to knock away the slime, though not in time to save the wolf from changing somewhat, his hand permanently changed into the gooey scaled arm of one of Calyx’s servants. The leader had been attacked by the rest of the changed party, driven to the ground under their combined weight. They had all started drooling over him, cumming over him, Corrupting him, and Balterin had run away in fear. That haunted him still, and having lost Sweech as well. “[color=purple]You could still join your brothers in arms, all you need to do is give into the corruption.[/color]

“Balterin, ssstop!” Halssin’s words yanked him back from his thoughts, and he managed to avoid stepping right onto a tripwire. “Watch where you’re going, you could have fallen into a trap!” The snake was angry, just as upset as Balterin, but apparently paying more attention.

The wolf flushed as he shook his head, looking back to see his two companions. “I’m... sorry, I got distracted,” he admitted, glancing down in shame. “I can’t stop thinking of Sweech... please, forgive me.” The other two merely nodded, Taveer quiet and upset, Halssin looking purely angry.

“We are relying on you to keep your head, Balterin. Pleassse, keep yourself attentive to the situation.” The snake’s anger was clear for a moment before it softened and he patted the wolf’s shoulder, nodding for him to lead the way once more. Out of them all, Halssin’s emotions seemed the most volatile at that moment.

The others weren’t able to perceive the corruption still sitting in his own bar, always sitting there, simmering. Halssin’s personal brand of Corruption was even so nice as to come with a Debuff, sitting in the corner of his view, an image with a purple glowing eye staring at him accusingly. [color=purple]Calyx’s Gaze. Calyx has his eyes set upon you.[/color] The snake could feel the vibrations of the Corruption through his body, constantly tempting him, his cocks were extremely sensitive. He just had to resist, once they defeated Calyx, he would be freed from the tainted energy.

The trio soon found themselves in a room, a chest sitting in the corner, but they all ignored it. “Can we take a rest?” Taveer groaned, his head in exhaustion as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “This is all getting to be a bit much...”

Balterin did not seem pleased by the request, but he could see that the entire exchange was taking its toll on the Bard. So, despite his own reservation, the Fighter nodded in agreement as he rubbed at his own eyes. “The buff from Regalph’s god will last for a couple of hours still, we can afford to rest for a little while. We need to stay vigilant though, we don’t know what traps could be lying in store in a room even like this.” The other two nodded in agreement, Taveer taking a seat on a rickety chair nearby, and Halssin leaning up against a wall. Balterin sat down on the ground, clutching his right arm unconsciously, falling back into his memories of the past.

All three of them were silent, each of them in quiet contemplation of their situation. “Do you think we’ll be able to turn Sweech back into normal?” Taveer asked out of the blue, breaking the silence and causing the other two to glance over at him. “Once we beat Calyx, that is. Regalph has been going on about it, but do we really know if the Corruption will just... go away? What if someone else takes up the mantle, what if there’s another snake?” The moment he said snake the Bard immediately looked embarrassed, his head ducking down as Halssin’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t mean-”

“Yessss, you did,” Halssin spat, his temper flaring as he stood up, his tongue forking in the air. “You all think that we snakesss are all alike, don’t you?! You think that we all just want to turn everyone into our playthingsss, that we are all nothing but monsters like Calyx!” By the end his voice had raised to nearly a shout, the Spellblade’s eyes were narrow slits, his hands clenched tightly. “I need to be alone,” he spat, starting towards the open doorway.

“Wait, Halssin, you shouldn’t go alone!” Balterin said, starting to stand up as the snake held a hand out.

“No, I can handle myself, Balterin. Jusssst... rest, I need some time.” The snake’s eyes looked regretful at that moment, he had generalized when he’d been shouting at the Bard, but he knew better than to accuse Balterin as well. “I will be back, old friend.” With that, he walked out of the room, the Bard and Fighter left in silence.

“I’m so-” Taveer started, but cut off as Balterin gave him a glare. The two fell back into silence, alone with their thoughts, both of them nervous for their ally. Occasionally they swore they could hear hissing off in the distance, the whispers of Calyx perhaps, or one of his Minions wandering the halls. This far into the castle, both of them could feel the miasma having grown stronger, always tickling their senses. Minute by minute, the buff from Regalph’s god ticked away, but they had to be patient and wait for Halssin to return before they could do anything.

Both of them jerked to attention as the sound of mail rattling returned, it had been nearly half an hour before Halssin finally returned. The snake looked somber, a bit regretful, but otherwise unharmed. “I’m sorry,” he finally said, “I overreacted. Thisss place... it is more than I can handle,” he admitted, his eyes dropping to the floor.

Jumping to his feet, Taveer bowed deeply, his distress clear as he rushed to speak before Halssin could say any more. “No, my dear friend, I should have known better than to accuse you, or any snakes. Not all of you are like Calyx. There are plenty of other forces in this world who serve the forces of Corruption, and there are barely any snakes in their numbers. I made a grave error in my words, please, accept my apologies. Even if you do not, I understand, but please... know that I trust you, sir Spellblade. With my life.”

Balterin slowly climbed to his own feet, allowing the pair to work out their differences. “It is okay, Taveer. We are on edge from this place, and the loss of our alliesss. Let us start forward once more, to defeat Calyx, and to free this world from Corruption.” The snake’s jaw was set in determination as the other two nodded, both of them gathering their things and preparing to march forward once more. Balterin’s hand itched something terribly, a fresh wave of Corruption tickling his senses. [color=purple]Come closer, Fighter. I await your presence, and your subservience. You will make for a fine vassal. Perhapssss I might even grace you with a new form, completely serpentine. Would that not be wonderful?[/color] This close, Calyx’s voice was louder, more clear, and Balterin’s cock hardened at the Corrupt words in his head.

The wolf did not reveal anything to the others though, instead he marched on, Taveer behind him, and Halssin taking the back. The three knew that it wasn’t much longer, they found a few more elementals that they dispatched, but oddly enough there appeared to be no more corrupted servants for them to fight. Either Calyx was holding them back, or the trio were very lucky in not running into any of them.

[b]Sweech slid through the shadows, his skills fully active, hiding him from the sight of the three adventurers. His cocks twitched and pulsed, a sheen of goo left in his wake as he moved. Calyx watched through his eyes, seeing everything his Rogue saw.[/b] “[color=purple]Closssser, ever so closer to my keep. They will make for fine servantssss, good work, my Rogue. You may return to my side, and await their arrival with me.[/color]”

[b]Sweech quivered with the approval of his lord. “Yesss, my lord.” His tongue flickered sibilantly with his words before he vanished into a pool of Corruption. The only remaining sign of the Rogue’s presence was the goo he’d left behind.[/b]

[c]***[/c]

The doors to Calyx’s domain were suitably large and ominous, several depictions of the serpent had been drawn upon the door. Halssin ran a hand over the surface of the door, his eyes dark, his mouth set in a firm line. “He’sss behind here,” he said, looking back to the rest of the Party.

“We don’t have much time left,” Balterin said, glancing to the buff that still hovered in his sight. “Thirty minutes, and the buff will wear off. We need to go in now.”

“What about the others though, they aren’t here yet,” Taveer said, the fox looking nervously about, looking for some sign of their companions. When the other two didn’t respond, the Bard gulped, shaking as he held his instrument close to him. “Do you think?”

“It’s not worth thinking over,” Balterin said, focusing his eyes forward, his hand clutched tight around the sword’s hilt. “They’re not here, so we have to move forward.” The other two nodded, and Halssin pushed the doors, his muscles bunching as he shoved against the door. With a whispered spell, he boosted his strength, and the doors swung open to reveal the antechamber beyond.

The room was huge, seeming to stretch far above and beyond into the distance, purple fog gathering in the distance. At first the room was dim before purple torches started to light one by one, leading their gazes into the depths, where Calyx floated above a giant pit. The serpent was massive, his eyes glowing a deeper indigo than even his Minions. Above his name floated his title. [color=purple]Lord Calyx, Serpent of Corruption[/color]. His level was marked as three question marks, not allowing them any insight into his strength, though it was clear from the Corruption pouring off of him that he was intensely powerful. “[color=purple]Welcome into my private chamberssss, adventurers, I’m so glad you were able to make it.[/color]

As the light flowed off of the torches, the adventurers’ breaths were stolen away as they saw the multitude of Minions filling the room. All sorts of them were gathered, some of them fully serpentine, many more of them looking mostly normal save for the purple eyes and smattering of scales and various other changes. All of them stared towards the adventurers, bathing them in their purple light, a unified front. “How are we going to get through them?” Taveer asked, his voice shuddering, his eyes wide with fright.

Calyx chuckled, his breath tainting the air with a cloud of purple, his tongue slithering out a brilliant purple. “[color=purple]Do not worry about them, they are not your opponents. It would be no fun if you were to merely fall under the weight of my Minions.[/color] Some of the Minions closest to the three looked upset by this, but did not contradict their master.

The wave of Minions parted, and though Balterin did not trust the giant serpent, he knew he had no choice but to march forwards. With his Party at his sides, the wolf started forward, drawing his blade as he approached his enemy. “We have come to fight against your Corruption, Calyx. You have transformed...” his words cut off, his breath suddenly caught in his chest. His old Party stood nearby, all of their names floating above their head, each of them some variant of Calyx’s servant. In their midst, a massive dragon-like creature stood, his eyes glowing a deep purple, his tongue forking out and tasting the air. It was their leader... transformed into a beast of Calyx’s making, his form completely changed. “No...” he breathed.

The beast that had been his leader sneered, leaning forward, a tall and powerful beast with dripping scales. “[b]My liege has gifted me with such power, you cannot believe, Balterin. Surrender yourself to his mercy, and he may transform you assss he did I[/b].” His voice was deep, raspy, completely unrecognizable as the man that had saved the wolf.

Balterin faltered, but shook his head, refocusing his gaze on the serpent, attempting to block out his corrupted cohorts. “We... we have come to slay you, beast. To return our companions to their original forms, and to clear your Corruption from the land.” His voice had lost some of its certainty, but he continued forward even so.

The closer they drew, the fouler the air became, and the more Balterin’s hand grew numb. His senses were screaming with the Corruption, and his every sense was telling him to run, as he had so long ago. As they drew up near the pit which Calyx loomed out of, another serpent slid out from the shadows. “[b]Hello, brave leader,[/b]” the serpent hissed, his glowing powerfully in the dark, the title over his head telling the wolf exactly who it was.

“Sweech, I’m... sorry,” the wolf said, suddenly feeling a pit of guilt in his stomach.

“[b]No apologiesss, necessary,[/b]” the serpent hissed, rising up and stroking his pair of cocks. “[b]My liege hasss gifted me with such a perfect body, and new skills as well. I am perfected in hisss image, and I will serve him graciously. Asss will you all.[/b]”

“Not likely!” Halssin hissed, his eyes flaring, his sword alighting with magical flames as he glared up towards Calyx. “You will fall this day, false deity! I am here to end the mark that you have left on serpent-kind!”

Calyx seemed amused by that, but merely shook his head before smiling long and wide, his sharp teeth glinting in the purple light. All around them, the Minions withdrew, leaving a wide circle for the adventurers to move about in. “[color=purple]Very well, little mortals. Fight me, and see if you can truly cleanse my Corruption from the land. If you can, perhaps your friends will be freed from my clutchesss.[/color]”

The trio didn’t waste a moment as Taveer started to move, sprinting to keep distance between himself and the giant serpent. Music started to ring out through the massive room as he applied buffs to his two companions, both of them looking more confident as they both raced towards the pit. Though it was dangerous, Balterin didn’t waste a moment as he leapt across the pit to grab onto the serpent’s side. “Halssin, keep your distance, use your magic!” he shouted over his shoulder.

The snake nodded, starting to cast magic, slinging them at the giant serpent. Several magical darts struck into the serpents side, and yet Calyx seemed barely phased. “[color=purple]This is foolish, your attackssss are nothing against my body. I have been granted such a great source of magic, you cannot imagine.[/color]”

Up close, Balterin realized that the entire serpent’s body seemed to be made of goo. Trying to crawl up it was proving a frustrating task, his hands getting caught in the slime. The Corruption bar started to swell up, slowly, but it wasn’t lowering down in return. If he stayed on the serpent for too long, he might get Corrupted by the god’s mere body. “I won’t fail now!” he growled, striking his sword into the monster’s side.

Calyx actually did wince as the sword slid into him, a growl of pain echoing from the massive serpent. “[color=purple]That hurt. You are stronger than I anticipated, Fighter, but not so much that you pose a threat. Now, it’sss my turn.[/color]”

The wolf yelped as the serpent’s entire body rippled and shook, shooting him off back onto the ledge with a grunt. That wasn’t the only thing though, several spouts of Corruptive goo shot out, splashing down onto the ground in purple pools before rising up into more elementals. “Guys, help!” Taveer shouted, his eyes wide as he was surrounded by several slimes.

Halssin cursed as he raced over to help the fox, slicing through each of the elementals with almost effortless movements. As the snake struck down slime after slime, he saw more rising, the pools seeming to pump out endless slimes. “Balterin, thisss is bad!” he shouted, his eyes flicking from side to side. That mark in the corner of his vision was glowing, though he didn’t want to look at it.

“[color=purple]You’re faring better than I anticipated. It’sss a shame that one of you isss already compromised though.[/color]” Calyx sounded greatly amused, Balterin barely getting a chance to look at the serpent between slices of his sword.

“What do you mean?!” the wolf snarled, “if you’re talking about my arm, that won’t help you, monster!”

The god merely chuckled, Halssin freezing up as a feeling of terror rushed over him. Calyx didn’t mean him, did he? He was fine though, he hadn’t succumbed, he was stronger than the simple Corruption that the serpent had hit him with. Taveer was shouting at him, asking for his help, desperately trying to dance away from the slimes that were trying to surround him. A cool presence wrapped around him, and a gooey tongue snaked under his chin as a voice spoke in his ear. “[b]Do you remember me, Halssin? We were enjoying each other’sss presence a short while ago.[/b]

[c]***[/c]

“No, I can handle myself, Balterin. Jusssst... rest, I need some time.” Halssin stormed out of the room, his temper raging as he stormed away from the room. He worried for a moment that his ally might come after him, but nobody followed him. The Spellblade growled as he walked down the stony halls of Calyx’s castle, his blood boiling in his veins. “Damn this place! Damn Calyx! Damn Taveer!” he was so angry, and he just needed to walk it off.

Somewhere in the darkness nearby, Sweech watched on, his eyes invisible to the snake as he stomped past. “[b]Massster, Halssin is alone.[/b]” the serpent told his master, alerting Calyx even as he slithered after the snake.

“[color=purple]The perfect opportunity to help a wayward snake see the errorsss of his ways.[/color] Behind the Rogue, several pools of purple started to bubble out of the ground, several serpents of varying forms crawling out eagerly to follow behind Sweech.

Halssin knew he was overreacting, he was just so angry, and the constant Corruption in his bar had him on edge. Everything was a little too sensitive, and it felt like at any moment he might start to boil over with the Corruptive energy. Maybe it was crazy, but he was so tired... The Spellblade sighed, finally stopping to breathe. He realized how quiet the hallway was, uncomfortably quiet, as if nothing in the castle were moving. Peering over his shoulder, he attempted to look into the shadows, but Sweech’s Rogue abilities were able to help his companions stay unseen. “I should go back,” he sighed, starting to turn around.

A tail coiled around his foot and lashed it still, causing the snake to nearly trip over. “[b]Not so fast, Halssin. Our master wanted to have a word with you.[/b]” A voice spoke from the darkness, a rubbery serpent slithering out from the shadows.

“No! Damn it!” Halssin started to reach for his sword, but a hand reached out from the shadows on his other side and grabbed onto his arm. His mouth opened in anticipation of casting a spell, but a gag was slid into place in his muzzle. He was dragged back into the shadows, finding himself in the presence of many of Calyx’s Minions.

“[b]Hush, all you need to do is listen.[/b]” Sweech said, his eyes pulsing as he stared into Halssin’s, his serpentine eyes meeting with Halssin’s own. The purple started to pulse, bright flashes that radiated through the darkness. It seemed like the world outside of the shadows seemed to dim away, becoming just as black as the shadow itself.

Halssin attempted to pull himself out of the grasp of the rubbery serpents, but there were many hidden within. They were grabbing at him, pulling him down, covering him with their bodies to make sure he couldn't’ pull away. His Corruption bar started to fill as he stared into those purple eyes, the debuff in the corner of his vision flashing. “[color=purple]You have fought so hard, Halssin. I can see it, you are fighting against your very nature as a ssserpent.[/color]” The snake tensed, but was unable to do much else but growl in anger as he heard Calyx’s voice in his head.

“[color=purple]Nobody without scales can ever truly trust you, Halssin. But we, your brothersss in scale do, we believe in you. We believe in your power. You have such deep reservesss, your allies do not even realize how much you have to hold back not to frighten them. I could help you though, bring out those deep reservesss, make you into a Spellblade beyond compare.[/color] Halssin’s mana bar started to expand, his internal reserves seeming to swell, though at the same time the Corruption bar continued to grow bit by bit.

“[i]No! I need to get away, warn the others. I cannot fall![/i] Halssin was completely bound though, starting into those brilliant purple eyes, his thoughts becoming muddled as his cocks started to swell. “[i]This is the ruination of serpents everywhere, I cannot... will not...[/i]

Halssin’s body was already starting to change, his scales becoming gooier, his eyes starting to kindle with a deep purple. He was already a snake, and that fact made him all the more susceptible to Calyx’s Corruption. His bar was filling too fast, his mind was being opened wide to the serpent’s influence. “[color=purple]You will help me, Halssin, I know you will. You will be my firssst personal student, one who I will train in the artsss of Corruption magic. A Spellblade capable of cutting down your enemiesss to raise them up as your alliesss.[/color]

The Spellblade moaned as his eyes became an increasingly deep purple, his cocks swelling painfully against his chainmail. He briefly wondered if the others in the Party would see his Corruption, wondered if they would miss him... “[color=purple]Their eyes are not able to perceive your Corruption with my boon. You are only visible to me asss you are, Halssin. You will make for a wonderful agent, just give in, become my Minion.[/color]

Moments after he had been pulled in, Halssin stumbled out of the shadows, his eyes purple as he swayed dizzily. “I... I... [b]I serve you, Lord Calyx.[/b]” His stat sheet had been modified, he was stronger, his magic greater, his loyalties swayed. [color=purple]Student of Calyx[/color] was his new title, one just for him.

In those shadows, he had sucked the cocks of the other Minions, he had been fucked, he had fully given in to the Corruption. Now, he stood, his armor was in place, but having taken on a deep purple hue, and his scales glimmering with the Corrupt goo. “[b]How will I serve you, my lord? I can change them if you would like.[/b]” He now knew this was the proper place of a snake such as himself, he had been imbued with new hypnotic skills, the likes that he never could have attained before.

“[color=purple]For now, I will remove your memoriesss of thisss event, Halssin. I find it so much more appealing for your companions to be betrayed in the midst of battle. Do you not agree?[/color]” The cruel pleasure in Calyx’s voice caused Halssin to cum in his armor, shuddering as he panted, his bright purple tongue dripping.

“[b]As you command, my liege.[/b]” The snake purred, his body shifted and shuddering, his states being altered once more, returned to their original appearance. It was a powerful illusion, one that even blocked out Halssin’s own memories. But his debuff had altered, the eye a more brilliant purple than before. If he read it, Halssin would immediately forget it upon looking away, but it was a cruel truth. [color=purple]Calyx’s Gaze. You have stared into his eyes, and now belong to Him.[/color].

Staggering back down the hall, Halssin blinked a few times, his eyes returned to their original color. His cocks were still hard, and would remain as such even after meeting up with the others. The snake didn’t realize that anything was wrong, instead he returned to things as usual. The illusion was in place, until Calyx deemed it time for the snake to return to his ranks.

[c]***[/c]

The illusion broke, and Halssin shuddered as his class changed once more. [color=purple]Student of Calyx[/color] hung above his head as his body changed, his armor darkening into a virile purple, his codpiece vanishing to reveal his dripping purple lengths, and his eyes glowing as he let out a hiss of relief. The naga next to him, one of those whose cock he had sucked, hissed in delight as they kissed, their tongues intertwining as Taveer and Balterin looked on in shock and horror.

“No!” Taveer screamed, jumping away from the slimes just in time before they managed to leap onto him. Both of them winced as Halssin left the Party, the naga untwining from him as he stretched his body. Goo dripped from his Corrupted form, his eyes peering up towards Calyx with gratefulness.

“[b]Thank you, my liege, for allowing me back into your grace.[/b]” He kneeled, the serpents around him chuckling and cackling as the Spellblade submitted to his Corruption. “[b]How shall I serve you?[/b]”

“[color=purple]You entered into combat with these two, why not stay in the battle? Take care of the Bard.[/color]” Calyx offered, chuckling at the horrified expressions on the two adventurer’s faces.

“[b]Gladly.[/b]” With that, Halssin was off, sprinting towards Taveer with a manic grin on his face. His cocks bounced between his legs, dripping with each step, his tail lashing about with frantic energy. “[b]Come, Taveer! Let me show you the glory of Calyx![/b]”

“Balterin, help!” the fox yelped, ducking under the powerful slashes of the Corrupted snake. Halssin’s blade had become engulfed in a purple flame, the magic crackling with Corrupt energy.

The wolf would have done so, but Calyx had turned his attention to the Fighter. Shooting a gout of purple flames at Balterin, it was all the Fighter could do to avoid the dangerous attack. “I will be there as soon as I can!” he yelled, hoping that the Bard could hear him. He danced back and forth, avoiding attacks from the powerful serpent, his hopes starting to crumble.

They had started as a group of six, down to four, down to three, and finally down to two. Their party had been whittled away, and even now the timer for their godly buff was ticking away. “I have to do something!” he growled at himself, desperately looking for a solution.

“[color=purple]If you wish, I will allow you to surrender now, little Fighter. You don’t have long, either you will submit, or you will be defeated. I win no matter what, but I could make your change much more painlessss.[/color] Calyx seemed to be taunting him, swinging with his massive claws, rending the ground with ease. All around them, the crowd of Minions was cheering, all of them seemingly in ecstasy seeing their leader fight the adventurers.

Balterin continued to fight, taking swings at the giant serpent when he could, dealing damage now and again. But he wasn’t able to go and help Taveer, and after several minutes his stomach dropped. Taveer left the party, there was no warning, his Corruption bar had been empty... and the next, it was maxed out. When the wolf glanced over for a brief moment, he saw that Halssin had managed to strike the fox with a magical fireball. “No!” he shouted, even though he knew the results.

The Bard straightened up, a purple tongue flicking out of his mouth as he tasted the air, his features looking a bit more serpentine. “[b]This issss a ballad I will be glad to sing,[/b]” he hissed, scales taking the place of some of his fur. His hands lifted his changed lute, the strings dripping with Corrupt goo. “[b]I pledge this song to you, my liege.[/b]” Then he started to play, buffing not only Halssin, but Calyx as well.

Everything was wrong, the Party was completely disbanded, and Balterin wasn’t certain what else he could do. He barely managed to avoid the next attack from Calyx, his body was exhausted, and his spirit was broken. Nearby, he could see his old Party, watching him with anticipation, their eyes all a unified purple. He could join them once more... merely give in, lay down his weapon, and be part of their Party once more. His right arm was itching, the Corruption making it so hard to hold the weapon, he could just... surrender. He felt the circle of Minions was starting to grow tighter, out of the corner of his eye he could already see Halssin starting to cast a spell... he was going to lose.

As the wolf felt himself preparing to surrender, there was a burst of golden light that surrounded him, creating a barrier between himself and all of the Corruption. He hadn’t realized it, but Balterin’s Corruption bar had been growing progressively. Part of his weakness had been brought on by it, but the golden barrier reinvigorated him, chopping down a substantial portion of the Corruption. His eyes clarified, and he looked up in shock to see Regalph touching down beside him. The gryphon had several cuts across his body, and several pieces of his armor had been discarded to allow him to fly. “I apologize for being so late,” the Paladin panted, looking quite exhausted.

Balterin was relieved as a Party request was sent to him, and he quickly accepted, feeling reinvigorated for a moment... and then his heart dropped when he saw that it was only the Paladin. “Bucklin?” he asked.

“One of them,” Regalph stated, looking forwards towards the serpent with a glare. “I see that things have gone awry in my absence.”

“Things... certainly have been hard,” the Fighter said, feeling empowered as he stood up straighter, the Corruption ebbing away as he glanced around. The circle had widened once more, and Halssin was slamming magic into the barrier in an attempt to break it. “How... are you doing this?” he breathed.

“A new skill,” the Paladin chuckled, his tone a bit wry. “I leveled up on the way here, and my god see fit to bless me with a barrier. This will only last for a few more minutes, but it is completely impervious to any damage for five minutes, and it creates a cleansing aura.”

Reaching out to touch the aura, Balterin sagged as he looked at Calyx, the serpent looking irritated but not too upset by the change of the situation. “I... don’t know if we can beat them all, Regalph. It’s too much, and now he’s being buffed. We may have to fall back.”

Regalph was silent for a bit, staring forward, his beak set firm as he stood a little taller. “I have one last trick up my wing. One that may defeat the serpent lord, and cleanse everyone. If not... I’m afraid that we cannot get out. He has locked down the doors, I have already surveyed the area to see if retreat was an option. If I fail... well, it has been an honor to fight alongside you, Balterin.”

That wasn’t exactly heartening, but the wolf let out a sigh before nodding, staring out at the crowd of Corrupt Minions. “I will hold them off as long as I can, but... I cannot promise I will last long.”

“As long as you can. Should I succeed, then all should be purified.” He didn’t state what would happen if he failed, neither of them needed to discuss that option. Regalph cast several holy buffs on both of them, renewing part of the Fighter’s protection against Corruption. The two stood back to back, Balterin facing their turned party members, and Regalph facing Calyx.

“Good luck,” they said to one another. As soon as the barrier dropped, the battle begun again, this time with the holy light of the gryphon’s god on the field.

Balterin sprinted forward and started to fight with Halssin, the snake taken aback by the sudden onrush of blows that came from the renewed Fighter. “[b]You fight with sssso much passion, old friend. The master will be sure to make you even ssstronger when you submit![/b]” Halssin seemed pleased by the renewed fight, dancing away from the attacks of the Fighter, his cocks throbbing with Corrupt delight.

“We promised each other that should we fall, we would do our best to free one another from Calyx’s Corruption. That is what I’m doing for you, old friend!” Balterin growled, leaning forward into the battle, even as more music flowed from Taveer, buffing the Spellblade.

New spells flew out from the snake that he’d never used before, forming ghostly hands of goo, stroking Balterin’s body, filling up his Corruption bar as they seemed to pierce through his armor. “Fuck!” he gasped, feeling his cock being directly stroked by the Corrupt hands. “Your master may have given you new skills...” he panted, feeling himself hardening up, “but I’m still a damn good Fighter!” He did a powerful leap over the snake’s head and swept his legs, knocking Halssin to the ground and breaking his concentration.

“[b]I will sing the song of our fall into our master’s ranks, it will be such a glorious song! You will be described as being too weak to fight off the power of his Corrupt incantations![/b]” Taveer sang, his words causing debuffs for the wolf. Balterin growled, but continued to fight on, seeing that Halssin was fight to climb back onto his feet. He was too distracted by the pair to notice Sweech slithering up behind him, stabbing him in the back with a glowing purple knife.

“[b]Behind you![/b]” the snake purred, giggling as he fell back into the shadows.

Balterin staggered from the blow, his Corruption bar filling up fast with the powerful sneak attack. His chest piece was vaporized into a plume of purple smoke, destroyed by the Rogue’s Corrupt skill. Where he had been struck, scales formed, dripping down his spine, somehow getting up under his tail and making the wolf quiver with arousal. “Feels... [b]so good[/b],” he moaned, his eyes flickering purple for a moment, his hand quivering as he felt like stroking himself. “No... NO!” he roared, using an ability to recover some health, trying to regain his mental clarity. “Hurry up, Regalph, we don’t have time to waste!” he wheezed.

The gryphon had taken off, and had flown right in front of Calyx. The serpent looked amused for a moment, and then scowled as the Paladin took on a new form, a giant golden aura pouring out of him, smothering him. The gryphon vanished into the form of a giant golden eagle, an avatar of his own deity. “[color=yellow]I am here to cleanse your Corruption, Calyx! I will make you regret your transgressions![/color]”

“[color=purple]You have no place in my domain! Be gone![/color]” the snake growled, lashing out and taking a chunk out of the golden aura. They started to battle one another, godly aura testing itself against the corrupt power of Calyx. So near to his source of power, he was the more powerful of the two, but the god was one of pure light and purity.

As the two powers slammed into one another, the structure itself shook with the power of their fight. Regalph was at that moment a culmination of his god’s work in the world, never before had he been filled with such faith and such belief in his own righteousness. As he gazed at the world through the eyes of his god though, a horrifying realization hit him. It wasn’t anywhere near enough to stop him from fighting, but it explained so many things. Calyx himself seemed to notice the very slight hesitation in the eagle’s attacks, a wicked smile sliding up his gooey lips. “[color=purple]Have you noticed yet, Paladin? Have you ssseen my power?[/color]

So many of the other Paladins that Regalph had met had shared the same question, one that Regalph had always harbored but had never bothered to ask. What had Corrupted Calyx himself, what was the source of his power? The gryphon now had his answer, the entire structure they were in, the hallway, even the mighty pit yawning beneath the serpent that his tail wormed its way down into. It was the body of a fallen god, the gryphon couldn’t tell which, but the entire fetid place was a deity’s body that the serpent was somehow connected to. “[color=yellow]It matters not where your power comes from, Calyx. Our fight is still to be fought, and I will defeat you.[/color]

“[color=purple]It isss only a matter of time, Paladin. You may have the power of your god, but I have so much to pull upon that you cannot even begin to imagine.[/color]” Their battle raged on, the golden light of the eagle pitted against the purple of the snake. The Minions watched on in awe, and in the distance Balterin continued to fight on, all of the bathed in the light of the two titans.

The light caused many of the Minions to shrink away, the shadows being dispelled by the power of the eagle. Balterin felt slightly renewed by the golden light, though a darker part of himself cowered under the light, wanting to shrink away. He knew that he had been struck with several Corrupting strikes by this point, and he was trying not to peer too hard at his bar. His clothing and armor was being dismantled, his cock was hanging out, erect and dripping. He hoped that it was just dripping with cum, but he wasn’t certain. “[b]You’re getting closer, all you need to do is submit![/b]” some Minions shouted from nearby.

“[b]The master can make you into a stronger being, he can even take away that fur and replace it with scalesss![/b]” another jeered. They were all so loud, and it was hard to focus on the battle while they were shouting and his own arousal was getting in the way.

“[color=purple]You will have your Parties once more, Balterin if you join my side.[/color]” The wolf was shocked that Calyx could talk to him, even as he was fighting the Paladin. “[color=purple]I will transform you into something great, something that can defend all of your friends, all of your allies. You will be more than just a Fighter, you will be a Guardian.[/color]” Balterin had only heard myths of Guardians, of warriors so powerful they could fend off any attack.

“I... shouldn’t...” he mumbled, distracted for a moment, and he took an attack from Halssin. His Corruption meter swelled, his cock throbbed, his eyes fluttered as he found himself growing weaker. “[b]It feels so good... maybe if I... just let it happen...[/b]” Balterin’s arm pulsed with Corruption, it felt pleasant, it felt [b]right[/b].

“[color=purple]That’sss right, just submit. I will change you, make you better. You will protect your alliesss, and you will defend me. That is the charge of any Guardian.[/color]” Balterin hesitated, the thoughts bouncing around his head... and he was struck once more by a blow from Sweech. The Rogue’s corrupt blade piercing him... and it withdrew.

The wolf staggered forward, his Corruption bar maxed out... and he moaned as he came. The orgasm was mind shattering, his eyes rolling back, and purple goo surrounded him. He was consumed in it, all of it provided by Calyx. It drew in, gathering around him, building him up, changing him. [b]He was getting stronger, his body larger, everything was Corruption, goo, and scales. His mouth was filled with it, the taste was delectable.

The fighters drew back as they watched the wolf grow larger, and larger, his body firming up, his toned body ballooning into a monstrous and sexy form. His pecs bounced as he took a deep breath, his neck snaking around somewhat as he blinked pure purple eyes. His tongue forking as he tasted the air, it was delicious... save for the foul taste of holy magic. Above his head, his class changed, all of his stats being reallocated on his stat sheet.[/b] [color=purple]Guardian of Calyx[/purple]. [b]He reached out and plucked a large sword from the purple goo, followed by a massive shield. “We musssst help our liege,” he announced. The others were in agreement, following after the Guardian to defend Calyx.[/b]

Regalph knew the moment his companion had fallen, the Party was disbanded, and it was just him against the serpent. He knew that Calyx had been distracted, his attacks had grown slower, and his defense had weakened. It took everything for the Paladin to channel the magic of his god, but he needed to fight with all he was worth. “[color=yellow]This is for my allies, for the land, and for my god![/color]

The golden eagle released several waves of power, each one slamming into Calyx. The monstrous serpent reeled under the power, visibly shrinking, wincing as each blow hit him. The gryphon felt victory was in his grasp, he just needed to push harder. He started to move forward once more, but hit an impenetrable barrier. He gasped as he saw a massive draconic creature before him, its purple shield held out before it, the status Unmovable above its head. His stomach twisted as he read the name, knowing this creature to be Balterin. “[color=yellow]Please my friend! Step aside, if you have anything remaining within you to resist, please![/color]

[b]Balterin felt better, stronger, more sure than he ever had before. His cocks throbbed with energy, his body swelled in the presence of Calyx. “I am more myself than ever before! I will never ssstep down again, Calyx has given me the power to defend all I hold dear! You will not passss me, Paladin![/b]

Alongside the Guardian, all of their old Party members started to attack the avatar of the god. No matter what he did, he couldn’t manage to get past the Guardian to attack Calyx. The Guardian was using a skill to draw all of his attacks, and was using an absurd skill to block any and all damage. “[color=yellow]We are so close to victory! Please, stop this![/color]” he pleaded, but none of them listened. They all attacked the golden avatar, and he was too distracted to notice when Calyx finished casting a spell, slamming into him with such force that it shattered the aura.

Calyx panted as he started to swell with power once more, watching as the gryphon fell to the ground, still untouched by the Corruption by the power of his god. “[color=purple]You impress me, Paladin. There are few beingsss that can channel such a form of their god as you... you will make for for a useful servant.[/color]”

“I... I shall not...” Regalph started, but yelped as he was picked up by the serpent’s giant hand, suddenly in front of his simmering purple eyes.

“[color=purple]I am finished with all of your heroic nonsense. This ends here, and now. You WILL be mine, and this farce ssshall be over. I need to resssst and recoup my lost strength.[/color]” He slammed his hands together, crushing the gryphon in pure Corrupt energy.

[b]Together, all of the Minions watched as their master held his hands together for quite a while. He seemed to struggle for a little while, his face tightening as he concentrated. His new Guardian took up a stance beside the pit, looking out towards the crowd as if waiting for someone else to try and interrupt the process. From the ranks of Corrupted souls, Bucklin stepped out to join his Party, smiling and trading kisses with each of the others, all of them indulging in their new forms.

Finally after several minutes, Calyx released his hands and set his work down upon the ledge. The original Paladin was too strong-willed, too resilient. So Calyx had completely remade him, using his stat sheet as a basis for this new creature. The new Paladin retained wings, giving it a draconic appearance as some of the others had. Its face was in the shape of a serpent’s face, but had no face. Its name had been wiped clean. So all it had above its head was[/b] [color=purple]Paladin of Calyx[/color] [b]and nothing else. It turned and kneeled to its liege, the rest of the Minions doing likewise as the serpent sighed, looking exhausted after the fight.[/b]

“[color=purple]That fight was more tiring than I anticipated. That being sssaid, you all are far more useful than I originally expected. Once I have gotten some rest, I will sssend you on your first mission. I think it issss time to start growing my lands even further.[/color]” [b]The new Party, reformed under the banner of Calyx, all saluted. The only not to not follow them would be Balterin, the Gaurdian’s place to be at Calyx’s side for the time being.

As the Minions all started to slither away, some to fall back into the shadows of the castle, and others to go back into the lands to spread their master’s delectable Corruption. The Party indulged themselves in their new delights of vices. Stroking themselves, fucking one another, and enjoying the gifts of their new bodies. Calyx himself sliding back into the depths of his pit to recuperate after the long battle, his Guardian standing as a sentinel, his cocks throbbing as he stared into the distance, awaiting his next use.[/b]

[c]***[/c]

Time Passed...

No one had remained to sing the songs of Balterin and his Party, so hardly anyone knew of the group's expedition into Calyx’s castle. All who heard the tale of the wolf and his doomed crew only heard mention of the last time they were seen, a powerful group of level sixties along with a weaker Rogue walking off towards the castle in the distance. Since then, Calyx’s lands had only spread, tainting the earth, spreading more elementals, and more dangerous creatures came out to transform the populace of their country.

That didn’t stop adventurers from trying, one group after another approaching the castle, but none of them made it as far as the doors. Too many powerful gooey serpents laid in wait on the path to Calyx’s lair, all of them so powerful, it was becoming increasingly apparent that Calyx was growing in strength. Some people began to fear that the serpent would continue to spread forever, but it seemed after a few months that the spread slowed, his forces quieting down.

Some adventurers started to power level, gathering their strength, getting the best gear they could get. It took a few more months after the stop of the spread, but finally one group of level seventy adventurers started on the castle. They made it all the way, stopping at a chapel that had somehow managed to avoid being destroyed and were sanctified in a god’s light. Like the last Party before them, they made it to the doors, and opened them.

WIthin, a mighty Guardian stood standing, his eyes glowing a malevolent purple as he stared down at the new Party. From behind him, five forms slid out, all of them in varying forms of Corruption. “[b]Welcome[/b],” the guardian spoke, his voice booming in the darkness of the castle. “[b]Our Massster was hoping for new adventurersss to come soon, he so loves testing our might against your weak forms.[/b]”

The adventurers looked at each other nervously, but they didn’t dare step back. The cycle would start again, they would fight, and they would lose. Calyx would continue to foster his new champions, and eventually they would all see the pleasure of Corruption.