Champions of Mareth 2: Mare Harder

As I skip along the path leading back to the lake, I notice something shiny from the corner of my eye. I turn to look, and see the glint of light reflecting off of something metal, a little way into the copse of trees.

Giving all of the surrounding plants a thorough inspection, I'm content that none of them mean me any harm, and step over the brambles to get a closer look.

What I find is a sword, lodged in the trunk of a rather thick tree. It's quite impressive, either the blade's smallness or the tree's thickness, since it doesn't show any signs of poking out of the other side at all.

I can't see much of the blade, so I inspect the hilt. There's pretty pictures adorning it, displaying a valiant hero battling an army of demons.

Allowing my kleptomania for shiny objects to take hold (maybe I'm a magpie, rather than a seahorse), I take hold of the hilt, and give it a sharp tug. Surprisingly, it comes free rather easily.

Maybe I was wrong about it being here by accident, maybe someone stored it here in case of sword emergencies? I consider putting it back, but am distracted by a sudden shower of leaves around me. I look up, and watch, as every vibrant green leaf fades to brown, withers, and drops to the ground. In less than a minute, I'm left standing next to a skeleton of what once was a beautiful tree.

But oh well, it was probably going to sneak attack me when I least expected it, and hey this means I get to keep the sword yay!

The blade is a thing of beauty. About three and a half feet of shining steel, I run my finger along the edge, grinning wickedly.

I stash the blade in my belt, and make my way back to the path.

"Hmmm... this sword seems good," I muse, "but it probably isn't enough to take down those scary plants by itself. I have to get stronger too." I glance around, seeing if I can spot any low-level monsters, but the whole lake area seems pretty peaceful.

"Monsters, where are you- oh!" I peer my head around a bush, and see a familiar mousy figure hunched down on the ground. They're wearing a cloak, but it's still pretty obvious.

"Aaaaaamily!" I leap at her, arms outstretched, expecting to give her a surprise hug, but at the last moment, she steps aside. Unable to stop my momentum, I fly straight into the cauldron in front of her, splashing brightly coloured fluid everywhere.

Before I can even gasp, I feel a hand tug at the hem of my shirt, pulling me quickly back out of the pot. My face breaches the surface, and I take a deep breath.

"Quickly, child, go and wash yourself in the lake."

Rather than the high-pitched voice I was expecting, I'm instead hearing a creaky old-man voice. I turn to look, but feel the pressure of two fingers on my eyelids.

"Don't open your eyes. This stuff could blind you."

I feel myself being set down on the ground, and turned in what I assume is the direction of the lake. I walk forwards, and keep walking until I feel the cold water on my ankles. I bend down, and lie flat in the water, turning myself over after a little while to ensure both sides get cleaned.

A few minutes later, I'm blinking the water out of my eyes as I drag my drenched self back to land. I look up, and find the robed mouse waiting for me, watching me with an amused yet sympathetic smile.

I was clearly very wrong about my assumption. For one thing, this guy's a rat, rather than a mouse. For another, this guy's a guy. Also, he looks pretty old. With his hood down now, I can see his bald, wrinkling head.

"Are you quite all right, child?" he asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah... sorry if I ruined your potion..."

He waves my apology away. "A mere accident, child. In my line of work, you come to expect them from time to time." He turns back to his cauldron, and tips a beaker of unidentifiable liquid inside, giving it another stir.

"You have clearly mistaken me for someone you know, so allow me to rectify this. I am Rathazul, the Alchemist. Once I was famed for my miracle cures. Now I idle by this lake, helpless to do anything but measure the increasing amounts of corruption that taint its waters," he concludes, sighing dejectedly.

"Oh man, that sucks," I nod in empathy. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The alchemist shakes his head sadly. "I'm afraid there is nothing you can do for me, and likewise, I am not sure what I can do for you, youngling. This world is fraught with unimaginable dangers, and you’re just scratching the surface of them."

"Wow, what a bummer..." I'm not really sure what else to say. After a minute of silence passes between us, I figure it'd probably be less awkward if we just parted ways. "So uh, good luck with your potions and, y'know, stuff."

"If anyone is in need of luck, young adventurer, it is yourself. Do take care," he waves me off, before returning to focus on his alchemy.

I wander away, deep in thought. It seems like all the micey-people in this world have problems, and it's all because of these 'demons.' Though I suspect some of them may be in fact treemons.

Regardless, I ought to find these bad guys, and make them stop being bad, to cheer everyone up! A world where everyone can barely smile... it's too cruel!

I've been wandering around the lake for quite some time now, and still no sign of any demons. I guess I'm not going to get any stronger staying around here, but then, I don't think I can take on the forest yet either.

My stomach grumbles, and I realise it's been a while since I've eaten anything. I wonder if eating game food would count? Well, if I could find any, that is.

"Bahhh!" I whine, to the world at large. "Either a demon or some food, just let me find something!"

"You won't be findin' many demons 'round these parts, hun. But if'n it's food you're looking for, I think I can oblige."

"...Applejack?" The voice is a dead ringer for my farmhouse friend. However, I've made a case of mistaken identity once already today, and turning to look where the voice came from, it seems I've nearly made another.

Leaning on a fence post, a fair-haired woman dressed in denim and with a stetson balanced atop her head stands staring at me, a friendly smile on her face. The key thing that tells me this isn't Applejack is the fur, along with the dog-like features that make up her character. I guess the people here aren't limited to mice after all.

She giggles, and beckons me closer. "Welcome stranger, it sure is pleasant to see a new face 'round here. My name’s Whitney, and it’s mighty fine I don’t have to pitchfork you like most guests!"

"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie!" I reply, bouncing up to her. When I get close, I see that the trees had been blocking my view of a wide, expansive farm.

"Nice to meet'cha, Pinkie!" she grins, taking my hand and giving it a vigorous shake. "So you're looking for demons, are ya? 'N' what might you want with their rotten lot?"

"They're making my mice-friends sad," I tell her, "so I wanna make them stop."

"Sounds square to me," she nods approvingly. "Like I say, though, you won't find many 'round these parts. The lake seems to make them weaker somehow, and any monsters that come by my farm can't usually put up much fight."

"You want my advice? Try the forest. Lots of weaklings in there, not a bad place to start."

I shudder. "Weaklings? The plants in there nearly destroyed me!"

"Ah, yeah, you gotta watch out for them I suppose. Still, if you wanna be a hero, you gotta take some bruises." She casually reaches into the bush by her side, and pulls out a shiny red pepper. Giving it a quick dust off, she then tosses it to me. "Here. Can't fight on an empty stomach, after all."

Thankful for the food, I quickly scarf it down. It's good and spicy, the way peppers should be. Finished with my meal, I lick my lips, and give her an appreciative smile.

Another part of me seems to appreciate it as well. I feel my pants tighten as my shaft suddenly springs to hardness of its own accord. There's an odd, tight sensation around the base, and I feel like I can't leave this unattended.

Turning away from Whitney, I open my pants, and watch as my cock reshapes itself, a sheath encapsulating the base while the head sharpens itself into a point. The base itself is swelling, forming a large knot that looks like it'd be easy to get stuck somewhere. After a few seconds, it settles down, leaving me with a fresh new dog penis.

Of course, Amily warned me about this! The food here makes you transform into animals. I giggle. Well, that's certainly going to make dinnertime a whole lot more interesting.

I hear Whitney chuckle behind me, and look round to see her walking away, waving back at me. "Well, I gotta get back to work, hun. You be careful out there."

"Thanks, you too! Don't get too relaxed near the bushes, okay!"

She laughs, and nods once. "Sure, sure."