Corruption of Souls

Ch.30

“Oh~ I think I’m really going to throw up.” Daring groaned in disgust, rubbing our shrinking belly as we laid in the cleanest patch of sand. “First I ate a sentient being, now Willow’s feeling sick too.” Daring huffed as she ran our hands over our tummy.

“Are you okay?” Berserker asked through panting breaths as he approached us. He had snapped back out of his rage surprisingly fast. “You don’t look hurt.”

“Daring wants to throw up right now.” I groaned and rubbed our nearly flat tummy, the mix having moved to our breasts where I absorbed slime from to make room for. “I also feel sick, because hell demon soul energy burns like heartburn and nausea.” I explained to the Doom Marine, who reached down and helped us to our hooves, keeping an arm wrapped around our hips to help support us as We approached the Sphinx.

“Ouch. Can’t you just, I don’t know, digest or expel their souls?” Berserker’s question was a logical one, but I just shook our head in resignation that I’d have to suffer the burn for a while. “Wow that sucks. I bet it’s also your first time seeing something like this Daring?”

“I was an adventurer and archaeologist.” Daring huffed indignantly. “Violence was an occasional job hazard, but usually avoidable.”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t killed along the way to survive?” Berserker asked her.

“I have, but not like this.” Daring mumbled in discomfort.

“Well you better get used to it. This is more than just an adventure, it’s pure survival.” Berserker coldly stated, which I could understand because there is no sugar-coating death. Unless you’re immortal and death is just another part of your life, but even then it still sucks. I speak from experience there. Experience I would much rather forget thank you brain! “So who are you supposed to be?” Berserker asked the Sphinx when we were near her.

“Briallia.” She told us as she stood up, the 30 foot thicc and fit giantess looking down on us from her lofty height. “I’m guarding a stash of weapons from the old army.”

“So of course everyone is going to try and take them.” Berserker sighed and I suddenly remembered a similar raid happening on the Iron Keep in the Far North. I hope they’ve managed to hold off the hordes of Hell like Daring insisted they’ve managed to so far. At least I already brought this up before so at least someone besides the two of us know about it.

“They have been. I’ve defended myself for a long time now, but that was the biggest group yet and then the Baron?! What is in that chest?” Briallia sighed despondently over her lot in life.

“Clearly something everyone wants.” Berserker looked at the chest warily.

“Especially since it’s weaponry. They are in the middle of nowhere too.” We answered in full agreement. This symbiosis is kinda confusing, I hope we iron it out some more.

“As for this ‘Old Army’, who were they?” Berserker questioned as Hunter and Sabrina dragged the chest back to the floor of the sandy valley from where the incubi had managed to haul it.

“The Desert Sorceresses.” Briallia’s answer caused me to shiver from the thoughts of those pyromancies getting out. “Their order died out but was replaced in spirit by the Sand Witches.” This made Sabrina’s ears perk in interest.

“Were they good or bad?” Berserker grilled further-hey~! I pouted in realization that Berserker seemed to be hijacking my role as party leader. Then again I am fairly irresponsible…

“Kinda neutral. They ruled a desert land not too far from this spot before the end of the Second Era. They were famous for their command of fire and how they could glass whole areas of their land to stop invading armies.” Briallia thankfully answered as she looked around for enemies.

“Was that their magic alone or did they create weapons to do so?” Berserker’s continued questions had me seriously questioning if I ever was the leader since he showed up.

“Just their Pyromancy. The weapons they would make only made the magic more powerful.” Briallia answered as she sat down in the sand with her legs crossing Indian style.

Berserker looked towards the chest where Hunter and Sabrina were still guarding it. “Can we have these weapons so the enemy can’t get them?”

“Well now, someone actually asked! Yes, but only if you answer my riddles.” Briallia replied with a snap of her fingers which summoned a red shield spell over the chest.

“Why couldn’t you have done that during the fight?” Berserker huffed in annoyance until Hunter elbowed him in the side. “What? It’s a good question.”

“You try to use formulaic magic when they dig under you and try shoving a dick in your butt covered in sand while you’re napping.” Briallia huffed indignantly. “Also, I was using all of my mana just to fend them off. If it’s about ten or less I can shield it, more than that and it gets harder. They learned that a year ago and have been sending bigger groups. It doesn’t help that with each encounter I become more Corrupted. Now then, let us begin.” Briallia seemed to become even more enormous without getting bigger somehow and the sky went dark.

“A man walking along a railroad track sees a train thundering at high speed towards him. Instead of immediately jumping off the track, he charges directly at the train for about ten feet and only then gets off the track. Why?”

“Um, was he on a bridge?” I asked before getting hissed at by the giantess.

“No hints.” Briallia growled in clear offence at the thought.

“Sorry.” I whined as Hunter typed away at his pad and aimed it up at the giantess so she could read it.

“He was in a tunnel, so he had to run before the train blocked him off. Train bridges have space to the side for such a situation usually, so he couldn’t have been on a bridge.” He wrote up and shared his answer to the Sphinx.

“That is...Correct. Next Riddle.” Briallia used one of her hands to rub her lap and she began to purr. Was she...was she getting off on having the question answered right? “As a whole, I am both safe and secure. Behead me and I become a place of meeting. Behead me again and I am the partner of ready. Restore me and I become the domain of beasts. What am I?”

“I’ve got nothing.” I huffed. I’m a doer, not a thinker.

“I’m stumped.” Sabrina sighed.

“A Stable.” Daring said.

“Unf~...yes. Correct.” Briallia groped her left breast, sighing as she rubbed her groin into the sand. Oh shit, she is getting off on this! “A Mother and Father have four daughters and each daughter has one brother. How many people are in the family?” Briallia bit her lip as a bulge started rising from her clenched thighs to reveal a spiny feline cock which she began teasing with her hand. Holy fuck that is huge! It’s easily as big as Sabrina’s whole body!

“You’d think, being a breeder, this kind of thing would make sense to me.” I huffed, still not seeing the answer. I seriously need to invest in Intelligence.

“There's only one son. The family numbers 7.” Sabrina easily answered.

“Yes~!” Briallia cheered as she grabbed her throbbing mast of meat with both hands. She gave herself a few quick jerks and she groaned as her cum gushed into her hand, having had the courtesy to at least shield us from her impressive cumshot. After she finished her climax she sighed happily in the afterglow as the shield spell vanished. “Oh~ it’s been so long since anyone has been intelligent enough to properly stimulate me.”

“Well that’s...an odd fetish. Not that I’m going to throw stones.” I scratched my head as I shuddered from the smell of her semen in the sand and wanted that pole in me. I think if I went to full size I might be able to fit it in.

“Really? It’s so huge!” Daring declared in astonishment at the very idea.

We could.

“Not you too Svartr!” Daring whined in disagreement.

“Um, that wasn’t me…” Svartr’s words were concerning, but whatever, I know for sure I could use my slime body to get that six-foot tall mass of masculine meat into me!

“So what are you going to do now that we’ve claimed the treasure?” Berserker questioned curiously which piqued my own interest in the subject.

“Follow you? I can make shields to hold against anything if I’m not being directly attacked by too many at once.” Briallia informed us factually.

“YES! Sphinx babies!” I cheered. “How are your people’s populations?” I blurted out before Daring could cover my mouth.

“Population? Oh! No, Sphinxes are not natural creatures. We’re flesh golems infused with spirits and given a task. My task is done though, so I guess I’m free to do what I want with my mistresses no longer able to give me new ones.” Briallia’s words worried me greatly.

“You can feel free to follow us to the last fort. Willow can help you with that lust.” Berserker said, pointing my way. “She’s creating Purifier Pools to help those that can be saved.”

“While the physical changes will stay, you will be purified,” I told her as I stared at her shrinking pole with interest. I really want that in me! I want that spiky thing in me!

Hunter opened the chest while I was distracted with the nude giantess’ body. He brought out two gunsen war-fans and what looked like a staff. The last item to come out was a longbow covered in pyromancy stones. If these were reverse-engineered…

“Hm, not bad.” Berserker commented. “Although not my sort of weapons and that’s only because I don’t know how to use them.”

“It’s not like they would have had guns.” I chuckled at him as I took the bow. “So we keep them?” I put my fingers on the drawstring and instinctively knew how to use it like with the guns and other weapons I’d picked up. Pfft, Undead might as well all be Gandalfr.

“Only if you know how to channel their fire. They’re Pyromancy weapons, right? Do you know how to conjure up fire?” Berserker rhetorically asked, because he clearly already knew my answer.

“No, not really?” I sheepishly said as Daring rolled our eyes, unseen since they were whited-out.

“What are your stats?” Berserker asked as he picked up the staff and had a look at it.

“Soul Level 96: 1,763,636 Soul Units Spent. 40 Strength, 40 Dexterity, 29 Vigor, 26 Endurance, the rest: 10. I’ve been meaning to level up my intelligence.” I chuckled sheepishly.

“Focus on that along with your Vigor and Endurance.” Berserker told me before the staff he was holding caught fire. At least the head of it lit up on fire. That made me blink in even more confusion. As for Berserker, he looked at the fire in a...conflicting manner? “...Dammit.”

“What?” I asked as we stowed the other weapons on our persons. Into tit-space with you bow. I might never have a use for you, but infinite storage calls to my hoarding gamer ways!

“I’m not one to use magic. It shouldn’t even be possible for me.” Berserker huffed as the fire died out and he stowed it in his fancy utility belt. “Tell me, have any of you heard of an artifact called The Alicorn Amulet?”

“Oh yes. It’s one of the most dangerous artefacts in Equestria. Princess Twilight had to duel a unicorn possessed by it and won with guile rather than power.” Daring told him as we all started walking again. Briallia had joined us and was chatting up ahead with Sabrina as she led us onward, the giantess letting Sabrina sit on her left shoulder. Now we have a guide and a lookout!

“Let’s just say that back home I did something that could’ve ended my life. I destroyed the amulet. The power within it was immense, it could put you on equal grounds with an Alicorn, but the drawback is that it corrupts the wearer’s mind. So I thought to myself, instead of just hiding the damn thing it should be destroyed before someone who knows their shit gets their hands on it.” Berserker informed us, which seemed to be a bit of a tangent considering-ah.

“That led to you getting magic.” I connected the dots before slowing down at the sight of Briallia getting on her hands and knees, crawling towards a dune ahead with Sabrina on top of her head. Briallia is an optional futa? Good Goddess this is a sexy sight!

“That was incredibly stupid.” Daring told him as she too ogled the thicc booty being presented by the giantess trying not to be seen by what must be the fort over the next dune.

“I agree.” Svartr said with a shake of our head.

“Yes. When I tried to crush it the amulet tried to resist. It made enticing promises and used raw magical force to stop me, but when it became obvious I wasn’t going to let it go, it decided to use me as it’s catalyst even though I wasn’t wearing it. Damn cheating little...” Berserker sighed before continuing on. “Thankfully I was strong already or my body would’ve exploded with all that raw power suddenly being crammed into me. However, despite all that I’m still no mage.”

“Well hopefully you can put a magic staff to work.” I chuckled lightly as we got closer to Briallia’s sexy presented booty. “So what’s the verdict Sabrina?!” I called up to her where she was still perched on Briallia’s head between her ears.

Briallia helped Sabrina down and she laid down in the sand behind the dune properly. “It’s much more secure than I remember. The walls are easily twice the size in width and length over the previous three forts. It is also situated against a shallow cliff with a smaller tower atop the cliff. The only reason we haven’t been spotted already is because Bree is hiding her huge ass behind the dune.” Sabrina declared playfully with a pat of Briallia’s thigh.

“Hey~...I’m not fat…” Briallia was blushing heavily and squirming self-consciously.

“So there’s no point in bothering to be sneaky about it.” Berserker stated sensibly as he crawled up the dune, the rest of us following aside from Briallia who slowly edged up against the roughly 15 foot tall dune of sand. “Yeah, they’ve got their angles covered. We’d be best off blitzing it.”

“Well then we’d best-.” The rest of my sentence was interrupted by an arrow being caught by Hunter mere inches from my face, sending me almost falling backward if my tails didn’t keep me upright. Fuck! Considering the angle of it I think...no, Svartr thinks, it came from the lookout tower. Holy shit that is scarily accurate at that distance! But why fire a measly arrow though? The other forts had catapults and ballista.

Hunter examined the arrow before he looked directly at the lookout tower, telling me Svartr was right. He unsheathed two of his katana and held them pommel to pommel. The swords transformed into a massive longbow in a shimmer of light, but before he could return fire a whole volley of arrows began hailing upon us with impressive accuracy.

Sabrina covered us with a dome of sand as Hunter took the arrow that was fired at me and glared his lupine eyes at it. The moment the hail of arrows stopped pelting the dome Sabrina dropped it with some exhaustion and the moment she did Hunter notched the enemy’s arrow and fired it back, signing something to Berserker.

“Shit! That was a target arrow!” At Berserker’s translation we all looked at the arrows the enemy had pelted Sabrina’s shield with. Several of them like the first had red fletching unlike the dull brown of the others. “Charge!” Berserker declared and we leaped over the dune to run for the fort as arrows, ballista spears, and even rocks launched at where we’d just been hiding behind the dune.