Chapter 103: A Fuzzy Development

It was still pitch black as Ann woke, eyes fluttering open. Rosalyn was still there, her soft thighs cushioning her head. The poor Druid looked exhausted. Her white hair and horns caught the magical street lights, giving her an angelic look. Maybe a little demonic, what with the black void that was her skin.

“Why didn’t you nap?” Ann asked, lips pulling back in a yawn, sharp teeth exposed to the air.

“Tried. Just really worried and couldn’t,” Rosalyn replied.

“Nothing to be worried about if Bren isn’t. Looks like he got some sleep,” Ann pointed out, rolling to nod at the stirring healer.

“Yeah, but this kind of thing just isn’t rational, you know? Just, what if all that blood on you started changing things again and someone didn’t notice or the rest of stuff and things and I guess I am being kinda overly worried, aren’t I?”

Ann laughed, then reached a hand up and stroked Rosalyn’s cheek. “That’s my girl. I love you.”

“Love you too. We should probably get moving, though. Lucia’s been keeping watch while the three of you napped. We still have to go to the core, too.”

Ann sat up, cursing the Gods that she had to leave Rosalyn’s thighs. She’d get back between them as soon as she could. Kat was still laying there, sprawled, with her head on her pack, and snoring. “Have I ever said how supremely jealous I am that she can do that?”

“What, sleep?” Lucia asked.

“Not just that, but how she sleeps wherever she wants and as deeply as she does. You should see what we have to do to get her up most mornings.”

“You fuck her?”

“Only sometimes,” Ann said, then grinned as Lucia looked away. Nah, push that later. “Other mornings we’ve pushed her off the bed, tickled, and one time we almost got her all the way into the bathtub.”

Lucia let out a low whistle. “Impressive.”

“Cute too,” Rosalyn said, shifting over to pat Kat’s head. “Come on, sleepy-ears. Let’s get somewhere else so we can really sleep.”

“Not mornin’ yet,” Kat mumbled.

“Yeah, no, but we’ve gotta get to the core and get out of the Seed. Come on,” Rosalyn chided, lifting Kat’s head.

“Fiiine,” Kat groaned, sitting up effortlessly. “Too short a nap.”

“Yeah, but that’s what a nap is supposed to be, dummy. Short,” Rosalyn laughed, patting the sleepy princess’ back.

“Am I the last to wake?” Bren asked, elbowing himself upright. “That is a first. How are you two feeling?”

“Shit.”

“Shite.”

“As expected,” Bren sighed. “I can not heal everything. Your wounds are closed, and it is likely just residual soreness. Ann, you still need to deal with the Core, but Kat, please take it easy.”

“Take it as easy as I can,” Kat said, giving him a cocky grin, then wincing as she stood. “Yeah, that’s gonna hurt. Alright, anyone figure out where the Core is?”

“Up there,” Lucia said, pointing almost directly up.

Ann craned her neck back, up and up, until she saw at the very top of the skyscraper a swirling white glow.

“Please tell me the elevators are working now,” Ann pleaded.

Thankfully they were. They still creaked, groaned, and shook in an intensely unnerving way, but the rhythmic dings kept going. The car didn’t fall. Hells, there was even a magical facsimile of elevator music.

“This was normal?” Lucia asked. She looked even more uncomfortable than Ann, and Ann had to hunch slightly to fit in the lift.

“Yeah. We had a ton of buildings that needed these, and they were required for people who couldn’t walk.” The elevator lurched again. “Though they didn’t do that.”

“I would hope not!” Bren groaned, white knuckling the handrail set around the inside of the elevator.

Finally, the final ding sounded, and the doors ground open. They stepped out onto the roof of the skyscraper. It was wider than any other roof Ann had been on. Flat, with a section marked off with a wire fence that twisted in odd patterns. Looking past it, they could see nests for the harpies nearer the edges. In the centre was a building with glass windows on each wall, the Core inside shining brightly. A bright red metal door was the only entrance they could find.

“I really hope this one doesn’t throw me away,” Ann grumbled. Going through glass wasn’t high on her list of things to do.

“Let’s get this over with. Lucia, ye can stay outside if ye want,” Kat offered.

“No. Am part of this. Will watch,” Lucia said, opening the door for them.

The Core was like every other one so far. Swirling black liquid coating the blindingly white orb, casting strange patterns on the floor and ceiling.

“Done this three times. Why am I still anxious about this?” Ann asked, shaking the nerves from her body.

“Maybe because it hurts every time?” Rosalyn offered.

“Right. Well, let’s see what fucked up skill I get this time.” Ann extended her hand, then pulled it back, took off the gauntlet, and repeated the motion. Better not to test if the weapon could handle this level of power.

As her fingers brushed the surface, black ink latched on to her hand. Pain surged up her arm. Veins turned black as the power rushed into her. Her teeth grit and she tasted blood.

“please…” a voice whispered. She wasn’t imagining it this time, and she held on to that. Through the pain, through the roaring in her ears, she could hear someone. It was so quiet.

Ann, of course, went flying. Kat and Lucia thankfully caught her before she flew through the window and set her on the floor.

“Ye flew,” Kat chuckled.

“Yeah, I kinda noticed,” Ann grumbled, lifting her hand to inspect it. As always, the black veins receded, corruption clearing quickly once she lost contact with the Core. She wiggled her fingers, extended her claws, just to check and make sure everything was working right.

The change wasn’t immediately noticeable. Not until the fur got to her hips. “Oh, what the fuck?” Ann gasped, lifting her kilt. Fur was now covering the entirety of her legs and still going, filling in over her pelvis.

Ann groaned as a pain seared in her groin. Her hands cupped her junk as she doubled over, howling as something shifted inside her. She felt her genitals move. Her cock twinged painfully, muscles and blood vessels writhing as they morphed into whatever the Warp was changing her to be. Finally, the agony faded.

Out of breath and drenched in sweat, she pushed herself up to look down. Dark grey fur now covered just over her hip bones, dipping down towards her groin in the front. Reaching back, she confirmed that it now covered her ass as well, stopping just as it met her tail.

That didn’t account for the pain, though. With terror in her heart, Ann lifted her underwear and saw… nothing? Just a fluffier portion of fur underneath. Did I just lose my cock? She thought, bewildered.

“The feck happened? Ye alright? Oh, what the?” Kat gasped, looking down her kilt with her. “Where’d yer cock go?”

“WHAT?” Rosalyn cried, lunging at Ann’s crotch and pulling the underwear down. Sure enough, it was just fur. “I don’t believe it.” The druid started prodding at the fur, moving it around.

Her fingers found something and Ann moaned, then watched as her cock slowly emerged from the fur. It was still… normal? Kinda? It just apparently had a sheath now. She’d drawn something like that before on commission, but to have it be on her was definitely an odd image. Eventually, the full thing slid out, all eleven inches, and that is when the other change became apparent. Two bulbous nodules at the base.

She had a fucking knot.

“I… what the fuck?” Ann grumbled, looking at the new additions to her anatomy.

“The feck is that shite?” Kat asked, prodding at the swollen flesh at the base.

“Can you explore that later? Please?” Bren asked, having turned away and was facing the wall. Lucia was right beside him, looking like she desperately wanted to be anywhere else but in this room.

“Yeah, sorry,” Ann said, pulling her newly knotted cock away from her girlfriends. As the attention faded, she felt it soften, then retract back into the sheath, hiding in her fur. It was uncomfortable for now, but she figured she’d get used to it. “At least this means I can wear tight pants again,” she laughed.

“Aww, not gonna show of yer trouser snake to everyone?” Kat teased.

“Bren asked nicely,” Rosalyn chided their horny princess. “What did you get for your skill?”

Ann flicked open the swirling black box at the edge of her vision.

Warping Increased!

You have absorbed a tiny portion of the corrupting forces affecting the Seeds of the Gods. This will allow mutability of the flesh. The more you absorb, the stronger the effects will be.

Current Choices Available:

Dental Modification:

Gain control of the size and configuration of your teeth! Make them grow longer or shorter by your will. Currently limited to terrestrial creatures.

Follicular Manipulation:

Gain control and manipulation of your hair. It may move or shift under your control. Strength is dependent of the length of, as well as the health of your hair and fur. Current carry weight: 15 lbs.

“So, seems like not taking an option, at least for now, keeps it available,” Ann pondered. “The hair skill just got stronger, too. The other one is about my teeth? I get to make them whatever I want and however big I want them? Seems really weird.”

“So ye can ‘ave massive chompers?” Kat laughed. “Dinnae the point tae tha’.”

“I mean, you see how I fight. Might help to bite things, I guess,” Ann shrugged.

“Skills built around biting would be cool, too,” Rosalyn pointed out. “I mean, you haven’t really gotten anything about your claws, but maybe Orenous is just front-loading you with her stuff?”

“That could be possible. The Folicular Manipulation is still intriguing,” Bren said. “If it stays around, I would suggest it be your next choice, provided you do not take it now.”

“Hair?” Lucia asked.

“Oh, right, you haven’t seen it. I can make my hair grow and fall out however I want, change the colour, all that.”

“Stranger every day. What else?” Lucia asked, taking a seat against the wall.

“Not much, just control over my fertility. Virility? I can choose whether or not I make kids either way.”

Lucia just grunted, taking the news surprisingly well. Ann watched her face and thought she saw a bit of a blush, but wasn’t sure in the swirling light.

“Got two levels off that, too. Huzzah nineteen!” Ann cheered tiredly. She was starting to feel the weight of the past day, even with the nap.

“We might as well figure that part out now. Since we have privacy, we don’t have to worry about people overhearing,” Rosalyn said, sitting down. “Let’s see. I got a utility spell? Or a large increase to my Mind. The utility is sort of a slow fall thing. Doesn't cost much, but might be useful, especially with how much Ann gets sent flying.’

“I’ll be fine,” Ann laughed. “You should probably take the Mind increase. Gives you more time before potions, right?”

“I have been stretching things,” Rosalyn nodded. “Yeah. I’ll get something more useful later. A bigger pool for magic is always good no matter what. Done!”

“Awesome. I got somethin’ kinda borin’. More stat increases. Health or… mind? The feck do I want mind fer?”

“Really?” Bren asked, looking surprised. “Your path has never asked for that before. It is odd that it would give you the stat that you can not use. I wonder what that would be about?”

“Eh, I’m not feckin’ takin’ somethin’ I can’t use,” Kat shrugged. “Health it be. What about ye, Bren? Ye just got the health monitorin’ thing.”

“I got another stat increase as well, to my Intelligence, but I will be taking the second option. It allows me to refund a portion of my Absorption back into Mind. It will allow me to heal for longer in situations where shielding is not necessary.”

“Guess that’s fair,” Ann said, mulling it over. “Though more powerful heals means less you need to use it. Either way, they’re good options.”

“So, you haven’t shared what yours are,” Rosalyn said, poking an elbow into Ann’s side. “Come on, I’m interested. Don’t keep your girlfriend waiting too long.”

“Fine,” Ann sighed dramatically, though she was grinning widely. She opened her options for the level up. One was her level 19 stat increase, tossed immediately into Dexterity. She took a moment to look at her Libido stat. Closer and closer to being able to go two full days without needing to fuck. Not that she ever would, but the option was nice.

She pulled her skill choices next.

Congratulations! Your Path has advanced!

Warrior of Orenous (19)

Please choose from one of the following:

Sharper Claws:

Attacks made with your claws allow you to deal an addition 60% of your Dexterity per strike.

Unseen Strike:

Cost: Increase Libido by 25. While hidden from your target, your first action will have increased effectiveness. The target must be fully unaware of your presence.

“Ooh, more stealth stuff,” Ann whistled. “Like, the sharper claws are fun, but the Unseen Strike synergises with Fade Away. I’m definitely taking that.”

“It’s also vague about its use,” Kat pointed out. “Doesn’t say it has tae be an attack. Could be ye sneakin’ up an’ ticklin’ someone.”

“True,” Ann nodded. “At the very least, it’ll be helpful when fighting. I’m definitely picking it up.”

“Alright, ye gonna share Lucia?” Kat asked.

“If it’s alright, no?” Lucia said. “No offence. Not comfortable.”

It was a pretty personal choice to share this stuff, Ann remembered. They’d all gotten pretty comfortable sharing and discussing it, but Lucia was brand new to the group, and far less open than Rosalyn was.

“Well, did you at least get some levels? Tell us that much,” Rosalyn prodded.

“Yes. Strange, though,” Lucia muttered. “Got three. More than ever.”

The other four looked between each other, nodding.

“What? Expected?”

“Not really expected, but suspected,” Ann shrugged. “One of my skills is an experience bonus. It might be trying to catch you up, even though it doesn’t seem to say anything about that. Maybe that’s Orenous. I don’t fucking know.”

“Still, is a gift,” Lucia nodded.

“Well, happy to give you a hand. So, anyone see anything dropped off for us?” Ann asked, looking around.

Bren cracked the door, then pushed it open. “Here!”

This time, instead of a bag, it was a small crate. Completely average, it stood out for how normal it looked in the slightly off world that was the city. Made of wood, nails holding the lid shut, and a note stapled to the top.

Bren tore the note free and read it aloud.

Dear Annita and Friends,

Welcome to what was once a great city of eld. I hope you enjoyed your stay. I do know that things are not like I left them, and from what I’ve heard the mortals saying, the residents have become somewhat unfriendly. In this brief glance back into my domain I am sad to say their words held truth. Oh the people and animals that my once great city held. A tragedy.

Annita, I understand you were from this time. I did try my best to maintain accuracy over the centuries before my control of the Seed was wrested from me, but I would be thrilled to hear your feedback as someone who has actually lived there. I don’t know if we could speak, or when, but I would be absolutely delighted.

Anyways, gifts! Gifts for the brave heroes who are doing their best to siphon this foul corruption from our domains.

For Annita, a cup. A cup that will refill on command with a drink I think you will find familiar. Don’t lose it!

For Bren, wise scholar, a map. I am not quite sure the purpose of this specific map, but it was in several places in the city when I returned to my lands. Perhaps you will be able to decipher it.

For Katlyn, brave protector. Dear, your armour needs some upgrades. You need to protect your legs. Some of the highest quality steel I could get my hands on for you. It is already infused to be lighter than normal, so any blacksmith should be thrilled to use it.

For Rosalyn, fearsome storm. I give to you a silver band for one of your horns. It is enchanted to allow you one free usage of one of your spells per day. You must choose what that spell is in the morning, though. Miss it and you’re flat out of luck, so best not forget!

Finally, Lucia. You seem to be a new addition to the group! I haven’t heard anything about you. A quick glance tells me you’re one of Bryltia’s. The city really doesn’t have much in the way of natural things. One thing we do have plenty of is glass. The purest, clearest I could find. I think it might make a fine medium to enhance your rifle.

That is all the time (and paper) I have. Farewell, and please don’t be shy.

Your Divine Fan,

Tym

Well, Ann thought, this God was wordy.

Kat had already prised the lid off the crate and was pulling their gifts from within, handing them out.

Ann took her cup and cocked an eyebrow as she turned it in her hands. It was more of a mug. Ceramic, and coloured red with no other markings.

“Uh, fill up?” she said, holding the cup away from herself, just in case.

Brown liquid filled the bottom, welling up until just below the lip. Steam wafted above it in lazy ripples. Ann took a deep breath.

“Oh my fucking god, it’s coffee,” she gasped.

“Just coffee?” Kat asked, packing her ingots of steel away.

“No, no. This is coffee from my time. This was my favourite before the chain went to shit. They changed who supplied their stuff, and it was never the same. Welcome back, caffeine addiction,” Ann laughed, sipping at the cup.

“As long as yer happy,” Kat chuckled. “Alright, that’s business wrapped up ‘ere. Let’s get the feck out o’ this Seed.”