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All comments and critiques are welcomed here and on my Google Docs(https://drive.google.com/open?id=1cK8OXhmhId7vR6__T1V-oUhFEAllGz0aY9m4Q2op-fE) For other chapters, I will post them on here later. But you can find the archives on my FA and Tumblr with pics included. FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/ecchimultiverse/ Tumblr: http://ecchimultiverse.tumblr.com/ For first looks and more illustrations, check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ecchimultiverse First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PATRONS: SPECTRI, NO NAME, & ENGLISCE NAMAN All comments and critiques are welcomed here and on my Google Docs(https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Z51Gh7qvdbt2g0xxPepOhEizpaHRkVtVWEauhe_3hS4) For other chapters, I will post them on here later. But you can find the archives on my FA and Tumblr with pics included. FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/ecchimultiverse/ Tumblr: http://ecchimultiverse.tumblr.com/ For first looks and more illustrations, check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ecchimultiverse First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PATRONS: SPECTRI, NO NAME, & ENGLISCE NAMAN Chapter 25: The Royal Burning Dim sunlight cascaded through the glass windows; illuminating the structure Marvelous Man stood in. It seemed to be a hallway within a castle, and from the muscle demigod’s deduction, styled from England’s medieval era. The walls were completely comprised of stone, and the floors were made out of old wooden planks. As the hulking bodybuilder shifted about to survey the new area, the floor beneath did not groan under his massive weight. He then continued further down the hall and noticed on his right a painting. The size of the canvas was bigger than the musclebound superhero; its height nearly touching the ground and ceiling, and the width stretching slightly beyond Marvelous Man’s immense shoulders. It was the painting of a family clothed in royal attire. The family size consisted of a king, queen, an elder princess, and a young prince. The entire family carried the same neutral facial expression with cheeks flushed in a rosy color and eyes an emerald green. The tapping of gentle steps echoed behind the hulking bodybuilder. Turning around, he spotted a man walking towards him. The man appeared exactly same as the king in the painting; complete with royal gowns and a golden crown atop the head. But the most distinguishing features to Marvelous Man was the cape and skin. The cape was the exact same shade of red and lining of white fur as the Skeleton Lord’s. The skin was a deathly pale white; the same as the ancient villain before Sugar Skull’s poison. But instead of having the physique of just skin and bones, this king still seemed healthy and slightly plump. Marvelous Man then noted that despite this king having a more meaty figure, this ruler seemed much older and with sunken cheeks than the royal highness in the painting. It was obvious to the muscle demigod who this king is...Or rather, who this king used to be. Marvelous Man bowed at the king, “Uh, hello!...Your highness!” The king said nothing, as he continued moving forward. With the gap between this royal majesty and the muscle demigod coming to a close, Marvelous Man looked up from the bow and immediately stood up straight. Making way for the king, the hulking bodybuilder shifted his weight and braced his back against the hallway wall. The king passed by without flicking an eye towards the musclebound superhero. Marvelous Man then mentally questioned as to why this person was not staring at him. Especially since he appeared to have broken into a castle and is a muscled giant nearly scraping his head against the ceiling. Marvelous Man flung his arms out with urgency, as he felt his sense of balance being temporarily misplaced. He knew there was a wall behind him, but his senses perceived the muscle demigod to be pinning against thin air. Leaning forward, he regained stability over his massive body. Marvelous Man turned around to discover, the cause. The wall he turned to face appeared to lose shape; slightly dissipating into the same whisping blackness as Digz’s essence. A second later, the affected parts of the wall his body had touched morphed back to its original shape. Marvelous Man’s mind then flashed back to minutes ago when he asked Digz a question and was instantly swallowed by the black fog. He remembered what Digz had said about Gene being spirited away to a memory. The musclebound superhero connected the dots and deducted he was in an illusion similar Puzzles’ smoke illusions; though appearing much less stable than the smoke imp’s when confronted with physical contact. He realized he could walk out of this memory at any time...But that would waste the golden opportunity he was given to understand the Skeleton Lord. Marvelous Man chased after the king, who was now reaching the end of the hall and entering another room. The hulking bodybuilder entered in after the Skeleton Lord’s past version; ducking his head underneath the doorway out of instinct. He then gazed about at the new room he stood in; the furnishing giving the area an identity to be some sort of war room. Weapons of different shapes and sizes hung against the walls. On the other side of the room was a fireplace still lit with some logs. The soft glow from the fireplace illuminated a wooden table in the center of the room. Atop the furniture was a map; sprawled out and completely covering the tabletop with miniature figures on the map. The king shuffled over to the fireplace. His eyes watched the wood inside of it almost completely digested into ash by the fire. The past Skeleton Lord spoke up, “The healers should have finished painting the runes on our volunteers by now. It should be fine to begin our ritual now.” Marvelous Man heard a familiar voice reply; sounding as if it were held underwater. The musclebound superhero tried to locate the emanation but could not seem to place the echo’s origin. “We do this every week, yet I see no reason as to why we take these precautions. They’ll eventually die, so let me just drink in all their mana. It’s not like the people will leave,” said Digz. The voice echoed as if it were in Marvelous Man’s own head, rather than bouncing around somewhere in the room. The muscle demigod gave up trying to find Digz and decided to focus his attention on the dialogue. The king chuckled, “But they can. Or worse, turn traitor. We have many enemies that would love to see me killed and seize my kingdom...Though I suppose many, many, many have tried already. Hm, I’ve lost count of all the times I have been stabbed and poisoned for you to put me back together.” “The point is, one that has grand responsibility over the lives of their people must project themselves as salvation. Many would follow or go as far as die for their ruler, if the ruler appears to be the ultimate answer to all their woes. And if all they have to do to guarantee their safety is for one day out of the week to allow a selected hundreds for their mana to be drained, then it would seem like a fair trade,” he continued. Marvelous Man walked over to the past Skeleton Lord, while the conversation continued. Digz hissed, “They will turn on you one day because they want my power. You’ll see! You should never have told the people about how you obtained the power over bones.” The king sighed, as he continued to stare into the fire. “Such the optimist, you are. I know you want to avoid reliving the same event that had befallen to Kenelm, but it does not mean that it will happen to us, my old friend. Our subjects are loyal to us, lest they have some radical ideal of heroism that somehow makes us the evil ones,” he remarked. Digz harrumphed, “Then I shall observe your so-called subjects before we begin.” The scenery around Marvelous Man exploded into whisping blackness. A second later, the detonated darkness reversed itself. Digz’s essence sucked back into place, but it seemed to reformat itself into something new. Grass and mud materialized on the ground, and small huts made of sticks and straw appeared near the muscle demigod. A fog, similar to Digz’s fog in Marvelous Man’s current era, had taken over the scenery and clouded any other structures in the distance. Digz then materialized his incomplete form in front of the hulking bodybuilder. Marvelous Man did not know how, but it seemed as if the corrupted imp faced his nonexistent head towards one of the huts closest to the Skeleton Lord familiar. Digz’s voice rumbled from the blackness rising out of his neck. “I know you’re there! You cannot stop the ritual my dark master is about to commence,” he boomed. Silence drifted in the fog for a second before the stirring of footsteps echoed. The sounds of multiple people drew closer to Marvelous Man. From out of the fog revealed what appeared to be a small troupe of adventurers; led by a woman in silver armor. The leader brandished her sword at the imp, “Still thy words, evil creature! I will not tolerate your tauntings any longer. For we heroes shall triumph against your Skeleton Lord.” “Now tell us where your king resides in the castle, so we may slay him. Lest all your jeer has been naught for distraction, and your dark master is not as powerful as you say he is,” continued the leader. Digz voice became catty, “Oh, I have no intention of telling you that. Lest I make things too easy and assure my lord’s defeat. That would make me a traitor. But I suggest you make your choice immediately. For we begin now.” The incomplete imp cackled, as the scenery exploded once again into whisping darkness. As before, the blackness sucked itself back into place and reformed the area into something new. The brick walls of the Skeleton Lord’s castle appeared around Marvelous Man, while Digz emerged in front of the muscle demigod once again. The area seemed to be in another part of the castle but more well-illuminated due to the oil lanterns lining the walls. With a flick of his feathery wrist, a wand made of bone emerged out of thin air. The corrupted familiar took grasp of the wand before making his way down the lit corridor. He playfully tapped the white wand against the walls, while his bird-like feet softly echoed against the wooden floor. Marvelous Man made sure to follow the creature; not wanting to be left behind and accidentally leave the memory. With nothing else happening but the incomplete imp wandering around corners of the castle, he had a moment to think. He had assumed he was going to be viewing the Skeleton Lord’s memory, but what he had seen led to a different conclusion. His train of thoughts soon came to an end, as Digz slowed his pattering footsteps. Digz came to a stop upon turning into another branch of the castle. Marvelous Man spotted a room in front of them that seemed to be a room for solitary activities. A small fireplace on the side of the room was lit with a strong fire; crackling loudly. At a table in the center, there sat three humans draped in royal clothing: one of them appearing to be a queen, an elder princess, and a prince. Marvelous Man noticed the three individuals looked exactly like the family painting he had seen earlier, but their skin had the same ghostly paleness as the Skeleton Lord’s. Marvelous Man’s eyes then took notice and drifted to the figures huddled around the royal family. It was a small squad of armored skeletons that looked similar to the skeletons the muscle demigod fought in the first encounter with the Skeleton Lord. They were equipped with the same kind of foreboding, black armor but appeared to look more durable and had a dark shine to it. As Digz waddled into the room, the bone soldiers, standing between Digz and the royals, faced their heads down towards the corrupted familiar. The minions stepped aside; creating a pathway before resuming their sentry position. The royal family looked over to where the incomplete imp stood, as the skeletons’ armor clanged from movement. Immediately standing up, the queen extended her hand outward in an attempt to shield her children. “Have you come to torment us some more with your vile words, imp? I hope you come with new material, as talks of our worthlessness and your ‘gift’ of immortality to us have become stale,” said her majesty. Digz chuckled, “My, is that wit I detect? You sure have acquired quite the gumption, since our previous encounter.” The queen’s face showed no emotion; frozen like a plain doll. Marvelous Man wondered how long she and her children endured Digz’s harassment. “Only because I realized that you will take no further action beyond the threat of bringing harm to my children were I to speak to my husband about what you have said to me. Beyond that, you cannot truly hurt us,” she said. The incomplete imp replied, “And I’m sure you would like to keep it that way. But I’m here to give you what your family has always wanted.” “Which is?” questioned the queen. “Freedom,” answered Digz, “To be broken of the shackles of this accursed life. That is what you and your children want, yes? I know of how you three are miserable with existing the same way for centuries.” The royal highness’s face broke into confusion. Her feet slightly shifted backwards. She inquired, “And what sort of trickery do you play now?...I see...But know that inflicting pain on others will only relieve your own for a brief moment. I suppose Kenelm would be most disappointed in how pitiful you have made use of the gift he had bestowed to you.” Digz pointed his bone wand at the queen. The white item extended itself; immediately reaching the Skeleton Lord’s wife. The pointed end stopped just before it could puncture her throat. “Mother!” shouted the children. The incomplete imp shouted, “DO NOT SAY HIS NAME! How does a wench like you even know of him?! Alden has never talked to you without my presence! I’ve made sure of that!” The queen’s face morphed back into her frozen, neutral expression, and her eyes becoming cold once more. “It is true that I cannot speak to my husband without your supervision, but I have my ways. Perhaps you have forgotten already of my own power that lent to our victory over this kingdom,” she stated. Digz retracted his wand, “Hmph. Reading the castle’s past might have given you excellent gossip, but it does not help you control the future I have prepared. Now come. Let me direct you all to your freedom.” The corrupted familiar turned away and proceeded out of the room. The skeleton soldiers from behind the royal children and queen nudged the family forward. Marvelous Man followed the group exiting from the room and down the twisting corridors of the castle’s hallways. The musclebound superhero had a clear idea of what Digz’s relationship was like with the Skeleton Lord and the rest of the family. He then wondered what the incomplete imp’s talk of freedom was but became fearful that it was nothing more than an insidious conclusion. In his heart, Marvelous Man continued to hope it was not the outcome he supposed it could be. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The travel through the stone architecture continued for minutes before stopping at a set of doors. Marvelous Man noticed that the doors stood taller than himself and had a set of large, metal rings as the knobs. Two of the skeleton soldiers stepped forward and pushed open the doors. As the doors groaned to a stop, a spacious library revealed itself to the group. The row of armored skeletons behind the noble family pushed the relatives inside. The three royals stumbled forward before regaining their steps. Turning around, the family faced the incomplete imp and the small troupe of skeleton warriors. As the mother began to mouth words, Digz’s soldiers retrieved the oil lanterns hanging on the walls. The skeletal minions then threw the lanterns; shattering glass and oil against the rows of books, furniture, and the entrance. Flames of red and orange were born instantly from the spilled lantern oil and began to feast on wood and paper. The family stood paralyzed with their eyes gazing at the growing fire about them, while the skeleton soldiers closed the library doors shut. Muffled screams echoed from behind the wooden doors; pleading for help. One of the armored minions stepped forward and placed their skeleton arm through the door’s large, metal handle loops. Digz swished his bone wand at the soldier; causing the arm in the door’s handle to break off from the skeleton. The detached arm then gripped its other end to form a loop and chain the library doors from opening. Marvelous Man’s eyes bulged at the inhuman treatment. He reached out to grab the skeletal chain...but his hand phased through smoke instead. The hulking bodybuilder’s eyes began to well up with tears. He knew that this was an illusion showing a past memory...but he could not help himself. Marvelous Man wished he could have been there to save that family; regardless of how impossible time magic was. The skeleton soldiers departed from the scenery in different directions. Some of the boney minions stopped at the wall-mounted lanterns; only to pick it up and smash it on the wooden flooring. The bushes of flames grew throughout the hallways and seemed to be extending throughout the castle with the armored skeletons’ assistance. The scenery then exploded into smoke before reforming into the war room the Skeleton Lord resided in. Marvelous Man looked about, but could not find the incomplete imp. He then heard the room echo with Digz’s voice. “ALDEN! COME QUICK! WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” shouted the familiar. The Skeleton Lord looked up from the fireplace he stared at. He called out, “What?! Where?!” “The castle! They’ve set it ablaze to smoke you out!” replied Digz. The Skeleton Lord scurried over to a window from the other side of the war room. As he did so, eight spider-like legs made of bone extended beneath the king’s robes. Two of the boney limbs lunged at the window; shattering through the glass and anchoring onto the outer brick wall of the castle. Alden commanded, “Get the skeletons to escort my family to safety.” The skeletal spider legs hoisted the Skeleton Lord through the window. Marvelous Man gave a slight gasp, as the scenery yanked him outside the castle and floating high up in the air. Had this been real and the hulking bodybuilder not transformed, the fall of five stories would most certainly have crushed and killed Justice Starr. Upon dangling the king outside by the boney limbs, the white spider-like legs scampered across the wall. Black smoke could be seen pouring out of the other windows alongside the brick siding. Marvelous Man had difficulty spotting the difference from the fire’s smoke and Digz’s whisping essence blanketing the kingdom. Even high above, the muscle demigod could not see the sky nor sun. “I can’t feel them anymore! I fear they may have been attacked by the invaders already!” lied Digz. As the Skeleton Lord darted around a corner and reached the front of the smoking castle, the wall he crawled on exploded with a deafening boom. Five of the boney limbs broke from the king’s body; splintering off with chunks of bricks that were big or had been immediately blasted into dust. Marvelous Man could almost feel the sudden burst of wind and heat buffeting against his own smooth skin. Seconds of falling towards the ground quickly drifted by, while the three intact spider leg bones struggled to grasp at the air. Out of instinct, Marvelous Man raised his arms in front of his face in an effort to brace against impact. Alden slammed into ground. His body immediately sprayed the area with bits of his blood, while a wet crunch echoed from him. With barely a second passing, his body began to put itself back together. Bones snapped back into place and sinew reverting to where it previously was, while the Skeleton King slowly stood up on his knees. Chains made of shining light streamed from the fog. The animated links circled around the reforming Skeleton Lord before instantly squeezing in a tight ensnare. The three remaining spider limbs made of bone had no room to struggle, as they were pinned against Alden’s body by the chains of light. When the king gasped from the tight restraints, a small projectile ejected from the fog. The object was a grey slime that slapped against Alden’s mouth; sealing it shut in what Marvelous Man supposed was to prevent verbal spells. The muscle demigod then heard the Skeleton Lord speak again, but it carried the same echo as Digz’s voice when the incomplete imp was not visible. The voice of the Skeleton Lord screamed, “Digz! Release me from the binds!” “I can’t!” shouted Digz, “The magic in the binds prevents me!” Marvelous Man then realized the two were speaking to each other telepathically. It was now obvious that Digz could not be seen, because the incomplete imp had fused back into Alden. The musclebound superhero briefly wondered if Digz was lying about the magic binds due to the wicked betrayal that had happened earlier. A small group of humanoid figures exited the fog; revealing themselves to be the wandering heroes the corrupted familiar provoked. Marvelous Man saw that the group was still being led by the woman equipped in silver armor. He then noticed that behind the female leader were two men adorned in robes that covered their faces. The muscle demigod could see only the mouths were not covered and were constantly whispering towards the Skeleton Lord. It became apparent to Marvelous Man that the two were most likely wizards uttering incantations to maintain the magical chains. The leader spoke up, “Skeleton Lord! Your vile ways ends tonight! No longer shall you prey on this town!” The king tried to scream urgency, but it was muffled from the slime covering his mouth. The female knight looked down at Alden and gave a look of disgust. She then trudged towards the binded Skeleton Lord, while reaching for a sword tied to her waist. The leader drew the weapon from her scabbard; the blade gleaming like moonlight. “Digz!” mentally shouted the king. The incomplete imp replied, “I’m trying, but the spell is too strong!” The knight raised her blade. “Stealing the mana of this kingdom just to feed your own self-preservation. Such a sin is unforgiving, and such a sin you have sown. I take no pleasure in ending you. Only justice,” she said. The armored leader continued, “Your people put their trust in you, and you repay them with a devil’s deal. A deal to gift you the power to raise the dead. Tis not a wonder that the people frantically sing praise of you. Lest they be found disagreeing with you, killed by your hand, and raised for your appalling undead puppetry.” The Skeleton Lord conversed with his thoughts, as his eyes widened at the knight’s words. “What is she talking about Digz?! She knows only fragments of our ways! She misunderstands our people!” he exclaimed. Digz replied, “...Does she? I fear we have been betrayed.” The tone of the knight’s voice rose. Her body shifted to execute a swing with her sword. “And as for that demon every person here refers to as an imp,” she said, “They shall-” A white spike made of bone torpedoed out of the Skeleton Lord’s cloak. The spike collided into the leader’s face; echoing the collapse of her face with bone crunched and flesh shredded. With the force of the projectile lodged into the knight’s destroyed face, she flew backwards. She then landed limply, as her body tumbled to a stop upon reaching the feet of her wizards. Blood slowly oozed from around the bone spike. The group of heroes froze, as the wizards’ incantation became choked from shock. The chains of light that incapacitated the king shattered; pieces of the chain glittered in the air before fading. One of the boney spider legs attached to the Skeleton Lord extended itself towards its master. The limb then wiped away the slime sticking to Alden’s mouth with only a stroke. At the same time, the other skeletal extensions wedged themselves into the ground. The two spider legs pushed; assisting the Skeleton Lord into the air before placing him onto his feet. A second ticked by, while nobody made an attempt to move. Spikes made of bone erupted from the chests of the adventurers. Marvelous Man gripped his hands. Even if he could go back in time, he could not have prevented their deaths. The source of their deaths came from columns of bones erupting from the fog behind the heroes; immediate and unseen. Digz voice quickly echoed, “...I managed to overpower their binds in time!...What luck!” The Skeleton Lord stood in silence. His head then cocked in acknowledgement, as his eyes became horrified. “My family!” he exclaimed. He turned to the castle now heavily engulfed in flames. Black smoke escaped from every opening in the stone home. Marvelous Man’s heart sank at the scene before him. He wondered how long Digz had planned this deception for everything Alden loved to come crashing down in one fell swoop. The king shouted, “I...I don’t see them anywhere! We must go back inside to-” “No, we can’t!” replied Digz, “The fire has grown too big, and we’d surely perish if we tried to go in there! I can’t bring you back if there’s nothing left of you. Especially if my totem has been destroyed!” Alden fired back, “The cloak can protect it! Now come on!” The Skeleton Lord charged towards the burning architecture. “The Pilgrim Cloak only shields us from enchanted sight and cannot be taken off by others. That doesn’t mean the cloth is indestructible!” reasoned the corrupted familiar. The king said nothing, as he arrived at the castle entrance doors. A row of bone columns fell from above with a sharp whistle and landed in front of the Skeleton Lord; barricading the doors from him. Alden slammed his hands on the barricade. He screamed, “What are you doing, Digz?! Open the way!” “Alden, please! Listen to me! When I said I couldn’t feel them anymore, I wasn’t just talking about the skeletons...I can’t detect your family anywhere…” said Digz. Tears began to stream down the Skeleton Lord’s cheeks, while his lips quivered. The king continued to slam against the bone blockade. He exclaimed, “No, no, no, NO...It can’t be...Have to get in there!” Digz voice rose in an authoritative tone. “Look at this castle! It is completely engulfed in flames! They couldn’t have survived this, and neither will we if we sprint in there!” stated the incomplete imp. Alden sunk to his knees, “Then...then...you can bring them back! Right here, you can make them rise from the ground! Right? You said a long time ago about being able to resurrect, and, and…” The corrupted familiar sighed. His voice became softer. “Only when they’ve binded their soul to me, remember? None of your family members wanted their existence linked to my totem. Not even you. We never even gave time to testing it on your steeds,” corrected Digz. He continued, “I’m sorry, Alden. They’re gone. If they were in my presence as they perished, I could have saved them. But I didn’t see their disappearance until it was too late.” “No…”whimpered Alden, “What did I do wrong?” Marvelous Man now realized that this was the Skeleton Lord’s turning point. When the king had hit his lowest point and had nothing else to live for, he would believe anything just to feel better as any other person would. And for the Skeleton Lord, what Digz would say next would become the lifelong goal. The obsession that has killed so many people. Digz replied, “...You have done nothing wrong, Alden. It was everybody else that is.” “We were so happy having everything stay the same. You’re like a god! Your family had immortality, and you protected this kingdom from all invaders. This was our own corner of the world,” he continued. The muscle demigod felt as if the corrupted familiar had been practicing these very lines. Down to even the volume he used on certain pronunciations, Digz made his words seem they were of the gospel...And Alden drank it all up; his face dawning with the newly tainted enlightenment. The incomplete imp spat with disgust, “But then those ‘heroes’ came and ruined everything! All for what?! For glory?! For wealth?! Just because of what we can do, that makes us evil? What pathetic ignorance.” The Skeleton Lord nodded, as he wiped streaks of tears going down his face. The flow of his tears came to a halt, and his eyes seemed to become emotionally withdrawn. “Then...why didn’t our people stop them? If there was any doubt about our evil...surely the citizens would have corrected them, right?” he questioned. Digz did not reply, as seconds awkwardly ticked by. Alden gritted his teeth, “Why would they let them set fire to my home?! Why would they let those...heroes just walk right up to my home and destroy my family?! Do they still hate me deep down? WHY?!” The unseen familiar spoke up. “...I-I’m not sure anymore...Even though I said many negative things in the past, I just wanted to keep you aware of possibilities. I came to thinking the same as you because I believed you knew your people…” he answered. The king gripped the ground, “...You were right...You always are.” “Feared our power, jealous of it...It doesn’t matter. They have betrayed us. They’re not my people anymore. They have burned away all the benevolence that I had,” he continued. The Skeleton Lord commanded, “Digz! Begin the ritual! Take everybody’s mana until there’s nothing left! Those protected by the blood runes will eventually die, since there will be no one to care for them in their time of recovery.” The incomplete imp replied back in a tone that poorly attempted to hide a twisted glee. “Of course. I’ll make sure to exact our revenge on those bastards!” he suggested, “And then we start our coming.” “Our coming?” said the king. Digz replied, “Yes, our coming. We’re not going to sit here till we turn to dust. We will make ourselves known and make the world burn! And when the whelps wonder why death will be arriving to their doorsteps, all they will know was that the Royal Burning was the cause of humanity’s fall! No one deserves to be happy! Only death!” The scenery in front of Marvelous Man began to fade. The whisping darkness that had swirled around his muscled mass began to bulge about, as light started to flood the muscle demigod from above. Looking up, Marvelous Man noticed the black fog Digz had cocooned him in was becoming shorter. It was definite that Digz had answered Marvelous Man’s question about the Royal Burning...but the response seemed to lead to more questions. The musclebound hero’s heart sank, as he realized he had gained no new insight to help win the battle without violence. What he had learned was only the surface of deeper things that led to this tragic event. The Skeleton Lord had depended on Digz so much, that simply speaking of the corrupted familiar’s deception would not be enough to change the ancient king’s mind. Marvelous Man wished he had more time to think of what he could say, but the curtain of darkness descended faster than he could put together a new plan. Upon the fog dropping beneath his face and no longer limited his eyesight, his eyes stretched wide at what he saw. A chill ran down his back with flashbacks of his abduction playing in his mind. The red cloak Marvelous Man had seen too many times screamed into his retinas. The present-day Skeleton Lord, in all his skinny, withered glory, stood a small distance away. Next Chapter

Part One "Hail the conquering hero" smiled Henri as Porthos trotted into Musketeer Headquarters adding "So, are you the strongest man in Europe?" Porthos simply smiled as he dismounted and as he did, flexed his arm for the cadet who he considered a brother. As Henri wrapped his hands around the bulging arm, he nodded and at the same time sighed saying "I know it's pure wishful thinking, but, I hope one day I shall be able to do the same!" Porthos rubbed the cadet's head with his hand saying "You will, my lad, it just takes time!" and with that Henri led Porthos's horse back to the stables. As Porthos watched his friend, he knew that Henri was a good lad. He's joined the corps as a cadet six months previously, on a secret mission from the Duke of Buckingham, to establish how much of the Duke's dalliances with the Queen were public knowledge in France, but in those six months his honour, his bravery and his swordplay were never in doubt. What was in doubt was Henri's sense that he would never be more than a tiny cog in the wheel that was the corps, and yet on numerous occasions Porthos could see just a glimmer, especially when Henri got angry, of what the lad was capable of. That's why he had entered the competition because he knew that the winner would receive a prize greater than any number of livres, a prize that was whispered by everyone who took part, the fabled Amulet of Athelstan. The amulet, forged in the time of dark magic, was crafted for the ancient King of the Britons in an attempt to prevent the Vikings from constantly invading his nation. Whoever was in possession of it would, on the word of command, drain the strength and power from the most powerful person within fifty yards of the owner. And now, he was in the possession of it. But Porthos wasn't going to use it for himself, no, he was going to be the victim of it, and as he imagined the pain of his strength and power surging out of him, he started to moan. All that was needed was the right recipient of that power and that recipient completely unware of the Titan's designs on him. "So, Sandy" smiled Henri as he took the saddle of Porthos's horse, "did you have a nice time in Bavaria then?" The horse, named for it's colour, nodded and neighed as Henri brushed him down. Of all of the cadets, Henri was the most in tune with the horses of the corps and on several occasions, it was almost as if Henri could understand every sound they made. As he continued to brush the horse, the two seemed engaged in a conversation and seemed to be recounting Porthos's triumph in the contest to find the strongest man in Europe. Giving Sandy a final brush down, Henri smiled "There, fit for when the Titan rides again!" and turned around to find Porthos standing next to him with a smile on his face. "Ah" smiled Henri, picking up the saddle, "are you to ride again?" and was about to place it on Sandy when he knocked out cold by a right hook that seemed to come from nowhere. As Porthos caught the cadet in his arms and picked him up, he started to moan. Moans that became more amplified as he entered the headquarters and started to make his way down into the dungeons and by the time he reached the deepest and darkest dungeons the moans were now easily heard. "Oh, Henri" Porthos moaned, "you are going to love this!"

The Squire Story by Muscl4life PART I I was still attending the horses when I heard the commotion coming from inside the inn; making my way inside that building at once, before they wrecked the entire place. “Give us the rooms already!” Sir Florian demanded with a vigorous punch against the wooden counter. The deep, masculine voice thundered inside the reception room. His emerald green eyes flared with anger, the 6’2” large heroic frame seemed to grow bigger with each passing second, the full plate tainted by the blood of different foes and beasts, such display of knightly wrath surely scared the innkeeper. “You’d better listen to him, boy. You wouldn’t like to be on his bad side.” The melodic voice tone belonged to the charming 5’10” mercenary half-elf named Ansel, the 225 pounds muscular mercenary who casually cleaned under his nails with an enormous dagger. The young chubby man tried to explain once again, which only increased the distress levels of my companions. “Forgive me once again, noble sires, but I’m afraid we don’t have any available room. It is the Summer Solstice and we have many guests coming from all over the Freelands…WHOA!”. “I’ll sleep in the fucking stables; just give me food and ale!” The humongous man said easily lifting the villager from the ground and holding him several inches from the ground, his tiny feet dangling in the air. “Please… Rhett put the poor man on the ground. I’ll take care of everything.” I said very calmly to the 6’6” 350 pounds muscular barbarian, placing my hand over the powerful arm that so easily carried the poor man, making sure to keep his easily flaring temper under check. The young, boyish face of the brawny blond lad was sour; our latest endeavors took a lot from all of us, and he sincerely just wanted to rest. Despite being the largest and strongest of our group, Rhett was barely one year older than I was, and he really does not have great conversational skills. I gently smiled to my immense companion for a few moments until he finally took a deep breath, which inflated his already impressive naked muscular chest even more, and placed the short stacked body of the innkeeper back where he belonged. “Thank you noble master…” He whispered to me. “It’s me who must apologize, sir. I am sorry for taking it so harshly on you, but my colleagues and I have been through a horrendous ordeal. We are travelling through this town towards Manachia, after fulfilling a personal request from Baron Faulkner.” I gently laid on his sweaty shaking hand the Baron’s personal sigil, trying to reassure the agitated little man that nothing bad would happen to his establishment. “Baron Faulkner, the ruler of Manachia? Are you under his services noble sires?” His voice tone and bodily expression changed almost immediately to the sound of that name. “I wish I had such great honor, but I am just your friend Korben, the squire to the legendary Sir Florian, the Valliant; and these are his fellow companions Ansel and Rhett. These brave warriors of justice, these true heroes, attending to the Baron’s personal request to free his people from the menace of the Red Warlock at the Forsaken Mountains, have heroically vanquished the nasty villain once and for all!” I said the words carefully, as I produced the severed red haired head that sir Florian cut from the enemy’s body with his blessed bastard sword. The innkeeper’s jaw dropped as he saw the very face who has tormented that region for many years. “Sacred Lights of Lunya, you have truly defeated him!” He exclaimed at once. “I am only but a squire to Sir Florian and a mere witness to the prowess of The Valliant Knight, Ansel Swiftblade and the powerful barbarian fighter Rhett. They are travelling back to meet the Baron to receive his gratitude in a regal feast, and I am sure you understand they need to look presentable to his Excellency, don’t you?” “Praised be you noble heroes!” The poor man vividly shook the hands of Sir Florian. The young hero thanked in a discrete manner, following his knightly code of conduct; Ansel chuckled, blinking at me while Rhett just shook his head, tired of the complex, frivolous ways we handled things in fancy places. At that point, I knew things would work out just fine. The innkeeper was more than happy to dump any guest he had in order to accommodate “such legendary heroes”. He immediately placed Sir Florian in the Baron’s permanent reserved room, and asked for the rest of us to wait while he prepared our accommodations. “I need to bathe. Bring hot water to my room.” Sir Florian said to the innkeeper as he went upstairs. “I guess we common people will wait in the tavern, right big boy?” Ansel gently pointed the enormous Rhett in the direction and the massive barbarian lad just grunted. “I want my food and ale!” He said, still in a bad mood, but I knew he would eventually revert into his cheerful spirits once he satiated his hunger. I took care of the further details with the innkeeper and explained him that it was a squire’s duty to make sure his knight is well rest and clean, so I carried the hot water bucket to the Baron’s room, gently closing the door behind me. “You shouldn’t have lied.” My knight’s deep manly voice was harsh, but I knew he was not mad at me. “I am sorry if I had to embellish things, but I didn’t lie milord. You have saved these people from the Red Warlock menace.” I filled the tub with hot water and tested its temperature. “The Baron never said he would pay for our expenses. He promised us a reward if we brought the head of the warlock to him.” “Which you most certainly did, noble sire. The Baron’s filthy rich and I am sure he will be more than happy to pay for our stay here; the whole county is celebrating your arrival in the streets. You are their hero!” “No one should be celebrated for killing another human, not even a despicable man like that horrible evildoer.” Sir Florian removed his winged helmet and I smiled upon seeing the beauty of his cascaded raven black mane free. “Your heart is equally noble as your soul is brave, milord.” The tanned skin color only complimented his beautiful emerald green eyes and manly thick eyebrows framed them to perfection. “Korben, we are alone in here. You do not need to speak so formally. You can be pretty annoying with such courtesies, my friend.” He said turning his vast back to me so I could help him to take off his heavy armor. “I apologize, milord.” I said while undoing the laces of the armor and removing each part very carefully, feeling the strong stench of sweat from the muscular body underneath the steel plates. “You apologize too much.” He turned around and picked me in his muscular arms, easily lifting my own 5’11” 165 pounds from the ground like I was a mere toddler. His kiss was delicate, gentle, passionate and yet so warm. I moaned, feeling my body pressing so hard against his muscles. The worst part of wearing such heavy armor was that no one could actually see how muscular and powerful Florian truly was underneath the steel. Fortunately, I could see him in the glory of his nakedness, the hard smooth muscular physique pulsing with manly power. “I miss you…” He repeated feverishly while I hugged his thin waist with my legs. “No more than I miss you, my liege…” I replied, jumping back to the ground and walking towards the tub. “Come, let me take care of my hero.” Florian seemed languid of passion; he looked at my enormous hard member with hunger and lust in his eyes. I felt so proud, after all I am barely 18 years of age and already my manhood stands among the biggest of the nation, if not the biggest. The thick, long monster of caramel hardness throbbing underneath my squire’s attire. I opened my flier to let the 15 inches long manhood throb freely for my knight to see. “You seem even bigger than the last time!” He whispered and he sat inside the tub, feeling his huge muscles sore from the latest battles. I gingerly smiled and replied “Only because I miss you that much, Florian the Valliant!” I soaped the cloth and gently cleaned the huge muscles of my powerful hero, making sure I took great care of his muscular arms that maneuvered his immense heavy sword with such finesse, his glorious chest that seemed even bigger outside the confinements of the armor. His own cock was impressive 9 inches long, 5 inches thick manhood, which I cherished tremendously. “I still don’t understand why we have to drag those morons along with us! They are just sell-swords. I am the servant of the Chalice and you are my squire, we have nothing to do with them.” Florian once again complained about Ansel and Rhett’s presence in our party. “They are loyal and trustworthy, my knight. With their help your victory over the Red Warlock was surely smoother, since Rhett took care of his violent minions and Ansel’s uncanny nimbleness kept the warlock’s Golem distracted while you took his head off.” “Well…they were useful indeed. I guess I can tolerate their uncivilized behavior a little longer, for you of course.” He said reaching for my kiss while I massaged his muscular deltoids. I soaped his immense body and rinsed carefully, eager to suck on his hard cock as well. I removed my clothes, my own caramel skin; result of the miscegenation of different tribes all over Freelands looked gorgeous against Florian’s bronze tone. He hugged me, looking at the reflected image on the mirror. “You are so beautiful, young Korben. I should just take you as mine…” “I am yours, my liege. However, you are a Knight of the Chalice, and you must serve Freelands. When you are released from your duty…” I repeated the same excuse as I sucked on his gorgeous uncut cock and he soon felt his own pleasure building up. Despite being very hung, I also have excellent blow job skills, and it didn’t take much until the brave hero fed me his royal manly juices down my throat, which I enjoyed tremendously. “I need you, Korben…damn I still need you so very much!” He grunted as he felt his lust went beyond orgasm, he needed to be rode like the amazing stallion he truly was. I toweled his immense body up, dying every inch of his rugged muscular physique. Then, I gently pointed to the comfortable bed. The lustful knight waddled to the bed, lying on his muscular back, hoisting his massive pillar muscle legs as I quickly assumed my dutiful place inside his glorious hole. “Oh…so huge…” He moaned as my massive head forced its way inside his butt. The friction between his muscular butt and my hard cock made my lust grow, I pushed deeper and felt the weight of those muscular legs on my shoulders as I slowly penetrated his ass. Soon I was pounding his muscular butt in slow, long movements, alternating between harsh fast moments, which only made him moan in agony and ecstasy. At the same time, I knew my cock got harder and closer from blowing. I held his legs up high and fucked him with all the might my lithe body could muster, which made my Valiant shiver in his loud orgasm. “Damn…it was…so good!” He paced, kissing me as we both felt our bodies still moving in the same sensual rhythm, our hearts beating in the same compass, enjoying the powerful moment we just shared. “It’s always a pleasure to serve you, my liege…” I said while kissing his neck and retrieved my long cock from his wet manhole. He smiled back at me and laid on the bed. After such orgasmic experience, his huge muscles felt heavy and tired, so he finally went for a well-deserved rest. I knew that Sir Florian’s grandmother – the fabled rich Duchess of Eagle Crest – would soon try again to engage him with another young damsel of a very noble House. However, like all the previous times it happened, he would invoke his knightly code of conduct to “continue on his duties to the Freelands”, and so I could fuck his noble ass for a long period. Once again dressed, I went back to reception to get the key to my own room, which was the most modest of them, according to my own request. I closed the door behind me and carefully retrieved the objects I collected at the warlock’s tower while my noble friends were not paying attention. I am Sir Florian’s squire, but my greatest dream is to go to Arcane Academy at Rhtyak Valley, something that only the richest families in the Freelands can afford. Hence, I have to found my own education, and although squiring for an absurdly rich family like Valliant Knight’s is a great start, I also have to make side gains to keep my savings high. The advantage of being a esquire is that no one is suspicious about my sorcery skills. I can muster spells and prepare rituals without drawing too much attention to myself, which also gives the opportunity to collect less obvious, but much more valuable items during our adventures. Once Sir Florian conveniently beheaded the warlock’s body, I quickly removed all the rings, pendants, scrolls and other magical items I could from his still shaking body, because I knew Ansel’s elven blood would let him notice the magic aura from those items, and I was not in a particularly sharing mood. I had over 15 items of great power, which I could now calmly investigate. The identification ritual would still take a few hours to reveal the hidden names and abilities of the items, but one thing in particular caught my attention. The Dragonheart. I knew as soon as I laid eyes on the small gem disguised as an amulet, that the Red Warlock drained his uncanny powers from that particular item. I carefully analyzed the delicate piece, which the malignant spell caster used to enhance his spells to overwhelming heights. A Dragonheart is originally the central scale covering the wyrm’s chest, standing precisely over the center of his immense heart. As the dragon grows from wyrmling to a Great Wyrm his imbued magical abilities increase tremendously, and this particular scale is drenched in so much magical power that it becomes a jewel, capable of bestowing uncanny abilities. Dragonheart stones can be used in several devices, but mostly in transmutation spells and rituals. Many alchemists report the could brew Ultimate Power potions using powdered Dragonheart as the main vessel, which would be a dangerous thing to obtain because of it can be highly unstable. I admired the precious thing; it really made the Red Warlock a tremendous adversary, even to the combined powers of my three heroes. Fortunately, unbeknownst to them, I was able to use a telekinetic spell to retrieve the Dragonheart apparatus from the enemy right before Sir Florian unleashed the final blow. “Korben…open up, I need to speak with you at once!” Ansel’s sweet voice tone indicated he was actually really pissed. “Erm…could it be a little later sire? I am so exhausted from everything…” I said, trying to buy me some time as I hid my precious treasures. “Listen you little thief, I know you cleaned the body, I want my share or I’ll tell on you to that stupid knight you fuck!” I understood the words he spoke in a very particular elven dialect, which sounded like whistles and leaves carried by the wind. The mercenary sounded furious. What the hell should I do? (to be continued)

Once upon a time in a village near a town near a castle... Walt didn't entirely mind watching his three step-brothers working out in the well-equipped barn. They were well-muscled and strong, biggest in the village. He might have even admired the work they put into pumping their muscles and gotten excited at watching them pose and flex afterwards, if he didn't have to dread the constant teasing and abuse they gave him. "Hey, waterboy, I'm thirsty," called the eldest. Walt hung his head down as he carried the stein of water over for him to chug before he belched up at Walt's face. "Show me your arm," he ordered. Except for being almost 7 feet tall, Walt looked fairly malnourished. He was at least a foot taller than his step brothers, but when the eldest's 19-inch arms of muscle flexed next to his 10-inch arms of skin and bones, he felt so small. "You're so skinny, you need to eat like us," laughed the middle step-brother, but they never left him much food at meals. "How'd you only grow up tall, but never out big like us?" asked the youngest, who was the same age as Walt. The eldest slapped his head whenever he accidentally pointed out Walt's height. It was the one thing they were jealous of. Walt's step-mother constantly praised her sons and always joined in teasing Walt. What Walt didn't realize was that his face was as handsome as his father's was, and her heart ached everytime she laid eyes on him. She also married Walt's father for the bit of magic that Walt's family possessed. The townsfolk whispered that was how her sons grew so big. They also whispered darker notions about how Walt's mother and then father died. Weightlifting and bodybuilding were local pastimes. Nearly every boy and most girls started training on their fifteenth birthday, and even the elders kept in virile shape. With the large number of eager and able farm workers and smiths, the kingdom was quite prosperous. Walt was one of those exceptions, despite having the tall frame that could potentially carry more muscle than anyone else. Well, everyone but the prince. Everyone knew the prince had been blessed by magic as a child to grow muscle, but he also trained as hard as anyone else, and now at 25 years old, his 6'4", 450-pound body was a wonder to behold, and nobody wished it wasn't there to behold. His face was also sexy as hell, whether shaven clean or with a light scruff. About half of the kingdom were certain that the magic, in exchange for the muscle and beauty, had cursed the prince with homosexuality. That is, the female half thought of it as a curse. Most of the male half thought him all the luckier, or considered themselves lucky to have a chance at bedding him. Either way, most folk had at least one picture of the prince on display in their homes for motivation, and at least one good dream of him with the appropriate sexual appetite. Walt's stepmother didn't allow him to have a picture in his room. "You'll just have that old mirror to remind you how skinny you are," she said with a cackle. Fortunately, she didn't realize it was a magic mirror. Walt wasn't sure how it worked, but it often showed him the prince. He was riding a horse, or lifting logs, or taking a bath, or playing with puppies. It was like a one-way, visual-pen-pal relationship, like a middle-ages reality show. The mirror also sometimes showed someone else, as beautiful as the prince but with even larger muscles. It took years before Walt realized the face was similar to his, because he otherwise never saw himself with such a large smile. After the spring harvest, the Prince held his annual bodybuilding competition. Everyone had been preparing for it for months, or longer, either by training hard, arranging the judges and decorations, planning the following feast, or just fantasizing about seeing the prince up close and nearly naked as the guest poser. Walt's step-brothers constantly ordered him around to bring water, cook food, and do the lighter chores they had no time for. "Hey, waterboy." "Hey, skinny." "Hey, skinny waterboy." In private, Walt marveled at their limited vocabulary and wished he had a grain of wheat for everytime he heard either of those words. Still, Walt couldn't help catching some of the excitement from the whole kingdom anxiously anticipating the event. The prince himself always had mixed feelings about the competition. He enjoyed showing off his massive body and inspiring another diligent and productive year of training, but his yearning for a partner to stand on stage with him and to come home with afterwards grew each year. There were plenty of muscular suitors, and some were passably handsome, but the prince had dreamt of a boy with jade eyes and jet black hair and fair, freckled skin that got him instantly hard and motivated some of his best workouts. And it didn't matter to the prince whether the young man had muscles, or not. The prince realized in his teens that drinking a full load of his cum could make someone instantly as big as him. His first knight Gabriel was the product of that first experience and after Sir Gabriel won the competition one year, the prince made him a permanent judge. Gabriel was even more pleased by that promotion than the win, since many guys thought to sway his vote by pleasuring him enthusiastically. The day of the competition was Walt's 21st birthday. He would have forgotten it like most of the ones before, but a large pink package laid at the base of the mirror when he awoke. He was baffled as to how it got there. His step-family had been so focused on the competition and ran him ragged with chores and errands. They wouldn't have wasted a second on delivering anything. The card read, "Happy birthday, from Aunt Fay," but Walt knew of no living relatives. Inside the box was a large, parchment-thin garment that was nearly the same color as his skin. It was almost like silk, but it stretched. I cetainly didn't need to stretch, Walt thought. It could be a tablecloth for a banquet table. After spreading it out over his bed, he recognized the arms, legs and neck hole and open seam down the front. He thought about trying it on when he heard footsteps on the stairs to his attic room. He shoved the large body suit under his lumpy mattress, but the box was still out when his step-mother walked in the room. "What's this?" she asked. Walt didn't answer as she examined the box. "Such a large box for such a small gift. But it's pretty," she noted as she drew a gold ear cuff out of the box. She moved towards the mirror to try it on, but she had difficulty getting it to stay. "Well, I guess you can have it," she said as she tossed it back in the box and dropped the box to the floor. "We're off to the competition, but we don't want you embarrassing us, so you'll stay here," she snapped as she left. Walt was probably the only person in the kingdom who couldn't remember ever going to the annual event. Walt found the jewelry in the box and it was a twisted 3-braided ring that sparkled more than gold should, like there was diamonds inside of it, and it almost seemed like the braids hid writing of some sort. Walt tried it on and looked in the mirror. There wasn't much light in his room, but the cuff and his green eyes seemed to sparkle together like morning dew, and his skin had a faint moonlight glow. He couldn't help but smile as he imagined his parents watching him proudly in this quiet moment. He knew he was looking at the face of the man that the mirror sometimes showed him, but he also now knew with certainty it matched his. He got the body suit out and had a suspicion of its purpose. As he got his feet through the bottom holes, he saw them change. He always had large feet, "flippers," his step-brothers called them sometimes, but they were losing that description as they became thick and strong. His calves inflated next, like fruit plumping on the vine, but soon the whole lower leg also thickened and stretched against the fabric that could have fit around his waist. As he held the narrowest part of the body suit around his waist, his legs filled with rock-heavy muscle. He could barely believe it as they grew way past the size of his eldest step-brother and made him shift his stance a few times. He looked in the mirror and saw that each leg was easily wider and thicker than his chest, and his ass was like two juicy melons that flexed into a hard shelf of muscle. He adjusted his posture as he felt his abs and back tighten and strengthen. The fabric also seemed to tighten as it shrink-wrapped out of his hands and against hard cobblestones. The front seam started coming together on its own and disappearing into the center line of his abs. He slipped his arms into the sleeves and felt his forearms bulge into thick hams of muscle. His hands also thickened into meaty paws and his upper arms swelled to at least two feet around, maybe almost three feet around. He felt the odd, but not painful, sensation of bones shifting as he brought the body suit up to his neck and his back and shoulders had their turn to grow. While his god-like thighs gave him a feeling of immeasurable power and strength and the shape of his arms was a perfection of beauty, they were simply preludes to his chest and back and shoulders all growing together and turning him into the god-monster he had seen in the mirror. A creature even bigger than the prince, bigger than anyone had ever been. His shoulders looked like extra heads, and his back bulged wide, forcing his arms to spread out and make him look even bigger. As the front seam magically closed itself, his pecs plumped even larger and Walt felt their huge mass with his paw. "These are big enough to hide a chicken," Walt marveled. His neck and traps thickened next as the magic continued its final adjustments. His face retained its beauty, but became more muscular and more masculine and Walt gasped as he looked over the perfection that was his body. He flexed a few poses and felt his nipples tingle and harden as the fabric moved over them, but then felt his dick do the same. Walt had been decently endowed, 6 inches long when soft, but also skinny. Now it thickened, and also lengthened. As Walt moaned with pleasure, his cock expanded into a hard, foot-long log of a cock and kept pulsing larger. His balls also grew and filled with testosterone-laden cream. As his cock inched up his abs under the fabric, Walt grunted. When the sensitive, apple-sized head started forcing its way between his pecs, Walt came like a fireworks finale and passed out from the ecstasy. Walt awoke to a few rays of sunlight hitting his face. He basked in the memory of a most amazing dream, but the huge hand that came over his face scared him fully awake before he realized it was his own hand coming to rub his eyes. It took a couple of tries for him to find his balance and stand up, but he knew he'd see his dream body in the mirror and that it was a true reflection of what he now possessed. While his package still bulged, it wasn't the obscene tool it could perhaps become again. Also, any mess that he had made in the suit was gone. He was disappointed when he tugged apart the front seam and felt his chest shrink slightly. The suit's magic was not permanent, he realized, but letting it reseal brought his pecs back to their full glory. While technically the suit covered him, it was close enough to his skin color that he looked naked. The only place he had a chance of finding something that fit him was his step-brother's room. After taking care through the house with his wider frame, he reached the eldest's room and found a tunic with open sides and a kilt that he had to wear lower than custom to cover most of his thighs. It was an outfit that was common among the powerlifters, but his vascularity and size and perfect muscle belly shape proved he wasn't just strong, but huge and beautiful. As he stepped outside, an old woman scolded him. "C'mon, or you'll miss the whole thing!" And she waved him into her cart and handed him a pair of what resembled shoes. "Thanks for the ride," he said puzzled. The "shoes" were like a warped bowl of leather with laces, but they fit well over his feet. He was also grateful that the back of the cart was big and sturdy enough to hold him and that she had four horses pulling them. The smell of either the cart or her could have been better, though. The competition rotated around the towns of the kingdom and this year it was in a town fairly close to Walt's village. In about an hour, they made their way through the crowd that gathered at the town's outskirts. The town was crowded with muscular people, but most people stopped to stare or point at Walt. Finally, the cart stopped and the old woman shouted, "That's it! This is as far as I go." Walt got out and walked over to the woman. With him standing on the ground, and her sitting up in the cart, they were eye-level. "Thank you again. Can I do anything in exchange?" He asked. "You may look like one of them, but you're still one of you," she replied before pointing at the town wall. "Go through there and remember that, and that'll be payment enough." Overall, the area around the wall roared with activity, but it seemed like everyone around Walt fell silent or whispered. The wall gate was open to all, but he entered nervously as the large, beefy guards stared bug-eyed at him. The main thoroughfare led directly to the town center were a raised stage dominated the square. While outside of the wall it was crowded, inside it was packed. As usual, he could see over everyone's head, which had always made finding market stalls easier, but it was odd moving through the crowd without getting shoved around. He could just pick a direction and go. "Hey, kid!" someone yelled behind him. Walt turned to see an older, built guy with a cane. "I didn't see you at pre-judging. Did you just get here?" he asked. "Yeah," Walt admitted. "Look, you obviously could win this whole thing. You should compete. C'mon, follow me," he ordered. Walt followed him to the side of the stage where judges and officials gathered. Walt loved his new body and the chance to see the competition, and the prince in person, but he wasn't sure he wanted the attention of performing and his step-brothers worked for weeks on a posing routine, which Walt did not have. Also, he'd be back to skinny as soon as he took off the body suit. The man spoke to the officials, gesturing wildly and near to yelling, but Walt inched away enough that he didn't quite hear what the man was saying. He was about to turn around and run when he man came back over. "You missed registration and weigh-in, so they're not letting you compete, but I say you just jump on up there and show them what you got and they'd have to give you the trophy." Walt hesistated in his response, so the the man yelled at the crowd around them, "Hey, folks, do you think this guy is bigger than anything you've seen?" Walt was surprised and a bit scared, when the crowd yelled back enthusiastically, "Yeah!" "Do you think this guy could win by just walking up on stage right now?" Even more people replied even louder, "Yeah!" "Let's get him up there!" another man yelled, and the crowd closed around Walt as he began to panic. Nobody alone could move Walt anywhere he didn't want to go, but he didn't want to hurt any of them, so between everyone's efforts, Walt drifted along the side of the stage, past the officials and finally escaped into less crowded streets. Once he picked up some speed, he left the mob behind and took a few turns until he was lost, but he still heard people yelling from the direction he came. Then, he hit an empty dead end with an archway on the side blocked by vertical bars. The bars were too close for a normal person to fit through, and Walt was reluctant to just break them off. He had no doubt that he could have bent and broken the inch-thick bars with a bit of time, but then another idea occured to him. Under the tunic, he slipped off the body suit. Rather than feel the shrinking of his muscles, his upper body returned to skin and bone like the sun clearing the last bit of fog. He shoved the fabric down his waist inside the kilt and as his calves became sticks, the body suit easily slipped off and he slipped between the bars into a flowering courtyard. He marveled at the array of colors and scents that assaulted him like the kisses of a mother he never knew. Despite the panic of a few minutes ago, or perhaps because of it, he began to laugh for the first time in a long time. "Beautiful, isn't it?" a kind voice said behind him. After Walt turned to face the source of that voice, he replied, "Oh, gods, yes!" But Walt was no longer talking about the courtyard, but about the prince standing shirtless with the sun glistening over the moist, flushed skin stretched tight over massive, pumped muscle. Walt felt his blood rush to his dick and all he could see was the prince's face as it changed from smiling to frowning. Walt didn't realize he was passing out. The next thing he knew, that gorgeous face was right in front of him and he felt soft boulders wrapped around him. Walt gasped, "Prince Carmine!" "Yes, and who might you be?" the prince asked. As Walt took a few seconds to remember his name, they were interrupted by a cough. "Will, it's past time to go," the other voice said. "Gabe, but I think...," but the prince hesitated to finish. "Whoever you are, stay here. Please," he begged. Walt began to feel overwhelmed and confused, but he nodded. The prince helped Walt sit on a stone bench and placed the strange bundle of fabric at Walt's side, before leaving with his friend. It was still a sunny day, but Walt felt a chill after the prince left. He wasn't sure where he was, or when or if the prince would return, and he considered the possibility that he was in trouble for trespassing. As far as he could tell, nobody watched him, so he slowly backed over to the barred archway and slipped back through. The tunic was now more like a dress on him, and the even at its tightest, the kilt slipped down Walt's narrow hips and flat butt as he walked. As he slipped the body suit back on, he wondered why he needed any other reason besides the gigantic muscles reforming on him to wear the magical garment. He knew the way back home was through the familiar wall gate, but the only clear landmark to find the main boulevard was the cheering and shouting that indicated the final judging was in progress at the stage. As he walked through the edges of the crowd, he occasionally got the encouragement to step onto the stage. "You should be up there, not that asshole." "Why aren't you up there? You're way bigger." "Hey! Where'd you go? I got a posing suit for you!" Walt recognized that last shout as coming from the same man with a cane. Moments later, the man stood in front of him with a piece of cloth. "C'mon folks, let's cheer him on. He's a shy guy, but he can really give us a show, unlike the little prick on stage!" People started playfully grabbing at Walt's clothes so he moved away. Unforunately, the easiest way to do that was to move away from the shops of the square and into the open area in front of the stage. The man followed and stirred up even more of the crowd that smiled and yelled encouragingly at Walt. Nearly half the crowd was chanting, "Shy monster on the stage!" Before the officials paused the posing to yell out, "What's going on back there?" It wasn't until then that Walt looked at who was on stage. It was his eldest step-brother who stared back at him, angry at first, then puzzled. Walt realized he was wearing his brother's clothes and if his brother noticed his unusual green eyes, his identity might not be a secret anymore, and he wasn't sure what that would mean. The youngest step-brother entered the circle that cleared around Walt. "Hey, Who...are...wow," he managed as he joined the admirers. The middle step-brother followed a moment later, but was more angry than impressed. "There's a show on the stage, so stop your shouting!" He looked at Walt and asked, "Do I know you?" Walt felt that his time was up. The charade was over. He turned to run over and through whatever he needed to in order to get away, and maybe back home or even farther away, but as he did, the middle step-brother grabbed his shoulder. Well, he grabbed the shoulder of the body suit, and the sleeve tore off. The crowd gasped as they saw the massive leg-sized arm become a series of sticks. Walt looked at the crowd's hurt faces, at his middle step-brother whose surprise was slowly turning to anger, at the eldest on stage who began to grin with schadenfreude, and then at the prince. Walt's gut wrenched as he saw the prince standing on stage looking so sad, possibly crying! From that moment in the courtyard, Walt knew he loved the prince, not as the picture of ultimate masculinity, but as a culmination of all the kind and honest and thoughtful things he saw in his mirror over the years. Meeting him in person confirmed all that to be true. Walt knew he would catch the prince's eye with his new body, but it was false, an illusion, and in the look of the prince's disappointment, Walt lost all hope of happiness. With tear-streaked vision, he ran. His powerful legs propelled him quickly down the thoroughfare, through the gate, down the road he came from. The only hope he had for consolation was the mirror that might again provide glimpses of his true love. Walt asked it, begged it to reveal the prince, but it only reflected his imbalanced body. Walt threw the body suit into the box and used all his strength to throw the whole thing at the mirror. The mirror simply swallowed it up and faded it away. Walt collapsed on his mattress and cried himself to sleep. The two older step-brothers thought they recognized Walt's face and skinny arm, but they still had a tough time convincing themselves that the two most different people in the world were the same person. The youngest brother didn't quite understand why they didn't want to talk about the massive guy in the square. Everyone, of course, realized that the "shy monster" had used magic, or was under a spell, or that maybe the middle brother cursed the big guy's arm. But they still couldn't get over how big he was, and handsome, and like with the prince, the magical source did little to temper their awe. Lacking their prefered winner, they celebrated the eldest brother's overall title, but he still felt a bit short-changed, especially since the prince declined to entertain him at the palace. The prince was familiar enough with magic that the quickly connected the adorable, tall boy in the courtyard with the sexy hulk in the square and he felt sorry that the boy felt he had to use magic, and sorry that it failed and left him feeling a fraud. The prince so wanted to hold him again in his arms and comfort him, and wished he hadn't fled so impressively fast. The middle brother was left with a beige sleeve, but its magic was gone, or dormant. After the prince asked for it, he spent the post-competition celebrations crafting a divining spell with it to locate the residence of its previous owner. After the second day, he set off with a crystal's glow to guide him and cloaked himself in the illusion of a traveler. While the celebration of the competition usually lasted a few days, the eldest brother felt like the excitement was waning and thought he might be more honored back in his home village, even though nobody much liked him there. If that huge guy that interrupted his show was Walt, or a relative of Walt's, he thought, maybe something that would make me huge as well was waiting back at home. His mother was enjoying herself in the celebrations, but when he started pouting, she relented. Walt work up the morning after the competition and did some basic chores. He walked around the village, but could not find the old woman who gave him a ride. He checked the mirror several times for a glimpse of the prince, or a reappearance of the pink-wrapped box. That night he dreamt of the prince wading through dark water and holding a soft, rosy light that hummed a lullaby. After Walt got cleaned and dressed, a messenger boy showed up at the door. "The lady is on her way," he announced with his hand out. Walt paid him and rushed to get everything in order. From her son's stories, it was unclear what they would find. She was flirting with a judge and never got a good view at all the commotion, but they seemed to think Walt was there. As ever, one way or another, she was ready to be disappointed. As they approached, Walt came out looking as pathetic as usual offered them water. Her older sons glared at him before chugging their drink and showing off how light their cases were in their arms and then fighting over who could carry the most cases. As they headed into the house, Walt meekly led the coach and horses to the stable yard and she felt that everything was normal. There wasn't enough food for a feast and Walt got blamed for that. The older brothers waited for some confirmation from Walt that he was at the competition, but if they could pretend that Walt was always the skinny waterboy, that was fine with them. They each smacked the youngest when he started telling Walt about the surprise giant and the older brothers caught no visible reaction from Walt to its mentioning. That night, Walt's step-mother returned to his room. "Where did that pretty box go?" she asked. "I threw it out," he replied. "And you're not wearing that ear thing," she noticed. "Can I keep it, please," Walt begged. "Of course you can. Isn't your birthday coming up?" she asked but didn't wait for a reply before she headed back down. Walt stared at the mirror, hoping to see his prince, and he thought he caught a faint pink glow, but it was soon late enough that he fell asleep. He woke up and found the pink box again by the mirror, but it was much bigger this time. He went to open it, but the top popped off and there stood his eldest step-brother, wearing the body suit draped over him like a monk's robe. Walt heard his insides scream, "No!" as he saw the body suit's magic start to work. This time, it also stretched his step-brother taller and taller as his muscles grew to fill the suit, a massive mountain of bulging muscle, but it didn't stop. His step-brother soon erupted through the roof and as he jumped to the ground outside, he grew as big as the house. He roared as the body suit truly disappeared and his step-brother was a naked giant of a monster bodybuilder. "Now to give that prince some payback for ignoring me," he roared as his voice shook the house. Walt could hear the prince's voice in the distance, "I'm coming, Walt!" Walt woke up screaming, "No!" He realized it was a dream and cried from both relief and sorrow, because his prince wasn't coming and even if he was, he'd only find the thief from the garden. The prince's crystal brought him to Walt's village and its growing brightness encouraged him. He wound his way to a fine but older-style house and knocked on the door. They were having breakfast when a knock came at the door. Walt was off gathering more dill for his step-mother's smoked fish, so she got up and opened the small panel in the door to ask, "Who is it?" "A traveler," he answered simply. "Well, keep traveling," she replied and slammed the panel closed. "I come from the prince," he added with a yell. She reopened the panel and gave him a questioning look. "What proof have you?" "Allow me in and I'll explain," he offered. "We're eating, but there's no food to spare, I'm afraid," she said as she opened the door to the weary-looking man. As he entered the room and saw the three brothers, his heart sank. His spell had found the one who last held the sleeve: the middle brother. The eldest brother spoke up, "Has he changed his mind, then?" "I'm sorry, this was a waste of time," the stranger replied. "Are you crying?" asked the youngest. The prince turned and left and ran into the woods, and the step-mother shut the door behind him. "Good riddance, I say. How odd." The brothers dug back into their food and Walt entered with the dill. He had been heading back when he spotted the stranger through the window and delayed his return to hide for a bit. The stranger seemed familiar, but as Walt peered for signs of who he was, he got blurry and it was difficult to identify any clear feature about him, but there was something wrong about him being there, but also something wonderous about him. That night, Walt woke up during the night when he heard a voice snap, "Gabe!" and then "You there?" Walt figured it was a dream, because it was the prince's voice. He hoped it didn't become a nightmare. "This mirror's not working right," said the prince's voice, and Walt realized it was coming from his mirror that had the faintest pink glow. "It didn't work. I didn't find him. You'd think it'd be fairly easy to pick him out of all the others around, but... well, I'm making camp and I'll head back tomorrow. Maybe he'll show up next year." And the glow disappeared and the dream ended. "Hey, skinny," Walt's step-mother woke him in the morning. "We're going to the village celebration for your step-brother and you're going to the market so we can finally have a feast of our own, too." So, just an hour later Walt's step-family rode on horses and Walt rode the donkey. Walt hadn't washed up and he knew he'd get better service looking less like a beggar, so he detoured towards a nearby pond he liked, and nobody paid him any mind. As Walt reached the bank of the pond, a voice came from the bushes just a few paces away. "Beautiful, isn't it?" The stranger's features rippled as Walt quickly recognized the face of the prince and froze. "It figures that I'd find you just when I'd given up, for now," he added as he stood and stepped towards Walt who gasped, realizing that the prince was stark naked and wet and beautiful. "I'm... I'm sorry," Walt mustered. "For playing hard to get? It makes for a good wedding reception story," the prince joked as he took another step forward and looked longingly up into Walt's eyes. Walt remembered his dream, or memory, from last night, and he realized he might have read parts of the last few days wrong. "Have you been looking for me?" "For a long time," the prince answered. "Have you been waiting for me?" "For a long time," Walt replied as he stepped forward and kissed the prince until they both gasped for air. "Nice ear cuff," the prince noted. Walt reached for his ear and confirmed that it was there now. They both noticed Walt's skin glowing like moonlight and somehow he had lost all of his clothes, as well. He was still very lean, but not quite as malnourished. "How is it happening already?" the prince asked rhetorically. "Who are you?" Walt felt an echo of the power of the body suit, but it seemed like a mere trickle through the dam. "Can it happen faster?" he asked the prince. "Most definitely, but tell me anytime you want me to stop," replied the prince who squatted down and started sucking on Walt's hardening dick. Walt's legs trembled with pleasure, so it was easy for the prince to pull him down onto the mossy grass. Walt felt big in the prince's warm, forceful mouth and as the prince shifted positions, Walt looked at his now foot-long, thick cock. The prince stood over Walt's torso as drops of his pre-cum fell into Walt's mouth. It was like nectar. "You're my giant muscle god!" Walt exclaimed as he felt over the prince's bulging calves and the bottom of massive quads. "And you're mine," the prince replied as he squatted down onto Walt's pole and bounced furiously. Walt considered that he was having another dream, but the pleasure of that unworldly ass that seemed to be actively massaging his cock was both too real and too beyond his imagination. Walt watched the prince's own cock swell larger and larger, and heard it smack each of them at a deeper and deeper pitch until finally Walt felt a tight squeeze that rocketed the cum out of his heavy balls and into his prince, and just as Walt's orgasm began to fade and he took a deep sigh of satisfaction, the prince shoved his cock down Walt's throat and unleashed his own torrent. Walt felt no need to breathe as he swallowed and swallowed and swallowed a river of honeyed cream. At last, the prince was spent and he crashed to the ground beside Walt. "Get some sleep," he advised, but Walt barely heard him as he drifted off. The prince was also exhausted, but he wanted to stay awake and quickly splashed into the cool pond before returning to a slowly growing Walt. It was like watching bread rise. You didn't really see anything move, but you could tell once it happened enough. Walt took on the look of an amateur swimmer, then his veins became more visible and he looked competitive. His arms thickened enough that he obviously lifted a bit, then his legs showed that he was more serious. His calves became noticeable muscles and his forearms hinted at a strong grip that with his broader shoulders and visible chest muscles made him look like a wrestler. His chest thickened, and his back began to widen his sides. His abs tightened into a more defined shape and his glutes shifted his hips up a bit. His traps rose next to a strong neck and he became an amateur bodybuilder. Then everything seemed to grow together. Bulges became more rounded, veins a bit thicker, and single bulges separated into multiple bulges as his limbs began to look wrapped in different muscles and his sides and legs became anatomy lessons in picking out individual muscles. Walt's cock stirred but it was unclear whether it was getting hard or just enjoyed moving around. His shoulders continued to grow larger and broader and each breath heaved a larger and larger chest into the air. His arms swelled large with the promise of mountainous peaks. His hands became manly paws, and the prince was tempted to kiss and lick Walt's thick, muscled feet. Walt's legs were spread by his growing thighs that could feed a family for a week, and the prince could barely keep himself from touching Walt all over. "I hope you're enjoying this as much as you look like you are," Walt said through dreamy eyes. The prince grabbed Walt and they got up and threw themselves into the pond. After they swam back a bit and their feet found the sandy bottom, they shared another long kiss. Then at the same time, they said, "I don't even know your name." And then, "You don't?" Walt realized that he had only heard the prince say his name in a dream, and the prince realized that most people just knew him as "Prince Carmine." "It's W..." they both began and then laughed. Walt said, "You first. I already know the Carmine part." "Yes, Carmine, it means red. My first name is William, but most people, well court people, call me Will." "I'm Walter White, but everyone calls me Walt. Well, some people called me skinny, but..." "Not any more," the prince, Will, said with a laugh and Walt joined him. "Ya know," Will added, "There were some Whites that once ruled a kingdom many leagues away. Do you know where your family is from?" "No, my parents died a while ago and I just live with my step-family," Walt replied. "Around here?" Will asked as he realized who Walt's step-family was. "Three brothers?" "Yeah," Walt confirmed. "Step-brothers. We're not related." "Not at all," Will confirmed. As they walked out of the pond, they stayed close enough for their hands to brush over the hard curves of the other's body, but far enough away that their eyes could roam and try to visually grasp as much as possible at once. Walt was the gigantic size he was with the body suit's magic, but it was all him now. He couldn't help marveling at his own engorged size as Will retrieved his pack from the bushes. "You're very distracting," Will agreed. "But I love it." And they kissed again. "I love you," Walt shared. "I loved how you cared for that hawk and cried when you set it free." Will was stunned. "How did you... Who are you?" Then he laughed, "I loved you the moment you stepped under the tree in the garden, and the shock on your face when I snuck up on you. I wanted to kiss you then, and ... it seemed like you knew me, like not the prince, but who I was." "I do," Walt replied before they shared another kiss. They smiled and held hands, and then Walt looked down to make sure they were on level ground. "Did you get taller? You're the same height as me now." In all their mutual admiration, they didn't realize that they were both 7 feet tall and probably over 500 pounds of hot, ripped muscle each. "I don't have clothes for this," Will admitted. "But I have the next best thing." And he took a vial out of his bag and placed a finger on each of their shoulders. Walt smelled salt and then saw the ghost of an ivory traveling cloak around Will. "We can see though them, but nobody else can," Will explained. "But we're naked underneath," said the normally modest Walt. "Everybody is," replied Will as he carried his pack and headed over to pet the donkey. "And where are we going?" asked Walt. "I hear there's a celebration in the village. For somebody important. I'd hate to ruin it." Walt had never seen his step-brother as angry as when Will snuck behind the make-shift throne and dumped him out of it. Will grabbed each of his swinging fists and brought him to his kness with a squeeze. From that angle, the step-brother could see that it was the prince, in fact, a taller, bigger prince and he started bubbering drivel and scurried off the dais. Will's hood fell back and the crowd gasped as they realized there was a single man in that cloak, and he looked like the prince but even bigger. Then Walt stepped up and brushed back his own hood. Some people might have recognized his face, but most were just thinking, "there's two of them!" "Now that I have your attention," Will boomed and was surprised by the volume and resonance of his voice. "I want you all to be witness to an important question." He paused long enough for everyone's shock to wear off and their curiosity to kick in. Will turned to Walt. "Yes!" Walt shouted. "I didn't ask yet," Will whispered. "You don't have to," answered Walt. "We'll do this properly at the palace," Will playfully warned. "Kiss him!" came a yell from an old woman in the crowd, and part of the crowd began to realize what was happening. The kissed and then both exclaimed to the crowd, "We're getting married!" And there was much rejoicing throughout the land, blah, blah. Walt and Will, or Princes White and Carmine, were surprised to realize that their cum continued to make them grow. Every year Walt used his mirror to observe the kindest and bravest and most caring actions in the kingdom and after the bodybuilding competition he awarded the winner, sometimes two, with one stein of milky drink that made them strong contenders for the following competition. And so, the kingdom became even beefier and more peaceful. Of course, the 25-foot, 4,000-pound rulers didn't hurt, either. The End.