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A Tremendous Find
“Okay, this place should be right around this ridge.” Cykrus had been meandering in the wilderness for about a week now, following a vague set of directions scrawled on a piece of parchment. He had been changing paths, snaking back and forth along a river all the way up into the coastal foothills, crashing through overgrown, barely visible woodland paths, and hiking up steep inclines. It had been a more trying journey than he expected, and certainly more of one than his wanderer friend implied back at the tavern.
“I need to stop taking advice on locations from Krath...” The big black and white wolf lowered his normal baritone voice, huffing to himself as he vocalized his thoughts. His baggy leather pants and linen shirt carried the stains from sap and dirt that he accumulated over this trek. “A big stone tower in the middle of nowhere, perfect ruin delving material.” Cykrus huffed loudly, stopping his march to lean on a nearby tree. A hefty paw wiped away the sweat forming on his brow. “Damn Gator, could have told me how far that nowhere was.”
He took a long drink of water. The chubby adventurer was no stranger to ruins, but the ones he had explored had been closer to his hometown. Not a ship ride across the straight and several days of hiking away. Cykrus was well outside his comfort zone. He sighed and recapped his waterskin, the nagging thoughts that this expedition was a waste of time and money were rising in the back of his mind again.He’d taken a loan from his pine marten friend, Klaus, to get out here. The thought of coming back empty handed sat in his big gut like a leaded weight. He shook his head, hoping that if he did so hard enough these thoughts might tumble out. The wolf had already come so far, he needed to see this through to the end. It would be a waste to stop now.
It was not a great source of resolve, but it would be good enough to get him the long way around the ridge and its uneven path. His paws were killing him, making this last leg of the trip slow going. The walk was pleasant at least. The forest was peaceful, the late spring day brought a warm breeze up into these forested foothills. He could hear the melodic bird songs cutting through the otherwise silent wood. Cykrus tried to dig for more motivation to keep moving and not just plop down and enjoy the weather. He focused his thoughts on the possibility of what he could find. Valuables hopefully, maybe a tax vault or a garrison armory. Gold coins, expensive armor sets, gemstones, or if he was lucky a powerful magical artifact. If he was really lucky, it would be something useful like a pocket dimension bag. Even if it wasn’t a practical magical item it could still be worth a lot. Cykrus heard of a stupid fish-talking trident that recently fetched hundreds of gold back in the Citadel. Probably to some rich person with more coin than sense that wanted to talk to their pet fish. Either kind of artifact would serve Cy well enough.
He would need to run anything he found by Klaus when he got home. While he could tell if something was magical, he wasn’t exactly well versed in what magic items did what or what those kinds of things were worth. Klaus was enough of a nerd to know that part. Assuming Cykrus got lucky enough to find something, for all he knew the only thing waiting for him could be dust and cobwebs. He shook his head again to clear these negative thoughts, he couldn’t let himself get discouraged so far into it. The wolf tried his best to empty his mind, listening to the gentle spring winds rustle the nearby tree branches, carrying the scent of fresh blooming flowers on each gust.
Keeping his mind occupied in the present did wonders for his mood, but it caused him to lose track of time. The sun crept further along the sky, bearing down overhead through any breaks in the tree canopy. A few hours bled away in this mind wandering march before Cykrus finally saw the grassy dirt path and accompanying ridgeline start to curve towards the mountain. His paws were still pounding and road weary, but he couldn’t help but pick up the pace and scramble forward the rest of the way. The rough path gradually became more obvious through the overgrown weeds as it bent around the rocky cliff. It led into a verdant valley nestled between two steep, rocky hills, one of which Cy had just spent the morning walking around. A large stone tower sat in the low point of the valley, surrounded by a worn stone perimeter wall and fields of blooming flowers. Old growth pines shot up at the edge of the valley, towering over the stone edifice. Cy could just spot a structure at the base of the tower through the gaps in the outer wall. The stones looked very worn, showing clear signs of erosion and rain damage over the years. The wolf couldn’t see any lights flickering in any of the windows, and a thin layer of pine needles had begun to settle on the shingles. The outerwall was choked with overgrown weeds and tall grasses, which seemed to confirm that this place had been abandoned. Or, that it was poorly maintained. Well, Krath was right about this one, there was a tower here. Now just to see if it paid off. Even if it didn’t, it would be nice to have a roof over his head tonight.
Cykrus trundled down into the valley, eager to get to exploring after all this walking. The descent towards the structure was easy, the gentle slope carrying him forward into the walled compound with refreshingly little effort. Now up close, he got a better look at the poor shape the wall was in. The stone was damp and peppered with bits of moss and creeping vines. The shingles on the central building were worn and chipped, sun bleached by their long service life. The door was still on and the windows were still intact so at least the building wasn’t entirely a condemned mess. Cykrus could spot spider webs on the windowsills and marked this place as a barely ruined ruin. He had to wonder if this had been abandoned within the last few years. The rest of this place was in a similar state of disrepair. A collapsed shed in the back, more spots of degradation and chipping in the stone outer wall, a vegetable garden overwhelmed with wild grass. Luckily none of it looked like it was about to collapse. Cykrus tail wagged back and forth in a hefty swish as he concluded his inspection. It looked safe enough to explore and with some good luck what’s left inside would make the trip worth it. Well, time to get inside.
The large wolf had to put in a good amount of effort to get the front door open. It was stuck, refusing to budge until he started slamming his shoulder into the wood. It took a few rams before he splintered the water damaged door bar holding it shut and scattered chips of wood across the old stone floor. The door flung open, taking Cykrus into the room with it. He stumbled forward and tried to catch himself on a small table in the entryway. The old wood collapsed entirely under his weight, taking the wolf down to the floor with a hefty thud. “Ow… not off to a great start.” He whined, rolling onto his stomach to push himself up. The stone floor was cold on his paws, and felt worn smooth.
Cy took stock of his immediate surroundings. He landed in a simple foyer with what was a pair of tables, a coat rack, and a weapons rack. The interior decor was drab, water staining the gray stone walls and the various potted plants having wilted. Sections of the masonry were chipped and cracked, with numerous bricks discolored by time and exposure. Cy lumbered forward out of the entryway and through the door on the far side of the entrance. He’d best get exploring.
He ducked through the small archway and entered into what looked like a small living area or sitting room. The chamber had a wide fireplace along the outward facing wall with a mantle decorated with odd carvings of various woodland animals. The used furniture with blankets hanging off chairs and sitting lounges were signs that someone used to live here. Near the fireplace sat a small stack of dry wood, an old tarnished copper tea pot, a thin iron poker, and a pair of cooking stands. The room also had a number of simple paintings on the wall of various vistas, all taken from high vantage points of sweeping valleys, villages, and coast lines. Though perhaps the most unusual thing was the stack of loose papers cluttered around the cushiest chair sitting before the fire. Most of them simply just looked like nonsense, so the wolf paid it no mind as he picked one of the doors in this room to peek through and explore next.
The first door revealed a small kitchen and dining area. Simple wooden furniture butt up against a stone wall, cupboards with collections of wooden and ceramic plates and bowls. Simple wood and horn utensils. The only thing even moderately fancy was a well used porcelain tea set. Maybe that was a good sign that the person who lived here spent their money on more practical things. He pawed through some drawers, finding some surviving spices and more sheets of parchment crammed everywhere. He stowed the spices in his pack and went back to check the next door.
The second door led to a combination pantry and storage room. It was stocked with crates and barrels of stored salted meats, rotten fruits, candles, random glass vials and jars along with old pots. And, of course, more sheets of scribbled notes sitting on the shelves and draped over various storage boxes. The candles were helpful at least. They would make it easier to explore the dark insides of this tower. He snagged a few extras from the storage crate. He pawed through some other crates but there didn’t seem to be much here so he quickly ducked out to try another door.
The next room looked like a mixture of a study and a library. This tower was certainly space efficient with its room use. The tables and chairs were pretty small, and the wolf had to wonder if they would just collapse if he tried to sit down. “Wouldn’t be the first time..” Cy grumbled. Though perhaps the most defining feature of this room, and frankly all the rooms he visited, were the reams of paper, scrolls, and old books scattered everywhere. Lists of seemingly random ingredients, drawings of stars or arcane diagrams, and rough sketches of people larger than trees, walls, even houses. They covered desks, filled up book shelves, and even were scattered about the faded linen lounging chairs. All signs that pointed to some magic shenanigans on behalf of the previous residents. It was promising enough that he lit the cold candles hanging in the sconces on the walls. He figured he’d be spending some time here trying to figure out what’s going on and if there might be anything good left behind.
Some time proved to be an understatement. There was probably a lifetime’s worth of books here. “Well better something than nothing, though this all just looks like mad scribblings.” Cy grumbled, glancing through several loose sheets. “About what I’d expect for a wizard. Gotta be something magic here.” He sorts through a few more, but it’s all nonsense to him. A lot of magical theory and complex diagrams mixed in with the doodles and notes of fanciful day dreaming. But he wasn’t going to be deterred just yet.
A thick finger ran along the spines of the various books sitting on the bookshelves, reading each title in turn. They were all books on some area of study or another, some just looked like made up subjects. Aetherology, On the Prospects of Enlargement, 101 Magnification Mixtures, Enchanted Woodworking, Alchemetrics. He sighed, running his hand over the dusty shelf in resignation when he noticed the pressure made it wobble and shift more than he expected. He raised an eyebrow, moving his hand to the shelf’s frame and giving it a firm push. The wood protested noisily as it slid across the planks beneath it, but it gave enough way for Cy to spot old scuff marks and a thin metal guide rail on the floor. He put his legs into the work, lifting the shelf up an inch and rolling it further to the side. It was slow rolling but it eventually shuffled clear of a door-sized opening in the stone work, with a winding wood stairwell leading down.
“Stars above, a secret door.” The hefty wolf pumped his fists, “Well, I’m not gonna go back with only rusted iron to his name this time now am I? There’s gotta be something good down there.”
That prospect was really all the convincing he needed to go through the opening. He hunched down, sucking in his gut and tucking in his shoulders so he could lumber down the spiral stairs to the secret chamber below. He squeezed his way through the cold stone corridors clutching his candle with both hands. It was slow going as he took careful steps, not wanting to slip and wind up tumbling the rest of the way or getting stuck entirely. It was uncomfortable, but eventually it opened up into a proper room with enough space to stand up. He contorted through the door sideways and let out the breath he was holding. He coughed as the dusty and musty air hit his nostrils on the inhale.
Cy took stock of his new surroundings. Where the room above this was more of a library with books and a writing desk, this looked more like a laboratory. The walls were the same dilapidated and chipped stone, the floor a weathered old wooden plank finish, all carefully laid together. Well, better light the candles on the walls and get to searching. A quick glance gathered that the room was divided into two halves. On one half was a large, U-shaped wooden desk with a variety of different pieces of old equipment set on top of it or even built into the desk. There was an elaborate alchemist’s kit with small burners and decanters, long since dried up. The desk had a wide section with the inscribed patterns of an enchanter’s table, just like Klaus had back home. This long desk probably had more work stations that Cykrus just didn’t recognize, and it had certainly been left in a messy state.
The other half was more storage, consisting of wooden item stands with orbs on top, crates, barrels, and loaded book shelves. It was certainly fancier than the storage room upstairs, and the orbs looked to be made of different kinds of gemstones. He huffed, decided to start with the shelves. He paws over the various mystery reagents to inspect them. The shelf was stocked with unknown powders, crystals, dried or preserved animal parts, sludges, and off-color liquids. Strange red blocks and sticks of chalk. Nothing really interesting, at least not to him. There were still a few books down here, as well as some scrawled notes. Seems that was as much a fixture of the tower as its stone walls were. He picked up a few to thumb through their contents. They were mostly catalogs and experimental journals, accounts of various reagents and procedures that may or may not have panned out. Cy didn’t have time to search through them but from what he knew of Alchemy these books were probably pretty useful. He stuffed a few in his pack, figuring these must be worth something back home. Or maybe they would just be something he could use to pay back Klaus.
Cykrus searched the rest of the shelves and crates, but didn’t find anything else particularly interesting. That just left the orbs and their little stands. They were nestled in the corner of the basement storage space, a small assortment of five smooth crystalline orbs in a variety of different colors. In the middle was a wooden note stand, like the ones the bards used for their music, only cluttered with more nonsensical papers. Cykrus figured it was safe enough to ignore those scribblings and focus on the crystals. Two of the orbs were small, smooth, and intensely colored, and would fit into his palm easy enough. The other three were large, rougher, and would likely require both hands to carry and Cy had big hands.
“Crystal balls or something? Do wizards use crystal balls or is that just fortune tellers?” Cykrus huffed, thinking aloud. He knelt down to peer at one of them, holding his candle stick up to the stone and watching the light glint and refract off the internal facets, giving a soft red/pink glow to the crystal. “I guess that doesn’t matter right now. Would be nice to know what these are for, but even just a huge ball of ruby will sell for a fortune.” He tested its weight, being able to lift it up without an issue. He probably will only be able to take one big one back or the two small ones, after all he does have a long trip to consider. He wouldn’t want them jostling around in his pack and chipping on each other. He’ll have to guess which one of these orbs will be the most valuable.
Best get to it. He set his hands on his hips and took stock of the various spheres before him. He started with the two small orbs. One was the red ruby and the other smaller one was a vibrant green emerald from his guess. The bigger orbs had an immediate strike out when he noted the first one was made of simple quartz, but the other two were more promising. A huge polished orb of clouded jade and a sphere of beautiful blue zircon. The latter sparkled like the seas of his hometown had been captured in a sphere. The zircon orb also seemed to be producing its own light, which was weird, but it was the closest to the candles so it was likely just some refraction. He had to admit the zircon had an odd alluring warmth to it. He shook his head to focus his thoughts, he was looking for the most valuable stone not the hottest.
The ruby was the obvious first choice. It was certainly big enough that he’d fetch a large sum for bringing it back. But, the three other orbs were much bigger than these two small ones and he felt it would be best to test the weight of the others. He didn’t want to get on the road wondering what would have been if he brought in the Zircon or Jade orb. Besides, maybe one of these was enchanted or something.
It was as if Cykrus had been tempting fate with his thoughts, for while the first two orbs hefted with some effort but little fuss. Simple crystal orbs, carefully carved gem stock for other more interesting projects by his reckoning. The third, the ocean blue Zircon, was heavier than the others by a wide margin and oddly warm to the touch. It was a warm tingling that gradually spread up to his hands and along his arms, one Cy mistook for his arm muscles straining at first.
“Huh, damn. This thing’s pretty heavy. I guess I should put in more training days when I get back.” He rumbles from deep within his throat. He exhales slowly as he feels the sensation moving up his arm. “Gods though, this is pretty nice. Reminds me of a warm sunny day on the beaches south of Unity. No wonder that wizard had this.” He chuckled, adjusting his grasp on the orb. Magical feel good orbs probably sold for a lot right? Cykrus closed his eyes and lost himself in the growing warmth spreading throughout his entire body. It crept up his arms, into his torso, then down his legs. He wiggled his toes as the gradual chill he’d been feeling the entire time he’d been in here was banished and replaced with the comfortable glow of a nice stretch or a long dip in a hot spring. Very relaxing. He shifted a bit, able to hold the orb easier without it feeling like so much of a weight. Though his clothes and pack straps were starting to feel a little tight…
Wait. What?
He snapped out of his content trance, opening his eyes and staring down at his worn traveling clothes. Where they had been once slightly baggy they were now pulled taut against his frame, the first threads on the seams starting to fray. His pack straps were digging into his shoulders. He also noticed the orb was smaller in his paws, taking up less space that it previously did. Or, perhaps more accurately, he was taking up more space than he previously did.
The wolf felt a lance of panic hit his gut. What the hell was happening? He took a clumsy step back, knocking the quartz sphere off its post and sending it tumbling to the ground where it cracked on impact. The orb stand clattered against the ground next, rolling into the ruby’s stand and setting it wobbling.
“No!” Cy bellowed, grasping the warm zircon orb in one hand and tucked it into his body as he reached over to snatch the ruby. He wasn’t about to let the most valuable gem shatter in the chaos. He grasped the red stone as it began to slide off the pedestal, pulling it closer to him as he groaned at the weight of trying to cradle the Zircon in one hand. It tugged him down and set him off balance, the warmth vying with the heft of this sphere as it both stretched out and soothed his arm muscles. The now empty ruby stand continued to tumble over onto the floor. It hit the wood floor with a hefty thunk and then rolled a few feet sideways. It collided against the flimsy note stand and tipped the stand over. It scattered the papers to the floor and threw some into the air as the chaos grew around the chubby wolf like a tornado. Cykrus stored the ruby away in a pocket of his pack and hefted the warm orb back to try to get it back onto its pedestal. The instant he got both hands onto it the warmth flooded his form again. He inhaled sharply as he felt his clothing start to dig into his body.
“Gah, the hell- ach!” He yelped as his clothes got tighter, he could hear the stitches in his pants shredding. He moved to put this strange magical sphere back on its place and hoped that would stop whatever this was from happening. Cy felt his body flush with adrenaline as he hefted the orb, the pedestal now only at waist height. Unfortunately, in his panic Cykrus did not account for the fact that he was now both bigger, and consequently stronger, than before. What was intended to be a swift deposit of the orb onto its wooden resting place was now a powerful slam that splintered the wood. With his new size he moved with more power than necessary, tipping the flimsy stand over with brute force and sending the orb he just let go of down tumbling to the ground with it. Whoops.
Cy tried to catch the falling orb, but really only succeeded in smacking it away with his enlarged paws. He sent it careening a few feet to impact on the hard stone floor with a sharp cracking sound. The orb pulsed with light as the break in its surface quickly spread, motes of light and wisps of power swirling out of the opening. It rolled over a few more feet, coming to a rest on the collection of papers with the break in the stone now facing upwards, spewing up a storm of magical energy. The flood of power widened the crack, wafting upward and swirling in a light show of glowing light blue and purple hues. Cy probably would have been awestruck if his heart wasn’t racing with the possibility that the orb was about to explode from the rush of magic spewing out. But luck was at least partially on his side, for instead of detonating in an energy blast the magic was instead looking for a new receptacle. And there just happened to be one standing right nearby. Him.
Cykrus was engulfed in the swirl of light as it circled his body. He could feel every inch of him filled with the gentle warmth of a late spring day, which began to increase to match the encompassing heat of a dry sauna. His brow dappled with sweat, his muscles flexed, and despite the heat he felt his body shiver. The magic from the orb continued to leak into him and his form swelled to accommodate it. The strange arcane workings of this enchanted gemstone finding a new purpose in growing the now hapless adventurer. He collapsed to his rear, the overwhelming energy flooding his senses made it hard to keep his focus. His body swelled against his clothes, pushing them to the edge and tearing his pants and shirt down the seams, leaving a mess of cotton and leather to fall to the ground. His tail thumped about subconsciously. For as unexpected as this was, it felt like he was getting a hot massage over every inch of his body. It was amazing and he was struggling to keep his wits as his form surged larger.
His expanding legs lengthened across the floor, knocking the rest of the stands over and pushing up against the far wall as he gradually grew up towards the ceiling in his seated position. He pulled a leg back, knocking over the far shelf in the process and spilling more books, candles, and odd reagents down onto the floor and into his lap. He had to look down at the falling shelf, now being taller than it was even though he was sitting. His footpaw pressed up against the wall, sending small cracks through the stonework as he felt his head brush up against the ceiling, pushing his ears down. His eyes glanced up at the contact and a paw went to the stone ceiling above him, the floor he had entered on. Despite its earlier chill, his body was still so warm he didn’t even notice the persistent chill anymore.
“T-this. This might be bad.” He glanced about the room, his panic now pitted against the onslaught of warm soothing sensations. His tongue gently poked out of his mouth as he took in the sheer size of himself. His body pushed the rest of the stands and furniture up against the wall, starting to crush and splinter some of it. He couldn’t deny how good this felt, but it also didn’t seem to be stopping. He had to hunch over to keep his head from pressing against the stone ceiling, slowly curling more into a ball as his form enlarged without cease. His claws gouged marks in the stone wall as he brought his knees up, doing everything he could to make more out of this space he was growing to fill entirely. His thighs squished the wooden shelf inward, splintering and cracking the wood with ease from their newfound size. “Y-you can… stop now…” His protest was weak, even his voice betraying that this wasn’t exactly an unwelcome experience.
But something had to give. And it was not going to be the magical vortex still swirling around him.
His hunched back pushed against the stone slab ceiling and sent a spiderweb’s worth of cracks through the gray slate. Pulverized dust and debris rained down harmlessly on his back as it pushed the stone upwards and started snapping the slabs into pieces. The breaking of the stone blocks caused further problems. Cykrus’ frame burst through the floor and surged up into the library. He unfurled from his ball, creating more chaos as his arms and head upended the bookshelves and desk, dumping a host of books, quills, and papers down his back and onto hefty belly. His huge, muscled arms crushed the shelves against the wall as he turned his body to give his legs more room to grow. His clumsy movements knocked the lounging chairs around, sending them skidding across the stone floor and smashing them into the walls in a mess of wood and velvet. The relief was certainly welcome, but he knew it wouldn’t last long as his lengthening limbs started to push his paws up against the crates in the basement corner. Cykrus’ belly was already growing to wedge uncomfortably in the hole he had broken in the floor just a few moments ago.
“I need to get out of here. I’m gonna bring the whole damn tower down.” The deep rumble of his voice echoed throughout the room he was quickling swelling to fill. He punched upwards through the wood planks and weathered shingles of the library’s ceiling. The wood stood no chance against this growing titan, the fist smashing clean through. He knocked his arm around, splintering more wood as he essentially tore the roof off from inside. None too soon as his size surged again, putting his head through the hole he just opened and shot his vision over the walls of this dilapidated stone building. Cy grunted as he moved, his limbs having grown so thick that even his fingers dwarfed the furniture and barrels he was trying to maneuver around, shoving them all up against the walls. He needed to get away from this building.
He placed a wide palm on the ground outside, pressing down against the earth. He braced the other on the tower’s floor, punching right through the stone and crunching it down against the wood planks of the basement below. The damage pitched the entire library - shelves, chairs and all - down into the secret cellar as it all began to collapse when the huge wolf stood up. The books, roof tiles, and loose sheets of paper fell from him like an avalanche as he pushed himself to a standing position, leaving a massive handprint in both the dirt outside and in the crushed planks of wood below him. His tremendous belly was like a wrecking ball, tearing up chunks from the stone floor as he stood. The hefty gut crashed into the exterior stone wall and sent it crumbling out into the yard in a mess of bricks. As he drew up to full height, he was already taller than the three story tower next to him, his eyes just seeing over the crenelations on top and getting higher by the moment. He had to thrash his footpaws back and forth, as they had grown so large as to bridge the dozen feet of space in the cellar and threaten to get wedged inside. He stepped up and out of the crumbling ruin, having trashed or crushed most of the east side of the building.
He saw the nearby birds take to the sky as he took that first rumbling step, sending a small quake through the nearby valley at the weight of his movements. He felt his cheeks flush with heat as he looked at the mess below him. But it was quickly lost in the oppressive warmth still flooding his body as the light show continued around him. He could feel his weight pressing into the dirt below him leaving huge paw print indentations just by virtue of standing there. Despite all of this crashing and collapsing, he didn’t feel any pain. Just the overwhelming warmth and tingling sensations, which sent waves of relief through his spine like his entire body was being massaged every second. The swishing of his tail back and forth created a faint breeze, blowing stray flower petals and leaves about in a sudden storm. Every instinct in his mind was screaming at him to be mindful, to be terrified of what was happening. But as his height grew, as the size of his limbs eclipsed even the width of the tower before him and his gaze elevated to mingle among the tops of the trees around him. He couldn’t bring himself to feel concerned. He would ride that high for at least a few more minutes, until the magic calmed and his growth slowed to a stop.
He had to guess, based on how he was now a part of the nearby pine tree canopy, that he had increased in size by at least ten fold. Now well over eighty feet tall he could see over the ridgeline next to him and clear down to the coast. Hell, the tower barely came up to his waist. Still he took care not to smash it as he shifted about. He didn’t want any more destruction today. He cast his gaze down, taking care with where he put his tremendous paws as each step left a shallow indent in the soft earth around him. He noticed the pile of rubble that now made up where he started this ordeal, knowing all those gemstones he found were probably either shattered by his bulk or buried under tons of rubble which had likely then shattered them anyway. And while he would have no problem clearing that rubble, he doubted he could even pick up gemstones so small without just shattering them now.
Cykrus sighed, rustling some of the nearby trees with his breath. Well, he didn’t have anything to sell. But he was huge, and the magic that was in that growth stone was probably now infused inside of him. He could feel the sheer strength in his titanic limbs, so he had that going for him at least. He could probably carry the tower home with him if he wanted. Right… home. That might be a problem now that he was larger than the ferry ships. But the gap he crossed was now going to be much more shallow. He could probably just walk it! Just like he could simply step over the cliff ridge and save himself a few hours of walking around it. At his size, he’d be home before he even knew it.
Still, he was going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do when he got home, and some new problems to solve. He wasn’t exactly going to fit into his cottage anymore. As he turned his eyes to the sky and felt the sun bathe his titanic body in the warmth of a balmy spring day, he figured that there were probably going to be upsides to this too. Though… he should really clean up all this rubble and find all his stuff before he leaves. He felt a pang of panic in his gut again as that thought crossed his mind. He knelt down in a rush, knees impacting the dirt with a resounding shake that collapsed sections of the exterior wall and kicked up a shower of soil.
“Oh gods, please tell me I didn’t squish all of my stuff. I was going to pay Klaus back with those books!” His huge hands went down to start carefully picking through the pile of debris he left in his growth spurt, knocking down more of the damaged library he had just grown out of. Ugh, this might take him a while.
Despite the surge of incredible magic and a stature to rival even the mighty pines around him. The clumsy, chubby wolf still couldn’t help but sweat the small stuff. Some things even life altering wizardry couldn’t change.
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A Tremendous Find
“Okay, this place should be right around this ridge.” Cykrus had been meandering in the wilderness for about a week now, following a vague set of directions scrawled on a piece of parchment. He had been changing paths, snaking back and forth along a river all the way up into the coastal foothills, crashing through overgrown, barely visible woodland paths, and hiking up steep inclines. It had been a more trying journey than he expected, and certainly more of one than his wanderer friend implied back at the tavern.
“I need to stop taking advice on locations from Krath...” The big black and white wolf lowered his normal baritone voice, huffing to himself as he vocalized his thoughts. His baggy leather pants and linen shirt carried the stains from sap and dirt that he accumulated over this trek. “A big stone tower in the middle of nowhere, perfect ruin delving material.” Cykrus huffed loudly, stopping his march to lean on a nearby tree. A hefty paw wiped away the sweat forming on his brow. “Damn Gator, could have told me how far that nowhere was.”
He took a long drink of water. The chubby adventurer was no stranger to ruins, but the ones he had explored had been closer to his hometown. Not a ship ride across the straight and several days of hiking away. Cykrus was well outside his comfort zone. He sighed and recapped his waterskin, the nagging thoughts that this expedition was a waste of time and money were rising in the back of his mind again.He’d taken a loan from his pine marten friend, Klaus, to get out here. The thought of coming back empty handed sat in his big gut like a leaded weight. He shook his head, hoping that if he did so hard enough these thoughts might tumble out. The wolf had already come so far, he needed to see this through to the end. It would be a waste to stop now.
It was not a great source of resolve, but it would be good enough to get him the long way around the ridge and its uneven path. His paws were killing him, making this last leg of the trip slow going. The walk was pleasant at least. The forest was peaceful, the late spring day brought a warm breeze up into these forested foothills. He could hear the melodic bird songs cutting through the otherwise silent wood. Cykrus tried to dig for more motivation to keep moving and not just plop down and enjoy the weather. He focused his thoughts on the possibility of what he could find. Valuables hopefully, maybe a tax vault or a garrison armory. Gold coins, expensive armor sets, gemstones, or if he was lucky a powerful magical artifact. If he was really lucky, it would be something useful like a pocket dimension bag. Even if it wasn’t a practical magical item it could still be worth a lot. Cykrus heard of a stupid fish-talking trident that recently fetched hundreds of gold back in the Citadel. Probably to some rich person with more coin than sense that wanted to talk to their pet fish. Either kind of artifact would serve Cy well enough.
He would need to run anything he found by Klaus when he got home. While he could tell if something was magical, he wasn’t exactly well versed in what magic items did what or what those kinds of things were worth. Klaus was enough of a nerd to know that part. Assuming Cykrus got lucky enough to find something, for all he knew the only thing waiting for him could be dust and cobwebs. He shook his head again to clear these negative thoughts, he couldn’t let himself get discouraged so far into it. The wolf tried his best to empty his mind, listening to the gentle spring winds rustle the nearby tree branches, carrying the scent of fresh blooming flowers on each gust.
Keeping his mind occupied in the present did wonders for his mood, but it caused him to lose track of time. The sun crept further along the sky, bearing down overhead through any breaks in the tree canopy. A few hours bled away in this mind wandering march before Cykrus finally saw the grassy dirt path and accompanying ridgeline start to curve towards the mountain. His paws were still pounding and road weary, but he couldn’t help but pick up the pace and scramble forward the rest of the way. The rough path gradually became more obvious through the overgrown weeds as it bent around the rocky cliff. It led into a verdant valley nestled between two steep, rocky hills, one of which Cy had just spent the morning walking around. A large stone tower sat in the low point of the valley, surrounded by a worn stone perimeter wall and fields of blooming flowers. Old growth pines shot up at the edge of the valley, towering over the stone edifice. Cy could just spot a structure at the base of the tower through the gaps in the outer wall. The stones looked very worn, showing clear signs of erosion and rain damage over the years. The wolf couldn’t see any lights flickering in any of the windows, and a thin layer of pine needles had begun to settle on the shingles. The outerwall was choked with overgrown weeds and tall grasses, which seemed to confirm that this place had been abandoned. Or, that it was poorly maintained. Well, Krath was right about this one, there was a tower here. Now just to see if it paid off. Even if it didn’t, it would be nice to have a roof over his head tonight.
Cykrus trundled down into the valley, eager to get to exploring after all this walking. The descent towards the structure was easy, the gentle slope carrying him forward into the walled compound with refreshingly little effort. Now up close, he got a better look at the poor shape the wall was in. The stone was damp and peppered with bits of moss and creeping vines. The shingles on the central building were worn and chipped, sun bleached by their long service life. The door was still on and the windows were still intact so at least the building wasn’t entirely a condemned mess. Cykrus could spot spider webs on the windowsills and marked this place as a barely ruined ruin. He had to wonder if this had been abandoned within the last few years. The rest of this place was in a similar state of disrepair. A collapsed shed in the back, more spots of degradation and chipping in the stone outer wall, a vegetable garden overwhelmed with wild grass. Luckily none of it looked like it was about to collapse. Cykrus tail wagged back and forth in a hefty swish as he concluded his inspection. It looked safe enough to explore and with some good luck what’s left inside would make the trip worth it. Well, time to get inside.
The large wolf had to put in a good amount of effort to get the front door open. It was stuck, refusing to budge until he started slamming his shoulder into the wood. It took a few rams before he splintered the water damaged door bar holding it shut and scattered chips of wood across the old stone floor. The door flung open, taking Cykrus into the room with it. He stumbled forward and tried to catch himself on a small table in the entryway. The old wood collapsed entirely under his weight, taking the wolf down to the floor with a hefty thud. “Ow… not off to a great start.” He whined, rolling onto his stomach to push himself up. The stone floor was cold on his paws, and felt worn smooth.
Cy took stock of his immediate surroundings. He landed in a simple foyer with what was a pair of tables, a coat rack, and a weapons rack. The interior decor was drab, water staining the gray stone walls and the various potted plants having wilted. Sections of the masonry were chipped and cracked, with numerous bricks discolored by time and exposure. Cy lumbered forward out of the entryway and through the door on the far side of the entrance. He’d best get exploring.
He ducked through the small archway and entered into what looked like a small living area or sitting room. The chamber had a wide fireplace along the outward facing wall with a mantle decorated with odd carvings of various woodland animals. The used furniture with blankets hanging off chairs and sitting lounges were signs that someone used to live here. Near the fireplace sat a small stack of dry wood, an old tarnished copper tea pot, a thin iron poker, and a pair of cooking stands. The room also had a number of simple paintings on the wall of various vistas, all taken from high vantage points of sweeping valleys, villages, and coast lines. Though perhaps the most unusual thing was the stack of loose papers cluttered around the cushiest chair sitting before the fire. Most of them simply just looked like nonsense, so the wolf paid it no mind as he picked one of the doors in this room to peek through and explore next.
The first door revealed a small kitchen and dining area. Simple wooden furniture butt up against a stone wall, cupboards with collections of wooden and ceramic plates and bowls. Simple wood and horn utensils. The only thing even moderately fancy was a well used porcelain tea set. Maybe that was a good sign that the person who lived here spent their money on more practical things. He pawed through some drawers, finding some surviving spices and more sheets of parchment crammed everywhere. He stowed the spices in his pack and went back to check the next door.
The second door led to a combination pantry and storage room. It was stocked with crates and barrels of stored salted meats, rotten fruits, candles, random glass vials and jars along with old pots. And, of course, more sheets of scribbled notes sitting on the shelves and draped over various storage boxes. The candles were helpful at least. They would make it easier to explore the dark insides of this tower. He snagged a few extras from the storage crate. He pawed through some other crates but there didn’t seem to be much here so he quickly ducked out to try another door.
The next room looked like a mixture of a study and a library. This tower was certainly space efficient with its room use. The tables and chairs were pretty small, and the wolf had to wonder if they would just collapse if he tried to sit down. “Wouldn’t be the first time..” Cy grumbled. Though perhaps the most defining feature of this room, and frankly all the rooms he visited, were the reams of paper, scrolls, and old books scattered everywhere. Lists of seemingly random ingredients, drawings of stars or arcane diagrams, and rough sketches of people larger than trees, walls, even houses. They covered desks, filled up book shelves, and even were scattered about the faded linen lounging chairs. All signs that pointed to some magic shenanigans on behalf of the previous residents. It was promising enough that he lit the cold candles hanging in the sconces on the walls. He figured he’d be spending some time here trying to figure out what’s going on and if there might be anything good left behind.
Some time proved to be an understatement. There was probably a lifetime’s worth of books here. “Well better something than nothing, though this all just looks like mad scribblings.” Cy grumbled, glancing through several loose sheets. “About what I’d expect for a wizard. Gotta be something magic here.” He sorts through a few more, but it’s all nonsense to him. A lot of magical theory and complex diagrams mixed in with the doodles and notes of fanciful day dreaming. But he wasn’t going to be deterred just yet.
A thick finger ran along the spines of the various books sitting on the bookshelves, reading each title in turn. They were all books on some area of study or another, some just looked like made up subjects. Aetherology, On the Prospects of Enlargement, 101 Magnification Mixtures, Enchanted Woodworking, Alchemetrics. He sighed, running his hand over the dusty shelf in resignation when he noticed the pressure made it wobble and shift more than he expected. He raised an eyebrow, moving his hand to the shelf’s frame and giving it a firm push. The wood protested noisily as it slid across the planks beneath it, but it gave enough way for Cy to spot old scuff marks and a thin metal guide rail on the floor. He put his legs into the work, lifting the shelf up an inch and rolling it further to the side. It was slow rolling but it eventually shuffled clear of a door-sized opening in the stone work, with a winding wood stairwell leading down.
“Stars above, a secret door.” The hefty wolf pumped his fists, “Well, I’m not gonna go back with only rusted iron to his name this time now am I? There’s gotta be something good down there.”
That prospect was really all the convincing he needed to go through the opening. He hunched down, sucking in his gut and tucking in his shoulders so he could lumber down the spiral stairs to the secret chamber below. He squeezed his way through the cold stone corridors clutching his candle with both hands. It was slow going as he took careful steps, not wanting to slip and wind up tumbling the rest of the way or getting stuck entirely. It was uncomfortable, but eventually it opened up into a proper room with enough space to stand up. He contorted through the door sideways and let out the breath he was holding. He coughed as the dusty and musty air hit his nostrils on the inhale.
Cy took stock of his new surroundings. Where the room above this was more of a library with books and a writing desk, this looked more like a laboratory. The walls were the same dilapidated and chipped stone, the floor a weathered old wooden plank finish, all carefully laid together. Well, better light the candles on the walls and get to searching. A quick glance gathered that the room was divided into two halves. On one half was a large, U-shaped wooden desk with a variety of different pieces of old equipment set on top of it or even built into the desk. There was an elaborate alchemist’s kit with small burners and decanters, long since dried up. The desk had a wide section with the inscribed patterns of an enchanter’s table, just like Klaus had back home. This long desk probably had more work stations that Cykrus just didn’t recognize, and it had certainly been left in a messy state.
The other half was more storage, consisting of wooden item stands with orbs on top, crates, barrels, and loaded book shelves. It was certainly fancier than the storage room upstairs, and the orbs looked to be made of different kinds of gemstones. He huffed, decided to start with the shelves. He paws over the various mystery reagents to inspect them. The shelf was stocked with unknown powders, crystals, dried or preserved animal parts, sludges, and off-color liquids. Strange red blocks and sticks of chalk. Nothing really interesting, at least not to him. There were still a few books down here, as well as some scrawled notes. Seems that was as much a fixture of the tower as its stone walls were. He picked up a few to thumb through their contents. They were mostly catalogs and experimental journals, accounts of various reagents and procedures that may or may not have panned out. Cy didn’t have time to search through them but from what he knew of Alchemy these books were probably pretty useful. He stuffed a few in his pack, figuring these must be worth something back home. Or maybe they would just be something he could use to pay back Klaus.
Cykrus searched the rest of the shelves and crates, but didn’t find anything else particularly interesting. That just left the orbs and their little stands. They were nestled in the corner of the basement storage space, a small assortment of five smooth crystalline orbs in a variety of different colors. In the middle was a wooden note stand, like the ones the bards used for their music, only cluttered with more nonsensical papers. Cykrus figured it was safe enough to ignore those scribblings and focus on the crystals. Two of the orbs were small, smooth, and intensely colored, and would fit into his palm easy enough. The other three were large, rougher, and would likely require both hands to carry and Cy had big hands.
“Crystal balls or something? Do wizards use crystal balls or is that just fortune tellers?” Cykrus huffed, thinking aloud. He knelt down to peer at one of them, holding his candle stick up to the stone and watching the light glint and refract off the internal facets, giving a soft red/pink glow to the crystal. “I guess that doesn’t matter right now. Would be nice to know what these are for, but even just a huge ball of ruby will sell for a fortune.” He tested its weight, being able to lift it up without an issue. He probably will only be able to take one big one back or the two small ones, after all he does have a long trip to consider. He wouldn’t want them jostling around in his pack and chipping on each other. He’ll have to guess which one of these orbs will be the most valuable.
Best get to it. He set his hands on his hips and took stock of the various spheres before him. He started with the two small orbs. One was the red ruby and the other smaller one was a vibrant green emerald from his guess. The bigger orbs had an immediate strike out when he noted the first one was made of simple quartz, but the other two were more promising. A huge polished orb of clouded jade and a sphere of beautiful blue zircon. The latter sparkled like the seas of his hometown had been captured in a sphere. The zircon orb also seemed to be producing its own light, which was weird, but it was the closest to the candles so it was likely just some refraction. He had to admit the zircon had an odd alluring warmth to it. He shook his head to focus his thoughts, he was looking for the most valuable stone not the hottest.
The ruby was the obvious first choice. It was certainly big enough that he’d fetch a large sum for bringing it back. But, the three other orbs were much bigger than these two small ones and he felt it would be best to test the weight of the others. He didn’t want to get on the road wondering what would have been if he brought in the Zircon or Jade orb. Besides, maybe one of these was enchanted or something.
It was as if Cykrus had been tempting fate with his thoughts, for while the first two orbs hefted with some effort but little fuss. Simple crystal orbs, carefully carved gem stock for other more interesting projects by his reckoning. The third, the ocean blue Zircon, was heavier than the others by a wide margin and oddly warm to the touch. It was a warm tingling that gradually spread up to his hands and along his arms, one Cy mistook for his arm muscles straining at first.
“Huh, damn. This thing’s pretty heavy. I guess I should put in more training days when I get back.” He rumbles from deep within his throat. He exhales slowly as he feels the sensation moving up his arm. “Gods though, this is pretty nice. Reminds me of a warm sunny day on the beaches south of Unity. No wonder that wizard had this.” He chuckled, adjusting his grasp on the orb. Magical feel good orbs probably sold for a lot right? Cykrus closed his eyes and lost himself in the growing warmth spreading throughout his entire body. It crept up his arms, into his torso, then down his legs. He wiggled his toes as the gradual chill he’d been feeling the entire time he’d been in here was banished and replaced with the comfortable glow of a nice stretch or a long dip in a hot spring. Very relaxing. He shifted a bit, able to hold the orb easier without it feeling like so much of a weight. Though his clothes and pack straps were starting to feel a little tight…
Wait. What?
He snapped out of his content trance, opening his eyes and staring down at his worn traveling clothes. Where they had been once slightly baggy they were now pulled taut against his frame, the first threads on the seams starting to fray. His pack straps were digging into his shoulders. He also noticed the orb was smaller in his paws, taking up less space that it previously did. Or, perhaps more accurately, he was taking up more space than he previously did.
The wolf felt a lance of panic hit his gut. What the hell was happening? He took a clumsy step back, knocking the quartz sphere off its post and sending it tumbling to the ground where it cracked on impact. The orb stand clattered against the ground next, rolling into the ruby’s stand and setting it wobbling.
“No!” Cy bellowed, grasping the warm zircon orb in one hand and tucked it into his body as he reached over to snatch the ruby. He wasn’t about to let the most valuable gem shatter in the chaos. He grasped the red stone as it began to slide off the pedestal, pulling it closer to him as he groaned at the weight of trying to cradle the Zircon in one hand. It tugged him down and set him off balance, the warmth vying with the heft of this sphere as it both stretched out and soothed his arm muscles. The now empty ruby stand continued to tumble over onto the floor. It hit the wood floor with a hefty thunk and then rolled a few feet sideways. It collided against the flimsy note stand and tipped the stand over. It scattered the papers to the floor and threw some into the air as the chaos grew around the chubby wolf like a tornado. Cykrus stored the ruby away in a pocket of his pack and hefted the warm orb back to try to get it back onto its pedestal. The instant he got both hands onto it the warmth flooded his form again. He inhaled sharply as he felt his clothing start to dig into his body.
“Gah, the hell- ach!” He yelped as his clothes got tighter, he could hear the stitches in his pants shredding. He moved to put this strange magical sphere back on its place and hoped that would stop whatever this was from happening. Cy felt his body flush with adrenaline as he hefted the orb, the pedestal now only at waist height. Unfortunately, in his panic Cykrus did not account for the fact that he was now both bigger, and consequently stronger, than before. What was intended to be a swift deposit of the orb onto its wooden resting place was now a powerful slam that splintered the wood. With his new size he moved with more power than necessary, tipping the flimsy stand over with brute force and sending the orb he just let go of down tumbling to the ground with it. Whoops.
Cy tried to catch the falling orb, but really only succeeded in smacking it away with his enlarged paws. He sent it careening a few feet to impact on the hard stone floor with a sharp cracking sound. The orb pulsed with light as the break in its surface quickly spread, motes of light and wisps of power swirling out of the opening. It rolled over a few more feet, coming to a rest on the collection of papers with the break in the stone now facing upwards, spewing up a storm of magical energy. The flood of power widened the crack, wafting upward and swirling in a light show of glowing light blue and purple hues. Cy probably would have been awestruck if his heart wasn’t racing with the possibility that the orb was about to explode from the rush of magic spewing out. But luck was at least partially on his side, for instead of detonating in an energy blast the magic was instead looking for a new receptacle. And there just happened to be one standing right nearby. Him.
Cykrus was engulfed in the swirl of light as it circled his body. He could feel every inch of him filled with the gentle warmth of a late spring day, which began to increase to match the encompassing heat of a dry sauna. His brow dappled with sweat, his muscles flexed, and despite the heat he felt his body shiver. The magic from the orb continued to leak into him and his form swelled to accommodate it. The strange arcane workings of this enchanted gemstone finding a new purpose in growing the now hapless adventurer. He collapsed to his rear, the overwhelming energy flooding his senses made it hard to keep his focus. His body swelled against his clothes, pushing them to the edge and tearing his pants and shirt down the seams, leaving a mess of cotton and leather to fall to the ground. His tail thumped about subconsciously. For as unexpected as this was, it felt like he was getting a hot massage over every inch of his body. It was amazing and he was struggling to keep his wits as his form surged larger.
His expanding legs lengthened across the floor, knocking the rest of the stands over and pushing up against the far wall as he gradually grew up towards the ceiling in his seated position. He pulled a leg back, knocking over the far shelf in the process and spilling more books, candles, and odd reagents down onto the floor and into his lap. He had to look down at the falling shelf, now being taller than it was even though he was sitting. His footpaw pressed up against the wall, sending small cracks through the stonework as he felt his head brush up against the ceiling, pushing his ears down. His eyes glanced up at the contact and a paw went to the stone ceiling above him, the floor he had entered on. Despite its earlier chill, his body was still so warm he didn’t even notice the persistent chill anymore.
“T-this. This might be bad.” He glanced about the room, his panic now pitted against the onslaught of warm soothing sensations. His tongue gently poked out of his mouth as he took in the sheer size of himself. His body pushed the rest of the stands and furniture up against the wall, starting to crush and splinter some of it. He couldn’t deny how good this felt, but it also didn’t seem to be stopping. He had to hunch over to keep his head from pressing against the stone ceiling, slowly curling more into a ball as his form enlarged without cease. His claws gouged marks in the stone wall as he brought his knees up, doing everything he could to make more out of this space he was growing to fill entirely. His thighs squished the wooden shelf inward, splintering and cracking the wood with ease from their newfound size. “Y-you can… stop now…” His protest was weak, even his voice betraying that this wasn’t exactly an unwelcome experience.
But something had to give. And it was not going to be the magical vortex still swirling around him.
His hunched back pushed against the stone slab ceiling and sent a spiderweb’s worth of cracks through the gray slate. Pulverized dust and debris rained down harmlessly on his back as it pushed the stone upwards and started snapping the slabs into pieces. The breaking of the stone blocks caused further problems. Cykrus’ frame burst through the floor and surged up into the library. He unfurled from his ball, creating more chaos as his arms and head upended the bookshelves and desk, dumping a host of books, quills, and papers down his back and onto hefty belly. His huge, muscled arms crushed the shelves against the wall as he turned his body to give his legs more room to grow. His clumsy movements knocked the lounging chairs around, sending them skidding across the stone floor and smashing them into the walls in a mess of wood and velvet. The relief was certainly welcome, but he knew it wouldn’t last long as his lengthening limbs started to push his paws up against the crates in the basement corner. Cykrus’ belly was already growing to wedge uncomfortably in the hole he had broken in the floor just a few moments ago.
“I need to get out of here. I’m gonna bring the whole damn tower down.” The deep rumble of his voice echoed throughout the room he was quickling swelling to fill. He punched upwards through the wood planks and weathered shingles of the library’s ceiling. The wood stood no chance against this growing titan, the fist smashing clean through. He knocked his arm around, splintering more wood as he essentially tore the roof off from inside. None too soon as his size surged again, putting his head through the hole he just opened and shot his vision over the walls of this dilapidated stone building. Cy grunted as he moved, his limbs having grown so thick that even his fingers dwarfed the furniture and barrels he was trying to maneuver around, shoving them all up against the walls. He needed to get away from this building.
He placed a wide palm on the ground outside, pressing down against the earth. He braced the other on the tower’s floor, punching right through the stone and crunching it down against the wood planks of the basement below. The damage pitched the entire library - shelves, chairs and all - down into the secret cellar as it all began to collapse when the huge wolf stood up. The books, roof tiles, and loose sheets of paper fell from him like an avalanche as he pushed himself to a standing position, leaving a massive handprint in both the dirt outside and in the crushed planks of wood below him. His tremendous belly was like a wrecking ball, tearing up chunks from the stone floor as he stood. The hefty gut crashed into the exterior stone wall and sent it crumbling out into the yard in a mess of bricks. As he drew up to full height, he was already taller than the three story tower next to him, his eyes just seeing over the crenelations on top and getting higher by the moment. He had to thrash his footpaws back and forth, as they had grown so large as to bridge the dozen feet of space in the cellar and threaten to get wedged inside. He stepped up and out of the crumbling ruin, having trashed or crushed most of the east side of the building.
He saw the nearby birds take to the sky as he took that first rumbling step, sending a small quake through the nearby valley at the weight of his movements. He felt his cheeks flush with heat as he looked at the mess below him. But it was quickly lost in the oppressive warmth still flooding his body as the light show continued around him. He could feel his weight pressing into the dirt below him leaving huge paw print indentations just by virtue of standing there. Despite all of this crashing and collapsing, he didn’t feel any pain. Just the overwhelming warmth and tingling sensations, which sent waves of relief through his spine like his entire body was being massaged every second. The swishing of his tail back and forth created a faint breeze, blowing stray flower petals and leaves about in a sudden storm. Every instinct in his mind was screaming at him to be mindful, to be terrified of what was happening. But as his height grew, as the size of his limbs eclipsed even the width of the tower before him and his gaze elevated to mingle among the tops of the trees around him. He couldn’t bring himself to feel concerned. He would ride that high for at least a few more minutes, until the magic calmed and his growth slowed to a stop.
He had to guess, based on how he was now a part of the nearby pine tree canopy, that he had increased in size by at least ten fold. Now well over eighty feet tall he could see over the ridgeline next to him and clear down to the coast. Hell, the tower barely came up to his waist. Still he took care not to smash it as he shifted about. He didn’t want any more destruction today. He cast his gaze down, taking care with where he put his tremendous paws as each step left a shallow indent in the soft earth around him. He noticed the pile of rubble that now made up where he started this ordeal, knowing all those gemstones he found were probably either shattered by his bulk or buried under tons of rubble which had likely then shattered them anyway. And while he would have no problem clearing that rubble, he doubted he could even pick up gemstones so small without just shattering them now.
Cykrus sighed, rustling some of the nearby trees with his breath. Well, he didn’t have anything to sell. But he was huge, and the magic that was in that growth stone was probably now infused inside of him. He could feel the sheer strength in his titanic limbs, so he had that going for him at least. He could probably carry the tower home with him if he wanted. Right… home. That might be a problem now that he was larger than the ferry ships. But the gap he crossed was now going to be much more shallow. He could probably just walk it! Just like he could simply step over the cliff ridge and save himself a few hours of walking around it. At his size, he’d be home before he even knew it.
Still, he was going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do when he got home, and some new problems to solve. He wasn’t exactly going to fit into his cottage anymore. As he turned his eyes to the sky and felt the sun bathe his titanic body in the warmth of a balmy spring day, he figured that there were probably going to be upsides to this too. Though… he should really clean up all this rubble and find all his stuff before he leaves. He felt a pang of panic in his gut again as that thought crossed his mind. He knelt down in a rush, knees impacting the dirt with a resounding shake that collapsed sections of the exterior wall and kicked up a shower of soil.
“Oh gods, please tell me I didn’t squish all of my stuff. I was going to pay Klaus back with those books!” His huge hands went down to start carefully picking through the pile of debris he left in his growth spurt, knocking down more of the damaged library he had just grown out of. Ugh, this might take him a while.
Despite the surge of incredible magic and a stature to rival even the mighty pines around him. The clumsy, chubby wolf still couldn’t help but sweat the small stuff. Some things even life altering wizardry couldn’t change.
This is a piece I commissioned from neo (@NeoXIII on Twitter) last month based on an idea from a story I'm working on. I liked the piece so much as to give it its own story. He really did a great job on it and I'm happy to share it and my short story.
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This version is the more reader friendly version, with the story txt file included.
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This version is the more reader friendly version, with the story txt file included.
Category Story / Macro / Micro
Species Wolf
Gender Male
Size 120 x 85px
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