The lost adventure
By Raphael the Ferret
Featuring Morphine Crux and AEthian



It was a cold and miserable October night, the drenching rains and battering winds drove most folk into hiding as the storm left a path of devastation in its wake, homes not build properly were ripped apart by the howling winds and even those with the proper structure were badly damaged, leaving most nearly torn apart. But, to the adventurer, this was an acceptable risk that could be taken, especially with the prize of unfathomable power to be captured. Power only the select few could wield and use properly. AEthian trudged through the hellish storm, a cloak draped over his body as to ward off the assailing winds and pounding rains that threatened to blow him clean off of the cliff face in which he was carefully navigating, loose stones giving way beneath his feet and careening down the deadly drop-off. “This will be the death of me… But the ruins aren’t much farther ahead” he muttered to himself, his voice drowned out by the torrential rainfall which broke records in most places. He stayed his course, maneuvering over jagged rocks and slippery slabs of shale which had become slick with rain and mud. There was little light in the area, making his journey all the more perilous as he continued to make head towards the entrance of the centuries old ruins, the place many a soul had tried to go but had fallen prey to the cliffs and other beings that inhabited the area, vicious creatures that lurked in the shadows, waiting to strike and kill whatever might come close. Luckily AEthian had managed to avoid these night time terrors as the narrow path on the cliffs opened up as the entrance to the ancient temple which had long ago fallen into disrepair and use…. But there was something more frightening than the ruins itself as a crack of lightning revealed a truly gruesome sight, countless bodies lay strewn about in the open area, pools of blood and other fluids mixing with the rain as rivers of ichor and bial formed through the cracks in the ancient stone. The stench was overwhelming, the foul mix of rotting meat and stale blood filled the air around the Wolf, the bodies around him had their faces twisted in a grotesque fashion as many had their limbs ripped clean from their sockets leaving bloody stumps that weeped various fluids and pus. “Poor souls… Let's just hope whatever did this isn't still around” he stammered, pulling part of his cloak around his muzzle, trying to muffle the horrid stench that lie in the area. The Wolf dug into his satchel, rummaging around in the pouch as he took inventory of what items he had brought in case he was attacked and what he needed to navigate the ruins themselves. Once he was sure he had everything prepared, he made his way past the countless corpses into the entrance which seemed to beckon him with a force not known to many, a deep pulling force that tugged at his very soul, almost demanding him to come inside. “I’ve come this far…. No turning back now” he grumbled, wandering into the ruins, constantly scanning his surroundings for danger… Read to strike at anything that might pose a threat, but even with all the preparations he brought…. Nothing could prepare him for what lie within..

Upon entering the archaic structure, the smell of rotting and bubbling flesh only got worse as a tradeoff of having the rain stop its relentless pounding, sheltered by the ancient stone which had runes engraved into them, most of which washed away by centuries of erosion and weather, but the ones that still had the markings seemed to glow a faint orange and white as mystical energies swirled about within the expansive room, providing a dull lighting for the Wolf. AEthian wandered past the mutilated bodies of those who had tried to claim the power in the ruins, but it seemed they fared just as well as the others on the outside, decimated as they tried to enter the haunted place which concealed the great power deep within. Even with the corpses and limbs strewn about, he was steadfast about his mission, set on claiming whatever was beckoning to him deep in the bowels of the ancient building that seemed to breath with its stone lungs, breath that seemed to carry a voice through the adventurers ears, teasing him with a language that no longer existed and only a select civilization knew how to understand and use, but those who knew the language had long died out hundreds of years ago, leaving behind their stories that would never be read, books that could never be understood even by the most professional of translators or brightest of scholars, an entire civilization lost but their artifacts of power still remaining to be claimed by the brave soul that dared come within to try and claim it. AEthian walked past the glowing pillars engraved with the glowing glyphs, studying every single one, trying to decipher just what the ancients had left behind in their wake before dying out. He took notes as he crept deeper into the darkened abyss, the tug on his soul only growing stronger with every step he took, a force dragging him further and further from the exit…. And from his only route of escape if something should go awry. He took a breath, gagging slightly as the rotting stench once against invaded his nostrils filling them with the sickening smell of death and destruction before trudging past the silently screaming corpses and into a much smaller tunnel, the walls seeming to heave with every breath the temple took, the rotting timbers creaking and buckling as the air rushed past the Wolf’s ears, carrying more of the indiscernible language through the wind. He kept his paw on a dagger which was sheathed in his belt, poised to strike at any threat that he might come across “Whatever killed those poor bastards…. Must still be here” he growled, blackened eyes scanning this way and that as a tall shadow dashed right before his eyes. The dagger flew from its sheath in a movement faster than the eye could comprehend as the razor sharp blade glinted in the dull light of the tunnel, ready to dig into AEthian’s foe, whatever or whoever it might be. His heartbeat quickened as adrenaline began coursing through his veins, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up straight as his ears pivoted left and right, eyes still scanning through the darkness, searching for his assailant in the nearly pitch black cavern. “Must be my eyes playing tricks on he…” he sputtered, sheathing his weapon back on his belt as he continued to inch deeper and deeper into the ruins, paw ready to grab at the dagger at a moment’s notice should the shadow appear again…

After what seemed like hours, the Wolf exited the confined space of the tunnel, wandering into a larger room which contained more of the runic symbols etched into the walls, symbols which were much more intact than the others he had seen before, the amount of bloody carnage had also decreased significantly as now there were only a few skeletons scattered around the room, the meat long ago rotted away leaving the cracked boned most of which had been gnawed on by a creature with the teeth to match the deep scars in the bone. AEthian scanned the room over and over again, picking up on every small detail he could as he carefully entered the chamber, the words on the air becoming louder and more audible than before as they seemed to dig straight into the male’s brain, bouncing around within the adventurers skull. He came to the center of the chamber, the ceiling nowhere to be seen as it seemed to carry on forever, clouded only by a thick layer of mist which concealed anything that might be above. Without warming, the tall shadow appeared again, this time giving the wolf a solid shove to the side, the figures claws scraping across the front of AEthian’s chest plate, leaving scores in the material before disappearing once again. He drew his dagger, black eyes glaring into the darkness, scanning for whatever it was that came after him, ready to slice it to ribbons with surgical speed and precision “Come out coward! I fear nothing of your kind” he snarls, scanning through the chamber before spotting something that sent a shiver down his spine as his eyes caught the gaze of the creatures bright orange eyes that seemed to cut through the pitch black like a hot knife through butter, surrounded by a ghostly fire which matched the color of the sinister eyes before vanishing once again. AEthian’s head pivoted this way and that, trying to find the black figure once again as the sound of claws on the stone floor rang throughout the chamber, seeming to echo off of every wall with the terrible sound. Soon, the footsteps stopped and the entire room went eerily silent before the sound of nails on a chalkboard cut through the silence and dug straight into the wolf's ears causing him to quickly clap his paws to his head in an attempt to muffle the ear splitting noise which made every hair on his body stand on edge. “I refuse to play your games beast! I won’t fall prey to your tricks any longer!” he barked, quickly reaching into his bag, retrieving what looked like a flare and quickly igniting it….. That is the moment the Wolf would learn what he was truly up against as the creature that was taunting him not stand just a few feet away, orange eyes burning brightly against the glow of the flame. AEthian froze in place, seemingly paralyzed by the creature's gaze, the orange fire burning at the air as it left its ghostly trails around the monster's head which inched closer and closer, the words in the air were now the sound of screams which filled the poor adventurers with the sounds of death and destruction, no longer were they they words of ancient wisdom like they were before “W-what the fuck are you?!” he stammered as the creature paused its advance, now clearly illuminated by the fire's glow which also revealed the thing to be a Crux…. But what a Crux would be doing here perplexed the Wolf…

Morphine glared at the male who had now invaded his sanctum, staring right into the eyes of the trembling Wolf with his piercing orange eyes “It matters not what I am, adventurer… What matters now is why are you trespassing in my domain… You clearly ignored the multiple signs to turn back and here you are, gazing at what will now be the death of you” he snickered, reaching out to drag a clawed digit down the front of the males chestpiece, scoring the material slightly before retracting his paw to his side. The Crux was much bigger than the Wolf, standing a staggering eight foot tall at the ears with a very slender build and crimson stained fur…. A true killing machine is what now stood right in front of AEthian. “You think I will fall like the others that have tried to enter, beast?! You clearly don’t know me very well then” The Wolf growled, teeth bared as he slashed his dagger outwards, the shimmering blade hitting its mark as it sliced into the Crux’s chest, parting the tight skin and leaving a deep, weeping wound as the first strike was made against his assailant. He sprang backwards, putting some distance between the creature and himself as his cloak was deposited onto the floor in a heap. “I won’t fall prey to you, beast… I will be the victor…. Not a victim” he barked, holding his dagger out in front of his chest, Morphine’s vile blood clinging to the edge of the blade as he poised himself for another strike. Morphine grunted as the pain surged through his body, placing his paw on the fresh wound as it began to weep his foul blood, staining the rock floor below. He bared his teeth at the Wolf who now stood a few feet away, dagger drawn and ready to slice again “You will DIE here like all the rest you arrogant pest! No one has left here alive and you surely won’t be the first!” he snarls, his jagged and razor sharp teeth glinting in the dull light of AEthian’s dropped torch which was the only source of light in the chamber, the bright glow casting shadows throughout the room. The Crux dashed into one of the tall shadows on a pillar, concealing himself in the darkness once again before lashing out, jumping high into the air as his claws extended from his digits, aimed straight for the adventurers throat. The moment the Crux disappeared behind the pillar, AEthian’s eyes went wide, scanning throughout the darkness as he tried to find just where the creature went…. But it was too late, Morphine had already launched his attack which was aimed straight for the the Wolf’s throat. He quickly stepped to the side, moving out of the direct path of the oncoming Crux but the attack still landed, it might have not been his throat but the creature’s claws dug deep into the adventurer’s chest, ripping the chest plate free and slicing right through the skin and fur on the Wolf’s chest as three jagged lines were gouged into AEthian’s chest, his crimson blood sent spattering onto the floor as he fell to his knees, gasping for breath as the sheer force of the strike had knocked the wind from his lungs, leaving him wheezing in an attempt to catch his breath “L-lucky hit! It will be your last” The Wolf snarls, getting to his feet and digging around in his pouch, collecting small throwing knives and aiming them straight for Morphine’s chest before throwing them with lightning speed. The Crux with the ground, claws scraping into the stone, leaving deep scars in the floor before spinning around just in time to see AEthian throw the small knives, the glint of the metal catching his eye as he brought his claws up to slice clean through the projectiles, sending the pieces clattering to the floor but one made it through his defense and finding its mark in his shoulder, piercing right through the the tight skin and embedding itself in his muscle. He grabbed the knife and yanked it free, sending a spray of black bloor onto his chest and walls “Hmph, well. Don’t you feel clever, it’s a shame you won’t be able to tell anyone about your heroic adventure” he growls, throating the small blade to the floor and lunging directly at the Wolf who stood only a few feet away, grabbing AEthian by the throat with a movement faster than the eye could possibly comprehend, hoisting the male off of his feet as the pair came face to face, the Wolf’s black eyes dancing wildly within their sockets as the Crux’s bright orange gaze burned directly into the male’s head “I’m done with your petty games, fool. This is there you die”......

AEthian had no time to react as he now found himself held by the throat, the Crux’s claws digging into his skin, piercing holes in his skin as he struggled for breath, muffled gasps were the only noises he could make as his airway was crushed by the more powerful males grip which only seemed to get tighter with every pained struggle he made. The voices in his head screamed in agony as every escape option he could possibly think of was torn away with every passing second he remained in the creatures hold. He glared into Morphine’s eye’s, the burning orange eyes pierced into his own as his entire body became completely numb, paralyzed by the Crux’s gaze. ‘This is it…. I’ve… Lost’ he told himself as the monster’s jaws parted wide, exposing a ring of razor sharp teeth, most of which were still stained a dull crimson from the past meals the guardian of the ruin’s had devoured…He gazed into the drooling maw in utter terror as it would be the last thing he ever saw…. Alive… Morphine quickly spread his jaws, huffing hotly and washing the males face in hot breath that smelled of rotting meat and digestion, a smell that would make anyone’s stomach turn just by catching a whiff of the foul stench which emanated from the Crux’s throat. He wasted no time in quickly stuffing the Wolf’s head down into his awaiting gullet, the hot and slick flesh eagerly wrapping around its prey’s head and worked to pull the doomed adventurer deeper into the monster’s chest with each swallow followed by a loud GULLLLK. Morphine groaned as his throat was stretched and distended outwards by AEthian’s head and soon, his shoulders as the male was sucked further and further into the Crux’s jaws, thick drool being sent spattering all around the pair as it soaked the limp Wolf’s entire body which made everything delightfully slick and easy for the monster to swallow down at a frightening rate as now, he worked his powerful jaws over the male’s chest, his jagged teeth digging into his prey’s already sliced skin, the wounds beginning to bleed and fill the Crux’s mouth with the Wolf’s blood which sent him into a frenzy and made him only want more…. Morphine tilted his head back, thrashing about wildly which send the poor male’s legs flailing about in a rather comedic fashion as they were sliced against those jagged teeth which inhabited the Crux’s maw until the forces of gravity kicked in and sent AEthian down that abyssal gullet with a few short swallows until all that remained were the Wolf’s squirming feet which were generously slathered in drool before they too…. Were sent right down the tight passage.

The Wolf was forced to curl up tightly within the creatures tight gut, the walls expanding and contracting as the air was filled with the sound of Morphine’s heart beat along with the gastric churning and groaning of the monsters digestive tract “You should haven’t ignored the signs that were put there for you to leave, boy” The Crux snickered, kneading his paw into the squirming mass that was his Wolf filled gut, working the caustic slimes into AEthian’s battered body as the open wounds acted as gateways into the male’s frame. The Lupine thrashed about wildly within his captors gut, pushing hard against the paws that pressed down and kneaded against his sizzling skin “M-monster! Release me this instant!” he screamed, punching hard against the folds in the Crux’s gut only to have himself utterly soaked in the fizzing and bubbling gunk which eagerly began to eat away at his fur, melting it off as it was added to the vile ichor which already inhabited Morphine’s roiling stomach. The voices in his head ceased, only to be replaced by the sickening sounds of himself being digested alive, the heavy GRRRGL’s and GLRRRN’s rang in his ears as pain now entirely encompassed his body from the nerve endings being fried and eaten away…. Soon, he felt nothing, the slime having eaten his skin away along with the sensitive nerves before his muscles were the next things to go. Tendons and ligaments snapped and curled beneath the onslaught of acidic attacks and muscle was ripped free from the poor Wolf’s bones leaving him bare…. AEthian collapsed within the guardians stomach, with no structure to hold himself together his body fell apart, bones crumbling and cracking as they too were utterly destroyed by the hellish processes of the Crux’s stomach as it sagged and became more rounded, bouncing slightly as Morphine continued to knead and slosh the added weight around “But in the end, this place will be your tomb….” he laughs before a loud belch cut him off, a chunk of the Wolf’s still bubbling meat being coughed up and spat onto the ground, the chunk still bubbling as it was reduced to a pile of mush on the stone “But I have other plans for you, adventurer…” he chuckled, giving his gut a good slap, the mass within sloshing about from the impact. AEthian’s soul tried to free itself from the confines of the monsters gut, but something was stopping it, hindering its ability to escape and run away…

What kind of other sinister plans did the Crux have for the poor boys very essence? The thing that made him what he is… He didn't want to think about it but he continued to feel his soul being tugged and pulled by another, darker force as the very fibers of AEthian’s soul were warped and twisted in horrific ways, changing him in ways he never could have thought possible! Ways that should not even be possible for someone such as him, someone who had many souls of his own…. But it seemed to not matter as he was bend and reshaped, his soul corrupted like a piece of old data that Morphine played with. The Crux slammed his paw against one of the ancient pillars, the runes glowing a bright orange to match his own, the same wispy fire returning to his eyes as words of a language that no longer, or ever existed were chanted, the noise growing louder and louder before a loud bang was heard, the entire cavern shaking as it a bomb had gone off deep within. “You will be another one of the guardians here, Wolf…. This place will be your eternal prison, to serve me” he snarls as AEthian’s soul was ripped free from his stomach and encased in the stone, the fire in Morphine’s eyes burning like a raging inferno as the males soul was further corrupted and twisted, changed into something more sinister… Something AEthian never thought he could be changed into. With his soul now entrapped in the ancient stone, he could feel his very essence being warped, shifted in the dark and chaotic ways of the Crux’s sorcery… Then heard those words which sent a shiver down his spine ‘Eternal…. Prison’ were the words which rattled his thoughts before a sharp, stabbing pain overtook him as slowly, he was returned to the physical realm… But something was wrong, this wasn’t what he looked like when he entered the tomb! “Arraaagg, what is this?!” he screamed as muscle and flesh formed over the bare bones of a creature which was definitely not a Wolf…. But instead… Another Crux, a minion to the one who created him as Morphine stood there and watched, a twisted grin on his face as his new creation came to life. AEthian hit the floor with a THUD, muscles and flesh still forming around his bones before black fur began to appear, accented by white stripes here and there, an almost exact replica of Morphine. He stumbled to get to his feet, clearly not used to his new form of being as his legs collapsed quite a few times like a newborn fawn. Finally he managed to get himself up off of the floor, digging his claws into the stone pillar which trapped him earlier “W-what have you done to me?!” The new Crux snarled, holding a paw out to Morphine with a glare in his eyes “I made you better…. And now you can use that new form to guard this place which will now be your eternal playground” Morphine laughed, his voice booming off of the walls as the ancient room seemed to echo his laughter. He kicked AEthian square in the chest, launching the shaky creature from his hold on the pillar onto the floor below, the impact shattering the stone below “You won’t be leaving anytime soon so I suggest you get used to that new body of yours” he snarled before turning away but pausing as he was about to leave “Oh and as for your soul….. I took the liberty of removing it… You won’t be needing it anytime soon” he laughed before walking away, leaving poor AEthian alone on the floor, scrambling to get up before Morphine disappeared…. Forever