Saw some wonderful art of magic food golems and stuffing and was inspired to write something along that theme myself! Introduces a villainous unicorn chef mage who I'll hopefully remember to write about more in the future.

Bacchus is "rewarded" for his good deeds with a fattening animated feast...

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The Paladin's Filling Reward
By: Indi

Bacchus crept through the front doors of the abandoned palace, eyes and ears sharp. Unlike most paladins, the lion didn’t wear armor, so he didn’t need to worry about clanking as he entered. Not that he really expected his foe to be listening out for him. A giant serpent had been sighted in the area, rumored to use the old palace as a nest. The reward for slaying it had been somewhat meager, but Bacchus cared more about doing a good deed than the money.

The entryway soon opened into a grand hall. Tattered banners lined the walls, and candle holders were strewn about. There was some debris here and there, but not much. The most surprising sight was a large, pristine throne. Bacchus couldn’t believe it hadn’t been looted yet.

“You must be the wonderful hero!”

Bacchus turned, sword unsheathed in an instant. Before him was a smiling unicorn dressed in the garb of a chef. “What are...what are you doing here?” he asked.

“I’m waiting for the hero, of course! You are one, right? Answering the call to defeat the terrible, horrible, fearsome snake?”

“I...yes.” Bacchus hadn’t lowered his sword. “But there isn’t a snake, is there?”

“Correct! But that doesn’t matter, since you passed the test.” There was pure glee in the unicorn’s voice, as if all his dreams had just come true.

“What test?”

“The test to find a hero, of course!” The unicorn began to slowly circle around Bacchus, keeping a respectful distance while looking him up and down. “You see, only a true hero would choose to face a powerful beast alone with such a low reward in store. And what an interesting one you are.”

Bacchus frowned. He couldn’t see a single weapon on the odd unicorn, but there was always a chance they were a mage. “I’m not very fond of being tricked, mister…”

“Leopold!” the unicorn enthusiastically offered without hesitation.

“Leopold.” No one Bacchus had ever heard of, at least.

“But it wasn’t a trick, it was a test! Which—as I already mentioned—you passed.” Leopold came to a stop, back at his original location between Bacchus and the exit. “I greatly admire heroes. Nothing warms my heart more than putting my skills to use rewarding them with grandiose feasts. Feeding others is my purpose in life--and who better to feed than someone selfless?”

There was a small rumble from Bacchus’ stomach. He didn’t remember being hungry before entering the palace, but he’d been worrying about a non-existent giant snake then. He didn’t trust Leopold enough to accept whatever strange meal he might have in store for him, though. “Unfortunately I’m a light eater, so I’ll have to turn the reward down. Besides, I’ve got actual work to do.”

Leopold frowned. “You deserve a rest just as much as you deserve a filling meal, though. And even the lightest eater becomes a heavyweight once they’ve indulged on the magical cooking of Leopold!”

The unicorn’s horn glowed bright, and two enormous marshmallows appeared out of thin air beside him. They fell to the ground and bounced with a jiggle, swiftly changing shape as they did. When they landed again they were both shaped like kobolds, with wide grins and beady eyes. Four more were created with ease, until Leopold had a small band of marshmallow kobolds with him.

“Please, have a bite of my snackbolds, enjoy yourself!” Leopold spread out his arms, and the kobolds charged.

Bacchus lashed out at the first to reach him, slicing it in two with ease. The bisected kobold bounced past him, followed swiftly by a second. But the lion’s swordsmanship could only handle so much.

The third kobold dove straight towards, and then into, Bacchus’ mouth. His eyes shot open as he felt the animated marshmallow wiggle down his throat, teasing his taste buds the entire time. Bacchus’ belly swelled out, instantly straining the buttons of his tight vest, which creaked in protest. As soon as the kobold finished filling his stomach another dived in after.

Despite being terribly delicious, Bacchus was in no mood to be stuffed by marshmallows by a crazed chef. He swung wildly at the two others with his sword, while using his free paw to grab the one feeding itself to him. Gaining a solid grip on the marshmallow proved impossible. He squeezed and pulled at it, only managing to delay the inevitable a bit.

Buttons were bursting off Bacchus’ vest, his belly ballooning further. It was an awkward, wobbling ball, rounder than he’d ever seen before. He could barely swing his sword with his growing gut in the way, and the other two kobolds delighted in poking him whenever possible. Bacchus stumbled backwards to escape them, only to feel his paws step in something soft and sticky. The bisected kobolds had rejoined, turning their bodies into traps. Bacchus couldn’t budge.

“How do they taste? I do hope they’re good—no, wonderful!” Leopold said. He trotted closer, looking as gleeful as ever. “They’re just snacks, of course, the most basic of basic treats. But I like to start people off with the simpler stuff first so they can truly appreciate what comes later.”

Bacchus reluctantly gulped the last of the second kobold down, his middle bouncing and blimping. He blushed at how round he was. “I’ll pop if this continues. Call off your devilish creations!”

“Pop?” Leopold laughed. “Please, Sir Paladin, I am a professional stuffer. I’d never let such an honored guest burst before the first course even started. You’ll have plenty of room soon.”

A sharp hunger pain echoed from within Bacchus’ stomach, and before his very eyes his belly began to shrink. For a few seconds he felt relief. Then he realized the rest of him was plumping up in response. The kobolds weren’t vanishing, they were being digested, turned into rapidly multiplying pounds. Now the rest of his clothing was feeling tight, seams shredding as he outgrew everything.

Bacchus was too distracted by his gains to defend himself from the third kobold, or the fourth after it. His sword clattered to the floor as he dropped it, trying in vain to force the unwanted snacks out with his bare paws. Of course he wasn’t any more successful than before. The lion’s belly ballooned and shrunk, ballooned and shrunk. The rest of him simply ballooned.

By the time the lion’s stomach had emptied of the four marshmallow kobolds, he was twice as fat as when he’d entered. From his rump to his face he was curves, soft enough that he jiggled as he struggled against the blobs of marshmallow still gluing him in place. Returning to his normal weight would either be a tremendous challenge or an overwhelming expense. Until then he’d be the heftiest paladin in the land. And yet as he looked over his new size, a tiny part of him found it pleasant. Perhaps the same part that was hungering for even more marshmallow kobolds.

“I’m...I’m huge!” Bacchus whined.

“Oh, you’re merely a little plump!” Leopold said, daring to venture closer now that the paladin was defenseless. “Just barely big enough for a real course of my legendary feast. But first we should get you dressed for the occasion. Something worthy of a lion of your stature. Bold and kingly.”

Again the unicorn’s horn glowed. In the air appeared a tunic, robes, pants, and a belt. They all looked luxurious, the sort of thing nobility would wear. And they all carried the strong aroma of pastries. The tunic flew at Bacchus, forcing itself onto the lion. He put up a token fight, but the material was surprisingly stretchy and resilient. The pants were next, Bacchus’ paws released only long enough for the speedy dressing. The belt looped around his wide waist, partially covered by his gut, and the robes wrapped around him, held closed by a sash. Even in the terror of the moment he couldn’t deny how comfy the new outfit was. Or that he felt hungrier after being forced to wear it.

“Hmm, it’s good, but I just know something’s missing,” Leopold mused aloud. Suddenly he snapped a finger. “Of course!” Above Bacchus’ head a crown appeared, gently lowering into place. “So regal! So decadent! You look just like a king, and deserve to be pampered like one too!”

More marshmallow kobolds were summoned, colored so they appeared dressed as royal servants. They swarmed Bacchus, raising the struggling lion above their heads and cackling in glee.

“Enough of this!” Bacchus shouted. “I’m not some, some turkey you can stuff at will!” He thrashed about, belly jiggling wildly, but the grips of the dessert kobolds remained firm. They were carrying him deeper into the grand hall, though he couldn’t see where.

“Oh humble, modest paladin! So honorable, resisting the temptation of even the simplest of rewards. Which just proves how worthy you are of them!” Leopold was practically giddy, strolling after the kobolds and his fattened guest. His gaze was ever on his handiwork, watching every bounce and wobble of the hefty lion’s belly. He adored having a canvas as blank as Bacchus to mold to perfection.

At last the kobolds reached the end of the room, tossing Bacchus into the throne he’d seen earlier. Manacles of marshmallow secured the captive lion on the throne.

“My liege.” Leopold bowed dramatically before Bacchus, and the kobolds followed suit. “You’ll never have to burden yourself with valiant quests and deeds ever again. Instead you can spend all day enjoying the finer things in life while telling tales of your adventures! Surely you’ve battled many a fearsome gryphon in your time?”

A ball of dough formed in the air, stretched and shaped into the form of a gryphon. With a flash it cooked, plumping up like a pastry in an oven. When it opened its beak to let out a cry, jelly could be seen within. It was life-sized, and far larger than the kobolds. Bacchus backed against the throne once he realized it was flying right at him.

Just like the kobolds, the gryphon darted into Bacchus’ mouth and down his throat. Its taste was amazing, the biggest jelly donut he’d ever eaten. He found it hard to squirm, eyes rolling in pleasure as he was treated to the sugary feast. When his belly swelled his robes did as well, stretching to contain the mass of the gryphon. They strained just enough, not too tight but still ensuring the lion felt nice and stuffed. His gut covered his entire lap, so big he couldn’t see past it. But of course before long it began to shrink, pounds piling onto Bacchus.

Another two hundred pounds were added, the lion as doughy as the magical creations that’d been fed to him. Bacchus was already unrecognizable, a far cry from the fit paladin devoted to helping others. Losing weight was starting to seem like a delusion to him, something that would take years. And he highly doubted the unicorn was content with even his current bulk. Though the most unnerving question of all was: was he?

“Ah, but it wasn’t a gryphon you came here to slay, was it?” Leopold asked with a smile. “No, it was a giant serpent, prowling the land and gobbling up unfortunate travelers.” A ball of cookie dough was formed, swelling bigger and bigger, twenty feet across at the very least. It stretched to become an enormous snake that slithered around Leopold. The marshmallow kobolds feigned panic, running around the room while waving their arms. One-by-one the cookie dough snake gulped them down, until none remained. Then it moved towards Bacchus.

There’d be no hope for mobility if he ate such a massive dessert. Bacchus cowered, his stomach growling in anticipation while his mind reminisced about his once lean and agile body.

The snake lunged, and the lion’s middle swelled like never before. Bacchus’ gaze grew aimless, his belly becoming a constantly wobbling sphere. He was gaining weight again at a constant rate, expanding in all directions. His rump pushed against the back of the throne and his sides against the arms, until he was wedged tight. Right away the seat groaned in protest, becoming smaller by the second. First one of the arms was cracked right off, then the other. The legs caved soon after, and Bacchus fell to the floor with a tremendous thud and a wobble.

Being free of his shackles didn’t matter, as the paladin was too engorged to stand on his own. He was also struggling to care. The sensation of his belly filling to the brim and swelling forever outward was switching from worrisome to pleasant to intensely desirable. Bacchus’ squirming was dying down, the lion making less and less of an effort to put up a token resistance. He was blushing non-stop, opening his maw wider so the cookie dough snake could wiggle in faster. Deep down he knew something was very, very wrong, but gluttony was winning out in the end.

Leopold was beaming, slowly backing away as his precious paladin ballooned in size, turning into a blubbery mountain of a feline. Perhaps he’d gotten a little carried away, fattening Bacchus up so much so fast, but he simply couldn’t help himself at times. A good chef like him needed a proper patron to satisfy, and a butterball king was ideal. So what if Bacchus’ “kingdom” didn’t extend beyond the walls of the palace, and his subjects were only whatever food golem Leopold himself willed into existence. As long as the lion felt like a king and looked like a king, that was good enough for Leopold.

When the tip of the snake’s tail slipped past Bacchus’ lips, the paladin let out an elated uorrrrrrrrrrrrp. He was moaning, his doughy arms resting on his blubbery belly, more fat than lion. Any attempt at movement merely caused gentle wobbling. He’d become a blob—and it was proving rather enjoyable. Gone were the worries of having to lose weight. Gone were the fears of another, larger course. Instead, Bacchus was actually wondering just what else the unicorn could conjure up for him.

“Magnificent!” Leopold applauded the blob of a lion. He ventured closer, squeezing the pudge of the paladin he’d so thoroughly fattened up. “And I see you’ve finally come to accept your wonderful reward. They always come to their senses after the first filling meal. Eventually you’ll fill this entire throne room, your majesty, and by then you’ll never remember having even the slightest doubt about your well-deserved indulgences.”

Bacchus belched again, a dopey smile on his face. “It’d be rude to turn down gifts as delightful and delicious as yours,” he practically mumbled, his muzzle squeezed between too pudgy cheeks.

“My favorite thing to hear from any patron!” Leopold said. He embraced the paladin’s enormous middle, sinking right in. After getting a good, long feel for the mass of feline he stepped back, and created a few more marshmallow kobolds. “I need to start planning the next few months of feasts immediately! Please enjoy these devoted servants while I’m away. And do try not to eat all of them~”

Leopold trotted away, his thoughts filled with ideas of delectable creations to stuff his new king with. He left behind the immobile Bacchus, who was already settling into his new life as a pampered blob.