Note: "I included his or her chapter so I and other writers could add on to it on this story branch without waiting for him or her to re post "Mindless Monster"." The way I worded that sounded a little rude. I apologize for that ChronoSeth. I just wanted to change a little detail from "The Sword of Clarity" before the story goes too far past that point. At the same time, I didn't want to ignore "Mindless Monster". I hope I didn't come off as rude by copying and pasting your chapter so I can add on to it.
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Isaac's new body look like a humanoid dragon. He still has two legs and four arms and still can still stand on two legs. His three toed paws are still dexterrable enough to act like hands. His twin tails are like the lava salamanders with flames on the ends. The torso area has light-blue scales very similar to Isaac's eastern ice dragoness form. The scales on his arms are brown and has a tough bark-like texture fit for a nature dragon. The western style wings on his back are made of clouds and air, just like the air dragon. His legs are like dragon/reptile legs but to be shaped to stand on two legs. The scales on the legs are purple just like the lust demon. His black armor has also changed to like like scales, which in turn covers the natural scales underneath. His male genitals are safely hidden inside a reptilian slit. And of course, his head is shaped like a combination of a dragon, a wolf, a salamander, and a basilisk, complete with glowing eyes that are a strangely a combination of a wolf and basilisk. The best way to describe his body is what-if the corruption he accumulated was geared to make him more reptile like instead of human like. His body is still humanoid, but besides from standing on two legs, he is mostly reptilian. It seems his body changes to match the soul that's in control at the time. But for some reason, the body is not morphing to match Ilivir. It's as if the body is not accepting Ilivir as it's new master.
"Ilivir?" Nat asked.
Who the heck is Ilivir? Does he have anything to do with the two souls in the ring? Nat vaguely remember hearing that name back at her home town but she doesn't remember were she heard it.
It took a moment for Nat to fully process what Ilivir just said. "I'm not a brat! I'm a fully grown woman thank you very much! And what have you done to Isaac?!" Nat demanded.
"Isaac? You mean that excuse of a paladin? I haven't seen him since you striked our ring you welchsss." Iliver spat. He is still trying to get used to his new snake touge.
"Welch?! How DARE you!" Nat shouted. But before she could shoot a fireball at the lizard man's face, the baby lust dragon pounced Ilivir and started licking his scaly face, chirping like it just found it's owner. For some reason, it's treating Iliver like a long lost parent. Almost like it's a long lost owner, sibling or mother. Nat is leaning towards thinking of it as a pet and owner relationship. It might have something to do with Ilivir's draconic body.
"Get offsssssss of me you muttsssssss!"Ilivir shouted as he pushed the baby dragon off his chest. As the baby was pushed off, it whimpered like a child who has to get off a carnival ride.
*RRRRARRRR*
The group were silent as they looked down at the dimly lit sea of dust at ground level. They can hear the loud sound of shifting dust underneath.
When the bell rang the first time, the dust may have shifted a little but nothing note worthy. The second time, the dust literally vibrated under the bell's unrelenting intensity. But now that they are no longer fighting someone, Nat can now notice that the dust haven't really stopped shifting about. Under the low light of the pillar torches it looks like the bed of dust is shifting in the wind. It was moving like the waves of the ocean. Yet, there is no wind. Then there is the mater of the shifting getting LOUDER.
*RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!!!!!!!!*
As the group watched, they noticed some of the dust dunes forming some weird shapes. Almost like animals.
More specifically, rabbits. But not small, cute rabbits. The dunes of dust started forming man sized rabbits. Savage rabid rabbits. Rabbits the size of bears. Complete with sharp, savage looking claws, razor sharps teeth and gross, dusty looking fur. Complete with millions of dust ticks. The party watched in horrid fear and fascination as the creatures opened their eyes and mouths and all they could see inside was blood red glowing energy. They had menacing glowing red eyes.
As the party watched, more and more of these creatures formed from the dust.
"What are those things?" Nat asked no one in particular.
'From what I can tell, they are natives of this place. Have you wondered why there was so much dust here when it seems nothing alive have been here for years? It seems those creatures are made of that dust. That thick layer of dust must have been the sleeping form of those creatures. They were probably hibernating when we teleported on them and when that obnoxiously loud bell rung twice. They don't seem to be corrupt with lust like the mummy with glowing purple eyes, but their glowing red eyes seems to indicate a different extreme. Red can represents a large range of emotions from purity, passion to rage. But this tone of red energy radiates a extreme sense of hunger and instinct. Judging by how they are sniffing around right now, they are probably hungry from their long nap and are looking for food.' Excalibur theorized.
As Excalibur spoke, the dust bunnies were indeed sniffing around. They are hungry and scoping out prey. Eventually, one of them caught a scent of the group and started bounding up the winding stairway of the stone pillar the party are currently on. Just like a stampede of wild bull, the rest started following suit up the steps. Because of how narrow the winding stairway was, hundreds of dust rabbits fell off the stairway. But that didn't stop hundreds of hungry dust bunnies to storm up the stairway like ravage beasts.
By the time the group stopped gawking and started running up the stairs, the dust bunnies already made good progress up the stairway.
The purple air dragon was leading the way, Nat was following suit, and Iliver was taking the rear.
That was until Iliver tripped on his three toed feet.
"NO!" He shouted in frustration.
Nat looked back to see Iliver laying against the stone steps.
As rude and arrogant as he acted, she can't just leave Isaac's body to be rabbit food.
So she went back down the steps. She had to maneuver herself past Iliver's huge body. When she made it below Iliver's body, she started helping him up. The baby air dragon pitched in.
"W-what are you doing!? It's the grown ups job to be on the front lines! Leave me to get raped by the beasts" Iliver muttered miserably.
"Get you're head out of the clouds! They are not going to rape you, they are going to EAT you! Now shut up and start climbing those stairs! We are only half-way up the pillar!" Nat encouraged.
They are going to eat him?! He can deal with sexual humiliation but Iliver has no plans of dying!
But as Iliver pushed himself up from the stone steps, he noticed how comfortable he was on all six limbs instead of on two feet.
But before Iliver could do anything, Nat felt her left foot get bitten by a dust bunny!
She could feel the dust penetrating her cloud skin.
Thanks to Excalibur's power, Nat was able to cut off the dust rabbit's head before it could bite her leg off. But many more dust bunnies were on their way to take its place!
Letting instincts kick in, Ilivir used his reptilian maw to pull Nat and the baby air dragon onto his back. And just like a six legged animal, he ran up the stairs like there was no tomorrow.
His heavy granite interior might be weighing him down, but his exterior reptilian muscles more then makes up for the speed. He was a lot faster crawling then when he was running on two feet.
But just as the group thought they would be able to make it to the top, Ilivir started hearing voices in his head.
'Impresssssssive for a human. If you let us reptiles share this body, we can show you it's true potential.' The basilisk soul said. Iliver could could feel the presence of the lava salamander souls with the basilisk soul.
'Don't listen to this to those animals. Let us demons stick together and we can share pleasure with everyone! No sex will be left out!' The succubus soul said. Iliver could feel the incubus soul allied with her.
"I see you have potential in magic. If we become allies, I can share my knowledge in transformation magic. For I am Sera! The apprentice to the legendary Alice!" The witch soul said.
Iliver stopped dead in his tracks as he held his head in his paws. As Iliver mentally struggled against the onslaught of souls, the red soul gem did not glow to help Iliver. He has no real connection to the deity of purity, therefore he has no means of using the deity of purity's power to protect himself. He as to mentally protect himself on his own. The rabid heard of dust rabbits were quickly gaining ground up the stairs winding around the stone pillar.
"What's wrong Ilivir? Why did you stop?" Nat asked.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Ilivir screamed in pain as he wrestle for control.
'I was afraid this would happen. I thought I reawaken Isaac or the deity of purity but I guess i was wrong on both ends. It appears this human's soul doesn't have the blessing of purity. If we don't do something, another soul will take over. And there is no guarantee it will be as friendly as the one currently in control.' Excalibur explained.
'What should we do?' Nat asked worriedly.
"It seems striking the soul gem is not working so let's try a different method. Turn me back into a pen!' Excalibur exclaimed.
'Wha!? How do I do that!?" Nat exclaimed.
'Just click the hilt!' Excalibur mentally shouted.
Nat wasn't sure what Excalibur was talking about but she did as she was told. She pressed the golden handle and the sword of clarity turned back into the pen of clarity.
'Now grab the ring!' Excalibur commanded.
Three times the charm. Once again, Nat climbed up Isaac's hunched over body and grabbed the floating ring. She is starting to consider asking Isaac if she can sit on his shoulder when he comes back.
The ring wasn't glowing at all.
'Thank you. I will do the rest. As if her hand was possessed, it started moving on it's own. Her hand was writing runes on the side of the ring. The ink was glowing blue just like Excalibur's soul gem.
Once her hand was finished writing glowing blue runes all around the halo, she regained control of her hand again.
'What did you do!' Nat demanded.
'I placed a seal on the ring of purity. It should reinforce control for the souls and deity in the red soul gem' Excalibur explained.
Almost immeadily, Ilivir's intense headache almost completely subsided. He can still feel the souls in his body fighting for control, but he can at least endure it for now. The seal doesn't guarantees that he keeps control but it does make enduring the other souls more manageable. In fact, the seal of clarity has made Ilivir more clearheaded then usual.
But while the group was dealing with Iliver, the herd of dust bunnies caught up with the group. Hundreds of rabid dust rabbits were lined up a few feet behind the party.
Ilivid got back up on his two feet and stood between the group and the army of dust bunnies.
Ilivid was from the first group of paladins. They were created in response to the last of the dark nights dying. And because the paladins were based off the dark nights, his sword techniques were almost as aggressive as the dark knights of old. The dark knights use the power of corruption. The Paladins purifies corruption. Part of the reason Iliver joined the paladins was because they were the closest things to dark knights at the time. He wanted to experience transformation and lust just like the dark knights. This is the first time he is legitimately fighting AGAINST corruption. And it's for a couple of kids he barely knew. And it doesn't help that he hates kids... But at the same time... the three of them are all locked in the same situation. They all need to fight to survive. Ilivir can deal with that.
The trio readied themselves for battle. Ilivir summoned a metal enchanted sword from his armor, Nat turned Excalibur back into a sword and began channeling magic through him, and the purple air dragon began baring its fangs. The odds are against them for them to run with their enemies being so close.
They can either stay and fight the herd of dust creatures of try to run away. Or perhaps a miracle could happen and Isaac or Dark Isaac could return. Or perhaps the trio could discover powers they never knew they had and turn the tides of their situation.