"Oh you're a cute little thing aren't you?" A mishi said as she held the hynx aloft under its arms in front of herself.

  "Viladi leave the monster be!" Puella ordered strictly.

  Her twin sister had been playing with the hynx since Puella brought it back with her earlier in the afternoon.

  The little scamp of a creature was mucking about with a little ball while being held up by Viladi.

  "Oh the little darling is harmless Puella, you need not worry." She said before looking up at her distraught sister.

  "Is Gerad in trouble again? I honestly cannot comprehend why you bother with that oaf, he's likely to get us all killed the way he pretends at being a hero. There's no place for hero's in our little pocket of the galaxy. We have our good kind king and his loyal men." Vialdi said as she playfully irritated the hynx, begetting a little growl.

  "Oh quiet Vialdi! Better a feckless hero than an idle oaf! At least he tries sister! Who are you to pass remark anyway, I seldom see you making company with anyone other than I or Gerad." She stung back, using her angst as fuel for the statement.

  Vialdi went quiet and dipped her head.

  Puella and the hynx took pity.

  "Oh forgive me sister mine. Your complaints although harsh do have merit hence my venom and for that I apologize."

  She came and embraced her sister.

  Vialdi meanwhile accidentally dropped the mushroom she was using to tease the hynx and the little critter got a hold of it.

  "Need not to worry dear sister, for you speak the truth…'' Vialdi did not sob but her eyes became glassy as her sister embraced her whilst she sat.

  The hynx, who had not eaten the entire day quickly devoured the mushroom.

  Not long after it spasmed to the floor and began to jerk about as if possessed.

  The two sisters stepped up and back in a state of shock.

  "What is the meaning of this? What is wrong with him Vialdi?" Puella yelled out in a panic

  The hynx continued to spasm whilst his skin and bones began to contort and morph.

  "The mushroom! Poor thing is he dying? It must have been the food! I’ve poisoned him!"

  Suddenly the creature morphed rapidly into a blue and fire red four legged behemoth that destroyed the furniture in its surroundings on its transformation.

  Its eyes turned from curiously cute to voraciously vicious.

  The two women screamed in terror and shock but the hynx seemed to pay no attention to them as he ravaged the abode in search of more mushrooms.

  He found some in a cabinet in the eating area and devoured a whole cupboard's worth before rushing outside, breaking through the door and its surrounding structure.

  He then grew, morphing to a monstrous size and running amok in the town and then running off into the wilderness.

  Puella and Vialdi rushed outside with shock painted on their faces.

  "Come we must warn the king! Before the monster comes back and destroys the village!"

  "As I said it is a great honor having you here on our planet dear sir. We seldom get any off-world visitors in this part of the galaxy." The fat little toadstool king spoke down to Bob from his throne as he stuffed his plump little mouth with local delicacies.

  "Please, please have something to eat, servants! Servants! Get this man some sustenance! Quick smart you lot. Please tell me more of your tales of adventure and whimsy throughout the cosmos." The king ordered with a manic giggle.

  "Need not worry my king, I shan't be staying for very long, in fact I urgently need to return to my craft now."

  Before Bob could finish his meagre excuse to leave, the king vigorously intervened.

  “Nonsense! Nonsense! You are my exalted guest! You shall be hosted royally. Ah here are our best cuts and ripest yields from our latest harvests and hunts! Please enjoy and tell me about this vast Galaxy which you have explored! Jethri, play that lute won't you?” The king ordered more so than asked as the royal guards shoved Bob down into his seat and put the eating utensils in his hands forcefully.

  Hmmm I’ve gotta get outta here… this toad stool is insane!

  “Well if you insist my king, allow me to tell you the tale of the two headed beast of bermutha.” Bob began in a ruse of charisma as he slid his hand down to the las-gun at his thigh.

  The King clapped in a sort of childish, giddy amusement.

  “My king! My King! There is Calamity in your Kingdom! My King! My King!” Two panicked, nearly identical female fungi gasped their red faced way into the great hall.

  “Calm! Calm, my loyal subjects!" The king yelled in a comically lordly fashion as he stood from his oversized throne of wood in a dramatic fashion.

  His messengers bowed meekly before him.

  “What is the matter my dear Vialdi and Puella? This best not be about your idiotic beloved.” He asked.

  “No my king! It is serious! The little furry jester turned into a giant alien monster and is running wild in the farms and through the town! The big red beast has destroyed many townhouses and paddocks before rampaging its woeful way into the deep forests! With malicious intent to return and finish us off no doubt!” The two sisters stumbled words over each other hurriedly, causing a dramatically distraught reaction from the king.

  Shit! Stupid fucking monkey…

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Bob thought as he slinked down lower in his chair, playing about with the food in front of him like a child fainting innocence.

  “This is a travesty!’ The king said as he slammed his fist into the table, too preoccupied with his own drama to notice Bob’s nervous eyes.

  “Well I am just going to leave you to that, best not keep in your hair with all this going on…” Bob said as he tried to slide away but again to no avail.

  “Wait! Brave traveler, catcher of stars, fuzzy haired angel of the sky!” The king hurriedly scampered up behind Bob as his guards blocked the Bounty Hunters path to the exit.

  “Help me, brave hero! Be my champion! Rid my kingdom of this great terror on my behalf and I shall reward you greatly!” The king again ordered more so than asked in a desperate manner.

  His monstrously sized guards were standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the door and Bob did not have his combat suit on so he had little choice.

  Besides a reward to go fetch his own pet seemed like a silver lining in this ongoing storm of derailment.

  “I shall accept your quest, oh good king.” The translator was beginning to annoy him.

  “Oh splendid! Somebody! Bring me the champion's hammer, a weapon fitting my brave knight from afar!” The King exclaimed.

  Two servants rushed out of the hall and back in just as quickly with an antique Warhammer held strenuously between the two servants.

  Bob noticed that it was very old and the runes on it were the same as what was on the staff that the priest had seized from the tyrant centipede queen.

  Well lookie here… I’ll just take that as my reward, get the monkey and get the hell outta here before this moron knows what's happening…

  “Take this my champion! A piece of Dar Gul! Passed down through the Eons by my forefathers as a gift from an ancient god! Take it and save my kingdom by my divine beckoning!” The king said as he urged the servants to hand the hammer to Bob who took it in his arms.

  “I shall my king, I shall not let your trust go astray.” Bob lied as he moved the hammer about.

  Heavier than it looks… useless lump of rock, someone ought to pay a high price for it though.

  So the king sent on his brave champion to quell the distress upon his kingdom.

  And the bounty hunter went off with his prize, seemingly unscathed.

  Meanwhile, on the planet devastated by Vol Drung to become his temple.

  One of the new apostles of the hammer stood watch on the outside of Iris’ cell.

  Timus had gone off-planet and so he was left with the duty of guarding Vol Drung’s chosen vessel.

  He stood watch, daydreaming of glorious conquest in the name of his lord, Vol Drung.

  Before he was shown the light by Timus he was depressed and dishevelled, living on one of the outer limbs of the galaxy.

  He was a slight man and never thought to amount to much, trying his best to please all around him but always pleasing no one in the effort.

  He joined the peace corps in hopes of bettering himself to better serve those dearest to him as well as the galaxy.

  Although he only ended up a begrudgingly compliant lackey to state and even more of a disappointment to those in his personal sphere.

  Needless to say he found immense relief when his planet was liberated by the Hammer, they offered everything he could hope for.

  An opportunity to serve, to serve something far greater than himself.

  He immediately bowed his knee and became an apostle, one whose ideology would greatly serve his lord.

  He gleefully sacrificed his family and his planet to find his purpose.

  So he dreamt of conquering and expanding his lords dominion and was now standing watch over this door was the greatest honour anyone could have, let alone a welp such as himself.

  Suddenly he heard an echoing clang come from within the cell, snapping him out of his dream.

  He gasped and looked in through the keyhole.

  He tried to make out the outline of the prisoner, Iris, but could see nothing through the darkness.

  He panicked.

  “No! No! No!” He let out stifled yelps of woe, feeling as if he had failed his superior yet again.

  Quickly rummaging through his robes until he found the key before taking several rushed and hurried attempts at putting it in and opening the sliding stone seal.

  He scurried into the cell, igniting his hand lantern only to see the prisoners' shackles levitating in the air by Timus’ magic.

  Although there was no prisoner hanging from them!

  Instead the apostle only saw a pair of bloodied hands and feet in the shackles, seemingly ripped off from the bone.

  His panic turned into dread.

  “What in the great fucking kuggleblitz is happening!” He screamed.

  He quickly tried to regain his senses and scanned the room.

  In the corner he saw a shadow lay on the ground, stifling screams of agony.

  “What are you! What have you done!” Is all he screamed in terror before Iris noticed him through all of the pain of her regrowing appendages.

  She snarled and launched herself upon him before he could call for help.

  Then she wrapped her teeth around his larynx and tore it from his throat as his eyes widened in terror before he passed while his blood sprayed all over the escapee.

  The snarling beast of a girl spat out the dead man's flesh before hobbling onto the quickly regenerating stubs that were her new feet.

  She staggered out into the long hallway that led to her cell, slowly gaining pace as her body continued to heal.

  Eventually she regained the ability to run and started off at full sprint down the hallway.

  She knew both Timus and Vol Drung were off planet considering the welp of an insect that was left guarding her.

  There were two guards up ahead, both of them once some kind of humanoid but now changed into demonic, grotesque creatures.

  They turned when they noticed her and began to roar before charging at her.

  Iris did not slow, she had come way too far to back down now, besides, any fate would be better than what waited for her with Vol Drung.

  The one on the right lunged first, thrusting his spear at her, she jumped onto it and continued running towards the demon before his counterpart bludgeoned her away with a chain mace.

  She crashed into the stone wall, a little dazed but she had to move fast before the first attacker threw his spear to her, grazing her side.

  Quickly, the viciously desperate woman spun to her feet, grabbed the spear and threw it at the second attacker.

  The top of it pierced straight through the demon's skull, pinning him to the opposite wall as the blood from his brain seeped through the wound.

  The other guard lept back in surprise before the escapee jumped upon him and began mauling his torso by any means she could until he stopped moving.

  Iris took no moments to rest or reassess and instead continued straight down the hallway until she broke out into light.

  All around her the planet was ablaze, being terraformed and built into a giant megalithic castle for Vol Drung.

  The sheer scale made Iris stop and gasp in awe before snapping back into escape mode.

  She looked around, everyone was too busy building and slaving away to notice her at first.

  She saw many sphere ships bustling about through the red and grey smoggy sky, tracking one specifically that seemed to be headed her way.

  It was zooming through, very close to the ground where she stood and so she crouched low, awaiting its passing.

  When it got near enough she lunged at it, being pulled off into the air.

  The pilot noticed straight away and tried to shake her but to no avail, she held strong and after a while of bouncing around the sky violently, she punched through the spherical hull and tore a hole in the top.

  Then she broke into the cramped, densely wired chamber before quickly snapping the pilot’s neck.

  The craft began to drop suddenly and so she quickly ripped the neural interface off of the corpse and threw him out of the hole she created.

  She strapped it around her head and quickly tried to intuit the controls.

  Warning flashes began to blare into her visual cortex from the interface head piece, she was dropping, fast with a squad of other sphere ships descending upon her.

  Like a hailstorm of brimstone and metal they let loose all of their cannons onto her craft.

  She crashed into the side of a heavily ornate tower and fell with the debris from the craft onto a castle battlement below.

  The pursuing sphere ships grew in number and descended upon her like a swarm of hornets.

  She landed roughly, all of her bones viciously snapping and shattering to pieces in her body before debris landed on top of her broken bodice.

  All of her pursuers came to the halt near her and began blasting the wreckage with their cannons for good measure before an apostle disembarked and ventured to investigate.

  He made his way to the melting rubble that was Iris’ sphere ship.

  He saw in amongst the molten metal and sparkling electronics the bloodied torso, abdomen and head of the woman, rasping in agony as her body healed.

  She cradled her stomach with the only arm that was still attached, hoping the zygote was still intact.

  “My Lord will not like this one bit, come now brothers help me bind the holy vessel once again in her chains.” He said with religious zeal.

  Suddenly, as he approached, a shadow engulfed the entire area, plunging the citadel into a sort of pseudo night.

  The apostles and followers all looked up to see a foreign and unexpected visitor.

  The Blitznought levitated gallantly above the red smoggy miasma of Vol Drung’s gigantic labrynth.

  “Invaders! The conglomerate! Battle stations everyone!” The apostle in front of Iris yelled before a breach ship landed on top of him.

  The landing squashed him and scattered his carnage evenly around him as conglomerate centurions disembarked and began their assault.

  Iris had reached her tether, exhaustion getting the better of her and her vision blurred.

  Her consciousness slipping between blinks and eventually everything went dark.